Fiction Review: The Atomic City Girls

I recently listened to the audiobook of The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard, a novel about the real-life pop-up town of Oak Ridge, TN, during WWII and the young people who worked there, helping to manufacture (often unwittingly) materials for the atomic bomb. It examines the larger, fascinating time and place through the eyes of a group of interesting characters whose lives are woven together.

June Walker is just eighteen years old when she moves to the newly-built town of Oak Ridge, where her older sister is already working. June is a local girl, and, in fact, her grandfather lived on the land where Oak Ridge is located, until the government moved him out two years earlier. Like many of the young women employed there, she lives in a dorm room with a roommate and works all day adjusting dials according to instructions without knowing what she is actually doing or what the bigger project is. During orientation, the government emphasized the need for tight security, and June isn't even allowed to mention her job or anything about the town in her letters home to her parents. Sam Cantor, a thirty-year old Jewish physicist originally from New York, is in a very different position from June. He was hired from his job teaching at Berkeley to help provide direct assistance to the heart of the project, enriching uranium. He knows all the details of what they are working on and what the final goal is, and ethically, he becomes more and more distressed over their mission the closer they get to achieving it. Joe is an older African-American man, working in construction at Oak Ridge. He had to leave his wife and children behind to take the job, but the pay was too good to turn down. His younger friend, Ralph, is almost like an adopted son to Joe and came with him to Oak Ridge. Joe gets more worried as Ralph becomes involved with a group protesting the poor treatment of African-Americans at Oak Ridge. While it is true, for example, that their segregated housing is just shacks that are freezing in the winter, Joe worries for Ralph's safety.

Each character's story is told in alternating chapters, though the three main characters cross paths (more and more significantly as the novel continues). The book begins with June's arrival at Oak Ridge in November 1944, when the hastily-built town is still fairly new. Each character's individual story is interesting, and the links between them become more and more intriguing until the climax. The larger account of the war and the building of the atomic bomb is told through the more intimate thoughts, actions, and discussions of the characters. I was thoroughly engrossed in the audiobook, set in such a fascinating place during that pivotal moment in history. It's a point of view that is not often heard, from the people, most of whom had no idea what the place was for, needed to keep Oak Ridge running (and the same goes for Los Alamos, NM), and I found it compelling. Although I enjoyed the audiobook, I see that the print book includes real photos of Oak Ridge and its employees (check out the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon), so it might be worthwhile to see the book in print, too. While I enjoyed this fictional perspective and learned a lot, for those who want to know more, a nonfiction book on the subject was written a few years earlier: The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan.

384 pages, William Morrow Paperbacks
HarperAudio

Listen to a sampleof the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase The Atomic City Girls from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

Or you can order The Atomic City Girls from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

TV Tuesday: Spring 2020 Preview

A lot of the shows we watch on cable are wrapping up from their fall/winter seasons in the next few weeks, so I am planning ahead for the spring TV season. I'm not seeing an awful lot that is new (at least on the services we have), but we do have some old favorites (links are to my reviews) coming back and a few new shows to try:

Old Favorites Returning

The Rookie (ABC), one of our favorite TV shows, just returned for its second season on February 23, and it is just as good as the first season so far! We love the cast, including Nathan Fillion as LAPD rookie John Nolan, and the perfect mix of action, suspense, drama, and humor.

Good Girls (NBC) is another of our all-time top shows, and it just returned for a third season on February 16. It's got an outstanding cast of kick-ass moms who turn to a life of crime, and this new season is so far just as twisty as the first two, with that perfect blend of suspense, drama and humor.

The Blacklist (NBC) (Huh, it seems I have never reviewed this one!) returns for the second half of its seventh season on March 20 (this Friday). We still enjoy this action-packed thriller starring James Spader as a master criminal working with the FBI.

Killing Eve  (AMC) comes back for season 3 on April 26. This award-winning show is fabulous, starring Sandra Oh as a British agent obsessed with a female serial killer (played by Jodie Comer), who is equally obsessed with her. Chilling, creepy, and compelling.

Ozark (Netflix) returns for its third season. This show, starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as parents unwillingly caught up in a life of crime, is SO good!! Great cast, great suspense, and super twisty.

 

New Shows To Try

Dispatches from Elsewhere (AMC) - this brand-new cable show starring Sally Field and Jason Segel (who also wrote and directs it) is a hard one to describe. It features a group of people caught up in a surreal game that opens them up to new possibilities in life. It started March 1, and we've only watched one episode so far. I'm intrigued; my husband's not so sure!



