Nights when nothing happned

 Nights when nothing happened / Simon Han, 262 pgs.

The Cheng family seems successful from the outside.  The parents immigrated from China then brought their son...a daughter was born a bit later.  In the end, the Chinese origin story seems minor compared to the inner workings of the family and the struggles that each endures apart from the others.  When Annabel has a friend over for a Thanksgiving gathering, a series of misunderstandings lead to the belief that she has experienced a "bad touch" and soon her father is under investigation.  The relationships of the 4 family members leave doubt about who is guilty of what...they seem to have very little trust in each other and are struggling with their own internal demons.  It takes this bigger event to move them towards a reckoning with their own struggles.  Is it a dysfunctional family or a group of dysfunctional individuals?  Who cares?  This is my sweet spot!

Sleep Well, My Lady

Sleep Well, My Lady by Kwei Quartey, 316 pages

When a popular fashion designer Lady Araba turns up dead the morning of her show at Accra Fashion Week, the fashion world is shaken — and so is that of her family, as well as the staff working in her tony, high-security neighborhood. When the police arrest Araba's driver on scanty evidence and a forced confession, Araba's aunt decides to hire a private investigation firm to track down the real murderer, who she suspects is Araba's alcoholic and womanizing boyfriend. But as the detectives at Sowah Investigations start to dig into Lady Araba's life, they find that, as popular as she was, there are plenty of people who wanted the designer dead and it's just a matter of figuring out which one acted on that desire.

This is a fairly straightforward mix of private eye and police procedural mysteries, well told and spooled out. What I particularly enjoyed about this was the view into the workings of Ghana's politics, police work, and criminal justice system, all of which were quite literally foreign to me. Also, as the second book in the series, it stands alone quite well, though it does make me want to read the first one.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, 416 pages

Jade (do NOT call her Jennifer) Daniels is an expert on slasher movies. She's seen 'em all, and has been waiting her whole life for this knowledge to come in handy. So when a body turns up in Indian Lake near her small hometown of Proofrock, Idaho, she determines that her high school classmate Letha Mondragon must be the slasher's Final Girl (you know, the virginal teen girl that ends up taking out the villain), and begins offering her assistance. But Letha, whose parents are some of the wealthy titans of industry that are building an upscale community across the lake from Proofrock, thinks something else is going on with Jade. 

This is a love letter to slasher movies, and includes PLENTY of references to gore-fests, both mainstream and obscure. Thankfully, the chapters with the action are interspersed with a series of essays Jade wrote about the history of slashers. They're both useful in propelling the story forward, as well as instrumental in making sure readers, even those who haven't seen slasher movies, get all the references. Once again, Jones has created a wonderful but gory horror novel. Definitely worth a read, but maybe not during meal times.

*This book is scheduled to be published Aug. 31, 2021.

Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Truth from Real Couples about Lasting Love

 Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Truth from Real Couples about Lasting Love by Charlie and Linda Bloom (2010) 233 pages

Charlie and Linda Bloom are psychotherapists and relationship counselors who wanted to delve into what makes a marriage great. They began by compiling a list of 100 couples who were together a long time, had high levels of mutual respect, and really enjoyed each other's company, among other traits. They interviewed 54 couples and chose 27 to include in this book. Each couple has their own chapter. The Blooms introduce each couple, but then mostly let the couples speak for themselves.

Each relationship is different, and sometimes what one couple swears by (be honest always, even if that means telling your wife she shouldn't have that dessert) is what another couple indicates to avoid judiciously. But that's real life. It was interesting to hear how so many couples worked to save a marriage that was faltering at some point, and made it stronger than ever.

Better Luck Next Time

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson, 274 pages

In the 1930s, it became in vogue for the well-heeled and unhappily married to head to Nevada to take advantage of their lax laws regarding divorce — stay in the state for six weeks and you can claim residency to get an immediate divorce. Enterprising folks began creating ranches and resorts that catered to soon-to-be divorcees. Better Luck Next Time is the tale of one such ranch, the Flying Leap, told oral history-style by Ward, one of the handsome young men that was hired on to serve as manual labor and eye candy for the ladies who came to stay at the ranch. Ward's story is filled with laughs, and love, and some truly fantastic characters, from ditzy Mary Louise who keeps pointing out that she's been to Paris, which is in France, to the many-times-divorced gasbag nicknamed the Zeppelin, to the fierce aviatrix Nina. It's a charming Depression-era tale of the ladies who weren't really impacted by the financial crisis, except that it meant their soon-to-be-ex-husbands were no longer able to support them in the ways they desired. A quick and fun story.

