Red Shoe Ramblings: "gods in Alabama"

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

"gods in Alabama"

Y'all remember yesterday when I mentioned receiving a copy of "gods in Alabama" and said I figured once I started it I wouldn't want to put it down? Well I was right. I started reading it this afternoon and that's where the rest of my day went. I LOVED it. I was sure I would and I was so very, VERY right. As soon as I finished it, I had to scurry off to write a review at Amazon.com to encourage everyone to go buy it, buy it NOW, so Joshilyn will have mega book sales, and hit the bestseller lists, and someone will buy the movie rights, and she'll be encouraged to write many, many more books I can read and love. Because of course it's all about making ME happy, yes? So since it's nearly midnight here in the land of 'tucky, and since I accomplished nothing today except buying groceries, grooming one of the dogs (Riley...she looks lovely), and reading "gods in Alabama", here is a copy of the review I posted to Amazon, which should show up on their website in the next couple of days.

I picked up "gods in Alabama" at around 4:00 this afternoon, only planning to read the first couple of chapters before cooking dinner. Instead I had to force myself to stop long enough to cook and eat and then immediately went back to reading, and finished the book just a little while ago.

I loved the characters. Arlene has been described as rough-around-the-edges, but I felt great affection for her. Maybe that says something about me as much as it does her, but I found many things to admire about her. And many of the other characters are at once outrageously quirky and yet very true to the spirit of people I've known in the South (which includes most of my relatives and many of my friends!).

The plot kept me turning the pages, wondering what would happen next. It was complex without seeming contrived and some of the twists surprised me. I love when that happens. :-)