Quiz (AMC) - this British show is coming to AMC on May 25. It's based on the true story of a guy who cheated on the British Who Wants to be a Millionaire show (and apparently, got caught!). Could be interesting.



SnowPiercer (TNT) - Starting on May 31, this post-apocalyptic thriller is about a train full of survivors (apparently divided among strict class lines) in a below-freezing world. Looks intriguing, action-packed, and suspenseful.



The Good Fight (CBS All Access) - Not a new show, but we just recently signed up for this streaming service, and we loved The Good Wife, so we may give this a try.

Altered Carbon (Netflix) - Just back for its second season, we watched a few episodes of the first season last year but never finished it. Our son is enjoying it, so we may give it another try. We'll have to start back at the beginning since it is pretty complicated!


What shows are you watching this spring? We would love any recommendations!

It's Monday 3/16! What Are You Reading?

Well, the world has certainly changed since last week's update! We are now self-isolating at home and are limiting my 94-year-old father-in-law's contact to just my husband (he is in independent living nearby). Our state of Delaware only has seven cases of COVID-19 so far, but they set up drive-through testing this weekend, so that number is expected to rise. Schools are closed for two weeks (at least), the large corporation my husband works for closed all offices, and University of Delaware (where our son is a senior) moved spring break up and just today extended it to two weeks. When students "come back" from break, it will be to 100% online classes. Of course there are bigger problems, but I do feel bad that my son is missing out on his last semester of college experience. If you think your nation or community is over-reacting with closures and self-isolation, read this stunning article from an Italian reporter, published in the Boston Globe, about what's happening in Italy right now because they didn't do enough at the beginning of the outbreak. It's pretty sobering.

Spine is 2 mm too narrow, then ...

In other news, my book woes continue. My cover designer finally made the changes I needed (spine was 2 mm too narrow), and I uploaded it again to Amazon successfully. I ordered another (what I was hoping would be final) proof copy, paid extra for shipping, eagerly ripped open the package yesterday, and ... now the spine is 2 mm too wide! sigh... Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. I have requested another change from the cover designer, but she's been getting slower and slower to respond. Then, I will have to wait (and pay) for another proof copy to arrive. So, I am hoping the paperback is finally available by next week?? All this waiting has been really frustrating and nerve-wracking - the e-book was published over a month ago, and I figured the paperback would be available within a week! Believe me, I know there are much bigger problems in the world right now, but I am anxious to finally resolve these issues and get it out in the world where it can help people.

... and now the spine is 2 mm too wide!

At least, all this time spent at home will mean more reading time for everyone! And blogging is a great at-home activity, too. Here's what we have all been reading this week:

I finished my second Booktopia 2020 selection (this will be a continuing theme for the next two months), Black Is the Body: Stories from my Grandmother's Time, my Mother's Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard. This is a collection of essays by a college professor and author who has written several nonfiction books. She is a black woman, living in Vermont (i.e. a very white state), married to a white man, and mother to two beautiful little Ethiopian girls they adopted. She also teaches courses in African American literature  and race relations to an almost-entirely white student body. As the title indicates, the essays are all about her experiences (and those of the generations before her) of race, covering everything from being a stabbing victim, to having white friends, to her girls' growing awareness and experiences with race (which are quite different from her own childhood in the South), and more. I really enjoyed this thoughtful book. She is an excellent writer, a storyteller, and has a good sense of humor. She examines difficult topics, that are often not talked about, in an accessible and entertaining way.

With all that's going on in the world and after reading a thought-provoking memoir, I was in the mood for something lighter and quick, so I dove into my TBR shelf of mostly very old middle-grade and YA books! I chose OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (published back in 2013!), a novel I have wanted to read for ... well ... seven years. It's about Bea, a teen with just-diagnosed OCD who doesn't want to admit this is her correct diagnosis nor that it's getting worse. She meets a boy named Beck at a school dance, and he turns out to be in her new group therapy (not a big coincidence when you read how they met!). Beck is also struggling with OCD, also newly diagnosed. Their compulsions are very different, but they understand each other in ways that no one else can. As their relationship develops, Bea's OCD continues to worsen, though she tries to hide the worst of it from everyone, including Beck. I am loving this novel so far! It's so much more than a quirky teen romance, and I am learning a lot about what it is like to live with OCD (spoiler: it's private torture).