White Sand vol. 1

 White Sand Vol. 1 by Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin, and Julius Gopez, 160 pages.

The first graphic novel in the White Sand trilogy. Like all of Sanderson's other works, this world features a well-defined magic system, this one focused on the magic manipulation of sand on a desert planet. A young man with very little talent in sand mastery is suddenly forced into a major political position after a tragedy. Also here is a traveling party from the other side of the non-rotating planet (descriptively called Darkside), led by a duchess searching for whatever her dead fiance died trying to find.

Overall, I found this graphic novel pretty alright. Nothing in the plot was extremely interesting to me, but enough things were a little interesting that I will probably read the other two.

Pride

 Pride by Ibi Zoboi, 304 pages.

I was very excited for this book. It had been on my tbr list for a long time, and I had just finished rewatching my favorite Pride and Prejudice adaptation (plugging The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube here), so it seemed like the perfect time to finally get around to it. 

Unfortunately I was pretty disappointment. Puzzlingly, most of the elements that Pride chose to keep from the original story are elements that didn't work at all when the story was transferred to be about urban teenagers instead of rural adults. It also felt like many plot points from Pride and Prejudice were kept that didn't work with the story Zoboi was telling, and instead of dropping them for things that would work in this story, they were left in but emotionally defanged. 

Unrelated to it's value as an adaptation, I simply couldn't buy most of the character actions. I think I can count on one hand the number of things Zuri said to Darius (our Elizabeth and Darcy stand-ins) that wasn't actively trying to start a fight. On the other hand I guess there's no room for miscommunication when Zuri immediately says every cruel thought she has out loud. Which is all to say that I absolutely don't buy the romance here and overall found this a pretty emotionally weak book.

To Hold Your Moss-Covered Heart

 To Hold Your Moss-Covered Heart by Schuyler Peck, 54 pages.

This was an exceptionally lovely book of poetry from a poet I found by chance online and liked enough to order her book. It contains some exceptionally resonant poems both about when the world feels beautiful and when the world feels dark. And perhaps my highest praise of it, I was shocked when writing this post to find out the whole volume was only 50 pages.

Rhythm of War

 Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, 1232 pages.

I'm not entirely sure how useful a long review of the fourth book in a series is, but here is a brief review anyway.

I really loved this book, and I think it may very well be my new favorite in the series (or at least a close second). This book really hammers home that despite being 1000 page epic fantasy novels where the plot is about saving a cool fantasy world, ultimately the books are about mental health and recovery. There's not much I can say about the plot here without major spoilers for the first three books, but Kaladin's journey in this book meant a whole lot to me.

Also! There was way more information presented upfront in this book than in any other book I've read in Sanderson's extended universe. Most of his adult novels take place in an extended universe called the Cosmere, with each series set on a different planet in the same universe. Because they are different planets, there's not usually a whole lot of overlap between series, but there are hints throughout about how the universe works and what's going behind the scenes. This book finally reveals a lot of the high lore directly, which was pretty exciting for me personally.

In this grave hour, by Jacqueline Winspear

War has broken out between England and Germany and city children are being hustled onto trains to be housed with rural families to protect them from the Blitzkrieg.  Masie Dobbs is back at work in London as an investigator and is approached by a woman she has worked with in two other investigations, a Belgian named Dr. Francesca Thomas.  Just as English children were sheltered in the countryside during this conflict, Belgian families and their children found refuge in England after fleeing the advance of the Germans in WW I. Many of those refugees returned home after that war, but some remained, having established roots and new families in England.  One of those Belgian men has been found murdered execution-style and Thomas wants to know what’s behind it.  Meanwhile, Maisie’s father and her stepmother have been asked to take a couple of brothers and a little girl into their country home in Kent.  The five-year-old girl arrives without identification and has been struck mute by the trauma.  Maisie is also being asked to use her skills as a psychologist to help them reach and help this frightened child.  The mystery in many ways takes back seat to the story of this young orphan and Maisie’s growing involvement with her.  Always a treat to enter the world of Maisie Dobbs.  332 pp.

