I have started reading The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender and I am very much diggin’ it (that’s how a dude says that he “loves it”… gotta be careful what you say with these light colored books with curly font). I haven’t read any of Bender’s previous works but I definitely will, Willful Creatures seems particularly intriguing. I picked up this one because my co-worker Zita is all about it, and she also wrote a blog about it a bit ago. In the bookstore it is always nice to be able to feed off each others thoughts and excitement about books. It is also fun to see a book come out, pick-up, gain speed and take off. It’s getting great reviews and feedback wherever it is read and is currently on both the CBS Early Show and Good Morning America’s list of hot books this summer.
For me, though I am in the beginnings, the substance of this novel is already pressing on me. It is very pleasant to see an author not get bogged down in a beautifully good idea, like having a nine-year-old girl who is suddenly able to taste the condition of a person’s soul in food they have prepared, but to take the idea and be able to say something powerful through it. As Yann Martel said in his latest, these clever ideas are used to open people’s eyes and ears so they can better listen and see what the sayer is trying to illuminate. When authors are able to use this tool well, they seem to be able throw you off just enough to create a gap in your breastplate and have their way with our hearts. With her keen eye and seemingly perfect descriptions, I believe I trust Ms. Bender and can’t wait to finish this book and see the full picture that she is painting.
-John P.
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