MARCH 2019

1)THE BROTHERS KARAMAVOZ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky / A / ***1/2
* Read for the the Goodreads 100 Best books to read before you die
You guys. I finished it. It seriously took me TWO YEARS to read this book. Which would make you think I didn't like it. Which would not be true.  I did like it ... it was just hard to read and super long.  It was a murder mystery / courtroom drama which is surprising as it was written in 1879. It is the story of three brothers and their neglectful father. It is a story of rage and vanity and greed and lust.   At times it was a text on religion and the plight of Russia and the idea that how we each choose to live our best life is different for everyone.  I hated all the characters and liked them all at the same time.  It had surprising link to modern day America as the writer discussed how the decline of family values was causing the decline of the country.  Very interesting book.

2)AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie / A / ***
This book had it all... it addresses race - immigration - the american experience - all in the form of a story of a girl that left her country for a better life and found the good and the bad that America had to offer.  I liked being able to read about this important social issues in a story form. It really made me think and empathize and want to know more, even though at times the observations made by the author felt a little generalist and heavy handed.

The novel is touted as a love story between two Nigerian teens whose life went on separate paths. But while the story did have a love interest it was more about the young woman and her personal journey. I did have a few problems with the book.... most of the characters talked the same.... like their words and sentence structure and etc just felt indistinguishable.  

My biggest problem with the book was the main character.  I just didn't like her.  She was shallow, disregarded the feelings of others, treated people with disdain, and treated people who did not agree with her as less-than. 

3) THREE DARK CROWNS by Kendra Blake / YA / ***
This is a YA book but it was dark.... violent... mildly depressing.
Every queen of the land gives birth to triplet girls. When they come of age, the next queen is chosen from the sisters... not by popular vote but by who kills the other two first.  Each sister has a magic power they can use to serve their kingdom... after they knock off the other two that is.
This book tells the story of the current three siblings.  The premise of the story is super dark.... but the story itself tries to keep it somewhat light. Unfortunately it strays into ridiculous with secret romances and forbidden trysts and talk of dresses and hair and jewels. The strong female characters do not end up being any of the three potential queens which is missed opportunity. It is not as bad as the Selection Series but close. There is some attempt at kingdom building but it is not as great as it could be. It had such promise.... I will stop rambling now...


4) LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT by Becky Albertalli / YA / **
*Read as part of the Goodreads Best of the Best for 2018
Bleh. Didn't love it. I was ready for a female character that is sassy and sarcastic as well as kind and confident.  Instead she felt moody and inconsistent and flat and kinda mean.  The writing felt like I was just inside her head as she thought every random thought and waited for love and attention and being part of the gang. I just couldn't get into it. 

5) QUIET - The power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan McCain / A / ***1/2
Oh I loved this book. It was like reading about MYSELF.  I can so do social events... but they are super draining to me. I like people ... but I'm just as happy being alone.  I have been confused by the fact that I love to plan parties or events but when it comes time to GO to the party I don't want to. I began a several year stint as a telecommuter thinking that by working at home I'd be more likely to want to go out on the weekends... only to find I got worse and didn't ever want to leave the house.  This book explains why and makes me feel so much better about it (Queue Elephant Mant: "I AM NOT AN ANIMAL!").

6) Jacob Have I loved by Katherine Paterson
This was one of my favorite books as pre-teen/teenager.  I have read it over and over again.  I really felt for poor awkward Sara Louise and the injustices mounded on her by her twin, her parents, the townspeople and even ultimately her best friends ( the Captain and Call ).  
It is so interesting to read this book as an adult and perceive it so so differently... and to see that Sara Louise's perception of reality was part of the problem.  I can now see the story and events from the point of view of the other characters.   I love stories where the characters really grow and develop and this is one of the best. Plus, I love the tale of a simple island life full of hard work, the sun, and the sea.  Beautiful and poignant and touching on subject matter that makes me surprised it is for teens.