Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The Last Letter from Your Lover

The Last Letter from Your Lover
Jojo Moyes


Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): A sophisticated, page-turning double love story spanning forty years-an unforgettable Brief Encounter for our times.

It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

A spellbinding, intoxicating love story with a knockout ending, The Last Letter from Your Lover will appeal to the readers who have made One Day and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society bestsellers.

 
Marcie's Review:  Jennifer Stirling's love story was hard to put down; it was gripping, touching, beautiful - everything I've come to expect from a novel by Moyes.  Jenny's story provided an interesting glimpse into marital relationships in the 1960s, which, although only 50 years ago, felt archaic! 

Unfortunately, I did not connect with Ellie's story in the same way.  Perhaps because the sections devoted to Ellie take up less of the book, but her character was not as well-developed, and her actions didn't make much sense to me.  I was also annoyed by how Moyes switched between Ellie's and Jennifer's voices so frequently, and how even within Jennifer's story, the time switched between months and years with no warning.  There were several times that I was completely confused about whether Jennifer had had her accident yet.  I would have preferred the story to be edited differently.

Marcie's Rating: 4 stars

Becky's Review: This book was slow for me.  It took a while for me to get into the story of Jennifer's and B's relationship and I think the problem started when the book started jumping in time between two different months in the same year.  I couldn't keep track of whether Jennifer had had her accident or not at first.  Once I got into the story, it picked up for me and I was intrigued by what was going to happen with Jennifer and B.  This book still didn't captivate me like Me Before You and I'm starting to think that none of Moyes' books will.  The book really slowed down again when part 3 started.  I really didn't care about Ellie's story.  Once Ellie started investigating the letters and found Jennifer and we learned more about Jennifer and B, the book picked up again for me.  I do really like the ending of the book.

Becky's Rating: 3.5 stars

The Last Breath

The Last Breath
Kimberly Belle

The Last Breath

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): From a remarkable new voice in suspenseful women's fiction comes an emotionally searing drama about a woman who risks her life to discover the devastating truth about her family…

Humanitarian aid worker Gia Andrews chases disasters around the globe for a living. It's the perfect lifestyle to keep her far away from her own personal ground zero. Sixteen years ago, Gia's father was imprisoned for brutally killing her stepmother. Now he's come home to die of cancer, and she's responsible for his care—and coming to terms with his guilt.

Gia reluctantly resumes the role of daughter to the town's most infamous murderer, a part complete with protesters on the lawn and death threats that are turning tragedy into front-page news. Returning to life in small-town Tennessee involves rebuilding relationships that distance and turmoil have strained, though finding an emotional anchor in the attractive hometown bartender is certainly helping Gia cope.

As the past unravels before her, Gia will find herself torn between the stories that her family, their friends and neighbors, and even her long-departed stepmother have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth—and all the lies that came before—may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated…

 
Review: I wanted to love the main character, but I found her past as a humanitarian aid worker traveling to third world countries hard to reconcile with her present as she describes it.  I would have liked to have more insight into her character.  The supporting characters were fun and interesting, especially Fannie the hospice nurse and Gia's sister, although I did think Gia's siblings' changes of heart in regards to their father happened too quickly to be believable.  The mystery was less a who-done-it and more of a did-he-do-it, which made for an interesting and suspenseful read.  There was too much bad language and descriptive adult behavior for my taste, though, and I wasn't very happy with the ending.

Rating: 3 stars

Monday, March 30, 2015

A Walk Across the Sun

A Walk Across the Sun
Corban Addison

A Walk Across the Sun

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Corban Addison leads readers on a chilling, eye-opening journey into Mumbai's seedy underworld--and the nightmare of two orphaned girls swept into the international sex trade.

When a tsunami rages through their coastal town in India, 17-year-old Ahalya Ghai and her 15-year-old sister Sita are left orphaned and homeless. With almost everyone they know suddenly erased from the face of the earth, the girls set out for the convent where they attend school. They are abducted almost immediately and sold to a Mumbai brothel owner, beginning a hellish descent into the bowels of the sex trade.

