Libby Lost and Found: A Novel
by Stephanie Booth
Reality and Fantasy (8/15/2024)
Libby Lost and Found, by Stephanie Booth, is a quick, quirky, and fun summer read. Booth weaves together a tale of imagination and reality that connect and intertwine in an endearing and strangely dependent way.
Throughout the novel, I found myself rooting for Libby, not to finish her novel so much as to beat the cruel disease she's up against. I enjoyed her quirky counterpart, 11-year-old Jessie, but also found myself tiring of her.
The tandem plot of "The Children" in Libby's last of her series of novels and their impending death, feels a lot like Netflix's 2016 series, "Stranger Things." Both present an underworld run by an evil being with herculean powers and children trying to stop the evil one and in effect, save the world. I found myself much more interested in Libby's life and her management of the disease robbing her creative mind.
Booth's story telling in both reality and fantasy are exceptional. Libby's daily decline into the abyss of dementia leaves the reader rooting for her and feeling anxious with each new day and her ability to handle the world waiting to take what it wants.
The Mystery Writer: A Novel
by Sulari Gentill
Authors and Murder (1/13/2024)
After doing a little research into Sulari Gentill's list of previously published novels, I was intrigued and eager to start The Mystery Writer. After a bit of a slow start, the novel picks up pace by introducing subplots and hints of mystery to come. Subplots of past trauma, conspiracy theorists, and doomsday preppers keep the reader wondering where and how it will all fit or weave together. I couldn't help but see at least a couple of the subplots as a little comic relief as well.
I began the novel with little to no preconceived notions of what makes a good mystery simply because I never read them. Therefore, I feel my impression of the novel is based solely on how the storyline stands on its own and not compared to other works. The only reason I give this novel 4 stars is because the character development is a little shallow. I felt a little rushed through the unfolding events. Maybe a few less subplots would have given the author more time to develop main characters and the main plot. Not really a huge deal and certainly wouldn't stop me from recommending the novel.
This Is Salvaged: Stories
by Vauhini Vara
Art (8/11/2023)
In Vauhini Vara's This Is Salvaged, the short stories read as a piece of literary art. Each story has the quality of easy readability and immediate depth. However, many of the stories end abruptly and sometimes very unexpectedly. I think this is why I relate the book to a collection of art. I can envision some, if not all of Vara's stories as individual entries in literary essay contests. They seem to be written for a scholarly literary audience.
Relationship intimacy proves a common theme throughout each story and that theme is the tie that binds this collection together.
As far as my personal feelings for the collection of stories; I have to say I appreciate the "art" of them. I read them and recognized the literary accomplishments this writer has justly earned. I enjoyed some stories more than others – "You Are Not Alone", "The Hormone Hypothesis", "What Next" to name a few. However, like all art, sometimes it is a stretch to see and appreciate exactly what the artist is trying to convey, and other times, the art simply does not speak to a particular audience. I do appreciate that each story made me pause and give thought to what the author was conveying, both through words and provoking thought.
The All-American: A Novel
by Joe Milan Jr.
No Land To Call Home (2/20/2023)
Talk about a novel that delivers the unexpected! Joe Milan Jr.'s The All American proves itself hefty enough to hold its own amongst many accomplished American emersion authors. I found myself gripped from the first chapter. Bucky, Sheryl, Bobby, and Uncle Rick set the tone of American poverty, grime, and grit while the slums of Korea and poor military ocean villages continue that tone throughout the rest of the novel. Under all the grit and dirtiness lies a young man who thought he knew his path in life as an American and then one day, in a flash and completely as a result of someone else's poor decisions, finds himself a man/kid without a national identity in a foreign land that he must accept as his own.
Milan's style is one of ease. The reader gets lost in the story and plight of the main character without getting bogged down in the details of culture and language and environment – even though those are all a major piece of what makes this novel such a success.
By the end of the novel, the reader realizes that Bucky's life in America (free) and his life in Korea (captive) merge on many levels. The reader also realizes Bucky would probably never fulfill his full potential as a man and discover his true identity without the life altering trials he endured as Kojangi.