On audio, I finished listening to The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard, a novel about the young people working at Oak Ridge in Tennessee during WWII. Oak Ridge was a hastily-built town to support top secret research and production of radioactive materials for the atomic bomb, part of the Manhattan Project. It's a fascinating inside look into a very secret place and time, from a variety of different perspectives, including June, a local farm girl, adjusting dials all day without knowing exactly what she is working on; Sam, a PhD physics professor from Berkeley brought in to work on the heart of the operation; and Joe, a black man who had to leave his family behind to work construction at the new facility in the deeply segregated South. The story extends through the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, delving into the effect of that on the people involved in creating those bombs. It was a very engaging story with interesting characters. It digs into the details of the characters and their relationships and experiences, as a thoughtful way of examining the larger picture of the Manhattan Project and Oak Ridge's role in the war.

Now, I am listening to another Booktopia selection, The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata. This is an unusual novel that features a book-within-a-book and elements of science fiction. It begins with a Dominican immigrant, a young woman, who settles in New Orleans with her pirate husband. They have a son named Maxwell, and she writes a sci fi novel called Lost City. Before her death, she and her son burn the only copy of her sequel, A Model Earth, which she just finished. That's as far as I've gotten so far, but the blurb says that her second novel--supposedly destroyed--shows up in Chicago decades later, found in the home of Saul, a Jewish immigrant, after his death. The book leads Saul's grandson to New Orleans to try to find Maxwell, during Hurricane Katrina. I am enjoying this novel with a unique writing style so far and loving the New Orleans setting.

My husband, Ken, is still reading Shell Game by Sara Paretsky, book 19 in the popular V.I. Warshawski series, featuring a female detective (Kathleen Turner played her in a movie adaptation in 1991). We don't think either of us has read a novel in this series before, though who knows? This one was a super-early review copy I received back in 2018--have I mentioned how overflowing our TBR bookcase is? With all the stress lately in our family, Ken wanted something fast-paced and escapism-focused, so he grabbed this one when he saw a blurb by Lee Child (his favorite author) on the front. This version isn't even bound like most ARCs; my husband says he feels like he's reading a movie script! He's enjoying it so far, and I think it is doing its job, providing some fun, mindless escape.

Our son, 25, is still reading The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams, book 1 in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, one of the books he bought recently with a Christmas gift card. Sounds like this one features dark sorcery, an elf-like race, royals and servants, a deadly riddle, and plenty of swords--all right up his alley! I can't remember, but I don't think he's read this author before. He has been enjoying it very much, but life has been hectic for him lately, so it is taking him longer than usual to finish it. Maybe these next few weeks will give him some downtime (which he needs anyway for his health) and more reading time.


Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: The Call of the Wild - wilderness adventure starring Harrison Ford

TV Tuesday: Star Trek: Picard - we are loving this show!

Fiction Review: Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht - female spy in 1966 Argentina

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?

Fiction Review: Who Is Vera Kelly?

I have started reading for Booktopia 2020, and my first book for the event was actually a prequel, Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht. She will be attending Booktopia for her second book, Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery (that's next on my reading list!). This novel is an unusual spy story, about a young woman in 1966 in Argentina.

Part of what makes this an unusual spy novel is that it begins when the spy is an ordinary teenager in 1957, living in Chevy Chase, MD, with her mother, who is both often absent and abusive when she is present. Vera attempts suicide and so is sent to therapy with the counselor at her private school. Things go downhill quickly after that. After a short chapter in 1957, the next chapter jumps to 1966 in Buenos Aires, where Vera is a young woman working for the CIA. She is undercover as a college student, looking into reports that the KGB has been recruiting Marxist students to join them. Vera has come to Argentina equipped with a suitcase containing very expensive, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment. While she works to infiltrate the left-leaning student groups, she has also hired someone to plant listening devices in the offices of high-level politicians, as there is fear of a coup brewing in the country. Vera splits her time between pretending to be a shy but carefree college student with Marxist values and hiding out in a rented space across the street from the government buildings, painstakingly transcribing  phone calls and conversations as she listens in. Alternate chapters go back to her childhood, following her path from 1957, until the two stories gradually come together and readers discover how she came to be a CIA operative in the first place.

This unique book combines an intriguing coming-of-age story with a spy novel, resulting in an engrossing tale of a young woman's journey from childhood to spy. The timing and setting of the novel and its female spy lead make it even more original. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Vera and learning about 1960's spycraft through her eyes. I wouldn't call it a thriller exactly--there is less action and a slightly slower pace than traditional spy thrillers--but it is an engaging story with suspense that gradually builds, both in wondering how Vera became a spy and especially after things begin to fall apart in Buenos Aires. Knecht has created a unique literary heroine and described her place in 1966 Argentina so that you feel like you are there with her. I was absorbed in the story and couldn't wait to find out Vera's secrets and what was going to happen to her. And now I have the sequel to look forward to!

