Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

This past week was good. It ended with a day off from work and a leadership retreat on Friday and Saturday. It’s hard to remove myself from the house when there is so much to do but it’s also good to get away every now and then.

Right Now:

I’m trying to talk myself out of going to breakfast. Mostly because it always involves bacon and hash browns which are a dangerous combination for me. No, I’d much rather have the twigs and berries I have in the fridge (sarcasm).

This Week:

I am taking a few days off this week so I can spend it with the kids. It’s spring break y’all! The Hub has to work which is a major downer but the three of us will take a few days to rest and enjoy whatever my daughter has planned for us. Later this week, my son heads to Palm Springs to finish out his break. Then, on Thursday I’ll be at work but will attend a special lunch in honor of my friend’s father who passed away recently.

Reading:

It just occurred to me that I need to re-read my book club book, The Things They Carried. I read it a long time ago but don’t remember a thing. We meet to discuss it this Thursday so I better get on it.

Watching:

This Sunday is the finale of The Walking Dead and it better be good!

Bates Motel is beyond great! Last Monday’s episode was absolutely crazy. I had to talk it through with another blogger because it really messed with my mind.

Making:

I didn’t make much this past week. My evenings were too busy. I did manage to make a Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Penne dish which fed us for two days. With this weekend’s retreat and me being busy most of today, I am thinking take-out is on the menu.

Grateful for:

My First 5 app. It’s a daily Bible reading plan but man I am loving it. I find that more often than not, the reading for that day applies to what I am experiencing or about to experience. It’s crazy how it works out that way.

What are you up to? Is anyone local going to The L.A. Times Festival of Books in April? I’m not sure I can make it right now.

The Lonely Hearts Hotel
By Heather O’Neill
Riverhead Books, Hardcover, 9780735213739, February 7, 2017, 400pp.

The Short of It:

Something magical lurks within these characters but they can’t quite escape their past.

The Rest of It:

Two babies are left to be raised in an orphanage in 1914. As they grow older, it’s obvious that they each possess their own, unique talents. Pierrot & Rose are sent to perform all over town while the orphanage benefits from these performances but when Pierrot is adopted after enduring years of sexual abuse at the hands of one of the nuns, Rose is left wondering why he’s left her without a word about where he’s gone.

The story follows Pierrot and Rose as they move into adulthood and unfortunately, the lives they lead are not easy ones. The story is quite dark but there is a fanciful feel to it which makes the story somewhat easier to read. They each find themselves doing whatever is needed in order to survive. For Pierrot, that’s stealing and for Rose that’s prostitution and pornography. In her mind, performance is always front and center. Her dreams of starting her own company begin and falter. She’s really a lost soul but just hasn’t realized it yet.

I’ve said to a few others that this book reminds me of The Night Circus and it does, in that it has clowns and dancers and haunting piano music playing out in the background. Visually, the author did a great job of setting the stage. However, it’s a very sad story. Rose’s desperation to be rich and famous eclipses nearly everything else. Pierrot’s love for Rose is so great that he makes the ultimate sacrifice for her.

I enjoyed The Lonely Hearts Hotel but there were moments where I wasn’t sure where the author was going with the story. Rose, is cold-hearted in my opinion and too full of herself which made the last third of the book hard to finish. There was quite a bit of back and forth and at some point, I felt as if the author wanted more of the fanciful, pretend world that the characters enjoyed when they were younger but that it was difficult to work it back into the story.

Some parts I enjoyed immensely but I did have some mixed feelings about Rose. I recommend this book to readers who like the dark, tragic side of love with a bit of whimsy thrown in.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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