There is an undeniable law of physics that says when you have several books on hold in Libby and the availability dates are months apart, the books will all become available in the same week. I am inundated with random holds turning into a “must be read within the next 2 weeks” TBR list. So here are the ones I’ve read so far, and I feel compelled to mention one that I abandoned: We are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezon Camara. The name of the title and author is almost as long as the book, but I just couldn’t get past about page 5.
The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave. I would classify this as a Beach Read, but today my hairdresser (hairstylist?) asked me what that meant. Good question! For me, it means light on plot, heavy on easy writing style, enough going on to keep you turning pages, but not so interesting that you miss out on people-watching and drinking beer hidden in a Coke branded can cover. In this book, the main character deduces the most improbable connections worthy of Sherlock Holmes himself, but don’t worry, you won’t care because you’ll be busy trying to distract a seagull screaming for a piece of your ham sandwich. Beach Read. 4/10
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, by Madeleine L’Engle. My bad, I put a hold on the book in Libby and was about 15 thousandth in line when, miracle of miracles, my turn rolled around! Then I discovered that I had put the hold on the graphic novel by mistake. I decided to just forge ahead, because why let a good multi-year Libby hold go to waste? Turns out this was the better choice in terms of time saved on a story I ultimately didn’t really enjoy. Although the book seems to hold positive messages of self-reliance for children, particularly girls, it was a bit heavy-handed as far as Christian religious symbolism goes for my taste. Light versus dark, good versus evil, love versus hate, and zero nuance. 3/10 plus 1 for the graphics. 4/10.
The Genius of Birds, by Jennifer Ackerman. While not as hilarious at Bitch, The Genius of Birds captures the amazing world of animals – in this case birds, obvs – just as captivatingly. Jennifer, who also wrote the wonderful book What An Owl Knows, has convincingly demonstrated that birds are tool-makers, composers, navigators, deceivers, and artists. 8/10 just because Bitch is so much funnier. Don’t read these back to back!
A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry. The paperback copy of this book is over 700 pages, so I elected to read it on my phone, which is a great way to disguise size. This was recommended by my friend Glynnis because it has somehow been adapted to a play (700 pages –> play !!!) that we want to go see this fall. This is an amazing, and amazingly sad / bleak, book. It takes place in India during the mid-1970’s, during a time in Indian history about which I knew nothing. The story follows the lives of 4 main characters and how their lives intersect and are affected by the political situation and the caste system in which they live. Another winner in the historical fiction category which continues to be a new favourite. 10/10