Book Review - Stay With Me; Ayobami Adebayo

 

Stay With Me; Ayobami Adebayo

Knopf - 2017

Akin and Yejide are a young professional couple in Nigeria who after four years in remain childless. Akin is pressured by his mother Moomi, to take a second wife who can give them a child.   She even has the woman in mind, her name in Funmi.  Akin and his wife do not believe in polygamy but after trying fertility specialists, healers as well as some bizarre folklore beliefs still no pregnancy.  Of course, it is assumed Yejide is to blame.  When Yejide learns about the second wife she feels desperate to get pregnant and, this is where the story gets interesting.  I can't say too much more about the storyline without giving spoilers but, this story was decent and had plenty of discussion points.

The story covers the periods 1985 - 2008 with a backdrop of political turmoil. The story is told in      alternating POVs from the two main characters who were well-developed yet unlikeable in their        own ways.  The story is heavy in dialogue with a blend of extremely sad moments and laugh out      loud scenes as well which was nice as this book could have been a real downer.  I liked                      learning about the Nigerian culture and the value placed on offspring above all else.  My book          group met to discuss this one this month and most thought it was an interesting read but no one really loved it.  Readers who like learning about other cultures should try this one.

          I originally tried the audio download from the library but, I found the Nigerian accent a bit too                         difficult at times so, I switched to the library print copy instead. 

Rating - 4/5 stars

Book Review - World War C: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One; Sanjay Gupta, M.D.

 

World War C: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One; 

Sanjay Gupta, M.D.  (Simon & Schuster Audio - 8 hrs - 44 min.) - Release Date - 10/5/2021

I know many of us feel like we have heard more than enough about COVID but, when I learned of this new book from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta I knew I wanted to listen to what he had to say.

The first thing that impressed me with a book that could have easily been way over my head was how easy it was to absorb much of what Dr. Gupta had to say.  He reads the audio version of this book and his conversational style and easy pace was excellent.  

The book explores what has been learned thus far about this pandemic beginning with the origins of COVID around the world up to the present.  Readers get a glimpse of what went wrong and how we can better prepare for the next pandemic from the perspective of other public health experts and research scientists.  Approximately half of the book focuses on what has happened to the present and then we move forward to learn how to better prepare for next virus that will come our way. Gupta tells us why COVID was fatal to certain types of individuals and how we need to focus on better physical and mental health to have a better chance of surviving another pandemic.  We need to do some forward thinking about where we want to live (big cities vs rural areas), whether nursing homes are the place we should be placing our loved ones, do we have the right insurance plans for ourselves and family members and so much more. Gupta also helps us to debunk various vaccine myths and tries to help us to understand the vaccine hesitancy of some individuals.

I liked that this book was so much more than just about COVID: pandemics have happened before and will happen again. Let's learn what went wrong and how we can be ready next time.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

Thanks go to Simon & Schuster Audio for allowing my access to this download in exchange for my unbiased review.

2 new Children's Books - A Donkey Called Mistletoe; Helen Peters and Prehistoric Pets; Dr. Dean Lomax

 

Jasmine Green Rescues: A Donkey Called Mistletoe; Helen Peters

(Ill. Ellie Snowdon)

Walker Books - September - 2021 

(ages (7 - 9)

Book # 10 of the Jasmine Green Rescues series, introduces readers to Mistletoe, a donkey,  owned by an old and frail man who can no longer care for him. Where will Mistletoe go?  

Readers may recall from some of my previous reviews of this series that Jasmine Green's mom is a veterinarian, and based on passed experience readers will hope that Jasmine Green will be able to convince her mother to keep the donkey.  Jasmine has pleaded with her mom in the past on behalf of other animals in need and even though her mom always says, "no more pets" she usually gives in before long.

This is another winning story by Helen Peters with terrific illustrations by Ellie Snowdon. I love how this series teaches children compassion for other living things.  This book would be a perfect addition to your Christmas reads as there are a lot of characters to care about from the elderly man who can no longer care for the donkey, a boy on the autism spectrum and sick and/or depressed animals that need healing.  I highly recommend this series.

Prehistoric Pets; Dr. Dean Lomax (Ill. Mike Love)

                                                    Templar - September - 2021 - (ages 5 - 7)

Prehistoric Pets was a wonderful pop-up book featuring (7) ancestors of our more modern day pets.  

It was fun to share this stunning book with grandchildren. The book is complete with stunning pop-ups of the oldest ancestors of some of the pets we know and love.  Kids and adults alike will learn more about the ancestors of cats, dogs, horses, parakeets snakes and even a guinea pig.  We learn where these animals and reptiles once lived and the kinds of things they ate as well. I loved the fossil facts and the brilliant colorful pop-ups. Although the targeted age group here is ages 5-7, there is plenty of new information to make this book of value to children in the 10-12 age group.  Even children younger than 5 will be fascinated by the wonderful pop up art.

My thanks go to Candlewick Press who sent these winning books my way.

Lemon; Kwon Yeo-sun

 

Lemon; Kwon Yeo-sun

Other Press - 10/26/2021

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros -  hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.

SHORTS, 2002

I IMAGINE what happened inside the police interrogation room so many years ago.  By imagine, I don't mean invent.  But it's not like I was actually there, so I don't know what else to call it.  I picture the scene from that day, based on what he told me and some other clues, my own experience and conclusions.  It's not just this scene I imagine.  For over sixteen years, I've pondered, prodded, and worked every detail embroiled in the case known as "The High School Beauty Murder"--to the point I often fool myself into thinking I personally witnessed the circumstances now stamped on my mind's eye.  The imagination just as painful as reality.  No, it's more painful.  After all, what you imagine has no limit or end.

What do you think of that intro?   This was a short novella, just 147 pages. It was an excellent translation from the Korean by Janet Kong.

Brief Review:  This was a very different kind of story from anything I've read in a while. Each of the eight chapters held me captivated and my mind guessing as I tried to piece together how exactly this 2002 murder of Kim Hae, a high school beauty, would play out.  The story takes us back (17) years earlier to a time when there were two male suspects from different social classes but, since there was no concrete evidence the case eventually went cold.  

The story is told from (3) POVs: the victim's younger sister and (2) former classmates of the deceased.  More than solving the crime itself, this is a story that focuses on how the those impacted by the victim's death have dealt with what has happened.  This was a rather quick read that left me thinking; I was happy I had the chance to read it. The book releases today in the US.

Author Bio: Kwon Yeo-sun was born in Andong, South Korea, and now lives in  Seoul. In 1996 she received the Sangsang Literary Award for her debut novel, Niche of Green. Her subsequent novels and short stories have received numerous literary awards, including the Hankook Ilbo Literary Award, Yi Sang Literary Prize, and the Oh Yeong-su Literature Award, among others. Lemon is her first novel to be published in English. Janet Hong is a writer and translator based in Vancouver, Canada. She received the 2018 TA First Translation Prize and the 16th LTI Korea Translation Award for her translation of Han Yujoo’s The Impossible Fairy Tale, which was also a finalist for both the 2018 PEN Translation Prize and the 2018 National Translation Award. Her recent translations include Ha Seong-nan’s Bluebeard’s First Wife, Ancco’s Nineteen, and Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s Grass.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Other Press in exchange for my unbiased review.

Book Review - The Family Plot; Megan Collins

 

The Family Plot; Megan Collins

Atria - August - 2021

After enjoying this author's last book, Behind the Red Door, I was looking forward to her latest release.

The Lighthouse siblings: Dahlia, her twin Andy, Charlie and sister Tate grew up in a secluded island mansion with most unusual parents.  The mother and father were true crime-obsessed and kept a shine of  murder victims. The children were kept isolated and home-schooled and, part of their curriculum was true crime research.  When Andy disappears on the eve of his sixteenth birthday it is suspected that he ran away. Dahlia, his twin is especially affected by the loss of Andy.

Dahila, now 26,  has returned to Blackburn Island following the death of her father and in the process a horrible discovery is made.  In her father's burial plot, Andy's skull has been unearthed, he was killed by an axe to the head.  Who killed Andy and how did he end up buried in the "family plot?"

This was a somewhat gruesome story told from the POV of Dahlia who came across as rather immature for 26. Well, honestly, the whole family is more than a bit strange in the way they have dealt with what has happened. I found it hard to connect with Dahlia and the others.  Actually, everyone in this story seemed a little suspect even though there had been several unsolved murders nearby believed to be the work of a serial killer.  This was a very quick read but,  IMO it was also rather far-fetched as well.

Rating - 3.5/5 stars

Note: I was able to download the eGalley from NetGalley, Edelweiss and Atria at no cost in exchange for my unbiased review.

Book Review - Getaway; Zoje Stage

 

Getaway; Zoje Stage

                                                             Mulholland Books - August - 2021

This is my second book by author Zoje Stage; in 2018 I read Baby Teeth which was good and offered plenty of things to discuss with fellow readers. You can read my review HERE if interested. 

Getaway takes place in Colorado with (3) - 30-something women. There are sisters Beck and Imogen and Tilda, a close college friend. Beck is a doctor, Imogen is a struggling writer who sufferers from anxiety after a traumatic event and Tilda a former American Idol participant and an influencer. Imogen and Tilda had a falling out and had parted ways but Beck would like to see the friendship mended so the women agree to embark on Grand Canyon backpacking trip.  The sisters are skilled hikers from childhood but Tilda is not.  Pretty early on there is an uncomfortable vibe that something or someone is lurking close by. The women find their campsite ransacked and food missing. Things then get creepier and much worse when a lone male on the run shows up.

This story took a while to hook me. I loved the outdoorsy details which made the locale so vivid at times but, I also had a few scratch my head moments as some of what happens seemed unlikely considering two of the backpackers were experienced.  Despite a few roll-my-eyes moments overall, this was a tension filled thriller once the story finally got going. I think this is one of those thrillers that will have even greater appeal to those who love hiking the more difficult and remote ranges.

Rating - 3.5/5 stars

I received an early eGalley of this book from NetGalley and Mulholland Books in exchange for my unbiased review.

Sunday Salon - Winding down with October

Join Deb and others @ Read Buzz

Can you believe Thanksgiving is roughly (4) weeks away?  My son asked if we felt comfortable getting together as a family this year and, my immediate response was "yes!"  We've all been vaccinated (except for the granddaughters and they are masked in school as well as pool tested.  I'm hoping with all the supply chain issues, we will still be able to find local turkeys big enough for (10) of us.  I look forward to having everyone together after a somewhat lonely Thanksgiving 2020.   Do you have plans with family this year?  Has anyone gotten the COVID-booster yet?  I have an appointment for the booster on Friday. (We did get flu shots though - no side effects.)

A new addition to my daughter's family. Meet Millie, a 6 month old Australian Shepard. She joins the 7 and 9 year old sisters and 10 year old, 3-legged cat Rae (who has been great about the newcomer thus far.)

Rae

PAST WEEK - The weather has been lovely and this is the first year I can recall not having to turn our heat on by October 15th. The days have reached some 70 degree highs, no frost yet but, this week the temperatures will be dropping - hey it is to be expected when you live in New England.  We managed to take some nice walks and just enjoy time outside.  A few weeks ago we took a ride to the Berkshires and although although it was nice at home it rained there.  There was tons of tourist traffic and construction traffic as well, so it kind of put a "damper" on our plans.  We ended up hitting the outlet mall which wasn't busy at all but, decided on delaying our Stockbridge lunch plans for somewhere outside of the hustle and bustle. It all worked out in the end.

THIS WEEK - I have a hair appointment on Tuesday and my book group lunch gathering on Wednesday and then our meeting at 2. Our book is Stay With Me; Ayobami Adebaygo which I hope to begin today.  Have your read it?  I spoke to a few people who really liked it. 

BOOKS

I've been reading a lot; still behind on reviews though and winding down on the RIP Challenge.  I read 12 books from my list of 20 and still have (2) more to review: Getaway; Zoje Stage - 3.5/5 stars and The Family Plot; Megan Collins - 4/5 stars.  

I ended up reading several non fiction books this month which I really enjoyed as well (for me it was kinda non-fiction October.)

Hope your week and month has gone well.

(no review yet but it was excellent)