Fiction Review: Tales from the Inner City

I struggled with how to categorize Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan, a wholly unique book. Graphic novel? Not really. Teen/YA? Well, yes, but not just for that age group. I finally settled on "illustrated short stories," but that still is just the tip of the iceberg. Tan, well known for his drawings, wordless books, films, and illustrations, has created something that defies description but is beautiful, thoughtful, and engrossing...so now I'll try to describe it!

This large hardcover book contains 25 short stories, each set in a city and focused on a particular type of animal and how it intersects with humans, often in a futuristic or fantastical world. Each of these stories is accompanied with large, 2-page color-saturated paintings, sometimes just one per story and sometimes many of them. Some stories are just a few paragraphs long, some are two pages, and some go one for longer. Every story is magical, bizarre, and strange, immersing the reader in worlds that are often similar to but different than our own. There is a wide range to the subject matter: dogs' relationships to their human companions through the ages (the most realistic one); a sudden appearance of countless butterflies blanketing a city on an ordinary day; a family in a large city that fishes from the top of their building into the air and one night catches a huge, rare fish; a board meeting where all the members suddenly turn into frogs. My favorite story involves bears hiring lawyers. They are all enchanted stories accompanied by similarly dreamlike paintings.

A sample painting from the opening pages of Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan.

The stories are all very thoughtful...and thought-provoking, commenting not only on the relationships between humans and animals but also humans' relationship to the earth and to each other. Sometimes, I was nodding along and could clearly see the author's point, though other stories left me slightly puzzled...but no less captivated. The paintings are all so gorgeous and colorful that they beg to be lingered over and studied. In fact, I realized that as I've been writing this review with the book next to me, I keep rubbing my hand over the cover and the breath-taking illustrations - it's just that kind of book. I see that Amazon has categorized the book under Teen/YA, and I do think it will appeal to many in that age group, but some of the stories have deep meaning and themes that will probably be more apparent (or not!) to adults. I would only recommend the book for younger kids if an adult is pre-reading it and selecting certain stories to read aloud because some of them have an element of violence or gruesomeness. It is really an illustrated book of surreal and provocative fantasy short stories for adults - in other words, in a category all its own. It is endlessly fascinating and well worth a look - or two or a hundred.

224 pages, Arthur A. Levine Books

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

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

You can purchase Tales from the Inner City from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

Or you can order Tales from the Inner City from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Fiction Review: The Widows

I just (hours ago!) finished listening to The Widows by Jess Montgomery, which was recommended by the Book Cougars podcast (they also interviewed the author in episode 68). I highly recommend their podcast - they are friends of mine from Booktopia, and I always look forward to a new episode! Their recommendation of this novel was spot-on. It's a captivating mix of murder mystery, historical fiction, and family drama set in 1924 Ohio.

Lily Ross is devastated when she hears that her beloved husband, Daniel, their town's sheriff, has been killed while transporting a prisoner. She has two young children to take care of and is pregnant with a third. After Daniel's funeral, with a houseful of people, Lily is surprised when a woman she doesn't know, Marvena Whitcomb, arrives on her front porch and demands to see Daniel, unaware of his recent death. She's the widow of a coal miner from the next town over, where Daniel's half-brother, Luther, runs the mine, and she says that Daniel had promised to look for her missing teen daughter. It's clear to Lily right away that Marvena knew Daniel well...but how well? Shortly after the funeral, Lily is asked to temporarily serve as sheriff until a new election can be held. She agrees, determined to find out exactly how Daniel died and answer the nagging questions she has about aspects of the account. This will also allow her to finish the investigation that Daniel may have started into the whereabouts of Marvena's older daughter. Marvena herself is wrapped up in controversial plans to try to unionize the mine, more committed to the cause than ever since her husband (and Lily's father) died six months ago in a horrible explosion nicknamed The Widowmaker. Though the two widows are first suspicious (and perhaps a bit jealous) of each other, their similarities soon join them in shared purposes. Lily investigates both Daniel's death and Marvena's daughter's disappearance, though she is threatened not to, and Marvena continues to organize, in spite of the growing danger from the mine's owners and others in power who want to keep unions out.

