The Vanishing Place
by Zoë Rankin
Mystery in the Bush of New Zealand (6/17/2025)
Set in the bush of the South Island New Zealand. A woman returns to help solve the mystery of the sudden appearance of a child in her remote village; and to find the family she ran from when she was 16. Moving back and forth in time, you find why this family lived isolated. The timeline gets confusing moving back and forth and with a sudden addition of new characters in the last quarter of the book, that really enhances the confusion. While a quick read, the mystery unfolds slowly and could have stood with some background filler on the location.
In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel
by Crystal King
Revisiting a Greek Myth (8/6/2024)
"In the Garden of Monsters" takes place immediate post WW2 in Italy with a modern revisioning of the myth of the abduction of Persephone by Hades, the god of the underworld. Julia is an artist, just graduated from the Art Academy in Rome, who has no memory of her past life. But when hired by Salvadore Dali as his muse and taken to a strange palacio and garden, something about her past is in the background. The handsome maître d'/caretaker of the villa draws her into that past. The descriptions of the palace, the food, and the Garden of Monsters are beautiful and intriguing. (I certainly want to look this place up next time I am in Italy) The characters are appealing. Something sinister is constantly in the background. Statues that move; a strange green light; a library with secret passages; and supernatural powers imbued with the servants and the handsome caretaker, Ignazio. It bogs down a bit in the middle sections, as the descriptions of each day drag into repetitiveness. Too many detailed descriptions of meals, too many descriptions each day of the painting location, too many mentions of pomegranates. Too many Dali and his wife's temper tantrums. (But it also provides some interesting insight into Dali and his wife) And its supernatural, scary, elements somehow do not really scare the reader. But it is a compelling and fascinatingly original story, that familiarizes us with Greek Mythology.
The Funeral Cryer: A Novel
by Wenyan Lu
Life in Modern Rural China (3/5/2024)
A funeral cryer is an old-world cultural tradition in China. The cryer sings and stirs up emotional responses at funerals. While a disappearing tradition in modern China, the main character in this story continues this practice in her small village. Given limited employment options, and while shunned by some for the practice, it is the main source of income for her family. The descriptions of village life, the patriarchal village and family life, even when most employment/income is provided by the women in the household, was fascinating to a point. The story highlighted the lack of employment opportunities and limited resources for those without a university education or for those not living in the larger cities. The writing style was abrupt, short sentences, representing a colloquial style of speaking. The story of a funeral cryer, her do nothing but play mah-jongg husband, and his affairs, became repetitive after a while. Once I got past descriptions of life in this small town, I lost interest in the story. And the writing style did not present a fluid reading experience.
Delicate Condition
by Danielle Valentine
IVF and Rosemary's Baby! (7/8/2023)
The book was certainly a page turner, but it took so many convoluted twists, it just became too unrealistic, or insufficiently researched, even for speculative fiction. Advertised as a modern Rosemary's baby, a young actor desperate for a baby, goes through a highly "speculative" IVF and pregnancy. Many twists and turns later leave the reader questioning what's going on. Is this the devil's baby? Who is involved? The husband, best friend, agent, doctors. The writer is obviously talented, but I question if the author did her homework on IVF, pregnancies, breast cancer, because some of her descriptions seemed off. While the main character, Anna, is forever whining about no one believing her, when frankly, she should be questioning how stupid her husband and friends are. Some scenes make it obvious that she is right. One scene I note. Anna sees someone outside; the security guard responds because the outdoor camera detects motion. Her husband thinks she is making it up! In addition, the author takes swipes at the medical establishments' misogyny. However, the cases she notes seem off and certainly not written well. Also, so many red herrings, you start spinning! Anyway, the basic story line shows promise, the writer is good. I just thought the book was not there yet.