Brood, by Jackie Polzin

 Small in both size and number of pages, this novel conveys a lot of emotion in a compact space.  Much of it is ostensibly about a little flock of urban chickens cared for by a woman and her husband in a down-on-its-luck section of St. Paul MN.  Percy, the husband of the nameless narrator, is an academic economist who has written a popular, successful book and is finishing another.  He is in the running for a tenure-track position at a prestigious California university.  Over the course of a year, while waiting to learn whether they will relocate, the narrator’s time and thoughts are occupied by the chickens, Gam Gam, Miss Hennepin County, Darkness, and Gloria.  And one by one, the chickens will succumb in all the ways that chickens do.  It’s about a broody chicken, a brood of chickens, and the brooding the middle-aged narrator does while recovering from the disappointment of miscarrying a much-wanted baby and the vicissitudes of life.  Having lived these past few years with neighboring urban chickens, now down to one, who roam free range in my backyard, I am generally charmed by chickens.  See also Deb Olin Unferth’s Barn 8.  223 pp.

Dial A for Aunties

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto, 309 pages

Photographer Meddelin Chan is part of a large and tight-knit Chinese-Indonesian family, working closely with her mother and three aunts in the family wedding business. So when she accidentally kills her date just before a major wedding event, it's natural that Meddy turns to her mom and aunts to help her dispose of the body. While the women do their best to take care of things while juggling the cake, flowers, makeup, photography, and entertainment for a 2,000-guest wedding, it's only natural that something will go wrong. And it does, in the most hilarious fashion ever.

This is the funniest book I've read in YEARS, and I'm absolutely thrilled that this Crazy Rich Asians-meets-Weekend at Bernie's comedy has already been optioned for a movie on Netflix (because I'm going to watch the heck out of that). So much heart and humor and frustration...it's what every family should aspire to! This will almost certainly be on my Best of 2021 list, and I'm sure I'll be reading this again!

All the Murmuring Bones

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, 367 pages

Generations ago, Miren O'Malley's family made a deal with a sea witch to keep the family prosperous and healthy in exchange for the sacrifice of a child every generation. Well, it worked for a long time, but over time, despite some frankly incestuous marriage practices, the bloodlines have thinned and spread out, leaving Miren as the final O'Malley in a now-crumbling estate with few pennies to her name. Upon learning that the parents she thought were long dead are alive and just very far away, Miren runs away from the cousin she's supposed to marry, seeking out the only other O'Malleys who were able to leave the ancestral home in hopes of ending the brutal tradition. But it turns out that some things are hard to leave behind.

This is a wonderfully atmospheric and haunting bit of gothic fantasy. Slatter has created a fully realized — and fully creepy — world for Miren to navigate, while making our main character both strong and sympathetic. This is a book for those who prefer the original bloody versions of fairy tales, not the singsong Disney version. I'll be mulling this one over for ages.

The Book of Accidents

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig, 544 pages

Nathan grew up with a violent drunk father and when his old man dies, bitter and alone, he offers Nathan the chance to buy the house for a dollar. Nathan's hesitant, but his wife Maddie convinces him to agree to the deal, arguing that it'll give her a place to work on her art and give their teenage son Oliver a chance at a fresh start, far away from the pressures of the city. At first it seems like a great plan, but strange things start happening soon, from Maddie going into a fugue state while carving with a chainsaw to a creepy older kid hanging around with Oliver to vision's of Nathan's late father showing up in the front yard. Something isn't right, and it doesn't seem interested in leaving the family alone until it's over.

