Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield.
I received this book as a gift after talking endlessly about my love of The Thirteenth Tale by the same author. That book, which I read years ago, has stayed with me and I still call it one of my favorites. I was a bit nervous starting to read this potential rival to a book that will probably remain permanently on my favorites list. However, not only did Bellman & Black not leave an impression on me, I'm still debating whether or not I'm even going to keep my beautiful hardback copy. The book tracks William Bellman from careless adolescent through to his death. Along the way, he establishes himself as a prominent businessman after discovering inventive new ways to dye wool. First he loses his mother suddenly, as notices a mysterious man in black at the funeral. Eventually he also loses his wife and all but one chil to a very contagious fever (smallpox? TB?) and the man, "Mr. Black," reappears again. Bellman has a single discussion with this man, and completely misinterprets the significance of Mr. Black is his life. Because of this, he leaves his successful factory, and starting a new venture as the owner of a very successful department store selling only funerary supplies, clothes, coffins, etc. The book is more atmospheric than plot-driven and didn't have quite the same panache as her previous book.
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold.
Everyone knows Alice Sebold from The Lovely Bones, and to a lesser extent, Lucky. I read both at the height of their respective heydays whilst in college and then forget about Sebold. I found The Almost Moon at a used book store and bought it immediately. Unfortunately this didn't live up to her other two. Helen Knightly is tired of taking care of her agoraphobic mother, and in a fit of panic, kills her mother by smothering her with a pillow. The book really chronicles details in Helen's life, her turbulent childhood, father's suicide, life with her mother, her divorce, her two children, that all merge together to lead Helen to her moment of killing. The book doesn't conclude well, it just sort of ends and left me with an unsatisfactory feeling. Despite all her life challenges, none of it justified her killing her mother with a pillow.
Current reads: Room with a view This is on my classics list and I'm loving it!
Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour bookstore. I heard about this book from a friend's FB post. I liked the beginning, but now I'm in the mid-book lull and its really slowed down. It's gotten a bit fantastical so I'm a bit eh about it, but still hopeful it's going to veer off course and surprise me.
