Tag: book reviews

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A Good Indian Girl

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah

Enjoyable story of a recently divorced Indian American woman finding herself again. I appreciated how she took time to look back over her life and her choices and decide how she wanted to live her life going forward. While the story does deal with the lingering remnants of her failed marriage, it spends more time on the relationships with her best friend and her mother, exploring how they got to where they are and how they could be improved. The main character is also a chef, and I enjoyed the inclusion of food and cooking in the story.

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The Spirit of Justice

The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jemar Tisby is a historical survey of people who fought against racism and stood for justice. The book starts at the founding of America and takes us all the way up to the present day, giving real-world examples of opposition to racism. For each of these stories, Tisby shares the interaction of faith with activism as well.

Two quotes really stood out to me from this book, both from the first chapter:

There is a relentless drive in human beings, both inward and transcendent, that demands dignity and propels our progress–it is the spirit of justice. It is the conviction to continue the struggle no matter the odds or the obstacles. It is the heartbeat of people who hunger and thirst for righteousness. It will not concede. It will not let the evil of racism and inhumanity prevail. It will not quit until justice rolls down like a river.

This one is especially timely:

The gains of the past are not guaranteed to persist into the future. Victories can turn into losses. Rights can be rolled back. Time is not an inevitable march toward greater freedom and equality. Instead, each new generation must take up its responsibility to embrace the spirit of justice and maintain the struggle for positive change.

I really appreciated this book and learned a lot from it. It was a good follow-up to his first two books – The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism.

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Christmas in July – Three Holiday Books

I read three Christmas books in July, ranging from sweet to funny.

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery was a really fun story about Julie Parker, who is planning a quiet holiday with the younger man she is dating but instead ends up hosting a houseful of family and friends at their holiday cabin. Hilarity ensues as the holiday unfolds and personalities clash.

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin is the story of Anais, who has become the owner of a rundown Paris hotel through her divorce settlement. She is working on getting it renovated in time for Christmas with the goal of finding a buyer, but will she change her mind after finding a mysterious hidden set of rooms?

In A Christmas Duet, Debbie Macomber introduces us to Hailey Morgan, an aspiring singer-songwriter who is currently working as a band teacher. To avoid her meddling family, she accepts a friend’s offer to use a family cabin for the holidays. Once there, she meets Jay, the mayor’s son and a former musician, and sparks fly.

I really enjoyed reading some holiday stories during the summer!

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Nantucket Second Chances

I don’t buy many books – I usually borrow them from the library using Libby or Hoopla – but Pamela Kelley is an auto-buy author for me. I always enjoy her feel-good stories, which are mostly set on Nantucket and have those fun beachy vibes.

Nantucket Second Chances is about Claire Shipman, who is going through a divorce and returns home to Nantucket to figure out what to do next. Did I mention she has a teenage daughter and is also pregnant again? As the divorce drags on, she decides to start selling her high end bags and shoes to make some extra money. She opens a little shop in the extra space owned by custom furniture maker Cody, and we get to follow along as she builds her business and develops a friendship (and maybe more) with Cody.

This was such a fun read. I really liked the characters, and the story was paced well and had just the right amount of drama for me. Highly recommended!

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For the Love of Austen Series

For the Love of Austen is a series of Austen retellings by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. There are currently three books; I don’t know if more are planned. I think these are such a fun take on Austen, and it is especially clever how they weave the books together by having the characters know each other in various ways.

  • Emma of 83rd Street puts Emma on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and follows her during her final year of grad school.
  • In Elizabeth of East Hampton, we see Elizabeth Bennet as a Hampton native and Will Darcy as a rich summer visitor.
  • In Anne of Avenue A, Anne Elliot finds Freddie Wentworth renting out her childhood apartment after her father is forced to give it up due to his financial circumstances. 

My favorite far and away was Anne of Avenue A. I loved the spins they put on the story, and I was so drawn to the characters. Another thing I appreciate about all three books is that we get to experience the perspective of both main characters; I think it adds a lot to the retellings.

If you are an Austen fan, I would definitely recommend this series!

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Very Hygge Holiday Series

I’m not sure how I came across the two-book series Very Hygge Holiday by Natalie Normann, but I am really glad I did. Normann is a prolific Norwegian author, with over 60 historical romance books published. This series is her first foray into books written in English.

