November ended with 9 books completed. Overall it was an average rating for the books it seems. There was one that I rated a little below average, 2 a little above and one gem. Some were recommended by friends and some were recommended by podcasts or book magazines. 5 of the books I borrowed from the library, including one e-Book. Most of them were well known and highly rated which is why I borrowed them instead of buying. The higher ratings by others also shows what I always say - my gem may be your stinker. I am sure that the reason I rated the books lower than many others was because of the hype. Maybe I expected too much. But a month of average reads is better than a month of no books.
I hope you had a great November and were able to reflect on the blessings of you life. As we go into the Christmas season I pray that the blessings will continue and you will be able to enjoy the pleasures of this time of year.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Delaney family is well known in their community. Stan and Joy's marriage is envied by everyone. The two have recently sold their tennis school and are enjoying retirement. Their 4 grown children, 2 boys and 2 girls, all live in the area and they seem like a close knit family. Things get turned a little upside down after a stranger, Savannah, knocks on the door of Stan and Joy. She is bleeding from being hit by her boyfriend and randomly picked their house to land in. Stan and Joy reach out to give her a shelter and the support she needs, while they enjoy Savannah's cooking and other help around the house. All seems to be going well until Joy disappears. Not only is Joy gone, so is Savannah. The husband is always looked at as a prime suspect, and Stan is not free from that assumption. As time goes on and more is revealed about Stan and Joy's relationship and Stan's actions after Joy's disappearance, the community begins to question if what they saw and what is true matches up. Not only the community, but the children begin to question their father's innocence too - with 2 not doubting, and 2 unsure. And not only do they question that, they also begin to take a fresh look at their shared family history.
I have read all but one of Liane Moriarty adult level books. Believe it or not, that one is "Big Little Lies" which I did watch the TV series. Out of those, there's only been one that I did not care for so I was looking forward to this new book. By the end of the book though I was a little disappointed. It started out great, and continued to be that way for the majority of the book. I enjoyed getting to know the Delaney family. They each have their quirks and struggles but loved each other. With the duo timelines and reminiscing I felt as if I really got to know the family and what their life was and had been like.
I did not like the ending. It did all fit together and there were no out of left field moments. But it just went a little too far off the rails for me. Too many "oops" moments and while I could have accepted a few of them, all together they just made me roll my eyes a little. The book was also too long. It is a 467 page book and the story could have been about 150 pages shorter and I would have enjoyed it more. The final chapters occur when the pandemic is beginning and while that in itself isn't wrong, there just didn't seem to be any purpose for it. Except maybe to just be current? Nothing in those chapters really enhanced the story.
As far as the writing goes, it was a well told story. My only issue with the writing style is that at times I felt as if it was being written for how it would play out on TV instead of as a novel. It was almost like I could read camera and editing notes in between the lines. That is probably something nobody else sees the same way. For me it made it a little less enjoyable. More like a script and less like a story at times.
Overall I would give it ⭐⭐⭐. It was a solid 4 until I got to the end and then it slowly went down to 3 1/2 than to 3. Which as I've often stated is still worth the time.
The Long Snapper by Jeffrey Marx
Brian Kinchen played pro football for 12 years. 3 years after he hung up his cleats he was teaching Bible at Parkview Baptist School in Baton Rouge, when he got a phone call that would change things. The New England Patriots wanted him to come try out to be their long snapper. It was a short term need, just through the rest of the season and through the play-offs. Kinchen flew to Boston that day and surprisingly made the cut at his try outs the next day. His experience being back on the field, away from his family and the mental and emotional struggles he went through in this short time are all part of his story. It is a true story of faith and resilience.
