The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston

Title: The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt
Author: Caroline Preston
Pages: 240
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: October 25th, 2011
Publisher: Ecco
Source: Personal Copy

Caroline Preston's unique new offering speaks right to my vintage memorabilia-loving heart. When I'm in an antique store scouring forgotten treasures, I can't help but imagine the stories the objects could tell. From yellowed postcards to vintage jewelry, each item played a part in another person's life, and the mystery behind that completely fascinates me. I believe this is why I absolutely adored The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt.

When she graduates from high school in 1920, Frankie Pratt's father leaves her a scrapbook and his old Corona typewriter. In an attempt to fulfill her life dream of becoming a writer, Frankie applies to and is accepted by Vassar College. However, she must turn down the spot in order to stay home and help support the family and her recently widowed mother. It is only after an interesting summer of events that Frankie is able to take her place at Vassar and begin her journey which takes her from the artsy and intellectual streets of Greenwich Village to the cafes and bookstores of Paris.

A vast collection of postcards, letters, photographs, fabric swatches, tokens, baubles, and many more items helps the life and adventures of Frankie Pratt come alive for the reader. Preston uses the scrapbook format to tell her story which is quite unique and differs from the traditional graphic novel in that there are no drawings but only collages of real artifacts. The vintage items presented fascinated me while reading but especially once I found out that the memorabilia is real and was collected by the author over many years. I was a little afraid that I wouldn't enjoy such a different format when I first picked up this book, but once I started I couldn't put it down and finished in about 2 hours. 

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt isn't a well rounded novel, nor do I think it should it be. I absolutely love the slanted piecemeal view used. Personal scrapbooks tend to be very biased in the presentation of one's life and only offer glimpses that allow others to quickly dip into one's experiences. For a modern day example, just look at someone's Facebook page or Instagram album. Even without a complete picture, I found Frankie and her story to be surprisingly well developed and enjoyed reading her strong voice describe her choices, mistakes, and successes. I can't wait to read this one again and see what new treasures I notice a second time through.

Be sure to check of Preston's website which has a longer look inside this wonderful full-color book!

Review: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Title: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 364
Genre: Contemporary Fictiion
Release Date: March 19th, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Personal Copy

In this follow up to Alan Bradley's The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, our heroine Flavia de Luce finds herself taking on the role of amateur sleuth in order to solve another murder mystery in the town of Bishop's Lacy. Rupert Porson, the charismatic host of the BBC program Porson's Puppets, and his assistant Nialla are passing through town when an unexpected problem with their van forces them to stay overnight. While waiting for the van to be repaired, the couple is persuaded into putting on a couple of impromptu performances for the local public at the church.

It is during the second performance that Porson suffers an electrical jolt that causes his death. Now an investigation is under way to decide whether the electrocution was accidental or murder and, more importantly, who is responsible and what could possible be his or her motive. Adding to the mystery is a potential connection between Porson's death and the accidental suicide of a young boy many years ago. As always, young Flavia, along with her trusty bicycle Gladys, finds herself right in the middle of all the action and sets out to put the pieces together.

The positive opinion I had of Bradley's characters and place construction that I wrote about in my review of the previous book in the series (which you can find here) can pretty much be attributed to this book as well. It's a little harder to write about the next book in a series without completely rehashing a previous review, but I will try. The story uses the same formula; the death of a mysterious stranger who has just recently arrived in town and the connection of a murder from the past. The tone of The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag was slighter darker and included allusions to subjects such as domestic violence and drug use. I don't particularly like that direction so hopefully Bradley keeps the series on the lighter side. Also, I felt the references to chemicals and the experiments to be a little long winded and tedious this time around.

I did enjoy The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag other than those few negatives. Flavia doesn't fail to entertain with her charming wit and her sleuthing skills. It's always nice to be able to pick up a book and already know the world in which you are about to enter. Sometimes familiarity is just what I need. If you were a fan of the first book then I definitely recommend continuing with the series.

Frugal Fiction Finds

                                                                    Total: $11.87


Once December rolls around, I'm pretty good about only making purchases for others instead of myself. I love thinking about and planning the perfect gift for someone. There's nothing better than watching the recipient's face light up with recognition that the gift he or she holds is actually something they like.

However, there is one thing that manages to slip under the radar this time a year: a book. Now, I do limit myself to only frugal finds so as not to completely negate my policy. Here is a stack of my recent acquisitions. There is a pretty good mix of books here from YA to Pulitzer Prize winning. I'm really excited about Had a Good Time by Robert Olen Butler. He is a new-to-me author who takes vintage postcards from the early twentieth century and crafts short stories based on the messages found on the backs of the cards. How awesome is that?!

What are some of your most recent book finds? I'm always looking for great recommendations!

Review: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

Title: Geek Love
Author: Katherine Dunn
Pages: 348
Genre: Contemporary Fictiion
Release Date: March 11th, 1989
Publisher: Vintage
Source: Personal Copy

There is one thing about being in a book club that can be both good and bad: reading books you wouldn't normally read. Geek Love falls into the bad version of this category. I can't say that I would have picked this one up without it having been chosen for the November book, and after (almost) finishing it I can say it was one of the worst books I've read this year.

