the NIGHT TRAIN by CLYDE EDGERTON (ARC)

I have heard of the famous author, Clyde Edgerton, often throughout my reading life. For one reason or another I never had the chance to read one of his books until now. Clyde Edgerton's the NIGHT TRAIN is what I would call a regional novel. The setting of the story is 1963 in a North Carolina town. In this town the black and white people live close together and not so close together. The off and on relationship between the two races is like The Bermuda Triangle. It's very mysterious. I think only those who experience this environment can understand it. It's like a class system?

"You might try some of the colored women from across the tracks.
Mama wouldn't like that."

The boys wanting to form The Amazing Rumblers are the main players in the novel. The idea is to become James Brown for at least a moment of time. "I don't suppose there were many white people in Starke over twenty-five years old who'd ever heard of James Brown, much less the album."

Here is an example of the oddities or eccentricities of the South. When Dwayne, a white boy, wants to go to the drive in  with his girl friend, he wants Larry Lime, a black friend, to come along with him and bring his girl. Ouch! Not in a small Southern town. Larry Lime and his girl must hide in the trunk of the car until they get pass the ticket window. Then, they can jump out of the trunk and get in the back seat and enjoy the movie with their friends.

Using humor Clyde Edgerton in the NIGHT TRAIN explains the two faces of the South with a gritty honesty. Having lived or spent time in the South I can say the author doesn't speak any lies. Also, Clyde Edgerton does a fine job describing the cultural background of the sixties. I went down memory lane remembering songs like Night Train by James Brown, remembering 1960 Chevies and  not remembering songs by Hank Williams. I love nostalgia. These cultural icons really sucked me into the novel. At times I laughed so loudly. I didn't care who heard me. The lines were so funny.

I didn't enjoy the novel from the very beginning. At first, I didn't know what in the heck was going on. Perhaps, I should blame myself. I'm an admixture of North and South. For example, that chicken really bothered me. I didn't get it. I didn't understand how any child teen or adult could have so much fun with a chicken. I did feel sorry when the chicken died. I also didn't understand the long names. Larry Lime's name is Larry Lime Beacon of Time Reckoning Breathe on Me Nolan. I guess this is just an exaggeration of the Betty Lous, Mary Janes, Jimmy Rays and Billy Joes in the South. Thank goodness he didn't keep naming people with such long names. Now, I can laugh about those long names in the novel. I guess this novel had to grow on me. When I read the next Clyde Edgerton, I'll laugh from the beginning of the book.

I did wonder whether regional mores can overwhelm people who know nothing about a particular place. I feel Clyde Edgerton became narcissistic about the world he knows so well. Leaving me thinking what in the world is he talking about. I think  there is a need for caution when striving to make our personal communities known to other people. Be gentle with those who might not know a thing about dancing chickens, a sentence like "Well, it won't too little" or other regional vocabulary or happenings.

I definitely liked the parts in the novels about sit-ins in Greensboro. There is so much history in this novel.

"Back when they was doing the sit-ins, Flash told Tinker he was going to Greensboro and kill one of them sit-in guys. You remember--at the lunch counters?"

Yes, I liked the novel. I'm looking forward to my next Clyde Edgerton novel. Thanks to the author for a good day of laughter and nostalgia.

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to be sung underwater a novel by TOM McNEAL

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Judith's world is divided between Vermont and Nebraska. Her mother lives in Vermont while her father lives in Nebraska. Judith is always on her way to a different place. It happened with her parents. It will happen again when she becomes a woman. When she marries Malcolm, the chase continues for the missing person or place to make her world complete.There is only one man who can complete her. The man is Willy Blunt. She has the courage after twenty-seven years to search for him.

It's amazing how often in life she and Willy Blunt survived underwater.  Although they loved one another, destiny led them away from one another. The departures begin with Judith going away to college leaving Willy Blunt in Nebraska. Then, she marries Malcolm while a year to the date Willy marries Deena.

Love is complicated. There were quite a few statements in Tom McNeal's to be sung underwater that are powerfully philosophical. For example, there is the stunning question asked at the end of the video above. In so many words if you had the chance to reunite with your first love, would you do it? Would you walk away from all you hold dear now to go after what might have been? Judy takes that chance. Tom Wolfe's title comes to mind, YOU CANT GO HOME AGAIN. Can you?

The novel to be sung underwater also examines the question whether two people ever love equally. Is it the norm for one person to love deeper than the other person? This is one of my favorite quotes in the novel. After they meet again, Willy tells Judith the facts of life, his facts of life. This is twenty seven years after their first meeting. Both Willy and Judith live in different places and are married to different people. Judith has a daughter named Camille. Willy has two sons. Willy says these poignant words to Judith while they are alone with one another.

"Here's the thing, Judy. Here's the thing we have to look at and accept. For you, I was a chapter--a good chapter, maybe, or even your favorite chapter, but still, just a chapter--and for me, you were the book."

Those lines blew me away. I think this happens often in relationships more than we care to know. Although I enjoyed every bit of the novel, I know why Judith chose to have the room.I felt the storage room was going to play a bigger part in the novel.

Other than that Tom McNeal wrote a beautiful and tragic love story. The ending shocked me. I will never forget the ending. Still, I felt Judith seemed too calm under the circumstances she had faced.  I wonder if her life as a film editor took over her mind and body. Maybe for her you just edited out bad and extra material. If that's true, then her behavior at the end makes perfect sense. A film editor would have the ability to regroup quickly for the next scene. Judith almost lives her life like it is a film.

"They let their eyes settle into one another until at last she was afraid she would say something too big or too rich for the moment, so she said nothing and began to sort through the small cooler at her feet."

I especially enjoyed the way Tom McNeal included musical scores like La Traviata, La Boheme, Clair de Lune. Also, Jane Austen's books and Washington Square by Henry James. I can't wait to quietly listen to the musical pieces listed in the novel. I also want to read Washington Square by Henry James and reread The Portrait of a Lady. When I watched the to be sung underwater video, I had to read the book. Tom McNeal knows the right questions to ask about the complex emotion called love.







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NERVE BY TAYLOR CLARK

I looked forward to reading this book about anxiety titled NERVE. However, Taylor Clark's book just didn't hold my interest. The book did make me realize my fear factor is alive  an well. Every time I would read a passage about snakes, rats, tsunamis I had to close the book and take a deep breath. Knowing my fear and flight organisms are not dead but terribly alive made me close the book for good. Thank you Taylor Clark. I have passed the NERVE test. Sadly, I didn't care to finish the book. My anxiety level wouldn't allow me to finish it. I'm sure it's the perfect book for someone who can handle these exciting and nerve wrenching anecdotes.

the undervalued Self by Elaine N. Aron, PhD

Elaine N. Aron, PhD's book the undervalued self is filled with interesting journaling tests, personal experience stories and the pros and cons of how and why, the undervalued self, manipulates needs and desires to protect the inner child.

I especially felt drawn to the personal stories. I could see myself so easily acting in the same way in order to gain some sort of power or recognition from family and friends. Until I read Dr. Elaine N. Aron's book, I did not realize that striving to remain passive or trying to overachieve can result in what I do not want to see happen in my life. It's like working for a golden star. Then receiving not a golden star instead I receive a bulky round ball of twine. Of course, my disappointment is going to sky rocket. Still, the ball of twine is always mine simply because I do not know how to develop an authentic self value.

This book is fascinating. I feel as though reading it more than one time will only make my new self stronger and more able to face future situations involving who I am ,undervalued or valued.