Review of "Uncommon Type: Some Stories" by Tom Hanks

 

Tom Hanks is an award-winning American actor and producer who has appeared in films, television, and on the stage. He's also an imaginative writer, as demonstrated in this book of short stories.

Tom Hanks

The collection includes a variety of vignettes that run the gamut from funny, to touching, to heartrending. In a nod to Hanks' well-known passion for vintage typewriters, these durable machines make an appearance in every story.

*****

The opening story, one of the funniest in the collection, features four friends - Alan, Anna, MDash, and Steve Wong - who make multiple appearances in the book. Alan and Anna - who've been platonic friends for years - unexpectedly embark on a romance.



They're an odd match since Alan is easygoing to the point of sloth.....



and Anna has an activity planned for every minute of the day.



By day 21 of the fling, a worn out Alan is just getting over the flu (despite his girlfriend's grueling recovery regimen)…..and Anna leaves this note: 'Eat the soup in the refrigerator, cold in the morning.....hot at lunch; do the exercise bike twice before noon; take an hour for the stretch routine on the link I emailed you; then take a steam bath and drink 3 bottles of distilled water.

Alan has a different plan though. 😊

The four friends are featured in two more stories in the anthology. In their second appearance the foursome prepare a rocket, pack up granola bars and water, and take a trip around the moon.



In the group's final bow, Steve Wong uses his custom bowling shoes and bowling ball to score a perfect 300 game. Against all odds, Steve repeats the feat again and again and again, becoming a huge local celebrity.....much to his chagrin.


When Steve reluctantly agrees to appear on a TV sports show, he doesn't want to bowl any more....until hecklers' shout 'Hoax.' 😝

*****

In a Christmas/war story set in 1953, Virgil and his family are preparing for the holiday - with a tree, gifts, and the standard milk and cookies for Santa.



The occasion reminds Virgil of Christmas Eve of 1944, when he was in Normandy fighting the Germans. On that occasion Virgil lost three fingers and his left leg above the knee.....but made a friend for life.

*****

In a story about Hollywood, B-list actor Rory Thorpe suddenly becomes famous when he appears in a movie with the gorgeous Willa Sax. Thorpe is sent on a worldwide promo tour for the film, which is jam-packed with interviews and activities.



Thorpe's schedule, outlined in the story, is hilarious.....and exhausting. Nevertheless, Rory is enjoying the hotels, food, and other perks and is looking forward to his next stop. Then the tour is abruptly canceled in a 'ripped-from-the headlines' scenario.

*****

Hank Fiset, a cranky journalist for the Tri-Cities Daily News/Herald, is the main character in four stories. In his debut appearance, Fiset laments the fact that most modern readers get their news from digital devices.

Next, Hank visits New York City, and snottily notes that it's not 'all that.' In fact NOTHING in New York is better than what's available in the Tri-Cities area.



Later, Fiset riffs on coffee, talking about the Tri-Cities' many coffee shops and the elaborate beverages they sell - though Hank himself lives on the mundane newsroom stuff. ☕



Finally, Hank goes to a flea market and buys an old typewriter. While writing on the machine, Hank recalls other times he's used a typewriter: in his dad's store when he was a kid; as the editor of his 8th grade newspaper.....



…..during high school typing class; when he was a sports reporter for his college paper; and as a journalist for the Shopper's Guide....which led to him meeting his wife.

*****

In a bittersweet family story, Kirk - who's turning 19 - goes surfing with his dad Frank....a father-son birthday tradition.



The duo are having fun at Mars Beach when Frank takes a break to make a few business calls. Kirk is accidently injured, goes looking for his dad, and observes something he's not meant to see.

*****

Bette, who's a tad clairvoyant, is a recent divorcée who wants a fresh start.....without men. Bette and her kids move into a new house, and Bette immediately gets the feeling that Paul -the single man next door - plans to hit on her.



For weeks Bette makes convoluted efforts to avoid the neighbor, though her kids - who are enthralled with Paul's homemade telescope - visit him often. In time Bette discovers that Paul is a different man than she pictured.

*****

In a fun success story, Sue - a budding young actor from Scottsdale, Arizona - moves to New York City to make it big. Sue bunks on her friend's sofa for too many weeks, with no luck and dwindling resources.



Then Sue happens to meet an old acquaintance, Bob Roy, who works in theatre management. Bob re-writes Sue's resumé, gives her a new showbiz name, and sends her out into the world.

*****

A nostalgic story details a boy's birthday celebration with his mom. Kenny, who's about to turn 10, is waiting for his (non-custodial) mother to pick him up from his father's house for a celebratory weekend.



Mom pulls up in a snazzy convertible sports car and off they go. During the birthday festivities Kenny visits his mother's office and fools around with her typewriter and other desktop doodads; learns to eat 'grown-up food' - with kid-friendly desserts - in nice restaurants; sleeps in a murphy bed in his mom's apartment; goes to fairytale town, visits the zoo, and plays peewee golf; drives past his old house; and meets some of his mom's acquaintances.



