Too Close to the Falls

Lately I have been really into reading memoirs. I am so used to reading fiction that I always seem to figure out what is going to happen in the plot, before it actually happens. The lack of imagination that some writers have blows my mind at times. Yet the great thing about memoirs are that they are totally unpredictable. The stories told do not follow the usual plot themes of the average novel, making each memoir unique and memorable. At the same time it can be difficult reading because you want so badly for something to turn out OK or for the story to come full circle, and often times they do not.

Too Close to the Falls follows the life of Cathy McClure while growing up in Lewiston, New York, in the 1950's. In the beginning Cathy is 4-years-old and the book ends with her as 11-years-old. Cathy is the only child of her strange and lovable middle aged parents. Her mother is nothing like the quintessential 50's housewife, she doesn't clean or cook, and the family eats out for every meal. "Mother was convinced that it was important never to learn to cook or type or you'd be requested to do both against your will forever." Cathy's father is a pharmacist who owns the town drug store. Cathy, unlike other children her age, starts working at her fathers pharmacy, full time, at the age of 4. Today Cathy would have been diagnosed with ADHD, but in the 50's it was believed that she had too much excess energy. The doctor thought it would be in Cathy's best interest if she started working so as to expend that energy. Cathy helps deliver medications with the pharmacists delivery man Roy. Roy cannot read so Cathy is in charge of reading the map and the list of medications, while Roy drives the van.

A majority of the book depicts the experiences Cathy had driving around Lewiston and the neighboring towns delivering drugs with Roy. The encounters that Cathy and Roy have while delivering medications are all at once incredible, funny and sometimes deeply saddening. Because of her exposure to the world, Cathy understands human nature better than people triple her age. Although some of the situations she finds herself in, she does not fully understand the full meaning of what is happening to her.

The last portion of the book transitions into her teenage years. It is at this point in her life that Cathy quickly learns that the world is not completely black and white in regards to religion, 'morals' and what is right and wrong. Unfortunately, the loss of her innocence comes at a high price.

At times I found some of Cathy's stories to be hard to believe. Many of the memories from her childhood are extremely detailed, leading me to think that maybe she embellished a few. Yet regardless as to how valid or accurate her stories are, I still enjoyed them immensely. Cathy's life is definitely one in a million, and it's not everyday that you stumble upon a book like this.

A Red Herring Without Mustard

A Red Herring Without Mustard is the third book in the Flavia de Leuce mystery series. Normally, I don't read mystery novels, but my mom highly recommended this series to me. I gave it a try and I'm in literature love.

The plot takes place in 1950's era England, in the small town of Bishop Lacey. Flavia is an 11-year-old girl who lives with her emotionally distant, stamp enthusiast father, Colonel de Leuc , two cruel older sisters Ophelia (Feely) and Daphne (Daffy) and her loyal, yet sometimes 'foggy' grounds keeper, Dogger. Flavia's mother, Harriet,died when Flavia was just a baby in a tragic mountain climbing accident. Unlike other girls her age, Flavia loves chemistry and spends a majority of her time in a lab built by one of her ancestors in the family mansion, Buckshaw. Flavia's favorite pastime is recreating poisons used by histories most infamous poisoners.

Flavia's macabre and dry sense of humor makes for an extremely entertaining read. She has the ability to make any seemingly disturbing situation into something that is quite humorous, if not a bit disconserting. Although Flavia is a child, the plot of the book is definitely not for children. In fact, Flavia's narrative makes her sound more of an adult than a majority of the adult characters.

The Red Herring concerns a series of gruesome murders occuring throughout the town. The murders appear be related, but you can never be sure because the plot takes many twists that are intended to be misleading (get it...'red herring'...duh). Flavia becomes intimately involved with each of the murders in town, leaving her with the more knowledge of the deaths than anyone else has. Her ability to outsmart and out think the bumbling adults that surround her, allows me to forget that she is in fact only 11-years-old. We are only reminded of her actual age when she comes face to face with death, and only then are we shown the little girl that she truly is. The plot itself is complicated in nature and I don't want to give anything away, so it's up to you to find out.

My one complaint about this book is that I read it as soon as it was published, so now I have to wait  forever for the next installment! Also, on a side note I am all about crazy internet fads, so I started a Tumblr blog (sorry for cheating on you blogger). My Tumblr blog is pretty simple, it's just some of my favorite quotes from the books I've been reading recently. There are some really good ones from The Red Herring Without Mustard, so check it out! thebananalise.tumblr.com