Friday Reads
August 16, 2024
Starting new:
Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson
It is Carnival time on the Caribbean-colonized planet of Toussaint. Midnight robbers cause delay to the revelers with weapons and spellbinding words. Nalo Hopkinson will be releasing a new book on Aug 20 called Blackheart Man.
New to collection:
Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
Three female friends in the 1990s in New York City. Over the decades they go on their career and life journeys, and their goals and dreams change as the times change, and their friendships change as well.
Library pick:
Here in Berlin by Cristina Garcia
A snapshot of contemporary past and how the wars still have it’s touch on the city. A visitor travels through the city with her camera, capturing the images of the present day.
Continuing from last week:
I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Jane wants to escape her life in L.A. which is a mess as she struggles with her marriage and finances. As a writer she is surprised one day to see her old friend at the top of the best-seller list. The friend Thalia had disappeared and she returns with a message left for her on a website.
YA Fantasy:
Kindling by Traci Chee
The Kindling are warriors who weld magic on the battlefield. Now that the war is almost over, the seven fighters have to consider their futures even as they are caught in the present fight.
Monday Reading Update
August 12, 2024
Thoughts on The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tόibín
In the busy modern lives people have with jobs, marriage, children and mortgage, it is interesting that family members will gather for important moments such as a wedding or a funeral.
The times spent together can be a moment of tension because of unsaid wants, needs, and dissatisfactions.
For children, growing up can mean growing apart from the family unit, as they seek their own lives away from what they already know. The impulse for a young person to seek independence is encouraged and rewarded in the Western society, but what about the work that needs to be done for society to remain cohesive and thriving, such as education, healthcare, social supports for those with cancer or HIV/AIDs?
Government has a role to play, as well as family, social and community groups. These social institutions can have flaws which can influence the care and attention individuals can have as part of the system. A society can adapt to changes and needs by having the resources to support the needs of individuals, which is not evenly distributed throughout the world. The tension is felt even in more affluent countries because of the unequal distribution of resources.
Societies grow and adapt with new technology, such as medical research, cellphones, the building of roads and hospitals. In order to have these amenities, modern societies also take part in a globally interconnected world that allows for the trade of goods and services.
The author Colm Toibin discusses these ideas in a less direct and less analytical than I have. He is more concerned about the human and individual story of an average Irish family, and only touches subtly on the social and economic conditions that impact the family at a time of illness, and end-of-life care.
Reading for the Week
I just happen to have put three books on my reading list set in similar locations.
With The Blackwater Lightship now done, I have The Lying Game by Ruth Ware and I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Thinking about this now, I think for a change of pace, I have decided to focus on Lore by Alexandra Bracken and Kindling by Traci Chee.
Friday Reads
August 9, 2024
Starting again:
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
An act of rebellion leads to 9 Greek gods sent to roam earth as mortals. They are hunted by descendants of ancient bloodlines. Lore is from one of the bloodlines.
New to collection:
I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
A struggling writer is dissatisfied with her midlist sales. She wants more than being just barely able to cover her mortgage. Someone from her student days at Oxford leaves a message.
E-book pick:
The Knockout by Sajni Patel
Kareena Thakkar has gained an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open which could lead to a spot on the Olympic team. At 17 she takes the chance even if it means disapproval from the Indian community.
Library pick:
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
A work of political observation and philosophy from a French aristocrat about his time in America in in the mid-19th century. Often referred to in school textbooks on democracy.
Continuing from last week
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Four friends travel to Salten in the UK countryside where they stayed at a boarding school as teenagers. They are older and have responsibilities, but the text message from one leads to the women to stop what they are doing and gather again.
Monday Reading Update
Aug 5, 2024
With a long weekend around these parts, I found I had more time to read than I had thought. Summer has been busy, so I enjoy the quiet moments.
I was able to read The Red Palace by June Hur in a couple of days. With a Chinese period drama still fresh in my mind from the last month, I found the YA mystery book set in 1700s Korea to have similar plot points to what I have watched. I also find my reading over the summer to take days or weeks to finish a book. The fact that I was able to speed through this book over the weekend means I finally found the perfect book to read, even when I already expect certain things to take place.
I also made progress with reading The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin. He is a celebrated Irish writer whose work has been adapted into movies. I saw the adaptation of Brooklyn at a film festival years ago, but still remember a few scenes from the movie. I did purchase Long Island knowing the book is a sequel to Brooklyn, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read Brooklyn the novel. I borrowed The Blackwater Lightship weeks ago and finally got around to reading it this past weekend. I made to almost the halfway point, and find it to be a realistic portrayal of a family in the 1990s.
I have added to my collection, I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto and Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck.
Friday Reads
Aug 2, 2024
Started earlier in the year:
The Red Palace by June Hur
It is 1758 in Joseon Korea. Hyeon is 17 years old and is a nurse in the palace. When four women are murdered, Hyeon is determined to find the killer.
Library selection:
The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín
Published in 1999, the story follows three generations of an estranged family reuniting to mourn an unexpected death in an old house in Ireland.
Re-read:
There There by Tommy Orange
A short story collection that tells the stories of individuals that are are travelling to a Pow-Wow at Oakland, California
Nonfiction selection:
A Thousand Farewells: A Reporter’s Journey From Refugee Camp to the Arab Spring by Nahlah Ayed
Canadian journalist Nahlah Ayed currently has a best-selling nonfiction title, The War We Won Apart. A Thousand Farewells was her previous book.
Mystery:
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
After receiving a text message from an old friend, Isa travels to Salten,the location of her old boarding school with her baby daughter. Secrets from the past get uncovered.