'DO WITH ME WHAT YOU WILL' Joyce Carol Oates

 Finished Mo 9/28/26

This was one of my ancient harbacks that I had never read. It doesn't even have a 'date purchased', however it was on the lamp bookcase in the living room and turned out to be one of my favorite reads in a long time.

It's a profile of a young woman who struggles to become more than a bit player in other peoples' lives. The book has many unforgettable characters and probably one of the vilest examples of 'motherhood' ever written. 

Many storylines that weave in and out of the novel. Although, the ending was a little weak. It's really only a few words telling us that the couple 'are happy ever after'. Did Elena really find her assertiveness and would Love last?

From 'themodernovel.org':

"Aah, the parents! As in her previous novels, Oates has the two main characters carry the burden of their parents. Elena Ross is kidnapped from her mother by her divorced father when she is seven. She withdraws into herself and, when she is finally rescued, can barely speak. While growing up, her mother does, indeed, do with her what she wills, finally marrying her off, when she is seventeen, to a successful criminal lawyer, Marvin Howe. At the end of the first section, about Elena’s growing up, she is in some sort of trance, staring at a statue. Everything has come to rest, in perfection it comes to rest, permanent. Then a hand touches her.

The second part is about Jack Morrissey. He too has parental issues, as his father murders a rich man but he is defended by Marvin Howe and gets off on temporary insanity. This inspires Jack to become a lawyer himself, though he does not become a successful criminal lawyer like Howe but rather works to help the poor and weak, working for the American Civil Liberties Union. He meets and marries Rachel but, at the end we realise that his is the hand that has touched Elena.

The third part is, of course, the love affair between Jack and Elena. She is awakened out of her twenty year trance but is scared by the feelings she now has. She flees from him and returns to Howe. The final part, however, has Jack and Elena getting back together, leaving their respective spouses, and gaining one of Oates’ little victories as they now have the life they want. It sounds mawkish but, in the hands of such an accomplished writer as Oates, it works, both as regards the legal background (which plays a bigger part than I have mentioned here) and the relationship issues. It may be less violent and less harrowing for the reader than some of its predecessors but it is just as readable."

KAHAWA by Donald E. Westlake

Finished We 9/16/26

This is one of my 'discarded' books that I bought at the library book sale in January of 2003. I don't think that I had read it before. This was one of the books that I was reading during Janny's final sickness. 

It's about a group of corrupt individuals who conspire to steal a train full of coffee beans from the Ugandan tyrant, Idi Amin. It reminded me a little bit of Westlake's 'DROWNED HOPES'. 

 From AI Mode:

"The word kahawa means "coffee" in Swahili. Set in 1977, the story follows an unlikely alliance of international financiers, American mercenaries, and ousted Asian businessmen who conspire to hijack a Ugandan train carrying $6 million worth of coffee. Their goal is to steal the cargo out from under the nose of the brutal dictator Idi Amin, who needs the hard currency to keep his regime afloat."

"A Dense, Masterful Balance: Reviewers note that the book functions like an exquisite balancing act. It seamlessly blends a highly intricate, fast-moving heist plot with a deeply researched, rich background of Uganda and Kenya."

CRY TO HEAVEN by Anne Rice

 I bought this book at the paperback book sale on Sa 1/9/10- {temps below zero}

From flyinginkpot.com:

"From start till end, we are immersed in the world of Venice and Constaninople (present day Istanbul), as the book chronicles the life journey of Tonio, a perfect societal product poised and groomed to take over the world that lies before his feet. Tragedy, however, strikes when his estranged elder brother returns after his father’s sudden death and wants to usurp the position of heir. The plot thickens like any other opera tale and before we know it, Tonio has been, well, ‘cut’.

Rice weaves a rather rich (albeit at times predictive) narrative that spans not only time but place, as we travel through 18th century Europe. What truly sets this novel apart is the ability of Rice to truly immerse the reader into the world and mind of the castrati. It is clear that an immense amount of research has gone into the making of the book, from the vivid portrayals of the eunuchs, to the weaving and intertwining of the 18th century artistic and musical world.

 The rest of the novel focuses on Tonio’s successes as a singer, and his mental nightmares that plague him for much of his life. His fear and want for revenge on his brother, his struggle to be a ‘real’ man, are the bones of the novel.