During a time when women were only recently granted the right to vote, Lily and Marvena were both women in positions of power in their small communities, which was not appreciated by the men in charge. This riveting and complex story is based in part on truth: a woman named Maude Collins did become the first female sheriff in Ohio after her husband was murdered in the 1920's and was later elected to a second term. It's not clear how much of this story is based on that real-life one and how much is fiction, but it's an immersive novel that pulled me in and kept me listening. The audio book was especially good, with a narrator with a slight Midwest twang reading chapters that alternate between Lily's and Marvena's perspectives. The combination of mystery, history, and women finding their voice was engrossing. This was Jess Montgomery's debut novel, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

336 pages, Minotaur Books
Macmillan Audio

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

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audio book.

You can order The Widows from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

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

TV Tuesday: Good Trouble

I've written here before about The Fosters, a family drama that began on ABC Family, which is now Freeform. You can read my review at the link - I still love this show and am currently watching the final season 5 on Netflix. It's my ultimate comfort TV (even better than The Gilmore Girls), about a blended family headed by a lesbian couple with a mix of biological, adopted, and foster kids. It's one of those shows where surprising plot twists happen in every episode, and this one family endures so much hardship, but it is also warm and full of love. So, imagine how thrilled I was to discover a Fosters sequel!! While my husband was out of town, I was searching On Demand for something to watch just for me, and saw a new show called Good Trouble that had just posted its first episode. It was about two sisters, just out of college, who move to L.A. and live together. I started to watch the first episode and was shocked to realize the two sisters were Callie and Mariana from The Fosters!

So, in that first episode, Callie, played by Maia Mitchell, and Mariana, played by Cierra Ramirez, are driving a rental truck to L.A. to begin their adult lives. Callie is fresh out of law school, with a job clerking for a judge, and Mariana has just graduated from MIT and is starting a software engineering job at a tech start-up. Mariana has chosen their first post-college digs: a communal living space in the upper floors of an old theater building. It's got lots of character...and lots of characters! I haven't been able to count, but they have lots of company in this cool old space, and Callie and Mariana share a room. Of course, being a spin-off of The Fosters, they run into all sorts of problems right from the first episode. Callie, who has strong liberal views (hey, she grew up in a multi-racial, lesbian-led household), is working for a conservative judge, and her first case is about a police shooting of a black boy...and one of her new roommates is involved in protesting the shooting and is getting close to the boy's mother. For Mariana, her dream job with her sparkling, impressive degree comes with racism and some serious gender bias. Her co-workers are almost all males who treat her like a second-class citizen (and an idiot). And of course, there are sister squabbles and lots of romantic possibilities and hooking up for the two of them.

Just like The Fosters, this show is packed full of crises and issues in every episode, which keeps it interesting, thoughtful, and compelling. Though the actresses playing Callie and Mariana are at the center of the action, the show features a multi-cultural ensemble cast who add in additional crises and issues, and the acting is engaging. Right from that first episode, I was surprised to see how much semi-explicit (but not graphic) sex is included in the show (this is definitely no longer ABC Family) - Callie dates a bisexual man and Mariana gets involved in a threesome in one episode! Though the Fosters' kids were always getting into trouble (including exploring sexuality as teens), this is definitely more of a grown-up nature, which is appropriate for the show's themes and ages. I am loving Good Trouble for all the same reasons I love The Fosters: great cast, good writing, exploring interesting moral dilemmas in every episode, warmth, and just the right touch of humor and lightness. You can watch this new show without watching The Fosters - they explain what backstory you need to know - but why would you? All five seasons of The Fosters is still available on Netflix, so you can begin making your way through those episodes while you wait for each new weekly episode of Good Trouble. And knowing those details just makes Good Trouble all the richer. For fans of The Fosters, Callie and Mariana's siblings and moms often make guest appearances. I am thoroughly enjoying revisiting characters from one of my favorite teen shows as adults and can't wait to see what happens next!

Season 1 of Good Trouble is currently airing on Freeform, so it is available On Demand or at the Freeform website for free (11 episodes have aired so far). You can catch up on The Fosters on Netflix. Good Trouble is also available for $1.99 an episode on Amazon, as are all the seasons of The Fosters.

Movie Monday: Lion

Last month, while my husband was traveling on business, I had a chance to watch a movie I've wanted to see since its 2016 release, Lion. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards (and winner of many other national and international awards), this adaptation of a memoir is moving, powerful, and uplifting.