The Gifts: A Novel
by Liz Hyder
Angels in London, The Gifts (3/18/2023)
While the book is well written and tells the intriguing story of four women in Victorian London, it takes a dark turn mid-way. And the brutality of men, one in particular, became difficult for me. Vivid stories of man's brutality towards women are hard to read. However, that's a personal bias and should not reflect on this fascinating story. Set in Victorian London, the setting and characters are beautifully written and unique. It tells the well-known history of women of that era having no personal or financial independence. Women are sprouting angel wings—one found dead in the Thames, two others emerging as the story continues. And a doctor's ego overpowering any morality as he rushes to study the angels. The four women represent different classes of that era, the high standing of a doctor's wife, an impoverished orphan who wants to be a writer raised by gay men, a woman who loses her home to her brother after her father's death, and an immigrant seeking a new life in London. The book provides fascinating insight into an era with few social supports for the poor, workhouses, child labor, a strict social structure. It really is a fascinating story, very unique in structure and style. The writing tends towards more of a YA style, short chapters.
Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer
Fairy Tale retold (2/7/2023)
This book had much promise and started off very interesting. As a retelling of Cinderella in the future with AI. But the "mystery" behind Cinder, what she was, and who she is, isn't much of a mystery and is pretty transparent early in the story. However, it continues with the brutality of the step mother beyond when its necessary. The brutal "Lunars" who live on the moon, are coming to earth, with their Queen seeking to marry the handsome prince and enslave Earth. In the end, I was not happy with the trajectory of the story.
Iron Curtain: A Love Story
by Vesna Goldsworthy
Iron Curtain, so much more than a love story! (1/9/2023)
Excellent Book. I could not put it down. Less a love story, than a wonderful reflection on and comparison of the culture and political philosophy in democratic and communist countries in the 80's. The book takes place in an unnamed communist country (not Russia), behind the iron curtain, and then later in London. It's written in the voice of Milena a Red Princess, who lives a rich lifestyle, protected by her father, a senior member of the communist leadership. She falls in love with a visiting poet and escapes to London, where she reflects on the lack of a guarantee for the basic requirements for survival – food, lodging, a job. Her comparisons with her home country's guaranties of basic needs, but absent basic freedoms is interesting. Absolutely fascinating behind the scenes descriptions of society in the communist country, focusing on the hopes of the revolution vs tight oversight of lifestyle and conservative control over marriage and birth control. The freedoms of a capitalist country are certainly stark and dreary in comparison to the guarantees of Milena's lifestyle at home. And for those who might be put off by the advertisement of romance, and love story, don't be! That plays a lesser role in the story of two contrasting but controlling cultures. And the absolutely fascinating mindset of this so called "Red Princess."
The Immortal King Rao: A Novel
by Vauhini Vara
King Rao and the Rise of IT (4/12/2022)
I recommend this book for those fascinated by the rise of IT and its impact on our everyday lives, the global economy, and politics. That story is fictionalized through the story of King Rao and his invention of "Coconut," mimicking the rise of Apple Computer.
Told in three timelines, the birth, and early years of King Rao as a Dalit (untouchable) in India, through his rise as a software genius in Seattle and the founding of Coconut, and in the future when the internet and software algorithms rule the world and take over our brains. The Shareholders relinquish their decision making and government to the Algorithm; the Exes have moved away and live a communal existence on islands set aside for their use.
The modern-day story of the rise of Coconut is interesting and probably parallels Jobs or Gates or a combination of both. However, I found the stories in India sometimes confusing when I lost track of so many names of Rao family members; and the future world seems naively developed. The naming convention is silly – Coconut, Clarinet (for the memory implants), and Algo (for the algorithm). King Rao's story is told through implanted memories in his daughter Athena, which is not always clear that that is what is happening. The writing is mostly quite skilled, but dialogue deteriorates and is unrealistic in parts. That said, many sections are strong and a fascinating read.
Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
Dirt Creek -- Life and Death in a small Australian town (3/11/2022)
Dirt Creek was an excellent, page-turner of a mystery. Wonderfully written the story is told through the voices of multiple residents of Durton, Australia, a small outback town west of Sydney. While I had been expecting something along the style of Jane Harper, another Australian mystery writer, this was fascinatingly different. While there is a lead detective, Sarah, an interesting woman spending much time lamenting the breakup with her girlfriend, she is no more central to the story than the other voices. A young girl, Esther, disappears after school. The reader is immediately aware that Esther is dead as her body is found on page two. The crime is slowly unspooled through the multiple voices central to Esther's life -- two of her best friends, her mother, and Sarah the detective. One voice, a collective 'We', creates true atmosphere around the small-town disappearance and establishes the conscience of Durton. Human nature is explored as secrets emerge about the citizens of this small close knit, sometimes related, community. How easily can we live with a lie to save ourselves; and how close are we to success or ruin with one wrong turn or event! Highly recommended.
Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History
by Lea Ypi
Free -- Life in Albania (11/14/2021)
Ypi's memoir describes her life in Albania from childhood to high school. The timeline follows the political and economic life pre- and post- the fall of the Soviet Union and breakup into current Eastern European countries. The memoir describes life under communism, early democracy, and the Albanian Civil War.
Part I written in the language of a young, elementary age girl is sometimes confusing as the cultural and political descriptions are in her elementary voice. Part II clarifies that the syntax and language evolves as the writer ages from grade school to high school. Part II includes diary entries that range from a crush on a boy to guns exploding outside windows, a sudden unexpected structural change in writing style.
The book is unique in its description of life under Albanian communism, the restrictions, harsh punishments, the job and educational opportunity based on family history. Examples of a society suddenly open to western influences were fascinating. Women wearing used clothes from the West as day dresses, not realizing they are nightgowns, and displaying empty coca cola cans as art works, not realizing they are drinks.
The author, currently teaching Marxism at the London School of Economics, reflects in her memoir on the pros and cons of political economic structures. Albania falls into chaos a decade into their democratic freedom following the collapse of the economy and rampant pyramid schemes that lose much of private wealth.
While fascinating insight into a little-understood country, its politics and culture, the book is structurally confusing and inconsistent. Chapters do not always seem to follow logically around one theme, digressing into tangential issues. However, it provided rare insight into an unfamiliar place and culture and is recommended for those unfamiliar with Albania.
The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West
by Carrot Quinn
On the Road, The Sunset Route (7/8/2021)
The Sunset Route, by Carrot Quinn is excellent, a beautifully written page-turner. For anyone who likes memoirs or travel stories, this is highly recommended. I tend to be skeptical of memoirs, but Quinn's stories were believable. Moving between the early 1990s when the author is a small child to her early adulthood. Quinn and her brother are raised by their paranoid schizophrenic mother in Anchorage Alaska. The author takes us on a journey by train and road from Colorado to Alaska, to Oregon and from North Carolina to California, The Sunset Route.
Carrot Quinn's childhood was spent in near starvation as her mentally ill mother had no income except a welfare housing voucher. Her mother provided little for Quinn and her brother, frequently beating them while in the throes of her illness. At an early age, the children learned to dumpster dive for food, some days subsisting on donuts, and ketchup packets. Without cleaning products, they would arrive at school wearing dirty clothes and smelling. Dirty and starving, they became targets for bullying in school. Subsequently, missing a lot of school. Quinn leaves out much mention of any intervention. If anyone tried to help, they failed at last in Quinn's memory.
Eventually the brother and sister were sent to live with their grandparents in Colorado, but the unloving, abusive relationships drive the brother to the marines, and Quinn runs away at 14. Her early adult life was spent living in "punk houses" in the west. Group houses that were like communes or hostels. She and her friends rarely work or work only long enough to pay the rent. They eat by dumpster diving; and provide for themselves by shoplifting.
While Quinn's childhood is heartbreaking, her stories on the road are beautiful, adventurous travel tales. A showcase story of Quinn's resilience, she catches a ride with a lunatic driver up the Alaskan highway. In the wilderness, the car turns over stranding Quinn. Ever resourceful, she survives and begins to heal through nature and long-haul walking. I would imagine her writing heals her too. Carrot Quinn is certainly good at it.
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