Halfway across the world, Washington, D.C., attorney Thomas Clarke faces his own personal and professional crisis-and makes the fateful decision to pursue a pro bono sabbatical working in India for an NGO that prosecutes the subcontinent's human traffickers. There, his conscience awakens as he sees firsthand the horrors of the trade in human flesh, and the corrupt judicial system that fosters it. Learning of the fate of Ahalya and Sita, Clarke makes it his personal mission to rescue them, setting the stage for a riveting showdown with an international network of ruthless criminals.

 
Marcie's Review:  I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy a book about the sex trade, but I really liked this book.  It does describe in detail some of the sordid things that happen to children who are sold into the sex trade, and that is very disturbing and terrible to think about.  It was awful to read at the end that the author had based some of these details on real events.  But much of the book focused on Thomas's discovery of what was important in his life, and Ahalya and Sita's devotion to each other, and this kept the book from being too depressing.  In addition, the descriptions of life in India were beautifully written, revealing both the exotic charm and the seamy underside of life in Mumbai.

I did find myself annoyed with Thomas at times, especially when his wishy-washy personality led him to make bad decisions in his personal life.  I think his character would have been more believable, and the book even more interesting, if his relationship with Tera had been left out.  It just didn't seem to fit with the rest of him, and it added a layer of complexity and confusion that was unnecessary.

Marcie's Rating: 4.5 stars

Becky's Review: This book was much different than I expected it to be and perhaps that is my fault for not reading the description carefully enough.  Because I was expecting something else I didn't enjoy this book as much since I was looking for something deeper and less action based.  I wanted more story about Ahalya's and Sita's lives and what happened to them rather than so much about Thomas' life.  I didn't feel the character's emotions in the book; they all seemed fairly flat.  But again that could be because I thought this book was a different category of book than it really was.

Moving on from my preconceptions, I had a problem with the writing style at the beginning. The sentence fluency seemed very choppy at first.  I didn't noticed it once I got into the book further.  I did have a hard time putting this book down once the action picked up.  I did feel like the story was contrived at times but perhaps it was my "this-doesn't-happen-here" mentality and naivety.  I was satisfied by the end but I was left wanting more.

Becky's Rating: 3.5 stars

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Hector and the Search for Happiness

Hector and the Search for Happiness
Francois Lelord

Hector and the Search for Happiness

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): “Once upon a time there was a young psychiatrist called Hector who was not very satisfied with himself. . . . ”

Hector is very good at treating patients in need of his help. But he can’t do much for those who are simply dissatisfied with life, and that is beginning to depress him. When a patient tells him he looks in need of a vacation, Hector takes a trip around the world to learn what makes people happy—and sad. As he travels from Paris to China to Africa to the United States, he lists his observations about the people he meets. Is there a secret to happiness, and will Hector find it?

Combining the winsome appeal of The Little Prince with the inspiring philosophy of The Alchemist, Hector’s journey ventures around the globe and into the human soul. Lelord’s writing inspires us to consider life’s great questions. Uplifting, empowering, and optimistic, this is a fable for our times and all time.

 
Review:  The reviews of this book on Goodreads are really not that great, and I can see why lots of people didn't love this book.  It's written as if the author was writing a children's book, in a very simple style, but the content is clearly designed for adults.  Hector's attitude towards women is morally murky - but hey, he's French!  The author can come across as patronizing with his simplifications of people, their problems, and their definitions of happiness, and he can get annoying when describing the Country of More (just call it the U.S. already).

However, I really enjoyed this book, it was exactly the kind of book I felt like reading when I read it.  As the summary states, it reminded me of The Little Prince, and encouraged me to sit and think about happiness and how happy I am.  It was a really fast and easy read, and I would happily read it again.

I'm not sure I'd recommend it to everyone, though.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Karma Gone Bad

Karma Gone Bad
Jenny Feldon

Karma Gone Bad: How I Learned to Love Mangos, Bollywood and Water Buffalo

Genre: Memoir

Summary (from Goodreads): Made in America. Outsourced to India. At Home with Herself?

