The Indigo Girl

Ugh…I’m not looking forward to reviewing this book. The last time I reviewed a book with “But this is what Blacks wanted”/“Blacks just don’t know what’s good for them” sentiments scattered throughout, all the slavery/Confederate/racism/segregation apologists came out of the woodwork. (Okay, so it was only a couple of people but they would NOT back down. And I wasn’t and still am not knowledgeable enough to pull from primary and secondary sources to combat what I know is wrong in any sort of way that would make them stop patting my head and telling me I was a silly little girl who just didn’t understand)

(Stamps feet. Grunts loudly. Cracks my knuckles) Okay, let’s go.

Pachinko

Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee, spans a total of four generations of a Korean family, though it spends the most time on the character Sunja, from the second generation, and how the story of her family lives, grows, and dies in first Korea, then Japan.

This is not a book I would have chosen on my own. It’s one of the Monthly Book Club’s January picks, and I must admit I voted for it when there were several choices. If it hadn’t been for the MBC’s yearly goals, I would have given up on it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is well written—for the most part. On the other, it is very long. Very, very long. According to Amazon, it is 512 pages. According to my Kindle app on my phone, it is about 650 pages. I started by reading it on my phone, but as two weeks passed and I realized I was only 40% of the way through and losing interest fast, I checked out the audiobook and finished it up there (on 1.5 x speed on my drives to and from work).

Book Club: The Lost Apothecary

When I joined the Monthly Book Club Facebook group, this was one of the two recommended books for September. Just like with why previous book club’s books, I will let you know if I read a book due to the book club, and what others thought of the book as well. Unfortunately, I already know I will not be able to take part in the online discussion due to scheduling conflicts, so I decided to go ahead and make my blog post now.

The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner, takes place in two different time periods—late 18th Century London and modern-day London—from three points of view: the aging and ailing Nella, for whom the book is named, 12-year-old Eliza, who wants to be Nella’s friend and co-conspirator, and modern-day Caroline, a heartbroken woman from Ohio who learned of her husband’s infidelity the night before their flight to London for their ten-year anniversary.

Escape From Namur

Two years ago, (wow, really? Two years? Eep!) I was delighted to read and review my grandmother Marilyn Brown’s book, The Black Canary. I was so in love with that book that I immediately purchased her latest book, Escape From Namur (and then I was given a copy for Christmas, so there’s two copies floating around my house). Set in the 1930’s and 40’s in Belgium, it wasn’t quite what I’m familiar with. But Marilyn Brown quickly sets the stage with a bit of a prologue, with Annie Gilbert seeing a fast-moving boy (Henri Cailteur) zipping along on his bike. Later, Annie meets the boy-turned-man at a local dance, and the two quickly fall in love.

This isn’t just a love, story, however. In fact, you could argue the love story comes to any typical romance’s usual conclusion right as the story begins. As German soldiers advance through Belgium, invading the small town of Namur, it morphs into a dramatic tale of survival. Based on a true story, Escape From Namur follows Annie Gilbert—now Annie Cailteur—as she and her in-laws survive bombings, paratrooper attacks, and travel from one supposed safe haven to the next. And as time goes on, Annie wonders: will she ever see her beloved Henri again?

The Hunger (part 2)

Hello all!

So, in October I tried to do what turned out to be impossible (for me) and read five different books. I read/listened to two and attempted two others, and then never got around to the fifth. One that I attempted but gave up as meh when my library ebook expired was The Hunger by Alma Katsu. You can read my original musings here.

Well, I guess I forgot that I placed a hold on the audiobook, and it cycled to me a couple of times while I thought I was on time out for a ten-cent fine that I’m not sure how to pay during a pandemic (not because I don’t have ten cents, but because no one is dealing in cash right now). But those ten cents were forgiven, and I was able to check out audiobooks again. So, huzzah, The Hunger audiobook!