Classic Fiction: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

The book choice for today seemed incredibly fitting for the situation we are in now. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez was critically acclaimed upon its publication in the 1980s, and has certainly endured as a classic. It tells the story of two individuals who meet at a young age, but whose lives go in different directions. However, they are often within close proximity of each other, during a time when cholera is a constant threat in their fictional South American town.

The Situation: When Dr. Juvenal Urbino decides to reach for his pet parrot from a ladder, he never imagines that this is the action that will lead to his death. Now his wife, Fermina Daza, must face the rest of her life without him, something she has a hard time imagining after more than 50 years together. But just as the funeral has ended, local businessman Florentino Ariza proclaims his love for her, just as he did when they were younger, before Juvenal Urbino ever entered the picture. Despite having been rejected decades before, Florentino Ariza has never been able to get over losing Fermina Daza, while she has held onto the belief that what they had before could not be considered real love. Even so, Florentino Ariza has always held onto hope, and he tells her he remained faithful to her as he waited all these years.

The Problem: Florentino Ariza may have never been able to get over Fermina Daza, but he certainly did not spend his life without companionship. In fact, over time, he will have nearly countless affairs, with women of all ages. Some he loved - and some loved him in return - while others he simply used in an attempt to cure his own loneliness and heartbreak. There were a few who saw him for what he was, but many who were fooled into believing they were his one and only. And while Fermina Daza never once strayed from Juvenal Urbino, and they reached that stage of marriage where they knew each other so well and could not imagine life with the other, their time together was not without its trials. Now that her husband is dead, and Florentino Ariza has once again pledged his love, Fermina Daza is not exactly rushing to commit herself to another man.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that takes place roughly between the 1880s and the 1930s, in an unnamed town in Colombia. The simplest and most straightforward label for the book would be that of a love story, but it also explores aging and death, and the love story itself is complicated. On the surface, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall in love when they are young, until she rejects him, and then ultimately marries the wealthy and prestigious Dr. Juvenal Urbino. Then Florentino Ariza must pine over her for the next several decades. But those decades include illicit affairs, family strife, community tragedies, and all kinds of scandalous gossip. Plus, there is the near-constant threat of the cholera epidemic. The love that Florentino Ariza holds onto so tightly can often be called into question, and Fermina Daza even examines her own long-lasting marriage, and what is means to love someone for that long. 

My Verdict: I was drawn to this book, first because I absolutely loved One Hundred Years of Solitude, but also because it felt natural to pick this up after another year of uncertainty due to a devastating pandemic. Also, I saw the illustrated version at Barnes and Noble and decided that was the version I wanted to read, and the version that I wanted on my bookshelf. I immediately recognized the lyrical prose, as well as near-cryptic storytelling, or at least that is the best way I can think to describe it. And I love that this is not at all a typical love story. It does not even start off like one; instead, it starts off with the death of a minor character, followed by their funeral. What I had a hard time with was the character of Florentino Ariza, and what I see as his obsession with a woman who is, for the most part, kept out of his reach for over 50 years. Plus, his treatment of women is less than exemplary. 

Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* When Fermina Daza’s father is revealed for the crook that he is. 

Favorite Character: There is something resolute and determined about Fermina Daza that I really admire. Her life is not the easiest, or simplest, but she makes difficult decisions and sticks with them.

Recommended Reading: One Hundred Years of Solitude is my favorite of the two, but I also recommend Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. 

Science Fiction: Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

In 2019, I discovered the first book in Tade Thompson's Rosewater series, and was delighted that I found a science fiction book I enjoyed and could follow with a reasonable amount of understanding. So I was happy to pick up Far From the Light of Heaven, which promised to be more of a murder mystery in space than a space adventure.

The Situation: Michelle 'Shell' Campion is excited, though also understandably apprehensive, about her first mission. She has been properly trained - at least she is pretty sure she has - and is eager to live up to family pressure. It is a daunting mission: pilot a ship and its 1,000 sleeping passengers, ensuring everyone arrives at their destination safely, on a trip that will take ten years to complete. Shell cannot quite call herself the captain, since the ship's artificial intelligence will do all of the work. The computer on the Ragtime has been said to be perfect, like any other AI that now exists, and Shell has been assured that it will not make a mistake. The Ragtime's destination is a colony planet called Bloodroot, many of whose residents know nothing of a life of Earth. 

The Problem: Rasheed Fin would love to get his job back as an investigator. An unfortunate misstep put him on the sidelines, but when the assignment comes in to investigate an incident on a spaceship known as Ragtime, Fin takes his AI companion Salvo and is determined to succeed. When he boards Ragtime, he finds Shell composed, but also deeply concerned. Only 969 of the 1,000 passengers have arrived safely. The other 31, not so much. The situation is difficult enough, and it does not help at all when Shell and Fin begin to butt heads; the ships mechanics have a tendency to turn against them, often attacking them outright; and the Ragtime's perfect AI has stopped obeying. But they will both soon learn that this is only the beginning.   

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set in a future where humans have been living on far off planets long enough that life on Earth is a foreign concept for some. Shell is following a family tradition of sorts by becoming an astronaut and piloting her own mission. What she learns is something she may have already known, which is that space is dangerous and scary, and there are many things that can go wrong. Having an apparent murderer on board is simply the most pressing issue...sometimes. Another issue is less than perfect AI that decides when it will take orders. Fin's AI, Salvo, is a counterpoint to the ship's troublesome computer, but the point still stands. And things only get more complicated when revenge and restitution come into play.

My Verdict: Something that Thompson always does well is create flawed characters that are realistic and believable, but still manage to garner the reader's support, despite their issues. Also, the problems presented are rarely black and white. Both Shell and Fin have straightforward missions that need to be completed, but what they uncover involves wrongs and misdeeds that have been going on for quite some time. The action is fast-paced, which means I was never bored, though often confused. There is so much happening all of the time, and every new character or species introduced is as fascinating as the one before. But the main issue always remains as the focus of the story, with all reveals and past histories leading back to it.

Favorite Moment: Being an AI himself, Salvo is able to communicate with the Ragtime in a way no one else can.

Favorite Character: I am not sure if this counts as a character, but there is a wolf discovered on board that is both mysterious and helpful. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Thompson's Rosewater series, as well as Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty.

Graphic Novel: Oddball by Sarah Andersen

It has been far too long since a collection of Sarah's Scribbles has been published. But we can at least now say that 2021 has given us Oddball by Sarah Andersen, and it is another delightful collection of some of her funniest sketches and observations about life as a millennial in these weird times.

Genre, Themes, History: This is Andersen's fourth publication in her Sarah Scribbles collection, with the previous one having been published in 2018. Andersen once again offers up observations that are true (sometimes painfully so) and hilarious, mostly focusing on her own quirks and habits. When Andersen is not poking fun at herself, she pokes light fun at others, with some of the comics looking at the differences between the generations; the comparisons between introverts and extroverts; the reasons why dogs go to heaven and cats...go somewhere else; and then there is the odd comic thrown in about why a medusa would agree to adopt a blind cat. Many who follow Andersen on social media will recognize some of the comics, but being able to pull the collection from their own bookshelves or coffee table will be more than enough motivation to buy it.

My Verdict: I always have the same complaint about graphic novels or collections like these, and that is they are too short and go by too quickly. Granted, with something like this, the point is for it to be enjoyed over and over again. Even so, I always want more. Andersen has a way of poking fun at herself and the world around her that is always delightful. Even the comics that may hit a little too close to home can leave a reader feeling joyful and hopeful. And while the observations about Gen Z, and the truth that memories we millennials are currently creating may not exactly age well when we are our grandparents age, are incredibly funny and enjoyable, I personally love the appearance of the medusa character and would like to see more of her. It is the kind of randomness that will always keep me coming back to these collections.

Favorite Comic: There is one comic in which an obviously scared and cautious Andersen is taking baby steps in an uncertain direction. But after three or four panels of baby step after baby step, she is pleased to realize just how far she has come.

Recommended Reading: I of course recommend the entire Sarah Scribbles collection, but also Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant, and Step Aside, Pops.

Young Adult Fiction: You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

It seems that readers are treated to at least one Karen M. McManus book every year, and I am completely okay with that. For 2021, we were able to get our hands on You'll Be the Death of Me, another stand-alone young adult mystery/thriller that will keep people guessing.

The Situation: Ivy would rather not go to school today, and that is a bit unusual for the driven, high-achieving, and somewhat uptight high school senior. The thing is, she just lost the senior class presidency to a guy who ran as a joke. He is even known as Boney Mahoney, opting to go by a nickname instead of Brian, his real first name. Turns out, Cal is also looking for a reason to ditch school, and Mateo really is not in the mood either. When the three students run into each other in the school parking lot, a plan is hatched, the fake phone calls are made, and then they are off. Before high school, Ivy, Cal, and Mateo were quite close, and now Cal is eager to recreate another day in which the three of them went off on their own, a day that has since been referred to as the Greatest Day Ever. But it does not take long for this day to take a dark turn.

The Problem: Ivy, Cal, and Mateo are not the only Carlton High School students skipping school today. When they catch sight of one of their classmates in downtown Boston, Ivy decides to do some spying, and the discovery of a dead body sends the day in a completely different direction. Skipping school may have possibly been the worst decision ever, and the bad choices keep coming as the trio do their best to figure out what has happened, while also keeping themselves out of danger. It seems that each of them are connected in some way to the victim, and to other people that are involved. Some secrets are straightforward, though still shocking, while others go back years, and threaten to ruin the lives and precarious futures these teens are trying build. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel set in and around the city of Boston, with most of the action taking place all in one day. Ivy is a known high-strung overachiever who just suffered a devastating loss in a student council election. Mateo is doing his part to help keep his family afloat, though it means he is constantly tired and worn-out from working multiple jobs. And Cal still feels out of place, with no real core friend group to stick to. At the center of everything is the murder/mystery plot, but this central story also concerns the current opioid epidemic, predatory relationships, family resentment, and even touches on gentrification in some moments. 

My Verdict: McManus once again delivers a fast-paced puzzle piece that will keep most everyone guessing. There are those of you out there that will be able to put everything together way before those final chapters, but even the ones who see everything coming will be entertained by the twists and turns this story takes. There are so many secrets and hidden motives behind nearly every action and conversation, that there is no moment when the reader should feel prepared. Even preparing for a surprise may not work (at least it didn't for me), because very little can be predicted, and nothing is as it seems. McManus has created flawed teenagers who take terrible situations, and through bad decisions, manage to make them worse, all while there is a murder to be solved. And while this would normally be frustrating, the reader will be too preoccupied with the overall mystery, eager to see how the story ends.

Favorite Moment: Ivy has long felt overshadowed by her gifted little brother, but at some point, she must confront how she handles her feelings, as well as the actual truth of the situation. 

Favorite Character: Mateo is a hard-working boy stuck in a terrible situation, and he only wants what is best for his family. 

Recommended Reading: Last year's The Cousins remains my favorite of McManus' novels. I also recommend Roxy by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. 

Winners of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards

After two rounds of voting, it has been decided. The winners of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced, and I want to first give a huge congratulations to every winner, as well as those who were nominated. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid managed to come away with the win in Best Historical Fiction for Malibu Rising, beating out Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, and Amor Towles. And Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary won for Best Science Fiction, which is probably not at all surprising to most. I am also happy to see that Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro came in second.

It gives me great pleasure to see that Broken by Jenny Lawson took the top spot in Best Humor. And another winner that I personally voted for is The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, which has won for Best Nonfiction. 

My favorite category of Best Young Adult Fiction was absolutely stacked, with seven DSNs initially nominated in the first round, and four of them making it to the finals. I am ecstatic that Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley has won it, and there was some stiff competition, with less than 2,000 votes separating first and second place.

Now that we have our winners for 2021, it is time to look forward to the possibilities that can come in 2022. And of course, these awards also offer up the chance to maybe discover some books that have been published over the past year that may not have made it onto your radar. I will certainly enjoy researching some of the other nominees, while also looking into new books yet to be published.

Happy Reading!

Nonfiction: Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

Memoirs have been one of my favorite types of nonfiction for a long time, and since reading last year's Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett, I have been wanting to find more books about people who have had both amazing and unique life experiences that I know nothing about. So I was excited to find Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang, and follow along as she talks about life as young immigrant growing up in Brooklyn, New York.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book about what it was like as a Chinese immigrant in mid-to-late 1990s New York. When Wang arrives in Brooklyn at the age of seven, it is with her mother as they reunite with her father, who left China for the U.S. years earlier. While both parents were professors in China, in the U.S. they must find work in sweatshops in order to provide for their little family. The usual struggles that come with poverty - near-constant hunger, worn-out clothes, shame, embarrassment, fear of uncertainty - become Wang's reality as she struggles in this new life. Before leaving for the U.S., their destination was known as 'Mei Guo,' or 'beautiful country.' Through 32 chapters, Wang explores her struggles in the beautiful country, with each chapter given a name that relates to its focus, such as "Ascent" for the chapter about the plane ride, and "Shopping Day" for the chapter that follows Wang and her mother as they go through the trash of the neighborhood. And while Wang is the one telling the story, she is also telling her parent's story as they try to achieve the American dream. 

My Verdict: I think what amazes me most about this book is how little time it covers in the authors life, and yet there is so much there. And even with as much as this book deals with, I could easily see it going on to include more detail about what came after. Wang explores the time immediately before, and after arriving in Brooklyn, and manages to talk about it almost in a way that a child would. As a young girl - especially a young girl suddenly living in a country where she is not comfortable with the language, and life looks completely different from what she knew - Wang is often confused, hurt, afraid, and annoyed. She can often only describe what is happening without being able to name it, a technique that Wang pulls off extremely well. As a reader, the confusion and fear felt real, even though I have never been in a situation such as this. There are parts that will break your heart, but also help to open your eyes.

Favorite Moment: At one point, Wang manages to apply and gain admittance to a school all on her own, despite the doubts and bad advice of the adults around her.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Educated by Tara Westover, as well as the graphic novel Almost American Girl by Robin Ha.