A charming yet honest memoir of one Upper West side housewife who finds herself saying good-bye to Starbucks and all her notions of "home" when she and her husband are outsourced to Hyderabad. Jenny Feldon imagined life in India as a glitzy yoga whirlwind. Instead she found buffalo-related traffic jams. Jenny struggled to fight the depression, bitterness, and anger as her sense of self and her marriage began to unravel. And it was all India's fault--wasn't it? Equally frustrating, revealing, and amusing, this is the true story of an accidental housewife trapped in the third world.

 
Review: Hmmmm, this is an interesting book to review because I can't figure out exactly what I thought about it.  Feldon is a a wealthy, sophisticated Manhattanite who is addicted to Starbucks, devoted to her tiny dog, reliant on designer clothes and shoes, and all-in-all unlike me in so many ways.  Her husband gets transferred to Hyderabad, India, and she moves with him for a two year period.  Does she embrace the experience of living in India by meeting new people, trying new things and exploring new places?  No, at least not for the first 3/4 of the book.  She basically whines about how she can't get Starbucks and has no friends.  I could sympathize with her problems involving electricity, water, appliances, transportation, language, and food, because everything was such a huge culture shift for a girl used to living in America, but I was really frustrated by the constant complaining, lack of action, and petty fighting with her husband.  Feldon's writing was entertertaining, and I kept reading through all the selfish complaining because I was convinced that she would learn and grow as a person, and I was curious how she would learn her lessons.  The last quarter of the book met my expectations; Feldon learned to embrace her experience in India.

To be fair, I'm not sure I would handle living in India any better than she did - I would also be terrified of the crazy driving and the rampant food poisoning.

Rating: 3 stars

The Invitation

The Invitation
Anne Cherian

The Invitation

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): When Vikram invites three of his college friends to his son’s graduation from MIT, they accept out of obligation and curiosity, viewing the party as a twenty-fifth reunion of sorts. Village genius Vikram, now the founder of a lucrative computer company, is having the party against his son’s wishes. Frances and Jay regret accepting:
Frances, a real estate agent, hasn't sold a house in a year; Jay’s middle management job isn't brag worthy; and their daughter is failing the eleventh grade. Lali plans to hide the fact that her once-happy marriage is crumbling because her American husband is discovering his Jewish roots. Each had left UCLA expecting to be successful and have even more successful children. At Vikram’s Newport Beach mansion, the showmanship they anticipate dissolves as each is forced to deal with his or her own problems. The follow-up to A Good Indian Wife, Anne Cherian’s novel resonates with the poignancy of real life colliding with expectations unmet.

 
Review: I generally enjoy books about other cultures and books about immigrants to the US, so I thought this novel about a group of immigrants from India reuniting in middle age would be right up my alley.  Sadly, I found the characters boring and two dimensional, and too prone to telling lies and relying on one-up-manship for my liking.  The point of view changed frequently and without warning, making it difficult to keep track of which character was which, especially Lali and Frances.  It was interesting to learn about the Catholic Portuguese-descended Goans in India, and some of the immigrant experiences were educational, but over all, this book was hard to get through.  The ending tied up some stories too neatly and left others hanging, so that it didn't help redeem the mediocre middle.

Rating: 2 stars

Thursday, March 26, 2015

The Storycatcher

The Storycatcher
by Ann Hite

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis: Shelly Parker never much liked Faith Dobbins, the uppity way that girl bossed her around.  But they had more in common than she knew.  Shelly tried to ignore the haints that warned her Faith's tyrannical father, Pastor Dobbins, was a devil in disguise.  But when Faith started acting strange, Shelly couldn't avoid the past-not anymore.
from the back of the book

Review: It took me a long time to figure out which characters were which and how they fit in with the other characters.  There seemed to be no connection at first and that made this book slightly difficult to read.  Once I figured everyone out I became much more interested in the story.  Perhaps if I had read the author's first book, Ghost on Black Mountain, I may have known more about the characters but I don't know that for sure.

The story is told from multiple perspectives including ghosts.  There was clearly something dark and sinister going on but I had no idea what it was for most of the book.  I could make some guesses but the book never confirmed my suspicions.  I thought in part five I was going to be told the big secret, the whole story, but again it was dangled in front of my nose and I couldn't reach it.  This really frustrates me as a reader.  I kept on going because I had to know what happened.

