It's Monday 1/24! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

I am slowly recovering from COVID, slowly. Last week I achieved two important milestones. tested negative for Covid on Thursday (finally!) and left home to go out in public on Saturday. I made a quick trip to the local health food store, but it felt like a big deal after three weeks of mostly being at home. And today I finally go to the pediatrician, which was scheduled for the first week of January.

Away from home! In public!

I also took a short, slow walk to our local nature center last Tuesday and it was nice to be outside again, but it was too much for me and I was in a bad mood the next day. Small steps! I know it will be a slow recovery due to major immune system issues, but I am so relieved to see these small signs of improvement. I will go for a walk again this week.

Go! For a short walk.

Last week I made a few videos and uploaded one.

Friday reads 1-21-22 - where I talk about my latest reading

And here are the books we all read last week.

I'm almost done reading The Bottle of Lies by Catherine Eban. This non-fiction book was featured in my neighborhood book group on Zoom last week (I wasn't smart enough to get into it). The author is an investigative journalist and the book is about the dangerous frauds and scandals in the generic drug industry. It's a great book, well researched and well written, but it's scary. I'm reading the epilogue now and it seems that many of the dire questions uncovered by the researchers and Txistularis are still unresolved. Pooh.

I'm still listening to Jennifer Hay's Mercy Street on tape, out February 1st. I love Haye's novels and it's been years since she's had a new release so I was excited to see her name on the list. next posts! This novel focuses on life at Boston Women's Hospital and the many people involved; Klaudia, a consultant who works there. Anthony, raised in the area, lives with his mother and participates in anti-abortion protests. and a local herbalist who often works with Timmy, Claudia and Anthony. Haye has a knack for bringing ordinary characters to life on the page.

 

 

My husband, Ken, is still reading Gardens of the Moon by Stephen Erickson, the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen , a fantasy novel that our son recommended. It is a long and compact book, but now they say it is only 60 pages. It was a slow start, but he enjoyed it.

Our 27-year-old son is still reading the book his girlfriend gave him, Evan Winters ' Wrath of Dragons , the first book in the Burning series. Last week I heard a bookseller put together his top books for 2021. She mentioned my son's favorite fantasy...and this book. So I think it's on its way. It is also one of Time magazine's 100 best books of all time.

 

I've been working on the 2021 book summary all week. Here are my blog posts from last week.

Monday movie. Finch - funny - hot and funny - movie with Tom Hanks

Best Books I've Read in 2021 - Finally! My year in review after a great year of reading.

Summary of the 2021 Reading Challenges . I enjoyed a lot of fun challenges last year, now I have to pick new ones before the end of January.

What you read on Monday is curated by Katherine at Book Day , so read and check out her blog and get involved on Monday. You can also participate in the Kids/Teens/Ya version hosted by Unleashing Readers .

Follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on my Facebook page.

What are you and your family reading this week ?

Movie Monday: Parasite

As usual, we were looking for a Saturday night movie on one of our free streaming services, some with very good ratings. I noticed that the parasite is now free in Hulu, so I persuaded my husband to try it. None of us would probably choose this Korean film with subtitles, but I knew it won an Oscar for Best Picture in 2019 (with several more awards in the same year). We finally thought it was some kind of thriller, maybe some kind of pathogen or infection? We were so wrong. This movie surprised us (in a good way) and turned us into something we never expected.

Ki U is an elderly teenager played by the inactive U-Sik Choik. She dreams of going to college, but is now stuck in a basement apartment with her family. His father, played by Song Kang-ho, Baker, though a medal against the wall indicates that he had a prosperous future. In the first few scenes he is seen in a depressed state. Ki Wei’s older sister, Ki Jiang (played by Park So-dam), has no future despite having some artistic talent. And their Mao Baker is even trying to make money for his family by depositing pizza boxes for local restaurants. One day, Ki U is talking to a friend who has just graduated from college. He explains to a wealthy high school student that he has a good job teaching English and Ki-Uk asks him if he wants to take a job while traveling abroad. Although Ki Uk is not able to study now, he has done very well in his exams including English, so his friend recommends him to a rich family. Ki U is happy to move into their huge, modern home, in stark contrast to her family's basement apartment. They have a large garden wall, windows and ultimate facilities. Da Hai started teaching her daughter and made more money than before. When a mother says her youngest son is looking for an art teacher for Shorgol, Ki Uk advises her sister and hides her identity by saying that she is a friend's cousin at school. And then ... hey, you never know what's going to happen!

