The books in the top picture are books I own and the other are library books. I am using the library more which is making it difficult to read my shelves. I am trying to balance between the two. It's just so tempting to get a book from the library when I see a recommendation. Am I the only one with the - "Oh look - another book" problem??
As always, I welcome your feedback. Here's my thoughts -
Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger
This is the latest Cork book, and is a prequel. Cork is a 12 year old boy in this story. His dad is the sheriff and is dealing with the hanging of a man and a girl who disappeared. The hanging of the man appears to have been a suicide. But both Cork and his father, Liam, are not convinced. The disappearance of the young girl may or may not be part of the answer. And to add to the tensions, both are Native Americans. Cork and his friends are determined to do their own investigation. Cork and Liam both have to deal with whether to listen to their head or their heart. It is a coming of age story that highlights the relationship between a boy and his dad.
With this being the latest book of the series, I am now having to wait for the release of the next one which I'm sure is close to a year away. This book is another well written one by William Kent Krueger. I will say my biggest issue while reading was reminding myself that the boy was Cork. I kept picturing Liam as Cork. A prequel this far in the series messed with my mind.
This book made me think about several things. The conclusions that Liam and others moved to showed how we can have prejudices without being aware of them. We often make assumptions based on preconceived ideas. The important thing is how do we react when the light is shined on this prejudices.
Another area that stood out was with the family and the bond there is. It is interesting that at times it is hard to express our love to those we love the most. There are also perceptions between family members and about each other that often are not true. We are just going on a speck of what we see.
Guilt is covered in this story - we often feel guilt because we believe we should have been more aware or done more. We often ignore that many times we do the best we know to do, at that time based on what we know. We can't save everybody and we must accept that. Cork is told to "follow the crumbs" when he is trying to solve the mystery. At times he found himself stepping on the crumbs and didn't pay attention to the clues because he was focused on other things. Also, there is wisdom in giving someone room to figure it out for themselves. We don't have all the answers, so we shouldn't be giving all the answers to others.
The last thing that stood out to me is the way things have changed. Cork and his friends are allowed to go in the wilderness with no method to stay in contact with them. That seems so scary and irresponsible now, but then it seemed a normal part of life.
Another good one - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Set in Afghanistan, the story of two young boys, Amir and Hassan. As young boys they were as close as brothers, until a childhood incident that tears them apart. Amir is a man living in California when he gets a call to come home. The story flashes back and tells the life story of Amir - his relationship not only with Hassan, but also his father, the politics that the country is embroiled in and the pressures that come growing up.
This was my book club read for the month. I had read this in 2007 so gave it a re-read. This book is another one that looks at the relationship with a father and son such as how do each express love for the other, what perceptions does Amir have about his father that may or may not be true, what will each do for the other. It is also the story of friendship, peer pressure, jealousy and fear. The childhood incident both times left me conflicted as to if it could have been avoided. While this is an older book and many of you may have read it, I don't want to have any spoilers, so will just leave it there.
Both times I read this I gave it ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
Who do you call when you accidently kill your blind date? Your mom and aunts of course! Meddelin Chan is the good daughter who gave up her chance of happiness to stay home with her meddlesome mom and aunts. When her blind date turns into murder, she drives home with the body in the trunk and calls on these same women to help her dispose of the body.
All of the women are involved in the wedding industry and have one of the biggest weddings of the year the next day. They come up with a plan to leave the body in a cake cooler at the bakery until after the wedding. Unfortunately an eager employee takes the cooler to the island where the wedding will be, resulting in a series of events as they try to get rid of, or at least hide the body. All of this is magnified when Meddelin discovers her college boyfriend who was the love of her life is the manager of the hotel where the wedding is taking place.
This book is along the lines of "Weekend at Bernies". It was a good book to read after 2 "heavier" reads. There isn't a lot to learn from it unless you want a "how not to dispose of a body" manual. It is a little bit of a slapstick comedy (at times I could hear the ba-bump-ba of a drum) and there are not great mysteries. I read this book while we were flying to California, so finished it in a day. It was a fun book, but I don't plan on reading any more in the series.
⭐⭐⭐
We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten. Jen was a white girl whose mom was absent most of the time and Riley was a black girl with a strong family support. Race didn't matter to these two girls, their friendship was the important thing. They are both now grown with their paths in life going different ways. Jen is a stay at home soon to be mom married to a policeman. Riley is an up and coming TV newscaster. They have just recently been back in the same city and are reconnecting when Jen's husband shoots and kills a young black man. This leads to challenges to the friendship and an examination of it.
I was really looking forward to this book. I loved the premise of the book and the description of the plot. It is written by 2 women who are friends, with one being black and one white. Each wrote the character of their race. I think I set myself up through my expectations to be disappointed. This book felt shallow - touching the surface instead of diving in. I expected a balanced view from both sides, but it often felt one sided with Riley's voice being the prominent one. It was more of an agenda driven book while I expected a book that let the reader figure it out for themselves.
