Creatures
by Crissy Van Meter
Nothing worked (10/20/2019)
I'm sorry, but nothing about this book worked for me. I was not able to attach to any of the main characters and in fact disliked them. I felt some empathy for Evie given the parents she had - crazy, mostly absent mother and charismatic but drug addicted, drunk for a father but the empathy didn't make me feel anything positive about her. And why did we have descriptions of different kinds of whales? I don't need books to be happy and light but I need characters with some qualities I can appreciate even if I don't like them. I may have missed the deeper meaning in this book and look forward to what others have to say.
Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree , Katie McCabe
A Life With Purpose (10/3/2019)
Mighty Justice is a well written, well researched and powerful book about the life of Dovey Johnson Roundtree, a major force in the civil rights movement. She had the courage to take on the white establishment in a life long struggle for justice for the common Black man. Her strength and perseverance give us all a lesson in what it means to believe in something so strongly that we never give up no matter how many times we are pushed down. I don't understand why she does not have a prominent role in American history. I absolutely enjoyed the book, would recommend to book clubs for the conversation it will stimulate, particularly in this time when the old Jim Crow South seems to be gaining strength. It's a book about empowerment and should be read by all who want justice and equality to be the norm, not something that must be fought for.
The Shadow King: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste
Strong women lead (6/29/2019)
This book reflects the brutality of war, you feel it but the language is so beautiful you can get through the brutality. The women in the book are strong and you feel their fierceness as they fight for the common cause of saving their country, their world. I'm a historic fiction addict and am always satisfied when I come away having read something that teaches me an important part of history. It takes time to read because you need to absorb it, not rush through it. Recommend it to your strong women friends. They will thank you.
Beirut Hellfire Society
by Rawi Hage
War in Beirut (5/15/2019)
Worn torn Beirut during the civil war of the 1970s is the setting for the book and the author makes very clear that is was a vicious place to live. People were deprived, depraved, humanity got lost, those that lived on the fringes were frightened, abused and murdered. The book is dark with a warped sense of humor. It's a disturbing book but the prose kept me reading. I felt it was an important book to read because it made the impact of war very real and given the state of the world, I think we all need to understand what war does to lives. This description of a young woman wondering aimlessly provides good insight into the life of this book. "She sat on the ground, covered in blood. She had lost her entire family, she told him. She screamed then laughed and then she lost her mind". The prose and the author's style make me want to read more books by Rami Hage.
A People's History of Heaven
by Mathangi Subramanian
Heaven (2/20/2019)
I loved this book. It's a book about girls and women who have nothing but their friendships, their desire for something better and their absolute devotion to one another. One is nearly blind, one is gay, one is transsexual - all are poor. The book takes you on a journey through their lives and their fight to save Heaven, the slum that is their home. Sit with them a while and get lost in the beautiful prose that describes the colors, sights and sounds of the world they live in. You will be blessed by having shared time with them.
The Affairs of the Falcóns
by Melissa Rivero
Timely (12/21/2018)
The subject matter of this book could not be more timely. The author's descriptions of the dilemmas faced by the immigrants on a daily basis gave me a much better understanding of the difficulty in their lives. But, I never felt attached to or invested in the people whose struggles I was reading about even though I sympathized with those struggles. I wonder if it would have worked better for me had I known the meaning of the foreign words thrown in on a regular basis. I hope the author continues to write because she definitely has talent.
Meet Me at the Museum
by Anne Youngson
Breath of fresh air (4/4/2018)
This book was gentle on my soul. It does not grab you and smack you but leads you on a leisurely stroll into two peoples lives and their growing friendship. It provided a welcome respite from some of the heavier genres that are popular right now although certainly not fluff. Character driven. Real life descriptions of the two main characters lives - joys, sorrows, fears, celebrations. A book to be savored.
The Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected Adventure
by Shoba Narayan
Pleasant surprise (12/12/2017)
This book had much more depth than I expected, it's a memoir, not a fluff book. I could taste and smell the milk, see the people, see the cows faces and look into their eyes. The author's descriptions were so vivid. Who would have thought there were so many kinds of cows, that their milk tastes different based on what they eat, where they live, how they are treated. And I definitely have a new respect for those that tend and milk the cows. The cows are members of their family - life in India made real. Thank you.
