Back from vacation..with book news!
Find a Conversation
| Wed, 06-29-2005 - 6:20pm |
Just finished 2 interesting books. "Step, Ball, Change" by Jeanne Ray was really a disappointment. It didn't come close to "Julie & Romeo" by the same author. Even tho' "J & R" is light fare, the characters were fun & easy to care about. However, in "Step, Ball, Change," family & friends are just plain silly & not easy to like. The situation was not plausible, the book not funny & I never could figure out why she put an inter-racial romance(s) angle into the plot. Go figure! Yes, the hero is an older (61) her husband is too good to be true, & so is the s--!. Her soon to be divorced sister shows up at her door, & you just know she is a pouty, spoiled rich woman (who lies about her age..arghhhhhh!). Of course, she is vain beyond belief with few redeeming qualities, but the author insists on making her likeable. It's then we discover she not only can dance, she can be helpful, caring, loving....the reader can't buy it. It's flimsy & falls apart. (Is this too harsh! Sorry.)
Never fear, however, because Ann B. Ross makes everything better. I started the "Miss Julia...." books & found a treat. Ross is a much better writer than I had anticipated. Her over 60 hero is delightful & easy to like. You'd enjoy having her for a friend. As a recent widow, she discovers how wonderful it is to be liberated from a patriarchial marriage. She also discovers that her dead husband has a child with a very young & "kept" woman. How their paths cross is really funny & plausible. There is of course, as in most southern books, a wise, albeit uneducated black housekeeper & a crusty retired lawyer. It's funny, (the dialogue is priceless!)& every character has some dimension of endearment. I can see this book & the ones that follow with Miss Julia as a very good TV series. Ann B. Ross is as good as Nora Ephron & clearly as entertaining.
I hope this was helpful. dee

Thanks dee- all book reviews and oppinions are helpful. I haven't gotten around to Julie and Roemo yet but it's there on my list. I always like to hear about books that I should stay away from-especially when someone gives plausible reasons:) With so many good books to read I hate to waste by time on those that fizzle.
I have discovered Earlene Fowler's Benni Harper mystery series and just got the thrid from the library. They are sort of what I think of as a cozy.