There were truths and things that made me think and be a little introspective. The thing that surprised me most was Riley's view of Jen at times. I know that in my life race hasn't been a huge focus in that I don't dissect what someone says in that vein. I can understand why that occurs, and Riley does go back and look at several things in her relationship with Jen and puts meanings behind them that I don't think were true. However, this book does not go deep enough into their past friendship for me to know for sure.
I did think about that. How my view of how I am treating someone - no matter what race - and their view of my motivation or true meaning may be different. I need to be the type person who will listen to their concerns if that happens. I would hate to have a decades long friendship that at the end of the day the other person felt I had done things to demean them.
Because my expectations were high and I was disappointed - ⭐⭐⭐
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
On the outside the Merton family looks like a normal, happy family. They live in upstate New York, in an expensive home, but that doesn't shelter them from a killer. On Easter, after a meal with their 3 grown children, someone kills Fred and Sheila Merton. The children aren't exactly devastated. They each stand to inherit a lot of money and none have an ironclad alibi. Their childhood was not the idyllic one that it appeared to be. A father that was overdemanding and cruel and a neglectful mom was the truth. Did one of the kids do it? Did someone else? What is the truth?
I liked a lot about this book. What I struggled with was either the writing style or the editing. The book jumped between scenes too fast. Just as I was getting into what was going on - poof! On to another scene with different characters. It wasn't a shallow story per se, but it also seemed to lack depth because of that.
I liked the character development. I was totally drawn in to analyzing each of them. I tried to figure out their motives and what type person they really were. I liked seeing how the siblings reacted to each other. I think it was typical of how siblings are at times, even though it may have been a little to the extreme. I liked the mystery of the "who dun it?" I switched back and forth with my opinion through out the book and I think the way it developed to the ending made sense. (If you've read any of my reviews you know that I'm ok being surprised with an ending - but it has to fit the rest of the story.)
I just couldn't get past the lack of a good flow to rate higher than average. ⭐⭐⭐
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
In this book Elizabeth Strout brings back Lucy Barton, this time reflecting on her first husband William. Lucy recounts the parts of this relationship - back to the beginning and up to the current. They have remained friends through the years and are there for each other still. Theirs is a decades long relationship that gives Lucy a lot to think back on, all the while thinking of the nature of life.
I enjoyed my time connecting with Lucy again. She is one of those people that I think I would like to have as a friend. Her life was not easy growing up, but she persevered and overcame. But of course, that is still always in the background. It was interesting reading of her connection with William. Theirs is a relationship of deep friendship and she knows him so well. I think we all at times look at someone we are close to and just think Oh ______!
I have read several books by Ms Strout and her style speaks to me. She develops a character in such a way that they are real people to me. She has a quiet, easy way with words that I appreciate.
No surprise here - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
On the Bright Side by Hendrik Groen
The subtitle to this is "The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old" and that is exactly what it is. A year after Hendriks' last diary, he decided to keep another one. The Old-But-Not-Dead Club is back, this time trying to determine if their home is set for closure and how they can prevent it.
I enjoyed the first book in this series. I felt as if I knew the characters and several times I found myself laughing out loud. While this book was ok - it felt like many sequels to hit movies that fall a little flat and miss the mark. I guess there are only so many situations that can occur in a home for the elderly. Many of the things I read felt like they had happened before. There were fewer laugh out loud moments, in fact I'm not sure if I ever did. It also felt a little disconnected at times. There were a few new residents and they added a new perspective to some of the day to day activities. So not a horrible book by any means, just not as good as the first.
⭐⭐⭐
We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly
Ash and Pia move to "The Upper Kingdom" of Vermont from Brooklyn with the goal of a simpler life, somewhat off the grid. Ash is an architect who can work from home while Pia is more of a free spirit. Little do they know that soon after they settle in their dream farmhouse, a superstorm will hit the eastern part of the USA. The way they each handle the preparation and the storm reflects the way the entire town does with "preppers" going to war with the locals over which is the best way. It also uncovers the differences in Ash and Pia and exposes the cracks in the relationship.
My big disappointment for this month. I trudged through this book. It moved slowly - which maybe was a metaphor for the storm movement, but it didn't hit the right note with me. There are a lot of characters in this book and I honestly didn't really care about any of them except for one - the neighbor boy.
The one thing that kept my attention was the way that the community reacted. As it states in the summary, there was a wide range of ideas about what to do. The "preppers" were pretty much about being self-sufficient. They were focused on what was best for them, even at the expense of others. Other people were more focused on what would be best for the common good. But there was still a little of a selfish element to that. And should one or the other force others to do what they think is best? Once the storm came, it was interesting to see the reactions to it. And for all the preparation, bottom line was in the title - they were unprepared.