As the movie opens, little Saroo, played by Sunny Pawar, is five years old, growing up with his mother, older brother, and baby sister in a small village in India. When his brother, Guddu, heads out one night to make money at the local train yard, Saroo begs him to let him come along. Against his better judgement, Guddu agrees and tells Saroo to wait on a bench near the tracks until he comes back because Saroo is so sleepy. Saroo wakes up disoriented and looking for Guddu, so he boards an empty train, calling his brother's name. He falls asleep on the train and wakes the next day to find the train is moving - and still empty. He is stuck on the moving train for days until it finally arrives in Calcutta. Saroo doesn't understand the Bengali language in Calcutta and no one understands him, so he wanders around the far-away city, searching for his family in vain. Eventually, he is adopted by a kind Australian couple, Sue, played by Nicole Kidman, and John, played by David Wenham. He grows up in Australia and has a happy childhood, alongside another Indian boy they adopt. As an adult, Saroo, played by Dev Patel (of Slumdog Millionaire fame), starts having flashbacks from his earliest years. He remembers his mother and his siblings, and viscerally recalls the anguish of being separated from them and of trying to find Guddu. Saroo begins a virtual journey using Google Earth to find his lost family of origin, a task that is made even harder by the fact that his young child memories are not entirely reliable...but he has distinct memories of his family and the tiny town they lived in, and he searches across India, along the train routes, to try to find the town. Saroo becomes obsessed with this impossible quest until it takes over his life.

This is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" stories that you might think unbelievable if it was made up. It is true, though, and that makes it all the more remarkable. The acting here is excellent, from the tiny, adorable Sunny Pawar playing young Saroo to Dev Patel's gut-wrenching portrayal of an adult tortured by memories of his lost family. And, of course, Kidman is especially good as his loving mother who wants to support him but fears how his search will end. It's an absolutely compelling narrative (hence, its many nominations and awards for adapted screenplay), and the cinematography is jaw-dropping, especially the scenes in India and the contrast between the poverty there and the wealth he is adopted into in Australia. Lion is a poignant, heart-wrenching, and inspiring  story of one man's undeniable drive to find his lost family. It deserves all of its accolades - and more.

Lion is currently available on Netflix or to stream on Amazon, starting at $2.99, or on DVD (only $3.99 through Amazon or at your local library). I don't usually watch movies twice, but this is one I could definitely watch again and again.



    

It's Monday 3/25! What Are You Reading?

Last week was one of those weeks that didn't turn out quite as planned. In my writing life, I had an article rejected and found out that a regular writing gig is about to disappear. Big impact for me - I've been writing for them almost monthly for four years. On the personal side, we got the sad news that my husband's first cousin died of a heart attack in Oklahoma. He was recovering from a previous heart attack but had been discharged to rehab and seemed to be doing well, so this was a surprise. Now, we have everything on hold at home - including vacation plans - waiting to hear when the memorial service will be scheduled.

There were good parts of the week, too. We had a wonderful dinner with old friends Saturday night, including some we hadn't seen in about 20 years! We all used to work together, so it was a lot of fun to reconnect and catch up. And yesterday, my younger son and my father-in-law (with a little convincing!) came over for a nice Sunday family dinner. It was good to see them both and get together. Oh, and the big news is that last week we booked a trip to St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands) for Thanksgiving week with our two sons, who are both in their early 20's so vacations together are rare now. This fall is our 30th anniversary, and we wanted to celebrate by taking them somewhere special. St. John has long been at the top of my must-visit list since most of the island is a National Park. We got decent airfares, had 100,000 frequent flyer points to help offset the cost, and booked an awesome Airbnb house overlooking the water - can't wait!

And, of course, books are always a good part of every week! Here's what we've been reading this week:

