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readingwhilemommying
3.5 stars.
Gina Chung's debut novel is an inventive take on the "recently single woman tries to find herself after the breakup" trope—but this one adds some intriguing futuristic touches to the usual narrative.
Ro was just broken up with by her boyfriend Tae, who is going on a mission to colonize Mars. She finds comfort by spending time with Dolores, the grossly oversized octopus that's held at the mall aquarium where she works. Because of toxicity in the Bering Strait (now called the "Bering Vortex"), sealife like Dolores are adversely affected by the noxious chemicals in the water. Ro's father left his family repeatedly to travel to the Vortex and ended up disappearing on one of his trips when Ro was a teen.
Ro's coping mechanisms involve binge-drinking and shunning her best friend, whose upcoming marriage serves to amplify Ro's losses. Although Ro starts the novel on a self-destructive path, Chung wisely gives us glimpses into her childhood, where we see how her Korean-immigrants parents' dueling personalities and purposes caused them to neglect their daughter.
At times it felt like Ro's loss and self-loathing were so murky and suffocating that she would never find her way to the surface and overcome the depths of despair. Yet hope—and renewed purpose—do shine through a bit. This isn't a book that gives Ro easy answers or even an ending of complete closure. And some plot points felt too open-ended (Ro's habit of purposely drunk driving without consequence). Overall, though, I did like it and was absolutely compelled to read to the end. Chung has a distinct literary voice, and I'm intrigued about what story she'll tell next.
Gina Chung's debut novel is an inventive take on the "recently single woman tries to find herself after the breakup" trope—but this one adds some intriguing futuristic touches to the usual narrative.
Ro was just broken up with by her boyfriend Tae, who is going on a mission to colonize Mars. She finds comfort by spending time with Dolores, the grossly oversized octopus that's held at the mall aquarium where she works. Because of toxicity in the Bering Strait (now called the "Bering Vortex"), sealife like Dolores are adversely affected by the noxious chemicals in the water. Ro's father left his family repeatedly to travel to the Vortex and ended up disappearing on one of his trips when Ro was a teen.
Ro's coping mechanisms involve binge-drinking and shunning her best friend, whose upcoming marriage serves to amplify Ro's losses. Although Ro starts the novel on a self-destructive path, Chung wisely gives us glimpses into her childhood, where we see how her Korean-immigrants parents' dueling personalities and purposes caused them to neglect their daughter.
At times it felt like Ro's loss and self-loathing were so murky and suffocating that she would never find her way to the surface and overcome the depths of despair. Yet hope—and renewed purpose—do shine through a bit. This isn't a book that gives Ro easy answers or even an ending of complete closure. And some plot points felt too open-ended (Ro's habit of purposely drunk driving without consequence). Overall, though, I did like it and was absolutely compelled to read to the end. Chung has a distinct literary voice, and I'm intrigued about what story she'll tell next.
The fast-paced culture of social media—in all its canceling, shaming, and commenting notoriety—is explored with charm, humor, and heart in this witty novel by Jane Roper.
When Kathleen Held catches her politician husband cheating on her, a man snaps a photo of her in period-stained pants and it goes viral. Suddenly Kathleen is thrust into the national spotlight as #yeswebleed becomes first a hashtag and then a movement. Initially Kathleen is appalled by the attention but, after she inadvertently meets up with a "canceled" romance author who helps others overcome being canceled through her "Society of Shame," she tries to make the most of the madness. She also works to help her 12-year-old daughter deal with the attention, the messages of equality and women's rights tied to the experience, and her own feelings of self-worth and purpose.
Each chapter covers a day since the photo goes viral. This framing smartly mirrors the the frenetic pace of viral culture, and keeps the plot moving at a fast clip. I really loved this technique. It kept me on the edge of my seat re: what would happen next.
Roper has wisely structured the narrative to include various relationships and topics that let her speak to the realities of today. The idea of #yeswebleed explores the continued shaming of women for having their periods and women's right in general. Kathleen's recitation of the comments on social posts are hilarious not only because they're funny, but because they're accurate to the "everyone has something to say about everything" culture in which we live. And through Kathleen's relationship with her daughter, Roper also seems to subtly speak to the power of younger generations to maybe, just maybe change things so we see less public shame and more public empathy.
I really liked this clever, timely novel! It'll keep you interested in Kathleen's journey—and laughing all along the way.