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
The Untold History Lessons (1/8/2023)
Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch's account of the possible conspiracy to assassinate the leaders of the three largest WWII allied countries is a historical work that reads, in most places, like a true crime fiction novel. I found myself engrossed throughout most of the book and eager to turn the page. I do however, think the title does not give the work justice. Both sides of the inner workings of leadership of the war are represented and the multitude of actions that took place before the big three meeting. There's so much history woven into a book that is written in a such a way that the reader eagerly absorbs the lessons presented.
Having little knowledge (ok, maybe next to none) of the Soviet's plight during WWII, I found myself talking about the book with family throughout the reading of it. To me, that eagerness to discuss is a sign of such a smooth engrossing style of writing that is much different than the history book lessons we learned as kids. The "human" element of the three allied leaders' personalities that Meltzer brings to life makes the book very interesting. Even the intimate representation of the axis leaders and spies' personalities add a rich level to the book.
My only issue with the work is I found myself a little bogged down towards the middle (before the "big three summit") and I found the sole focus on the leaders and the logistics of the war a little cold. The atrocities to the Jewish, and many other, populations were only mentioned briefly and practically none, other than the actual numbers, on the Soviet side. However, I do understand this particular account is meant to focus on the leaders and the inner workings of the war, not so much the human suffering and casualties. I can appreciate that direction.
I definitely recommend this work not just to history buffs, but to all readers. My interest has been sparked and I have lots of questions to research on aspects of the war touched on in "The Nazi Conspiracy".
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China's Civil War
by Zhuqing Li
History on a Personal Level (6/10/2022)
Coming from a background of zero knowledge of the history of China's civil war and subsequent horrors of the crimes against humanity, I found Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden both heart wrenching and fascinating. I found myself over and over again saying, "Is this true? Did this really happen? Am I reading historical fiction?"
To have a biographical story telling of two sisters who, by chance, find themselves on opposite sides (physically and literally) of a war that ripped families apart, killed millions, forced abortions and sterilization, and countless other atrocities, gives this major historical event a human touch that quite literally left me stunned and lost in thought after many "late night" readings.
Author, Zhuqing Li, skillfully tells the story of life (through the lens of two educated sisters) for millions during the Cultural Revolution. Reading the history of China's split and subsequent fallout can, like many other historical war reports, become very factual without the true human element. Not so in Li's account. Since she is a direct descendent of the main characters, she has very successfully conveyed the "humanness" of a cruel, humiliating, and gut-wrenching period of Chinese history.
Li's novel will definitely not disappoint and is worth every second spent lost in its pages.
When Broadway Was Black: The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical that Changed the World (aka Footnotes)
by Caseen Gaines
Theatrical Black History (4/21/2021)
"The 1920's were the years of Manhattan's Black Renaissance. It began with Shuffle Along… a honey of a show… swift, bright, funny, rollicking, and gay, with a dozen danceable, singable tunes.." – this quote is how Langston Hughes sums up the revolutionary all black musical that changed the landscape of American theater in the 1920's.
Caseen Gaines' book "Footnotes" dives deep into Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, Flournoy Miller, and Audrey Liles' all Black musical comedy Shuffle Along. Of course, throughout the development of the musical and achieving unheard of successes throughout most of the country, Gaines weaves theatrical and musical black history throughout the novel. Prior to reading "Footnotes", I had read very little about the black musicians in the U.S. Army during WWI. Gaines gives the full details of exactly how this regimen of brave men were treated by their fellow soldiers vs. their French counterparts. Truly eye opening, to say the least.
I must say I came to Gaines' book knowing absolutely nothing about the beginnings of Black theater and honestly, little about Broadway in general. With Gaines' easy to read style and vivid descriptions I found myself enthralled and rooting for the musical geniuses and their ambitious play. The writers' goal to "educate", while entertaining, the white audience was so very evident. In fact, when Eubie Blake was asked about a night when he overheard a woman make a remark about being at a "Colored show", and her subsequent apology for her remarks, Blake responds, "We had made at least one prejudiced person not of our Race think a little more kindly of the American Colored entertainer." Their earnest eagerness to change the attitudes and prejudices against Black entertainers is palpable throughout the book. Gaines does an outstanding job relaying the facts of life for Black entertainers in 1920's and the work put in by those early pioneers to overcome major obstacles.
