4.5 stars. A company has invented the ability to time travel to the past for one hour without any change to the past due to the use of closed time-lik4.5 stars. A company has invented the ability to time travel to the past for one hour without any change to the past due to the use of closed time-like curves. There is a great demand for this, and most people return to the present saying that the ability to revisit the past changed their lives. In this book, four separate travelers go into the past for an hour, each hoping to revisit someone or something that's now lost to them. After an hour, however, they're not extracted and none of them are sure how long they will be left in the past or if they have been given a second chance. As time goes by, their lives in the past begin to unexpectedly intersect, and they're left wondering if they all have the chance to change the past together or if there was a reason they're there.
I loved the premise of this book, and the book definitely delivered! The narration moved between the four travelers (Elizabeth, Logan, Andy, and Brooke), and I ended up getting sucked into all four stories equally instead of having a favorite. I loved that the characters were all so different, yet all were struggling with something that felt believable and relatable. The author did a great job of turning each into a three-dimensional person, and she also did an excellent job of dropping small clues throughout about how their stories would intersect in the future. I picked up on some but not all, and it made for a very engaging read!
I don't know quite how to classify this book, as I suppose it had elements of sci-fi (due to the time-travel), mystery or thriller (due to trying to figure out what happened on a day that affected all of their lives), or just regular fiction. That said, I think the genre is secondary because the heart of this book was the emotional journey that each was on. Could this have been a bit more complex? Probably. Did it need to be? No. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to find out more. I think it's difficult to write a story with multiple perspectives and make each equally intriguing, but this definitely succeeded! I feel like there is a lot to unpack in this story, both written and unwritten, and I think it will make for a good book club discussion....more
I really tried to get through this book, but I couldn't. This book is set in Astoria, Oregon (a place I've even been and liked, making me hopeful I'd I really tried to get through this book, but I couldn't. This book is set in Astoria, Oregon (a place I've even been and liked, making me hopeful I'd at least like the setting), and the two main characters are Emma and Edward. Emma owns a shop there and is fighting to make needed repairs to the pier (or something like that... I can't fully remember). Edward is the prince of Whiteloch, which owns Astoria, making it not a part of the United States, only no one in the town knew this until Edward arrived. He makes a bunch of friends and rallies the town into some new activities that everyone gets really excited about, but Emma doesn't believe his stories about being a prince so he starts helping her research the history of the town and trying to figure out what the mayor wants to cover up. I assume Edward and Emma eventually fall in love, but I didn't get that far.
A friend chose this novel for our book club. I have no idea how she'd heard of this book, but because it was a book club selection, I really tried to finish it even thought I was continually bored. I just couldn't do it. Every time I picked this up and read a few chapters, I'd get bored again and look for something else to do. This read like someone's first attempt at writing a book, with a plot idea that wasn't enough to carry a full length novel (not to mention that the plot was overly complicated for being so thin!), characters that weren't particularly well developed or distinguishable from one another, and a lack of urgency in the pace. The writing was fine, but there were a few recurring structural grammatical mistakes that annoyed me, and the dialogue felt very juvenile.
I read about a quarter of this book before deciding I didn't have it in me to finish. I kept trying to push on because this wasn't terrible. It just wasn't compelling. I feel like the author had some good ideas, but they weren't explained well or were explained fine but still didn't make sense; for examples, the whole "Astoria isn't part of the U.S." history was somehow both confusing and too simplistic. All scenes also seemed to just exist to fill the book instead of actually propel the plot along; Prince Edward inspires everyone to have an umbrella parade one day, and somehow everyone just goes along with this really excitedly even though it makes no sense and the parade itself didn't have anything to do with the plot except, I guess, to show that everyone but Emma immediately loved him. Unfortunately, a lot of filler material does not make for a good book....more
2.5 stars, mostly because I didn't hate finishing this despite the book not being especially great. Dorie, Julia, and Ellis are childhood friends now 2.5 stars, mostly because I didn't hate finishing this despite the book not being especially great. Dorie, Julia, and Ellis are childhood friends now in their 30's who rent a house at the beach one August to spend time catching up. Ellis recently got laid off and is now stressing about her life while also somewhat fighting her attraction to their new neighbor. Julia is a former model who is scared to commit to her longtime boyfriend. Dorie is hiding secrets of her own too, such as the fact that her new husband isn't perfect for her after all. They meet another woman, Maryn, who's coming through town and desperate for a place to stay after leaving her abusive husband, so they invite her to join them in their house too so everyone can save some money. As the month goes on, they try to support each other and learn everyone's secrets.
The premise in here was perfectly fine but the book itself was pretty dumb. The dialogue often felt stilted or like they were recapping stuff for the reader's benefit, and they rarely sounded like normal thirty-something women would. I have no idea how old the author was when this was written, but everything about this felt like it was written by someone twice the age of the main characters imagining what women in their 30's sounded like and the problems they had in life. Also, one of the characters was named "Dorie," which makes her seem like she's at least 60.
