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Author: ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

About ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

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Published on 4 Comments on My Best Books of 2019

Another year gone by, and it's time to post my favorite books. I give you my 5 star reads from the books I read in 2019. Let me just say that I am very selective in what gets top stars. I read 150 books this past year, and only 6 made my list! In order to be a 5 star read, it has to be a book that I think about long after finishing. I have a lot of 4 star reads that I loved while reading, but not sure they will stand the test of time 6 months from now. A 5 star read also has to have stellar writing. If I don't have to pause and think about some of the sentences as I'm reading, it's probably not going to make the ultimate cut.

So.......without further ado, here are my six choices.......

 

From bottom to top (the order in which I read them):

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne  This is a really dark book with probably one of the worst main characters ever! Cyril wants to become a famous writer so badly that he steals the work of others and passes it off as his own. The lengths that he goes to are shocking, and the writing is stellar!

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum Sad commentary on three generations of women and how their beliefs clash with modern day expectations. Told in the voices of grandmother, mother, and daughter. Based on the author's life. Yep, made me cry.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim  This was put in the mystery category in most end of year polls, and I can't disagree more! There is a mystery in how an explosion occurred, and a subsequent trial, but to me this was mostly a character study of those involved. I consumed this in two days and rushed through tasks to get back to reading!

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood The follow up novel to The Handmaid's Tale. Spectacular writing, held my interest more than its predecessor. Aunt Lydia!!!! 'Nough said 🙂

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo  You know I can't resist a good dysfunctional family story, and this one had it all. Heading back and forth in time we follow parents Marilyn and David and their four daughters through several decades of love and heartache.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett  I loved this novel about two siblings and the house they grew up in (which is basically another character in the book). I'm not going to say that listening to Tom Hanks read it to me on audio didn't help raise it to high status, but I think the writing would have taken me there on its own. 

And there you have it. I do try to pick my favorite from these 5 star reads, and it's a difficult choice. This year I'm going with the book that I could not put down, and that had me sobbing over the parts about living with a disabled child. My favorite book of 2019:

Miracle Creek

Here's to 2020 and all the books waiting to be discovered. What was your favorite read this year?

Published on Leave a comment on What We Were Promised






What We Were Promised Book Cover




What We Were Promised





Lucy Tan




Fiction




Little, Brown




July 10, 2018




Hardcover




336




Purchased



Set in modern Shanghai, a debut by a Chinese-American writer about a prodigal son whose unexpected return forces his newly wealthy family to confront painful secrets and unfulfilled promises. After years of chasing the American dream, the Zhen family has moved back to China. Settling into a luxurious serviced apartment in Shanghai, Wei, Lina and their daughter, Karen, join an elite community of Chinese-born, Western-educated professionals who have returned to a radically transformed city. One morning, in the eighth tower of Lanson Suites, Lina discovers that a childhood keepsake, an ivory bracelet, has gone missing. The incident contributes to a wave of unease that has begun to settle throughout the Zhen household. Wei, a marketing strategist, bows under the guilt of not having engaged in nobler work. Meanwhile, Lina, lonely in her new life of leisure, assumes the modern moniker tai tai-a housewife who does no housework at all. She spends her days haunted by the circumstances surrounding her arranged marriage to Wei and her lingering feelings for his brother, Qiang. Lina and Wei take pains to hide their anxieties, but their housekeeper, Sunny, a hardworking woman with secrets of her own, bears witness to their struggles. When Qiang reappears in Shanghai after decades on the run with a local gang, the family must finally come to terms with the past. From a silk-producing village in rural China, up the corporate ladder in suburban America, and back again to the post-Maoist nouveau riche of modern Shanghai, WHAT WE WERE PROMISED explores the question of what we owe to our country, our families and ourselves.

My review:

3.5 stars

Another of my backlist titles I'm making an attempt to get through before the end of the year. There were things I liked about this one and things that were not as appealing.

What I liked: I loved the character of Sunny ( a maid turned ayi for the Zhen family in Shanghai China). Her angst over striking out on her own to provide money for her family, instead of taking the more traditional route, was well written, and I wanted more of her story while reading. I liked the way the title related to several aspects of the book.....the promise of marriage, job security, providing for family, and unrequited love. I liked some of the glimpses into Shanghai and how it has changed through the years (I was there briefly in the late 1990's when there were skyscrapers going up everywhere!).

What I was lukewarm about: The main characters were not really very likeable to me. I especially didn't care for the mother Lina, who was very accepting of her status in life at times, while also adopting a woe is me attitude at others. I also didn't buy the infatuation in her younger years with a gangster type hoodlum, to me it didn't fit her personality (then again it's well known that I'm not a romance against all odds believer!). I also would have liked more closure with the ending, some things were resolved, but a lot of stuff was left hanging.

