Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder to tell us what your monthly reads for March 2021 were.

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Mind of a Killer ⭐⭐⭐ (fiction)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Death of Mrs. Westaway ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


A Beautiful Place to Die ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

(note: does not include March books from my challenge updates)

John, it's interesting that seeing how civilians lived appeared to motivate the soldier to escape North Korea.

I don't think i've heard of other audio listeners becoming attached to the reader. That's quite a statement for her/his employment.

It's been enlightening to follow your Ware journey, John. You have more patience than i suspect i'd have.

John, nice selection this month.
I gave up on Ruth Ware with The Woman in Cabin 10, which I didn't finish. I understand many of the points in your review from this book.

Deb, I became attached to the reader of the Flavia De Luce series. She's perfect for that reading. I don't think the books would have been as enjoyable without her. They would have still had the good storylines, but this reader added an extra level of enjoyment.

I think Jayne Entwhistle is a terrific narrator (Flavia de Luce, etc.)! Regular listeners have favorites for sure ("I could listen to him/her read the phone book!")

March Reads


Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Fiction
Rate 4/5
This was a A TODAY SHOW Read With Jenna book club selection. I enjoyed the writing and story a lot. The main character Gifty and her family immigrated to the United States from Ghana. Life is not easy for them and Gifty who is shy but studious, uses her job as a neuroscientist to help her cope. I would read more by this author.


The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life by Edith Eger
Non Fiction
Rate 4/5
I read the authors other book, The Choice: Embrace the Possible which told about her survival in a concentration camp and found it incredible inspirational. I do recommend reading The Choice first. The Gift, as the title suggests, are ways that Dr. Eger, who is a psychologist, gives you for overcoming life's hardships no matter if they are big or small.

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Non Fiction
Rating 3/5
I found this book very dark but thought provoking. Gladwell explores the reason why we often misunderstand people. I felt at times he was taking complex subjects and trying to shoehorn the facts to fit his thesis. Be warned some may find the examples Gladwell uses quite disturbing to read about.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Non Fiction
Rating 4/5
BNC member John read and recommended this book. I'm glad he did ! Though the book was written a decade ago, I still found it quite informative. The author follows the lives of six ordinary North Korean citizens. It's heartbreaking to see how the citizens live under this brutal dictatorship. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about N. Korea.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy---Sheryl Sandberg Adam Grant
Non Fiction
Audio book - Narrator Elisa Donovan
Rating 2/5
I thought the narrator was very good. Unfortunately, I am an outlier for this book. Unlike the Edith Eger books I mentioned above, which I found inspirational and gave helpful advice, I found this book difficult to relate to. Her in your face extreme privilege I found at times a bit off-putting. I feel bad saying this but I found the book to be whiny at times and repetitive. Though even she notes some in her life expressed this very same sentiment. I am not sure there is much actionable for the average person dealing with a loss of a loved one in this book. That said, most reviews are positive, so take my review with a grain of salt. Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook. Tragically her husband died suddenly leaving her with two small children. I will admit to skipping over parts. Perhaps the problem was the way it was decided to structure the book. Though the book was written by Sandberg and Adam Grant, the story is written like a memoir by Sandberg. Adam Grant is a psychologist and a professor at the Ivy league Wharton business school. If you enjoy books by Malcolm Gladwell , you will enjoy Grants books. It's the main reason I decided to read this book.

As a nonfiction reader, those titles seemed like an interesting lot! Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea read like gripping fiction to me with the rotating cliffhanger style among the individual stories.

Interesting mix of books, Alias.

I'm intrigued with Talking To Strangers. I'm not the most socially aware person and often think I may be reading people incorrectly and that they may be reading me incorrectly as well (or I present myself incorrectly).