In a wonderful grand finale, mom's boyfriend flies Kenny home in his private plane - and Kenny gets to man the controls for a few minutes. Now that's the kind of weekend a kid will remember forever! 😁

*****

A girl getting over a breakup is given a vintage typewriter for free.....if she pledges to put it in a prominent place and use it all the time. The young lady takes the machine home and uses it for all manner of writing, including a to-do list; a shopping list; and - most importantly - 'a meditation from my heart.'



*****

My favorite story - reminiscent of Stephen's King's "11/22/63" - is about going back in time. Burt is a very rich man who thinks nothing of plunking down 6 million dollars a pop for time travel vacations at New York City's 'Chronometric Adventures.' You pays your money and Chronometric Adventures sends you back to 1939 for 22 hours.....after which you MUST return.



For his first time travel journey Burt takes his wife, and they visit New York's 1939 World's Fair.



On his next trip, Burt goes alone and meets a beautiful young woman named Carmen, who's visiting the fair with her niece Virginia. Burt is enamored and keeps going back.....maneuvering to spend more time with Carmen and Virginia on each subsequent trip. (Then Burt sticks around and kills Hitler.....just kidding!!! 😜)

*****

In an immigration tale, Assan is a Bulgarian native who flees horrific persecution from the communists and ends up in Greece. Assan then bargains for a job on a Greek ship headed for New York - and sneaks his friend aboard as a stowaway.



When the ship arrives in America, Assan's friend heads for Chicago and Assan remains in in New York. The Bulgarian takes English classes, sees strange and wonderful sights, and tries to land a job.....which isn't easy for an immigrant.



*****

In a story about fresh perspectives, the very wealthy Francis Xavier Rustin (FXR) owns the gigantic 'New Olympus Hotel' on the Las Vegas strip. FXR has assistants at his beck and call 24/7......to deliver his breakfast, take care of his paperwork, do his shopping, and so on.



FXR decides that the purchase of a particular parcel of land will net him a killing, and takes his invaluable assistant, Ms. Mercury, on a buying trip.

To appear like a member of the hoi polloi, FXR acquires a VERY cheap car.....and heads out with his aide. FXR and Ms. Mercury bunk down in a run down hotel in the desert and hobnob with the eccentric owners.....which leads to a new outlook on life.



*****

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author - which is a nice fringe benefit. As in any anthology, some stories are better than others, but all the tales are well-written, with interesting characters and realistic dialog. Some stories made me laugh, some made me sad, and a few made no particular impression. Overall this is a good collection, worth reading. Recommended to fans of literature and short stories. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Fresh Water for Flowers: A Novel" by Valérie Perrin

 

Violette Trenet, born to a mother who doesn't want her, is thought to be stillborn until she unexpectedly turns pink and takes a breath. Violette then grows up in a series of indifferent foster homes, and by the age of 17, is living in a hostel and working as a bartender.

It's then that Violette meets gorgeous, golden-haired twentysomething Phillipe Toussaint and instantly falls in love.



Violette and Philippe are soon living in a small house in a French town, working as level crossing keepers.



In reality, this means that Violette operates the gates about 15 times a day while Philippe plays videogames, rides his motorcycle, and hooks up with other women.



Moreover, Philippe contributes nothing to the household, and Violette scrimps and saves to pay bills, buy food, purchase household goods, buy clothes, etc.

When the level crossing is automated and the couple lose their jobs, Philippe is dismayed by the thought of going to work.



But Violette finds an advertisement for cemetery keepers in Bourgogne, which comes with an all-expenses-paid house, and the couple soon have new employment. Violette again does all the work while Philippe plays games, rides his bike, and philanders - but Violette is content with her home and vegetable garden.



Then one day Philippe leaves for good, without even a goodbye.

Violette is happy working in the graveyard. She opens the gates in the morning and closes them in the evening; attends the interments and transcribes the eulogies into her journal; offers refreshments to - and chats with - the people who come to visit their loved ones; grows and sells flowers; takes care of graves when family members are away; looks after pets who arrive with their deceased owners and never leave; deals with teenagers who sneak into the cemetery at night (this is a hoot!); and more.



Violette also likes the people she works with: the gravediggers/caretakers - Nono; Gaston; and Elvis; the undertakers - Pierre, Paul and Jacques Lucchini; and the priest - Father Cedric Duras. These colleagues frequently drop into Violette's house, for a cup of coffee and a chat.



Violette's co-workers are a colorful bunch, and we read about clumsy Gaston falling into an open grave; Elvis singing his namesake's songs; handsome Father Duras inspiring ladies to come to church; reliable Nono helping out when Violette is away; the undertakers fretting when business is bad; and more. Violette also talks about people buried in the cemetery, in whose lives she takes an interest.