• I finished My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. You may recall that I dreaded reading the 600-page novel, America's First Daughter, by the same authors last year but ended up loving it, and I had the same experience with this one! I thought I wasn't in the mood for lengthy historical fiction, but once again, these remarkable authors plunged me into the life of a woman connected to a Revolutionary hero, and I was captivated through every page. Eliza Hamilton lived a fascinating life, and I learned so much about U.S. history (driving my husband crazy with interesting facts while he's trying to read). This novel, in particular, is striking for how little things have changed, from the founding of our country to the challenges we are facing today - we are still arguing over the exact same issues, which is mind-blowing. If you haven't yet read either of these novels, you should! They are both perfect picks for my Big Book Summer Challenge, coming up in two months.
• Now, I am reading A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas, my next review book for Shelf Awareness. It's a psychological thriller about a therapist who works with trauma patients. Her own young adult son disappeared (the details of that have not yet been revealed), and a patient comes to her who reminds her of her son and brings up all sorts of difficult feelings. I'm about halfway and enjoying it so far - I can tell there are some secrets and surprises in store.  
• I am still slowly making my way through (almost finished!) a very unique illustrated book, Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan. Tan is known for his amazing illustrations, graphic novels, illustrated short stories, and even a short film. This unusual book is a collection of short fantasy stories about animals in an urban environment. Some stories are just a few lines long and others are 5 or more pages, each with at least one huge, colorful, two-page painting. They are all very weird and imaginative, about worlds that are different than ours, with a focus on the connections between animals and humans. It's almost impossible to describe briefly, but I am enjoying it.
• On audio, I am listening to The Widows by Jess Montgomery, which was recommended by the Book Cougars podcast (they also interviewed the author - episode 68). I highly recommend their podcast - they are friends of mine from Booktopia, and I always look forward to a new episode! Set in 1924, The Widows is inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff and tells the fictional story of two widows who are brought together by unexpected circumstances and find themselves at odds with the male leadership and corruption in their communities. It's very good so far, and I'm looking for excuses to plug in my earbuds and listen!
• My husband, Ken, is reading Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson, a very good psychological thriller about a woman who discovers she is living next door to a killer - and he knows that she knows. It's good tense suspense, and he's enjoying it. I reviewed it for Shelf Awareness and will post a link as soon as my review is published. He is very close to the end and told me last night that he thinks he figured out the twist! We'll see...
•  Our son, Jamie, 24, wants to read book 4, Kingdom Blades, of the series A Pattern of Shadow and Light by Melissa McPhail, a favorite series of his. But, being him, he decided to first re-read the first 3 books in the series. So, he finished book 1, Cephrael's Hand, and is now reading book 2, The Dagger of Adendigaeth. He says he's enjoying it and is glad he decided to re-read because he's remembering details he'd forgotten...and the series is sooo good!

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: The Edge of Seventeen - sweet, funny coming-of-age story with a great cast

TV Tuesday: The Passage - outstanding TV show based on one of our favorite book trilogies!

Fiction Review: Tangerine by Christine Mangan - dark, captivating story set in 1950's Morocco

Weekend Cooking & Saturday Snapshot: Restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

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

What are you and your family reading this week? 

Happy Spring! A friend got me out for a hike on the first day of spring last week.

 

Weekend Cooking: Restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Today, I am combining Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda at A Web of Stories, with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Check out both blogs for some other great links this weekend!

My husband and I had a mini weekend getaway two weeks ago to Rehoboth Beach, about two hours away in our tiny state of Delaware (that's about as far as you can go and still be in the state!). We always try to take a little trip around late February or early March, when we are feeling sick of winter and in a bit of a rut. Usually, we try to explore someplace new (fabulous weekend in Annapolis last March), but this year, we decided to visit an old favorite. When our kids were young, we took an off-season trip to Rehoboth almost every year at this time. You can see some of my beach and wildlife photos from the trip on last week's Saturday Snapshot post.

One of Rehoboth's charms is the wide variety of wonderful restaurants it offers! I had read in the newspaper about a lot of new restaurant openings since our last visit, so we tried a few of those, along with some old favorites. These are all worth checking out:

Cooter's Brown's Twisted Southern Kitchen and Bourbon Bar
Just the name caught our attention, as one of our favorite bars when we lived in New Orleans was also called Cooter Brown's (turns out he was a real life guy who lived on the Mason-Dixon line during the Civil War), as did the menu, with a focus on classic southern dishes with a modern twist. It's located on the second floor right on Rehoboth Avenue (the main street), where Hooters used to be - this is a big improvement! They have outdoor patio dining for nicer weather and a cozy fireplace that was perfect for the cold, wet day we were there. My husband ordered the fried chicken, and I ordered a barbeque sampler. Both meals were excellent and came with our choice of sides, which were really outstanding. I had Brussels Sprouts (fried with bacon!) and collard greens, and my meal also came with toasted jalapeno cornbread. Everything was wonderful, and my favorite of the barbeque sampler was the super-tender brisket, but the sides really made the meal. My husband sampled from their extensive whiskey menu. All in all, it was a lovely, cozy meal with delicious food and good service.

Green Man Juice Bar & Bistro
It wouldn't be a trip to Rehoboth for us without a stop at Green Man for breakfast! This Rehoboth standard is located on the first floor of a house on Wilmington Avenue, just one block off Rehoboth Avenue. They're open for breakfast and lunch, every day except Tuesday, and offer a variety of healthy and delicious options, including lots of juice blends and smoothies. The breakfast menu has things like breakfast bowls, grain bowls, waffles, egg sandwich, and daily frittata and quiche selections. This time, my husband got the quiche (broccoli and cheddar), and I ordered the frittata (artichoke hearts and parmesan). Both were served with a side salad and fresh fruit and were delicious.

