Book Review: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Twelve-year old Bird/Noah travels from Cambridge to New York City to find answers to why his mother left him and his father three years ago and cut off all communication.  We follow Bird on his journey as he gradually gets the answers he is seeking, along with discovering realities about the world he lives in.

This is a very unsettling dystopic book, all of which could very easily happen in our country today.  The government is very controlling and it views Asian Americans as the cause of the economic downturn, the protests and the extensive violence happening nationwide.  I absolutely love the fact that the public librarians are represented as the heroes -- passing along forbidden information,  helping Bird find the books and information that he needs, and hiding banned books.  The chapter on his first visit to his local library (at age 12!) is incredible.

A surprising thing about the book is that there are no quotation marks to indicate dialog.  However, it is fairly easy to determine who is speaking.  

I would highly recommend this incredible book, along with the other two books written by this author.  Looking forward to more by this wonderful author!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Dearborn Area: Upcoming AAUW Used Book Sale - October 4-6, 2024

 Mark your calendars -- the AAUW Used Book Sale is approaching - October 4-6, 2024!

Book Review: True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between by Gretchen Whitmer

True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between by Gretchen Whitmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very inspirational book written by an incredible leader; Gretchen Whitmer is currently the Michigan governor.   She was brought into the national public spotlight first by Trump during the pandemic when he referred to her as "that woman from Michigan," and more recently as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris. 

This book was just published last month (July 2024) and covers most of her life, focusing on her time as governor.  She has a true sense of humor which really comes through in her writing.  It's a quick read (160 pages), but is packed with lots of personal experiences and great advice.  Highly recommended!!

I have an autographed copy of this book courtesy of Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor.  And it's signed with her signature color -- fuschia!!  

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Series #8)

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A remote monastery in northern Quebec Province is the setting for Louise Penny’s 8th novel in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. The monks at the monastery are well known for their transcendent recording of Gregorian chants.

“This was the near mythical monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups. The home of two dozen cloistered, contemplative monks. Who had built their abbey as far from civilization as they could get. Twenty-four men had stepped beyond the door. It had closed. And not another living soul had been admitted. Until today. Chief Inspector Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Captain Charbonneau were about to be let in. Their ticket was a dead man.”

The reader is immersed in the feel of the reverent and quiet monastery, broken up by the multiple prayer services each day accompanied by the monks’ chanting. I learned quite a lot about the quiet life of a monk and Gregorian chants.

I recommend that readers enjoy this series in order from the beginning; several events occurring in the previous two books factor prominently in this entry. Once again, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series.  

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Helen and Grant are brought together in a Los Angeles writers' room -- she is the author of a novel which is being turned into a TV show and he is a script writer.  However, a tragic event tied their lives together 13 years ago on the other side of the country.  This is a classic enemies to lovers trope, which is handled very adeptly by the author in her debut novel.  We are cheering for Helen and Grant, and wishing for their happily-ever-after.

Yulin Kuang has been getting a lot of buzz recently because she is currently writing the scripts for two of Emily Henry's book-to-movie adaptations.  She provides us with a peek inside the writers' room of a TV show -- the personalities, long hours, friendships, fun and more.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book -- Helen's career intense career goals, her romance with Grant, her relationship with her family, and the event that tied their lives together.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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