Innards: Stories
by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene
Innards (5/17/2023)
I have no doubt that the author is a talented writer. And as with slavery, the US and other governments' dealing with indigenous peoples, and similar abominations, light needs to be shown on apartheid so that it is clearly seen for its abhorrence. Unfortunately, I found this book confusing and really couldn't tell what was going on or who was saying what much of the time. Because of that, I couldn't enjoy or appreciate it and cannot recommend it.
Last House Before the Mountain
by Monika Helfer
Last House Before the Mountain (2/12/2023)
I suppose this was an interesting story, but I was so distracted by the writing style that I found it difficult to concentrate on it. Sentences were incomplete and choppy, perhaps due to translation, perhaps the author's style, or perhaps a combination of the two. In any case, surely the translator knows that "But unfortunately." is not a complete or meaningful sentence. I also found the back-and-forth, who-am-I-talking-about-now style confusing and irritating. Honestly, I would not recommend this book; the story just doesn't redeem the writing.
Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu
I hated to see it end... (2/19/2022)
I absolutely loved this book. It checked all the required boxes for historical fiction and painted a heartrending picture of life in mainland China before, during and after WW2. As should be the case with good historical fiction, I learned things I didn't know. Some parts of the story moved faster than others, but I didn't find that, or the narrative style, distracting. Characters were well-developed and realistic enough that I got irritated with them at times. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to book clubs.
Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life: A Memoir
by N. West Moss
Flesh & Blood (8/6/2021)
I'll be the oddball - I did not like this book, I would not buy this book, and I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was less about infertility and more an excruciatingly detailed and tedious description of dysfunctional uterine bleeding and the time period before and after the author's hysterectomy for a benign hemangioma. To compare this book to When Breath Becomes Air or The Bright Hour is ludicrous.
Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree , Katie McCabe
Mighty Justice (9/23/2019)
This book is mesmerizing, compelling, and absolutely un-put-downable. The behind-the-scenes descriptions of the courtroom battles against Jim Crow and segregation were fascinating, yet the entire story is told with such warmth that it reads like a novel. Dovey Roundtree is an inspiration, especially for African Americans and women. It is inexcusable that she is virtually unknown and past time for that to change.
More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve
More News Tomorrow... (4/18/2019)
...Except that there wasn't any more news, and if the reader is waiting to find out what further information Georgie's father had for her, he or she will be disappointed. The book is disjointed, the premise unbelievable (Georgie has been at loose ends for her entire life because of her family and childhood, but she does nothing about it until she receives a post card from Roosevelt, about whom she immediately begins to fantasize). The characters are unsympathetic and unrealistic, with the possible exception of Thomas. I wanted to finish the book to find the answer to the mystery, but it wasn't worth it. This was a disappointing read.
Golden Child
by Claire Adam
Golden Child (10/19/2018)
This haunting story pulls you in and doesn't let go until the heartbreaking, but inevitable, conclusion. Claire Adam's writing transports the reader to Trinidad, where you feel the weather, smell and taste the local cuisine, hear the musical Caribbean English, experience the family's grinding poverty in this setting of impossible beauty, and meet people who are unspeakably cruel and people who are incredibly generous. I highly recommend this book.
Wonder Valley
by Ivy Pochoda
Wonder Valley (7/20/2017)
I had a hard time getting into this book, partly, I think, because none of the characters grabbed me and made me care about what happened to them. Still, the plot twists were odd enough that once I was in, I was committed to finding out how it all ended. The connections between some of the characters are a little far-fetched, but the overall picture of Skid Row and LA is pretty realistic. I would rate this book as above average but not quite good, but I probably would not recommend it to my book club.
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