The Light-keeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol

Once Upon a Book Club Subscription - August 2017

It has been a REALLY LONG time since I've stayed up to the wee hours to finish a book, but I simply couldn't put this one down.  Even though my eyelids kept trying to close, I sat, stood, and paced around just to stay awake long enough to finish this captivating read.

Parts were reminiscent of "The Light Between Oceans", whether by coincidence or a common historical occurrences of lighthouse living, I don't know.  The main difference was the suspense and twists that came with this tale that were lacking in Stedman's novel.

Told in a much-loved format (for me anyway) of alternating voices of a elderly woman remembering her past and a troubled young girl trying to understand her present.  Pendziwol kept the reader enrapt with mysterious characters appearing, disappearing, and reappearing, an eerily marked grave and the esoteric life of lighthouse keepers and their families.

This monthly book subscription comes with gifts that relate to the story and the reader is prompted to open as they read along.  While the gifts did relate exactly to the story being told, they were rather unremarkable this time.  So, while the gifts didn't necessarily add much to the story this time, it wasn't necessary; this novel stands on its own with suspense, a little romance and beautifully flawed characters you will hold in your heart long after you turn the final page.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

2017 Reading Challenge - Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color.

For this challenge I was torn between reading this one or The Mothers by Brit Bennett.  The Mothers is a story with secrets, a suicide, things that "haunt us most" and billed as "an emotionally perceptive story".  I felt that while it may in fact be a great book, I personally needed something lighter.  Crazy Rich Asians was billed as "Rollicking" "Hilarious" "Crazy Fun".  Just what I needed!  I was looking forward to have some laugh-out-loud moments with this book!!

Well, I guess I don't find filthy rich people very funny.  Maybe it's society, maybe its my own growing antimaterialism, maybe it's just the emotional state I am currently in, but not only was I not laughing-out-loud, but for 3/4 of the 500+ page book I was utterly bored and annoyed.  I only committed to finishing it because of this damn challenge; it was the last of the 24 book challenge and I was going to finish it no matter what!

I will give kudos to the final 1/4 of the book.  I adored the main character, Rachel and was rooting for her throughout.  Even my cold black heart was hoping for a romantic, happy-ending (no spoilers) and for long-due karma to befall the many snooty "crazy rich Asians".

The other parts that I enjoyed of this otherwise disappointing novel were the descriptions of Singapore and its food. 

There are two other books in this series and this first one is being made into a movie.  I have no desire to read the sequels and highly doubt I'll make a point of seeing the movie.

Quote:  "Marriage was purely a matter of timing, and whenever a man was finally done sowing his wild oats and read to settle down, whichever girl happened to be there at the time would be the right one."

Deadly Cure by Lawrence Goldstone

PageHabit Subscription- November Historical Fiction

What a well-researched, well-written, suspenseful historical fiction by Goldstone.  Especially interesting to read in light of the current opioid epidemic and the corruption between pharmaceutical companies and politicians.

We find ourselves on the streets of early NYC with mystery and intrigue weaved into the early discoveries of aspirin and heroin.  The time before governmental regulations of safe food and drugs.  A time of tonics and mysterious and often deadly "cures".

A recommended read for history buffs and suspense lovers alike.  I have another of Goldstone's books on my shelf (The Anatomy of Deception) and will be adding it to the top (okay, near top) of my TBR pile!!

Quotes: "'Murdered children' and 'experimentation' were phrases doubtlessly chosen to arouse his curiosity, but curiosity should never be allowed to overcome reason."

"Whenever a group of businessmen band together to buy Congressmen, restrict competition, fix prices, prohibit regulation, ensure obscene profits, all to the detriment of the public...."

"This nation is blinded by greed..."

"Greatness lies in persuading others to work for good."

Rain Inside:  Selected Poems by Ibrahim Nasrallah

2017 Reading Challenge - Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love.

I'm not a big reader of poetry.  Not that I'm opposed to it, actually when I was younger I wrote quite a few poems.  Yet, like the poems I wrote, I prefer dare I say a simpler poem?  I loved Shel Silverstein as a child, okay I still love Shel Silverstein.  I love the spoken word poetry of Canadian, Shane Koyczan.  Yet, I hesitate to call their work "simple", especially Koyczan.  I guess, I just struggle with more abstract poetry that I found in Rain Inside.

I actually got more out of the introduction of this collection, which was written by the translator Omnia Amin and explained the background of the poet, Nasrallah.  His exile from his Palestinian homeland, the threats he has received, the prohibition of his work both in publication and in readings.  I was aware of the struggles of Palestine peripherally, but I've become more aware of the turmoil in that area of the world through this introduction as well as recent events (US embassy being moved to Jerusalem).

Following the introduction I really, really wanted to enjoy, understand and garner the emotion, heartbreak and resistance in these poems.  Yet, I found them so abstract that I couldn't relate, couldn't feel any of those things I was hoping to feel.  I read them aloud, I read them slowly, I paused between each poem, but I simply could not find the rhythm, the spirit, the soul of the poems that I'm sure Nasrallah wrote them with.

I did mark a couple passages from some of the poems that did strike me:

"A beautiful morning is one that passes and I am not killed."

"Maybe I know the whole story but hide part of it from myself to love the story more."

"The Hour of Birth - A crazy awakening has languished in my blood for a thousand years.  It disturbs the dust to become a desert or a carnation."

"Shadows - Our souls have become shadows in the dust, so who will circle around us after they leave?  Who will visit us on a pilgrimage so we can renew time in all place?  Shadows might have shadows:  Them...us...you...and you...and me.