Shelly, one of the main characters, really started to annoy me after a while.  She had the sight of seeing spirits but she ignored them even after she knew something odd an dark was going on.  I wanted to reach in the book and shake her.  She was the one who could tell me what was going on but she was completely ignoring the problem.

Once I got to the end I pretty much knew what was going on but I felt like I should take notes about the relationships between people and Pastor Dobbins harmed them all so that I could make sure that I knew what exactly happened in the book and to see if everything tied together because I feel like there are still some loose ends.  But then I decided I didn't care enough to do that.  I am glad I am finished reading this book but it took me forever to read it because I just kept putting it down mid sentence frustrated that I didn't know what was going on!

So why 3 stars and not lower?  The story was interesting in itself.  I liked some of the characters and wanted to see good things for them.  I thought the author did a good job with portraying the life of African Americans in the 1930s in the South and how they spoke. 

Rating: 3 stars

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Case Histories

Case Histories
Kate Atkinson

Case Histories (Jackson Brodie, #1)

Genre: Mystery

Summary (from Goodreads): Case one: A little girl goes missing in the night.

Case two: A beautiful young office worker falls victim to a maniac's apparently random attack.

Case three: A new mother finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making - with a very needy baby and a very demanding husband - until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

Thirty years after the first incident, as private investigator Jackson Brodie begins investigating all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge . . .

 
Review: I picked this book up from Savers based on the recommendation of a complete stranger who told me that she had a literary degree and lived in Seattle.  She said she absolutely loved it.  She also recommended a few other books that looked a little heavier and more depressing than books I typically enjoy reading, so I wasn't quite sure what I would think of this book.

While Case Histories is dark and tragic, and many of the characters are depressing, I ended up really enjoying the book.  I guess I'd classify it as a mystery, since a retired police detective ends up investigating three cold cases, but it really is more of a human interest story or a drama.  I was invested in the characters, while feeling alternately amused and appalled by them.  The ending wasn't entirely satisfying, but enough was revealed that I could live with it.

Rating: 4 stars

Friday, March 20, 2015

The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis:  Hetty "Handful" Grimké, an urban slave in early-nineteenth-century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimké household.  The Grimkés' daughter Sarah, possessed of a ravenous intellect and mutinous ideas, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women.

Sue Monk Kidd's sweeping new novel is set in motion on Sarah's eleventh birthday in 1803, when she is given ownership of ten-year-old Handful, who is to be her handmaid.  The Invention of Wings follows their remarkable journeys over the next thirty-five years as both strive for lives of their own, dramatically shaping each other's destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement, and the uneasy ways of love.

As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process.  Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women's rights movements.

Inspired in part by the historic figure of Sarah Grimké, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all her characters, both real and invented, including Handful's cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better, and Charlotte's lover, Denmark Versey, a charismatic free black man who is planning insurrection. 

This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at one of the most devastating wounds in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.
from the book jacket

Becky's review:  This was a very well written historical fiction novel that told the story of a fictional slave and the real woman's family who owned her.  In the afterward, Kidd tells about what is fact and what is fiction which I appreciate.  Sarah Grimké was an abolitionist and befriend her slave, Handful and taught her to read and write which was illegal at the time.  I appreciated Handful's story and perspective on being a slave and the terrible things that did happen.  Once the story progressed and Sarah's beliefs got stronger and she began speaking out about slavery and women's rights, I felt that the book got a little preachy.  There were times I skimmed her story so that I could move onto Handful's story.  I also felt like the story got a little long and was a little anticlimactic.  I wish that the whole novel had had the movement that the first section had.

Becky's rating: 4 stars

Marcie's review: I wish I had known that the character of Sarah Grimké was actually a real person, I think that would have helped explain some of the awkwardness around Sarah's character.  While Handful was a fascinating character right from the beginning, Sarah seemed to be a wishy-washy background character until she was in middle age, at which point she dramatically shifted her views, turned Quaker, wanted to become a minister, and then became a famous spokesperson for the feminists and abolitionists.  This all makes sense when you realize that Kidd had access to information about Sarah as an adult, including her journal entries, articles, and interviews, but was likely unwilling to make too much up about her childhood, since she was a real person.  But I thought the story suffered for it.  However, this was an extremely well-written, enjoyable to read, fascinating historical account of the life of two very different women in the time before the Civil War. 

