tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24050263142073375422024-03-15T15:23:31.394-05:00Door Stop NovelsSpace Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.comBlogger768125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-13396571864249494092024-03-15T06:30:00.176-05:002024-03-15T06:30:00.201-05:00Historical Fiction: The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv6nmeln-Wfci2r5puO9rAtG13AvFzA2EjTlsdzYBlA6bfXCHhow9zfwlRaj9_SHuzVD-rhplK_VHlAJIe26dDvpfDaCkJmM68B_jk2FHNUpOmJyhB3ME1E4M9LOCEM6hq6ahWoiDJlqb6DFWj0nQBe1Vqe-_Xz1c00kmHSXkNh8H2JRIdDq9A95WDYVI/s2101/James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2101" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv6nmeln-Wfci2r5puO9rAtG13AvFzA2EjTlsdzYBlA6bfXCHhow9zfwlRaj9_SHuzVD-rhplK_VHlAJIe26dDvpfDaCkJmM68B_jk2FHNUpOmJyhB3ME1E4M9LOCEM6hq6ahWoiDJlqb6DFWj0nQBe1Vqe-_Xz1c00kmHSXkNh8H2JRIdDq9A95WDYVI/w133-h200/James.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Honestly, how could I bypass a book with a title like today's pick? <i>The Bullet Swallower</i> by Elizabeth Gonzalez James was listed in the new releases in January on Goodreads, and I simply had to know more. The fact that it is also set in and around south Texas and Mexico, and deals with future generations being made to pay for crimes of the past, caused me to pick it up and actually read it, in the hopes that at the very least I would find a good adventure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> It is 1964 in Mexico, and Jaime Sonoro has enjoyed incredible success and fortune as one of the country's most famous actors and singers. Things seem to take an ominous turn when two things find their way into Jaime's life: one a book, another a person. Despite warnings from his father, Jaime begins reading the mysterious book, which tells the story of Antonio Sonoro, the man known as El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower. In 1865, Antonio set out on an ill-fated trip to Houston, Texas to rob a train, promising his dubious wife that he will return with wealth and riches. But when the adventure turns deadly, Antonio's new mission becomes one of revenge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Unbeknownst to Antonio, he was born with a debt to pay, as generations of Sonoros had been ruthless and greedy, often taking what is not theirs, and making those around them pay when they demanded more. When a strange man called Remedio enters Jaime's life in 1964, it soon becomes clear that he may not simply be a kind older man with a gift for healing. The more Jaime reads of Antonio's life, the more he feels that things are not as they should be, and that something has gone wrong. Even so, Antonio's story full of murder, theft, and intense revenge against the three men that turned him into The Bullet Swallower draws Jaime in. And it is soon clear that the book found its way to Jaime for a reason, linking the fate of the two Sonoros men.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a historical fiction novel set mostly in 1865 in both south Texas and Mexico, but also in 1964 in Mexico. In 1865, Antonio Sonoro leaves to rob a train, but instead nearly dies twice, ends up roaming the land looking for revenge against three Texas Rangers, and earns a reputation as a dangerous bandit. In 1964, Jaime learns of the history of Antonio Sonoro, The Bullet Swallower, for the first time, and begins to see a link between the two of them. Antonio's story is a picture of life and politics along the Texas/Mexico border in the mid-1800s, while Jaime and his father must wrestle with the idea of generational trauma, and how one generation could be held responsible for the sins of the past.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> Well, I wanted an adventure, and I certainly got one. Antonio roams all over south Texas in an effort to find the three men he wants desperately to kill, and it is not a quiet or generally peaceful journey as he attempts to hunt them down. There is trouble at every small town; almost every encounter with every group of people, no matter how big or small, ends badly; and despite how very wrong the trip had gone from the start, Antonio is undeterred. The link between Jamie and Antonio is revealed slowly and carefully, as is the fate of each. It is not easy to get readers to extend grace towards selfish and unlikable characters, even if they are the protagonist, so some may struggle to follow Antonio's journey and understand his choices, while also enjoying the story.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> This book is full of stubborn characters. These are people who see the obvious danger in their choices, but forge ahead anyways, only to often be surprised when things go wrong. Given how awful some of these people are, I thoroughly enjoyed when things did inevitably go wrong. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Hugo, Antonio's brother, does his best to get Antonio to abandon the train robbing mission and return to his loving wife and family, and it only earns him insults and derision.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2021/04/historical-fiction-four-winds-by.html" target="_blank">The Four Winds</a></i> by Kristin Hannah is a very different type of historical fiction novel, set in the 1930s when people were leaving the Texas/Oklahoma region for what they believed to be a better future in California.</span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-71451823274681927752024-03-08T06:30:00.152-06:002024-03-08T06:30:00.143-06:00Young Adult Fiction: Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqOzhd7oRglq9ZupI13hQhwOpeUqS7TblDByezINgDPOdtcU7vkK5NdQPK2yP-aBHhnQGPXuo3LwCzG5AYENPKsuaGNI5z1kBZ2Z8FM8eBAOqJKimzKKEHqZH0elPrDmQXzVssRPVfKAzSXjjqxYlWEUsgsiUf6dL6t5gwiFyzbYOU424YuLwMV6PY09J/s400/Avachat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqOzhd7oRglq9ZupI13hQhwOpeUqS7TblDByezINgDPOdtcU7vkK5NdQPK2yP-aBHhnQGPXuo3LwCzG5AYENPKsuaGNI5z1kBZ2Z8FM8eBAOqJKimzKKEHqZH0elPrDmQXzVssRPVfKAzSXjjqxYlWEUsgsiUf6dL6t5gwiFyzbYOU424YuLwMV6PY09J/w128-h200/Avachat.jpg" width="128" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We are in the second week of the third month of 2024, and I have finally managed to get a new (published this year) young adult novel onto the blog. I was excited to pick up <i>Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment</i> by Arushi Avachat and dive right in. From the fun cover to the interesting premise, I knew I would at least be thoroughly entertained by whatever was to be found on the pages.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> It is Arya Khanna's senior year of high school, and the fall semester will prove to be both busy and exhausting. It is one thing to worry about college applications and early admission decisions, and quite another to do so while serving as vice president of the student council. Add to it that Arya's sister, Alina, has returned home to get married, and maid-of-honor duties can now also be added to the ambitious senior's list of responsibilities. While the wedding planning is generally fun and something to look forward to, what Arya would love to avoid are the tense feelings between Alina and their mother, a side-effect from when Alina left three years ago. Sure, Arya has her own feelings of resentment towards her older sister, but she would love to push those aside as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Attempting to mediate between her sister and her mother quickly grows tiring, and her own feelings of being neglected due to her sister's actions become harder to ignore. It also does not help that Arya's relationship with her best friend seems to be fracturing, leaving her with one less person to talk to about the wedding, college essays, and the boy she lost the student council presidency to, Dean Merriweather. Losing by only six votes certainly stings, but losing to someone who is known to tease her, and now likes to refer to her as his 'assistant' as opposed to the more appropriate 'second-in-command' only makes Arya's mood worse. It may take a few hard realizations and tough conversations before Arya is able to mend relationships, and get the happy Bollywood ending she has always seen on the screen.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a young adult fiction novel set in and around Boston, and, according to the book jacket, is structured much like a Bollywood film, complete with an entertaining intermission. High school senior Arya has a lot going on. There is school, extra-curriculars, college applications, as well as drama at home as her sister returns for her wedding. Arya must navigate the interactions between her mother and sister, while also dealing with her own resentment over the situation. Readers should be prepared to learn all about shaadi (wedding) preparations, as well as various Indian foods. I admit to getting both hungry and thirsty while reading this book, as Arya makes many visits to local coffee shops and bakeries, while also eating the cooking at home and the catering at various events. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> Hopefully, without being too dramatic about it, I would describe this book as absolute joy on the page. This is not to say that there are no hard truths to be confronted here. There is resentment, anger, guilt, even fear that a parent may be dealing with mental health issues, and not knowing what to do about that. Arya also has the painful prospect of facing what effects her own actions and decisions had on her relationships. And then there is the general stress that is senior year of high school. But Avachat manages to inject moments of pure fun and light, and not all of them center around the planning for the shaadi. Small moments at a coffee shop, or bakery, or while looking at jewelry, or even at Arya's part-time job at a bookstore, all round out this delightful and gratifying book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> I love coffee shops, and I love book stores. This book has the protagonist spending an inordinate amount of time in both of these places and it made me so happy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> There are a few good options here, but Arya's fellow student council member, Emilia, is a wonderful addition to Arya's small circle of friends, right when she needs one most.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend both <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2021/10/young-adult-fiction-radha-jais-recipe.html" target="_blank">Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance</a></i> by Nisha Sharma, and <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2021/06/young-adult-fiction-instructions-for.html" target="_blank">Instructions for Dancing</a></i> by Nicola Yoon.</span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-44668609509320946372024-03-01T06:30:00.154-06:002024-03-01T06:30:00.134-06:00Contemporary Fiction: Family Family by Laurie Frankel<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqRFOcYFbpRNtKD-bOmHvYmlzrIbvumc8NU0-SccD_3CNzYLTqC11yRbZm_A9i_Bf6EzIVabhq8oBVOGpg8xtqvGO2eitZvuP6LaMdRgl1Wz896Wwe9zolr2SQQMDCKNnIYgANWa5BrcCFiVry8Pov9tI_y43JtJEoUBKI-RO-zfH6a6DQul3WRIfkdPM/s400/Frankel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqRFOcYFbpRNtKD-bOmHvYmlzrIbvumc8NU0-SccD_3CNzYLTqC11yRbZm_A9i_Bf6EzIVabhq8oBVOGpg8xtqvGO2eitZvuP6LaMdRgl1Wz896Wwe9zolr2SQQMDCKNnIYgANWa5BrcCFiVry8Pov9tI_y43JtJEoUBKI-RO-zfH6a6DQul3WRIfkdPM/w133-h200/Frankel.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the start of each month, I look through the list of new releases that are scheduled to come out for the month and start placing the books I am interested in on the blog calendar. The only real issue with this system is that it would be impossible for me to not only read every book I am curious about, but also impossible for me to make space for a post on each of them. Laurie Frankel's </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Family Family</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> is one of those that decided I would make space for, even removing another book from the schedule in favor of it. I could tell from the book jacket that this would be a complicated story, maybe even a little messy, but one full of humor and imagination.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> India Allwood is a TV star who recently made her film debut. She always knew she wanted to be an actor, but was always drawn more to stage acting, even musicals, though she cannot sing. Even so, when she was offered the lead on a new superhero TV show, she took it, knowing that the stability of the steady work would make it possible for her to fulfill another dream of adopting a child. Two actually: twins Jack and Fig. India navigates her career and single motherhood while dodging the paparazzi, and everything seems to be going well until she decides to be honest about her new movie. And then they get worse when one of her kids decides to try to be helpful.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Naturally, people are upset when India says the movie is bad. Certainly her agent is upset, as are the people who made the movie. But for India, the movie tells the same old story about how adoption is surrounded by tragedy and loss, when she knows that is not always the case. India's ten year-old daughter, Fig, is not allowed on social media, and she has to share a cell phone with her brother Jack. Despite these restrictions, she manages to find and locate key people from her mother's past, hoping that they can help get her mother's message across. Instead, things spiral out of control, and various groups and protesters from all sides of the issue are camped out on her front lawn along with the paparazzi. And when Fig's reinforcements arrive, the real truth about India's family comes out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a fiction novel that tells the story of India Allwood, a woman who has always wanted to be an actor, loves her kids, cannot sing, and carries around torn up index cards in her pocket in case there is ever an occasion to throw them in the air as confetti for a celebration. When the book begins, India lives in Los Angeles with her two adoptive kids and just starred in a movie about adoption. When she admits that it is a bad movie, she is suddenly at the center of a media firestorm, with the topic of adoption and her history with it at the center. In between chapters with India's current life as the focus are chapters that move through her past. And while her career has always been her focus, so has family, and just how complicated having one can be.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> I feel like this is going to be one of those books I will wish more people read and talked about. Sure, it looks at the subject of adoption from nearly every angle, and makes the important point that it is not all tragedy and loss and sacrifice, but there is also a lot of joy involved, which is often missed in media. But while making this point, the book also tells a great story, and a funny one. Things spiral out of control for India in the best way, and I admit to laughing out loud at several points in the story, either because of something someone said, or because of the situation. I think this book will surprise a lot of people, should they decide to read it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> After arriving at college, India is dismayed to learn that the next stage production will be by a playwright she has never even heard of, and as someone who likes to over prepare before an audition, she is upset to realize that everything she had learned so far would not help her here. But this is until her mother makes her realize that what she has learned so far can absolutely help her here, so India sets to work doing her best and most thorough research, in the only way that she can. It made my college administrator heart so happy to see a student working so hard for something they want to do.