The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager
"Orbit" of Grief and Loss (7/11/2020)
"I would choose for my heart to be broken rather than never feel a change in its beat." Sara Seager, award-winning astrophysicist and mom of two boys reaches the above conclusion after years of wandering in her own orbit of grief. While Seager is busy advancing in her career and building a full family, she loses the love of her life – the man she calls her lifeline in her world – her husband.
In Seager's poignant and most heartfelt memoir, The Smallest Lights In The Universe, the reader is swept away into Seager's raw grief and humbling honesty. From fits of despondency, to a sorority of widows and their children, to multiple awards for the advancement of exoplanet studies and discoveries, and learning to navigate everyday life (like how to call a plumber) through a little book her late husband so lovingly left her, Seager learns little by little how to thrive again.
I found myself lost in Seager's language and how she so eloquently expresses what her heart feels. At one point, midway through her raw grief, she states, "But when you lose someone, you don't lose them all at once, and their dying doesn't stop with their death. You lose them a thousand times in a thousand ways. You say a thousand goodbyes. You hold a thousand funerals." How many of us have felt that same feeling in our loss? Seager's ability to verbalize the grief she feels inside in such an honest and raw way left me feeling like I was reading poetry. Her expressions can only come from truth and her talent with word expression kept me reading late into the night many times.
Seager gives the reader lots of information about her passion for space exploration and exoplanet studies. Even though we differ greatly in our beliefs about space and how it was formed, I found her career fascinating. She writes about that part of her life with the same stylistic prose as her personal journey in the world of grief and loss.
I highly recommend Seager's memoir. I definitely feel I gained something from walking through her emotional journey of healing and her book was time well spent.
Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy
Migrations (4/21/2020)
I agree with one reviewer of Charlotte McConaghy's novel Migrations in that it is a "deeply moving and consistently unsettling novel, both personal and global." From the first page, Franny Stone reveals just enough about herself and the environment to know something is tragically wrong with both. Broken proves a dominant theme of this novel. Throughout Franny's mission to follow the migration of the world's last flock of Artic Terns, the reader discovers, bit by bit, Franny is a destroyer. She wrecks everything and everyone she touches. Franny romanticizes that her "wandering" nature is an inherent trait passed from her mother and her mother before that. However, when examined closer, one can see her wandering, and resulting emotional destruction, comes not from a gene passed through the generations, but rather a horrifically tragic event. Her life is one big lie, both to herself and those around her.
Even though McConaghy's novel is a page turner that kept me reading too late many nights, I found myself not liking Franny at all. I feel she is supposed to be the sympathetic victim we are to root for and fall in love with, but I'm not sold. In life, we are all responsible for our actions. No matter how horrible the cards we are dealt, we have a responsibility to protect others, even if it's from ourselves. I found irony in the fact that she felt so deeply about the animals going extinct, but did little to save the people she loved from herself. Now, I had moments of weakness when Franny was bluntly honest (in retrospect) and bared her soul to show the workings within. In those moments, my heart truly hurt for her. I could see her as a little injured bird, so fragile the slightest disruptions may end her life right then and there.
McConaghy's prose throughout the novel is as rhythmic as the ocean Franny sails, and Franny's emotions are as volatile as the storms that rage on that same sea. In many ways, the Terns and Franny live the same life and, in the end, the Terns bring her back.
Miss Austen
by Gill Hornby
The lost art of letters. An entire novel devoted to past letters and their significance to the present. (2/24/2020)
“Let us take that path.” The first words of Gill Hornby’s "Miss. Austen" provide a foreshadow of the “path” Cassandra ends up taking on her journey to preserve her sister’s reputation posthumously. As an avid Jane Austen fan, I admit I have never given much thought to her family and the effects of her talent and notoriety within their lives. Hornby beautifully reveals Jane’s devoted sister, Cassandra, who is ironically, still living for her beloved sister. As a never married woman in the early 1800’s, Cassandra should be spending her remaining days in peace and reflection. However, in true “Austen” fashion, the ever-doting older sister is determined to ensure, through any means possible, the preservation of Jane’s upstanding reputation.
