Did I think I would like a book about an Asian American NBA player and his K Drama producer girlfriend? Not really, but something compelled me to pickDid I think I would like a book about an Asian American NBA player and his K Drama producer girlfriend? Not really, but something compelled me to pick it up and I’m so glad I did. This is a very compact book weaving together the stories of Won and his girlfriend Carrie, both struggling to carve their own path in non-traditional careers. But wait a sec…non-traditional careers…according to who? This book does not take itself too seriously and then BAM it hits you over the head with how you’ve been thinking about it wrong the whole time. I’ve never read anything like it....more
This one came highly recommended by trusted sources but didn't work out super well for me. It's a grief-infused love story featuring too much melodramThis one came highly recommended by trusted sources but didn't work out super well for me. It's a grief-infused love story featuring too much melodrama, both in the character development and the writing style. The lack of quotation marks was also distracting and unnecessary. I’d call the overall style “breathless” if you know what I mean. This may have been a case where I betrayed the mantra of “reader know thyself” - love stories really aren’t for me!...more
I loved Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything and have been chasing a repeat of that ever since. Haven't found it yet. The Breakaway is simply another in I loved Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything and have been chasing a repeat of that ever since. Haven't found it yet. The Breakaway is simply another in her series of rom-coms featuring an empowered woman. Nothing to hate but nothing to write home about either....more
Banyan Moon had the makings of my favorite kind of book - three generations of immigrant women each battling their own demons - but it fell short for Banyan Moon had the makings of my favorite kind of book - three generations of immigrant women each battling their own demons - but it fell short for me. I don't need to like the characters in my books but I do need to understand them, and there were too many gaps in the character development (not to mention some plot holes). I did love the sense of place with the grandmother's sprawling messy house. The house was like a fourth character and definitely my favorite one....more
I was a bit skeptical about a self-described “insane love story”, but boy oh boy did this memoir deliver. Harrison and Lauren are a Christian couple rI was a bit skeptical about a self-described “insane love story”, but boy oh boy did this memoir deliver. Harrison and Lauren are a Christian couple raising three daughters in the suburbs when Lauren announces that she’s been having a years-long love affair with a close family friend. Cue the divorce and journey to redemption, right? Nope! Instead: cue two broken people confronting their terrible choices and inexplicably fighting for their marriage. This is one of the most real, heartbreaking yet hopeful books about marriage I have ever read....more
Tan Yunxian lives a cloistered life inside her wealthy family's compound in 15th century China, but is gifted the knowledge of female medicine from heTan Yunxian lives a cloistered life inside her wealthy family's compound in 15th century China, but is gifted the knowledge of female medicine from her grandmother. See is a wonderful storyteller and her books are extremely well researched. I appreciated that she celebrated female empowerment and friendship while also staying true to the time period (e.g. the women were proud to have their feet bound and accepted their husbands’ concubines). I enjoyed this one and would recommend for fans of historical fiction....more
Annabel's Monaghan's Nora Goes Off Script was an exception to my no rom-com rule, mainly because it featured a refreshingly real, mature protagonist. Annabel's Monaghan's Nora Goes Off Script was an exception to my no rom-com rule, mainly because it featured a refreshingly real, mature protagonist. I was hoping for something similar with Same Time Next Summer, but unfortunately it's just a formulaic second-chance-at-love story. It almost veers into YA territory at times, so basically the opposite of Nora. I thought I predicted a twist that would have been interesting, but it didn't turn out to be that at all. Just very basic and forgettable. ...more
Warning: Do not read the publisher’s blurb on this book as it contains spoilers! Here’s what I’ll tell you: When long-lost manuscripts penned by 20th Warning: Do not read the publisher’s blurb on this book as it contains spoilers! Here’s what I’ll tell you: When long-lost manuscripts penned by 20th century composer Frederic Delaney are unearthed by his foundation, music professor Bern Hendricks is brought in to help verify and transcribe them. As he digs in, he discovers secrets that could threaten Delaney’s celebrated legacy. Just like Slocumb’s debut The Violin Conspiracy, this book is well crafted and super solid! I seriously can’t believe he wrote it in less than a year....more