The book alternates back and forth between the past and the present, and we slowly learn about the joys and sorrows in Violette's life. We read about Violette's happiness when her daughter Leonine is born.....



.....and Leonine becoming a beautiful blonde sprite who loves magic.



We also learn about Violette's overbearing mother-in-law, who raises her son to be a selfish narcissist;



a cemetery keeper called Sasha, who helps Violette through dark times;



a woman named Celia, who becomes Violette's cherished confidante; and more.



One of Violette's closest relationships begins when she's middle-aged. A handsome police detective called Julien Seul knocks on Violette's door and tells her that his mother Irene just died.



Instead of being buried with her husband, Irene left instructions to inter her with a man named Gabriel Prudent, who's in Violette's cemetery. Julien probes the relationship between Irene and Gabriel, and in Scheherazade-like fashion, slowly spins out the tale for Violette.....so he can keep seeing her.



The illicit romance between Irene and Gabriel is revealed bit by bit, as is the growing rapport between Violette, Julien, and Julien's seven-year-old son Nathan.

There's also a mysterious tragedy in the story, and exploring this event reveals dark secrets as well as hidden depths.

The story begins in a leisurely fashion, then picks up speed and becomes a page turner. This is a beautifully written book about friendship, companionship, love, grief.....and the large and small lives that make up humanity. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Valérie Perrin, and Europa Editions for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review of "Smoke: An IQ Thriller" by Joe Ide

 

This is the fifth book in Joe Ide's "IQ" series, about Isaiah Quintabe (nicknamed IQ) - a brilliant twentysomething African-American investigator (and do-gooder) from East Long Beach, California.



In this story, East Long Beach gangs have put a bounty on Isaiah's head, and a variety of haters are anxious to collect the reward. Moreover, Isaiah is exhausted, mentally and physically, and doesn't want to see any more suffering, injustice, and cruelty. So Isaiah is taking a road trip north - anxious to get away from the criminals and lunatics he's been dealing with at home.



Isaiah's extended drive brings him to the picturesque town of Coronado Springs near Lake Tahoe, where he rents a small guest house and proceeds to enjoy the natural environment.



During a long walk to a national park, Isaiah is stopped by Sheriff Cannon, who's suspicious of a black man strolling through the area. Isaiah's credentials check out, but Cannon makes it his business to keep an eye on the stranger in his midst.



Unfortunately Isaiah's peaceful idyll is soon interrupted by Billy Sorenson, a young man who's escaped from the Feller Neuropsychiatric Institute.



Billy isn't crazy, but he's a perpetual troublemaker, and his mother Gretta - a police officer - had him committed for a month, to think about his behavior.

Billy's escape from the psychiatric hospital leaves him with nothing but the clothes on his back, and he breaks into Isaiah's cottage to look for food.



When Isaiah catches Billy, the youth begs the investigator to listen to his story, and - against his better judgement - Isaiah does. Billy says he knows the identity of a notorious serial killer known as AMSAK, who's murdered 17 girls. AMSAK's latest victim was the identical twin sister of a girl named Ava, whom Billy has crushed on since high school.

Billy used his cop mother's password to get the police files on AMSAK, and he thinks the murderer is a convict called Crowe, who's out on probation. Billy has shared this information with Ava, and plans to help her hunt down the killer.



Almost against his will, Isaiah gets involved in the hunt for AMSAK, to the irritation of Sheriff Cannon, who doesn't appreciate the interference.

Meanwhile Isaiah's friends in East Long Beach are having their own troubles.

Isaiah's girlfriend Grace, a painter, is preparing for an art show she hopes will jump start her career. Grace is also being threatened and harassed by Isaiah's enemies, who think she knows where to find him.



Isaiah's erstwhile partner Juanell Dodson - a lifelong hustler - has been given an ultimatum by his wife Cherise: get a job or get out.



So Dodson agrees to an internship with an advertising agency. Dodson's appearance, behavior, and ebonics aren't appropriate for a 'white' business, so he gets a complete makeover from is mother-in-law Gloria.....who hates him. (These scenes are among the funniest in the book.)



Isaiah's friend Deronda, a former ho who's become a food truck entrepreneur, adores her 4-year-old son Janeel.



So Deronda is distraught when Janeel's absentee father Bobby shows up, saying he'll sue for custody unless Deronda gives him half her business. Deronda racks her brain for ways to squirm out of the dilemma, and finally gets help from her friend Grace and her frenemy Dodson.

As usual, Isaiah's compulsion to help people lands him in all kinds of trouble, and he's lucky to emerge alive (and ready for his next adventure).

This is a well-written, action-packed thriller that's lightened by Ide's characteristic (and welcome) humor.

Rating: 3.5 stars