266 pages, Tin House Books

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 sampleof the audio book here and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase Who Is Vera Kelly? from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

Or you can order Who Is Vera Kelly? from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

TV Tuesday: Star Trek: Picard

We finally gave in and subscribed to CBS All Access last month, using an Amazon gift card (you can sign up through Amazon). My son and I have a long-time lunch tradition of watching NCIS and NCIS New Orleans, going back to his high school years, 10 years ago! Alas, we got to the point where the rest of the seasons of NCIS (and all seasons of NCIS New Orleans) were no longer free on streaming, and I figured we were spending more money buying individual seasons of NCIS New Orleans. So, with this new service to explore with its own list of original shows, my husband and I have been watching Star Trek: Picard. This is like coming home for us, as Star Trek: The Next Generation (on which Picard is based) began in 1987, the same year we met, and we watched the show together (and loved it) for all seven seasons. This new show brings back not only Picard but some cameos from other TNG alums, in an entirely new story.

Jean-Luc Picard, played fabulously by Sir Patrick Stewart, was captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on the show Star Trek: The Next Generation (taking place 100 years after the original series, with Captain Kirk). As the new Picard opens, we see Jean-Luc, ever the gentleman, retired at the end of the 24th century, in his gorgeous vineyard in France. He's been retired for 14 years, but one day he gets a strange visitor who brings the past back to him. A young woman named Dahj shows up, asking for his help, and Jean-Luc realizes she has an important connection to someone important to him from his Enterprise days. Surprising events and sudden dangers cause Picard to flee the peace of his vineyard, on a personal mission to find someone important to Dahj (and now, to him). He teams up with an old colleague, Raffi (played by Michelle Hurd), and they hire a rogue pilot named Cristobal, played by Santiago Cabrera. Their new crew is completed with Dr. Agnes Jurati, played by Alison Pill, a scientist who has something to do with Dahj and would like to find the same person that Picard is looking for. Off they go, where no man has gone before ... no, no, no - not this time! As you can imagine, things don't go smoothly on this quest with this ragtag (but entertaining) crew.

We are enjoying Picard so far. It has very much the same tone and feel as The Next Generation, with action, adventure, outstanding visuals, great characters, and a sense of humor to make it all the more entertaining. As old fans of the original, it is great fun to see old TNG characters make cameo appearances (though you don't have to have watched the original to enjoy this show--it's an entirely new storyline) and to hang out with the wonderful Jean-Luc again. The plot is twisty and engaging so far, also tying into old aspects of TNG in fun ways but with an entirely new story. We are very much enjoying The New Adventures of Old Picard!

We've watched 6 episodes so far of the 8-episode first season. There is also a second season, which we are already looking forward to. As a CBS Original, it is only available on the CBS All-Access streaming service, though you can watch for a week with a free trial (this one is easily bingeable in a week). After that, rates start at $5.99 per month. Note that Star Trek: The Next Generation is included with Amazon Prime, so if you missed it in the 80's/90's (or want to relive it!), you can use the link to watch.

Movie Monday: The Call of the Wild

In desperate need of a night out, my husband and I met up with good friends on Saturday for dinner and to go see The Call of the Wild, the latest film adaptation of the classic wilderness novel by Jack London. Of the four of us, my husband just read the novel last year, I read it in middle school so only remember it vaguely, and our friends hadn't ever read it. All of us enjoyed this entertaining story about a man and a dog who save each other in the wilderness of the Yukon and Alaska.

Buck is a lovable but unintentionally destructive dog, living a happy life with a family in California, when he is stolen one night and sent to Alaska, where there is an urgent (and profitable) need for sled dogs for the 1890's gold rush. Buck, a very large--though wholly untrained--dog is soon brought onto a team of mixed breeds who pull the mail sled through the remote Yukon territory. Perrault, played by Omar Sy, is a kind sled master who takes his responsibilities with the mail very seriously, accompanied by Francoise, played by Cara Gee. Although not used to discipline or hard work, Buck soon learns how to be a part of the team and eventually becomes the lead dog, earning the respect of both the other dogs and his masters through his brave and diligent efforts. When the mail is no longer carried by sled, though, and Perrault is sent home to Quebec, Buck is purchased by a cruel, wealthy man intent on finding gold. He works Buck and the other dogs relentlessly and pushes them way past their limits, also putting them in danger through his ignorance of the spring melt season and his greedy pursuit of gold at all costs. A man named John Thornton, played by Harrison Ford, finds Buck when he has been left behind, almost dead, and brings him back to his remote cabin. John has encountered Buck before and kindly nurses him back to health, though John's normal life is filled with nothing but sorrow and alcohol, having lost his young son to a fever years earlier. John and Buck take off into the wilderness together, in pursuit of what John's son would have called an adventure.