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> There are plenty to choose from here, but I pick India's mother. As an immigration lawyer, and a single mother, Sarah Allwood does not have time to sugarcoat much for her daughter. So she carefully and intelligently dismantles all of her daughter's arguments, but with care and grace, and also, a little bit of brutality. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2024/01/contemporary-fiction-wishing-game-by.html" target="_blank">The Wishing Game</a></i> by Meg Shaffer was nominated for the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, and for good reason. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-83958059658203840792024-02-23T06:30:00.093-06:002024-02-23T06:30:00.139-06:00Nonfiction: Into Siberia by Gregory J. Wallance<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_3XXb_J6GEDmnC3_FMcIDLVYnLbjrJM5_AxFgm3v-sbuXF6MNUXA2AW-X_oDDTKCobzUFWl9TLBrbCu7HqWhV9UliykfmngeLLOqqdtxnzbXqe3l6XB3odl06dGliQfzeJG-t4C9Ea_r76pFOimXRcrjo1jy-7XOLNzwWcOG8KXJj7AVewk-bA7-yhAG/s400/Wallance.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_3XXb_J6GEDmnC3_FMcIDLVYnLbjrJM5_AxFgm3v-sbuXF6MNUXA2AW-X_oDDTKCobzUFWl9TLBrbCu7HqWhV9UliykfmngeLLOqqdtxnzbXqe3l6XB3odl06dGliQfzeJG-t4C9Ea_r76pFOimXRcrjo1jy-7XOLNzwWcOG8KXJj7AVewk-bA7-yhAG/w131-h200/Wallance.jpg" width="131" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It felt more than appropriate to read Gregory J. Wallance's <i>Into Siberia: George Kennan's Epic Journey Through the Brutal, Frozen Heart of Russia</i> when I did, which was during a hard freeze in my area back in mid-January. Granted, the temperatures and conditions I dealt with are nothing close to what is talked about in the book. Not only does the book describe harsh weather conditions, but it takes a close look at Russia's exile system as it existed in the late 19th century.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a nonfiction book that centers around the life of journalist and explorer George Kennan, a man who would come to devote his life to enlightening Americans about the brutality of Russia's exile system. As a young man, Kennan sought out adventure, and would eventually journey through Siberia for the first time at the young age of 20, as part of a group exploring a possible route for a telegraph line. Kennan travel throughout the frozen region two more times in his life, the last of which is the primary subject of the book. During his exile investigation in 1885, Kennan would encounter harsh weather conditions, but also the realities of a system that he had formerly defended to the American people, and even have a meeting with literary legend Leo Tolstoy. His new views on the issue would become the subject of many articles and lectures that would aid in the unraveling of the formerly friendly relationship between the U.S. and Russia.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> This book not only delivers on the promise of detailing Kennan's adventures through Siberia, but it also adds much more in the way of historical context, such as the political and social climate of post-Civil War America, and why the American people would be so ready to take up the cause of Russian exiles half-way around the world. There is the first layer, with plenty of mention of snow storms, lack of food, illness, and even injury. Then there is the second layer of the atrocious treatment of the Russian exiles. And then there is the last layer, where Wallance acknowledges the issues that our own country was dealing with at the time. Many may know about the Russian Revolution, as well as Russia's part in World Wars I and II, and the Cold War. But many will be interested to learn about Kennan's findings and how his discoveries would effect U.S./Russian relations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> I appreciated the inclusion of several pictures that were sketched by artist George Frost, as he accompanied Kennan on his exile investigation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2013/05/young-adult-fiction-between-shades-of.html" target="_blank">Between Shades of Grey</a></i> by Ruta Sepetys is a young adult novel that follows a young girl and her family as they are exiled to Siberia during World War II. Also, for lovers of the classics, I recommend <i>Crime and Punishment</i> by Fyodor Dostoevsky. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-30254958174353793552024-02-16T06:30:00.166-06:002024-02-16T06:30:00.344-06:00Historical Fiction: The Women by Kristin Hannah<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7n_J6RK-SyrbBjqY2b_WSMPXBTcWVzBef_ZeF7irT-0Ucx0IsTobuI5f_8F5vOnHMV7W0dop7VGMQgJo3MdqoH9-HMIvfAwUaoDHLwHqmr7ZI39YidnOtyoHB6V-u9Wt33SAWNp7G42XdoirYintnagBC3hTrRDVzWX3HPxkJPyy5bq5CgWcAVuojTZo/s2560/Hannah1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7n_J6RK-SyrbBjqY2b_WSMPXBTcWVzBef_ZeF7irT-0Ucx0IsTobuI5f_8F5vOnHMV7W0dop7VGMQgJo3MdqoH9-HMIvfAwUaoDHLwHqmr7ZI39YidnOtyoHB6V-u9Wt33SAWNp7G42XdoirYintnagBC3hTrRDVzWX3HPxkJPyy5bq5CgWcAVuojTZo/w132-h200/Hannah1.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Readers are rejoicing as author Kristin Hannah returns with another historical fiction book, this time focused on the Vietnam War, and more specifically, the women who served. The decision to read <i>The Women</i> came easily, and having read three of Hannah's other novels, I knew to expect nothing less than an engaging story stacked with fully-realized characters.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> It is 1966 when 21 year-old Frances 'Frankie' McGrath hears four words that had never been said to her before: "Women can be heroes." At her brother's going away party before he is sent off to fight in Vietnam, Frankie stands in her father's office, looking at his "Hero's Wall," and makes the decision to put her newly acquired nursing degree to use in the war. Her parents may not agree with her decision, but Frankie stays resolved, and after excelling in basic training, Frankie lands in Vietnam, greeted by the noise, smells, and near-constant chaos that is life as a nurse in an area that is often under attack. Frankie realizes that her nursing degree did not quite prepare her for this, but she must catch up and learn quickly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> As trying as serving in Vietnam is, it is only the beginning of Frankie's story. After coming face-to-face with missing limbs, unimaginable burn scars, and bullet wounds that make her faint, as well as sick and wounded Vietnamese, many of them children, Frankie comes home to hostility and anger. Her parents are still upset with her for deciding to serve, but it seems the rest of the country is as well. When she is not experiencing outright hostility, then she is ignored, with her own fellow servicemen declaring "There were no women in 'Nam." For Frankie, the fighting does not stop when she returns home, and there may be no returning to the person she was before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the Vietnam War, beginning in 1966, and continuing through 1982. The first part details Frankie's time as a nurse in Vietnam, after she decides to sign up and follow her brother's example. The second part involves Frankie's return home after serving for two years, and the less than welcoming greeting she receives from the public, including her own family. For many, Frankie was part of the war that America wanted to forget. After witnessing incredible horrors over seas, Frankie returns to protests and resentment, as well as a lack of resources for women like her who served. Her struggle to return to some sort of normalcy is exactly that: a struggle. And there are moments when it looks like she may not make it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> This is the fourth book I have read by Hannah, and so far she has taken me through France in World War II; the darkness of the Alaskan winters in the 1970s; the Dust Bowl of the 1930s; and now the Vietnam War. This book is an incredible account of one woman's noble, and also naive, decision to serve her country, and everything that came from that decision. The descriptions of Frankie's time in Vietnam are vivid and often disturbing, while not being unnecessarily gruesome, and the hurt and anger she feels when she is pushed aside upon returning will resonate with anyone whose contributions and sacrifices for a cause have been forgotten, especially women. Hannah mentions in the author's note that this was a labor of love, and I am certainly glad she decided to stick with it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> For some reason, I appreciated the descriptions of Frankie's living quarters when she was in Vietnam. I have been overseas many times, and it is amazing how quickly someone can get over a less than ideal living situation when there is work to do.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Barb is another nurse who serves in Vietnam with Frankie, and the two remain good friends even after returning home. Barb shows up for Frankie and helps her through nearly every major crisis, despite living across the country and taking a different path after serving.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> Of the four novels I have read by Hannah, I still think the best is <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2016/02/historical-fiction-nightingale-by.html" target="_blank">The Nightingale</a></i>, but my favorite is <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2021/04/historical-fiction-four-winds-by.html" target="_blank">The Four Winds</a></i>.</span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-13772281980639676972024-02-09T06:30:00.149-06:002024-02-09T06:30:00.137-06:00Historical Fiction: The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvxq7NWfmJEdDzjpXxlJYEQ8a1n5RrKD7iuyRiMACkrl-QKZw-8jbCP2qs8irbRWLSbYM6OYgZNSUkp0kwVBrrFeHuVPxJa0A6FrgZEOWxrTz1f27FcVIHUFl53u6ME2x0JiOtlGiCxqMzPm_7tpk9bTk3-vt3e9zEMiXxok_PR2JloTHe3uoJx-T6iGe/s400/Lemmie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvxq7NWfmJEdDzjpXxlJYEQ8a1n5RrKD7iuyRiMACkrl-QKZw-8jbCP2qs8irbRWLSbYM6OYgZNSUkp0kwVBrrFeHuVPxJa0A6FrgZEOWxrTz1f27FcVIHUFl53u6ME2x0JiOtlGiCxqMzPm_7tpk9bTk3-vt3e9zEMiXxok_PR2JloTHe3uoJx-T6iGe/w133-h200/Lemmie.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The decision to read Asha Lemmie's second novel, <i>The Wildest Sun</i>, was not an easy one, despite having read her first novel, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2021/01/historical-fiction-fifty-words-for-rain.html" target="_blank">Fifty Words for Rain</a></i>, when it came out back in 2020. Ultimately, the premise proved to be too intriguing for me to pass it up: A young girl decides to embark on a journey to find her father, whom she believes to be none other that Ernest Hemingway.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Delphine Auber loves Paris, her hometown for all of your young life. She loves it even more now that the war is over and the Nazis have been defeated. But when tragedy strikes, she finds herself fleeing to New York to stay with friends, Blue and Delia, while also believing this may the opportunity for her to find the man her mother always said was her father: Ernest Hemingway. Delphine clings to the idea that Hemingway is her father - despite the doubts of those around her - almost as much as she clings to her dream of becoming a writer. And while Hemingway may be a well-known literary figure who is not too difficult to track down, the journey will take her years, and to places she never thought she would visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Looking for Ernest Hemingway may be the goal, but staying away from Paris is also part of the plan, as Delphine believes she can never go back, not after what happened. And even though she finds safety and comfort with old friends of her mother's in New York, it is not long before Delphine finds herself in another difficult situation with a new friend. When she hears that Hemingway is in Havana, Cuba, she makes her way down there, determined to find him, not knowing that the Cuban Revolution is only a few years away. Regardless, Delphine is willing to take the risk to find the man she has idolized since childhood, the man she believes holds the answers to who she truly is.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a historical fiction novel set in various locations, beginning in 1945, and ending 1964. Delphine's adventure will take her from her hometown of Paris, to a family friend's home in New York, to Havana, and then to Key West, Florida. Delphine's focus is devoted to two things: finding literary legend Ernest Hemingway, whom she believes to be her father, and becoming a writer herself. Throughout her story are letters to and from another family friend who remains in Paris, Louise, who is a nun that Delphine's mother had always trusted. Louise attempts to bring Delphine back home, and also closer to God, but the protagonist resists both options, holding onto the stubbornness that has both served her well, and also gotten her in trouble.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> Characters that travel to various locations throughout their lives always appeal to me, for whatever reason. It could simply be because I also love to travel, or because having characters in different settings allows for different experiences with different types of people. And in this book, it was easy to justify Delphine's traveling, even to somewhere like pre-revolution Cuba, because she is literally searching for Ernest Hemingway. I admit to being dubious about this part of the story and how believable it would be, but it works out well, and Lemmie does not rely on it to carry the entire novel, even though it is Delphine's main motivation. There are some details that caused the narrative to feel a little clumsy in places, but overall it is an interesting and enjoyable story.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> I love food, and I love to cook. The brief mention of Delia's southern cooking and how it was adding pounds to Delphine's body made me so unreasonably happy. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> It would be a tie between Delia and Louise. Both are doing their best to help Delphine, riding the line between being encouraging, but also honest and realistic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/05/historical-fiction-on-night-of-thousand.html" target="_blank">On a Night of a Thousand Stars</a></i> by Andrea Yaryura Clark.</span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-15418315168446407202024-02-02T06:30:00.002-06:002024-02-02T07:41:30.803-06:00Young Adult Fiction: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6is6sBlNPC7d6NKGnCMrG3MAy2J0zrlPkeeA2b_kwAUdQwCQz9RX4X7TXX5_EK0FUNA-i0LIouMxDHyLXEO0Nmo7z22fiVdHsD1q5WclpdX1jT2k8PIqfLN07CPygLFar4f0U2nk0zKPV9WB2lfDaYoSX_5uRfanSQfM8yRnYopJVmKRMuFEJemjEF6xL/s4950/Hazelwood.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4950" data-original-width="3300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6is6sBlNPC7d6NKGnCMrG3MAy2J0zrlPkeeA2b_kwAUdQwCQz9RX4X7TXX5_EK0FUNA-i0LIouMxDHyLXEO0Nmo7z22fiVdHsD1q5WclpdX1jT2k8PIqfLN07CPygLFar4f0U2nk0zKPV9WB2lfDaYoSX_5uRfanSQfM8yRnYopJVmKRMuFEJemjEF6xL/w133-h200/Hazelwood.