The resourceful [parents] began experimenting with illicit and prescription drugs, insecticides, and eventually radioisotopes.... He realized that children could be designed. 'And I thought to myself, now that would be a rose garden worthy of a man's interest.'

The Binewskis are a carny family who travel the country showcasing their many absurdities and deformities. Genetically engineered by father Al, the children each exhibit different oddities. Arturo (Arty) the Aqua Boy is the oldest and has only flipper-like appendages; Olympia (Oly) is a hump-backed albino dwarf who is devoted to Arty; Electra and Iphigenia are siamese twins; and Fortunato (Chick) posseses psychokinetic powers that are often exploited by Arty. There are many other characters that join the show, Fabulon, such as Dr. Phyllis who is hired by Arty to do many outrageous experiments and operations. While this is the main focus of Geek Love, there is is a second, parallel narrative taking place in the present. Oly, who serves as the stories' narrator, is now an old woman who is secretly spying on her daughter Miranda who she gave up after birth. As Oly tries to find a way to connect with Miranda, memories of her life in the carnival keep resurfacing, and she begins to reveal the events that lead up to her current situation.

In order to provide a balanced review, here are a few tidbits for those of you who haven't heard of this book: Geek Love was met with critical aclaim after its publication in 1989 and was a finalist for the National Book Award that same year. The overall response from readers is positive, with the average rating on Goodreads being a 3.98, so I'm definitely in the minority in disliking the book. Before I jump into my thoughts and feelings, which are generally negative, I'll start with the few good qualities of Geek Love. Dunn is talented with words and the writing, on a technical level, was pretty good. She is able to create this profoundly disturbing and grotesque world that definitely illicits many complex emotions. There are very few writers who can make me feel this passionately about a book.

I've conquered them. They thought to use and shame me but I win out by nature, because a true freak cannot be made. A true freak must be born.

Geek Love was a roller coaster ride that I just couldn't stomach. I read about 2/3 of the book before giving up and skipping to the last 20 or so pages - mainly to see how the train wreck finally ends. Dunn introduces some very extreme scenes too quickly, and from there on every disturbing paragraph felt overdone. It was as if Dunn kept throwing grotesque elements in just for the hell of it without much focus on furthering the plot. Ultimately this book became boring and very repetitive. I am capable of suspending belief in order to fully enjoy a story, but I can only go so far when I loathe all the characters.

As I read more and more into Geek Love, I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about. I understand the commentary about society and what is considered "normal." I get the ironic use of physical deformities as an idolized way of life. However, using deformities as a marketing tool is upsetting, and, on a personal level, I can't get past the idea that being a so-called freak gives one the right to forego basic human decency. There are so many other books that I would rather read right now which made this one almost impossible to get as far as I did. I guess this just wasn't the right time for me to read this book.

Review: Tabloid City by Pete Hamill

Title: Tabloid City

Author: Pete Hamill
Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: May 5th, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Source: Personal Copy

One 24 hour period in New York City is made of more stories and scandals than a tabloid newspaper can hold. That is certainly the case for those working at the famed New York World. Sam Briscoe is the 71 year old Editor-in-Chief who must keep his team, including self described 'rewrite man' Helen Loomis and budding young reporter Matt Logan, on top of the the city's tabloid news while still delivering a quality product as competition from online sources grows. The big scoop of the night is the murder of socialite Cynthia Harding and her assistant in a Manhattan brownstone. Adding to the drama is a corrupt hedge fund manager on the run and an Islamic extremist plotting another terrorist attack on the city. As the night progresses, Hamill introduces a cast of characters who must find a way to deal with the rapid life changes being thrown their way while simultaneously showing the interconnectedness of such a huge metropolis.

Young Helen Loomis was only one of many great reporters he'd known who were drawn to the rowdy newspaper trade because of the aching solitude in their own lives. Their own pain was dwarfed by the more drastic pain of strangers. As bad as your own life might be, there were all kinds of people out there in the city who were in much worse shape.

Even though there are many characters in the novel, some more superfluous than others, one universal trait amongst them is nostalgia for the past. Sam and Helen long for the newspaper rooms of a pre-internet age where pen, paper, a lead, and a cigarette were all that was needed. In a time where libraries are closing constantly, their biggest financial supporter Cynthia yearns for an era where one must open the pages of a book in order to access knowledge instead of clicking a button. Hamill definitely laments the loss of the written word, which comes as no surprise given his journalistic background. One drawback for me was the number of characters introduced throughout the story. Certain people's stories seemed unnecessary in a way that I found distracting. Of the more developed characters, I felt Hamill's talent for creating deep and moving characters flourish. 

As for the writing style, Tabloid City uses a succinct staccato rhythm throughout and mirrors newspaper snippets. The entire novel had a distinct gritty and hard boiled feel, and I found myself picturing the story in graphic novel form. Hamill is excellent at setting the stage on which his players will perform. However, I will say that I wasn't as drawn into the story as I had hoped to be. I absolutely adored Hamill's previous novel Forever, and part of me was hoping for the epic and engrossing style. This is not to say that what Tabloid City brings to the table is any less well written. Hamill comments on issues such as immigration, financial scams, and terrorism in a post-9/11 country. He knows the environment and atmosphere that he wants to create and does it in a very skilled and polished way. Overall, this novel delves into many of the issues facing modern day Americans. I just wish Tabloid City had grabbed me more, but I do recommend it.