Book Report

10 – life-changing, an all-time favorite

5 - average for what I read

1 – terrible; why did I finish it?

  

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips – I listened to this novel on audio. A mother and her young son are spending a day at the zoo when tragedy strikes just before closing time. Gunmen are on a shooting spree, and our protagonists must hide. Much of the novel really centered around the mother-child relationship rather than the terror caused by their situation. I don’t have a maternal bone in my body, so many of the descriptions of their bond felt too saccharine for me; it just wasn’t my thing. The writing and descriptions are certainly well-executed but this wasn’t the plot-driven story I was hoping for. Grade: 3

 

This Close to Happy by Daphne Merkin – A memoir by a woman who has struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts her entire life. On the plus side, she really lets you in to her world and helps you imagine (if you don’t know already) what depression feels like and how serious it is. On the con side, it gets a bit tedious. Grade: 4

 

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui – A graphic memoir by a woman who came from Vietnam to the US, as a child, in the 70’s. She tells us her parents’ stories and a bit about her own. I thought the graphic memoir format worked really well as I got a great look at Vietnam in the fifties and sixties, and what it was like for average people. Her family’s harrowing escape in a boat was particularly fascinating. A few images really grabbed at my heart. At one point her father has gotten approval to fly from the refugee camp in Malaysia to Alaska, and he’s laying on a bench in the airport, freezing in his flimsy clothes. I wish there was more I could do to help refugees – fortunately there are some excellent organizations and I can and do donate to. Grade: 8

 

Sorry to Disrupt the Peace by Patty Yumi Cottrell – This was rather a stunning novel and I’ll try my best to describe it. The protagonist – Helen -  is a Korean-American woman who was adopted by white parents in the Midwest, and she learns that her brother (adopted separately) has just committed suicide. She travels from her new home of New York City back to Wisconsin to see her parents from whom she is estranged. I don’t want to slap a label on Helen but she is possibly suffering from a mental illness; she definitely is suffering from the impacts of a childhood full of neglect, misunderstanding, and possible abuse. The writing drew me in immediately. Helen’s weird yet original take on the world was captivating. The novel is stark and often depressing but also bursting with feeling. Really well done. Grade: 8

 

The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness by Paula Poundstone – The author is a comedian; I totally love her on NPR’s news quiz “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”. She’s just hilarious. In this book, she tries out different ways of finding happiness (volunteering, renting a fancy car, getting more exercise, organizing her house). It’s well-trod ground but Poundstone is so hilarious. I loved it! Grade: 8