There is a LOT going on in this book, including demons, parallel worlds, kids with superpowers, serial killers, art coming to life, abusive parents, and even some light cannibalism. In short, it makes it hard to follow what's going on. That said, I absolutely loved the nuclear family, which is ultimately honest, caring, and supportive of one another, no matter how weird the situation. I also enjoyed Wendig's humor throughout. Honestly, if this book lost just one or two of the weirder plot points, it'd be a home run for fans of Stephen King and T. Kingfisher's novels.

This book is scheduled to be published July 20, 2021.

Flipped Out

 Flipped Out by Jennie Bentley (2011) 293 pages

Avery Baker and her boyfriend Derek Ellis have gotten the opportunity to renovate a house for a TV series called Flipped Out! The plan is to use an empty house owned by Tony Micelli, the local news anchor in their small town of Waterfield, Maine, and to start and finish the renovation in a week. The TV crew arrives, consisting of the director, camera operator, production assistant, tech guy, and the guy who will be interviewing them on camera.  The "before" footage is filmed, and then the couple, along with some friends, start tearing out cabinets, counters, sinks, etc. The next morning, though, Tony is found inside, stabbed to death. Is the murder a random thing, or is it related to Tony's new fiancée (who happens to be Derek's ex-wife), or does it have a connection to the film crew? For instance, Tony had worked with Nina, the director of the show, twenty years prior, and there seemed to be some tension between them when they saw each other again.

After the police release the house back to the renovation crew, the renovations continue as the list of suspects grows and changes. Can the house be finished in time? And more importantly, who murdered Tony? 

The book was an enjoyable read, and like the other book that I read from this series, at the end there were numerous home-renovation tips.

Broken

 

Broken (in the best possible way) / Jenny Lawson, 285 pgs.

It is always interesting to have "mental illness" and "humor" in the description.  Jenny Lawson has another best seller here.  Loosely a memoir and essays that tell about her struggles with depression and anxiety, it also has a lot of information about "places she can never go again" after some interesting transaction that made her reticent to return.  Despite some very serious mental and physical health issues, Lawson is still able to see the bright spots. 

The Duke Undone

The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell, 370 pages

Art student Lucy Coover is understandably frustrated by the Royal Society's prohibition on women taking classes with live nude models, so when she literally stumbles across a passed-out, drunken, and completely naked man in an alley, she has to take the opportunity to observe his body with an artistic eye. Eventually, she uses those observations as the basis for a painting that is immediately sold to an aristocrat for hanging in her boudoir. Never did Lucy expect that the drunken man was the Duke of Weston, or that he'd clap eyes on the painting before it was even hung! This unusual situation brings the two together in a way that both feel will be to their advantage: poor Lucy can use the duke's influence to stop her aunt's shop from being destroyed for a new warehouse, while the duke can use Lucy's lower status and anonymity to search for his lost sister. But when these circumstances keep drawing the two together, their attraction becomes more and more palpable.

This is a well-researched historical romance novel with complex characters and situations, all of which seem genuinely possible, given their personalities. While the chemistry between the duke and Lucy is certainly hot, there's a lot simmering below the surface of this novel. Very good indeed!

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner, 371 pages

Delly Wells is a scrappy firewitch from the bad side of town, weeks behind on the rent for her sad little apartment, and constantly hunting down her drug-addled mother. She's getting pretty desperate when she answers an ad seeking magically-abled women to escort a posh bride to her fiance's castle, figuring that she can handle traveling for some cash. But the trip introduces more complications to Delly's life, including the hunt for a murderer, busting a drug cartel, and the growing affection between Delly and her new wealthy friend Winn.

In this inventive novel, Waggoner has created a complex set of characters dealing with some complex problems, and she manages it all magnificently. Delly's struggles and personal growth, the romance between her and Winn, the commentary on the cycles of addiction...it's all so well done and so captivating! And it's funny! Highly recommend this wonderful mix of romance, adventure, mystery, and fantasy.

Murder Mysteries

Murder Mysteries by Neil Gaiman, art by P. Craig Russell, 64 pages

This graphic adaptation of Gaiman's short story focuses on what may be the original murder, back before Cain and Abel, to the angels who were creating the concept of death. The tale of this angelic death comes to the story's narrator via a wandering possibly homeless man during the narrator's weeklong forced layover in Los Angeles. The wanderer claims to be the angel that investigated the murder, and tells the story as payment for a cigarette.