I was also annoyed that Sarah didn't keep ownership of Handful so that Sarah could free her herself when she came of age.  But I suppose that didn't actually happen, and wouldn't have made for quite as interesting of a story anyway.

Marcie's rating: 4 stars

Not My Daughter

Not My Daughter
Barbara Delinsky

Not My Daughter

Genre: women's Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): When Susan Tate’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned.  A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right.  She sees the pregnancy as an inconceivable tragedy both for Lily and herself.  Then comes word of two more pregnancies among other high school juniors who happen to be Lily’s best friends.  The town turns to talk of a pact.  As fingers start pointing, the emotional ties between mothers and daughters are stretched to breaking in an emotionally wrenching story of love and forgiveness.
 
Review:  This was exactly the kind of book I felt like reading yesterday - a well-written tale of a serious crisis that impacts a woman's relationship with her daughter and friends.  The topic of teenage pregnancy and pacts was a serious one, but the book itself was quick and easy to read; I read the whole book in one day because I didn't want to put it down.  Delinsky has always been able to make me feel connected to her characters; she has a lovely way of writing conversations between women and thoughts in a woman's head that seem completely realistic.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would love to discuss some of the issues it raised with friends - namely, what does it mean to be a good mother, and why are mothers judged for their kids' behavior when fathers are not.

However, I felt like there were a few flaws in this book; her normally flowing prose had a few stilted moments that were unexpected from such a gifted writer.  And I would have preferred to learn more about each of the mothers, rather than having just a few short sections dedicated to Susan's interesting friends.  I was also angry at how the families came to accept their daughters' actions so easily with no real consequences for the teenage mothers.  It's impossible to know what I would do in that situation (another good book club question!) but I would at least make sure my daughter understood that she had to notify the father and be prepared to share custody with him, and make decisions in the best interest of the child, not her selfish self.

Rating: 4 stars

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Just Grace

Just Grace
by Charise Mericle Harper


Genre: Chapter book

Synopsis:  Here are some things you will find in this book:
1.  Crinkles the cat, at least until he disappears
2.  Fantastic friends like Mimi and the glamorous Augustine Dupre, who is from France.
3.  A boy with some unfortunate habits.
4.  And finally, four girls named Grace, which is entirely three Graces too many.

Here are some things you will not find in this book:
1.  A lost friend.
2.  The world's largest sandwich.
3.  A new neighbor who can do handstands.

Maybe they will be in the next book.  We will have to wait and see.

Natalie and Noah's review: (Noah) I liked the characters because I like what they say.  Grace was my favorite. (Natalie) I liked this book because I liked that there was a cat and the cat pooped in her plants.  I liked the small pictures in the book.  I think people will like the book because there is poop in it and they will think it is funny.

Becky's review:  I have enjoyed pictures books by this author because they are a little quirky and humorous.  I thought the chapter book might be the same way.   The book was definitely quirky but I didn't find humor in this book until towards the end and then it was just a few sentences.  This book was also written in the form of stream of consciousness and was quite difficult to follow along while reading out loud.  There were no chapters but just headings in various places.  There were no ends to any thoughts and the book just rambled on.  I think my kids got bored while listening to the book.  Maybe this book would be better if you are reading it to yourself or if you are much younger!  There wasn't much of a story until part way through the book when the problem finally developed.  I would not discourage my kids to read the book (or the subsequent books) once they are able to read on their own but I am not reading any more out loud.  There is nothing remotely inappropriate in this book and there was a good message.