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In addition to having won the 2023 Goodreads Choice Award in the Best Young Adult Fiction category, Ali Hazelwood's <i>Check & Mate</i> has been recommended to me several times, and as a lover of YA, I finally gave in to see what all of the fuss is about. With the world of competitive chess at its center, the story follows a young woman as she negotiates her love/hate relationship with the game, and what it would mean for her to truly consider what she wants for her life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Mallory Greenleaf has done the impossible. She has just beaten the #1 ranked chess player and current world champion, Nolan Sawyer. No one is more stunned than Mallory, especially since she begrudgingly showed up to a charity chess tournament at the urging of her best friend, before said friend goes off to Colorado for college. Since everything that happened with her dad, Mallory has kept chess at a distance, despite the fact that she was - and apparently still is - incredibly good at it. Now she has the chess world's attention, including an organization in New York that is offering her a year-long fellowship. But she also has Nolan's attention, and she is not sure how she feels about either situation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Ever since it has been only her, her mom, and her two younger sisters, Sabrina and Darcy, Mallory has made it her mission to make sure her family has what they need. She has managed to keep the mortgage paid (at least partially), cover Sabrina's roller derby fees, and keep Darcy's guinea pig fed. But the chess fellowship that she is at first so intent on not taking pays well, and some of the chess tournaments she enters have substantial cash prizes. Mallory tells herself it will only be for a year, and that chess is not going to once again become her whole world. She also tells herself that she has no interest in Nolan Sawyer, not even to play against him. But that is exactly what he wants, and as Mallory continues to climb the ranks and become more entangled in the game she tried to leave behind, she may have to admit that the things she has been telling herself are simply not true.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a young adult fiction novel set in and around modern-day New York and New Jersey, with occasional trips being taken to places like Philadelphia, Toronto, and even Italy for various chess tournaments. Though Mallory had once sworn off chess after an unfortunate incident involving her father, she finds herself back in it. This means going over old games; reading books on chess theory; dealing with sexist comments and beliefs about a woman's ability to compete in the sport; even sticking to a new exercise regimen; and trying to keep it all a secret from her mom and sisters. Guilt may be what is driving her forward, but it is undeniable that she is good at the game, and no one seems to see that more than Nolan, the current champion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> This one was a bit of a roller coaster for me, but I certainly see and understand the appeal. For one, the whole rivals-to-lovers trope has a large following, and while it may not be my personal favorite, I do get it. And it also helps that Nolan is moody and brooding, but also smart, thoughtful, and still not without his flaws. While the rivals-to-lovers plotline is not new, the story itself is its own thing, with quirky but realistic characters, and details about chess that are informative without being boring. Finally, Hazelwood confronts the sexism and misogyny in the chess world, even citing a real study that was done concerning the stereotype that women are not as good as men at the game. On paper, it seems hard to believe, but a story involving high-ranking games of chess can be fun, romantic, and even thought-provoking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> At one point, it becomes clear to Mallory that what we think we know about someone - particularly how they feel about us - is often not true. And it is near impossible to be sure of something like that if we never reach out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Oz is a fellow chess player at Zugzwang, the organization where Mallory has her fellowship. He is incredibly serious and no-nonsense, but also has some of my favorite dialogue in the entire book. He is just not in the mood, for any of it, and I adore him for it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Quote:</b> "What happened?" I ask.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">"My wedding planner is out of peonies. What do you <i>think</i> happened? I lost." He glares. "This entire tournament could have been an email." - courtesy of my favorite character: Oz.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/young-adult-fiction-thieves-gambit-by.html" target="_blank">Thieves' Gambit</a></i> by Kayvion Lewis would be a good follow up. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-8656272687227823092024-01-26T06:30:00.133-06:002024-01-26T06:30:00.129-06:00Contemporary Fiction: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiiUZHWJeKWPV1m6kJcn5sTcCEKLMe13C3sbHGw_M3tOxjfVc1rsdI_3C0ftYK-UOLfD47jamxjCEg2I-1nX3HIezTHgnAbtG4Tp469ecPgHdlOl5gHBs1UB9gsq-4Tfgk30EJypOIpph6JUwQuY26NGZ-ElVieyS9GKIbEu3naQGeSIj-QzxLcGwIXlk/s400/Shaffer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiiUZHWJeKWPV1m6kJcn5sTcCEKLMe13C3sbHGw_M3tOxjfVc1rsdI_3C0ftYK-UOLfD47jamxjCEg2I-1nX3HIezTHgnAbtG4Tp469ecPgHdlOl5gHBs1UB9gsq-4Tfgk30EJypOIpph6JUwQuY26NGZ-ElVieyS9GKIbEu3naQGeSIj-QzxLcGwIXlk/w131-h200/Shaffer.jpg" width="131" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today's selection was nominated for the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards in the Best Fiction category, and after reading the synopsis, I was more than a little interested. A mysterious island and a life-changing contest from a beloved author of children's books sounded intriguing. And as soon as I found the map of the island in the opening pages of the book, I was excited to see what kind of adventure would unfold.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Twenty-six year-old Lucy Hart is doing her best, and unfortunately, it is not enough. At least it is not enough for her to reach her ultimate goal of being a foster parent - and eventually the adoptive mother - of Christopher, a student at the elementary school where she is a teacher's aide. Christopher is smart, sweet, obsessed with sharks, and also shares with Lucy a love of the Clock Island series, written by Jack Masterson. The book series was often a source of solace to Lucy during her own tumultuous childhood, and is now a source of comfort for Christopher as he is moved from one foster home to another. If Lucy hopes to one day adopt him, she has to save every penny she has, while also hoping for a miracle.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> It seems a miracle has come in the form of a contest from Jack Masterson himself, as well as an opportunity for Lucy to go to Clock Island, the author's home. She and three other competitors will find clues and solve riddles, all with the hope of being declared the winner and receiving the one and only incredibly valuable copy of the newest (and possibly last) Clock Island book. It may be Lucy and Christopher's only hope if they are ever to be a real family, but the competition is stiff, the riddles bordering on maddening, and there are more than just the three other contestants and Lucy looking to get their hands on that book. It is a tale worthy of Jack's Clock Island series, and will prove to be life changing in more ways than one.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a fiction novel set in the modern-day U.S, first mostly in California, and then on a small island off the coast of Maine, known as Clock Island, where the author Jack Masterson lives, and where the contest will take place for one person to win the only copy of the latest Clock Island book. Lucy, a young teacher's aide, remains at the center of the story, along with Hugo Reese, the artist who designed the cover art for all of the Clock Island books. Every character has their own reason for why the books are special to them, and a personal history full of secrets, hurts, and hopes. But only Jack knows what the contest really entails and what the contestants will have to do to win.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> With landmark names such as "Puffin Rock at Three O'Clock," and the "Noon and Midnight Lighthouse," I immediately fell in love with Clock Island, and with the idea that much of the story would take place there. And as fantastic and magical as the place sounds, the characters still inhabit the real world and deal with very real issues, even Jack Masterson, the books' author. These are characters who may love a children's fantasy series, but they are not playing make believe and simply attempting to leave their problems behind. It is a story that exhibits the power of books in a child's life (and how those effects can carry into adulthood), while offering a Wonka-style adventure, and facing real-world issues.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Jack makes it very clear, in the most polite and fun way possible, just how little he cares for lawyers, with his lawyer present in the room.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Jack is mysterious, whimsical, and full of riddles, but also a real person with a past that haunts him, just like most other human beings. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> For me, this book had similar energy to <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2012/04/contemporary-fiction-night-circus-by.html" target="_blank">The Night Circus</a></i> by Emily Morgenstern, but without the fantasy elements, and with a better pay off with the ending. <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/09/contemporary-fiction-remarkably-bright.html" target="_blank">Remarkably Bright Creatures</a></i> by Shelby Van Pelt may also be a good follow-up. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-76163635991482836502024-01-19T06:30:00.146-06:002024-01-19T07:39:40.213-06:00Nonfiction: How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaW4KsKAZvz4EtqDhyphenhyphenTDNOfgIXD5NyBq9c9CZ7trZRDZ2UTXTEvITl3FhtC_izX7vFaHR3_Y2QDTM-WAjv4HNqcqMqfWKCNEaafU8cqVzSs8yNJ3bTfUsk7LaMmZxCnZBTS-xUBt3t2XwV9FvzBEapd_9ktNpkrAWtn36WBS-W-yzV-55hwqZ3qi8Khu9/s2082/Sinclair.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2082" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaW4KsKAZvz4EtqDhyphenhyphenTDNOfgIXD5NyBq9c9CZ7trZRDZ2UTXTEvITl3FhtC_izX7vFaHR3_Y2QDTM-WAjv4HNqcqMqfWKCNEaafU8cqVzSs8yNJ3bTfUsk7LaMmZxCnZBTS-xUBt3t2XwV9FvzBEapd_9ktNpkrAWtn36WBS-W-yzV-55hwqZ3qi8Khu9/w134-h200/Sinclair.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The credit for helping me discover today's selection goes to the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards, as Safiya Sinclair's <i>How to Say Babylon</i> was a nominee in the Best Memoir & Autobiography category. It may not have won, but the description interested me as it promised the story of young woman's life in a Rastafarian household.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This book is a memoir in which Sinclair tells the story of her life growing up in Jamaica. Her father, a devout and strict Rastafarian, forbid anyone in his family from eating meat; his wife and daughters could not wear pants; and what he seemed most concerned with was his daughters' purity, as he did his best to make sure they stayed far from the influences of Babylon: the corrupting influence of the Western world. As Sinclair gets older, she would come to understand exactly the kind of woman her father was trying to make her to be. But with the help of her mother, she finds freedom and a voice in poetry, and believes her way out of Jamaica, and away from the grip of her father, to be through education. Sinclair will eventually have to decide for herself how she feels about what she has always been taught to believe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> This book provides readers an opportunity to gain knowledge of Rastafari, first-hand, from someone who lived it and grew up adhering to the some of its strictest rules. From the first few pages, it is clear that the book will detail the tension between what the author's father believed she should be, and what she would eventually decide she wanted for herself. Sinclair even goes back in time, before her birth, to when the emperor of Ethiopia, and the man many in her country believed to be a god, visited Jamaica. Sinclair tells the story of her parents' early life, along with her own - full of all of its difficulties and many moves - with an honesty, openness, and courage that should be applauded. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> The first chapter in which Sinclair details her discovery of poetry feels different from the ones that came before. The story is far from over, and the tensions are still present, but the chapter feels lighter, and more hopeful, and also full of wonder. It is the feeling of knowing that you are about to go on an adventure (a good one), or be presented a mystery to solve (a fun one).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> For nonfiction, I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/nonfiction-they-called-us-exceptional.html" target="_blank">They Called Us Exceptional</a></i> by Prachi Gupta. For fiction, I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/04/contemporary-fiction-black-cake-by.html" target="_blank">Black Cake</a></i> by Charmaine Wilkerson.</span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-66059112697210418962024-01-12T06:30:00.140-06:002024-01-12T06:30:00.132-06:00Science Fiction: Chaos Terminal by Mur Lafferty<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQfexv_bQwmBS5ZV_QiURdbXtv5m000SBhyUwkSBKc1GqqNsNNUBVAYdrh9x8O2RMmXWvA9UOWyV0DezoQz3ACLNmIl5o6ooQydN52ZW6wqO3jz8SnR1UQ2iLpstc6kqhWu18j9EljYpMfnNiuxKd5mS4RuAGsrB877o5ilutBsIV2GKijTQBMmP6SpaO/s400/Lafferty1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQfexv_bQwmBS5ZV_QiURdbXtv5m000SBhyUwkSBKc1GqqNsNNUBVAYdrh9x8O2RMmXWvA9UOWyV0DezoQz3ACLNmIl5o6ooQydN52ZW6wqO3jz8SnR1UQ2iLpstc6kqhWu18j9EljYpMfnNiuxKd5mS4RuAGsrB877o5ilutBsIV2GKijTQBMmP6SpaO/w128-h200/Lafferty1.jpg" width="128" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is time to talk about the follow-up to last years' </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/10/science-fiction-station-eternity-by-mur.html" target="_blank">Station Eternity</a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> by Mur Lafferty. </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Chaos Terminal</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> is the second book in </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">The Midsolar Murders Series</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">, and continues the story of Mallory Viridian during her time aboard a space station, as more people continue to die around her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> When Mallory is summoned to meet with Mrs. Brown, the woman who has a connection with the space station they both inhabit, she is not expecting to be told that the woman will be leaving and putting Mallory in charge. Given how badly Station Eternity reacted after losing its last host, Mallory is correct to be concerned, but apparently, everything will be fine, and there is no cause for alarm, even with another batch of humans scheduled to arrive. Last time that happened, someone was murdered, an event Mallory has grown used to as for her entire life, murders have occurred around her. Thankfully, she has also been able to solve those murders, though it has led to her to mostly solitary and often lonely existence.