In less capable hands, this whole story could be put down to a crazy man's ramblings. But when Gaiman tells this sort of story — actually, any sort of story — the impossible becomes possible and the unbelievable becomes likely true. While Russell's artwork doesn't really detract from the story, it doesn't add much either, particularly because so much of the angelic environment cannot be shown. I would love to hear this as the radio play that Gaiman originally created though.

Chilling effect

 

Chilling Effect / Valerie Valdes, 434 pgs.

This is a fun adventure set in space that include inter-species romance, some kidnapping and high spy level intrigue.  Oh yea, and then there are the cats.  It seems like this is a book written specifically for me.  And, I did enjoy it.  Somehow, it was difficult for me to really get into the story.  I expected reading this to take days but it took me weeks.  Once again, I don't really know why.  If you are looking for an adventure and a crew of kind of wise-ass adventure seeking space hooligans, this could be your book, give it a whirl.

Spackled and Spooked

 Spackled and Spooked, by Jennie Bentley (2009) 309 pages

Spackled and Spooked is a new-to-me mystery series featuring Avery Baker, a textile designer, and her boyfriend, Derek Ellis. Derek has bought a house that has been empty since a murder-suicide 18 years ago. The only family member who escaped was a five-year old boy who ran away during the horrific event. Avery and Derek have high hopes for renovating the house and reselling it, hoping that it won't be  considered tainted by the long-ago events. From the very start, though, the house seems to be haunted, and soon, when Derek is digging under the crawl space to prepare to put in new floors, he discovers human bones. More sinister events happen, and it's hard to tell who in this small college-town of Waterfield, Maine is responsible for the latest murder attempts, and whether there is any tie-in to the murders of the past. Avery and Derek try to help the police solve the murders so they can get back to renovating the house.

There were also  renovation tips at the end of the book, which described how to get various effects that were described a bit in the story.

We Could Be Heroes

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen, 330 pages

Jamie has zero memories from before two years ago, when he woke up in an apartment with the ability to read and manipulate people's memories, which he eventually puts to use robbing banks as the Mind Robber. Zoe is in a similar predicament, though instead of the ability to change memories, she woke up with super strength and speed, as well as the ability to read heat signatures, all of which she uses to become the vigilante hero Throwing Star. Both are aware of the other's presence in San Delgado, but it isn't until a memory loss support group meeting that they meet and unexpectedly join forces to save the day. Soon, the new friends decide to investigate their past, and uncover a sinister plot to destroy the city they both love.

The premise of this story is delightful — who would think that a support group would bring together a superpowered team? — as are Jamie and Zoe as characters. I also thought that the relationship between superhero and the local police force was more accurately portrayed here than it is in a lot of superhero stories. My main complaint with this book is that the villain needs to be a bit more fleshed out, as do Jamie and Zoe's histories, once they're discovered. That said, it's a fun book, and I think we all need a cat like Normal. (Bonus: I had Bowie stuck in my head for the whole time I read it. That's never a bad thing in my book.)

The Postscript Murders

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths, 315 pages

In the quiet seaside town of Shoreham, 90-year-old Peggy Smith's carer finds her dead in her apartment. While the peaceful death of an elderly woman shouldn't cause suspicions, the subsequent death of a mystery writer has detective Harbinder Kaur beginning an investigation into both deaths, helped by an odd crew of Peggy's concerned Ukranian caretaker, Peggy's neighbor, and the former monk that owns the local coffee shop, all of whom are convinced that there's a link between the deaths — and that other authors may be next on the murder list!

This is a wonderful cozy-ish mystery, with plenty of nods to golden age mysteries, modern problems, and a truly fresh set of twists and turns. So much fun!

First Comes Like

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai, 414 pages

YouTube makeup guru Jia Ahmed has been chatting online with Bollywood star Dev Dixit for almost a year when she finally gets the chance to meet him IRL. But when she approaches him at a party, he doesn't know who she is. With both of them facing pressure from their families to settle down with a nice partner, the pair decides to pretend to date... which goes about as well as you'd think. Soon, they're head over heels in love with one another, but completely afraid to share that with each other.