Natalie and Noah's rating: 5 stars

Becky's rating: 2 stars

Out of the Easy

Out of the Easy
by Ruta Sepetys

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:  It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own.  Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.  She devises a plan to get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in a police investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Jose is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld.  New Orleans lures her in a quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
from the book jacket

Review:  I very much enjoyed Ruta Septeys' first book, Between Shades of Gray, so when I saw that she had another book I eagerly picked it up.  I was surprised to find that Between Shades of Gray was a young adult book because it was written in such a mature way.  This book on the other had is clearly a young adult book.  The maturity of the writing has become much more simplistic and I feel that I am reading a book that is much too young for me.  While some of the characters are decently developed, a few of the main characters are one dimensional.  Willie is one of those characters.  She seems kind at times but then at the drop of a hat she is yelling and is incredibly brusque.  I had a hard time keeping characters straight as they did not have common names and minor characters would be introduced very briefly and then many pages later be brought up again and readers were expected to keep them all straight.  Plus some of the minor characters were quite quirky and sometimes a little cliche.  I felt no emotional connection with any of the characters and I really didn't care what happened to them.  I hope that in Septeys' next book she can recapture the depth and emotional feeling of her first book.

Rating: 3 stars

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Anna Hibiscus

Anna Hibiscus
Atinuke

Anna Hibiscus

Genre:Children's Chapter Book

Summary (from Goodreads): Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her mother, her father, her baby twin brothers, and lots and lots of her family. Join her as she splashes in the sea, prepares for a party, sells oranges, and hopes to see sweet, sweet snow.
 
Amelia's Review:  I really like Anna Hibiscus because Anna is friendly and happy and she's kind of like me because she really likes snow.  I learned that people in Africa eat with their fingers, I thought that was kind of strange but also kind of cool.  The book is funny because Anna has a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins and some of her cousins have funny names like Common Sense.  I think Natalie and Noah should read this book because it has twins in it, they are named Double and Trouble.

Marcie's Review: This was a sweet and funny book about a little girl in Africa who lives with her large and boisterous family.  She has adventures and learns important lessons, but it's not preachy in any way.  I love that it introduces another culture in an interesting and relatable way, without being a cliche or being dated.  This is exactly the kind of book that I would like Amelia to be reading.

Amelia's Rating: 4 stars

Marcie's Rating: 5 stars

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Rent Collector

The Rent Collector
Camron Wright

The Rent Collector

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.
 
Review:  I don't know what I was expecting from this book about living in a garbage dump, but it was not this beautiful story about literature, friendship and redemption.  I loved watching Sang Ly's eagerness to learn help her become more confident and self-aware.  And the story of the rent collector was tragic and touching.  The only complaint I have is that Sang Ly seemed to learn too quickly and have thoughts about literature that were too deep for an uneducated woman picking through garbage.  At times, her voice sounded like an American college student, and that didn't seem to fit a character who had just learned to read a few weeks before.

Rating: 5 stars

Catching Air

Catching Air
by Sarah Pekkanen
Catching Air

Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis:  From the internationally bestselling author of four books, including The Opposite of Me, a vibrant, compulsively readable novel about two married couples who pursue a dream to open a bed-and-breakfast in small-town Vermont.

In her previous works including The Best of Us, "rising star" (Library Journal) Sarah Pekkanen captivated readers by penning "refreshingly introspective, sharply realistic, and tenderly humorous" novels (Booklist) that had readers "flying through the pages" (Hoda Kotb, Today show). Now, in Catching Air, Pekkanen turns an unflinching eye on the tangled relationships of two pairs of thirty-somethings.

A chance to run a B&B in snowy, remote Vermont—it’s an offer Kira Danner can’t resist after six soul-crushing years of working as a lawyer in Florida. As Kira and her husband, Peter, step into a brand new life, she quells her fears about living with the B&B’s co-owners: Peter’s sexy, irresponsible brother Rand, and Rand’s wife, Alyssa…who is essentially a stranger.