Hornby’s ability to stay true to the setting, customs, and fashion of the 1800’s gives this historical fiction a definite believability. The switching from past letters to present life guides the reader to a better understanding of the context in which Cassandra is so desperately pulling from and why she is determined to make sure Jane’s reputation remains intact. As with most families, there is always that one relative who would love nothing more than to create strife and watch while others try to hold it together. The Austen family is no exception. Cassandra not only must find and destroy the potentially damaging letters, but she also must contend with an ornery relative who is itching to retrieve the letters. Cassandra is in the race of her life with many obstacles lying in wait.
Much like most of Jane Austen’s novels, Hornby weaves relationships between the proper, sarcastic, noble, and eccentric characters to form a beautiful tapestry of life and customs during the 1800s. The secondary plot of forbidden love finally allowed to flourish adds an unexpected twist the reader will not see coming.
The Lost Man
by Jane Harper
Abuses Stronghold (1/4/2020)
Harper's stand-alone third novel is every bit as engrossing as her first two! The crime mystery is typical, but her ability to bring both characters and settings to life is anything but. I found the re occurrence of abuse throughout the novel and its stronghold until the very end most believable. Humans were designed for love and when love turns sick (aka abuse in all its forms), people turn to survival. Never underestimate a mother's strength, love, fury, or weakness.
Remembrance
by Rita Woods
Remembrance (10/30/2019)
Rita Woods' massive 400-page debut novel, "Remembrance", does not disappoint. Woods artistically weaves history and fantasy into a lyrical story of slavery, despair, love, and desires. Following the journeys of three women (and countless other subplots) from both past and present, Woods encourages the reader on an adventure that left me, personally, wanting more. I wanted to know exactly how each character's story finished. This longing, I feel, is one litmus of a great novel.
"Remembrance's" lyrical story of love, despair, and human strength during slavery is very reminiscent of Yaa Gyasi's "Homecoming". The two debut novels take the history of slavery in both America and Africa and eloquently place it in the reader's lap to both absorb and live. I cannot give enough credence to the lyrical language and the almost trance-like state Woods and Gyasi put their readers.
The fantastical element in "Remembrance" left me wishing "if only" for the few slaves it benefited in the novel. I'm sure this place was exactly what many slaves dreamed of at night – a place to go where no white man could find them, and in plain sight!
I felt like the current-day plot with Gaelle and Josiah was left a little undone. I wish I had more detail and background as to exactly what Josiah was and how he and Gaelle are going to manage in the modern-day world. I also want more on Winter. She was such a pivotal character and I feel like a huge chunk of her life and existence after the civil war was just not there. I wanted to know how she managed to be placed in the nursing home and why she never spoke.
In conclusion, "Remembrance" is a novel of epic proportions. Woods tells a story that has been told countless times and makes it new and raw again. Reading Woods' debut novel will leave the reader with a sense that everything in this world is not as it seems. The reader cannot help but question the possibility that maybe there are forces at work in this life many will never experience, but a few will.
Ordinary Girls: A Memoir
by Jaquira Díaz
Overcoming Soul-Deep Disappointment (9/11/2019)
In Ordinary Girls, Jaquira Diaz delivers both a soul torturing and to your core inspirational memoir that leaves the reader wondering how in the hell she lives long enough to finish college, much less create a productive, meaningful, and successful life. Diaz's childhood and young adulthood are so riddled with heartache, abuse, and guttural disappointment, I many times forget I am reading nonfiction. I find myself over and over again questioning, "How can this be real? How can one person endure so much emotional torture (from everyone, including herself)?" Once I accept Diaz's reality, I am able to see the beauty in the relationships of Diaz's life. What makes this memoir so very relatable is the fact that even though we may not have lived in the slums of Miami with a drug-addicted mentally ill mother, we have all been hurt by family members. Much like Jeannette Walls in The Glass Castle, I see a woman who, after enduring a life of pain, sorrow, and immense family disappointment, decides to rise, take up her cross and show the world what a survivor looks like, and in the end, come to peace with everything.