There may be a little parallel with our life recently amid Covid. We all have different views as to how it should be handled. It has also caused divisions not only in groups but in families. This story reinforces that when disaster strikes there may not be a right way and a wrong way. We need to be kind and try to help others deal with it, but at the same time not be condescending of those who handle it differently than we do.
Enough to keep it from a DNF or the lowest star but not that good - ⭐⭐
Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens
Boady Sanden is a 15 year old boy who has grown up in the Ozark hills of Missouri. He has been raised by his widowed mother and is ready to move on and leave for a better place. It's the 1960's and he is a freshman in High School. Boady has been saving money and is counting down the days. Boady does not seem to fit in, especially at his new school. In fact, he is the target of bullying. As summer comes, he is just happy to have a break and be able to make more money so he can leave earlier.
Things change when Thomas Elgin moves in across the road. Thomas is Boady's age with a lot of the same interests as Boady. The big difference is that Thomas family is black and this is an age and town of "us" and "them". Boady's relationship with Thomas opens his eyes to the lines of race and class, and wrong and right. Boady is forced to come to terms with these things not only in the community but also in his life.
This is all set within a background of secrets. Boady's neighbor, who is a mentor to him, has secrets, his mothers boss has secrets and then somebody has a big secret as to what happened to Lida Poe. She is a black woman who kept the books at the local plastic company and has disappeared, $100,000 of the company money has disappeared too. All of this weaves together to tell this coming of age story.
There are so many issues addressed in this book. There's racism, bullying, violence, prejudice and other issues. The best thing about this book is that all of this is covered in a way that lays it out in the open for the reader to see for themselves what is right and what is wrong. There does not appear to be an agenda and it is not a preachy book. It is able to get the point made through the story. This is the type book that makes you internalize things. Through the history of things that happened in the past and honestly are happening today just not as open, it causes a person to see the ugliness and leads you to resolve to do all you can to stop it.
The story is a good one. The characters unfolded as the story developed. Little by little I got to know them and appreciate the people they are. I could feel so many things while reading this book. It is one of those that when it was over I may have actually hugged the book. I've now read 3 of Mr. Eskin's books and I have liked everyone of them.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts
In 1954 Annie Wilkins found herself at the age of 64 to be alone with no family. She was losing her family farm due to non-payment of taxes. She had also gotten a dire medical diagnosis. Through all this, Annie recalls her mothers wish to see the ocean in California. Annie decides to set out on her horse and ride from Maine to California to pursue her mothers dream. This is a true story of the journey across America - the people she met, the course she took and most of the time, the kindness of strangers.
Annie was a strong woman. She took off at a time way before GPS, cell phones, internet reservations, etc. Hers was a desperate act of sorts. She had the choice to live in a group home or with friends as she was losing her home. Her choice was to do neither. She is a good example of taking a leap of faith and sticking with it through the hardships and the good times. I had no idea that this ride had ever happened. It started shortly before I was born so I didn't really live at that time. Steadfastness and continuing even through fear are qualities I see in Annie and should incorporate more in my life.
I have a love/hate relationship with non-fiction as a whole. I like to look at "real life" and learn but at the same time the way non-fiction books are written are often a snooze fest for me. My favorites are those that are more narrative in nature and this book hit that spot. There were the side trips through things happening at the same time or other descriptions but for the most part the book follows Annie's story with no long distractions.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
Bree Cabat finds herself, despite having it all, in the midst of a mother's worse nightmare. Her baby boy is missing, having been taken by a stranger. It happened so quickly and in a place where she felt safe. In the baby's place is a note that she is being watched and if she doesn't follow the plan exactly as it will be laid out for her, the baby will be killed. The woman who took her son calls and Bree discovers that she is a mother too. Bree surprisingly feels a sort of connection to the woman because of this but cannot understand what would drive the kidnapper to do this. If Bree wants to see her son, she is given one task. While not harmless, it doesn't seem like it could be that bad, but tragedy strikes sending Bree into a tangled web.
Bree will do whatever it takes for her family. Little does she know the price that will be required and the decision she will have to make.
There is so much I like about this book. The story kept me engaged. I was caught up in fear and trying to solve the mystery of why the Cabat baby was taken. I found some of Bree's decisions to be questionable, but at the same time I understood her desperation. I would ask myself what I would have done and honestly I don't know. It's hard to think of the evil in the world that is depicted here but as a mother it's never completely surprising what they would do for them.
Ms Jackson is another author that I have read several of her books - 10 or so. I enjoy her books. They tell good stories and I do relate to the characters and care about them. My only complaint of this book is the ending. It was a little neat - it felt like the easy ending. Again no spoilers, and you might love the ending. I am one of those strange people who are ok with messy as an ending to some stories and this was one I was in hopes would be that way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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