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> When Mallory enters the party to welcome the new humans, she is both surprised and horrified to see some familiar faces. First there is her childhood best friend, Amy, as well as her childhood crush, Parker, who happens to be Amy's twin brother. But there is also Detective Don Draughn, the man who made Mallory's life on Earth incredibly difficult, even making sure she would never have a career in law enforcement, despite her abilities allowing him to solve many murder cases. And if all of this was not enough, a murder predictably takes place, throwing everything into chaos, as the station itself is no longer responding, communications are down, the medbay equipment is not working, and the Sundry insects that Mallory has always had a connection with are being found dead all around the station.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a science fiction novel set in the not too distant future, somewhere closer to the middle of the 21st century, and aboard a sentient space station known as Eternity. Mallory Viridian remains the center of the action, as once again, a murder takes place when a large group of human beings is brought in close proximity to her. While the space station she inhabits is not in quite as much distress as it was in the first book, it is still not much help as its host, Mrs. Brown, is missing for the majority of the novel. Some focus is shifted to Xan, another human onboard Station Eternity, and occasionally moves to other side characters for brief moments as more of the mystery unfolds. Previously introduced alien species return, as do the awkward and tense interactions between them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> I remember often being confused when reading the first book in the series, and while some of that confusion returned for this book, I instantly felt more comfortable following Mallory around in this story as familiar names and places were reintroduced, and new ones took their own place in the narrative. And while the murder is a bit predictable, the mystery and task of figuring out who did it is intriguing and fun, as a dead body is not the only issue Mallory must deal with. Lafferty brings in figures from Mallory's past, and even gives the Sundry - the insect-like creatures that have a connection with Mallory - a bigger and more interesting space in the story. I am not sure how many books there will be in this series, but I plan on continuing with it should more be published.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Mallory eventually realizes she is an even better detective than she thought, but it has to come after a short but crushing period of self-doubt and fear.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> I want to say Mrs. Brown, but she is not in the story enough. So instead I will pick Stephanie, another sentient ship doing her best to keep her friend Tina out of trouble, and be of help to the other species aboard Eternity.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/05/science-fiction-sea-of-tranquility-by.html" target="_blank">Sea of Tranquility</a></i> by Emily St. John Mandel. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-47691891179609438052024-01-05T06:30:00.166-06:002024-01-05T06:30:00.132-06:00Classic Fiction: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlkKUwTPfdDN-ENdhhDvVfJGWcODIGD2kex3JszN2eVkXtapk1rYONhUFZ09xbu7w6Vny-jEnAgaJN3INDDGAR0zj-S9yNBBa6fFwYfmXcWX9LJmBzmOdJhyphenhyphenkyFWxfWZ-tl914nSVIexINLwFNKisbtQM-n27ZUY8bpMEH7fq9k65HqKuhFWO820aDKsP/s400/Allende1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlkKUwTPfdDN-ENdhhDvVfJGWcODIGD2kex3JszN2eVkXtapk1rYONhUFZ09xbu7w6Vny-jEnAgaJN3INDDGAR0zj-S9yNBBa6fFwYfmXcWX9LJmBzmOdJhyphenhyphenkyFWxfWZ-tl914nSVIexINLwFNKisbtQM-n27ZUY8bpMEH7fq9k65HqKuhFWO820aDKsP/w129-h200/Allende1.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For the first review of the 2024, I decided to read another work by Isabel Allende. Originally published in 1982, <i>The House of the Spirits</i> is arguably Allende's most well-known work. It follows the family of Esteban Trueba through three generations as they navigate life in Chile throughout the 20th century, and during the country's many political and social trials.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Clara del Valle is a strange child, and is known for her paranormal abilities as well as her predictions of death. Little does she know that the death of her eldest sister, Rosa, (which she also accurately predicted) will lead Clara to be engaged to her sister's intended many years later. Esteban Trueda is determined to make his own fortune, a well as a name for himself, and makes free use of both his physical strength and his terrible temper to do so. Together with Clara, the two of them raise a family in both the city and the country, allowing their fortune and their children to grow as the political landscape changes with the decades.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> If there is anything Esteban Trueba will not stand for it is the spreading of communist ideas, either in his home in the city or his hacienda in the country. But his daughter Blanca has tied her fate to a young man she has known since she was a child, a man who believes the people should rise up against the current powers, the ones that Esteban Trueba believes in and has supported his entire life. While Blanca may be defiant and distant when it comes to her father, her daughter Alba will be the one he cherishes the most, all while the country continues forward in an increasingly volatile political climate. Eventually, the unthinkable happens, and the moments that were supposed to bring hope also bring incredible violence and fear.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, and History:</b> This is a historical fiction novel set in 20th century Chile. Though the country is never explicitly named, and a dates nor years are ever given, certain events in history are given as clues as to what decade the story has entered (such as news of a great war in Europe, and the moon landing), along with descriptions of Chile's own political landscape and history. The story may begin with a focus on Clara, but it soon shifts to Esteban Trueba, who occasionally takes over the narration to offer clarification, and even the occasional rant. Magical realism is front and present, mostly through Clara, though Alba also attempts to maintain her grandmother's habits of speaking to the dead and making predictions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> For the first half of the novel, this appeared to be one of those books that I would happily read for forever if I could. I would have loved to be able to simply keep turning pages, and keep following the Trueba following throughout their time in Chile. But as is the case with many things, politics entered the equation, and its presence took the attention of not only the characters in the story, but the reader as well, allowing for an ending that is tense, exhausting, and painfully realistic. Esteban Trueba's intense personality dominates much of the first half of the story, but even so, Allende's narrative moves effortlessly, as each colorful character is introduced, and each new trial threatens to upend the family, even into the tumultuous final chapters that caused me so much grief.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Without giving too much away, there is a moment when Clara makes a drastic decision based on her husband's horrible behavior. And though it may seem small in the grand scheme of everything that is happening, and it is doubtful it will cause Esteban to change, her ability to stick to her decision is a clear message to him, and satisfying to watch as it plays out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Jaime Trueba is one of Clara's brothers, and despite how he was raised, grows up to be a shy and compassionate doctor who is adored by his niece Alba.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> The early pages of this book reminded me of <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2019/08/classic-fiction-one-hundred-years-of.html" target="_blank">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a></i> by Gabriel Garciá</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> M</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">á</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">rquez, a book I can never recommend enough. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-12739836211890158712023-12-31T06:30:00.241-06:002023-12-31T06:30:00.136-06:00And all the rest...2023 edition<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here we are...for those of y'all that have lost track of the days, today is the last day of 2023. Once again, I have decided to briefly discuss the books that I read over the past 12 months that did not, for one reason or another, have their own dedicated post on this blog. Reasons vary, but for the most part, I either picked up these books on a whim, or simply decided to read the book purely for pleasure, and not take time to dissect it. I suppose there is a chance that there will be a full blog post on one of these in the future...I never really know.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6TpVFHOEYzM0V5JfNvh4qWZCa8yYSZg_Ejv4HkAxPIITVUlMdbE31vO-GYsa_1yIWYzoL54dMjNSFN1AjTp6S5I7NVnqfxKpXv4ZHCYC52B1VvWxEroibsasL485GTzytn6s91Be0o0uWu7SSNwpX97abpLR9bMXkgJjB8hKEijmPgqk1SqrVGCViUuI/s475/Reid3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="299" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6TpVFHOEYzM0V5JfNvh4qWZCa8yYSZg_Ejv4HkAxPIITVUlMdbE31vO-GYsa_1yIWYzoL54dMjNSFN1AjTp6S5I7NVnqfxKpXv4ZHCYC52B1VvWxEroibsasL485GTzytn6s91Be0o0uWu7SSNwpX97abpLR9bMXkgJjB8hKEijmPgqk1SqrVGCViUuI/w126-h200/Reid3.jpg" width="126" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: </b>The first book I read by Reid was 2019's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2019/09/historical-fiction-daisy-jones-six-by.html" target="_blank">Daisy Jones & The Six</a></i>, and I have managed to keep up with her new novels ever since. So I decided to go back to one that I missed, but I know is loved by many. Readers hear the life story of famous and mysterious Evelyn Hugo as she tells the tale of her seven husbands, and the real love of her life. Reid once again presents a headstrong female protagonist who does things her way, for better or for worse. Anyone who has enjoyed Reid's writing will most likely enjoy this one as well. I also recommend it for those who love a juicy story about old Hollywood. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon:</b> Since I read <i>Blackout, </i>written by the same six authors, when it came out in 2021, I had to follow it up with <i>Whiteout</i>. When a snowstorm hits Atlanta, a rare event for the big city, it adds another layer to the holiday chaos, and the teens that are attempting to navigate the city, and their love lives. With 11 interconnected stories, and all events taking place in one day, the six different authors each present a story detailing the complexities of relationships. And while it is not explicitly stated which author wrote which story, there are clues offered in the author's note at the end. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuKgT8FjKR7zLRF-QwPdH_aaPSh0kGu7VspV0h9EmYDHekvaFcf_PPcRRiZtOl9-uFLgSuLK6Qfm2_e3s6Kx-s2ZQYhOpJTg5plr2WioINH1iIx143xofN57RJaXnlS0cWkUgi7zQn9gfPJ_eG1adpgQSj_1AyaMwNCPZ7mANun20WAUR56fYCtma8kID/s1920/Yoon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1271" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuKgT8FjKR7zLRF-QwPdH_aaPSh0kGu7VspV0h9EmYDHekvaFcf_PPcRRiZtOl9-uFLgSuLK6Qfm2_e3s6Kx-s2ZQYhOpJTg5plr2WioINH1iIx143xofN57RJaXnlS0cWkUgi7zQn9gfPJ_eG1adpgQSj_1AyaMwNCPZ7mANun20WAUR56fYCtma8kID/w133-h200/Yoon1.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon:</b> I was fortunate to be able to hear Nicola Yoon (along with her husband David) speak at <a href="https://www.librarypaloozasa.org/" target="_blank">LibraryPalooza</a> back in February, as well as have her sign a few books. I also went ahead and picked up <i>Everything, Everything</i>, the one book I had not read of hers, and it is as delightful as I had always heard. Due to a rare illness that basically means she is allergic to leaving her house, Madeline is kept indoors, with mainly her mother and her nurse for company. When a new family moves in next door, Madeline becomes semi-obsessed with watching them, and even manages to get the attention of the son, Olly. While it would be incredibly dangerous - and nearly impossible - for the two of them to ever meet in person, Madeline holds out hope anyway, which leads to other hopes, some she never dared to hope for before.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott:</b> In this nonfiction science graphic novel, readers can expect to learn about the systems we use every day, but may not know much about. Through simple, but delightful and beautiful illustrations, Nott carefully and thoughtfully explains the mysteries of the internet, and how drinkable water reaches a neighborhood. Naturally, there is more to it than most people know, and this book will help remove some of the mystery and confusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman:</b> It may end up being a personal journey of mine to read at least one Fredrik Backman book a year, and for 2023 it was <i>Britt-Marie Was Here</i>. With the same humor and wit that I found in 2019's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2020/11/contemporary-fiction-anxious-people-by.html" target="_blank">Anxious People</a></i>, Backman tells the story of Britt-Marie, a woman who finds herself in the small-town of Borg, where she ends up working as the caretaker of a neglected recreation center, and the unwilling coach of a terrible children's soccer team. The only thing stranger than the situation is Britt-Marie herself, whose social awkwardness allows for more than a few hilarious interactions with the locals. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo:</b> Part true crime, part biography, this book begins by first going into the background of both Truman Capote, and socialite Ann Woodward, a woman who would eventually shoot her husband. The question of whether it was an accident or not is still debated, but Montillo looks at the relationship between Capote and Woodward; the story the former would write based on the latter; and their own separate downfalls. I opted to borrow the audiobook from the library, and it did make for the perfect listening material on the commute to and from work. My only wish was for more of the true crime element to the story, though it is still an interesting book.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAJxaPuVRVqkEu0zAbv6Byj8Jrz1hUCspuXWlA1JQw9_hB2T4esQoo7wcH-COvWdCMA4eUDzAbXFk14M7ir6i2CpjhbTYiMU4lzSKw3I2a5grMlkT3xPV4FohR7_1qPt6SNJhdNaz2jK7QQQnBetAR_QxfC-aqiqMjf_VN8RSDN6jGIYFMG1546rswaJm/s463/Doerr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAJxaPuVRVqkEu0zAbv6Byj8Jrz1hUCspuXWlA1JQw9_hB2T4esQoo7wcH-COvWdCMA4eUDzAbXFk14M7ir6i2CpjhbTYiMU4lzSKw3I2a5grMlkT3xPV4FohR7_1qPt6SNJhdNaz2jK7QQQnBetAR_QxfC-aqiqMjf_VN8RSDN6jGIYFMG1546rswaJm/w129-h200/Doerr.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr:</b> This was another audiobook borrowed from the library, and I am glad to have listened to it before Netflix came out with the series. I had been meaning to pick this one up since it received so much positive attention when it came out 2014. During World War II, the lives of Marie-Laure in France, and Werner in Germany, will each take twists and turns they never imagined, while also somehow remaining centered around a valuable jewel that may also bring hidden dangers. This book is as delightful and haunting as people said. It is also incredibly long, but I believe it to be well-worth the journey.