In Summer Island, we meet Londoner Jack Greene, who comes to the island off the coast of Norway after inheriting a farm there. His plan is to sell it as fast as he can, but after experiencing life on the island and meeting Ninni Toft, he has to decide what he wants his future to be.

In Christmas Island, Jack’s sister Holly Greene comes to the island to get away from London while her future as a doctor is being decided. Upon arriving, she meets Tor, a grouchy, bearded recluse, and she is welcomed into the island’s holiday celebrations by the island’s other inhabitants.

I thoroughly enjoyed these books and would definitely recommend checking them out!

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The Midnight Train

I read Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library shortly after it came out in 2020 and absolutely loved it, so when he wrote The Midnight Train, a novel set in the same world, I jumped at the chance to read it.

I am not kidding when I say I devoured this book. It has been a while since I read a book this fast, but I did not want to put it down. In this book, we meet Wilbur, who has just died and is now experiencing his life flashing before his eyes. But the form it takes in a train that speeds through his life, stopping at important moments so he can watch them happen and understand them better.

I loved the philosophical nature of this book, as well as the twists and turns it took as Wilbur sees things he wished he had done differently. It was a powerful story, and the ending had me in total tears (which rarely happens to me).

Highly recommended!

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The Anti-Heroes

The Anti-Heroes by Jen Lancaster

Dr. Emily Nichols is a former eco-crusader who has ended up in academia and is not sure how her life got so bland. Her best friend, Liv Bennett, is a real estate agent who is a chronic people pleaser and is not living her best life because of it. When they witness an attempted robbery at their local coffee shop, they are impressed by the bravery of a yoga mom who confronts the thief. Through this experience, they end up in a mysterious class called Fearless, Inc, where the instructor Zeus wants to help them overcome their fears.

The story of women who are stuck in some way and need to find a way to speak their truth and stand up for themselves is not new, but the way the theme is addressed in this novel is so fun and engaging that I found myself eager to pick the book up again each time. There were a lot of humorous moments along with the opportunities for growth that Emily and Liv experience along with the other members of their class.

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Recent Reads in Crime Fiction

I don’t read a wide range of crime fiction, but there are a few authors that I always read when they have a new book out.

Stolen In Death by J.D. Robb came out in February and is book 62 of her In Death series. This series is my favorite because the main character is a woman and because it is set in a futuristic New York City. I love the way Eve Dallas looks at the world and how she tracks down the killers. There is an interesting array of supporting characters as well.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman also came out in February and is book 41 in the Alex Delaware series. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who specializes in child custody cases and also consults with the LAPD, specifically with Detective Milo Sturgis. I enjoy the psychological intricacies of the cases Alex gets pulled into, and I really like the characters of Milo and Alex’s partner Robin.

Revenge Prey by John Sandford came out in April and is book 36 of the Lucas Davenport series. Lucas Davenport is a member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension who does things his own way at times. I also enjoy the books with Virgil Flowers and Lucas’ daughter Letty.

I hope all three of these authors keep writing for a long, long time!

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Recent Reads from Sonali Dev

Sonali Dev has become one of my favorite authors, and I have recently read a novel and a short story of hers. The novel, Lies and Other Love Languages, is the story of Vandy Guru and her daughter Mallika. Vandy Guru is an advice columnist who is struggling with grief after the loss of her husband, and her daughter Mallika is an aspiring choreographer who is struggling to find her niche. The story also involves Vandy’s estranged childhood friend Rani Parekh and the secrets that tore them apart.

The book moves back and forth between the past and the present day until finally the story merges near the end of the book. Sometimes all that switching is difficult for me to follow or engage with, but I didn’t have any trouble with this one and was interested in both storylines. I was most invested in Vandy and Rani but gradually connected with Mallika as her character was fleshed out more and more. I also really liked the ending.

The Wedding Setup is a short story about Ayesha Shetty, a young woman who has thrown herself into the family business after the death of her brother. At her best friend’s wedding, she runs into an old flame while trying to avoid a doctor her mother is trying to set her up with. It was cute but mostly predictable, but I did enjoy the little twist at the end.