I like sports related stories and this one didn't disappoint. It did happen a few years ago and I think I would have enjoyed it more when the book had first been released. Mr. Marx had pretty much complete access to Brian Kinchen and his journals he maintained during his short time back in the NFL. The book covered his ups and downs and was an encouragement to stay strong and know that God is in charge. This is another ⭐⭐⭐
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
The title pretty much gives you the basis for this story, but it is about more than just the school. We get to know 4 different families - all who have children that are vying for a position in the new Gifted/Talented School that is coming to their town. We see the cut throat attitudes, the judging that goes on towards other kids - even our "best friend's" children - and the win at all cost philosophy that can enter. Behind it all, we see the background of the friendships of the women and before it is all over, secrets are revealed that change everything.
This was an entertaining book. It is easy as a parent to understand the competition that can ensue when you are not only wanting what is best for your child, but you also believe that your child is the best. Mr. Holsinger did a good job of bringing me into the world of these families. I could empathize with them, but also see how crazy some of their behavior was. It is a longer book - 560 pages - but none of the chapters are super long so it's easy to pick up and set down at convenience. It continued in my average month - ⭐⭐⭐
The Girl With Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story by Hyeonseo Lee
The true story of Hyeonseo Lee. Growing up in North Korea, she thought her life was good. Her family was respected and they were able to get some goods that others in the country couldn't. When she turned 15, she snuck over the border to visit relatives in China. She still believed that her country of North Korea was the best country and that the leader was her savior. But then she realized if she returned, her family would pay the price for her sneaking over the border and staying for as long as she did - being tortured, imprisoned or maybe even killed. So she stayed, learned Chinese and English and worked on surviving. 14 years later, she headed to South Korea and got asylum. She then began her quest to get her mom and brother over the border to join her. This is the story of her maturing in life - in age and viewpoint.
Ms Lee had a name change several times - sometimes by her choice and sometimes not. But through it all, she never forgot her family and her desire for them to have a better life. Through her book, she shows how easy it is to "settle" into the life you know. It was interesting to read how evil North Korea taught South Korea was and vice versa. She grew up basically being brain washed. How do you combat that and what opens a persons eyes to the fact that they have been under the control of a person who does not want what is best for you, but what is best for them. It was hard for her to believe their leaders lived in the luxury they did while the people of the country were struggling to have food.
It is an important book to make those of us who have grown up in freedom get a glimpse of how easy it is to have that taken away from you without even realizing it. It is scary how what sounds like a great idea and a wonderful plan for all is really not what is best. The "rules for thee and not for me" mentality of leadership and government. A cautionary tale. Thanks to my friend Marilyn for recommending this one. Well written ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last Flight by Julie Clark
From the outside Claire Cook's life looks perfect - a well known husband who is going to run for the senate, a nice house, a personal assistant, money. But as often is the case, things aren't what they appear to be. Claire's husband has a temper and he does not hold back from being physically abusive. Claire has decided enough is enough and has spent time planning her escape to Canada. Her plans make a detour and instead of Canada, she is left trying to figure out how to make her plan work. Then an encounter at the airport seems to be the answer. There Claire meets a woman, Eva, who is searching to disappear too. They switch tickets with Claire flying on Eva's ticket to Oaklawn, and Eva on Claires to Puerto Rico. But the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, killing all the crew and passengers leaving Claire seemingly in the clear. After all, she was on the manifest for that flight and confirmed as a passenger. Claire takes on Eva's identity but soon figures out that she may not have traded a bad life for a better one.
Even though the subject matter of this book is a hard one - physical abusive spouse and the life Eva left (which I don't want to put here because it could be a spoiler) - the book was still easy to read. I will say it was predictable in a lot of ways. I really thought there was going to be a twist at one point, but it was a false alarm. Some of the plot resolution could be seen as a stretch but you have to remember the events in the early part of the book to understand why it's not.