Diaz's mission to give voice to the people whom society never allowed is achieved only through baring her soul and sharing all the harrowing details of growing up with parents who succumb to their own demons and almost take their children with them. My belief in the human spirit and that little "something" deep within us that so very rarely gets tapped, is renewed again and again with this memoir. Just when I think Diaz is going to kill herself or someone else, she rises from the ashes of one screwed up life and propels herself further than anyone ever believed she could.
The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt: A Novel
by Andrea Bobotis
An Inventory of Family (7/26/2019)
Set in the deep south, Bobotis spins a tale of reality deeply familiar to fellow southerners. Beyond the sad repercussions of racial injustice and bigotry, she dives into the mystery of personal perceptions. As the novel begins, the reader is subjected to Judith's perception of reality, both past and present. However, throughout the novel, the reader is gently guided into other character's perception of reality, which, not surprisingly, are all very different, yet true (to various degrees).
By tackling, racism, friendship, family dynamics, and forbidden love, Bobotis creates a complicated saga that in the end, leaves the reader both sad and hopeful. We see changed hearts, love and unfortunately, stubborn minds develop throughout the novel.
My favorite aspect of the novel is Bobotis's keen ability to make the seemingly most rational character quietly unravel before the reader's eye until we realize she was the most out of touch character in the entire saga. At that moment of clarity, I felt well played by the author.
The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin
So Many Voices (1/9/2019)
I found myself engrossed in Conklin's "The Last Romantics" from the first page. The setting with which the novel begins hooked. At first, the reader feels this novel will take on a futuristic society, when in fact, the future only comes back to the scene at the very end. The pages in between take the reader on a roller coaster of emotions as she/he travels through both the childhood and adult lives of four siblings who were forever changed by their father's untimely death and the ensuing "pause" the summer afterward. I found it hard to keep each character's life and "complications" straight because each sibling's childhood evolves into such a richly complicated adulthood. Conklin's ablility to develop characters of depth and real-life grit is abundantly evident in her second novel. She gives the reader everything he/she needs to feel as if they are living the life drama alongside the four siblings. My only negative in the entire novel is the futuristic aspect. I was left a little confused as to what was going on in society in 2079. Was it governmental unrest, wartime, civil fighting. The scenes seemed out of place and abrupt in such a touching story of family love and bonds. However, do not let that deter you from reading "The Last Romantics." Conklin's craft of character development left me in tears one minute and wanting to slam a door out of frustration the next - just like life in a real family.I have a feeling this second novel will be just as wildly successful as her first, "The House Girl."
Golden Child
by Claire Adam
Choices and Consequences (11/8/2018)
I struggled with this novel. The prose is beautiful leading the reader to very vividly picture Trinidad and it's dry dusty environment. I feel like I have physically sat in Clyde and Joy's living room, maybe even petted their dogs' eager heads. I felt real fear regarding the sketchy men that hung around the park and the so-called bodyguard spying on the family. So, for all of that, Claire Adam crafts an artful story of the life of a family that struggles both financially and emotionally. However, by the end of the novel, I truly hate Clyde, the father. I vehemently disagree with his view that he had a choice to make. My thoughts drifted back to this family for many days after I finished it. Isn't that the mark of a great novel? However, my feelings about Clyde and my deep disgust for him cause me on the one hand, to wish I had never read it, but on the other hand, I know Adams did exactly what she is supposed to do - invoke strong, unsettling emotions that stick with the reader. One thing is for sure - as much as I would love to, I will never forget this novel. One man's choice directed the fate of four lives. Father Kavanagh is correct when he says God will grant forgiveness. I just don't think I can though. I need to see the innate goodness in people and this novel shows exactly the opposite.
Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
Redemptive Love (8/15/2018)
"Sold On A Monday" starts as a story of depression and desperation. During a time in our country's history when jobs, money, and food are extremely scarce, especially in rural areas, the desperation of a family so poor they're feeling forced to sell their children weighs extremely heavy on the reader. As a mother, my heart stopped when I read the sign "2 children for sale." McMorris quickly takes her reader from the heavy weight of poverty and its very sad consequences to a page- turning harrowing adventure that proves Henrik Ibsen's words, "A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed." These words ring true over and over again throughout the novel. Ellis, a creator of words, shifts the whole focus of his life to undo one deed that his words cannot fix.
