North River, my book club's November book, did not disappoint. It was raw and gritty, yet soft and sweet at the same time. The protagonist's experiences and thoughts on love, forgiveness, acceptance, and compassion were beautiful. The use of New York's Lower East Side, the Meatpacking District, and Little Italy as characters was palpable: I saw the North River and felt the wind coming off it, smelled its brackishness. I could smell and taste Angela's simple Italian meals; I lived vicariously through Carlito's experiences on his first train ride, his first hot dog, his first plate of spaghetti, his trip to Coney Island. I recognized Pete Hamill's understanding of and love for New York in how he was able to capture its ugliness, beauty, prejudice, and senses of unity/community in little ways and big. Overall, this was a very well-written novel, not rushed, but not drawn out unnecessarily; descriptive yet to the point--just like New York. Kudos to Hamill.
The December book is going to be quite a departure from the more serious and "heavy" books we've been reading; it's called Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office
This should be nice and light reading for the holiday month. i hope we all enjoy it. Happy reading!
*** PS: I just finished reading Peony in Love, by Lisa See--much better than Shanghai Girls, but still not as good as Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I also happened upon A Father's Law, by the legendary Richard Wright, in the Bargain Books section of B&N. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.
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