The fact that I only read 5 books over the past 3 months is a reflection of what a busy summer it was.  It’s time again for my quarterly book review, so let’s jump right in!

Sea of Memories

by Fiona Valpy

 

The book club I’m in read this book prior to our August meeting.  It’s a story within a story, as Kendra agrees to write her grandmother Ella’s biography.  Hence, the book goes back and forth between Kendra’s present-day life in which she’s interacting with Ella and Ella’s life which takes place in Europe before, during, and after WWII.  I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.  While I enjoyed it overall, certain aspects of it were not very believable to me.  Also everything wrapped up just a little too neatly and predictably in the end.

 

The Housekeeper and the Professor

by Yoko Ogawa

 

When my daughter visited earlier in the summer, she brought a stack of books she had finished reading.  She gave them to me to post on PaperbackSwap.  But I needed a read for the plane on the way to and from Alaska, so I chose this one and threw it in my bag.  The story is told by a housekeeper who cooks and cleans house for an elderly mathematician whose short-term memory only lasts 80 minutes.  I thought it was a sweet story about respect and brotherly love even for those who are often ignored by much of society.  It’s also about how those very people have valuable gifts to offer us in return.  After caring for my mom with dementia for so many years, I could relate to and appreciate how the housekeeper and her young son did their best to make present moments count for the mathematician and how they were careful to not embarrass him with comments about his poor memory.  Although I know each individual with dementia may experience the condition differently, I found it hard to believe the precision of the 80-minute retention this man supposedly had.  But putting that aside, I enjoyed the story.  I also enjoyed learning a little bit about numbers that I was previously unaware of.  This book gets 3 out of 5 stars from me.

 

Happiness for Beginners

by Katherine Center

 

I was looking for a light read when I chose this book.  When I read the description, I was intrigued by the idea of the main character experiencing a wilderness survival course.  She is 32 years old and went through a divorce a year earlier.  In her mind, this course was to be a “spiritual journey” that would “signify my bouncing back”.  I enjoyed the story, although it was somewhat predictable.  The thought process of the main character was entertaining to me.  I was also surprised that one of my favorite characters turned out to be one of her fellow classmates in the survival course, Windy.  If you’re looking for a light entertaining fiction read, I would definitely recommend this one.

 

The House of Broken Angels

by Luis Alberto Urrea

 

Before I went to visit my sister Judy in Illinois, she invited me to attend her book club meeting with her while I was there.  This is the book they would be discussing.  While the title is very fitting, the preconception it gave me about the book was way off base.  The story centers around a large Mexican-American family and the final birthday party of their patriarch.  Although it is a fictional story, the author acknowledges that he drew from his own family life for much of the content.  I found the story interesting, and I related with some of the scenes.  It was somewhat difficult to keep up with all of the characters, especially since many of them went by more than one name.  But I’m glad to have read the book, and I enjoyed discussing it with the members of Judy’s book club.  I would rate it 4 out of 5.

 

Standing Strong

by Diane Reeve

 

This book was actually recommended to me by a flight attendant when we flew to Alaska this past August.  She also is in a book club, and we were exchanging titles of books that we thought were good reads.  This is a true crime novel.  It is the only nonfiction that I read this quarter.  The author put her trust in a man she thought loved her.  They had a 4-year intimate relationship.  Then she discovered he was not the man she thought he was.  Philippe Padieu was purposely infecting women with HIV, and Diane was one of them.  Her honesty throughout the book is impressive, and her story is compelling.  It was told on 20/20, and she appeared on the Oprah show, among others.

 

Those are all the books I read for the last three months.  I have A LOT on my “to be read” list.  Now I just have to decide which one to start next.  I’m always open to suggestions, too.  Is there anything you would recommend?  What are you reading right now?  Tell me in the comments.  Happy reading!