When Kathleen Held catches her politician husband cheating on her, a man snaps a photo of her in period-stained pants and it goes viral. Suddenly Kathleen is thrust into the national spotlight as #yeswebleed becomes first a hashtag and then a movement. Initially Kathleen is appalled by the attention but, after she inadvertently meets up with a "canceled" romance author who helps others overcome being canceled through her "Society of Shame," she tries to make the most of the madness. She also works to help her 12-year-old daughter deal with the attention, the messages of equality and women's rights tied to the experience, and her own feelings of self-worth and purpose.
Each chapter covers a day since the photo goes viral. This framing smartly mirrors the the frenetic pace of viral culture, and keeps the plot moving at a fast clip. I really loved this technique. It kept me on the edge of my seat re: what would happen next.
Roper has wisely structured the narrative to include various relationships and topics that let her speak to the realities of today. The idea of #yeswebleed explores the continued shaming of women for having their periods and women's right in general. Kathleen's recitation of the comments on social posts are hilarious not only because they're funny, but because they're accurate to the "everyone has something to say about everything" culture in which we live. And through Kathleen's relationship with her daughter, Roper also seems to subtly speak to the power of younger generations to maybe, just maybe change things so we see less public shame and more public empathy.
I really liked this clever, timely novel! It'll keep you interested in Kathleen's journey—and laughing all along the way.
THE LAST HEIR TO BLACKWOOD LIBRARY BY HESTER FOX - 3.5 stars
You'll feel like you've been transported to the wet moors of 1920s Yorkshire when reading this moody, paranormal novel.
Ivy Radcliffe is an orphan living in London who learns that she's the only heir of a peerage in Yorkshire. Quickly, she's renamed Lady Hawthorne and living in a drafty, eerie house where things literally do go bump in the night. The evasive staff (including brooding chauffeur Ralph) and Ivy's increased forgetfulness keep things on edge, yet Ivy's discomfort is soothed by the house's big, gorgeous library. Yet all is not what it seems as paranormal forces from the past and evil in the present make Ivy their new target.
I loved all the talk of books and Ivy's goal of sharing her love of books with her new neighbors. Her romance with Ralph was intriguing, but since most of their courtship was not described on the pages (I don't want to spoil why this happens), it was hard to become invested in them. The novel started off strong with a rags-to-riches heroine, evocative prose, and a compelling mystery. Yet, in the last half of the book, things seem to drag a bit until it reached a too-pat-for-me ending. Still, if you love books about bibliophiles with a paranormal bent, this is a strong choice.
You'll feel like you've been transported to the wet moors of 1920s Yorkshire when reading this moody, paranormal novel.
Ivy Radcliffe is an orphan living in London who learns that she's the only heir of a peerage in Yorkshire. Quickly, she's renamed Lady Hawthorne and living in a drafty, eerie house where things literally do go bump in the night. The evasive staff (including brooding chauffeur Ralph) and Ivy's increased forgetfulness keep things on edge, yet Ivy's discomfort is soothed by the house's big, gorgeous library. Yet all is not what it seems as paranormal forces from the past and evil in the present make Ivy their new target.
I loved all the talk of books and Ivy's goal of sharing her love of books with her new neighbors. Her romance with Ralph was intriguing, but since most of their courtship was not described on the pages (I don't want to spoil why this happens), it was hard to become invested in them. The novel started off strong with a rags-to-riches heroine, evocative prose, and a compelling mystery. Yet, in the last half of the book, things seem to drag a bit until it reached a too-pat-for-me ending. Still, if you love books about bibliophiles with a paranormal bent, this is a strong choice.
How did a once-enslaved Black man become a famous musical performer, abolitionist, grocer, the rare 18th-century Black man to meet the King of England, and the first Black person to vote in the UK? Actor and playwright Joseph is going to tell you, and you're going to love the ride.
Based on a true historical figure, this novel takes Joseph's one-man show about "Sancho" and turns it into a rollicking first-person narrative that mixes info gleaned from Charles' actual diaries with fiction. I switched between the eBook and audio and Joseph's spirited narration is a joy. Sancho's story is fascinating, too. I love books that spotlight historical figures who haven't gotten much press, and when you mix in the diversity angle, it's especially compelling. Check this one out (esp on audio!)!
Based on a true historical figure, this novel takes Joseph's one-man show about "Sancho" and turns it into a rollicking first-person narrative that mixes info gleaned from Charles' actual diaries with fiction. I switched between the eBook and audio and Joseph's spirited narration is a joy. Sancho's story is fascinating, too. I love books that spotlight historical figures who haven't gotten much press, and when you mix in the diversity angle, it's especially compelling. Check this one out (esp on audio!)!
