Book Review: My Parents' Marriage by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

 

I heard Nana read aloud a passage from My Parents' Marriage in a writing group I belong to, and my first thoughts were “The writing is so beautiful” and “I have to read this novel.” When the novel was published, I read it quickly because the plot was engrossing and the writing lyrical.

One theme in the novel is plural marriage. Because I know several women who have had their lives affected by plural marriage, I wanted to find out how Nana handled it in her book. She explored the pain and reverberating effects of plural marriages on the wives and their children with deftness and compassion. In the end, I enjoyed this novel and I came away from it a changed person.

A five-star read.

 Here’s the novel’s blurb:

 Determined to avoid the pain and instability of her parents’ turbulent, confusing marriage, Kokui marries a man far different from her loving, philandering, self-made father—and tries to be a different kind of wife from her mother.

 But when Kokui and her husband leave Ghana to make a new life for themselves in America, she finds history repeating itself. Her marriage failing, she is called home to Ghana when her father dies. Back in her childhood home, which feels both familiar and discomforting, she comes to realize that to exorcize the ghosts of her parents’ marriage she must confront them to enable her healing.

 Tender and illuminating, warm and bittersweet My Parents’ Marriage is a compelling story of family, community, class, and self-identity from an author with deep empathy and a generous heart.

Book Review: I Worked Hard on That!

I've read a LOT of children's books over the years—everything from Tikki Tikki Tembo to The Stinky Cheese Man to Dr. Suess’s poem “The Pale Green Pants.” So, I thought there weren't any new ideas left in children’s books. But Robyn Wall proved me wrong. Her new children’s book I Worked Hard on That! takes the reader on a delightful journey with a spider named Kiara as she spins her webs and learns about beauty and creativity. 

When I began writing, I wish I’d known how the journey of creativity goes. How each experiment in making something new leads you on an exploration that hones your skills and voice. But don’t think the creativity journey is only for writers and artists. The same principles apply to writing a mathematics proof, programming, even engineering.

And  I must mention the illustrations by A.N. Kang are gorgeous—they tell the story in pictures as Kiara’s webs grow more beautiful along the way.  

 I’d encourage you to pick up this book for a child you love. Or, buy it for yourself--you’ll love it. 

Book Review, What She Takes Away

 What She Takes Away is a heart-wrenching, debut novel, which explores the warp and weft of the lives of Gia and her estranged family in the village of Castel Barberini, when she returns to Italy for Milan’s Fashion Week.

As I read the novel, I was impressed with the novel’s pacing, character development, and artistry. I was transported by the Italian setting, which is so integral to the plot and characters that this story could not exist in any other time or place.

Ms. Annesi adds another dimension to her novel. An artisan fabric that weaves itself into all aspects of the plot, becomes not only a metaphor for the characters’ growth, but a character itself. It is only as the shuttle interlaces people in its web that we see the beautiful couture silk of Gia’s dress and life.

Highly recommended!  Click here to see the novel on Amazon.

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, Book Review

 

Notes On Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach

     The title of this novel could give the impression that it is a thriller—it’s not. It's something more. Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance tells the story of Kathy’s accidental death and whether her sister Sally, her family, or her boyfriend Billy will survive the guilt that haunts them.

     This elegantly written novel is about more than a single deadly accident. In its pages, the reader experiences four subsequent accidents in slow-motion—the unfolding tragedies of four ruined lives. The reactions of Kathy’s parents, Sally, and Billy wrenched my heart as they made one bad decision after another to staunch their pain. In spite of this, the novel is a story of redemption. While guilt is what brings Sally and Billy together and rips them apart, forgiveness and love finally unite them in peace.

     My one complaint is that there is a lot of teenage sexuality in this novel. While it makes sense in a novel that is a coming-of-age story, there were times it felt overdone and slowed the novel’s pace.

Four Stars!

Book Review, Jazz Age Cocktails

 Jazz Age Cocktails: History, Lore, and Recipes from America’s Roaring Twenties by Cecelia Tichi.

As the title of this book suggests, this history-cum-recipe book is a jazz of Prohibition, flappers, and cocktails. In the book, Tichi details, through sociological narrative, how literature, music, “politricks,” and cocktails intersected to give birth to the Jazz Age.

To top it off, Tichi includes authentic cocktail recipes from the Jazz Age. While I’m familiar with several of them, there are others I can’t wait to try, including the Clover Club Cocktail, Live Wire, and Lipstick.

Bottom line: This book is a Champagne Cocktail—a sugar cube of recipes, music bitters, and lots of bubbling history. Serve in an iced flute and enjoy while reading “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” or A Moveable Feast. Five Stars.