Note the "Can I eat now?" look!

Go Fish!
For lunch on Saturday, we took some friends who've recently moved to the area to another of our favorite Rehoboth spots, Go Fish!, a British fish and chips place with a large menu. It is owned and run by real Brits and features authentic fish and chips, shepherd's pie, mushy peas, and other British classics, as well as a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, and main dishes. Most of us ordered the fish and chips, which are delicious. The Brit-centric ambience is fun, and they also offer a nice selection of British beers. Once during lunch at Go Fish! we spotted Hoda Kotb among the diners, a Rehoboth local during summer weekends. That was a real thrill, and now we are best friends (in our minds). Note that the owners have opened a second location, Go Brit, on Route 1 near Lewes, but it is more of a take-out place (though you can eat in cafeteria style) - we still prefer the original, a half block from the beach on Rehoboth Avenue.

 
Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats
Dogfish Head is a well-known and nationally-respected Delaware microbrewery. They recently built a whole new building for their brewpub/restaurant on Rehoboth Avenue (next door to their old place, which is now a restaurant called Chesapeake and Maine, also run by Dogfish Head). We are long-time fans of Dogfish Head beers and food, but this was our first time in their new digs. It's a huge, 2-story warehouse-style building with a stage for live music and a casual menu, mainly focused on burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers (Chesapeake and Maine seems like it has more of a dinner menu). My husband ordered one of their wood-fired pizzas, and I had their shrimp tacos, with a side of roasted veggies. Everything was delicious and very well-prepared. The tacos were so good that I ate all three of them (I usually only eat two) and then felt stuffed when we left! The roasted veggies were probably the best I've ever eaten (and we eat them a lot). It was a great meal, but it is a loud, wide-open place, and I'd like to try Chesapeake and Maine the next time we are in town, for a cozier vibe and more dinner and seafood options.

Egg
On Sunday morning, we tried one of Rehoboth's newer restaurants, Egg. It specializes in breakfast and lunch, and its very creative menu reminded me of our favorite breakfast place in New Orleans (Ruby Slipper). So many great choices! My husband ordered a Breakfast Oyster Po' boy (a New Orleans-style riff on Eggs Benedict), and I ordered their Paleo Pleasure. Both meals were flavorful and satisfying, accompanied by their hot, rich coffee. We'll definitely go back to sample some other items on the varied menu.

Paleo Pleasure

Fractured Prune
No trip to the beach would be complete without a stop at Fractured Prune on Route 1, which serves hot, fresh donuts, custom-made to your specifications, with various glazes and toppings. They are the best donuts we have ever eaten! This stop, my husband ordered the Bacon Bomb, with maple glaze and real bacon pieces on top (on the left in the photo), and he is still talking about it two weeks later! I ordered my own specialty: maple glaze with chocolate chips and coconut. Flavor explosion! The donuts themselves are just as good as the varied toppings, with a slight crunch to the outside and hot, tender dough inside. We each ordered one extra to take home with us (20 seconds in the microwave revives that hot, fresh vibe), and they were just as mouth-watering in the evening. I see from their website that they have loads of new locations now (including one in a town we are going to on Monday!), so be sure to check them out if you are in the Mid-Atlantic region. Your life will be forever changed - they're just that good.

The Pickled Pig Pub
It was raining on Sunday, so it was a perfect day for a little outlet shopping along Route 1. Before we headed for home, we wanted a quick lunch, so we tried another new-to-us restaurant, The Pickled Pig Pub. This one was tricky to find, tucked into a small strip shopping plaza on busy Rt. 1 near Lewes, but our GPS said it was "right there," so we persevered until we spotted it! This small gastro pub packs a lot in. The decor is a surprising rustic warehouse look inside, with a long wood bar and plenty of tables. Everything on the menu sounded wonderful, though after a weekend of good food, we both chose to stick to the lighter side. The lunch menu offers a wide variety of soups, salads, apps, sandwiches, and burgers, and everything sounded delicious. I ordered the Asian Bistro Salad with Salmon on top, and every bite was full of flavor. My husband went with a basic corned beef sandwich on rye, which he said was very good - and of course, served with a hefty half dill pickle. The pub has a cozy, fun atmosphere and offers all kinds of deals throughout the week. I think all they are missing is a bigger sign!