While the very basic outlines of the movie are based on the novel, the story has been seriously Disney-fied. In the novel, Buck endured far more abuse (and from far crueler men) before finally finding John. This is a kinder, happier version of Buck's story, clearly meant for families and to be appropriate for children (it is rated PG). But we all agreed that we really wouldn't have wanted to watch Buck be mistreated more, and we were all entertained by this 100-minute cinematic escape. This version has humorous escapades to counter the darker themes, but the essential relationship between John and Buck remains, along with the theme of Buck gradually shedding his domestic upbringing to listen to "the call of the wild." Ford is, as always, wonderful in his role, and the scenes of the Alaskan and Yukon wilderness are breathtakingly beautiful, making me yearn for camping season to start. It's an enjoyable diversion and a heartwarming story of a man and a dog finding healing and redemption with each other.

The Call of the Wild is currently playing in theaters (we saw it in a comfy recliner theater!). DVD and streaming release dates have not yet been determined.

Check your local theaters for dates and times:

It's Monday 3/9! What Are You Reading?

Busy, busy, busy last week! Medical appointments, errands, and even a massive stock-up shopping trip on the weekend (No, not because of the virus--we were just out of everything.) My book woes continue. I was finally able to jump all Amazon's hurdles and order a proof copy (which I had to pay for, including shipping). It looks great, almost perfect. I just need one more very minor adjustment to the cover; the spine is just 2 mm too narrow, so a bit of the front cover shows on the spine. The problem is that I sent a message to my cover designer Friday and haven't heard back yet. She was clearly getting fed up with the many rounds of changes the past few weeks, but I don't have the files or the software to fix this myself. Fingers crossed she will get back to me soon with this last revision! All this waiting is getting old.

We did manage to go out to dinner and to the movies (Call of the Wild) with close friends Saturday. Besides that, we get our comfort and escape from our books! Here's what we have all been reading this past week:

I finished my first book (prequel, actually) for Booktopia 2020! Regular readers know that each year, my mom and I attend Booktopia, a weekend-long event in Vermont in early May where readers and authors hang out together for two days. There are author sessions (that are more like book group discussions than typical author presentations), meals together, and even a rousing game of book trivia! You can read about Booktopia 2019 here--tickets are now available at the above link for this year's event. So, my first Booktopia 2020 book was Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht. The author will be at Booktopia for her second novel, Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery, so this is my Booktopia prequel reading. The novel is about a young woman in 1966 working as a CIA spy in Argentina, just before a military coup. Alternate chapters go back to her childhood, showing more about who she is and how she came to be in such a unique position. I enjoyed this engrossing and intriguing novel that is also thoughtful. It's less classic spy thriller and more in-depth examination of a fascinating character in a unique position. I'm looking forward to reading the second book.

I am now reading my next Booktopia selection (this will be a continuing theme for the next two months!), Black Is the Body: Stories from my Grandmother's Time, my Mother's Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard. This is a collection of essays by a college professor and author who has written several nonfiction books. She is a black woman, living in Vermont (i.e. a very white state!), married to a white man, and mother to two beautiful little Ethiopian girls they adopted. She also teaches courses in African American literature  and race relations to an almost-entirely white student body. As the title indicates, the essays are all about her experiences (and those of the generations before her) of race, covering everything from being a stabbing victim, to having white friends, to her girls' growing awareness and experiences with race (which are quite different from her own childhood in the South), and more. I am really enjoying the book so far. She is an excellent writer, a storyteller, and has a good sense of humor. She is examining difficult topics, that are often not talked about, in an accessible and entertaining way.

On audio, I am still listening to The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard, a novel about the women (and other young people) working at Oak Ridge in Tennessee during WWII. Oak Ridge was a hastily-built town to support top secret research (and production) of radioactive materials for the atomic bomb, part of the Manhattan Project. It's a fascinating inside look into a very secret place and time, from a variety of different perspectives, including June, a local farm girl, adjusting dials all day without knowing exactly what she is working on; Sam, a PhD physics professor from Berkeley brought in to work on the heart of the operation; and Joe, a black man who had to leave his family behind to work construction at the new facility in the deeply segregated South. I think I am getting close to the end (the U.S. just dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, so...), and it's been a very engaging story with interesting characters. It digs into the details of the characters and their relationships and experiences, as a way of examining the larger picture of the Manhattan Project and Oak Ridge's role in the war.

