jenknox's Reviews (494)

"We must not drink this salty sea/in a gulp. The secret is to respect the ritual." (from In a Texas Bar)

Elijah's Farm examines the American experience of family and loss, celebration and travel, without a false sense of glitz; without pretense or overly abstract images. Every poem in this collection is heartfelt but also finely crafted. The collection as a whole invites the image of a traveler, a Tenessee girl, eyes open and engaged, navigating the states and the world of academia, never fully able nor willing to leave home behind.

This is a good book to read on a stationary bike because it's funny and a bit odd, and it distracted me from the fact I was exercising. The book is well-written, quick-paced, interconnected and thought-provoking without trying too hard or being devisive, and it's just damn good.

The Robber Bride is a book that has been on my mind since I first read it, many years ago. Cat's Eye had the same smart characters, keen insight, and down-to-earth humor, but the main character didn't feel as whole as any one of the three main characters in Robber Bride. This is a very good book, but there were a few moments that dragged and couldn't afford to drag because my expectations were just too high. A good book, but not my favorite from Atwood. Perhaps a good book to begin with, if you're new to Margaret Atwood.

Fear! is a fictitious investigation into the patterns of human behavior spiraling out and then recoiling in with fear. This futuristic tale is of the fight to hang on to the humanity they know while the world closes in around them. The book is fast-moving and thought-provoking. It examines how transparency comes and quickly turns to loss of power, even the power to run our own lives.

The Sacred Rota is the second installment of The Waking God Trilogy, and I began reading it immediately upon finishing Book I. I must say, I’m not only intellectually stimulated by the questions the authors present (not impose) but I’m riveted. This book seems even more fast-paced and addictive than the first. There’s the thrill of constant action with the backdrop of larger questions—questions about religious dogma, yes, but more about what drives dogma: the human frailty of being pulled between our fear-driven desires to make everything black and white (in the wide variety of mythical and religious ways we attempt this) and our innate power to be content spiritually. Yet, this is my take. Yours may be different—the beauty of this series! I’m eager to dig in to the third book. This trilogy is perfect for book clubs, perfect because there is so much room for conversation.