Where'd You Go, Bernadette

From: Suko
To: My Readers

Here I go again, writing in epistolary form.  I'm writing this as a letter, because I've just read Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, published in 2012, a book comprised of communications such as email messages and letters, with the exception of the words of the book's youngest main narrator, 15-year-old Bee, who writes in regular text.  I also wrote my review of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows in letter form, so I hope you will not be too dismayed that I'm doing this again.  Honestly, it's so much fun to write in this way that I could not resist; I discovered this when I had to write a secret letter to my daughter before she embarked on an overnight field trip on the Star of India ship in fourth grade.  It was great fun to draft a dramatic, fictitious letter (which included a made-up allusion to a relative with a drinking problem) to be read out loud by the captain.  So bear with me, dear readers!  Maria Semple's book simply reminded me of how pleasurable it is to write in this way, which seems to give a person more freedom to be inventive.

So what did I think about this book? Before I reveal anything, I need to give you a bit of background information.  A few years ago, I read and reviewed Maria Semple's first novel, This One is Mine.  Over this past spring (and into the summer), I started watching episodes of Arrested Development (my "new" favorite show, which I find absolutely hilarious), and eventually noticed Maria Semple's name in the credits. To me, this was an astonishing discovery, as a new fan of the show.  I wanted to interview her.  Well, she graciously declined the interview but generously offered to have her agent send me a copy of her latest book. I was fine with that.  Her new book had already received a plethora of very favorable reviews, so I felt lucky to be getting a copy.

My dear, patient readers, I will take advantage of you no more. What did I think about Where'd You Go, Bernadette--the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?  It would be all too easy to resort to the simple, unsophisticated ways I described the book to family members (who may well have doubted my integrity as a semi-professional book blogger) while I was reading this book with the quirky title, using the most nondescript and ordinary statements such as, "it's really good", or "it's really funny".  But you know what?  It really is.  My family heard me chortle (charming word, eh?) more than a few times. The characters are both engaging and endearing, and I enjoyed the story being told in multiple perspectives, from the points of view of Bee, Bernadette Fox, Elgie, Manjula Kapoor, Audrey Griffin, Soo-Lin Lee-Segal, Ollie-O, and others.  It's a very clever and creative way to present the story of ex-architect and MacArthur genius award winner Bernadette Fox, now an agoraphobic mother with a virtual assistant in Delhi and a low tolerance for "gnats", who has disappeared just prior to the family's planned excursion to Antarctica.  It may sound utterly wacky, but truthfully, this book is extremely entertaining, nothing short of brilliant.  It was fun to read, and remarkably funny.  Among other things, Maria Semple makes fun of the main setting of the book, Seattle (where the author lives), but, no worries--this only whetted my desire to visit this great city (the birthplace of Amazon.com and Starbucks!). 

Maria Semple does what she does best with this book: entertain!  Where'd You Go, Bernadette is one of my favorite books of the year so far, and certainly, the funniest.  And it reminded me of something to always keep in mind as a writer: you need to entertain.  You cannot be boring.  Not even for a nanosecond.

Thanks for reading,
Suko

Mailbox Monday: Some Summer Books

Oh, the many woes of book blogging! Books are not always the easiest subjects to photograph, especially when you have several or many to include.  It seems that at least one of them will "act up", and refuse to cooperate in some manner.  A book cover won't stay flat, or there may be distracting shadows in the photo.  In spite of these difficulties, though, I brought my newest "mailbox" books outside and photographed them with my phone. Wisely, my new books realized that this was their chance to make a good first impression, and cooperated. ;) 

I received Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (of Arrested Development fame!) from the author's agent, Anna. I won Charlie: A Love Story by Barbara Lampert from Naida's blog, the bookworm.  The Color of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe arrived from the publisher for an upcoming TLC book tour, and In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell is a mystery I won recently from Harvee's blog, Book Dilettante.  Last and certainly not least, I received The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith by Joanna Brooks from her agent, Jill; I'm planning to interview this author soon.


Mailbox Monday, one of my favorite memes, continues to be on tour, and has been hosted this month by Mrs. Q, Book Addict. What books arrived in your mailbox recently, or from elsewhere?

I haven't posted (or read) much this month, because I just had LASIK eye surgery and felt my eyes needed a break, but I did want to showcase some of the new books I've gotten this summer.  And remember that today's the last day to enter my international giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card, if you haven't already done so!

This One is Mine

"Tuesdays in Los Angeles made Violet sad. It always caught her by surprise, the sadness, like today, as she was driving, safe and alone in her car after another revolting morning with David. Then she'd see the open-house signs and would remember: Tuesday, open-house day."
~This One is Mine, Maria Semple

Maria Semple, a former TV writer for shows such as Saturday Night Live, Mad About You, Ellen, and Arrested Development, is the author of the novel This One is Mine, published in 2008, a sharp, tragicomical depiction of the lifestyle and culture of Los Angeles, complete with cameos by Adam Sandler and other celebrities. This One is Mine is the story of Violet, her husband, David, her sister-in-law, Sally--and Teddy. David, a successful music executive, is having a hard time understanding and living with his wife, who has become distraught and distant. Sally, David's sister, is a former ballerina determined to find a rich man to marry. She sets her sights on Jeremy White, who may be socially awkward but otherwise fits the bill. Violet, on the other hand, seeks escape from her marriage, and although she loves her very young daughter, Dot, she's uncertain in her new role as a stay-at-home mother. She feels out of shape physically and emotionally. In this state she finds herself attracted to an unlikely candidate, ex-junkie Teddy Reyes, a bass player who is barely able to make ends meet. Although Violet is rich and pampered, money doesn't buy happiness, and she is miserable in her marriage. Teddy is somehow thrilling to her, and after sixteen years of marriage, she feels a spark and is drawn to the bassist.

Gradually and skillfully, the author reveals more about the main characters, who seem shallow and self-absorbed initially, and I could understand them better. Full of humor, the novel pokes fun at many things, including New Age parenting techniques and "sweat lodges". I raced through this book and it held my attention from the first page until the last, although I found the vulgar language and graphic sex disturbing (at times I even wondered if I were reading a pornographic novel). I understand that the foul language was supposed to be shocking, was intended to show what a "dirty" mouth Teddy has, how unsuitable he really is for Violet, but after a certain point it seemed superfluous, and detracted from the book for me. Although the language fit the character, I thought it was taken to an extreme and that it should have been lessened--a little bit would have been enough.

Special thanks to Gigi for sending me this book.

Mailbox Monday

Last Monday, I didn't do this meme, although these two books actually arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I received This One Is Mine by Maria Semple from Gigi, and Cardboard: A Woman Left for Dead from the author, Fiona Place, who also sent me a couple of extra copies for giveaways. Please stay tuned for reviews and giveaways.

Hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page, Mailbox Monday is one of my favorite memes, where readers share the books they've recently acquired. Please feel free to join in the fun, but be forewarned: "Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists". What books arrived in your home recently, by mail or from elsewhere?