May, 2015

"In Search of Sam" by Kristin Butcher         

Dani tries to unravel her father's history but has very few leads.  She ends up in a crumbling town, which is on the verge of collapse.  She gets to know some of the locals as she tries to learn more about her father.   I thought this book was a bit too fairy tale for my tastes.  Everything just fell into place with very little effort or strife.  I did enjoy Dani's character, but she just didn't seem real.  Overall, an average book. 

"The Color of Our Sky" by Amita Trasi

Mukta, the ten year old daughter of a prostitute, is dedicated to the temple prostitutes in order to obtain money to save her sick mother.   When her mother finds out, she takes a stand in the middle of the village, only to be beaten to death by the villagers.  Mutka is taken away from the village to a foster family in Bombay.  Tara, the only child from the foster family, comes to love and appreciate Mukta only to turn against her when Tara's mother dies.  Shortly after Tara's mother dies, Mutka is kidnapped. The majority of the book is Tara searching for Mutka.  At times it alternates with Mutka's story.  Overall, this book was really sad.  Mutka's storyline was definitely the more powerful one.  I did not particularly like Tara and found her storyline to be a big stagnant.  Not a bad book, but not one I would re-read.

"Damocles" by S. G. Redling         

The crew of Damocles has given up life on Earth in order to explore other planets seeded with human DNA.  A one-way expedition, they are not expected to return.  When they find the planet Didet, they are forced to land due to problems with their space ship.  Meg, the team's linguist, meets Loul Pell, who had previously written papers on how to survive invasion.   This book had a very interesting premise.  It was fun to read about the interactions among the species, particularly the discoveries they quickly made about one another.  It did feel slow at times, mainly because of the language barrier.  I would love to read a sequel.  Overall, well worth picking up.

"When the Music Stops Dance On" by Paddy Eger         

The sequel to "84 Ribbons" this book follows Marta back home after failing as a ballerina at the Intermountain Ballet Company.  As Marta tries to rebuild her life, she finds herself enjoying the roll of dance teacher.   Overall, I thought this book was a bit depressing.  Marta continued to make poor decisions.  She was very wishy-washy, especially concerning boys.  I didn't particularly enjoy this book and can't see myself picking up the sequel.

"The True Story of Hansel and Gretel" by Louise Murphy         

Louise Murphy takes the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel and weaves it into a wartime story of two children left to fend for themselves in the Polish forest.   It also gives the point of view of the father and stepmother, who are forced to let the children go in order to save them.    

Overall, this was a well written and engaging story.  At times the third person narrative made the book seem a bit detached, but I suspect that was the author's intend.  I do wish that the author had included an epilogue.  Although it wouldn't have fit with the fairy tale theme, I would have loved to know how the children ended up.  Overall, a good book, well worth picking up.

"She Wore Only White" by Dorthe Binkert         

I have to say that I really hated this book.  I disliked how the author jumped from person to person describing Valentina, especially since she did not tell us who was giving their account until the end of the passage.  This book was very slow moving and seemed to go nowhere.

"Continuance" by Marti Tandori         

Ethan is kidnapped in New York and based on an anonymous tip, the feds descend on Annie's restaurant in Savannah.  A long deceased body is found in a bricked off part of the restaurant and the plot moves into the past.  I thought this book was way too slow.  There were too many characters and if was difficult to get to know any of them.  The modern day plot was completely unnecessary and was not fully flushed out.  Overall, a bust.

"Chang and Eng" by Darin Strauss         

Chang and Eng, the famous Siamese twins, were born in Siam (now Thailand) to a poor fisherman.  They learned quickly how to adapt to one another and even to thrive.  As teenagers, they were taken to America and toured in a circus/freak show act.  After leaving their manager and striking out on their own, they ended up in a small town in North Carolina.  They married sisters, fathered 21 children and made quite a life for themselves.         

I thought this was a pretty interesting book.  I did grow tired of Chang and Eng's married life.  I wish the story had focused more on their travels, shows and early years.  Overall, not a bad read, one well worth picking up.

"The Selection" by Kiera Cass         

When America Singer is chosen, along with thirty four other girls, to compete for the hand of the prince, she finds herself torn between a hometown sweetheart and the intoxicating palace life.  A la bachelor style, Prince Maxon wines and dines the girls, occasionally eliminating one or two from the competition.  America, despite her lack of interest, finds herself drawn to the Prince.         

I had a blast reading this book.  Yes, it was simplistic, yes it wasn't very in-depth, but it was appealing, interesting and fast-paced.  Overall, a great beach book, weekend book, or just something to sit back and relax with.

"The Elite" by Kiera Cass         

This is the second installment in the Selection trilogy.  America is one of six girls still in the running for Prince Maxon's hand.  However, her hometown sweetheart is now working in the palace as a guard.  America finds herself torn between the two, as she struggles with the question of whether or not she would make a good princess.   I did get a bit tired of the back and forth indecisiveness of America, but I guess that's part of being a teenager.  Overall, well worth picking up.

"The One" by Kiera Cass         

This is the third book of the Selection trilogy.  The field has been narrowed down to four girls.  America has decided that she is a serious competitor and decides to fight for Maxon's affections.  I have to admit I highly enjoyed this trilogy.  I liked the author's writing style, pacing, and character development.  I look forward to reading more by Kiera Cass.

"On Gold Mountain" by Lisa See         

Lisa details the history of Fong See, his travels to America, the business he created, and his ever growing family.  In a time where Chinese were used as immigrant laborers, Fong See built a business in oriental art and married a white woman and spread his influence beyond the Chinatown of Los Angeles.          

Although this book was slow at times, I thought it was interesting to read about the Chinese immigrant experience and the prejudice these families endured.  The mixed-race children encountered their own difficulties, as they straddled the old and new Chinese/American cultures.  I do wish the author had stuck with one name for everyone, instead of using the American name, Chinese name and then nick names.  As the family grew this became more and more difficult to keep up with.  Overall, a good book, one worth picking up.