My husband, Ken, is still reading Shell Game by Sara Paretsky, book 19 in the popular V.I. Warshawski series, featuring a female detective (Kathleen Turner played her in a movie adaptation in 1991). We don't think either of us has read a novel in this series before, though who knows? This one was a super-early review copy I received back in 2018--have I mentioned how overflowing our TBR bookcase is? With all the stress lately, Ken wanted something fast-paced and escapism-focused, so he grabbed this one when he saw a blurb by Lee Child (his favorite author) on the front. This version isn't even bound like most ARCs; my husband says he feels like he's reading a movie script! He's enjoying it so far, and I think it is doing its job, providing some fun, mindless escape.

Our son, 25, is still reading The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams, book 1 in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, one of the books he bought recently with a Christmas gift card. Sounds like this one features dark sorcery, an elf-like race, royals and servants, a deadly riddle, and plenty of swords--all right up his alley! I can't remember, but I don't think he's read this author before. He has been enjoying it very much, but life has been hectic for him lately, so it is taking him longer than usual to finish it.




Blog posts last week:

TV Tuesday: All Rise - an entertaining new legal drama

Teen/YA Review: Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess - I loved this unique and powerful coming-of-age novel about music

Fiction Review: Saturday by Ian McEwan - an unexpected day-in-the-life of a London surgeon

My Summary of Books Read in February - a great reading month!

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?

Books Read in February

Bare branches and blue skies in February

Another good reading month for me, with lots of variety! Here's what I finished reading in February:

• State of Wonder by Anne Patchett (MN, Brazil) - adult fiction on audio
• An Indigenous People's History of the Unites States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese) - YA nonfiction
• Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais (South Africa) - adult fiction

• Saturday by Ian McEwan (UK) - adult fiction
• Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (CA, Ghana) - YA fiction on audio

That's five books total--not bad for a short month! I read one nonfiction book and four novels and listened to two of them on audio. Two of the five were teen/YA books, and the rest were for adults. My favorite has to be Hum If You Don't Know the Words, (a re-read), but since that was my favorite book read in 2019, it's not quite fair to the others! I enjoyed all five books, but Solo really blew me away, with its mix of poetry, a moving story, and music (which was especially good on audio). It's an outstanding book, though I would recommend all of these.

Progress in 2020 Reading Challenges:
You can see all of the reading challenges I am participating in and full lists of the books read for each at the link above. I have some fun ones going this year! Here's how February stacked up:

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2020 - I only read 2 books from my own shelves since some of my "TBRs" last month were audios (which I am allowed to count, but I usually just focus on physical books taking up space on our shelves). But I think Saturday should count double since it's been on my shelves for over 10 years!

2020 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge - February was Seeing Red (red in the title or on the cover), so Solo works. 

Back to the Classics 2020 - no classics in January or February, but I am determined to do better than last year!

PopSugar Reading Challenge - this is a unique one! I fit all five of my books into categories last month, filling in 11 categories so far this year:

1. A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics: Saturday by Ian McEwan
2. A book with a map: An Indigenous People's History of the Unites States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz 
3. A book about a woman in STEM: State of Wonder by Anne Patchett (pharmaceutical research)
4. A book with a bird on the cover: Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais
5. Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Challenge (2019) - A book I meant to read in 2018: Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess

2020 Nonfiction Reader's Challenge - An Indigenous People's History of the Unites States for Young People fit the History category.

2020 Diversity Reading Challenge - Four of my five books were diverse last month (all but  Saturday), and both Hum If You Don't Know the Words and Solo fit the Black/African American monthly theme.

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge - Another global reading month, with books set in Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, and the UK.

2020 Literary Escapes Challenge - I read books set in two states: Minnesota and California.

And finally, Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play each month! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along. In February, I filled 21 spaces on my bingo card--excellent for only five books!

Spaces Filled:

State of Wonder - free book, set in a small town, flowers, mystery, hidden treasure
An Indigenous People's History of the US for Young People - library book, read a physical book
Hum If You Don't Know the Words - candy, made you smile, best friends
Saturday - not in a series, shelf love, less than 400 pages, contemporary
Solo - red on the cover, audio book, romance, poetry, band, concert
Free Space

What was your favorite book read in February?

Fiction Review: Saturday

I had never read any of Ian McEwan's novels (though I did see the movie adaptation of Atonement), so when perusing my overflowing to-be-read bookcase last month, I chose Saturday, a McEwan novel that takes place all in one day. This book has been on my shelves for so long that it has a sticker on it from a used bookstore that went out of business at least 10 years ago (maybe 15?). I'm glad I finally got to this unique and intriguing novel about one very unusual Saturday in the life of a London neurosurgeon.