This was the basic setup of the opening scenes of the film, because the fun and intelligence of this film comes from the naughty flashes at every corner and turn! The parasite is also difficult to classify because it has different temperaments and divisions. It’s a lot of fun, especially in the first part. From there it becomes quite dark, with a lot of excitement and suspense which turns into a thriller. And sometimes it’s very sad. We don't watch a lot of movies with subtitles, but we're used to it: we just found out that we need to finish dinner and pay attention! We quickly got the movie spirit and followed its flow. And what a current it is! We’ve always loved this great movie and recommended it to our son and his girlfriend last night.

The parasite is available for free on Hulu or at low cost on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV and VuDu.

2022 Reading Challenges

Better late than never, right? Hey, it's still January! It's time to take on the reading challenges of the year! These are all favorites from years before this year. I record:

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2022 is organized by My Reader's Block

In the 48 books on my TBR shelves, I once again set my eyes on Mount Ağrı . I missed it last year, I only had 38 books on my shelves, but I want to challenge myself because the shelves are overflowing! Note that the challenge allows me to count ebooks and audiobooks, but my main goal is to remove some of the physical books I have (my TBR library is now doubling), so I only count physical books. This challenge has monthly review links.

Motivate Monthly Reading Challenge 2022 organized by Girlxoxo .

I love this challenge every year! Last year I played all twelve tracks of the month, so I'll try to play them all again in 2022! It also includes monthly review links. Reasons for 2022:

JANUARY - New to you . Ring in the New Year with something new: a new genre, a new author, a new book collection, a new book with purchase, and more.

FEBRUARY - Power of the Maiden . Highlight women! Female authors, fierce female characters, feminism, female body positivity, women in science/government, etc.

MARCH - There was a murmur about the books . Read a book in 2021 that you've seen a lot of publicity about but haven't started reading yet.

APRIL - The books are out . Read the book based on this film or television adaptation. For an added challenge, watch the show after reading the book.

MAY- Librarians meet . Read a book located in a library or bookstore; librarian, author or librarian; Or a book with the word "BOOK" in the title.

JUNE - HORROTASUNA through books . Read a book by an author who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or a book with LGBTQIA+ characters.

JULY- Summer love - Have fun . This month is dedicated to reading on the beach, romantic comedies and/or love stories. Choose something fun and easy.

AUGUST - Burns quickly. Reading novels, graphic novels, poetry collections, books less than 200 pages.

SEPTEMBER - Match for the title . Read a book with puns, puns, jokes, or clever titles with double meanings.

OCTOBER - Murder or Magic . Read a mystery novel or a book on magical realism.

NOVEMBER - Translation of books . First, read any book that is not written in your native language but has been translated later.

DECEMBER - The fire is very nice . Read a book with fire, flames, candles, smoke, or burns on the title or cover.

Return to the 2022 Classic Challenge organized by Books and Chocolate .

Another challenge that I return to every year. I usually aim for 6 classics (in 6 categories), which is fine by me, although last year I only read 4 classics. I'm already reading one, so I hope to reach my goal this year! The categories for 2022 are:

1st century classic. Any book first published between 1800 and 1899

2nd century classic. Any book first published between 1900 and 1972. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the exception is books written by 1972 and published posthumously.

3. A classic work of an author.

4. Classic in translation. Any book published in a language other than your primary language. If you wish, you can read it translated or in the original language.

5. A classic from the author of BIPOC. Any book published by a non-white author.

6. Classic Mystery/Detective/Crime. It can be fiction or non-fiction (true crime). For example , Crime on the Orient Express, Crime and Punishment, In Cold Blood.

