@intparent I have heard his interview about “Warlight” and put it down as to-read book. Thank you for recommending it!
I am recommending “Lucky Boy” by Shanthi Sekaran. There are so much news these days about the tragdies happening at the borders, where children were separated from their parents!
This book was written a few years ago, but it feels rather timely reading it now. I don’t want to diverge too much on its plot line - two women, one illegal immigrant from Mexico and one second generation Indian American, their lives would have most likely been parallel in normal situations but were interwoven forever through fate and love.
I was so deeply moved and “disturbed” by its ending that even though it is not a perfect book, I gave it five-star on Goodreads. The emotions it stirs in me was strong and I could not stop thinking about it. What would I do if I were in the shoes of these characters? Anyone here who read it?
@makemesmart I just finished Lucky Boy a couple of weeks ago and agree with your assessment. A friend recommended it but I didn’t realize when I started it, that a few days later, the subject matter was going to be extremely relevant and timely, sadly. There were a few things that I didn’t find too believeable, but overall found it a heartbreaking story that was beautifully written.
The Prince by Machiavelli is a fantastic book. It has very pertinent advice for those into politics and some for basic human interactions.
“Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality; for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about his own ruin than his preservation.”
The Help by Kathryn Stockett was soo good, and it had an important message along with it. I’m currently reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (the sequel to The Shining).
I just finished Beartown, and loved it. To my great delight, it has a sequel! The author, Frederik Backman, also wrote A Man Called Ove. The author is very insightful into human emotions.
@calla1 Just finished the sequel (Us against You). Almost as good as Beartown…yes, stayed up and read thru the night because it captured me. As you said, Backman is so very in tune to the human emotions and is able to translate to the page so eloquently. Many of the characters will surprise you–good and bad. Love it! BTW…has been optioned for a TV series…
@4kids4us
What I keep thinking about is the ending, if I were Soli, what would I do? I found that I am on the side of Kavya, which is in a way, against human nature. And that’s so sad.
“My Ex-Life” by Stephen McCauley. Part “real estate” novel. Part "college admissions’ novel. Part “social commentary.” Very much the mid-life re-examined life. Hilarious at times with lots of lines you’ll find yourself reading out loud to friends. Highly recommend. McCauley’s been around awhile. I loved his first novel “The Object of My Affection.” This one is best yet.
Thanks for mentioning that book, @4Gulls. This reminds me that I heard part of an interview with the author on public radio a few weeks ago. The book definitely sounds intriguing, probably because of my own relationship situation.
@makemesmart I also felt conflicted but I came down on the other side. I was upset with Kavya from the beginning as she was warned about being a foster mom. While I can’t fault her for wanting to adopt the baby (my younger sister is adopted), she knew the baby was was loved and wanted by his biological mother. I think I might have felt differently if Soli was fleeing from violence but she was only looking for a better life. If she was deported, she was not in any danger and had a loving family back home, so being able to keep her baby should have been a given. Sure Kavya and her husband could provide a “better” life materialistically and with more opportunity, but that is not a good enough reason IMO to tear a baby away from a mother who loves and wants him.
Perhaps I have a different perspective because of what happened with my sister. Her parents were teenagers (one white, one black). They had a baby, the mom didn’t want her, so the bio dad’s parents adopted and raised her. He was from a very large family and the first baby was raised knowing her story (that her “parents”were really her grandparents and that her brother was her bio dad). The teenage couple had another baby, my sister. The relationship soured and she refused to allow bio dad’s parents to adopt and raise my sister so put her up for adoption. She and her family moved away and she had no further contact with their first child, despite knowing how to contact her. My family adopted my sister just before her first birthday. I will try to keep this short by saying, my sister found her bio dad when she was in her mid 20s and by extension, her bio sister and their very large family. It has been an amazing experience for her; my family was very supportive of her search. Her paternal bio family had wanted her and never stopped praying that one day they would find her. While her story has been a positive one and I can’t imagine life without my sister, at the same time, it’s a shame that her bio mom’s vindictive behavior meant my sister and her bio dad’s family missed nearly 30 years of their lives together.
I guess my point is that when a baby has a biological family that loves and wants to raise him/her, they should be given that chance unless the baby’s life is in danger or the family is unable to care for him. I surely felt the anguish of Kavya.
I finally read Little Fires Everywhere. Good read, some very interesting characters. As the book went on, I think she lost some subtlety in the way she turned the “villain” into a bit of a cartoon character, which irked me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
@jonri mentioned her on this thread about a year ago, but I’ve just started reading Camilla Lackberg’s Swedish crime novels. I don’t consider myself much of a crime/mystery reader except for Louise Penny and Ann Cleeves. But I’ve really enjoyed the first two I’ve read (The Ice Princess and The Preacher). Makes me want to go live by the sea in Sweden.
I won’t say much because The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley is next month’s CC’s book club pick. But just wow. Best book I’ve read this year. It’s a pretty fast read if you want to join us!