What a surprise this audiobook was! When I first read about it—a middle-aged woman navigates the dating world during the second Civil War—I was intrigued. 2nd Civil War? Dating during a dystopia? How will debut author Grillo make this all work?
Thankfully, she DOES make it work, & she does so with caustic humor & delicate heart. Hestia is a 42-year-old writer who lives in Baltimore, part of a politically purple state that’s part of the Union. Yes, America is in the midst of a second Civil War and a handful of states, mostly in the south, have seceded and formed the Confederated States. The world Grillo creates is our current divisive country on steroids (but, sadly, not too unfathomable). Hestia’s own adoptive parents, college professors who put academics over love, have moved to the CS, sympathizing with their cause. Hestia’s husband has done the opposite, disappearing for two years after her left to join a Union paramilitary group.
Amidst this turmoil, we have Hestia dating and conducting writing workshops for elderly residents in a senior facility. She’s not one of those “look at me grab life and make myself known” type of heroines. She’s ordinary. At first this bothered me, but when I realized the point, I was all-in. She behaves as most would in this situation...finding love and connection in a world that’s dangerous and lacking humanity. Her close bond with Mildred, a senior at the center, spotlights this overarching theme: What WILL you hold in your heart as you shuffle off this mortal coil? Politics? Resentment? Or will you, as Mildred does and Hestia learns to do, embrace the love, joys, and connections that create the core of being human?
This novel has a subtle heart beating beneath its flashy alternate reality. It’s clever, heartfelt, and funny. I loved it.
Thankfully, she DOES make it work, & she does so with caustic humor & delicate heart. Hestia is a 42-year-old writer who lives in Baltimore, part of a politically purple state that’s part of the Union. Yes, America is in the midst of a second Civil War and a handful of states, mostly in the south, have seceded and formed the Confederated States. The world Grillo creates is our current divisive country on steroids (but, sadly, not too unfathomable). Hestia’s own adoptive parents, college professors who put academics over love, have moved to the CS, sympathizing with their cause. Hestia’s husband has done the opposite, disappearing for two years after her left to join a Union paramilitary group.
Amidst this turmoil, we have Hestia dating and conducting writing workshops for elderly residents in a senior facility. She’s not one of those “look at me grab life and make myself known” type of heroines. She’s ordinary. At first this bothered me, but when I realized the point, I was all-in. She behaves as most would in this situation...finding love and connection in a world that’s dangerous and lacking humanity. Her close bond with Mildred, a senior at the center, spotlights this overarching theme: What WILL you hold in your heart as you shuffle off this mortal coil? Politics? Resentment? Or will you, as Mildred does and Hestia learns to do, embrace the love, joys, and connections that create the core of being human?
This novel has a subtle heart beating beneath its flashy alternate reality. It’s clever, heartfelt, and funny. I loved it.
Like his stellar Killers of the Flower Moon, Grann deftly examines a true story from history--in this case the wreck of and mutiny aboard a British man-of-war called the HMS Wager. It's the 1740s and, while on a mission to capture a Spanish ship and its treasures, The Wager is grounded on a deserted island near Patagonia. After months of fighting, death, and starvation, the remaining crew builds a flimsy boat and ends up making it to Brazil, where they are praised as heroes. Yet mere months later, three crew (one being John Byron, Lord Bryon's grandfather) claiming to be from The Wager show up, saying that the first boat was manned by mutineers.
In Grann's capable hands this shocking drama becomes an examination of life at sea at that particular moment in history and the horrors of human nature. He weaves in commentary from crew journals (John Byron's story is especially intriguing), while also sharing the ins-and-out of life on a boat. Within the front-row drama, Grann also explores the monarchy, imperialism, and class differences. All together, these threads create one compelling story.
I will admit; it didn't hit as well with me as Killers did (I think because that story had more complexity and intrigue to it), but I still enjoyed this nonfiction read.
In Grann's capable hands this shocking drama becomes an examination of life at sea at that particular moment in history and the horrors of human nature. He weaves in commentary from crew journals (John Byron's story is especially intriguing), while also sharing the ins-and-out of life on a boat. Within the front-row drama, Grann also explores the monarchy, imperialism, and class differences. All together, these threads create one compelling story.
I will admit; it didn't hit as well with me as Killers did (I think because that story had more complexity and intrigue to it), but I still enjoyed this nonfiction read.