7. A collection of classic tales. Each volume at least six stories. A book can have one author or an anthology of several authors.

8. Pre-1800 Classics. Anything written before 1800. Epic plays and poems like “Odyssey” are allowed in this category.

9. A non-fiction classic. Travels, memoirs, and biographies are great choices for this category.

10. The longest running classic on your TBR playlist. Find the longest unread classic and finally cross it off your list!

11. Classic atmosphere wherever you want to go. It can be real or fictional: Paris, Tokyo, the Moon, Middle Earth, etc. It could be a place you've never been or a place you'd like to visit again.

12. Classic sign. Any classic book you want, from any category, as long as it's 50 years old!

 

Run to the right book with Dollycas, organized by the 2022 Word Soup Reader Challenge .

This type of challenge was new to me in 2021 and I loved it so I'll try another one! You simply keep track of the books you have read, trying to cover all the letters of the alphabet (the first letter of the title, not counting the articles). Last year, I completed 21 of 26 articles.

Book'd Out 2022 Nonfiction Readers Challenge.

I always enter a nonfiction contest and I really enjoyed it last year! I have read 15 non-fiction books in 2020, so I will write in the Non-Fiction Nosher category and draw at least 12 books to read. I read 13 last year!

Categories:

1. Social history

2. Social sciences

3. Language

4. Medical memory

5. Climate / Weather

6. Famous

7. Reference

8. Geography

9. About the podcast

10. Wild animals

11. Economy

12. Released in 2022

Diversity Reading Challenge 2022 Hosted by Famous Readers .

It's also a popular challenge that I enjoy every year. I read 33 books last year, so this year I'm going to do 40! This challenge also includes links to mini challenges and monthly reviews.

JANUARY - various stories/cultures/mythologies; or other recovery; or non-western structure
FEBRUARY - little: Black/African American
MARCH - # own votes; o Genre: female authors in male-dominated genres/non-fiction
APRIL - poc: Middle East / South Asia
MAY - poc: East Asia / Southeast Asia / Pacific Islands
JUNE - LGBT+ Summer Pride: Sexuality and Gender Identity
JULY - LGBT+ Summer Pride: Sexuality and Gender Identity
AUGUST - mental health/addictions
SEPTEMBER - poc: Hispanic/Latinx
OCTOBER - Physical/Sensory/Cognitive/Intellectual/Developmental Disability
NOVEMBER - poc: Native Americans
DECEMBER - religious minorities

Travel the world with a book reading challenge organized by Mom's Little Victories

I signed up for this in 2014, so this is a follow up (which is always a challenge). I can't wait to see what places I visit in the 2022 books! In 2021, my books have taken me to 36 countries in 17 different countries outside of the United States.

Escape to a good book with Dollycas organized by the 2022 Literary Escape Challenge .

I also like to keep track of my readings at home. In 2021, I read books written in 23 different countries. I hope to be able to study in other countries this year!

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

CONNECTICUT

Delaware

District of Colombia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

morning

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

MINNESOTA

Mississippi

Missouri

Mountain

Nebraska

Snowfall

new hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

OHIO

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

TEXAS

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Book By Book (me!).

My annual challenge that I host each summer runs from Memorial Day weekend (late May) through Labor Day (first Monday in September). I hope you'll join me for some fun this summer!

Nonfiction Review: Janesville

My mistake has been proven again! As is often the case, one of my bookstores took a book that I had no interest in reading, but once I started, I really liked it. This time, the book is Janesville .

Janesville is an active and prosperous city in rural Wisconsin. GM opened the plant in February 1923 and the assembly plant has been in operation for more than 80 years. It grew to 4.8 million square feet and employed more than 7,000 people. And on December 23, 2008, the last car left the assembly line. This book covers a little bit of the history of the Geneva plant and the city, but it is mostly about what happened after the closure of the GM factory. The author tells this story through a series of locals, many of whom have worked in the factory for years and are suddenly unemployed, but who are trying to help the GMMs. The characters in this story are all different. Some have found other jobs, although in recent years GM has been a major part of the economy, and companies that supply other goods or services to factories have had to be fired or laid off. Some return to local colleges for re-training with support and other resources. Others could not accept a sudden pay cut and agreed to move to another GM factory, which meant only working days and very long trips to see their families on weekends. For the first time in their lives, many families benefit from charitable and food aid. The effects of factory closures are widespread and long-lasting, and the authors examine why cities have not been able to survive such disruptive changes. He saw not only the economic situation but also the political and social situation and he felt sorry for the real people involved in this tragedy.

Despite my doubts and hopes for a dry future, I was immediately drawn to this fascinating and heartbreaking story. The author has done a lot of research and talked not only with his staff but also with other members of the community, including bankers, local college leaders, politicians and others. It shows the complexity and complexity of these people and systems in the city in a very effective way and explains that there are no easy answers. And by focusing on real individuals and families (not only staff but also spouses and children) it understands the deepest emotions and limited and tragic options for results. At the end of the book, five years after the factory closed, some people have recovered or found new ways for themselves, but many have not. According to the translation, this is not just about the history of a special city, but about the history of cities and similar situations in the United States. This book is well written and insightful and has been the subject of much discussion in our book group.

297 pages Simon and Schuster

Reading Challenge፡ Amy Goldstown Janville Addresses

January Reasons (for my new author)

J. Letter Soup Test

For the first time, my novel is a test for non-fiction readers, ED in the Economics category.

The problem of diversity

In the Wisconsin Literature Run

Note: This article contains links. They paid me a small commission (purchase coin) to compensate for the time I spent writing this blog at no extra cost from purchasing these links.

Visit the YouTube channel for more fun !

 

Listen to a sample audio book and / or download it if heard.

 

You can buy the books through Bookshop.org , your purchase supports the independent bookstore of your choice (or all independent bookstores) - still convenient to buy online when you buy locally!

 

Or you can order Janesville from the bookstore Free International Shipping.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Sorted by book date

I keep improving after battling COVID in early January. My cough has improved a lot in the past week, and although my energy and stamina have not returned to normal, I have had a great week with no big "crash" days. I need more sleep than usual and I struggle to get out of bed before 9 (a battle I lost yesterday), but I'm starting to go out into the world. I had a quick visit with Kohli and Michael last week - great releases. I might as well do the shopping this week. This morning I got up in time to go to the doctor's appointment and now I'm exhausted, so no baby.

We had snow on Saturday. In Northern Delaware we only have 3-4 inches, but that's a big deal here. It's crazy that the beaches 2 hours south and the Jersey Shore were destroyed by this storm. my friends have 14 inches at the beach.

As my son and husband walked our way, I did something truly extraordinary. I emptied the closet. Our home has been a terrible mess in the past year, my health is worse than usual, our son is on his way home, and a lot of my stepfather's things are stored here. It was what we called a "craft box" filled with art material, craft material and science material that our kids had left behind when they were children. They're in their 20s now, so it's been a long time. This is just the first step in a series of junk projects planned for this year. I needed the space here to be able to clear other areas. I'm so proud that I've finally made some progress, so I'll be sharing my before and after photos.

Before

after

Last week I posted the weekly Friday lesson on my YouTube channel (and another video on my chronic Illness channel ). Check it out if you want to know more about the books I read last week:

Friday read 1-28-22

This is what we all read last week.

After finishing this terrible nonfiction book on generic drugs and the pharmaceutical industry (and my husband and I are doing research online to try and find out where our drugs are made), I needed a dose of fun fiction. I also wanted to start my classic 2022 challenge ( I missed my target last year ). So I chose Ray Bradbury 's The Illustrated Man . I'm a huge fan of his and read all of his books in our public library when I was a teenager. This is a collection of unrelated stories. Each one is the title tattoo of a man who comes alive at night and tells a story. As always, his stories are brilliant, so clever and provocative. I loved this book and almost finished it.

I also finished listening to Jennifer Hay's Mercy Street on audio. Hay is another favorite author and this novel was great. They were several people, each of whom was connected in one way or another to the famous women's clinic in Boston. The author alternates characters whose paths cross in different ways and you get to know them very closely. If you haven't tried Haigh yet, I highly recommend this (tomorrow) and his entire list. To find out more about this novel and Ray Bradbury's book, check out my Friday reading video .

My husband, Ken, is still reading Stephen Erickson's Gardens of the Moon , the first book by Malazanian Fallen , a fantasy novel recommended by our son. It's a long, dense book, but she liked it a lot and it's almost over. (When I said last week that there were only 60 pages left, I misunderstood: it was 160 pages.)

 

Our 27-year-old son has already read Evan Winter's Fury of Dragons , the first book in the Burning series, as a gift from his girlfriend . He says it was great and that he will definitely read more about the program. Then he read Victoria Yard 's The Destroyer of Kingdoms, the start of a new series, and loved it too.

Then our son read the book I gave him for his birthday last year, Wild Kings by Nicholas Eames . I heard about it in Daniel Green's 10 Best Fantasy Series video . many of his top 10 are my son's too, so I knew he'd like this one, which incorporates humor into a great ball swing. And now (he's been reading a lot lately) he's reading Glenn Cooke's The Chronicles of Black Society , the first book in the series of the same name. He says this is a series he has wanted to read for years and saw it in our local thrift store last year.

Last week's blog posts:

Cinema Monday. Parasite : This Oscar winner was full of surprises and fun.

Reading Challenges 2022 - Finally! Now I'm ready to start the new year.

Non-fiction review. Amy Goldstein's Janesville is a haunting and fascinating look at what happened to the city and its inhabitants when the large GM plant closed.

What you read on Monday was brought to you by Catherine on the Book Date , so head over to her blog and join on Monday! You can also join the Kids / Teens / YA version provided by Unleashing Readers .

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog page.

What are you and your family reading this week?

 

Fiction Review: The Sentence

If you've ever visited my blog or watched one of my YouTube videos , you know I'm a huge Louise Erdrich fan! I've reviewed several of her books here, including LaRose , a poignant novel about family and community; A bit different from most of his novels, Future House of the Living God is set in an apocalyptic future. Night Watchman, a historical novel that won the Pulitzer Prize last year. All of her novels feature Native American characters, and Louise herself sings her vocals (which is great—you've all heard it on audio), and they're all warm, funny, powerful, and heartwarming. I wanted to start my reading year off on a high, so I chose her latest novel The Sentence for my first audiobook of 2022, and I absolutely loved it! This might be my favorite Louise Erdrich novel ever…

Tookie spent many years in prison. The novel begins with a twisted and funny story of how he ended up there and how his free life came to an abrupt end in his thirties and he was thrown into prison. He survived by reading anything he could get his hands on with a "mortal interest," including a dictionary sent to him by his high school English teacher. When she left school, she married a man who had loved her since she was young and got a job at Birch Park Books, a bookstore in her hometown of Minneapolis. Birch Bark Books is a real Minneapolis bookstore owned by author Louise Erdrich! Thus, even though Louise is a minor character, she appears as herself in the novel. On Halloween, one of the bookstore's regular customers, Flora, dies, and she begins to haunt the library, as she did in her life. At first, Tookie can only see/feel a ghostly presence that has a real burden on him. Then suddenly it's March 2020... and you know what's coming! Toki, his family and library staff are dealing with the pandemic, followed by the horrific events in Minneapolis in May when a police officer killed George Floyd. As we know in the real world, there are no easy answers to either crisis, but by the end of the novel, Tookie seems calmer.

I feel like I should add a short piece because Louise Erdrich has such a unique and warm literary voice that she's especially great vocally. Toki describes himself at the beginning of the book:

"I was at a dangerous age when I committed the crime. Even though I was in my thirties, I still had the physical activity and mental habits of a teenager. That was in 2005, but in 1999 I was partying, drinking and doing drugs like me. i was seventeen i had a better idea let me tell you i'm an ugly woman and i'm not the ugly type of guys who write or make movies about my hyphenation all of a sudden.dazzling educated beauty.lesson moments.i'm pretty on the inside I'm not, for example, I like to lie and I'm good at selling useless things for a price. I only sell words. Groups of words on a cardboard sleeve.

I hope this gives you an idea of ​​what makes Erdrich's and Toki's novels so special. By Toki's own admission, he has some serious flaws, but that's exactly why we love him. This piece highlights the wonderful sense of humor that permeates every paragraph of this novel (and others), even when it comes to serious matters. His endearing sense of humor and these flawed characters, which I love, add to the genuine warmth. When the date surprised me, in March 2020, I was completely immersed in the story as Tookie dealt with Flora's nightmare. I didn't care when the book was finished. I'm fascinated by the new Pandemic fantasy novels because I know exactly what's coming and the characters don't. This creates a kind of tension in the story as the characters create temporary masks and wonder how long things will stay this way. I also thought the author's relationship with George Floyd was perfect. This shows how his death affects the whole society. I loved Tookie and his friends and family and loved accompanying them on this journey of growth and development and their search for peace.

400 pages, Harper

Harper's voice

my difficulties :

S alphabet soup challenge

January Diversity and Minor Trouble: Culture/Mythology (Native Americans)

Minnesota's Letter Avoidance Challenge

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. My review is my own and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links earn me a small commission (a few cents per purchase) to make up for the time I spend writing for this blog at no extra cost to you.

Visit my YouTube channel for more book fun !

 

Before Tookie goes to jail, listen to a great audiobook sample from the beginning of the book here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase the book through Bookshop.org , where your purchase will support your choice of independent bookstores (or all independent libraries): keep the ease of online shopping and local shopping!

Or you can order The Sentence from Book Depository with free worldwide shipping .

Nonfiction Review: Bottle of Lies

Forget Stephen King. The Bottle of Lies. In The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom , writer and investigative journalist Kathryn Eban writes about real-life horrors more terrifying than any King novel. As sometimes happens, my reading group picked up this book that I had no interest in reading, and as is almost always the case, I ended up glad I read it. This engaging and exciting non-fiction book opens the door to the dirty secrets of the generic drug industry.

Eban begins by taking a closer look at Ranbaxy, one of the worst players in the generics industry, an Indian company that has thankfully gone out of business. He describes the founding of the family business and talks about the personal and professional lives of some of the key players. This society has been terribly, scandalously deceived from above. Management willfully and knowingly manufactured drugs without quality control, collected extensive data to get their drugs approved by the FDA, and provided fraudulent data in their rare FDA reviews. One of the reasons he spends so much time on Ranbaxy is that what they have done is not uncommon in the generic drug industry. Many other companies, particularly in India and China, run similar scams by falsifying their data for approval, hiding test data showing contamination or low potency, sourcing their active ingredients from dubious companies not listed on their official records, and much more. . keep doing it. One of the main characters in the book is Dinesh Thakur, an Indian-American citizen scientist who worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb in New Jersey, where he saw what carefully regulated and conscientious pharmaceutical research and manufacturing looked like. His friend, also Indian, convinced him to move to Ranbaxy, where he and his new wife could be closer to their families in India and become part of the burgeoning Indian pharmaceutical industry. Thakur was a good man with a strong moral character and he could not be a part of what he finally realized was going on in Ranbachi. So he became a whistleblower, which killed you many times in India, and eventually found someone at the FDA who would listen to him. Amazingly, despite all the hard evidence Thakur presented, it took ten years for the FDA to finally get money for Ranbaxy, and even then, it had far less impact than it deserved. From there, the author moves on to other examples and other companies and American doctors and patients who have found that their generic drugs don't work as well as brand-name drugs, but not once does anyone listen to them. He delves into the inner workings of the FDA and explains why politicians often make drug approval decisions. Unfortunately, the book does not end on a hopeful note. many of the described problems remain unsolved.

I was very disappointed and shocked by this book. First, I rely on 15 different generic medications to help me manage my chronic condition. After I finished this book, my husband and I ran to our laptops to find out where our medicine was being made (not easy to find out) and if any of the more nefarious companies were involved in book laundering. I have also conducted such audits as FDA inspectors, but not in the pharmaceutical industry. I have worked in Quality Management Systems (QMS) and FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (which many of these companies scoff at) is a version of QMS. The idea that the company I tested would completely redact their data and records is unimaginable. It's certainly a fascinating book, but somehow it's "impossible to take your eyes off the car accident." I kept interrupting my husband's reading to tell him the horrible facts. As terrifying as this information is, I had no problem reading the entire book (and quite quickly). The book is very well written. because the author focuses on the people involved and tells a moving, exciting story that sometimes reads like a real thriller. Unfortunately, it's a thriller where most villains get away with their crimes. I will never look for a generic bottle again.

461 pages (although the text ends on page 410, the rest is a reference work), Ekko

reading problems.

B in the alphabet soup challenge

Nonfiction Readers Challenge (January 2nd is a record for me) - belongs to the Popular Science category.

diversity challenge

India in Books Around the World competition

Maryland in the Literary Escape Contest

Note: This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing through these links, I will receive a small commission (repo purchase) to compensate for the time I spend writing posts for this blog at no additional cost to you.

Check out my YouTube channel for more book fun!

 

Listen to a sample audiobook narrated by the author here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy a book through Bookshop.org , where your purchase supports your choice of independent bookstore (or all independent bookstores). the convenience of online shopping while also saving you money when you shop locally.

 

Or you can order a bottle of lie from the bookstore with free shipping worldwide.

Fiction Review: Happiness

From the long list of books I want to read in an Excel spreadsheet, I first heard the joys of Aminatta Forna at Booktopia, a very unique yearbook event where writers and readers meet and talk about books in Vermont every May. weekend. I thought this book was a recommendation from one of the booksellers at Northshire Books , the great bookstore that offers the event, and as always, it was a great deal. I really liked this novel about two completely different people who intersect in London in winter. I read very comfortably because I was infected with the corona virus in January.

Jane is an American wildlife biologist living in London, where she studies urban foxes ( the real problem there). He is divorced (mostly because of his commitment to his job) and has a teenage son at his home in Massachusetts. He loves his job and designs rooftop gardens/terraces for city dwellers, but leads a fairly isolated lifestyle. There are a lot of locals here - officials, taxi drivers, street cleaners, security guards and so on. - It helps him follow the foxes and let them know when and where he sees them. Attila is a Ghanaian psychiatrist who specializes in PTSD. His work usually takes him to the worst places/times, to war-torn countries, where he provides advice and assistance to soldiers and civilians who have witnessed or participated in horrific events. But he came to London for a spectacular show and a personal mission. Yan and Attila's paths intersected at the Waterloo Bridge one night, and then met again several times. While in London, Atilla But's "niece" goes through an immigration campaign (despite her legal presence) and her son, Tanu, disappears. While the mother is in the hospital, Attila begins to look for Tanu, and Jean, along with various "fox watchers", offers to help. Jean and Attila get to know each other and deepen their friendship, as they each face their own problems and sorrows.

It is also a warm, serene and very thoughtful novel. Jean and Attila, two completely different people living different lives, struggle with different problems in their lives. They both felt very lonely and immediately attracted to each other. The novel covers topics such as war, insanity, immigration, divorce, and grief, but always with a playful twist. I learned a lot about wolves, foxes, and PTSD. But the emphasis here is on character. As I read, I became very interested and attracted to Jean and Attila. Forna's writing is beautiful, and this serene winter novel is something that really disturbs and comforts me when I'm sick. I wanted to read more of Aminata Forna (she has written three novels and two more memoirs).

312 pages, Groov Press

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This book is suitable for the following reading problems :

Mount TBR Challenge - I'm finally reading a book on my shelf!

Alphabet soup

Diversity Reading Challenge

Ghana and England are in trouble traveling the world with books

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