Throughout the novel, the reader witnesses, not only the perseverance of human nature, but also how good intentions can make, destroy, and rebuild lives. McMorris takes a group of people who, for the most part, are just skating through life and drops a "deed" so pivotal amongst them, they are forever changed. McMorris wins the hard-fought battle to give voice to those who have no voice – the poor, the unwed mothers, and cast away children. Through a harrowing adventure, that keeps the reader turning the pages well into the late-night hours, Ellis and Lily manage undo a horrible injustice and by acting solely for the benefit of others, they earn the emotional rewards of a deed well done.
America for Beginners
by Leah Franqui
Coming Of Age At Any Age (4/11/2018)
"America For Beginners" by Leah Franqui is a smooth read. Franqui's characters are all dealing with their own set of heartache, expectations, and reality. Even though the main characters come from completely different walks of life, their stories are intertwined in a way that is both beautiful and flows effortlessly. This novel is an easy weekend read that will leave you wishing there were more. I found myself rooting for all the characters to not only find their peace, but hopefully with each other too. Franqui succeeds in introducing the reader to the Indian culture, although I think much of the references were lost on the average American reader. The anecdotal American scenes on their journey are quite humorous and surprisingly, add to the novel.
I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good read that easily captures and holds for a weekend. Since this novel does focus on adults (both youngish and older) coming of age through their journey, I would recommend it to adult readers more so than young adult. I feel the heartache is more palpable to someone who has lived life and experienced heartache that only comes from relationships with both positive and negative people over time. Pival proves that it's never too late to take back the control you may have given others.
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
A Not-So-Ordinary Life (2/13/2017)
The synopsis of Wallace's most current novel is described as the unfolding of the adventures of a painfully ordinary man trying to do an extraordinary thing- change the course of his life. I have to somewhat disagree with the premise that Edsel Bronfman is an ordinary man. On the contrary, he's quite the opposite. Nothing about Bronfman, the man he is and what make him tick, is ordinary. Yes, he lives an ordinary life on the outside- he has an aging mother he's trying to look after, a 9-5 boring job, and he lives alone in a dumpy apartment. However, that's where the ordinary stops. Bronfman is quite the eccentric character. Everything about him, what makes him "tick", is not "normal."
When he sets out to find someone to share a weekend vacation he won, his life takes on "extra-ordinary adventures."
I found myself very much in Bronfman's corner, rooting for him. I wanted him to "win" at life, to find someone to share his quirkiness with and find some sense of accomplishment.
I found that just when the novel turns a little boring, a crazy circumstance jumps in and catches the reader again. The situation with the neighbor and his friend, Coco, keep the reader a little on edge. I was constantly telling Bronfman to stay away form both the neighbors and the apartment. His mother, who suffers with dementia, adds a twist of comedy as well as sadness. Their relationship is one many readers will identify with.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes easy reading, not too deep, and loves to root for the little guy - the one who never seems to get it quite right.
I enjoyed Wallace's style. He manages to entice the reader with very direct language. His writing is efficient without sacrificing quality.
Home Sweet Home
by April Smith
A Timely Story of family, hard work, political suspicion (1/16/2017)
"Home Sweet Home" is a novel based on the timeless theme of the American Dream. We follow a family through major life changes in the hopes of accomplishing the life they feel their family was meant to live. Who can't relate to that? The reader very quickly realizes this dream doesn't come easy. The midwest is an unforgiving, harsh, beautiful, breathtaking life that once bought into, becomes as ingrained in you as your DNA.
Smith uses straight forward language that engulfs the reader without he/she even realizing it. She very effectively bounces the reader from past to present without the reader ever feeling jolted.
The pervasive theme of Russian/Communist infiltration is spot on for today's reader! With the current political arena regarding Russian hacking and theories of presidential tampering by the Russian's, Smith's novel is even more relevant to her readers.
I would recommend this novel to all readers who love American life built on hard work, family, love and the pursuit of a more fulfilling existence. There's just enough suspense to keep the reading turning pages well into the wee hours of the morning!
Smith's novel is perfect for book club readings. She addresses societal issues about family, loyalty, government and justice. The discussion topics are endless!
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