Henry Perowne has a good life in 2003. He lives with his wife in a lovely, huge London home within walking distance of the hospital where he works as a neurosurgeon, a job that he both loves and at which he is very skilled. Something wakes Henry early one Saturday morning before dawn, and he stands before the open window and witnesses a strange and unsettling sight. This is the start of what will turn out to be both a typical and very unusual Saturday for him. He plans to play squash with one of his colleagues, visit his elderly mother who has dementia at her nursing home, and buy ingredients for his famous seafood stew. They are planning an evening of celebration, with his musician son, his daughter who is coming back from Paris with her first published book of poetry, his lawyer wife, and her eccentric and famous poet father, also arriving from France. Henry is looking forward to these regular Saturday activities and to the warm family reunion this evening. Along the way, though, some unexpected incidents disrupt Henry's carefully planned-out day. Witnessing that odd thing before dawn is just the beginning.

This unique novel zeroes in on the details of one man's typical Saturday that turns out to be anything but typical. McEwan examines the mundane (like a description of Henry's weekly squash game) as well as the more extraordinary events of Henry's day side-by-side with equal attention. He zeroes in on the microcosm of one man's single day, but the novel also explores global events in this post-9/11 world that Henry lives in. There is a huge protest in the city against the UK's involvement in the Iraq war, and it's disruption of Henry's day (along with what he witnesses in the early morning hours) forces him to think about what is happening in the world, culminating in an argument with his daughter in the late afternoon. There were passages early in the novel that I found a bit dull, but that only made the surprises later in the novel all the more startling in contrast. I tabbed more than a dozen pages with quotes or passages I want to write down; McEwan has an incredible talent for thoughtful writing that resonated with me. This is a passage about Henry's young adult son Theo's perspective:

"On a recent Sunday evening Theo came up with an aphorism: the bigger you think, the crappier it looks. Asked to explain, he said, "When we go on about the big things, the political situation, global warming, world poverty, it all looks really terrible, with nothing getting better, nothing to look forward to. But when I think small, closer in--you know, a girl I've just met, or this song we're going to do with Chas, or snowboarding next month, then it looks great. So this is going to be my motto--think small."

Theo aptly sums up what could be the theme of this book--the micro-view of our lives consisting of family, work, and relationships versus the global view of what is happening in the world around us and how the two interact. This engrossing and unique novel gave me a lot to think about; I love that in a book! I am definitely looking forward to reading more McEwan novels--I have some catching up to do.

289 pages, Doubleday
Recorded Books

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 from the start of the novel here and/or download it from Audible.

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

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

Teen/YA Review: Solo

The award-winning YA novel Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess was published in 2017, and I heard nothing but rave reviews of it. I did add it to my want-to-read list, but in spite of all the praise, I kept putting it off. I'd heard it was a novel in verse, and I'm not a big poetry fan usually. I did absolutely love Brown Girl Dreaming (a YA memoir in verse) by Jacqueline Woodson, but still, I kept putting off reading Solo. Then, I downloaded an audio version of the book from SYNC and recently found the time to listen to it. I was completely blown away by this powerful, unique, musical novel about a teen boy trying to find his place in the world in the shadow of his famous father. The audio book, in particular, was outstanding.

Blade seems to live a charmed life from the outside. His father, Rutherford Morrison, is a famous rock musician, so Blade lives with him and his sister, Storm, in a huge house, with a pool and every possible luxury. But Blade lost his mother when he was only eight years ago, and his father is an alcoholic and drug addict who is even more famous these days for the trouble he gets into than for his music. Blade wants nothing to do with his escapades, his wild lifestyle, or his long trail of broken promises. Blade has inherited his family's musical talent, but while Storm and Rutherford are into hard rock, he prefers quieter, softer music. The bright spot in Blade's life is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her preacher father won't let her see Blade. He fears he will be a bad influence on his daughter because of what he reads about Blade's dad in the media. Blade and Chapel have to sneak around to see each other. Blade is doing his best to hang on until the fall, when he will finally be able to leave home, and he and Chapel will be attending college together. That hope for a brighter future is blown apart, though, when Rutherford (once again) ruins one of the biggest moments in Blade's life, his relationship with Chapel is turned upside down, and he learns some shocking news about his family. Emotionally destroyed, Blade takes off on the journey of a lifetime, to find his place in the world.