For her part, Alyssa sees taking over the B&B as the latest in a string of adventures. Plus, a quiet place might help her recover from the news that she can’t bear children. But the idyllic town proves to be anything but serene: Within weeks, the sisters-in-law are scrambling to prepare for their first big booking—a winter wedding—and soon a shy, mysterious woman comes to work for them. Dawn Zukoski is hiding something; that much is clear. But what the sisters-in-law don't realize is that Dawn is also hiding from someone…

Relatable and dynamic, Catching Air delves deeply into the vital relationships that give shape to women’s lives.
from Goodreads

Review:  This was a quick and enjoyable read about two couples opening a B&B in Vermont, but there were too many storylines that didn't ring quite true enough to make it a great read.  And perhaps there were just too many storylines, period.  I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it had focused on only one or two characters, delving more deeply into their histories and challenges, and then wrapping up their stories in a satisfactory way.  As it was written, the story felt unfinished - how did Alyssa deal with the challenges of motherhood?  Did Rand step up and end up loving fatherhood?  What did Kira end up doing with her life?  What happened to Dawn?  Dawn's story, in particular, seemed like it was going to wrap up too neatly and quietly, but didn't really wrap up at all.  So, while I thought the story was interesting, I was left completely unsatisfied.

Rating: 3 stars (or maybe 2.5)

Silver Bay

Silver Bay
by JoJo Moyes

Silver Bay: A Novel

Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis:  From the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You and One Plus One, a surprising and moving romance set in an old-fashioned seaside town on the verge of unwelcome change

Liza McCullen will never fully escape her past. But the unspoiled beaches and tight-knit community of Silver Bay offer the freedom and safety she craves—if not for herself, then for her young daughter, Hannah. That is, until Mike Dormer arrives as a guest in her aunt’s hotel.

The mild-mannered Englishman with his too-smart clothes and distracting eyes could destroy everything Liza has worked so hard to protect: not only the family business and the bay that harbors her beloved whales, but also her conviction that she will never love—never deserve to love—again.

For his part, Mike Dormer is expecting just another business deal—an easy job kick-starting a resort in a small seaside town ripe for development. But he finds that he doesn’t quite know what to make of the eccentric inhabitants of the ramshackle Silver Bay Hotel, especially not enigmatic Liza McCullen, and their claim to the surrounding waters.

As the development begins to take on a momentum of its own, Mike’s and Liza’s worlds collide in this hugely affecting and irresistible tale full of Jojo Moyes’s signature humor and generosity.
from Goodreads

Review:  This book was fine, but it didn't live up to the high expectations I had based on my love of Moyes' bestselling book Me Before You.  The character of Mike didn't ring true to me; he passively went along with everything his fiance wanted, and then suddenly found the gumption to change his entire life?  I didn't buy it.  And Liza's big secret didn't seem as dramatic as it could have been, either.  I loved Hannah, a brave, passionate child, and Katherine, a salty and tough grandmother figure trying to keep the family business afloat.  And while I enjoyed learning about the whales and dolphin, I'm not as much of an animal rights activist as any of the characters (or Moyes) are.  Moyes does a wonderful job describing the setting, making the reader feel like they are on the seaside in Australia.  It was an enjoyable vacation read, but not as memorable or thought provoking as Me Before You.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Sunday, March 8, 2015

A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Synopsis:  The monster showed up after midnight.  As they do.  But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting, the one from the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, something ancient, something wild.  And it wants the truth.
from the back of the book

Review:  To be honest I didn't want to read this book.  I saw it on the shelf of Abe Lincoln award winners (Illinois's award for young adult books) and I put it back.  The description of the book and the darkness just didn't draw me in, in fact it did the opposite.  Then a librarian told me I HAD to read this book.  It's been sitting in my house for a while and I tried picking it up once or twice but the monster just threw me off.  I finally buckled down and picked it up again and then had a really hard time putting it down once I got farther into the story.

This book uses a monster and darkness to portray Conor's grief.  Throughout the book the monster visits to try to teach Conor to deal with his grief.  This book uses fantasy to describe the feelings and emotions that a child goes through as his mother is sick.  At first I wasn't sure how the stories that the monster told related to Conor nor how they were connected but the end tied everything together and then  you could see how well crafted this story was.  I was in tears several times while reading, tears that were hard to stop because I felt Conor's anguish and I felt for him.  My heart broke for him.  No child should have to go through the grief that he did.  I wanted to go into the book, hug Conor, and make everything all right.