Ah, it was a wonderful - and very tasty - weekend at the beach. Just the respite we needed. If you're headed to the Delaware beaches, all of these restaurants are worth a stop. What are your favorites in Rehoboth?

Did I mention the donuts at Fractured Prune??

Fiction Review: Tangerine

Since its release last year, I kept hearing rave reviews of Tangerine, a novel by Christine Mangan, one of those books that it seemed like everyone was reading. When I saw that my local bookstore was discussing the book this month, I had the extra motivation I needed to finally listen to the audiobook. Though I ended up missing the book discussion, I enjoyed listening to this unique, captivating story set in Morocco in the 1950's.

Alice Shipley, a young woman in her 20's, is surprised one morning at her apartment in Tangier by a surprise visitor: her college roommate, Lucy Mason. Alice is surprised because after four years of living together at Bennington College in Vermont, something bad happened between the roommates - something that the reader is not yet privy to. Alice has not been happy in Morocco with her new husband, though the reader doesn't quite know why, either. But Lucy seems eager to make things right with her old friend and to make the best of her time in Morocco. Often anxious and afraid to leave her flat, Alice finally ventures out into the Moroccan heat, the crowded markets, and the outlying towns with Lucy at her side. All along, though, something feels off. Lucy doesn't get along well with Alice's husband, John, and she confirms a suspicion Alice had. Finally, when John goes missing, Alice isn't sure what to believe - about her husband or her one-time best friend.

The reader (or listener) can feel the tension in this story right from the start. Clearly, something horrible happened at the end of the women's time in college together. Chapters alternate between Lucy and Alice, and it soon becomes clear that both women may be unreliable narrators. Is Lucy something of a stalker or a threat? Is Alice mentally ill and paranoid? It's hard to know what to believe, as the details of their past slowly come to light, amidst their ongoing story in present-day Morocco. Tangerine was very well-done on audio, with two different narrators voicing British Alice and American Lucy, so it was easy to keep track of who was narrating and to feel like the women themselves were telling their stories. I saw reviews comparing Christine Mangan to Donna Tartt (high praise for a debut author), and I definitely saw parallels between this novel and Tartt's The Secret History - both set partly on college campuses, both a bit too dark for me, with characters I couldn't quite relate to, and endings I wasn't thrilled with. That said, Tangerine was skillfully written and performed and certainly kept my attention, with plenty of suspense. It also uses its Moroccan backdrop to its full potential, painting a vivid picture of the exotic locale with its heat, bright colors, and dangerous political environment, on the brink of revolution. It was an engaging and gripping story. And word is that it's been optioned for film by George Clooney's production company, with Scarlett Johansson to star - should be a good one!

336 pages, Ecco
HarperAudio

Listen to a sample of the audio book:

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

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Download the audio from Audible.

You can purchase Tangerine from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

Or you can order Tangerine from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

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TV Tuesday: The Passage

At my house, we are BIG fans of Justin Cronin's trilogy that begins with The Passage. My husband has finished all three books, and my son and I have read the first two and plan to read the third (I'm thinking Big Book Summer Challenge). So, we were all very excited to hear it was being made into a TV show. My husband and I just finished watching season 1 of The Passage on Fox, and we loved it! It's not exactly like the book in every detail, but it sticks to the basic story and is really well-done. Whether you have read the books or not (though of course, I recommend that you do!), the TV show is riveting and quickly became our favorite show this winter.

Dr, Jonas Lear, played by Henry Ian Cusick, is desperate to find a cure for his wife Elizabeth's early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He and his best friend, a neurologist named Dr. Tim Fanning, played by Jamie McShane, travel to South America when they hear about a man who is immune to disease. What they find, though, is a monster who, when they try to capture him, bites Tim and passes his freaky condition onto the doctor. Now, Jonas has two goals: to cure his wife and his best friend. He establishes a team and gets funding from the DOD to find a way to control this strange virus that transforms its victims into blood-hungry but super-human creatures. When a bird flu pandemic breaks out in Asia, the pressure mounts to find a way to cure it using a version of this virus.

Brad Wolgast, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, is one of the FBI agents tasked with traveling around the country to pick up death row inmates with no families who have been chosen for the testing of this modified virus, to try to get the immunities it provides without the drastic side effects. Given the choice between execution or a "drug trial," eleven prisoners choose to travel with Brad and his partner to a secluded research facility in Colorado. When the bird flu worsens, the scientific team gets desperate and concludes that a child would be the perfect host for a virus with just the right characteristics. Brad is sent to pick up Amy Bellafonte, played by Saniyya Sidney, a 10-year old girl whose mother has just died. On the way back to Colorado, though, Brad realizes he can't deliver this innocent child to whatever horrible things are happening in the facility, and the two of them go on the run.