As I mentioned, this is a novel in verse, so the print book (which I got out of the library partway through the audio) looks like a series of short poems on the pages. Once you get into the book, though, you realize that this unique book incorporates conversations, texting, songs, and more. Some of Blade's own songs that he's written, describing his feelings and experiences, are interspersed throughout the novel, as well as tracks from a mix CD that Storm made for Blade (some of the songs well-known and others more obscure). On audio, all of these elements come across as a cohesive whole story. In fact, I forgot at first that it was in verse. The story, narrated by the author, just sounded impactful and rhythmic, with emotional depth. Listen to the audio sample on this page to get an idea of the feeling and flow of the novel; it includes Blade's memories of when he and Chapel first met. The audio book won the Audie Award for Young Adult in 2018.

Audio was definitely the right way for me to experience this beautiful novel, given my inexperience with (and I'll admit, bias against) poetry. I could just allow myself to fall into the details of the story, not even realizing it was laid out in verse. Additionally, because music is such a huge part of the story (and of Blade's life), I loved being able to not only read the lyrics but actually hear Blade's own original songs, sung by Randy Preston on the audio. I was fully immersed in the story immediately and completely engrossed, anxious to pick it up again anytime I had to set it down. The novel itself had far more depth to it than I expected, with Blade's pain and desire for meaning palpable. I was sorry when it ended and it was time to leave Blade but so inspired that I began playing the songs from the mix CD tracks that are mentioned throughout the book. This is an amazing, moving story told in a unique and powerful way. Highly recommended, especially on audio (or do what I did and experience it both ways!).

464 pages, Blink

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 sampleof the audio book, read by the author, here and/or download it from Audible.

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

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

TV Tuesday: All Rise

I haven't had much time lately for TV and movie reviews, so I have some catching up to do, starting with a new legal drama we began watching when it premiered in fall 2019, All Rise. It features a brand-new black female judge with a desire to do the right thing and a tendency to stir up trouble.

As All Rise opens at the start of season 1, it is Judge Lola Carmichael's (played by Simone Missick) very first day as a judge at the L.A. County Courthouse. Lola has recently been promoted after working for years in the prosecutor's office as an attorney. She is a direct, honest woman who wants to be a fair judge, even to those who are not always treated fairly by our justice system, which sometimes means doing things that upset the status quo. Her colleagues are mostly old white guys who are quite traditional, though her boss is a powerful woman judge named Lisa Benner, played by Marg Helgenberger. Luckily, Lola is not completely in unfamiliar territory. Her best friend from law school, Mark (played by Wilson Bethel), who still works in the prosecutor's office, is usually in the building and available for secret stairwell conferences when one of them is struggling with something and texts the other. The show also features other courthouse regulars, including public defender Emily Lopez, played by Jessica Camacho, who is always standing up for the forgotten and disadvantaged; Luke, played by J. Alex Brinson, the bailiff for Lola's courtroom who is attending law school at night; and uber-organized Sherri, played by Ruthie Ann Miles, who is Lola's assistant. The cast is filled out with other courtroom employees, as well as a rotating cast of attorneys and defendants, as each episode tackles different case(s). Cases often address hot issues from the real world, like immigration, cyber crimes, social media, and eco-terrorrism. There is also some fun stuff interwoven into the plot, like civil weddings and children's visits, plus some action-packed episodes dealing with natural disasters, violent defenders, and other kinds of emergencies.

We've been watching All Rise since its debut in September and are enjoying it, me probably a bit more than my husband (I like relationship-driven shows and he prefers more action!), though he likes it, too. In addition to the different cases in each episode to keep the show interesting, there are ongoing storylines about the personal lives of the main characters: Lola's sometimes volatile relationship with her mother, Mark's strained relationship with his criminal father, the budding friendship (or more?) between Emily and Luke, and even a possible romance for coolly efficient Sherri. The constantly changing plots and themes keep the show fascinating and evergreen, and I find all of the characters likeable and interesting--I look forward to spending an hour with them every week. Lola shakes things up a bit as one of the few women and only person-of-color judge in that courthouse but is determined to be fair to all and look at things in new ways, even when it puts her career in jeopardy. Best of all, in the midst of the drama, issues, and occasional suspense, the show also has a good sense of humor, a must for us! I think we just have one episode left to finish season one, but CBS has announced plans to move forward for a second season. We'll keep watching!

All Rise is currently airing on CBS on Mondays (just one show left in its 17-episode first season). Right now, the last three episodes are available for free on the CBS website, and the entire season is still available (for now) On Demand, if you have cable service. It is also available on Amazon for $1.99 an episode or $24.99 for the entire season or on CBS All Access  (CBS's own streaming service, which we recently signed up for)--you can sign up for a free trial week (and binge it!) through this link. After the free trial, the CBS All Access subscription starts at $5.99 per month.

Have you tried All Rise yet? Do you enjoy the legal antics of Lola and the L.A. County Courthouse?