The third in Rai's Modern Love series centered on couples who meet online before hooking up IRL, and while I love the way Rai has translated the meet-cute and mistaken-identity tropes of romance to a modern social media-based world, this one falls a bit flat for me. Both Jia and Dev's cultural backgrounds shine through (I particularly like how Jia marries fashion and makeup with traditional Muslim attire), but something about their relationship seems a bit lacking to me. The previous entry in this series, Girl Gone Viral, is far superior, so give that one a read instead.

The Encyclopedia of Kitchen Tools

 

The encyclopedia of kitchen tools / Elinor Hutton, 287 pgs. 

When I picked this up, I thought I would page through it and return it in a day or so...instead I found myself reading every entry as if I needed to truly understand the origin and uses of such things as plates and bowls.  Hutton has such and interesting style and way of adding a tiny bit of bait - a little bit of history or commenting on the most popular type of thing, I ended up going through it all with a fine tooth comb. Not a lot of plot but great information for the casual cook.

Brain Storm

 Brain Storm, by Elaine Viets (2016) 305 pages

Angela Richman is a death investigator who has a stroke. While she's recovering, even as her thinking waxes and wanes, she's trying to vindicate Dr. Jeb Tritt, the brash surgeon who saved her life. He is the prime suspect in the murder of another doctor, Dr. Porter Gravois. Dr. Gravois is the smug doctor who sent Angela home from the emergency room, telling her that she was too young to have a stroke. She wasn't, and the stroke would have killed her, if not for the bold surgical intervention of Dr. Tritt.

The author, Elaine Viets, grew up in St. Louis, the setting for this mystery novel. What I had forgotten was that some years ago, Viets herself had had a stroke that nearly killed her. This novel draws upon her experiences during her own health crisis and its aftermath.

I definitely plan to read the other books in this series.

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf

Although I have read many, many books, both non-fiction and fiction, about Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury group, to my shame, I had never actually gotten into one of her novels.  A recent article in the New York Times about the upcoming centenary of Joyce’s Ulysses, stated: “Nineteen twenty-two, the year of “Ulysses,” may well be ground zero for the explosion of modernism in literature. But the resultant shock wave is better captured by another year: 1925, that of “Mrs. Dalloway” and several other works, all now in the spotlight in 2021, as they emerge from under copyright."  The other books mentioned as coming out in 1925 I had actually read, works by Hemingway, Dos Passos, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  So I decided to finally approach Woolf.  The book was a surprise – it really is an experimental novel, and Woolf’s answer to Joyce’s Ulysses, which she disliked.  Like Joyce’s work, it takes place on a single day beginning with the famous line, “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” From there the rich, and at times confusing, text weaves among the minds and lives of several characters peripheral or central to Clarissa Dalloway’s sixty-two years of life.  Over it all, the chimes and booming hour markings of Big Ben are heard, make time itself a central character.  I really enjoyed it, but suspect it speaks more to me now than it might have if I had read it as a much younger person.  194 pp.

Journey to Munich, by Jacqueline Winspear

When we last saw Maisie Dobbs, the investigator and psychologist protagonist of this long-running series, she was crossing from Gibraltar to Spain to take up nursing duties again during the Spanish Civil War.  I had expected the next book to involve her in that conflict, however, when this novel begins, she has completed her nursing duties and back in England.  She’s ready to try to take up her life again after a couple of peripatetic years seeking solace after the tragic deaths of her husband and unborn child.  There she is swept into the shadowy world of the British secret service by old acquaintances and sent on a mission to Nazi Germany impersonating the daughter of an important engineer and inventor.  His real daughter is too ill to travel and the Germans have agreed to release the man from the concentration camp in which he has been held for a couple of years but only to her, not a diplomat or other representative.  A well-done story and depiction of Germany just prior to the beginning of the Second World War.  Up to Winspear’s usual standards.  284 pp.