It's hard for me to figure out more to say about this book because it was so dark and painful.  Normally I say things are beautifully written when I really like a book and have an emotional connection to it but there was nothing beautiful about this book due to the subject matter.  This book is deep, dark, ugly and full of emotion.  I felt like I was in the trenches with grief.  Patrick Ness clearly has a way with storytelling.  As an adult reader I'm not sure that the illustrations helped the story along but I could see how a younger audience would find them appealing.  

So why not a 5 star rating?  Because I can't say I loved the book.  I really liked it but it is hard to love something that was so emotionally raw.  Am I trying to convince you not to read the book?  Not at all.  In fact I would recommend reading this book.  Just be prepared for tears.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Saturday, March 7, 2015

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer Smith

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Synopsis:  Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life.  Having missed her flight, shes stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met.  Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area.  His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival.  Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves.  Set over a twenty-four-hour period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
from the book jacket

Review:  This book was fine.  I don't have many complaints about it but it just wasn't memorable.  I finished it a couple days ago and by now I've forgotten what I thought about it!  I did feel like there wasn't enough of a development of Hadley's and Oliver's relationship while at the airport and the plane.  The book is based on the premise that people can have an immediate connection but I just didn't feel it with these two characters.  There were a lot of flashbacks to let us know about Hadley's relationship with her father and how she felt about her parents getting a divorce.  At times I thought the flashbacks interfered with the flow of the story.  I did like the premise of the story: a romance started at an airport/airplane and then trying to find each other after they are parted.  The story just wasn't written in a very exciting way.

Rating: 3 stars

Monday, March 2, 2015

Whistling Past the Graveyard

Whistling Past the Graveyard
Susan Crandall

Whistling Past the Graveyard

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear is that Starla will turn out like her mother. Starla hasn’t seen her momma since she was three, but is convinced that her mother will keep her promise to take Starla and her daddy to Nashville, where her mother hopes to become a famous singer—and that one day her family will be whole and perfect.

When Starla is grounded on the Fourth of July, she sneaks out to see the parade. After getting caught, Starla’s fear that Mamie will make good on her threats and send her to reform school cause her to panic and run away from home. Once out in the country, Starla is offered a ride by a black woman, Eula, who is traveling with a white baby. She happily accepts a ride, with the ultimate goal of reaching her mother in Nashville.

As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation. Through talks with Eula, reconnecting with her parents, and encountering a series of surprising misadventures, Starla learns to let go of long-held dreams and realizes family is forged from those who will sacrifice all for you, no matter if bound by blood or by the heart.


 
Marcie's Review:  It took me a while to get into this book; I wasn't sure I enjoyed Starla's voice, and I felt like too many things were happening without getting a good understanding of the characters.  But about a third of the way into it, the book clicked, and I didn't want to put it down.

This is a Southern coming-of-age story, set in pre-civil-rights era Mississippi.  Starla is a spunky, sassy, adventurous nine year old, who ends up learning some tough lessons about family, race and segregation.  She ends up traveling with Eula, an abused black woman, who struggles to come to terms with her past.  It was difficult to read about how Eula was treated in the deep south, and hard to believe that those things happened only 50 years ago in our country.

My two complaints about this book are that Eula's behavior at the start of the book seemed unrealistic for the time, and that the lessons Starla learned about race seemed too adult for her young age.  A point could be made that she approached differences in race with the innocence of a child, but her character was able to verbalize her thoughts well beyond what I would expect of a nine year old.

But I still loved Starla's connection with Eula and her desire to do the right thing.  The ending was satisfying in every way.

Marcie's Rating: 4.5 stars

Becky's Review:  This book took a while to get into but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  I loved the connection between Starla and Eula.  Eula needed someone to love and Starla needed someone to love her.  My heart ached for Starla as she tried to find someone who would accept her and love her as her family.  She was a nine-year-old looking for acceptance and learned about kindness in the least expected places.  My heart also ached for Eula as she was bound to do the right thing but up against the obstacle of race relations.  There were moments of the book that were hard to read because of the way Eula was treated even though I imagine this was a very honest portrayal of how life in the South would have been in the 1960s.  I love how the author brought everyone together at the end but perhaps it was not the most realistic of endings.

Becky's Rating: 4 stars