This book had gotten a lot of hype and I think because of that I expected more than what the book delivered. It wasn't bad - but it wasn't as good as I wanted. Another ⭐⭐⭐
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The story of a chance encounter with a reading list and how it transforms and connects two very different people. Mukesh is a widower who lives a quiet life. His 3 daughters call every day but he does not socialize much outside his house. He wants to have a relationship with his granddaughter, Priya, but she always has a book and spends her time reading. This is a little bittersweet to him as that was what his wife and Priya had in common - a love of reading and books. He, on the other hand, would rather watch documentaries. Aleisha is a teenager living with a mother who can't face the world and an older brother who she adores. They split care-taking chores for their mother. This is the break between school and Aleisha, at the urging of her brother, has taken a job at the library. For her it is a boring job and she is just passing time. That is until a series of events lead her to finding a random reading list. She didn't think much about it, but when Mukesh comes to the library in a desire to connect with his granddaughter and asks for a book recommendation, Aleisha remembers the list and decides to follow it. The result is a bond between the two as they read and discover not only the connection to each other, but a connection to the stories.
A library, a love of reading, emerging readers, discussions about books and all of it in the context of daily life - I was in my wheelhouse! This is a heartwarming story on so many levels. The relationship between the two generations, the love they both need and give each other, the support and the way they influence others is inspiring. I loved the way Sara Nisha Adams took specific books and showed how they applied to lives. The lessons that can be learned and how for each person it is a different lesson. I also liked how books can draw not only the two main characters, but many others together. There are sad tones in the book, more than I realized there would be going in, but the human spirit and connection is such a strong theme that in the end it is an encouraging book.
I recently was asked if I ever felt as if I should be reading "heavier" things - not so many non fiction stories. My response was no - I learn so much from the books I read. Just this month I learned a lot about loneliness and ways that I should be willing to help others, about families and how even though we can be very different from each other, we can still support each other in our unique way and try not to judge those we love the most the harshest. I was shown how memories of the same event/life may be different, but that doesn't mean any memory is wrong. It is just a different perspective. I was reminded that even though we pray, trust God and are trying our best to do what He would have us do, things aren't always going to be easy. I've been encouraged to not be caught up in the world of everyday jealousy - to be content with things and be happy for others in their success. Just a few of the ideas from some of my November books. This book shows how this is true for the characters and for the reader.
I heard of this book on a podcast - I'm not sure which one. And I really thought my friend, June, had recommended it but she told me she didn't. So if one of you did - thanks! This is a must read for all of us who love books and are thankful for the way they become a part of our lives. No surprises here - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
A memoir of a woman who finds herself in poverty, trying to work out of it. Stephanie Land had plans to go to college, but then she met Jamie. She ditched the college plans and moved in with him. Bad idea in that Jamie was verbally abusive. Not only that but when she was 29, she found herself pregnant and Jamie did not want to be a father. Stephanie insisted on putting his name on the birth certificate and moved back in with him. Jamie crossed the line between verbal and physical abuse and Stephanie finally left him. She found herself a single mom with no income except a small amount of child support from Jamie, and no fiscal support from family. She survived through government programs and working as a maid during the day, and pursuing college through online classes.
That is the basic set up for this book. If you read some of the set ups it states that this book "explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them." Let me say, I did not find that this book did that. This is her memoir - her life. I want to be clear that I know those in a lot of the service industries work the hardest and are the lowest paid. I also know that there is often a view of them "being less" that is not true. They are also often viewed as not that smart - another falsehood. I am also aware that it is hard to get yourself out of poverty in certain life situations. I am not in any way discounting any of that.
Now that I have that out of the way - let me address this book. I had problems with it on many levels. First off, Miss Land does not really take responsibility for any of her problems. While she is not solely responsible, she did make some bad choices. Ditching college, moving in with a man she barely knew (which she didn't learn her lesson and did it again later), making decisions that nullify some of the help she worked hard to get, among others. She blames others even including a little on her parents because they don't have enough money to help her. She complains that working 25 hours a week as a maid doesn't give her enough money to survive. Really? She's surprised that a part time job isn't enough? There are very few jobs that will pay enough for 25 hours of work that will support you and a child. She's not a teenager - she was 29 when she got pregnant. She was going to college. She should know this.