All in all this was a good look at a family brought about by arranged marriage, and their navigation through returning to China after a decade in the US. Totally could have done without the romance aspect, and wish there was more of the secondary characters lives.

Published on Leave a comment on A Warning
A Warning Book Cover A Warning
Anonymous
Non-fiction
Twelve
November 19, 2019
Audio/Hardcover
256
Audio Overdrive/ Hardcover Purchased

On September 5, 2018, the New York Times published a bombshell essay and took the rare step of granting its writer anonymity. Described only as "a senior official in the Trump administration," the author provided eyewitness insight into White House chaos, administration instability, and the people working to keep Donald Trump's reckless impulses in check.

With the 2020 election on the horizon, Anonymous is speaking out once again. In this book, the original author pulls back the curtain even further, offering a first-of-its-kind look at the president and his record -- a must-read before Election Day. It will surprise and challenge both Democrats and Republicans, motivate them to consider how we judge our nation's leaders, and illuminate the consequences of re-electing a commander in chief unfit for the role.

This book is a sobering assessment of the man in the Oval Office and a warning about something even more important -- who we are as a people.

A MUST READ!

I don't care what your political party is, this is an eye opening account of the instability of our current POTUS. Considering the fact that this writer is a member of the administration, we can rule out that it is some hell bent Democrat "out to get him". This person is sounding the alarm on the mess, and begging voters to listen! I will admit to chuckling a bit when the author described me as having TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome.....not a good thing in his/her opinion)!

I'll admit that a lot of this book was nothing I didn't already know, since my husband happens to be a CNN junkie 🙂 However, for people who don't follow much in the news,or just to see the scope of all the issues lumped together within these pages, it should be shocking! A few points that stood out to me: 1. When the entire administration considered quitting after Charlottsville. 2. The fact that conservatives may not get what they think if Trump is elected for a second term and doesn't have to pander to his base. 3. The whole end of the book that is basically a call to arms for voters in this country.

I wish that everyone could have a copy of this in their hands before the 2020 election. Unfortunately a lot of those who should read this won't, and for that I am sad for our country's future.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls Book Cover The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
Anissa Gray
Fiction
Berkley Books
February 19, 2019
Hardcover
304
Purchased

The Butler family has had their share of trials—as sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian can attest—but nothing prepared them for the literal trial that will upend their lives.

Althea, the eldest sister and substitute matriarch, is a force to be reckoned with and her younger sisters have alternately appreciated and chafed at her strong will. They are as stunned as the rest of the small community when she and her husband, Proctor, are arrested, and in a heartbeat the family goes from one of the most respected in town to utter disgrace. The worst part is, not even her sisters are sure exactly what happened.

As Althea awaits her fate, Lillian and Viola must come together in the house they grew up in to care for their sister’s teenage daughters. What unfolds is a stunning portrait of the heart and core of an American family in a story that is as page-turning as it is important.

My review:

First off, let's talk about the cover and title. Gorgeous cover art, and I'm wondering how the title was pulled off? From what I've heard, publishers are not keen on a book having a really long title (easier for people to forget maybe?). I'd love to know who fought for this title, not that it isn't memorable (if you can remember it).

Ok, moving on to the actual book. This was not a light read (and cue triggers for incarceration, abuse, and eating disorders). It's an extremely well written account of the far reaching effects of a broken family. It mainly focuses on three sisters, who along with their brother are left without a mother at a very young age. What happens to each of them is at the crux of the story. The eldest sister Althea (and her husband) are sent to jail after embezzling charity funds, leaving their twin teenage daughters behind to be cared for by the remaining siblings. The other sisters also have their own baggage from childhood, and the brother is not innocent of involvement. Each of the sisters tells the story in alternating chapters, with details of the past coming to light as the book progresses. When one of the teens goes missing, the family must deal with their hidden issues in order to save the next generation.

While the story is heartbreaking, the writing pulls you in and you feel deeply for these flawed humans, all the while rooting for some closure to their pain. I can't wait to see what's next for this debut novelist!

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Published on 2 Comments on The Wives
The Wives Book Cover The Wives
Tarryn Fisher
Fiction
Harlequin
December 30, 2019
Advanced Reader Copy
256
Publisher via BookExpo

Imagine that your husband has two other wives. You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself. But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives. You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever. Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life? And who is his mysterious third wife?

My review

3.5 stars

You are married to a polygamist with two other wives who you have never met. You decide that you are going to meet his other wives. What could possibly go wrong, right?

This book was a total page turner for me! You know something shady is going on from the very beginning (other than even the polygamy part), and I couldn't wait to find out how it was all going to play out! Lots of unreliable people and twisty plot lines made for a satisfying read. I was completely invested in the flow of the story, and I loved the character of Thursday....and then the ending happened. Suffice it to say, without giving away any spoilers, that the ending was not my cup of tea.

Absolutely worth the read, and would have been 4 stars if I hadn't disliked the ending.