Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Traveling the World through Books
Happy
almost October. I am so ready for sweater weather and hearty dinners.
Although the temperatures still say summer, the leaves are starting to
change, and I feel the hints of fall.
I had an
unexpectedly busy September, which has really eaten into my blogging
time. I don't seem to have the energy to write reviews or spotlights
after a long day. It's a dilemma because I have a ton of great books to
talk about in October. I'm hoping to up my game either here or on
Instagram or Litsy. We'll see how I do.
We haven't been
watching too much on television. We're about halfway done with Ken
Burns's series on country music. Even if you aren't a country music fan
(I'm not either), it's a fascinating documentary of America and the
music industry.
Here's what I've read and listened to in the last two weeks.
Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai
(Little, Brown YR, Sept. 10): This is a fun, light contemporary novel
about a first-generation Punjabi American teen who dreams of being an
artist. Simi, however, is pressured to follow the path of generations of
women in her family and become a professional matchmaker. With help
from her older brother (who's a whiz at coding) and relying on the
matchmaking wisdom she's learned from her mother, aunt, and grandmother,
Simi decides to take the family business into the twenty-first century.
She and her best friend, Noah, devise a dating app that's geared
specifically to the kids in their high school. As Simi and Noah (who's
gay) help others find their soulmates, their popularity increases, until
the coolest girl in the class is upset that she wasn't matched with the
coolest guy. When Amanda begins her defamation plan, Simi and Noah have
a whole new set of problems, some of which test their long friendship.
Great themes of staying true to oneself, being honest, friendship,
family, young love, and finding balance between family traditions and
the modern age. Simi and Noah's relationship is believable, as are the
plot lines of young love. Simi's family life and the differences between
the generations also rings true. The unabridged audiobook (Hachette
Audio; 7 hr, 2 min) was well read by Priya Ayyar, who smoothly
transitioned between teen and adult voices and American and Indian
accents. She picked up on the emotions and personalities of the
characters, making it easy to root for Simi and Noah and boo the mean
kids. (audio copy provided by the publisher)
The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea
(Harper, Sept. 3): Set in the late 17th century in Iceland, this
haunting novel examines the choices a young woman makes after her father
suddenly dies and her mother becomes sick. Facing a bleak future, Rosa
agrees to marry Jon, a wealthy farmer and trader, who lives in a distant
town near the sea. In return for leaving her beloved village and being
obedient, Jon has agreed to provide for Rosa's mother, ensuring the
older woman's survival. Rosa's marriage is haunted by the uncertain
circumstances of Jon's first wife's death, her husband's distance and
coldness, and her extreme loneliness. The story is infused with the
Icelandic landscape and focuses on the edge of change or maybe the edge
of changing states: Christianity and the old Norse gods, girlhood and
womanhood, single and married, married and widowed, love and friendship,
woman and mother, insider and outsider, life and death. Although
primarily a character-driven novel, the book includes some drama as well
as mystery. I really liked this and have continued to think about Rosa.
The unabridged audiobook (Harper Audio;11 hr, 18 min) was read by Heiða
Reed and Smari Gunn, who set the mood and pace of the story, and nicely
avoided foreshadowing. I appreciated hearing the correct pronunciations
of the Icelandic names and words. (print and audio copies provided by
the publisher)
Fever Year: The Killer Flu of 1918 by Dan Brown
(HMH Books YR, Sept. 3): A graphic nonfiction look at the spread,
aftermath, and cause of the great flue pandemic of 1918. I don't know
why I have a fascination with the Spanish flu -- maybe because it acted
as a modern-day plague, killing many more people across the globe than
the Great War. Brown (who also illustrated the comic), lays out the
pandemic in three parts: In Act I the flu wasn't any more deadly than
any other flu, but it spread quickly as troops returned home from war in
Europe. No one really knows where it started or its origins, but it was
likely from an animal source and may have first shown up in the eastern
United States. In Act II, the flu came back with a vengeance, was more
deadly than any other flu ever seen, and seemed to strike young adults
most strongly (unlike usual flu, which is worse for the very young and
very old). Act III came later, when the Spanish flu reared its ugly
head several more times in the following few years. The plot of Fever Year
is a little disjointed, but the book serves as a good introduction to
the pandemic. The artwork is in muted colors, befitting the event; the
expressions on people's faces clearly convey emotions, and period
details are evident. The book concludes with a short look at biological
research into the Spanish flu and a good bibliography for readers who
want to know to more. Recommended. (review copy provided by the
publisher)
Death of a Gentle Lady by M. C. Beaton
(Blackstone Audio; 2008; 5 hr, 31 min): This is the 23rd entry in the
Hamish Macbeth mystery series set in Scottish Highlands. As you know, I
just love these cozy mysteries, in which village copper Hamish Macbeth
solves murders, helps his neighbors, has bad luck in love, and avoids
getting promoted to the city. There's quite a bit of action in this
book, and the murder mystery was well set up, with a few believable red
herrings. Hamish's personal life plays a large role and includes his
ongoing dealings with his personal nemesis, big-city detective Blair, as
well as some complications in his love life. Lots of fun, and I'm
looking forward to the next installment. The audiobook is read by Graeme
Malcolm, who captures the personalities of the townsfolk and keeps the
story moving. These quick listens are perfect escape books. (borrowed
from the library)
The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
(Little, Brown, Sept. 24): What happens when a lonely, insecure Israeli
girl mistakenly cries wolf but is slow to tell the truth?
Seventeen-year-old Nofar has had it with her summer job scooping ice
cream, with being outshone by her perfect younger sister, and with
feeling lonely since her childhood friend graduated to the cool kid
group. After an altercation with a male customer, Nofar reaches her
breaking point: she storms out of the store into the back alley; when
the man follows her, she screams. Witnesses assume the worse, and Nofar,
in shock and humiliation, fails to correct them. The man goes to jail
to await trial on charges of sexually assaulting a minor. I really
wanted to like this story of Nofar's struggles to balance her newfound
fame and popularity with doing what's right to save her "assailant" from
serving time. I, however, could not relate to how far she let things
go. There are several other liars who cross paths with Nofar, and I
didn't much care for them either. I had issues with the ending as well
(I can't get into detail without spoiling the book), because the lesson
almost seems to say, lying pays. I was not sold. The unabridged
audiobook (Hachette Audio; 8 hr, 14 min) was very well read by Ajjaz
Awad. This was my first experience with her. Her performance was fine
and her pronunciation of the names, Hebrew, and Yiddish seemed
believable. On the other hand, her British accent seemed off in a book
set in Israel. (audio copy provided by the publisher)