The part of the book that bothered me most though was what I am assuming was the "underbelly". Miss Land feels underappreciated because since she works through an agency the owners of many of the houses she cleans don't even know who she is. But she has evidently figured out who they are. A large portion of the book is her describing the people who lived in the houses. She has names for them - The Porn House, The Sad House, The Chef House, etc. She not only cleans, but since she goes too fast and needs to kill time, she snoops in the houses. Based on what she sees, she is able to tell us about the people who live there. For instance in The Porn House - the husband and wife have separate bedrooms. She snoops and finds Hustler magazines, thus the description of the house. Plus they have a refrigerator magnet that says they stay together for the cat. Based on these things she tells us about them, all assumptions. She also talks about how clean, neat, etc. people are. Based on that, she also can tell us about the people. Really?! I also became a little judgy about the way she spent some unexpected money. All this to say, this was not the book I expected.
I will give her credit for stepping out and working hard towards her degree. She is a determined individual and she has accomplished a lot - especially considering where she had found herself. My big takeaway from the book was that if I ever hire someone to clean my house, I will have indoor cameras installed. And make them sign a non disclosure agreement. 😉 It was well written so a generous ⭐⭐
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A classic story written in 1938. Our unnamed narrator is a new, young bride to an older wealthy man who she barely knows. They met as she was traveling as a lady with an older woman in Monte Carlo. Her husband, Maxim de Winter, is a recently widowed man with a large manor, Manderley. The many servants include Mrs. Danvers who adored Mr. de Winter's late wife, Rebecca. Our narrator is shadowed by Rebecca, whom she had never met but can feel the influence and the shadow of the beautiful woman.
This is billed as a psychological thriller. It does become that but after about half of the book. The first half of the book sets up the characters and their life. It is how you can understand where things are and a little bit about why. The second half it does become a little more of a psychological thriller, but to me it is more of a fiction with a little thriller/horror tone to it. It is well written - which you would know since it is a classic. I can see where it was an influence on stories to come. Except for some of the dialogue - especially between Maxim and our narrator - I often forgot that it was written in the 1930's. You do have to remind yourself of both the time written and the age difference though at times or you will be a little surprised at our narrator's reaction - or I should say non-reaction. You will also need to remember that when it comes to any discussions related to medical type things.
Only because I think I expected just a little different type story than it was (which seems to be a theme this month) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle
Hubert Bird is a widower who is alright living alone. He plans outings when there won't be that many people out and has made no effort to make friends. He is happy with his once a week call from his daughter who is living in Australia, Rose. To her, he paints a different picture of his life. It is one of a trio of friends that he is busy with doing all sorts of adventures. Which is all good until Rose tells him she is coming to see him in four months. Now Hubert has to figure out how he is going to cover his lie or tell the truth to his daughter. Luckily, he has a new neighbor, Ashleigh, who has decided she is going to meet her neighbors. Hubert sees this could be his way to making friends with others so his daughter won't be disappointed. Also through the story we learn of how Hubert ended up in England from Jamaica and glimpses of his life including the racism he faced in the past.
This is a book along the same theme as "The Book List" -lonely widower with no friends who has a younger girl help get him out into the world. Not only that, but both are set in England and the widowers, while from different countries, are both immigrants. Both have daughters that they talk to on the phone.
I did enjoy getting to know Hubert and the gang through ups and downs. It is a bittersweet story and we learn a lot of how Hubert became the person he did. There are some surprises along the way that are a little heartbreaking at times. But we also meet a lot of kind, even though some are a little quirky, people.
The story is written like so many in a one chapter "then", one chapter "now" format. I kept thinking that the particular "then" I was reading would relate in some way to the "now" chapter that followed. Until chapter 38 though it definitely could have read in chronological order. I think if he had done most of the "then" chapters together and then edited the last two to fit in to the now I would have enjoyed the story more. As it was, it felt a little disjointed. But that didn't detract from the story. So I ended the month with 2 books rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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