Category Archives: Recent Reads

Angelology: A Novel

Last night I finished reading ANGELOLOGY, a novel by Danielle Trussoni. In many ways her story reminds me of Dan Brown’s novels (The Da Vinchi Code, Angels & Demons, etc.).

Here is a “blurb” provided by the publisher:  “When 23 year old Sister Evangeline of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York discovers a letter dated 1943 from Abigail Rockefeller, the famed philanthropist, to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent, she uncovers a millennia-old war between the Society of Angelologists and the Nephilim (descendants of fallen angels). As Evangeline shares her discovery with angeologists, she assists them in their efforts to halt the Nephilim from overpowering humankind.”

Basically the premise of ANGELOLOGY begins with the following Bible verse from the book of Genesis.

(Genesis 6): “When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose. 3 Then the LORD said: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.” 4 At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown. 5 When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, 6 he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved. So the LORD said: “I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them.”

The protagonist, Sister Evangeline, finds herself in the middle of a secret history that is over a thousand years old, and she teams up with a historian to find an object that is precious and desired by the half-human half-angelic race.

The story includes a tenth century expedition in what is now Bulgaria and continues to current day. Much of the story takes place in New York City and a convent in New York’s Hudson Valley.

The author’s writing style is beautiful and includes exceptional descriptions, especially those of the angels. She has an enviable creative mind, and it is obvious she did a lot of research. However,  there were places that I felt the novel dragged, primarily because much of the story was told through diaries and letters, or character’s remembrance of lectures.

Still ANGELOLOGY is an original, intelligent, and invigorating read that certainly made me think about my beliefs in angels.

MY FAVORITE NOVEL

What is your all time favorite novel? A few weeks ago a friend asked me this very question and, since then, I’ve pondered the question, and I’ve decided I don’t have one yet.

When I was a teenager, I read mysteries.  And that’s all I read. A lot of Perry Mason! From there I went to romance stories. After my affair with romance, I limited myself to horror. (Thank you Stephen King!) And then thrillers were followed by courtroom dramas, and, over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time with historical novels, too.

Every once in a while I become a binge reader. My definition of a binge reader is someone who discovers an author, and then reads everything that person has written.

I have read a LOT of books during my life. I’ve also started many books that I’ve never finished. Why do I stop reading a specific book? There are several reasons. I may not like the author’s writing style. I may find too many grammatical or spelling errors. I might be bored. The list goes on…

At this point in my life, I look for stories and characters that are original. I’m always on the lookout for something brand new. I don’t want a rehash of things I’ve already read. In other words, I don’t want the same plot with different characters.

I read all three of the books in Stieg Larson’s trilogy twice. This trilogy begins with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I found the personality of the Lisbeth Salander character mesmerizing, very unique and fresh, and I’ve often wished Mr. Larson was still alive so he could tell us more about Lisbeth’s life.

I also loved the three books in Suzanne Collin’s trilogy that began with The Hunger Games. The controversial world the author created really captured my attention. Everyone in my family wants to see the movie, so The Hunger Games will be a “family activity” in the very near future.

The Time Traveler’s Wife, a novel by Audrey Niffenegger took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. At the core of this story is a timeless love story challenged by the intricacies and challenges of time travel. Again, I became infatuated with one of the characters: Henry DeTamble, a librarian who travels through time. But Henry has no control over when he travels or where he’s going and, when he gets there, he is always naked! Imagine, meeting your wife or husband when she or he is a child, or seeing your mother after she is dead, or landing in a big city in the middle of a snow storm in only your birthday suit.

Last fall I reread Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. I read this book in college and really liked the way an author was able to bring to light the horrors of an industry. When I reread it however, I was reminded of the political slant in the last half of the book. I did not enjoy the book as much last year as I had forty years ago.

Back in the early 1980s I fell in love with the novel, Love, Dad by Evan Hunter (AKA Ed McBain). It was a delightful story about the relationship between a father and his daughter. If I read it now, I’d probably have different feelings for the story because my father is no longer alive.

And then there’s the book I read in the 1970′s. I don’t know the title, and I don’t remember the author. But it was really really good. The new television show, Awake, reminds me of this book. If anyone remembers a book about a man who had two lives, a waking life and a full life in his dreams, please send me the title and author’s name.

One reason I can’t name my favorite novel is because, at any given point in my life, one book will garnish my attention and absolutely charm me. But, at another point in my life, I might not like it at all.

Today, I don’t limit myself to a specific genre but I do scrutinize the story before I dive into it. If it sounds like something I’ve already read, I usually don’t pick it up.  I read mainstream, horror, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, dramas, etc.

I think my subconscious is looking for my favorite novel. Hmm. Maybe the next book I read will turn out to be my “all time favorite!”

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I just finished reading The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

I love stories where the protagonist is a writer, and this book is just that.

The protagonist, David Martin, lives in Barcelona, which provides a colorful backdrop for most of the story. It begins when the protagonist is young and continues through his life as a writer. The story outlines his struggles with love and writing, and a relationship with an elusive publisher who makes the protagonist an offer he can’t refuse.

Sprinkled throughout the story are some wonderful thoughts about writing. My favorite four quotes are:

*  To achieve anything you must first have ambition and then talent, knowledge, and finally the opportunity.

* Inspiration comes when you stick your elbows on the table and your bottom on the chair and start sweating. Choose a theme, an idea, and squeeze your brain until it hurts. That’s called inspiration.

* Routine is the housekeeper of inspiration.

* Every book, every volume you see, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and lived and dream with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.

I have often said that “I thrive on monotony” so the saying “routine is the housekeeper of inspiration” runs very close to my heart.

This is the first novel I’ve ever read by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. His descriptions are beautiful and well worth your attention. I’ll be reading more by this author in the future.