All of that happens in the first episode! I won't ruin the fun with any spoilers because this show is filled with twists and turns in every episode. It's an intriguing plot, and the show has plenty of suspense and fast-paced action, but the relationship between Brad and Amy is at the heart of it and what makes it so compelling. All of the actors do a great job in their roles and are a big part of what makes this show so good, but Gosselaar and Sidney, as Brad and Amy, keep you coming back. Little by little, through season one, you not only see what the scientists are doing but also get flashbacks on who each of the prisoners was before they arrived in Colorado, including what their lives were like and how they ended up in prison. They all develop some telepathic abilities and so begin to interact with the staff, even though they are kept in isolation. Just as in the books, the premise is original, clever, and thought-provoking. We watched the show as soon as it aired each week, On Demand, and it was our favorite of the dozen or so shows we kept up with this winter. Now, we can't wait for season 2!

The Passage has finished its first season, but all episodes are still available free On Demand, on the Fox website (though you might need to sign in with your cable provider's password to view some of the episodes) or on Amazon for $1.99 per episode and $18.99 for the season (so you could watch those episodes available free on the Fox site and buy the other episodes on Amazon, if you don't have cable).

Check out this trailer, then watch the first episode, and you'll be hooked, too:

Movie Monday: The Edge of Seventeen

While my husband was out of town recently, I chose a 2016 high school movie that I knew he wouldn't be interested in watching with me. I love high school TV shows and movies, though, so it was a good choice. The Edge of Seventeen is a sweet, funny story about the travails of being a teenager.

Nadine, played wonderfully by Hailee Steinfeld, wants to be a sarcastic, edgy seventeen-year old, but she is also awkward and self-conscious. Her father died of a sudden heart attack when she was younger, sitting right next to her while driving. He was her greatest admirer and protector, so Nadine feels lost without him. At least she still has Krista, played by Haley Lu Richardson, who has been her best friend (really, her only friend) since they were little girls. The two of them are inseparable...until Krista starts dating Nadine's seemingly perfect, Golden Boy older brother, Darian, played by Blake Jenner. Suddenly, Krista has entry into the world of cool teens that has previously been closed to them, but that leaves Nadine alone and isolated. Things go from bad to worse when Nadine mistakenly sexts her secret crush. The only person Nadine can talk to is her history teacher, Mr. Bruner, played by Woody Harrelson, who seems just as sarcastic and hard-edged as she is, but he helps to ground her when drama threatens to take over and is truly there for her when she really does need him. Will Nadine survive high school?

I really enjoyed this funny, warm movie. The writing is excellent, as is the acting, especially by Steinfeld and Harrelson, as you can see in the clip below. It's an age-old story but very well-done and with a modern edge to it. Despite Nadine's crusty exterior, I was rooting for her not only to survive but to thrive. Nadine does manage to work through many of her problems by the end, though there are plenty of laughs along the way. Maybe people (myself included) enjoy watching the painfully awkward teenage years play out on screen because we are just SO glad to be past all that now! This is a very entertaining look at high school, and just seeing the clip below makes me want to watch the movie again.

The Edge of Seventeen is currently available on Netflix. You can also rent it to stream on Amazon for $3.99 or on DVD.



    

It's Monday 3/18! What Are You Reading?

I love Monday. I always feel a bit guilty about this, but I relish - and need - the quiet solitude that a Monday morning brings and the chance to catch up and start a new week, fresh. We had a wonderful weekend, with dinner out with friends Saturday night, time to catch up and clean up a bit around the house after 2 full weekends past, and a great St. Patrick's Day corned beef dinner, with the whole family here - both sons, one girlfriend, my father-in-law, and my husband and I. Yesterday was a fun, noisy, great day with everyone here, and I loved it...but I also love the peace and quiet of having the house to myself and being responsible only for me this morning. My morning started with several hours of taking care of urgent problems that came up over the weekend, but it's still quiet alone time. This will be a busy week, but I'm ready!