I received this book from NetGalley to review

North to Paradise Book Review

 

North to Paradise by Ousman Umar, translated by Kevin Gerry Dunn

This memoir is the harrowing story of a boy’s trek from Ghana to Spain in search of an education and a better life.

At the age of 12, Ousman sets out on a five-year journey to Paradise. Along the way, he travels with smugglers, crosses much of the Sahara on foot, and struggles against racism, abuse, and loneliness. Yet, he finds compassion and help—in the most unlikely of places.

The book does an excellent job of balancing the horrors Umar endured with the hope that allowed him to persevere. The one caveat is the memoir could have been longer, giving Umar’s experiences more depth and texture. That said, it is an engrossing and timely book, perfect for anyone who wants a better understanding of the harsh realities experienced by migrants traveling through Africa. Truly eye-opening.

Book Review, Box 88

 

Box 88 is an espionage thriller by Charles Cumming (New York Times bestselling author of The Trinity Six).

Lachlan Kite is a member of Box 88, a black ops group so secret few people know of its existence. But rumors persist... When terrorists kidnap Kite, they also take his pregnant wife as leverage, forcing Kite to reveal information about his recruitment and first mission. As Kite tells the truth in bits and pieces to buy time to escape, he relives those events, remembering the friends he betrayed and the horrors that followed.

The novel’s structure, which flashes between present and past, brilliantly reflects the cat-and-mouse game of espionage and propels the reader through the story. The characters are complex and nuanced, and the relationship between Kite and his wife is poignant, though I would have liked this developed more (but that’s what sequels are for). Finally, the reveal at the novel’s climax slakes the reader’s thirst for a smooth, sharp finish—a perfect martini, shaken not stirred.

Final evaluation: Five stars. Box 88 is perfect for fans of Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon series. Buy it here.

Juicy tidbit: What makes this story even more gripping is the author was an MI6 agent.

Cloud Cuckoo Land Book Review

 I was eager to read Cloud Cuckoo Land because I loved Anthony Doerr’s previous book, All the Light We Cannot See. While Cloud Cuckoo Land is a very different type of novel, it is just as beautiful and will stay with you for a long time. In fact, I wish it were already widely available because I want to discuss it with others.

What makes this novel consuming? Again, the novel is beautifully written. The sentences are lyrical without drawing attention to themselves. The plot is well-crafted, and the characters are engaging. But what sets this book apart is that it asks the reader to consider deep philosophical questions about truth, suffering, and the value of story. It has been a long time since I have read a novel that has raised so many thoughts and questions.

That said, CCL starts off a bit slow—in spite of a compelling opening—because the novel has four point-of-view characters, excerpts from an ancient (fictitious) Greek epic, and multiple times periods. While that can be hard to absorb in the beginning, all the characters and settings are fully realized and engrossing. I loved traveling between 2020 America, 1453 Constantinople, and a futuristic spaceship.

I won’t attempt to summarize the plot, but you can read a summary here.

Bottom line, I highly recommend this novel both for the story itself and its profundity. Five stars.

Cloud Cuckoo Land will be available on 9/28/21.

Nota Bene: I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this novel from Scribner.

Book Review: Greenwich Park

Book Blurb:  Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.

But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.

My review:

Greenwich Park is a psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator. And even though psych-thrillers are my favorite guilty pleasure, I approached the novel with some trepidation because the genre is hot and many psych-thrillers have become derivative. Happily, Greenwich Park is fresh and engrossing.

The novel is written from three different viewpoints, which is a hard thing to pull off. But Katherine Faulkner does it well. Each character (Helen/Serena/Katie) has a distinct voice but still remains nuanced and intriguing.

The plot is well-crafted and satisfying. And the pacing is spot-on—I had a hard time putting the novel down.

Bottom line, I give Greenwich Park a five-star review, and I’m eager to read this debut author’s next novel. I do need to add a trigger warning: Part of the plot includes the traumatic aftermath of a rape, though the crime itself does not occur within the scope of the book.

Note: This novel will be released January 4, 2022.

Book Review: The Emotional Craft of Fiction

This is the first time I’ve written a book review before finishing a book. In fact, I’m only a third of the way into it. But I decided to write a review already because the first third is worth the price of the book.

What is the book? Donald Maass’s The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface. (It was published in 2016—I wish I’d read it then.) The purpose of the book is to teach writers how to engage the emotions of the reader, which is very different than merely showing the emotions of a character. Because if we’re honest, we’ve all read novels whose characters experience a major crisis and our response is…a yawn.

So how can we turn a passage from a yawn into a gripping scene?

Unlike many how-to books, Maass does more than tell his readers what needs to be done. He includes examples from published novels whose authors range from Avi to Bradbury to Stephen King to Harper Lee. These examples contextualize the lessons and show writers how to use the techniques successfully. And at the end of each section, Maass provides bullet points of questions and exercises to help a novelist incorporate these techniques into their own work.

I could go on, but honestly, I want to get back to reading the book—and taking notes, which I probably haven’t done since college.

Bottom line, buy the book. Here’s a link.

Book Review: Children of Wrath

This novel was a powerful thriller!

When you read a thriller, you expect suspense, anxiety, and a quick pace. This bio-terrorist thriller had all that, but it had even more—it had characters I loved. Ethan and Liz are a deftly nuanced couple who find and decide to love an Inexorable (a psychopathic child who wants to destroy them). And as they face the ramifications of that decision, the tension builds between Ethan and Liz, especially as Ethan searches for a way to heal their son and discovers others will stop at nothing to prevent it. In the end, a cure might cost their very lives.

Children of Wrath is a definite five-star novel, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.  

To see the novel on Amazon, click here.

Blurb:

Five years after working triage during America’s terrible Day of Destruction, Philadelphian Dr. Ethan King wants nothing more for himself and his wife than a normal life. In the aftermath, however, life is anything but normal. The mysterious nerve gas unleashed during the nationwide terrorist attack has left its disturbing mark among the millions of victims, namely brain abnormalities in unborn children. These children, dubbed Inexorables, live up to their name: they are ruthlessly violent, irrepressibly psychopathic—and incurable. They kill without thought or remorse, and inflict torment on their victims with childish glee.

In his pursuit of a normal, peaceful life, Ethan tries as best he can to put these grim realities to the back of his mind. But one cold night, when he comes face to face with an abandoned Inexorable freezing to death in the snow, he must make a choice that could cost him everything, and unravel a thread of dark woven secrets. As he races to find a cure for whatever is creating a generation of doomed children, Ethan discovers that doing the right thing in an evil world is never as clear and easy as it seems.

Somebody's Baby Book Review

Somebody’s Baby by Lurlene McDaniel

Winning a reality TV singing contest changes the course of Sloane Gabriel’s life from her abused childhood to a music career complete with a manager, recording contract, and touring schedule. But it’s never easy to leave your past behind, especially when your new notoriety introduces you to a woman dying of cancer who claims to be your half-sister. Thus, begins Sloane’s journey not only into the sufferings of her past, but through them into a present where she finds forgiveness, peace, and the love she never had.

I enjoyed many aspects of this novel, but especially Sloane, who is an amazing character—a combination of strength and fragility. McDaniel nails the character’s complexity, treating her with compassion and respect, which is especially important with Sloane, a character in a previous McDaniel novel*, who made very difficult choices and now has to deal with the fallout. Over the course of the novel, the reader sees Sloane develop and grow, and you can’t help rooting for Sloane as her suffering and circumstances change her into a person who can love and care for others.

The plotting of the novel was excellent—there was never a section where I was bored or wanted to put the novel down. And all of the action propelled the novel and helped to develop the characters. The writing itself was very clean, the author never intrudes on the story—it’s always about Sloane and the people in her life.

In the end, I have to agree with the Bustle.com review, which says, “Sorry, John Green fans, but McDaniel’s been making us cry . . . for decades.” —Bustle.com

That says it all. Five star YA novel!

*If you haven’t read Losing Gabriel, no worries, this novel stands alone and the author makes sure you know everything you need to know—good thing, because I forgot a lot.

Book Review: Jane of Austin, Great Beach Read

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility set in Austin, Texas. And though this novel a romantic retelling and I don’t usually read romance, I’m a huge fan of Austen and couldn’t resist this book.

As a retelling, the book was fun. It updated the tropes and effortlessly set the novel in a modern world without any awkwardness or injury to the story and characters. I loved the inclusion of the tea shop as part of the setting. And as someone who also reviews cookbooks, I’m eager to make some of the recipes that the author has included in the novel—the cranberry-vanilla scones sound wonderful.

It’s important to note, that this novel is not a literary exploration of Austen’s novel, nor does it explore and expose social conventions in the way that Austen’s novels do. But this novel doesn’t set out to do those things. This book is a summer, beach-read version of Sense and Sensibility and on that level, it fulfills its expectations and is addictively readable.

Definitely four stars!

One more note, this novel is a “sweet romance,” i.e., no cursing, no sex, etc.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

Dark Matter book review

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Let me start off by saying that I read this novel in two days—it was that engrossing. And I’m not even a huge fan of sci-fi, unless it’s very well written, and this was.

Though I don’t buy the whole multiverse theory in reality, I did very much enjoy the creative possibilities of it in this novel. And it speaks to the author’s tremendous story-telling skills that I was able to set aside my skepticism and enter into the story.

Dark Matter is a wonderful blend of action, thriller, and love story. The pacing is spot on, the characters are nuanced, and the plot involved some twists I didn’t see coming. And in the end, the novel reminded me how thankful I am for my family and loved ones.

A five star read!

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

What Edward Heard book review

What Edward Heard by Megan Easley-Walsh

What Edward Heard is a young adult novel with touches of magical realism that tells the story of Edward Jamison, a World War I veteran, whose life is touched and healed by a mysterious painting. Painted hundreds of years before, the portrait has passed through many lives, pieces of which the reader is allowed to share. In each life, the portrait directs, distracts, but ultimately whispers the truth that each, including Edward, needs to hear.

The historical details of the novel are excellent and ground the reader in the various settings. The experimentation with form is creative and clever without being a distraction from the story of the novel.

Definitely an enjoyable read!

Love and Gravity Book Review

Having read and enjoyed Samantha Sotto’s debut novel Before Ever After, I was eager to read her newest novel, Love and Gravity. And I was not disappointed—it’s even better than the first book!

Love and Gravity is the story of Andrea Louviere, a cellist, who one day opens a door through time. On the other side is the man she will love. The rest of the story is a complex romance involving twists and turns, love and loss.

This is a beautiful upmarket novel. The characters are well-developed. The plot is tightly paced. And the prose itself is lyrical.

I give this novel five stars and add that it’s an absolute must-read for fans of The Time-Traveler’s Wife. 

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, book review

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan

This debut novel by Jennifer Ryan was a delight! It is set at the beginning of World War II in a small British town and tells the intertwining stories of the women who form a choir in the wake of the disbanding of the church choir. What follows is part loss, romance, and skullduggery.

In spite of the very real losses, the tone of the book is uplifting and happy. And the writing itself is readable and has excellent pacing.

One small caveat, the book did start a bit slow, but that’s usually the case with an epistolary novel. Once the reader meets a several of the characters through letters and diary entries, the book is very hard to put down!

A five star read.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

The Pandora Device, Book Review

Joyce McPherson’s debut middle grade novel, The Pandora Device, is a delight and the perfect read for fans of the Percy Jackson series and The Mysterious Benedict Society books!

As the story begins, Stella discovers that her deceased parents attended Camp Hawthorne when they were young. Eager to know more about them, she applies and is accepted to what she thinks is an ordinary summer camp. But it’s not.

When Stella arrives, she discovers that the camp is for students with paranormal gifts. And when the camp comes under mysterious attack from within and without, it needs all the students’ gifts, especially Stella’s, to survive.

The plot is tightly crafted, the writing is very clean, and the characters are multi-faceted and sympathetic. A truly enjoyable, five-star story!

Click here to find the novel on Amazon.

Flight Before Dawn, book review

Because my mother lived in occupied Holland and because my grandfather was part of the Dutch Resistance, novels about World War II and the resisters have always been a favorite of mine. So I was eager to read Ms. Easley-Walsh’s debut novel, Flight Before Dawn.

 The novel tells the story of several members of the French Resistance through the darkest days of the war until their liberation and does a lovely job of evoking the French countryside, the ’40s ethos and the tension of living in an occupied country.

In the midst of a complex plot, filled with spies, lies, and a double agent, the author deals with the nuances of the war and those involved in it, exploring what it means to be ready to sacrifice your life for your country and strength to do so. The novel is a poignant reminder that freedom has a tremendous cost.

The Wolf Road, book review

Imagine for a moment, you are among the treetops in a dystopian wilderness, hiding from the foster father you loved, who saved your life. But he’s also the devil who corrupted your soul and is out for revenge. Now imagine you have a knife in your hand, and you can throw it very well.

In The Wolf Road, debut novel of Beth Lewis, the main character Elka finds herself in exactly this situation. After this heart-rending opening scene, the novel traces how Elka ended up as both the hunter and the hunted. It’s dangerous for an author to give the reader a glimpse of the climax at the beginning of a novel. Often, it steals from the impact of the ending, or it slows the action and lessens the tension when the story goes back to an earlier time in the life of the characters. Thankfully, Lewis avoids this by writing a tightly paced novel with well-developed characters.

I loved the growth of Elka from a frightened child to a mature woman who comes to terms not only with the horrors committed against her, but the ones she has committed. Ultimately, this makes the novel a story of redemption. But its ending is not without pain and suffering, and I couldn’t help but imagine the characters’ haunted lives long after the pages of the novel had ceased. The fact that I was so invested in the characters is the main reason I’m giving this novel 4.5 stars out of 5.

One caveat, this is a novel for adults. The story has violence and adult situations, though the author handles them well and avoids wallowing in graphic detail.

I received this novel from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.