Eva moves the furniture, by Margot Livesey

Twenty years prior to Livesey’s recent The boy in the field, which was one of the better books I’ve read recently, she published this short, affecting “ghost” story.  Eva’s mother, who survived the 1918 influenza, was weakened by it and dies giving birth to her only child.  Her grieving husband, David, enlists his unmarried sister Lily to come live with them and help raise Eva.  A solitary child, when she is about five years old, Eva is startled one day to be approached by “the woman” and “the girl,” people only she sees.  Through the years, the “companions,” as she thinks of them, will make many appearances, sometimes saving her from something, other times causing disruption or pointing the way to future life decisions she makes.  Are or were the companions real?  Is Eva a conduit for poltergeists?  It’s a gentle book, written in the same wonderful style that permeates The boy in the field.  Oddly affecting and recommended.  229 pp.

Phoenix Extravagant

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee, 346 pages

I came here to blog about next week's Orcs & Aliens title, but it seems Regan beat me to it. I agree with pretty much everything she said, so I'll just tell you to read her thoughts here (or just scroll down). I loved this, and I'm looking forward to discussing it with the book group on Monday!

Phoenix Extravagant

 Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee, 320 pages.

This was an extremely interesting fantasy novel in that it seemed content to ignore most of the conventions of the genre. It's a sort of steampunky political drama set in the fantasy equivalent of early 20th century Korea and is most interested in examining the effects of colonization. It was a very fun read, and I absolutely adored the dragon automaton on the cover. The characters were all pretty interesting and the plot was solid. My only real complaint is that it didn't seem particularly interested in exploring or explaining any of the more magical elements of the world.

Libertie

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge, 327 pages

The free-born daughter of one of the first Black female doctors in the U.S., Libertie is destined to follow in her mother's footsteps. But when her light-skinned mother begins pandering to the white women she treats (often forcing darker-skinned Libertie to look away or leave the room during examinations at the women's requests), Libertie is uncertain about her mother's plans for her. As she leaves home for her education and, eventually, for her marriage, Libertie continues to search for her place in the world.

This is an interesting visit to the world of free Blacks during the Civil War and Reconstruction era both in the North and abroad in Haiti, looking at their culture, politics, and the struggle to find an identity, both personally and collectively. Greenidge creates a well-developed setting for Libertie and her friends and family, all of whom are vivid and realistic in their characterization. My only complaint is that Libertie seems to be more of an observer to the world around her, not really offering strong opinions or standing on her own two feet until the very end. I would've liked to see more of her once she came into her own. But this is well worth a read for the ruminations it inspires.

Ingredients

 

Ingredients: the strange chemistry of what we put in us and on us / George Zaidan, read by the author 299 pgs.

I'm not sure why I picked this up.  I mean, the Cheeto on the cover is impressive but I don't even eat Cheetos. This turned out to be such a fantastic read.  I listened to most of this and admire the author for making chemistry sound so exciting!  Then there are the "human" parts...scientist fighting over results, etc. Those parts are great too.  In fact, this is one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time.  How else can you describe something that makes you regret not paying a little more attention in High School chemistry class?

Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West, 340 pages

High-end interior designer Alice Sullivan has a picture-perfect life, with a gorgeous house, two well-behaved children, a successful lawyer husband, and a cute dog. But while at a parent-teacher conference for her second-grader (who, it turns out, isn't doing so well in reading), Alice receives an emergency call to the junior high, where her son has been involved in a very public bullying incident — as the bully. Suddenly, the perfect world she's created begins crumbling, and Alice understandably is struggling to hold it together, a process made all the more difficult by her husband's absence (business trip) and some big news her child-psychologist mother is planning on divulging (completely oblivious to how this will affect Alice, of course).

Sometimes dysfunctional family stories can end up over-the-top crazy, with unrealistic problems, wacky solutions, and outsized personalities. Thankfully (and, as a parent of similar-aged kids to Alice's, a bit unsettlingly), West manages realistic people and situations marvelously, with plenty of heart, humor, and life-like parenting frustrations. I absolutely loved this book.

March totals!

Christa  9/2804

Jan  5/1700

Kara  18/5588

Kathleen  1/327

Linda  6/2019

Regan  9/2021

TOTAL: 48/14,459

Welcome to the blogging party, Regan!