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain:</b> <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2012/08/nonfiction-quiet-by-susan-cain.html" target="_blank">Quiet</a></i> is one of those books that I cannot recommend enough, to both introverts and extroverts (and of course, the often elusive ambiverts). While I did not necessarily expect <i>Bittersweet</i> to be as intriguing and illuminating, it was still incredibly informative and allowed me to look at melancholy and sorrow in a different way. Linking the bittersweet with creativity, and compassion, and even leadership, spirituality, and love, Cain looks deeper at something many humans wish to ignore and move quickly away from. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So there they are: eight books, ranging from nonfiction to young adult. Honestly, I am always surprised by just how many books make it onto this list every year. I am sure 2024 will be another interesting year in publishing, and as long as I have the time, there will be another post just like this 12 months from now. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-87429488183643250672023-12-29T06:30:00.198-06:002023-12-29T06:30:00.152-06:00Historical Fiction: The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tttgz6aU4kwrPTyonyfO7Mlri4VVb2XH2mB8Jmq8MRfORMzdBthYBnWaU6vZnx0uxFQouFgBOaj5N6VxDMW9527rHuQxp9UhrkG6XNNxn2iOINRBOi_0LFoAO8pazlKOfRBTA2Czqu_0EFRWWDmICIDNHom8sZ8vFe4jcPpJ_sVTHizzaQORHYU386U5/s400/Allende.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tttgz6aU4kwrPTyonyfO7Mlri4VVb2XH2mB8Jmq8MRfORMzdBthYBnWaU6vZnx0uxFQouFgBOaj5N6VxDMW9527rHuQxp9UhrkG6XNNxn2iOINRBOi_0LFoAO8pazlKOfRBTA2Czqu_0EFRWWDmICIDNHom8sZ8vFe4jcPpJ_sVTHizzaQORHYU386U5/w131-h200/Allende.jpg" width="131" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Somehow, and I am not entirely sure how this happened, but I have completely missed out on reading even a single book by Isabel Allende. For whatever reason, I decided to jump right in with the well-known author's most recent offering, <i>The Wind Knows My Name</i>. I do plan on visiting some of the older, well-loved works, such as <i>The House of the Spirits</i> and <i>Daughter of Fortune</i>. And who knows, maybe it will become a yearly tradition for me to pick up and discover a book by Allende.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> It is 1938, and Rudolph Adler is incredibly distraught by what he sees happening in Vienna, and the rest of Austria. As Hitler continues to gain power and followers, Rudolph knows that things are only going to get worse before they get better, and he does not know what will become of the Jews in Austria. In 2019, Selena Durán works tirelessly for the children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S. border. Her latest case involves an eight year-old blind girl named Anita. While very bright, polite, and attentive, Anita's case will prove difficult unless they can find her mother, with whom everyone seems to have lost contact.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Though it is far from the most desired solution, the decision is made to send five year-old Samuel Adler to a family in England, away from the threat of deportation to a concentration camp. Still clutching his violin, Samuel arrives safely in England, but will grow up with the pain and memories of what happened back home, even as he relocated to the U.S, marries, and has a family. For Anita, handling the stress of strange foster homes and bullying children, and what she knows of what happened in El Salvador, comes easier with her little doll close by, and the conversations she has with her little sister. Though their stories are different, both Samuel and Anita find their way to the U.S, on paths full of sacrifice and heartache.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a work of fiction that is most often categorized as historical fiction. Starting with the early life of Samuel and what was happening in late 1930s Vienna, the story spends just enough time in Austria's capital to give a sense of what it was like right before war fully broke out. While the reader will eventually get the full story on the next 80 years of Samuel's life, they will also get to Selena, and the little girl from El Salvador that she is determined to help. Both Anita and Samuel's stories are given in pieces, while other key characters are briefly explored, before it is revealed how they all fit into the larger picture. Allende researched the practice of separating children from their parents, one that has been employed throughout history in various ways. While some kids find a warm welcome by loving families, many do not, and the results can be devastating. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> A book that deals with both the rise of Nazi sympathies in Austria and the separation of children from their parents at the U.S. border? Yeah...you have been warned. But while the topics are heavy, the narrative and storytelling is not. In fact, I would say this was a relatively easy read despite the subject matter. This could be because of the decision to tell two stories at once (as well as a couple others), or the wide array of characters there are available, and how so many of them are given full backgrounds and reasons for why they are who they are. As I mentioned, this is my first Allende book, but it will not be the last...<i>The House of the Spirits</i> is on my desk next to the other TBR books as I write this. Lovers of Allende will most likely adore this one too, and as far as an introductory book to the author's work, this one worked out well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Anita may be visually impaired, but she is far from helpless. Despite being separated from her mother and never being completely sure of her environment, she manages to keep physical danger at bay while staying in a foster home, and gets herself out of a harmful situation. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Leticia has her own story of how she came to live in the U.S, full of danger and sorrow, but she has managed to create for herself a life she enjoys, and becomes key to assisting young Anita.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend the nonfiction memoir <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/12/nonfiction-solito-by-javier-zamora.html" target="_blank">Solito</a></i> by Javier Zamora. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-55649564148324989942023-12-22T06:30:00.095-06:002023-12-22T06:30:00.141-06:00Graphic Novel: Courage to Dream by Neal Shusterman<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgjAWonCRwl4lX5D8BxL0U4uXJRNIiTzfHYPEM7OxQjJNWqhyN1ow9-WUaPpE-sA1sdDdk16Culr5JASBbFUEr51o6uvaLWETUwxm0DGAd5bg1gVvRyWarUiMrq5u167oAYS57zEAzW4YGblYAc77lxjgctt4MJ_kW9LptnTgkqNzzzhmWXqaKe7KIP3H/s2700/Shusterman3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgjAWonCRwl4lX5D8BxL0U4uXJRNIiTzfHYPEM7OxQjJNWqhyN1ow9-WUaPpE-sA1sdDdk16Culr5JASBbFUEr51o6uvaLWETUwxm0DGAd5bg1gVvRyWarUiMrq5u167oAYS57zEAzW4YGblYAc77lxjgctt4MJ_kW9LptnTgkqNzzzhmWXqaKe7KIP3H/w133-h200/Shusterman3.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hearing that Neal Shusterman was coming out with a graphic novel full of stories about the Holocaust was a welcome surprise. If anyone could convey engaging and interesting stories about one of the darkest moments in human history, Shusterman certainly could. So I did not hesitate to grab a copy of <i>Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust</i>, with illustrations by Andres Vera Martinez.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a graphic novel containing five fully illustrated stories about the Holocaust. While the stories in the book are fictionalized, they are based on real events in history that took place during World War II, when the Nazis regime attempted to eliminate all Jewish people in Europe. In one story, a window tends to disappear from a house, while also occasionally offering a view of an entirely different world or universe. In another, a young girl receives a strange gift from her dying grandmother, one that allows her to see what might have been if the war had ended differently. And in yet another, a rabbi calls upon a golem to free prisoners from a concentration camp. In between the stories are brief lessons and tales of hope from what actually happened during WWII, allowing for a book that both educates and entertains.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> I think I will always lament how graphic novels can be read so quickly and easily. What Shusterman and Martinez have provided are five wondrous stories that are indeed full of hope, while also portraying one of the greatest tragedies to ever happen. It is an interesting feeling to root for the heroes in the these fantastical stories, while also knowing what really happened. I wanted the walking house from the third story to overtake the Nazis soldiers that were attempting to stop the resistance. And my heart hurt for the little girl who simply wanted to look out of window and into a strange universe, though doing so could alert the Nazis to her and her family's presence as they hid. Both kids and adults alike would benefit from these stories.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Story:</b> I loved the third story, "Spirits of Resistance," in which a group from the resistance is aided by fairy tale and mythical characters such as Baba Yaga, The Great Ziz, and the Chelmites.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/nonfiction-escape-artist-by-jonathan.html" target="_blank">The Escape Artist</a></i> by Jonathan Freedland, as well as <i>Dry</i>, also by Neal Shusterman. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-36403049722490413492023-12-15T06:30:00.170-06:002023-12-15T06:30:00.138-06:00Contemporary Fiction: Evil Eye by Etaf Rum <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3p4HCWrF6EHIF9ivJiwkbciVYzKK1Eqypt9XXU5MqYtpJcgmZczujdyjNNYSlO5Qg1MOeumdio8uyDtXvgZlIqbgn2e8O03tqtCTJtJBiY-zJy6x7mmTXAl0FxDtOJXmxWBZa_nLDv2_XE9MZ8Q3QfC4lCFsvf0kL5wmg4gck7bpDVRvFeGQkPhral7r/s499/Rum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3p4HCWrF6EHIF9ivJiwkbciVYzKK1Eqypt9XXU5MqYtpJcgmZczujdyjNNYSlO5Qg1MOeumdio8uyDtXvgZlIqbgn2e8O03tqtCTJtJBiY-zJy6x7mmTXAl0FxDtOJXmxWBZa_nLDv2_XE9MZ8Q3QfC4lCFsvf0kL5wmg4gck7bpDVRvFeGQkPhral7r/w133-h200/Rum.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With its captivating cover and interesting premise, Etaf Rum's </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Evil Eye</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> caught my attention as well as a place on this blog. Following a young wife, mother, and art instructor, the book explores generational and childhood trauma, as well as the inescapable feeling that something is wrong, even though on the surface, everything should be fine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Yara Murad has done everything she can to build the life she has. Desperate to not become like her mother, Yara married young, and now lives away from her childhood home of Brooklyn. With two young girls of her own, Yara also teaches part-time at a local college, and loves having her own career, even if it does not pay much, and she does not care for many of her colleagues. She finds solace in her daily routine, which always ends with putting the girls to bed, taking a shower, and eating dinner with her husband, Fadi. But while everything looks normal, Yara cannot understand her sudden bursts of anger, or why she cannot shake a near-constant heavy feeling of sadness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> When Yara has an intense exchange with a fellow instructor, it puts her job in jeopardy, and seemingly everything else in her life that she has been trying to maintain, including how she has dealt with her childhood, her feelings about her mother, and how she feels about her own marriage. Her attempts to talk to Fadi often end in an argument, and her own father is certainly not any help, as he believes she should be happy with what she has, and that her only concerns should be keeping Fadi happy and taking care of the kids. But soon, her life that everyone else seems to think is perfectly fine is not enough for Yara, and she cannot help but go back to her mother's belief that they are cursed. If she hopes to find the happiness she has found to be so elusive, she must confront what happened in her past, and find who she really wants to be.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a work of fiction, set in the modern-day U.S. in the Carolinas. As a Palestinian-American woman raised in Brooklyn, Yara left the home she grew up in when she married Fadi. Intent on not following in her mother's footsteps, Yara insisted on being able to finish school and work after marriage, resulting in a part-time faculty position at a local college. While most chapters follow Yara as she moves through her days - taking care of her daughters, cooking, cleaning, teaching, navigating social interactions with her coworkers, preparing herself mentally for interactions with her mother-in-law - the book also diverts to entries in Yara's journal, which she is encouraged to make use of after a confrontation at work. The entries allow Yara to confront her past and how it has shaped her future, before hopefully moving forward with her healing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> The descriptions are what absorbed me with this one, and not necessarily of the places and things, but of the feelings and events. My life experiences are nothing like what Yara has gone through, and yet, somehow, Rum is able to translate the fear, frustration, anger, and sense of loss that the protagonist is experiencing. If it is not her colleagues making assumptions about her, then it is her supervisor telling her she is not social enough. And when her husband minimizes her feelings, her father makes everything worse by doing the same. It is a heart-breaking journey of someone who has endured immense trauma, while also struggling to make sense of it, while surrounded by people who seemingly are not making an effort to understand. This is a hard read, but an eye-opening one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Although the circumstances leading up to it are tough, Yara decides to begin painting in earnest, and much like the journaling, it becomes its own form of therapy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Josephine is the mother of one of Yara's new friends, Silas. The relationship starts with a simple invitation to lunch at her house during a work day, and proves to be one that helps Yara as she makes difficult decisions that will shape the rest of her life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading: </b>I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/nonfiction-they-called-us-exceptional.html" target="_blank">They Called Us Exceptional</a></i> by Prachi Gupta, as well as <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/contemporary-fiction-maame-by-jessica.html" target="_blank">Maame</a></i> by Jessica George. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-32043785282059397462023-12-08T06:30:00.180-06:002023-12-08T06:30:00.141-06:00Science Fiction: In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDhjipkd8ZhhwFbazRdTTPXJ_pMvROgsQY9rndNxNptAwRRumEa2PMTDZ8DGap6MSUORKRjfS0k44gI1lkgph7sT25KoxdNvJnMPQzambqxkDkoF32gsuZ7CowIBn9Q5C5m0TL9pe0oZhzUE_0mRszUOtPKQ9zEENrEMsvb4ukPyMGWcSIYxB1mjlQoqR/s1500/Klune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="965" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDhjipkd8ZhhwFbazRdTTPXJ_pMvROgsQY9rndNxNptAwRRumEa2PMTDZ8DGap6MSUORKRjfS0k44gI1lkgph7sT25KoxdNvJnMPQzambqxkDkoF32gsuZ7CowIBn9Q5C5m0TL9pe0oZhzUE_0mRszUOtPKQ9zEENrEMsvb4ukPyMGWcSIYxB1mjlQoqR/w129-h200/Klune.jpg" width="129" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div>Seeing that T.J. Klune's <i>In the Lives of Puppets</i> was nominated in the Best Science Fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards made me wish that I had read it earlier. The premise is certainly interesting enough: Any story that involves someone making a home and a life in an actual treehouse will always make me curious. And an adventure throughout a futuristic landscape means a look at a different kind of world, this one mostly inhabited by robots.</div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Victor Lawson and his family live a safe and quiet existence in their home in the trees. As the only human, Victor is aware that he is not like the rest of his family. His inventor father, Gio, is an android; Nurse Ratchet is indeed a nurse robot, even though she also has a dark sense of humor and a strange desire to use her drill; and Rambo is a vacuum obsessed with cleaning, as well as approval. One of Victor's favorite things to do is visit the scrap yard, though he knows that it is against the rules, and dangerous, even though that is how he finds his next robot to salvage and repair, just as he did with Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. But when Victor does the same for Hap, it changes everything, and suddenly, his home in the forest is not so safe anymore.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Victor could not have known that fixing Hap would lead to his father being taken lead away by robot authorities. Perhaps if Gio had told his son the truth about what happened a long time ago, and also about his connection to Hap, this could have been avoided. But the remaining group, including Hap, will now have to make their way out of the forest, and travel farther than Victor ever thought he would go, if they hope to save Gio from a possible reprogramming. Victor also must deal with his conflicting feelings regarding Hap, and whether or not he can trust this newest addition to his small family.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a novel that I have chosen to place under the category of science fiction. This is also the category in which it was nominated for the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards, although many readers have placed it under the category of fantasy. Victor is at the center of the story, with Gio is the real leader, though his disappearance is what leads the rest of the group to take on the adventure. And while Gio is not human, Victor still refers to him as his father, while Nurse Ratchet and Rambo are his best friends and part of the 'family.' It is clear that something big went down between the humans and robots many years ago, and in order for the adventure to be successful, the group will have to be careful.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> The book starts at the beginning, when Gio finds himself with a young human in his care, at a time when it looks like a conflict between humans and machines is at its peak. From there, a strange world is built full of treehouses, talking vacuums, and scrap yards full of threats, despite the hidden treasures that can also be found there. And when the adventure begins, Klune shows readers a world that is both recognizable and unfamiliar. Nearly each different type of robot or machine is also given its own personality, and Victor must rely on his own robot friends in order to navigate a world he has only known a small part of. It is imaginative and creative, while also being thought-provoking and insightful, with a great amount of humor. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> For the most part, Rambo is annoying. To everyone. But he is the character that made me laugh the most, and his moments of redemption are the most satisfying. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> It is a tie between Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. Their relationship certainly feels like a big sister/annoying little brother type of dynamic, and the contrast between Nurse Ratchet's brutal sense of humor, and Rambo's desperation for attention and validation, only adds to the humor. Nurse Ratchet is also clearly the smartest of the group of adventurers, while Rambo is the one most likely to get them all killed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Quote:</b> "Your flaws is what makes you superior, in all ways. No matter what machines do, no matter how powerful we become, it is the absence of flaws that will be our undoing. How can this existence survive when all machine-made things are perfect down to a microscopic detail? When all machine-made music is empty of rage and joy? Our only flaw is that we've condemned ourselves to spend eternity mimicking that which we deemed unfit to exist...We can never be you. Instead, we became your ghosts, and we'll haunt this world until there is nothing left."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2015/02/science-fiction-station-eleven-by-emily.html" target="_blank">Station Eleven</a></i> by Emily St. John Mandel. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-42019281419596941372023-12-07T18:30:00.040-06:002023-12-07T18:30:00.147-06:00Winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkdHzaoO89jp-gxA1NX92M-j1sXXjTx8tOg8zXvI8fdtSZkGcUKDabdk0ZZMENKdWlkcWUgmXl6VS54OyBWO7rsnFmgvCGlkYWyJYvZu06Y0vBIFF5D6nQsQtk5EbXHC2v48AAxUXKZofuHdRUxym9aPNP4DP3-Jmxuk2K9IN1Czxk78as0ZeUD39OPPs/s247/GRC2023-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="247" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkdHzaoO89jp-gxA1NX92M-j1sXXjTx8tOg8zXvI8fdtSZkGcUKDabdk0ZZMENKdWlkcWUgmXl6VS54OyBWO7rsnFmgvCGlkYWyJYvZu06Y0vBIFF5D6nQsQtk5EbXHC2v48AAxUXKZofuHdRUxym9aPNP4DP3-Jmxuk2K9IN1Czxk78as0ZeUD39OPPs/s1600/GRC2023-2.png" width="247" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">After nearly six million votes, the winners have been announced for the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2023" target="_blank">2023 Goodreads Choice Awards</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The winner by a large margin in the Best Fiction category was <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/08/contemporary-fiction-yellowface-by-rf.html" target="_blank">Yellowface</a></i> by R.F. Kuang, and it is not at all surprising. Though I may not have voted for it, this book deserves all of the attention it has gotten. And T.J. Klune's <i>In the Lives of Puppets</i> took home the prize for Best Science Fiction, which is also well-deserved. And finally, Matthew Desmond's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/07/nonfiction-poverty-by-america-by.html" target="_blank">Poverty, by America</a></i> received the most votes and was crowned the winner in the Best Nonfiction category. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">So all in all, three DSNs were voted #1 in their respective categories. Personally, I am always pleased when any DSN is nominated, much less if one of them wins. But this has once again been an interesting year in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and I am sure there will be more surprises ahead in 2024.</span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-78814060248320277302023-12-01T06:30:00.155-06:002023-12-01T06:30:00.154-06:00Young Adult Fiction: Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHgiKzK6d_tPXnwsQQkcC6kHhPb3W76hVNhiaJHXiXVk5sTwsmPq0T3r-Ml87h6zodU_ESQpn3XDfwlimqxsMEP4PcLGUKK_-mgmomMzpSe-dNiDMSXDTJYosMv7JPn2izgHk3YXTBZqHwAqckQPB15v843tfOsZqnG94NSFj5fsGnW12pQFpJUA49sDU/s5100/Munoz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5100" data-original-width="3375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHgiKzK6d_tPXnwsQQkcC6kHhPb3W76hVNhiaJHXiXVk5sTwsmPq0T3r-Ml87h6zodU_ESQpn3XDfwlimqxsMEP4PcLGUKK_-mgmomMzpSe-dNiDMSXDTJYosMv7JPn2izgHk3YXTBZqHwAqckQPB15v843tfOsZqnG94NSFj5fsGnW12pQFpJUA49sDU/w133-h200/Munoz.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">YA mystery and suspense novels can be a lot of fun. They typically move quicker, and teenagers have the extra barrier of their young age working against them as they are trying to solve a case. In Lauren Muñoz's book, <i>Suddenly a Murder</i>, six high school students are also stuck on an island where a murder happened, and they are all suspects. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> When Isadora 'Izzy' Morales heads out to Ashwood Manor, an old and magnificent mansion that was rented out by her best friend Kassidy, it is to celebrate the end of high school. It will be a 1920s themed party, an era that Izzy and Kassidy both love as it is the time of some of their favorite old silent movies. And since Kassidy is nothing if not committed and thorough, there will be no cell phones allowed, and every piece of clothing must be period appropriate. Kassidy's boyfriend Blaine is hesitant, but ultimately supportive, and his good friends Ellison and Ferguson decide to play along. The brooding and aloof Marlowe joins in too, though it is hard to say why, and valedictorian Chloe is glad to be included. There is no real reason to think anything will go terribly wrong when seven teenagers are partying alone on an island, until it does.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> It is the screams that makes everyone race to Blaine's room, where his body is found bloody after having been stabbed several times. Kassidy is naturally inconsolable, while Izzy can only think about her next move, and she is not the only one with tracks to cover. Things may have been somewhat tense before Blaine's death, as everyone has their secrets, issues, and grievances, but when two investigators arrive to find out what really happened, things start to fall apart even more. Izzy would do anything to secure her future and that of her disabled little sister, but if she does not make it through the investigation, all of her hard work will be for nothing. She only has to make sure no one finds out that she is the one who brought the knife.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a young adult murder mystery that follows seven teenagers to a mansion on a small island for an end-of-high-school celebration. Ashwood Manor is old, big, full of history, and also secret passageways, making it perfect for a 1920s themed party, but also treacherous for a bunch of kids with secrets to keep and grudges to bear. If it were not for Kassidy, Izzy would not feel like she was part of the group, as she is the only one who does not come from a wealthy family. She attends Marian Academy because her mom is a teacher there, but being best friends with Kassidy since freshman year has helped her get through. For the majority of the book, Izzy is the main narrator, while there are chapters in between that go back in time, revealing history and motive for every character. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> What the book does well is provide an intriguing setting, a colorful cast of characters, and even two investigators that do more than simply show up on the scene and interrogate the suspects. Even the jumps back in time to events that already happened are not confusing, and certainly add more color to the situation. Where things begin to fall apart for me is in the details and the reveals. Also, things slow down quite a bit once the investigators arrive. It is rare for me to say that a book would have benefited from being longer, but I feel like this one would have, if only to allow for everything to come together without the feeling of being rushed. Certain aspects of the story feel awkward and out of place, and the final conclusion had elements that just did not quite fit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Everything is revealed in a rush by the end, but it is nice to get an answer to some questions, including one about Izzy's father. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Pilar de León is one of the investigators, and from the moment she arrives, she manages to keep to group slightly off balance. It is clear she knows more than what the kids are admitting to, and she plays her cards right to be able to get the information she wants.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/06/young-adult-fiction-five-survive-by.html" target="_blank">Five Survive</a></i> by Holly Jackson. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-4186577082572719122023-11-28T18:30:00.059-06:002023-11-28T18:30:00.142-06:00Goodreads Choice Awards 2023 Final Round<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMcn45A_kahb2cK4LbTMKTc-w85TTVLvBzTD1re7aym1E46OPvKm731YNuUqrrYGYDP4kzLTy_FAF-sk0qtD5IO87OFmRPWgiFvIhOfvx6MX-2UBtUYQbsS1Zo01p86MZ1QJ2yVBaHfVr6pkrBbETMRcAdmtPrDL1mfGkAKaTqz1vLQEUqEInlut1Ka1s/s301/GRC2023-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMcn45A_kahb2cK4LbTMKTc-w85TTVLvBzTD1re7aym1E46OPvKm731YNuUqrrYGYDP4kzLTy_FAF-sk0qtD5IO87OFmRPWgiFvIhOfvx6MX-2UBtUYQbsS1Zo01p86MZ1QJ2yVBaHfVr6pkrBbETMRcAdmtPrDL1mfGkAKaTqz1vLQEUqEInlut1Ka1s/w197-h200/GRC2023-1.png" width="197" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The day that the final round of voting opens for the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2023" target="_blank">Goodreads Choice Awards</a> can often contain its own surprises as the nominees for each category are cut in half, from 20 down to ten. In past years, it has been interesting to see which books move forward, and which ones are no longer in consideration, and 2023 is no exception.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are no changes to report in Best Fiction, but only two of the four DSNs that were originally nominated in the Best Historical Fiction category have made it through. It seems neither <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/historical-fiction-river-sing-me-home.html" target="_blank">River Sing Me Home</a></i> by Eleanor Shearer nor <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/historical-fiction-let-us-descend-by.html" target="_blank">Let Us Descend</a></i> by Jesmyn Ward made the cut. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is one change in the Best Science Fiction category, but instead of a book being removed, there is a new DSN to be considered. I recently finished reading <i>In the Lives of Puppets</i> by T.J. Klune (review will be posted on December 8), and enjoyed it so much that it will now receive my vote. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With Best Horror Fiction remaining the same as far as the one DSN that was nominated, Best Young Adult Fiction has lost two nominees, with both <i>Suddenly a Murder</i> by Lauren Munoz and <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/young-adult-fiction-thieves-gambit-by.html" target="_blank">Thieves' Gambit</a></i> by Kayvion Lewis not getting enough votes. And it seems <i>River Sing Me Home</i> suffered the same fate in Best Debut Novel as it did in Best Historical Fiction, and will not be moving on into the top ten. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As for Best Nonfiction, Best Memoir & Autobiography, and Best History & Biography, which each had one DSN nominated, only <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/07/nonfiction-poverty-by-america-by.html" target="_blank">Poverty, by America</a></i> by Matthew Desmond remains. <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/nonfiction-they-called-us-exceptional.html" target="_blank">They Called Us Exceptional</a></i> by Prachi Gupta and <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/09/nonfiction-when-crack-was-king-by.html" target="_blank">When Crack Was King</a></i> by Donovan X. Ramsey have both been eliminated in their respective categories.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With six DSNs not making it into the finals, that still leaves 14 books <a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/goodreads-choice-awards-2023.html" target="_blank">still in consideration</a>. The final round of voting closes on Sunday, December 3, with the winners being announced on Thursday, December 7. As always, I am excited and curious to see the results, as there is always at least one upset. In the meantime, I am happy to continue researching all of the nominees I failed to take notice of before and schedule them for a spot on this blog in early 2024. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-34384193987032199632023-11-24T06:30:00.111-06:002023-11-24T06:30:00.135-06:00Graphic Memoir: In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWTzUavw-sEEe2rNZ9hhSXYUD6gnUpgoE35UhU0Gb7gMTCBAwrtpQN26FbFjeBc4TYt93oCsXaHOzHUnJYAU1OauqmWkhE0jg5va_dS2RMBWgpOv8IekOdgWr_bE64n_D8oFnOhyphenhyphenzv1plgNkdE9m1-nmHUgw1NMP7uwruXrY8tWjU58FpkCyVwCaNXQCg/s400/Lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="282" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWTzUavw-sEEe2rNZ9hhSXYUD6gnUpgoE35UhU0Gb7gMTCBAwrtpQN26FbFjeBc4TYt93oCsXaHOzHUnJYAU1OauqmWkhE0jg5va_dS2RMBWgpOv8IekOdgWr_bE64n_D8oFnOhyphenhyphenzv1plgNkdE9m1-nmHUgw1NMP7uwruXrY8tWjU58FpkCyVwCaNXQCg/w141-h200/Lee.jpg" width="141" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Picking up a graphic novel or memoir is always incredibly exciting for me. Every artist has their own style, and the experience can differ so much from reading a traditional book of only words. I was curious about Deb JJ Lee's <i>In Limbo</i>, which chronicles their high school years as someone who emigrated from Korea as a child, and struggles to fit in as a teenager in New Jersey.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a graphic memoir that is told in five parts, and starts with Lee's freshman year of high school. While often feeling invisible, Lee also feels they stand out too much. If it isn't their Korean name, Jung-Jin (which teachers struggle to pronounce before Lee tells them to simply use 'Deborah'), then it is their looks, specifically the eyelids. High school is difficult enough without the tense and strained relationship Lee has with their mother, and after trading in orchestra for art classes, things do seem to get better, before they end up getting worse. The sense of belonging that many teenagers crave is what Lee hopes to find. With a focus on identity and mental health, Lee's four-year journey through high school is told in 300+ pages of carefully drawn illustrations and text.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> Most of us do not need further evidence and proof that high school is hard, but Lee's unique perspective and story adds another dimension to what teenagers often go through during those four years. Feeling different enough from the other kids to feel isolated at school, but also not feel safe at home because of a volatile parent, Deborah seems to have nowhere to go. And the struggle of working through changing friendships and social dynamics felt all too real, as every situation is beautifully depicted through Lee's artwork. The pages without text still tell the story just fine, carrying with them all of the weight and emotion that comes with being a frustrated high schooler, and everyday seems harder than the last. It is honest and engaging and worth picking up.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> I appreciated Lee's choice of placing the words that are spoken in Korean in angle brackets (< >), and leaving the words they did not understand as they would appear if written using the Korean alphabet. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> Robin Ha's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2020/04/graphic-novel-almost-american-girl-by.html" target="_blank">Almost American Girl</a></i> is still one of my favorites. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-81973066963741461492023-11-17T06:30:00.142-06:002023-11-17T06:30:00.142-06:00Nonfiction: They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTYO4yqwauM52nZTAzdBieRs-UO48a-FwHoLfqw9sIdERPMv0k5BC-bHoKzDizEnyXFsd_Jq0I071s8xZzCqKfUgvXlQ5CuOuIlL5h_f9b5vtCv2h_MEQYY0XN7gPrwRSDUunqB9mWwKXzyOQNgi7b14uPEtR51Rgy6TCvKcRTe0065i-NIe4N__jyyjb/s400/Gupta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTYO4yqwauM52nZTAzdBieRs-UO48a-FwHoLfqw9sIdERPMv0k5BC-bHoKzDizEnyXFsd_Jq0I071s8xZzCqKfUgvXlQ5CuOuIlL5h_f9b5vtCv2h_MEQYY0XN7gPrwRSDUunqB9mWwKXzyOQNgi7b14uPEtR51Rgy6TCvKcRTe0065i-NIe4N__jyyjb/w131-h200/Gupta.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Confession: I struggled with the decision to read <i>They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us</i> by Prachi Gupta as the next nonfiction book to write about. There are many options out there, as there always is, and I was not sure if I was up for the challenge that I knew this book would present. The extremely positive buzz and reviews did help make the decision easier, but it still took me longer than usual to get there. Gupta's book was promised to be 'searingly honest,' a commonly used phrased to describe a lot of things that often makes me both curious and scared. But of course, there are many things I have done that I was scared to do that I am glad for, and reading difficult books has often brought delightful surprises.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a nonfiction book in which Gupta tells the story of her life as the oldest child and only daughter in an Indian-American household. While her father was born in Canada, her mother is originally from India and moved to the U.S. to be with her husband. Prachi and her younger brother Yush moved around with the family as their father pursued a career as a medical doctor, believing that to be one of the best and most prestigious routes to success in this country. While telling the story of what it was like to grow up in a family whose constant aim was to project a picture of American success, Gupta addresses her mother, relaying the pressure she felt to be a high-achieving student and perfect daughter, while the perfect image of the family that the outside world was seeing was the opposite of the truth. It would take years for Gupta to assess the truth about what was happening with her family, which meant exploring and confronting issues of mental health, the immigrant experience, postcolonial theory, and even feminism.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> I will go ahead and acknowledge this one thing: this book is stressful. And yes, 'searingly honest' is an accurate description. As Gupta addresses her mother and tells her story of what it was like growing up with a father who routinely made her feel small and wanted his daughter to fit into the kind of life he felt was best, the reader is brought along on a journey filled with tension and unease, as well as discomfort and pain. Even the positive moments that do not involve conflict or abuse are tough to navigate and appreciate, especially as Gupta gets older, and the family relationships become more strained. The author's insights into what she has realized when it comes to her experiences are invaluable, as are the stories themselves. And the overall journey may be difficult for many, but hopefully worth it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> Closer to the end of the book, Gupta will have a conversation with her grandfather that is not only incredibly touching and sweet, but gave me an immense feeling of hope and comfort that I did not see coming, which can only pale in comparison to what the author may have felt.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> Both <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2020/08/nonfiction-hollywood-park-by-mikel.html" target="_blank">Hollywood Park</a></i> by Mikel Jollett and <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/12/graphic-memoir-ducks-by-kate-beaton.html" target="_blank">Ducks</a></i> by Kate Beaton are difficult reads, but are also two of my favorite memoirs of all time. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-44039325727577528122023-11-14T18:30:00.154-06:002023-11-14T18:30:00.127-06:00Goodreads Choice Awards 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws_i6SBCjMtz7pXGXGQbILxvtI_c0V8aoUE3aMD0WlxUW7GuCFYgLCPfIrVmtxe4RePdxqqM0HLalvJHW88zyQc4Kwrt41LZZ5JV2aq32Ezv8V29DWG8XZlen25WLhLL1iRxfIrU2PVeVhMZ1R4KNhPSUVdEQclk2aZe7T6GafeUs47Yz43DCCmNPUrss/s751/GRC2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws_i6SBCjMtz7pXGXGQbILxvtI_c0V8aoUE3aMD0WlxUW7GuCFYgLCPfIrVmtxe4RePdxqqM0HLalvJHW88zyQc4Kwrt41LZZ5JV2aq32Ezv8V29DWG8XZlen25WLhLL1iRxfIrU2PVeVhMZ1R4KNhPSUVdEQclk2aZe7T6GafeUs47Yz43DCCmNPUrss/w170-h320/GRC2023.png" width="170" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is November, which for this book dragon means three things: the Thanksgiving holiday, National Novel Writing Month, and the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2023" target="_blank">Goodreads Choice Awards</a>. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The voting has once again opened for readers to select and vote for their favorite books of the year. As always, I expect the competition to be close in more than a few categories, and I am always hopeful that a DSN or two will grab the final win.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">For the Best Fiction category, both <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/contemporary-fiction-maame-by-jessica.html" target="_blank">Maame</a></i> by Jessica George and <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/08/contemporary-fiction-yellowface-by-rf.html" target="_blank">Yellowface</a></i> by R.F. Kuang are up for consideration, and honestly, both of these books blew me away with their raw honesty while confronting tough subjects. I will personally vote for <i>Maame</i>, but I can see <i>Yellowface</i> making a strong showing. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Best Historical Fiction category includes four DSN's from 2023, starting off with the book that was named the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/09/historical-fiction-heaven-earth-grocery.html" target="_blank">The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store</a></i> by James McBride, and I believe it is certainly worthy of the honor. The other three books are <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/historical-fiction-river-sing-me-home.html" target="_blank">River Sing Me Home</a></i> by Eleanor Shearer, <i>The Wind Knows My Name</i> by Isabel Allende (for which a review is coming in December), and <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/historical-fiction-let-us-descend-by.html" target="_blank">Let Us Descend</a></i> by Jesmyn Ward. My vote goes to McBride, but it will be tough going up against both Allende and Ward in the same category.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Only one DSN made it into the Best Science Fiction category, though I am in the middle of reading one of the other nominees. I hope to complete T.J. Klune's <i>In the Lives of Puppets </i>soon, but until then, I am content to vote for Lily Brooks-Dalton's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/03/contemporary-fiction-light-pirate-by.html" target="_blank">The Light Pirate</a></i>, which looks at what the future could be should our infrastructure fail, while following a young girl with an extraordinary and unexplained gift. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">While it is an often neglected category on this blog, I managed to read one novel that has been nominated in the Best Horror category, and that is Silvia Moreno-Garcia's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/10/horror-fiction-silver-nitrate-by-silvia.html" target="_blank">Silver Nitrate</a></i>. Lovers of old Hollywood and the history behind cult classics will most likely enjoy this novel set in Mexico. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh boy...well, I knew this was coming. I usually have the most DSNs show up as nominees in the Best Young Adult Fiction category, but somehow I am always surprised. For 2023, there are seven total, and (deep breath in) here they are: <i>Suddenly a Murder</i> by Lauren Munoz (review coming in early December), <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/04/young-adult-fiction-immortality-by-dana.html" target="_blank">Immortality</a></i> by Dana Schwartz, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/11/young-adult-fiction-thieves-gambit-by.html" target="_blank">Thieves' Gambit</a></i> by Kayvion Lewis, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/06/young-adult-fiction-five-survive-by.html" target="_blank">Five Survive</a></i> by Holly Jackson, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/02/young-adult-fiction-highly-suspicious.html" target="_blank">Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute</a></i> by Talia Hibbert, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/08/young-adult-fiction-one-of-us-is-back.html" target="_blank">One of Us Is Back</a></i> by Karen M. McManus, and finally, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/08/young-adult-fiction-warrior-girl.html" target="_blank">Warrior Girl Unearthed</a></i> by Angeline Boulley. My vote goes to <i>Warrior Girl Unearthed</i>, though this is far from being an easy decision. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Three DSNs have been nominated as the Best Debut of 2023, including two books that have already appeared in other categories. Both <i>Maame</i> and <i>River Sing Me Home</i> made the cut, along with <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/05/contemporary-fiction-bandit-queens-by.html" target="_blank">The Bandit Queens</a></i> by Parini Shroff. I will once again be voting for George's <i>Maame</i>, and I am so pleased to see it gain enough recognition to make it into two categories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Best Nonfiction category contains one DSN, and I believe it is one that could absolutely win. Matthew Desmond's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/07/nonfiction-poverty-by-america-by.html" target="_blank">Poverty, By America</a></i> does not pull any punches, while still being short, to the point, and with incredible insight. I am not at all surprised by its appearance in the awards. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Prachi Gupta's <i>They Called Us Exceptional</i> is one of those books that took me by surprise, and also one I almost did not read. I am glad I did (the review will be published this Friday), and its inclusion in the Best Memoir & Autobiography category is more than fitting. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">And for Best History & Biography, <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2023/09/nonfiction-when-crack-was-king-by.html" target="_blank">When Crack Was King</a></i> by Donovan X. Ramsey has gained a spot, and rightfully so. It is a creative, but still honest look at the crack epidemic, following four individuals and their own experiences during an interesting time in U.S. history. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The voting is open and will close on Sunday, November 26, with the final round of voting opening on Tuesday, November 28. There have been a few times in the past years when the numbers were extremely close between first and second place, so be sure to make your voice heard. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-65609937556140943022023-11-10T06:30:00.156-06:002023-11-10T06:30:00.146-06:00Young Adult Fiction: Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq05hEg_hcQ4kApeo0qb0ShL3znXNc2sAhl053WQCfeGPjopcSK4Fdy2Qnyj6zAuFeN3614EnGDaqarSXYA2BO3sQT414MbKBHhL_x5onxPjjpXhLBZEYMoi9-OjY7GzCsVVcU0llY5XRLlnX3XjRjDlbYlwpaTx6vxha_LUvV10xiBBhiMTsAwSjUnPj/s1511/Lewis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq05hEg_hcQ4kApeo0qb0ShL3znXNc2sAhl053WQCfeGPjopcSK4Fdy2Qnyj6zAuFeN3614EnGDaqarSXYA2BO3sQT414MbKBHhL_x5onxPjjpXhLBZEYMoi9-OjY7GzCsVVcU0llY5XRLlnX3XjRjDlbYlwpaTx6vxha_LUvV10xiBBhiMTsAwSjUnPj/w133-h200/Lewis.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">When searching for new books, seeing that a title is the first in a new series can often make me hesitate. If I read the first book and love it, then I am locked in and eagerly waiting for the follow-up, which is great. But if I end up less than interested in what the book offered and where the story is heading, it can feel weird to stop there with no intention of finishing the series. It is a gamble, but I took the chance of </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Thieves' Gambit</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> by Kayvion Lewis. An elite competition between some of the world's best thieves sounds like a lot of fun, and the promise of more books to follow allows for a wide range of possibilities.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Right now, 17 year-old Rosalyn Quest only wants one thing, and that is to save her mother. Before this, she wanted nothing more than to escape from her mother's grasp and live her own life, but that was before things went terribly wrong in the middle of a job. The Quests are legendary and are known for being the best thieves in North America. But that legacy may fall apart if Ross cannot come up with the insane ransom her mother's kidnappers are demanding. There is only one hope, and that it the Thieves' Gambit: a competition where the winner is granted one wish, for literally anything they want. Ross knows that winning will not be easy, but she has to try. What other choice does she have?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Before the competition even begins, it is clear to Ross that the mysterious organizers of the Gambit are in complete control, with access to money, resources, and information. That was to be expected, but what Ross did not expect was to have to go up against her longtime rival, Noelia Boschert. The other competitors are from all over the word, and include a tech-genius from Japan, an impulsive gambling trickster from Las Vegas, and a charming boy named Devroe who may be fun to look at, but Ross is still hesitant to trust him. Each challenge proves to be more intense, and seemingly impossible, than the last, but the cost of losing is simply too high.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a young adult thriller/adventure novel that takes place in various locations all over the world. While the Quest family is mostly known for pulling jobs in North America, and the Boschert's seem to have cornered the market in Europe, the competitors are from all over. Every participant of the Gambit was chosen for a reason, and each one has skills and advantages that are unique to them. And while trusting people is usually not something thieves are used to doing, Ross finds herself having to do just that if she wants to win, while also questioning what she has always been told by the people who raised her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> This book is definitely for those of us who love stories that feature intense, if unconventional, competitions between an ensemble cast of characters, but are not necessarily too interested in watching it all go down in yet another post-apocalyptic or dystopian landscape. The Gambit takes their competitors to places like Egypt and Paris, and in style. But just because private planes are featured, it does not mean that things are more comfortable, less tense, or that the stakes are not still incredibly high. Questions of who to trust, who to believe, and and what is really going on are a constant, and little gets answered until the very last page. I am certainly excited for this series to continue. Anyone else looking for globe-trotting adventure and high-stakes heists with magnetic characters will love it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> It has been drilled into Ross that she cannot trust anyone unless they are family, and that she must be ruthless if she wants to survive. There is a moment early on when she decides to go against these lessons, which makes her character admirable and endearing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Kyung-soon is a competitor from South Korea who makes a habit of swiping silverware, and then selling it back to people when they need it to eat their meals. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> For some reason, I feel like recommending <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2016/12/young-adult-fiction-reader-by-traci-chee.html" target="_blank">The Reader</a></i> by Traci Chee. It is a completely different kind of book, but it has a similar fast-paced intensity and colorful cast of characters that was found in today's book. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-72838739318356990162023-11-03T06:30:00.158-05:002023-11-03T06:30:00.127-05:00Historical Fiction: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pvCHfMJsHnJ-gjxlBoNdldsQeaqAOYQ5aucNWuM3dhgOxjLY1upw914JUr28XceQVmmAwKFzglweAU4VBfBZ_J-QFeXfNeXcS6oPyi9f0_awZLwGAewcBL-rYxw-OwNlU82w3KvaT74k8iOJUfbGHk28igxjSY3887VIBPGs58wAX9ghpvcsxIzeV3Tl/s400/Ward1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pvCHfMJsHnJ-gjxlBoNdldsQeaqAOYQ5aucNWuM3dhgOxjLY1upw914JUr28XceQVmmAwKFzglweAU4VBfBZ_J-QFeXfNeXcS6oPyi9f0_awZLwGAewcBL-rYxw-OwNlU82w3KvaT74k8iOJUfbGHk28igxjSY3887VIBPGs58wAX9ghpvcsxIzeV3Tl/w131-h200/Ward1.jpg" width="131" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two-time winner of the National Book Award, Jesmyn Ward, has come out with her first fiction novel since 2017's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2018/01/contemporary-fiction-sing-unburied-sing.html" target="_blank">Sing, Unburied, Sing</a></i>. This time, Ward moves to the past and reimagines American slavery, referencing Dante Alighieri's <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2013/12/door-stop-divine-comedy-by-dante.html" target="_blank">Inferno</a></i> as the protagonist makes her journey from one plantation to another.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> Born into slavery, young Annis is taught how to survive by her mother, as she works in the house of the man who is her father. Occasionally, she is able to hear parts of the lessons that are taught to the master's twin girls - Annis' half-sisters - which include Alighieri's <i>Inferno</i>. After her master sells her and it is time for Annis to make her own journey, she becomes a different kind of guide downward, navigating the difficult journey from the Carolinas, all the way down to New Orleans. It is a difficult trek full of more than just rough terrain and turbulent rivers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> As Annis gazes back into her history, to her mother and grandmother, what she often finds is not necessarily relief, answers, or even comfort. And while the long journey to New Orleans is hard, surviving at her new home of the sugar plantation proves to be even tougher. Being owned by a miserly and stingy woman is difficult enough, and when harvest season comes, things only get worse. And despite often being disappointed and frustrated with the world she seeks beyond this one, the one full of myth, history, and spirits, Annis continues to both seek and defy it in the search for real, true freedom.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a historical fiction novel with Annis as the first-person narrator. With many references and callbacks to Alighieri's <i>Inferno</i>, Annis becomes the reader's guide not only on the journey to Louisiana, but also through her time at both plantations. It is the stories of her mother and warrior grandmother that will help move Annis forward, even as she learns of the hardships and betrayals they had to endure, only to become slaves themselves. It is a search for freedom and joy that moves through grief and despair, with the long journey through the southern U.S. feeling like a real descent to a darker place.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> No matter how it is approached, the subject of slavery is going to be a tough one to tackle, most likely for both the author and the reader. There is no shying away from the horrors Annis has to endure as a slave on a rice plantation, forced to daily face the reality that her father is her master, and her half-sisters know a life of luxury and education that she may never get to enjoy. Add in the grueling journey south, and the harsh reality of the sugar plantation, and what Ward offers is the kind of portrayal many may want to avoid, but becomes worth exploring due to the language and characters. Ward's work has been critically acclaimed for a reason, and it is easy to see why her writing has endured. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> After arriving in New Orleans, Annis learns of a group of slaves that managed to live free in the swamps. It is a story full of hope and tragedy, giving more depth to Annis' new home, rather than making it a new location with same (or worse) problems.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> Mary does not speak, but she works hard at the sugar plantation, and she contains more depth and layers for those that know to look.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2016/10/historical-fiction-underground-railroad.html" target="_blank">The Underground Railroad</a></i> by Colson Whitehead. </span></div>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2405026314207337542.post-92155909481203997212023-10-27T06:30:00.139-05:002023-10-27T06:30:00.147-05:00Contemporary Fiction: Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQL0FmrLsfvTsP6Ptl6V0UJqKNCj-1ax6n3upbCKTe8ogCIVVuqekggdXPV0_rhCc6WEaxEXQXTWnmQfu6-YfspuJ9OjGVrYfs9yXkDqZiZ9-X6_vwe9i81Sic_FpIDbJONILnxUn7PyPJKE0qHUragBrMqO1aL8DwONeyuIFfMswqi76mIqzJ8wIkc3Z/s2775/Acevedo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQL0FmrLsfvTsP6Ptl6V0UJqKNCj-1ax6n3upbCKTe8ogCIVVuqekggdXPV0_rhCc6WEaxEXQXTWnmQfu6-YfspuJ9OjGVrYfs9yXkDqZiZ9-X6_vwe9i81Sic_FpIDbJONILnxUn7PyPJKE0qHUragBrMqO1aL8DwONeyuIFfMswqi76mIqzJ8wIkc3Z/w133-h200/Acevedo.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many readers know the name of today's author from her young adult fiction novels, but <i>Family Lore</i> is Elizabeth Acevedo's first offering for adults. I enjoyed all three of Acevedo's previous books and looked forward to the story of a family of women who each have a unique gift, and their preparations for a loved ones living wake.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Situation:</b> When Ona hears that her mother wants to have a living wake, she fears the worst is about to happen. Flor may be 70 years-old, but it is not her age that is making Ona and the rest of the family believe that the woman may be dying. The thing is, Flor has always been able to know when someone is going to die. This information comes to her in dreams and she has yet to be wrong. It is her gift, just like her youngest sister, Camila, can mix and match herbs into a cure for anything, and Pastora knows the truth about people (which many find unnerving). Matilde does not seem to have a gift, but she is and has always been an incredible dancer, whenever she gets a chance to do it. With only three days until the wake, everyone is doing their best to have the event come together, as they also attempt to find out what Flor knows.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The Problem:</b> Ona is naturally suspicious, and terrified, of the reason why Flor would want a living wake. And why she would need to have it so soon. She does her best to find out if her mother has seen her own death, with both direct and indirect questions. But Flor continues to not give anything anyway, and only sometimes gives cryptic answers. Even Pastora, the sister who can divine the truth, is seemingly at a loss. As the day of the wake approaches, the past is slowly revealed, and Flor, Matilde, Pastora, Camila, Ona, and Ona's younger cousin Yadi, all reveal their secrets, and the anxieties that are plaguing them. The stories come together to present the rich history of the six women, who eagerly await the day of the wake and whatever is to come.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Genre, Themes, History:</b> This is a work of fiction that is set in and around modern-day New York City, while also jumping back through time to when the four sisters were younger and living in the Dominican Republic. While Ona is the primary narrator, the reader also hears from her aunts Matilde, Pastora, and Camila; her mother Flor, and her cousin Yadi, all from the first person perspective. Ona has decided to interview her family members as part of a personal project, and the product is full of revelations, while also hiding some of the information that Ona most wants to know. At the beginning of the book, following a quote from poet Lucille Clifton, the reader is given a list of the family members that are mentioned, as well as their primary traits. Each chapter moves the story towards the inevitable wake, while also presenting more from the characters' paths.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Verdict:</b> Of course, I was aware of the pitfalls that can come from expecting a novelist to be successful in a certain area or genre, simply because they have proven successful in another area. I was excited to see what a novel for adults would look like coming from Acevedo, but I was also apprehensive, and that caution was not completely unmerited. What remains is Acevedo's command of language and her ability to put together settings and characters and situations in a way that brings the reader into a world that feels both close and real. And while the characters are interesting, and their stories and histories even more so, the lack of plot movement makes for an almost frustrating experience. The slice of life approach allows for great background, but with little payoff. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Moment:</b> There is a moment when Pastora sees the truth about someone who has entered the shop where she works, but she decides not to speak it in that moment, and it is everything. Such a small and subtle moment was made incredibly powerful with just the smallest of observations. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Favorite Character:</b> I can understand why many would be wary of Pastora, including her own youngest sister, Camila. But honestly, people being unnerved by Pastora and her ability to know the truth really says more about them than it does about her.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b> I recommend <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2020/06/young-adult-fiction-clap-when-you-land.html" target="_blank">Clap When You Land</a></i>, Acevedo's third YA novel, as well as <i><a href="https://doorstopnovels.blogspot.com/2022/08/contemporary-fiction-neruda-on-park-by.html" target="_blank">Neruda on the Park</a></i> by Cleyvis Natera. </span></p>Space Coyotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807407112658933689noreply@blogger.com0