That Rice gives a very professional account of how Tonio learns to sing, and how she describe his voice and technique, is of no surprise as she reveals in the afterword, that she relied on W.J. Henderson’s “Early History of Singing” as a guide. Also, records such as “Baroque Venice: Music of Gabrieli, Bassano, Monteverdi” by Decca (1972) and Alessandro Scarlatti’s “The Garden of Love” recorded on the Deutsche Grammophon label (1964) did inspire a few scenes in the book.

A note here must be mentioned about the gore and sexual bits of the novel. In true Anne Rice style, there are truly gory scenes worthy of any R(A) rating, and explicit sex scenes (both hetero- and homosexual in nature) that litter throughout the book. There are times when it does seem understandable and appropriate that those have been inserted, but there are times when they seemed a tad excessive. Reader, you have been forewarned.

Cry to Heaven is definitely different from most of Rice’s work, but I dare say, is one of her best so far. Perhaps it is her writing, which is simple yet captivating, or the setting and place of the novel. Or it could be the subject of castrati and their magical voices. Whatever the reason though, Cry to Heaven is definitely a good read for those interested in a glimpse of the 18th century musical and art world, or for those who just simply want a good read."

My Take On The Novel: I didn't really follow the details of the plotline and it was more like a long and detailed sexual fever dream. I liked it. 

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS by Octavia E. Butler

Finished Fr 8/28/26

The second and final book of  The Parables. 

From utopia-state-of-mind.com:

"In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction of her home and family, and realized her vision of a peaceful community in northern California based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. The fledgling community provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to “make America great again.” In an increasingly divided and dangerous nation, Lauren’s subversive colony–a minority religious faction led by a young black woman–becomes a target for President Jarret’s reign of terror and oppression.

Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. As she searches for answers about her own past, she also struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future."

I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON by Philip K. Dick

 Finished Tu 8/18/26

This is my favorite collection of short stories by Dick. I had never read it before and chock full of crazy ideas. My favorite was the story of how AI was so far ahead of human intelligence that AI signaled for a world war, but humans didn't know if it was true or there was a malfunction with AI.  

From johnnycompton.com- "Details can be vital to a story. Details allow worlds to feel lived in, characters to breathe. But details needn’t be intricacies.

In Philip K. Dick’s science fiction short story “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon” the details enrich the story’s future, planets and technologies with plausibility, but eschew needless complexity. This isn’t to say the story is “simple” (hardly) or basic, just that it’s direct. I’m also not saying that complexity and intricacy are inherently bad. They can be misplaced, however. Or abused to mask story flaws, like an overly complicated cologne might be an attempt to overwhelm your sense of smell, trying to hide that the fragrance simply isn’t appealing.

Reading “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon,” I was struck by the small details that fleshed out the universe where this story takes place. The extended age of the lead character, the casual mentions of artificially extended youth, the unsurprising existence of a “robot doctor.” (I love that it’s just called a robot doctor by the way; no need to give it some futuristic, acronymic name. Just call it what it is.)

One of the best compliments to pay a story–in my opinion–is that it displays an earned confidence. Confidence in itself and in the reader. “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon” has much that makes it well worth your time. From the computer’s humorously frustrated personality to the protagonist’s heartbreaking psychological erosion, it is layered and interesting even as it moves with brisk efficiency.

“I Hope I Shall Arrive” soon can be read in the short story collection that shares its title."

PARABLE OF THE SOWER by Octavia E. Butler

Finished Tu 6/16/26

(I was reading these novels when Janny was given the diagnosis of Stage 4 Lung Cancer)

I bought 'PARABLE OF THE SOWER', 'PARABLE OF THE TALENTS', 'DAWN', 'IMAGO', 'ADULT RITES', all by Octavia E. Butler.

The 'PARABLE' novels cover a post-apocalyptic time of complete societal breakdown. A young woman develops the philosophy of  'God Is Change'.

From the Internet:

"Set starting in the year 2024, the United States suffers from severe climate change, water shortages, extreme economic inequality, and lawlessness.Protagonist Lauren Olamina lives in a fragile, walled neighborhood in California with her family.Lauren has hyperempathy, a condition from her mother's drug use that makes her physically feel other people's pain and pleasure.Skeptical of traditional religion, Lauren develops Earthseed, a philosophy centered on the core truth that “God is Change and cannot be resisted, but God can be influenced.”When violent raiders burn and destroy her community, Lauren is forced to flee north along the chaotic highways with other survivors.As they travel, she gathers followers, teaches survival, and shares her Earthseed vision that humanity's ultimate destiny is to take root among the stars."

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS by Octavia E. Butler

Finished Fr 8/28/26