I was intrigued by the premise of Small Mercies - a young Black boy is found dead on the subway tracks while racial tensions flare in 1970s Boston dueI was intrigued by the premise of Small Mercies - a young Black boy is found dead on the subway tracks while racial tensions flare in 1970s Boston due to planned school desegregation. Unfortunately the execution didn't work for me at all. I listened to this on audio, which may have been a poor choice. Lehane weaves in so many characters and so many gritty settings that I found hard to track. I was easily distracted while listening; I don't think I did justice to this book....more
The Rachel Incident explores the post-college relationship between Rachel (an English major with few career prospects) and James (a halfway out of theThe Rachel Incident explores the post-college relationship between Rachel (an English major with few career prospects) and James (a halfway out of the closet free spirit). Their friendship is both sealed and strained through a shared secret, but this isn't so much the story of an “incident”, as the title would lead you to believe. It's a story about those friendships we form in early adulthood while we are still forming ourselves, and it's very well done....more
I love Ann Patchett’s non-fiction but her fiction can be mixed for me. I'm pleased to report that Tom Lake is wonderful. It is March 2020 and Lara KinI love Ann Patchett’s non-fiction but her fiction can be mixed for me. I'm pleased to report that Tom Lake is wonderful. It is March 2020 and Lara Kinneson’s three 20-something daughters have returned to the family orchard to wait out the pandemic. Bored and isolated, the girls ask their mom to recount the story of the summer she dated Peter Duke, a now famous movie star. Back then, he was just another young actor in a summer production of Our Town at a theater company in Northern Michigan. Do yourself a favor and if you are not familiar with Our Town, read a synopsis before diving in. It will heighten your reading experience as Tom Lake is all about revisiting Our Town's themes of appreciating life and love amidst loss - apt for a novel set during the pandemic. It is also an exploration of the relationship between parents and adult children, and how little children really know about their parents’ past lives, no matter how close they are. This is a quiet, layered story that will stick with me....more
Soooo…this book did not turn out as expected. It started out so cozy and atmospheric, tracing the origins of Mariel and her husband Ned, both of whom Soooo…this book did not turn out as expected. It started out so cozy and atmospheric, tracing the origins of Mariel and her husband Ned, both of whom come from restaurant families in northern Minnesota. I love family-owned restaurant settings - the food, the multiple generations, the ebb and flow of business. But this book turned unexpectedly dark, and after that point became super choppy jumping back and forth across characters and time periods. Some threads really lost their way! All that being said I absolutely loved the narrative voice and definitely want to go back and read Stradal's backlist....more
Ashley Audrain follows up her popular debut The Push (which I loved) with another story about the dark side of motherhood. The Whispers features an enAshley Audrain follows up her popular debut The Push (which I loved) with another story about the dark side of motherhood. The Whispers features an ensemble cast of intertwined neighbors. We know there has been an affair and an accident involving a boy, but we don’t know the particulars of who and why. The premise is reminiscent of a Liane Moriarty novel (in a good way), but I found the execution lacking. Audrain tries too hard to let you know there will be a big reveal, and then manipulatively inches you forward. The payoff is not there to justify the approach....more
When the headlines and sound bites are insufficient, I seek out stories. Salt Houses is the story of four generations of one Palestinian family whose When the headlines and sound bites are insufficient, I seek out stories. Salt Houses is the story of four generations of one Palestinian family whose lives are marked by war and displacement. From Israel to the West Bank, to Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon, change is constant for Salma and her descendants, yet we also find them simply living their everyday lives. I felt more connected with the older generations than the younger ones, but Alyan does a beautiful job bringing the story full circle....more
Backlist alert! I enjoyed Weike Wang’s Jane Is Okay and wanted to go back and read her earlier novel Chemistry. The protagonist is an unnamed Chinese Backlist alert! I enjoyed Weike Wang’s Jane Is Okay and wanted to go back and read her earlier novel Chemistry. The protagonist is an unnamed Chinese American PhD candidate at a prestigious university who suffers a mental health breakdown. Her well-intentioned (and white) boyfriend can’t understand why she continues to seek her parents’ approval despite hating her work. This is a quiet yet resonant novel and I loved that it featured Asian American characters just living their lives. ...more