My Summer Reads (and a Listen)

 My summer reads have been a bit lighter than my usual fare, and I have to say that I enjoyed them thoroughly. 

The first one was Sex and Vanity, by Kevin Kwan (the Crazy Rich Asians author). It's a romantic story about very rich people, in jet set locations such as Capri and the Hamptons, but it also weaves in a storyline of racism and a satire of status-obsessed snobs. It's a well written book and a delight to read, it could have been slightly shorter, but nevertheless it was the perfect beach read, particularly read on a beach not too far from the Hamptons (but still a world away). I expect this to be made into a rom-com movie. 

The second book was Beach Read by Emily Henry. I loved this one! So fun, like laugh-out-loud fun, and a nicely building romance. Also well written and a delight to read. A perfect COVID-escape. If I had anything to critique about this book, it's the name which is a bit confusing. I will definitely check out future books from Emily Henry. 

The third one was an audio book that I listened to mostly on long walks with my dog Coco. Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I don't know if I would have enjoyed reading the book, it's possible that I wouldn't have, but it was perfect for listening. I guess this book is in the self help category. I didn't pick it because I needed the help, but because it was all over the internet and it popped up as available on my Libby app. I did enjoy listening to it, and it definitely had a good message to be true to yourself, be brave in not conforming to what society or other people expect from you, but living your truth. The focus was on women and the ridiculous expectations on girls and women. Good reminder to listen to your heart, and not let the pressure get to you. 

Books: Little Fires Everywhere

I finished this book in the plane coming back from Nevada, so I guess it's ok to sandwich the review in between my travel diary entries (yes there is till more to come of our little winter break trip - a whole lot of pictures that all look alike from the great and grand Grand Canyon).

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng was one of those books that I picked up because it got so much praise everywhere. It was named the best book of the year (2017) by Goodreads, and a number of magazines and newspapers, among them The Washington Post, so I figured that this must be a good book. Despite the hype I didn't know much of the story, plot or the characters before I began to read so I started from a clean slate in that regard. This was the first book I read by Celeste Ng. Maybe because of the praise I felt it was slightly a let down. Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderfully written book. The language is crisp and beautiful and the characters really come to life. However, I had an issue with the major set-up, or the question of who set up the fire, and it just didn't somehow catch my interest fully, or in the end seem that plausible or even important. One of the major themes of the book is motherhood, and I found agreeing and also disagreeing with the book's premises relating to motherhood. I think the worst thing for me was that I didn't fully like either of the main characters. However, the book did make me think and got under my skin, so I guess that's a good thing. Also the way the book described the town and the environment's impact on the residents was great. All in all, I'd give this a solid four stars.

Book Review: Fire and Fury

I’m trying to keep up and document each book I read, so here goes another book review. I finished Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury Inside the Trump White House in the plane coming back from California. Unless you’re really living under a rock you’ve heard about this book when it came out in early January. There was a big media circus because Trump reportedly tried to stop its publication. 

The book promises shocking revelations about the Trump campaign, presidency and white house dysfunction. To me it wasn’t really that shocking. Maybe because my opinion about Trump is so low that I find nothing about him shocking anymore, or maybe because I've been following the news in quiet (or not so quiet) desperation. But it is very interesting to get a confirmation to the suspicion that he really did not intend to win the election, was not planning to be a president, and that he has no clue about any policy issues, nor any interest or patience to learn about them. He really just is all about sound bites, ranting and raving, and acting whichever way he thinks will bring him the most instant gratification. 

The book spends a lot of time discussing the warring factions of the white house, where it seems nobody is working together towards the same goals, but everyone is just grabbing power and working cross purposes in utter dysfunction. For us democrats that’s good news as it means that they (republicans) won’t be able to get much (damage) done. 

Although the writing is good on its face (and the vocabulary is interesting - I think I learned a few new words), the book was a little tedious at times, went off in tangents that didn't always add much to the story, and was very repetitious. The book could have lost at least a third of its length to good editing. However, I think it's an important book to read if you are interested in politics and really want to understand the current president and the people around him. 

Books I've Read Recently II: The Rules of Magic

The second book I read in January was Alice Hoffman's The Rules of Magic. I read it without knowing that it's actually a prequel to Hoffman's previous book, Practical Magic, which I have not read. Since I liked the Rules of Magic, I now may have to read Practical Magic too.
The Rules of Magic tells about siblings from New York City who were born to a family that has witches in their bloodline, and a curse about falling in love. The book is a pretty simple love story and coming of age story jumping between two sisters and a brother. I like Hoffman's style of writing, which is like a fairy tale for adults. This book is a little confection, mostly light and sweet and delectable. The characters are likable, well developed and I had a hard time putting the book down. I have a few books on my reading list, but I will definitely add Practical Magic to that list too.

Books I've Read Recently: The Address

The Address by Fiona Davis was the first book I read this year. I started on the christmas break and finished soon after New Year's. It's a fun book to read, particularly for someone who lives and/or works in New York City. The story moves parallel in 1884 and 1985, and it was fascinating to read about the description of New York more than a hundred years ago. The story is set in the Dakota apartment building, made famous by John Lennon's murder (he lived there, and Yoko Ono still lives there), and many other celebrities having lived there. The story is a love story and a murder mystery, and it moves very comfortably between the two eras. I also learned something new about New York City history by reading the book, particularly the history of the Roosevelt Island asylum, where conditions where horrendous in the late 1800's. I liked the book so much that I have plans to read Fiona Davis' previous book, The Dollhouse, as well.

Books I have read recently: The Story of a Beautiful Girl

Clarification: Take the term "recently" in the title to mean a timeframe meaning the past few months. I've been so lazy blogging that I haven't documented any of the books I've read, which have been numerous. Anyway, I will try to remedy the situation by picking a few of the best books to share.

The first is the Story of the Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. This book came out in 2012, and my cousin mentioned it to me a while back. I finally read it this past summer and it's a lovely book written about a topic that hasn't got a lot of coverage in the world of literature. It's the story of a girl with developmental disability, and her love story with a deaf man. It's also the story of the institutions that housed people with developmental disabilities, and the horrible things that happened in those places. I felt the book captured the voice and feeling of its subjects well although it's not the most sophisticated writing. It's full of humanity, and understanding. I highly recommend this book.