Not my cup of tea - not as a bookclub book that didn't elicit much discussion, nor as the story of Van Gogh's sister in law, which I felt lacked depthNot my cup of tea - not as a bookclub book that didn't elicit much discussion, nor as the story of Van Gogh's sister in law, which I felt lacked depth. Nothing wrong with it as a quick and easy read, but just not in depth enough in either timeline for my taste....more
3-1/2 stars: This is my first novel by Imran Mahmoud and won't be my last. I breezed through it and thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, plot and fou3-1/2 stars: This is my first novel by Imran Mahmoud and won't be my last. I breezed through it and thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, plot and found the ending to be believable and satisfying. There were a few things within the book I found needed tightening and the middle became somewhat repetitive causing the book to sag just a bit - otherwise I would have given it a firm 4 stars....more
This book takes place in Bombay, India right after partition and just as India becomes a nation independent from England. It is beginning to modernizeThis book takes place in Bombay, India right after partition and just as India becomes a nation independent from England. It is beginning to modernize and so the very first female detective is given a murder to investigate.
The book is part police procedural, and part Indian history. The police procedural was quite good, the difficulties of being a woman in a man's world, well narrated, but what I found outstanding was the interjection of the history of the times in India as it was gaining its independence from England. The love some had for the English and the deep resentment of what the Brits had done in their country. As well as the divisions between the Muslims, Hindis, and Sikhs, a part of their history that I was definitely not well versed in was weaved into the storyline seamlessly.
I will certainly read more of this series. ...more
This kept my interest and would have gotten 4 stars but ended abruptly with a questionable aspect. However, it was an interesting premise on the part This kept my interest and would have gotten 4 stars but ended abruptly with a questionable aspect. However, it was an interesting premise on the part of the mother. Read on a plane. ...more
This was our book club pick for January. Set in 17th century Quebec, the story revolves around a young girl, Cecile, her father, the apothecary, and tThis was our book club pick for January. Set in 17th century Quebec, the story revolves around a young girl, Cecile, her father, the apothecary, and the lives of the villagers. Cather does a tremendous job of creating a sense of place, of the streets, the weather, the shops, the villagers. But what gets in the way of the book is the relentless referral to Catholicism and not in an objective way although we do see how it clouds the thinking of the believers, religion and religiosity is constantly portrayed in a positive way.
However, my 10th great grandmother was taken by Indians from her home in Maine in the late 1600s, together with her two daughters, and delivered to Quebec to the Ursuline convent. This is 100% verified. She was rescued two years later, one of her daughters was sold into service and never heard from again, the other daughter converted to Catholicism and remained a nun. None of this is mentioned in the book, and it happened quite frequently in Colonial America during the French and Indian war period. The French Catholic missionaries frequently accompanied the soldiers and Indians who raided the towns in Maine, the Candlemas Massacre being a case in point. But Cather neglects any mention of the dark side of this religion. ...more
“At long last, I was in Paradise. When I reached the shore, I threw myself against the ground and hugged it with all my might.�
Umar Ousman’s memoir de“At long last, I was in Paradise. When I reached the shore, I threw myself against the ground and hugged it with all my might.�
Umar Ousman’s memoir details his life in 140 pages, from an almost illiterate boy living in Ghana dreaming of a better life to the founder of a non-profit looking to improve the lives of Ghanaians. At the age of 12, he started the long, violent and dangerous journey to a better life. On his 5 year road to “Paradise,� aka Spain, Ousman endured unimaginable hardship, loss, and cruelty as well as the kindness of strangers. Having a 3rd-grade education in Ghana and not knowing a lick of Spanish, Umar eventually overcame these hurdles through determination, hard work, and eventually, education. As a young boy, he had no idea of what a “flying machine� was. As a young man in Spain, he had never seen nor imagined what a city the size of Barcelona looked like, with escalators, elevators, and tall buildings. His dreams of paradise did not always pan out in reality, but with the help of an incredibly sweet, generous couple, and Umar’s hope, he traveled full circle, perhaps not in the way he had once dreamed of, but in an inspiring and very hopeful life journey.
I might never have picked up this book had Amazon not had it up for free for “Celebrate World Book Day.� As it is I got the kindle for free and pickedI might never have picked up this book had Amazon not had it up for free for “Celebrate World Book Day.� As it is I got the kindle for free and picked up the audiobook version for $1.99. And it was worth it! The story takes place in a fictional country which is assumed to be Tunisia, shortly after the Arab Spring. There’s a beekeeper, Sidi, who lives in the village of Nawa; he is a gentle man who talks to his bees and cares for them with tenderness as one would care and talk to their pet cats or dogs. He calls them his “girls.� One morning finds his colonies of bees have been murdered by killer hornets. Parallel to his bees is the strife created by upcoming elections. Together with the theme of ecological wellness, of protecting the species of the earth, are themes of political corruption, fading democracy, religious righteousness, and fanaticism. Men enveloped in their own version of Islamic godliness are more bent on violence and personal enrichment than the kindness their religion espouses and come down hard on the villagers.
The book depicts the delicate balance of our world ecology and the importance of believing in science, and the danger of not doing so. If the bees are representative of working folks going about their business in the world, the hornets are representative of those who would attack without cause, for the sake of conquering and destruction. Unfortunately, a very appropriate theme for the situation in our world in April of 2022.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope, of kindness, and positivity within the book � one can only hope that this is not just a mirage in real life. ...more
Noel Ferre I started to listen to this as an audiobook, got lost, downloaded an e-copy from the library, and got up to snuff on the plot and characterNoel Ferre I started to listen to this as an audiobook, got lost, downloaded an e-copy from the library, and got up to snuff on the plot and characters. At that time I returned to the audio version and very much enjoyed the book. Winona's voice was at once naive and straightforward, telling the plight of not only the Native Americans in the town of Paris, but of the freed blacks who had to endure savage treatment from some of the good old boys.
This book is a sequel to Days Without End which, in my opinion, was a bit more engaging, but all in all a great read with wonderful thoughts and dialogue....more
Charming book about a widower, who loved his wife, and finds himself grieving and lonely in the aftermath of her death. His daughter scheme to sign hiCharming book about a widower, who loved his wife, and finds himself grieving and lonely in the aftermath of her death. His daughter scheme to sign him up for a dating website and he is thrown into dating once again.
This is a series of short stories of nine Chilean women who come together with their therapist (who is barely mentioned) to tell their stories. The woThis is a series of short stories of nine Chilean women who come together with their therapist (who is barely mentioned) to tell their stories. The women are quite disparate - from a servant to a TV personality, from middle class to upper class, each woman has a story to tell, some incredibly sad, some quite funny. When one of the ladies spoke about her mother, it was like she was describing a hybrid of my own Chilean mother and my mother in law!
I enjoyed it all the more because I knew the neighborhoods mentioned, the behind the scenes history, the streets and businesses mentioned. What was difficult was the translation. It was absolutely awful....more
Loading...