Here's what we've all been reading this week:

• I am still reading my next book group pick, My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. You may recall that I dreaded reading the 600-page novel, America's First Daughter, by the same authors last year but ended up loving it, and I'm having the same experience now! I thought I wasn't in the mood for lengthy historical fiction, but once again, these remarkable authors have plunged me into the life of a woman connected to a Revolutionary hero, and I am captivated. It's an amazing novel, and I am also learning so much (driving my husband crazy with interesting facts while he's trying to read). This novel, in particular, is striking for how little things have changed, from the founding of our country to the challenges we are facing today - we are still arguing over the exact same issues, which is mind-blowing. If you haven't yet read either of these novels, you should! They are both perfect picks for my Big Book Summer Challenge, coming up in two months.
• I am still slowly making my way through a very unique illustrated book, Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan. Tan is known for his amazing illustrations, graphic novels, illustrated short stories, and even a short film. This unusual book is a collection of short fantasy stories about animals in an urban environment. Some stories are just a few lines long and others are 5 or more pages, each with at least one huge, colorful, two-page painting. They are all very weird and imaginative, about worlds that are different than ours, with a focus on the connections between animals and humans. It's almost impossible to describe briefly, but I am enjoying it.
• On audio, I listened to Tangerine by Christine Mangan, a novel that got a lot of attention last year. It's the story of two young women in the 1950's who are college roommates and then meet up again later in Morocco. There is tension throughout, as you know that something bad happened when they last saw each other, but it's quite a while before you find out exactly what. It kept me a bit off-balance because the chapters alternate between the two main characters, and they are both unreliable narrators - or are they? I wasn't sure for quite some time whether one of the women was a stalker or the other woman was paranoid. I didn't connect with the characters and wasn't thrilled with the ending, so overall, I liked it and it was engaging, but I didn't love it. There is a discussion hosted by my local bookstore at lunchtime today, but...see my opening paragraph! I don't think I'm leaving the house. And now a headache has kicked in, so...no.
• Now, I have started listening to The Widows by Jess Montgomery, which was recommended by the Book Cougars podcast (they also interviewed the author - episode 68). I highly recommend their podcast - they are friends of mine from Booktopia, and I always look forward to a new episode! Set in 1924, The Widows is inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff and tells the fictional story of two widows who are brought together by unexpected circumstances and find themselves at odds with the male leadership and corruption in their communities. It's very good so far.
• My husband, Ken, finished reading The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld, a thriller that I gave him for Christmas. It got a lot of great buzz when it was published in 2017, and he said it was very good. I plan to read it also.
• Now, Ken is reading Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson, a very good psychological thriller about a woman who discovers she is living next door to a killer - and he knows that she knows. It's good tense suspense, and he's enjoying it. I reviewed it for Shelf Awareness and will post a link as soon as my review is published.
• Our son, Jamie, 24, wants to read book 4, Kingdom Blades, of the series A Pattern of Shadow and Light by Melissa McPhail, a favorite series of his. But, being him, he decided to first re-read the first 3 books in the series. So, he finished book 1, Cephrael's Hand, and is now reading book 2, The Dagger of Adendigaeth. He says he's enjoying it and is glad he decided to re-read because he's remembering details he'd forgotten...and the series is sooo good!

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: Secret in Their Eyes - dark psychological thriller

Fiction Review: The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh - unique witness protection suspense

Nonfiction Review: The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea - powerful true story of lethal border crossing

Books Read in February - a great reading month for me

Saturday Snapshot: March Madness - in like a lion and out like a lamb!

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

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

What are you and your family reading this week? 

First time on the deck this year - 75 F on Friday! (only 40 today, though)

 

Saturday Snapshot: March Madness

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at A Web of Stories (same host as always but with a new blog - check it out!).

I haven't posted Saturday photos in a while because my weekends have been too busy with family and household stuff for blogging, so I have plenty of photos to choose from.

With temperatures here in the 20's (F) and high winds last week and hitting 70's yesterday (!), we are experiencing the typical quick changes of March. It's quite a bit colder this morning, but I hope it follows that old adage this month, and March goes out like a lamb - I am ready for spring! Here are some photos of March Madness (with respect to weather and the outdoors):

Snowfall at the start of March - pretty, fluffy, white flakes coated the trees.

Our dwarf Japanese maple coated with snow

Snow melted - stark branches against a blue sky

A hawk right in my neighborhood just above my head!

Rehoboth Beach when it's cold and cloudy

The beach later the same day, with sun and blue sky!

A bald eagle perched on top of a beachfront hotel!

Stormy beach the next morning!

Daffodils about to pop open in my neighborhood yesterday

Blue skies & fluffy clouds

Snowdrops in full bloom - finally!

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend!