More August Reading

 China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

A Booker Long List nominee and a Book of the Month Club choice, this is a unique story. Told in two different voices, in two completely different time periods, I was intrigued yet not all the way "In" on this one. The story of Mehar in 1929 gripped me from the very start: a fifteen year old girl, married off to one of the brothers in the house, abused by her mother-in-law, puzzled as to which brother is her husband,  naive yet seeking independence, trapped in a life not of her own making. The parallel story is of her great-grandson, a young man raised in England, shaped by the racism in his small town and the prejudice against his shopkeeper parents, struggling with addiction and his sense of identity. These two worlds collide through Sahota's writing, as he takes pieces of his own history and weaves them into fiction. The writing is beautiful, though not always the style I care for as it is very descriptive. While I did not love this book, I liked it very much, learning of a different culture, making my brain breathe bigger.

A Different Dawn (Nina Guerrera, #2) by Isabella Maldonado

This is an example of a book where the writing just did not strike me as that good - it is a bit choppy for my taste, a bit simplistic, a bit pedestrian. Yet did I care? Nope, not after the first few chapters as the story and the characters once again drew me in. As a former police officer, Maldonado clearly knows her stuff - this police procedural nails all the investigative twists and turns needed to find a highly intelligent, super creepy serial killer. She develops her main character in a way that pulls us into Nina's life, rooting for her and cheering her on, even when she makes mistakes and falls into trouble. The high chance of coincidence made me roll my eyes more than once, but still, I was thoroughly entertained + I appreciated the diverse case of characters rather than the typical 'all-white male cast with one token female badass." Once the writing skills get honed a bit more, I think this detective series will be really solid.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

Ah, what a sweet escape this book was as I journeyed back to the Borscht Belt, where Jewish hotels and bungalows were the place to go for New York Jews, a time where families played games, did silly shows, and competed against other similar families. In this case, two families come together to decide if they should sell their old, behind-the-times resort, or update it and try and make a go of it for the sake of the grandparents who started the hotel back in the 60's. I adored all the characters of this multi-generational stories - as we get beyond the surface of a grandmother whose hair is never out of place, a daughter whose marriage is imploding, a grandchild whose career is an 'influencer,' all the lives come together in an amazing way, one in which they must see each other as YES, times change. A little bit of Mrs. Maisel, a bit of Dirty Dancing, a bit of reality television, this book charmed and thoroughly entertained me.

The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

This book was chilling to listen to while the whole Afghan withdrawal/debacle unfolded across every international headline. New York TImes war correspondent Dexter Filkins embeds himself with a variety of soldiers, rebels, villagers, you name it, to bring us the long drawn out story of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I mean, let's be honest - how often have many of us even thought about these wars lately? My guess is, if you're like me, not much until America decided to withdraw the troops in August of 2021 and the Taliban once again took over in Afghanistan. I mean, we've lost thousand of soldier, translators, interpreters, support staff, correspondents, you name it, over the last twenty years. Are you still confused as to what the hell we were doing there all this time? I was. This book answers many questions, yet also left me questioning even more. Filkins puts the reader right in the middle of the action, literally - at times, I could almost feel my heart beat race as his platoon was trapped by a sniper, or a village was being bombed, or a soldier was being raced to a medi-vac. As much as I normally love listening to non-fiction, I wouldn't recommend the audio. Too many people, too many names, too many different scenarios for my brain to keep up - being able to see each small incident on paper would have been a better fit for me.

Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West

This book is perfect for any parent of a middle schooler, or if you're a teacher, or if you have had a teen, or even know a teen - in other words, I loved it! The three families that tell this story are so engaging - each kid, each parent does some seriously impulsive, stupid shit, like we all do at times. Yet when you add in social media (IG, FB, Snapchat, Tik-Tok), that dumb behavior becomes permanent, forever, alive for all time. I read this book in 24 hours; it was like watching a train wreck - you know what's coming but oh my, it is compelling to witness!

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

This is such a popular memoir, but it did not hit the right note for me, probably because it hit too many of my 'sore spots.' Told by a young woman who is half-Korean, half-Caucasion American, it is the story not just of her childhood and young adult life, but more about the death of her mother and the impact it has had on Michelle. Don't get me wrong - it is a very powerful, compelling story, told with honesty and authenticity. However, having sat at the bedside of two dying parents myself, it was just too painful for me to listen to (tho the author is a fabulous narrator). It truly is a fabulous memoir, but too drenched in sadness for me at this time.