The story in here was fine but not a lot happened. I like reading fluffy books and I like stories about female friendship, so this could have been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it felt like nothing ever happened in this book and it was instead all just them talking with filler material or revealing what were supposed to be amazing secrets but were mostly just kind of ho hum. The romance in here was also mediocre. It speeds along quickly despite them not having much chemistry and the guy seeming like he's not fully over his ex. There's even a scene where she goes to his dirty apartment and helps clean up. Seriously, what?? I didn't relate to any of the characters and so much of what happened felt either cheesier than it would have been in real life (such as Maryn and her abusive husband) or contrived for the sake of the plot (such as meeting Maryn and almost immediately inviting her to move in with them). It was also extremely predictable. On the plus side, this was indeed an easy read and I finished it quickly....more
This was a book club pick that I'd never heard of before but is apparently the book that a new TV show is based on. All over the world, girls have sudThis was a book club pick that I'd never heard of before but is apparently the book that a new TV show is based on. All over the world, girls have suddenly gained the ability to cause pain using their hands, kind of like an eel gives an electric shock. The book follows a handful of girls across the globe as they wrestle with their new power and how this affects their self-confidence, their interactions with others and the fear that such power brings.
I thought the premise of the book was interesting (probably the only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one), but the book did not live up to the hype. I'm shocked there are so many rave reviews for this. I couldn't get into it at all and didn't especially care about any of the characters, especially because the action jumps between characters each chapter before I ever felt attached to one. It seemed choppy and unbalanced. I know this was supposed to show how different people in different circumstances reacted to the changes, but it wasn't very interesting. I think the writing also didn't especially resonate with me. It was polished but felt kind of basic in a way that's hard to describe.
Clearly there are those who loved this book, since it does have great reviews and was turned into a show. I wish I'd read the same book as all those reviewers! Oh well. I gave up on this book about a quarter of the way in, when I couldn't bring myself to read any more. There are too many other books I'd like to read to waste more time on one I'm not enjoying....more
Lilith is a woman who's chosen by an alien race, the Oankali, to lead other human survivors as they prepare to return to Earth, which was nearly destrLilith is a woman who's chosen by an alien race, the Oankali, to lead other human survivors as they prepare to return to Earth, which was nearly destroyed by humans years ago as they waged wars and the few survivors were saved by the Oankali. Lilith feels unprepared for her role, and she is frustrated by the occasional lack of answers and attitude from the Oankali, who assume they know better than she does about how to handle the reintroduction of humans to Earth and the future of humanity.
I'd heard of Octavia E. Butler, but this is the first book of hers that I've read. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it lived up to whatever subconscious expectations I had! I was drawn into the story almost immediately and eager to read on, wanting to find out what would happen next. The pace of this book was somewhat slow in that not a lot happened, but it was so thoughtful and interesting that I didn't mind. There were some parts of the alien world that really made me pause to think; for example, the whole concept of being able to remember everything you've ever learned, anytime, instead of having trouble recalling stuff you know you know was interesting. I also really enjoyed seeing how the human interacted with each other once additional people were awakened and learned that they had been saved and chosen to return to Earth. It was almost comical to see how the Oankali miscalculated human emotions and how unfortunately typical some of the reactions were.
Apparently this is the start of a trilogy. I think this wrapped up well and I don't think it "needs" additional books, but I will likely continue reading to see how the rest of this world unfolds as the story goes on. Definitely a well done book, and based on this alone, I can see why the author is so famous!...more
This was an interesting book, albeit not a particularly happy one, and it’s one I probably would not have picked up if not for my book club. Caroline This was an interesting book, albeit not a particularly happy one, and it’s one I probably would not have picked up if not for my book club. Caroline is a former marathoner who’s now unable to run due to injuries. She’s unsure what to do with life until she falls in love with Finn, a prince from a small, rich European country. At first, Caroline is happy, but after they have two kids to continue the succession line, she starts to feel more alone by the day and like her life is no longer hers. All her movement and activities are controlled by the palace, and basically all her free time is devoted to her beauty regiment since it’s expected that she’ll be beautiful and photograph wonderfully. As Caroline tries to find a way to escape this life, she discovers just how much she’s trapped and the lengths the palace will go to make sure she’s giving the right impression to the public.
This was fascinating to read and ripe for discussion. There are so many fairy tales out there with girls dreaming of becoming a princess and eventually living happily ever after, but this definitely shows the darker side of such lives. The author did a wonderful job detailing Caroline’s life. I could understand why she felt adrift and also understood why she was willing to play her part at first. This was a peek behind the scenes of how and why royals present the versions of themselves to the public and how much thought and effort goes into presenting the “right” image. I felt sorry for Caroline as her life went on, completely out of her own control. Despite outranking everyone except her husband and his mom, the queen, she was powerless compared to them and completely left out of many decisions, including ones that affected her and her children, who ostensibly belonged to the palace and the country more than they belonged to her.
This was such a feminist novel, forcing you to think about the different roles that men and women play and the unrealistic images and expectations that the public has of women. It felt like a very revealing and thoughtful message about the dark side of power and how everyone is complicit in it. There was also such a powerful message about how women are absolutely needed to ensure the continuation of power, yet they’re treated differently from men, viewed differently by everyone, and expected to fit into very small, specific boxes. I had no idea how this book would end, although I assumed it wouldn’t be an especially happy ending (and it wasn’t), but it really did end on a thoughtful note designed to stick with you and make you think. Definitely glad I read this! ...more
This was an odd book that’s difficult to describe. Now that I’ve read it, I understand why the published description of it is confusion (and, to me, nThis was an odd book that’s difficult to describe. Now that I’ve read it, I understand why the published description of it is confusion (and, to me, not especially captivating). This follows a handful of people in different times, in different parts of the world. Omeir and Anna live in the 15th Century near Constantinople, him an outcast with a cleft palate who learns to drive oxen, and she a poor orphan with no talent for needlework but a drive to learn and profit off her literacy. Seymour is a trouble teen in 2020 Idaho, worried about how the world is destroying natural habitats. Zeno is an old man in the same time and city who’s translated an ancient text that kids will be putting on as a play. And in the near future, Konstance is aboard the Argos, a ship 65 years into a multigenerational mission to another planet. All of their stories are eventually intertwined and involve an ancient text called “Cloud Cuckoo Land”, which Zeno translated. All these stories were interspersed with bits of that translation.
I read the author’s first book (All the Light We Cannot See) and enjoyed that but didn’t have plans to read this one. However, this was picked for my book club so I ended up reading it and will soon be discussing it, which should be interesting. This was strange overall. I wasn’t especially hooked on any single story throughout this but eventually got drawn in more to the Zeno/Seymour story more than the others, although by the end, I found the Konstance story interesting as well. The Omeir/Anna story wasn’t nearly as riveting to me, although by the end it did answer some questions that the other stories brought up.
I think the main message in here was about how interconnected everything in, across both time and space. I did enjoy seeing how the text of “Cloud Cuckoo Land” impacted so many lives, although I didn’t especially enjoy the snippets from that book, nor did I understand why the characters found the story itself so engaging. I appreciated the way everything wrapped up together by the end, showing how one person’s action in the past ended up bringing so many future people together or bringing them some kind of comfort. But I also was left with questions at the end of the book, mostly about Konstance’s storyline and how she ended up where she did.
This was definitely epic in scope, and the author had his work cut out for him trying to bring together such a novel! I’d heard so many rave reviews about this book that I think I expected it to be absolutely transfixing. In reality, I found myself mostly ambivalent about the first half or so of the book, recognizing that the writing was good but not getting carried away by the plot. The second half (and especially the last third to last quarter) was better, mostly because it brought everything together and completed the circle, but it didn’t wow me the way I think it’s impressed others. I did like the overarching message in here and just wish I’d liked every chapter on the path to get there! ...more
4.5 stars. Ryland Grace wakes up aboard a spaceship to find his two crew members dead and he has no memory of how he got there or what he's doing. As 4.5 stars. Ryland Grace wakes up aboard a spaceship to find his two crew members dead and he has no memory of how he got there or what he's doing. As his memories gradually start to return, he realizes that Earth is being threatened by an organism that's dimming the sun, and he's Earth's only hope, on a mission to figure out the source of the problem and a potential solution. There's a lot more to the plot too, but I won't spoil it, since it was fun to dive into the book without knowing what else would happen.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to! I liked The Martian but the author's second book hadn't appealed to me and I remembered The Martian being very science-heavy, to the point where I occasionally skimmed to get through the detailed descriptions of why things worked, so I think I expected this to be similar. And in part, it was: there were a number of long passages about the science behind what was going on. Much of this went over my head and I just moved on, figuring that I didn't need to fully understand the "how" of it and could just accept that things worked as described. I told someone this book was science fiction, heavy on the science, and I think that's an apt description.
That said, the story in here was very good! The author did such a great job putting this together and explaining the main character's backstory in little chunks. I loved how we found things out at the same time Grace did and how it all perfectly made sense in the end, coming together seamlessly and occasionally in ways that surprised me. I really enjoyed seeing how he figured out things for himself because he had no one else to rely on and couldn't communicate with Earth, and it was fascinating to read about him figuring out new communication methods. The plot in here was so well done, and I grew to care about the characters a lot.
The ending in here surprised me a bit, both in the flashbacks (some of the plot points I didn't see coming!) and in the actual end of the book and what happens with his mission, but it was a really solid ending and one that I continued to think about a lot afterward. Definitely a thought-provoking book ripe for discussion!...more
4.5 stars. This was actually chosen by my book club a year or two ago for a meeting I couldn't make, and I finally got around to reading it! I'm defin4.5 stars. This was actually chosen by my book club a year or two ago for a meeting I couldn't make, and I finally got around to reading it! I'm definitely late to the party with this book, considering how much hype it received and the fact that it's now even been made into a mini-series.
I didn't know much about this book before I started reading it, and I definitely didn't know the plot since this was very different than I think I expected! Mia and her daughter Pearl move to the safe, affluent community of Shaker Heights and rent a house from the Richardsons, who have four kids and are very involved with the community. For Mrs. Richardson, there is right and there is wrong, and she's pleased that she can affect the community in positive ways, turning it into the kind of place she feels it should be. While Mia and Pearl aren't exactly the usual type of residents, Mia being an artist and single mother and fairly mysterious about her past, Mrs. Richardson rents to them out of a sense of charity. The two families become significantly intertwined after they move in, and this is mostly fine until family friends of the Richardsons decide to adopt a Chinese-American baby and a custody battle ignites, putting the two families on opposite sides of the fight and leading Mrs. Richardson to dig into Mia's past to find out what secrets she's hiding, in order to nullify her opinions.
This was so well written, and I was sucked into the story almost immediately. I didn't want to put this down, since I was just so engrossed in the story. I loved the characters, and while there were a lot of them, everything seemed to flow very easily. I enjoyed how different everyone was and the ways they interacted with each other. The most fascinating part of this book was the look into human behavior, which came both in the arguments for why the baby should stay with the adopted family versus being given back to the brith mother, and (even more so) when Mrs. Richardson begins to dig into Mia's past under the guise of understanding her background to determine what's right and wrong. There were so many misunderstandings in here, some that you could easily see coming, due to people not having the full amount of information and only making assumptions based on the little information they did have. This is so natural, but it also goes to show how damaging these assumptions can be and how easy it can be to get swept away in digging for the "truth" about someone else, regardless of whether it's relevant. A very fascinating depiction of this!
The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the ending. It was rather open-ended, and while I can understand why certain things were left unsaid and to the reader's imagination (the main plots did wrap up nicely), it left me wanting to know what happened to the characters after the book ended. Still, this was a great look at the lengths people go to to protect their life, the ways in which our actions have unintended consequences, and how life isn't necessarily black and white, nor are things always a case of right and wrong. Very interesting look at how good intensions may not always lead to good decisions or outcomes and how complicated (and lasting!) choices and their repercussions can be.
Definitely a great book to read. I'm disappointed I missed my book club's discussions for this, as I think it's ripe with topics to ponder. But, I'm glad I finally read this and imagine parts will stick with me for a long time. I'm looking forward to watching the miniseries now too!...more
This was a dense, well-written, powerful book. I'd had it on my to-read list for a long time and am glad this was picked for my book club this month, This was a dense, well-written, powerful book. I'd had it on my to-read list for a long time and am glad this was picked for my book club this month, as I am looking forward to discussing so much of this with others! This book describes how it's not just race that defines rankings in America but a hidden caste system (example: African immigrants tend to be in a higher caste than African-Americans) and how this affects every aspect of life, including how caste can sometimes negatively impact those in a higher caste and how success from someone in a lower caste tends to ultimately reinforce the caste system and drives people in the dominant caste to put things back in the same order as before.
I've read a few books on race in America, and this was by far the best written, best researched, and most thought-provoking. The author compares the caste system in America to the ones in India and Nazi Germany and how this system benefits the dominant caste but also negatively affects the dominant caste at times; for example, she talks about how certain political suggestions, such as expanding health care in America, would overall benefit the dominant caste more than the lower caste, but there's a huge resistance to it because many don't want the lower caste to benefit because they're "undeserving" and so they'd rather suffer themselves instead of also letting a lower caste benefit. There was also a section about how white women are negatively impacted by the caste system, as it has allowed white men to attack them and get away with it by claiming that someone in a lower caste committed the crime (easy for the public to believe, since they're inclined to think negatively about lower castes). Fascinating for sure. The author includes a lot of research and specifics to back up such claims. I was also riveted by the descriptions of how the success of someone from a "lower caste" (such as Obama becoming president) makes it seem, on the surface, like the country is moving beyond racism, and yet this success results in backlash. There is so much more in this book that I'm unable to capture it all in a single review, and I certainly wouldn't be able to do so as eloquently as the author did in this book.
This was such a fascinating look at the history of this country and how it continues to influence life today. I wish reading this book were required for everyone, as it put so much into perspective for me and gave me a lot to think about and consider, but unfortunately I think the people who need to read this book the most are the ones least likely to do so. While this is certainly not a "happy" look at the U.S., both historically and today, it is certainly important to read and consider if we are to move into a better future. Highly recommended for all!...more
I heard so many rave reviews about this book and it's been a bestseller for so long, but it wasn't until my book club chose this for its monthly read I heard so many rave reviews about this book and it's been a bestseller for so long, but it wasn't until my book club chose this for its monthly read that I finally picked it up. I enjoyed the book but didn't love it, and I'm not fully sure why.
This is set in the 1960's and follows Kya, the so-called "Marsh Girl" who's shunned by the general population in her coastal North Carolina town due to her upbringing. There are two parallel stories in here: one that focuses on Kya growing up, being abandoned by basically her entire family and having to fend for herself, learning how to cook, make money, and eventually even educating herself with help from a local boy named Tate. The other story is set in 1969, when the body of Chase, a handsome local boy, is found in the marsh and the town begins to suspect that the Marsh Girl must have done it, despite her having an alibi.
I found this story interesting but not fully captivating. I liked the setting and the way the author depicted the town. I could feel the discomfort between the races there (Kya is mostly helped by the black residents, who aren't as judgmental of her status as her more affluent whites) and of course felt the judgment and shame that was heaped on Kya because of her upbringing. Some parts of this felt a tad bit far-fetched, like how brilliant Kya quickly became despite not knowing how to read until well into her teens and how little the residents tried to help her when she was young (such as her being brought to school for a single day and then hiding from the truancy officer successfully every day after that). This might be realistic, but there were certainly moments when I wondered why no one whose job it was to help her actually made more of an effort to help her. I also wondered about the realism of Tate, who helps Kya learn to read, being that eager to help her and so dedicated to that cause when the rest of the town had given up on her.
I was interested in the murder mystery, although this was slow to develop and it wasn't until probably halfway through the book when they started trying to blame Kya for it. Kya's reaction to the murder and the suspicion was mostly understated, which I think prevented me from being more invested in her plight. She felt very removed from her surroundings and not particularly emotional about anything, which kept me from feeling much emotion about it either.
Strangely, the narration occasionally switched between characters. The bulk of the narration was from Kya's point of view, with a couple of scenes featuring the police or someone from town, but there were a couple scenes that appeared to be focused on Kya, but then the narration included what another character was thinking. This sometimes pulled me out of the narration, as did some of the dialogue, which was written phonetically and thus slower to read. The writing overall was very nice and the setting came to life beautifully.
Overall, I enjoyed this and was curious how it would end. I had my own thoughts about what had really happened to Chase, which turned out to be wrong. I do wish there'd been a bit more explanation or detail about the ending, but alas. The story itself was interesting, and I liked the fact that this had a different setting and focus that most books I've read, but I wish I'd been a little more emotionally invested in the characters....more
Casey is a writer who's struggling with a lot of things: trying to finish writing a book, coping with her mom's recent death, dealing with the end of Casey is a writer who's struggling with a lot of things: trying to finish writing a book, coping with her mom's recent death, dealing with the end of a relationship, and generally working to stay afloat. While dealing with all this, she meets two other writers who seem interested in her and she started kind of dating both of them, all the while wondering what it means and whether she'll ever feel normal again.
This book was very well reviewed, and everyone I knew who'd read it really loved it, so I was excited to read it. I found it okay. Discussing it with my book club, everyone seemed to feel about the same, so I'm not sure where all the rave reviews came from. The writing was good, which made the book start off very smoothly and held my interest, but there didn't seem to be a lot that happened (which I suppose is somewhat obvious from the description of the plot). This was mostly just focused on Casey's day to day life and her struggles and how she was managing to get through each day while things plagued her mind.
The author mentioned The Catcher in the Rye in here, and I think perhaps that's the vibe that this book was going for, a "slice of life" novel that showed someone struggling and focusing more on the main character than on any real plot. However, this isn't really a great comparison because the two novels definitely had different feels to them, and this one seemed to lag a bit in places - not necessarily because nothing was happening but because there wasn't necessarily forward motion to it.
I think the author did a really good job of depicting Casey's anxiety and depression and how she just didn't know what to do in life and felt adrift and alone. The way this was written, I could feel myself kind of floating along with Casey from day to day as she goes through the motions. The love triangle seemed a bit odd to me, as I wasn't sure what it was about Casey that attracted the attention of two separate men (even though both had their own issues that they were dealing with). There's another storyline about the book that Casey's writing and her progress on that and reticence to show anyone. As the book went on, the plot continued to mostly feel mundane and then strangely went into some wish fulfillment (as I guessed it might). It ended on an odd note, not quite finished but like this point of her life had somehow wrapped up, and I wasn't entirely sure what the point of the book overall was, which is not exactly how you want to feel after finishing a book.
While the writing in here was quite nice and the author did a good job depicting the main character's life and her struggles, it felt like the main character was almost as much of an observer to this story as I was as the reader. I enjoyed reading this, but my attention did wane a bit as it went on. I'm not sure what specifically has made this resonate with so many readers and reviewers, but it didn't have the same sparkle for me. This may hold appeal due to its depiction of someone not knowing what to do in life and just kind of going through the motions, and while I did enjoy some of these parts and thought the author handled it well, I needed there to be a bit more in order to really enjoy it - perhaps more character development or growth, or maybe a stronger plot....more
I first heard of this book when it was selected for my book club's monthly read, but based on the author's profile (he was an NPR correspondent and hiI first heard of this book when it was selected for my book club's monthly read, but based on the author's profile (he was an NPR correspondent and his story gained a lot of attention), I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this earlier. Even a friend who saw me reading it said he'd heard of the book on NPR! At any rate, I'm glad I did hear about this book and read it because wow - such a fascinating book with so much to digest. The author grew up in Somalia and this chronicles his life, in a country that originally seemed very modern but then was overrun with war and violence. He fell in love with America through movies he watched at a neighbor's house, learning English by listening to their dialogue, and used this English to post secret dispatches to NPR while Somalia was overrun by al-Shabaab. As life there grew worse, he tried to escape the country like so many others as a refugee, and eventually won the green card lottery, allowing him to come to the U.S. as a permanent resident.
This was such a fascinating book! I was drawn in from the start, the writing incredibly heartfelt and his life so completely different from my own. It was so interesting to read about a part of the world where I've never been and how the everyday life there was nothing like life in America. He wrote about both the good and the bad there, as well as about his own struggles and accomplishments. His perseverance was amazing, and some of the situations he lived through are almost difficult to comprehend.
Some of the most moving parts of the book dealt with his attempts to escape Somalia and feeling like no one cared, due to restrictions on refugees in other countries and the seeming lack of assistance for anyone Somalian. Even after he made it to America, there was a lot to learn; one of the passages that really struck me was how he'd always felt proud of his English and how much he'd always loved America and yet after arriving in the U.S., he was made fun of for the way he spoke.
This isn't a political book overall, but there was some brief discussion about politics. That said, there's obviously no single simple solution to how to help. Reading this definitely gave me perspective on the struggles faced by people dreaming of a better life in the U.S. and about life in Somalia in general. Definitely a fascinating read and one I'd recommend others read!...more
Sunny is American by birth but moved back to her family's home country of Nigeria when 9. Now 12 years old, she doesn't really fit in and being albinoSunny is American by birth but moved back to her family's home country of Nigeria when 9. Now 12 years old, she doesn't really fit in and being albino doesn't help, but then she makes some new friends and learns that she's one of the Leopard People - someone with the ability to see things invisible to Lambs (non-magical people) and the ability to work juju or magic. Along with her new friends, she's told that they're the key to stopping Black Hat Otokoto, someone who also has magic and is committing terrible crimes in his thirst for power.
I've heard this referred to as "the Nigerian Harry Potter," which I think does it a disservice because yes, there are similar themes and magic in here, but this is quite a different book. Plus, it's hard to compare anything to Harry Potter in general. So, I went into this without expecting it to be the same but figuring it'd have similar themes, which it did.
I liked the story and the setting in here. It was interesting to read a story about magic set in Africa, as this isn't typically the location for similar books I've read, and it was interesting to have the main character be kind of an outsider to the culture, born an American despite her Nigerian heritage. It made for an interesting dynamic between Sunny and others she interacts with, and I really enjoyed the glimpse into some of the different cultural viewpoints and how Americans (including African Americans) are viewed in Nigeria, both positively and negatively. The story, too, was entertaining, and I enjoyed the author's take on this magical world. Seeing creatures that have always existed but not everyone can see is such an interesting idea, and I liked a number of aspects of how the magical world in here works.
While there was a lot I did enjoy about this book, I never felt truly hooked or engrossed by it. The writing didn't grab me and seemed choppy, and events seemed to be sudden and easily resolved instead of complex and long-lasting. Sunny and her friends bickered a lot, which was realistic but also often felt like filler material because none of it helped the development of the characters. Also, while the magical world was interesting to read about, it often seemed one-dimensional. I didn't quite comprehend why Sunny and her friends were the only ones who could stop Black Hat Okotobo, despite there being an explanation. It instead seemed a bit contrived and simplistic, and it didn't help that there wasn't much build up to the final battle, which was over rather quickly for the villain being so supposedly powerful. There was way more time spent on less important parts of the book, such as a soccer game Sunny played.
I didn't dislike this book and, as mentioned above, parts of the magical world were interesting. Some of the ideas in here were quite vivid, such as a wasp that builds art masterpieces and a red grasshopper Lambs can't see. Overall, though, this felt overly simplistic in its writing, plot, and pacing, especially for how dark parts of the story were. The combination didn't fully work for me, so while I can see why others really enjoyed this, it's not a book that truly resonated with me and I finished feeling pretty ambivalent overall....more
3.5 stars. Maggie works at an art gallery, where the new exhibit features work by the artist Kim Lord, whose exhibition is paintings of herself dresse3.5 stars. Maggie works at an art gallery, where the new exhibit features work by the artist Kim Lord, whose exhibition is paintings of herself dressed up as female victims of various serial killers. It feels tasteless but apparently the theme is how society seems to glamorize violence again women. On opening night, Kim never shows up. Her disappearance is quickly turned into something suspicious, and Maggie gets drawn into the investigation, especially since the number one suspect is Kim’s boyfriend, who also happens to be Maggie’s ex.
I liked the setting of this and the behind the scenes look at the art world. It felt like the author knew her way around museums and all the various work that goes into staging exhibits. I really enjoyed reading about how everything came together at the museum itself, and I also liked the look at how art comes to be valued - is it the art itself or is it the ownership or does it mostly depend on collectors or gallery owners who hype it up? Interesting things to ponder.
The actual mystery in here was fairly interesting, although it never actually came across as particularly thrilling or tense. I was curious what had happened to Kim, and I liked the interspersed moments about Maggie’s past, but it felt like such a slow build up and without any real tension, so I didn’t ever get truly drawn into the mystery itself despite being interested in what had happened. The characters were decent, although they too suffered from me feelings but removed from them; I liked them, but there was some kind of barrier that prevented me from feeling truly drawn into their lives. Perhaps this was because the problems in everyone’s lives felt superficial. Even Maggie’s involvement in this mystery seemed a bit forced. After all, she didn’t have any real “need” to solve it or look into it past sheer curiosity. I get being curious, but there needed to be more internal motivation for me to feel like there were real reasons for things to unfold as they did.
The mystery was decent, and I didn’t guess how it’d turn out. At the same time, I was pretty ambivalent in how I felt about the ending. Because I didn’t feel any real affection or other emotion for the characters, I didn’t really care about how things ended. It seemed like there was a lot that the reader didn’t know, and there were plenty of red herrings (of a sort) thrown in here and there, just to pad out the story and supporting characters. Also, there was a blurb about this book saying a twist near the end still kept them up at night - what twist?!? I kept waiting for something, but the biggest “twist” was Maggie suddenly realizing what had happened by putting things together (and this wasn’t particularly exciting).
I did like the idea behind the exhibit questioning how society glamorizes female victims and whether it’s okay for artists like Kim Lord to profit off this by creating art around it. However, instead of exploring these questions delicately and thoughtfully, it seemed like these questions were just stated over and over again. I think I wanted more, on a lot of levels, out of this book. The writing was good, the story was decent, the characters were okay, and I did enjoy the book, but I didn’t love it. This felt like a cozy mystery that happened to be turned into a longer, more “literary” novel.
When the book opens, it's 1921 and Alice "Nobody" James is on a train heading to Portland, fleeing the Mafia in New York with a bullet wound causing hWhen the book opens, it's 1921 and Alice "Nobody" James is on a train heading to Portland, fleeing the Mafia in New York with a bullet wound causing her pain. When the train reaches Portland, the Pullman porter she'd befriended on the train, Max, helps Nobody to the Paragon Hotel, where the resident doctor attends to her wound. Despite this help, no one at the hotel seems happy to have her there, since she's white and it's a black hotel, with the residents terrified of the growing KKK presence in the area and determined to stay safe. As Nobody gets to know them more, she begins to try to help them while the story jumps back and forth between her new life in Portland and her former life in New York, the one she's fleeing from, culminating in the bullet wound she received and why she was on the run.
I've read another book by this author and really enjoyed it, and this book came highly recommended to me, so I expected to thoroughly enjoy it. And I did like it, although not quite as much as I'd hoped. This was well-written and different from other books I've read, but there was never a part where I truly could not put it down. I always enjoyed picking the book back up and seeing what would happen next; it just didn't keep me completely riveted.
The period touches in here were nicely done, and I enjoyed seeing old New York and Portland come to life through this story. I found Nobody's story in Portland significantly more captivating than reading about her previous life in New York, which might be partly due to the fact that more time was spent on this part of the story and so I got to know the characters and their world better. Her experiences with the mafia in New York were horrifying but probably fairly realistic, with parts fairly violent or gruesome. I could understand why Nobody got caught up in trying to fix things and make it a better place. Likewise, I think this prepared her for the new life in Portland, trying to fight against the problems she stumbled into there.
Prohibition was a backdrop to this book but didn't seem to overtake the rest of the book. It was simply the time period in which this took place and a fact of life at the time while not fully affecting the everyday lives of the characters. No one ever seems to lack a drink, even if it was noted that doing so was illegal! The race relations in here were interesting and probably one of the best parts of this book, as Nobody learned to navigate between the varying views of the white characters and the black ones she was living with. Each chapter in here opened with a quote from a historical document, and I found some of the history here quite interesting. I had no idea about some of the history creating this book's setting, and it's crazy to think that this is set less than 100 years ago! So much has changed since then, although there is still (of course) much progress to be made.
While I wish I'd have gotten a little more engrossed in the lives of the various characters (for some reason, I felt a bit of distance that kept them from leaping off the page as real people), I did enjoy reading this. The mystery aspect was interesting, the search for a missing boy from the hotel, but not all-encompassing enough to make this feel like a mystery, and instead I mostly felt like this was a period piece. My favorite parts of the book had to do with seeing the cities in which this is set come to life during this time period, and I feel like I finished with a better appreciation of what life in both New York and Portland was like a century ago. I wish I'd felt a bit more endeared to the characters or fully invested in the plot, but it was still an interesting read. ...more
This book is quite a hefty read, a multi-generational saga mostly focused on a Korean family from the early 1900s through the 1980s as they move from This book is quite a hefty read, a multi-generational saga mostly focused on a Korean family from the early 1900s through the 1980s as they move from Korea to Japan and the ways each life is affected by little decisions made over the years. Sunja becomes pregnant as a teen in Korea and her mother worries that this will bring shame to the family and ruin them, but she is saved by a pastor staying at their boarding house when he offers to marry her and take her to Japan with him. From there, the bulk of the story takes place in Japan, showing how each generation is affected by being a Korean in Japan, mistakes or decisions others in the family made over the years, and the way individuals felt about growing up in Japan but not truly belonging.
I didn't love this book, but I did enjoy it. I didn't know much about the history of Koreans in Japan or the difficulties they faced there, and the author did a really nice job exploring these topics without being overly heavy handed about it. The characters in here felt incredibly real, with their own hopes and dreams that were continually tempered by reality. I liked the way the various generations related to each other and how certain secrets would pop up here and there, little decisions from long ago suddenly affecting a person's course in life. It was interesting to see everything from the omniscient narrator's point of view and then watch the lives of each character unfold little by little, as they reacted to what they knew instead of the whole picture. Having this glimpse of the full story while recognizing that, in real life, we all simply see little slivers of what's going on made for a fascinating perspective.
While this book was pretty tremendous overall, ambitious in its scope and also in the unstated questions it attempted to answer (such as, how do we self-describe or where do we belong?), there were a few parts when the dialogue took me out of the story a bit because it sounded somewhat stilted. There were also a few chapters (or scenes) where we got a brief look at life through a minor character's eyes, rounding out the story overall but not necessarily required. I enjoyed these glimpses through the eyes of bit characters, but it was slightly odd to have these included. Finally, the book simply... ended. I'm not sure how I would have ended this, as there isn't much of a "plot" to it past the depiction of multiple generations in a single Korean family, but because the ending was so simple, it left me wondering whether some kind of stronger narrative or plot overall might have made the ending feel stronger.
All this said, I did find the book very interesting and different from others that I've read. I enjoyed the depiction of lives, places, and times that I didn't previously know much about, and the family saga aspect of this kept it very engrossing. It definitely gave a lot to think about with how small actions can affect the lives of others, even years in the future. Lots to discuss in here!...more
I suppose it's a sign of how disinterested I was in this book that it took me a while to remember the plot. Granted, the plot was weak and I didn't fiI suppose it's a sign of how disinterested I was in this book that it took me a while to remember the plot. Granted, the plot was weak and I didn't finish the book (I think it made it a quarter or a third of the way in), but still. During the Depression, young Anna accompanies her dad to visit a club owner named Dexter and is told this visit will be their secret. Years later, during the war, Anna is working at the Navy Yard and trying to figure out what happened to her father, who disappeared without a trace years earlier, and she runs into Dexter again and begins to think he might be able to help her figure out what happened.
The writing in here was fine, but the story completely lagged. I feel like parts were overwritten or drawn out to compensate for how little was actually going on. The dialogue was stilted, the characters underdeveloped, and the story jumped around in time without warning, making this feel even more rambling. I kept waiting for the mystery to begin or for something to happen that would kick it all off or suddenly pique my interest, but it just... went on. Even the disappearance of Anna's dad happened off-page; I was supposed to believe Anna was devastated and confused about it because the narrator says so, not because I see her react in a way that displayed that emotion. I didn't care about anyone in here.
It felt like there was no passion behind this story, making it feel contrived and incredibly thin. I felt like it was trying to be literary, but at the expense of anything interesting happening in here. Perhaps it's just a matter of taste and this wasn't my type of book, but I did try to read this with an open mind. However, every time I put it down, I was less and less enthused about picking it back up. There just didn't seem to be a point. Normally, I'd have set this aside even earlier than I did, but this was my book club's pick for the month and I really did want to give it a fair shot. In the end, I just didn't have the desire to waste more time on a book that I was ambivalent at best about reading. Time to read something better!...more
This is almost like two books in one. It's the story of a well-known mystery author, Alan Conway, who turns in a new manuscript in his "Atticus Pünd" This is almost like two books in one. It's the story of a well-known mystery author, Alan Conway, who turns in a new manuscript in his "Atticus Pünd" mystery series. His editor, Susan Ryeland, begins reading the manuscript, only to discover that it's missing the ending. She then goes searching for the missing pages, only to discover that Alan himself has died (possibly been murdered) and begins to think that there's a message for her in the manuscript that would explain everything. The novel opens with a brief introduction from Susan, then the first half or so of the book is the "Atticus Pünd" book that Alan turned in, and then it moves to Susan investigating Alan's own death.
This book was cleverly done and very different from anything I've read. I loved the two mysteries that seemed to be unrelated, yet also intertwined at the same time. I got engrossed in the Atticus mystery, so curious to know whodunnit, and the engrossed in the mystery of the missing pages and Alan's death - another engrossing whodunnit. How fun to have two stories in one! The author did such a great job tying them together and not making one story overshadow the other.
The characters in here were all interesting, everyone with their own potential motive and not all particularly likable, and I enjoyed speculating who might be guilty and what secrets were hidden. The pacing in here was excellent and the descriptions of people and places were also great. Looking back, there were perhaps a few loose ends or things not fully explained, and I think I expected maybe a little more obvious tie-in every time someone came to a conclusion about something, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall. Great read!...more
3.5 stars. This book has sure received a lot of hype (from reviewers and readers alike), but what really made me pick it up to read is that it was my 3.5 stars. This book has sure received a lot of hype (from reviewers and readers alike), but what really made me pick it up to read is that it was my book club's selection for the month. Ove is a grumpy man whose wife died six months ago. He gets through the days making sure everything is "just so" - making neighborhood rounds to make sure no one's exceeded the parking limits, no one's left bicycles where they aren't supposed to, and so on. He's the kind of man who calls the cops to let them know anytime something out of the ordinary happens, regardless of how small. A new family moves in next door and, for some reason, seems to like him and want to be friends with him, and before Ove knows it, despite his best attempts, he starts to be surrounded by people who want to be friends with him despite his gruff exterior and they start improving each others lives.
I liked this book and the idea behind it, but it didn't particularly impress me overall. Ove was so grumpy, such a curmudgeon, and so unlikeable that I had a hard time believing so many people wanted to be around him. It didn't seem truly believable, especially since Ove hadn't really done anything to impress them other than be his grumpy self. I liked the idea of this, that Ove starts to branch out and meet his neighbors and get involved in their lives, but it didn't seem particularly magical the way it was written.
The story kind of jumped back and forth through time, showing his current life versus what his life was like before his wife died, even going back into his childhood. I liked the way this was done, to show how he became the man he was. Neither storyline particularly gripped me though. I know this book was more about his life overall and less about a "plot," per se, but I guess I didn't feel enough of a kinship with Ove to truly relate to him.
This was certainly easy to read and a quick book to get through. I'm always interested in reading popular or bestselling books, just to see what the fuss is about, so I am glad I read this, even though it wasn't quite as interesting as I expected. I liked the way Ove was depicted and could easily picture someone like him doing his neighborhood rounds and thinking it his duty to make sure the world was as it should be. I also liked the friendships that developed over the course of the book. But it just felt so contrived and convenient at times (for example, Ove often thinks of killing himself so he can be with his wife again... but every time, something happens at the last minute to prevent it!).
I'd say this was a nice book overall, and I can see why others have enjoyed this, thanks to its whole depiction of how a curmudgeon has a whole life story and can be such a help in the lives of others once you get to know him, but it wasn't my favorite overall. A quick and interesting enough read, but I never felt like I had to know what happened next. It was more like a decent way to pass the time....more