My reads for March:

SEVEN by Faranza Doctor (3 star; audio) - an intersting look Community and fitting in. The protagonist, a Bhora Muslim raised in the USA, goes back to India with her family for an extended time (6 months). While there she researches one of her ancestors, and feels the pull of being accepted into a Community.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Black Hole Survival Guide (5-star; audio) - I'd like to have another read of this book in print form. The graphics would be stupendous.
This book makes the Science of black holes understandable.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Moon of the Crusted Snow (2-star) - I didn't find this story really held together well. There was too much indifference or perhaps acceptance without understanding or knowing.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Petra wrote: "My reads for March:

SEVEN by Faranza Doctor (3 star; audio) - an intersting look Community and fitting in. The protagonist, a Bhora Muslim raised in the USA, goes back to India wit..."

I can't find this book or author on Amazon or B&N. :(

Alias, I stumbled upon it while checking out the available audio books at the library one day. I had never heard of it myself. It doesn't seem to be very well distributed.

John wrote: " ("I could listen to him/her read the phone book!")"

I feel that way about actors (James Earl Jones was my first), so it makes sense that audio readers would be the same. I just hadn't thought of that. Cool.

Alias, that's a pretty good reading month with only one clunker. Many times i feel a nonfiction book would have succeeded if it had been better presented. There must be some magic formula but i haven't taken the time to figure it out. I just know that even when i am drawn to a topic, the organization can blow my interest in completing a book.

Like you, i thought the book on North Korea very informative. Previously i had no real sense of the poverty there after their crash. The stories of how individuals handled the new country was welcome, as well. You'd think it would be easy but Demick made it clear that wasn't always the case.

Petra, i appreciate your reviews, even of the less successful one, which sounded good at first. Those sort of stories can be fascinating until they aren't. Much must be taken on faith.

I tried looking up SEVEN at my library & couldn't find either the author's name or the title. Sad for me because your lines, "What comes across is that, past or present, people try to do the right thing. But what is right? As the author stated (I'm paraphrasing the words here): Memory is not Truth" , speak to me.

I'm still on the waiting list for the Black Hole book. You made that sound right up my alley!

I began March immersed in reading mysteries, particularly those written by Elly Griffiths. Much as i liked the series which features an archaeologist, i found the one with DS Harbinger series more appealing. I'll continue reading both.

I'll add here that toward the end of the month a book Barbara favorably reviewed for our group, S.J. Bennett's The Windsor Knot became available, at last, so i read that mystery too. In it Queen Elizabeth II solves a murder which occurred at Windsor Castle, while she was in residence! Sweet one.

After that flurry of mysteries i read a couple of recent novels.
Nnedi Okorafor's science fictionish Remote Control, which incorporates African lore with a young woman who appears to represent Death. I was intrigued by this one even when i couldn't figure out what was happening.

I followed this with a sort of science fiction wherein there is a chair in a cafe in Japan which will take you back in time...with all sorts of conditions. Before the Coffee Gets Cold was much less about the science (none at all, really, now that i think of it...perhaps magical is the right description) and all about relationships. Toshikazu Kawaguchi created a lovely story & i will continue to seek out this author.

Then came plenty of nonfiction--
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, wherein Heather McGhee ably demonstrates how legislation and practices aimed to ban minorities (particularly African Americans) end up keeping all poor people in poverty, regardless of race. She addressed education, finances, voting rights, even leisure. It's eyeopening.

In The Pine Barrens, John McPhee tells the story of a part of New Jersey i didn't know existed but which has been populated & busy since colonial days. Written in the early 1960s, it illustrated a regional life not unlike the swamps of the south in individualism.

The Leper Spy: The Story of an Unlikely Hero of World War II--Ben Montgomery. I've previously enjoyed the way Montgomery writes about history, taking one person's life & exploring the era. In this case it's a Filipino woman with Hansen's Disease who worked as a spy for the guerilla soldiers during WWII occupation by Japan. This was his least successful book, imo. However, it's a good recap of the initial fight for the island, as well as history of this disease.

Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad is about how quilts were used to signal escaping slaves using the Underground RR. I learned plenty about African cultures and tribal practices & how they were reflected in the quilts. Authors Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond Dobard explain how drums, dancing and other arts were contributing factors for those who wanted to flee the south.

I think you win for Most Diverse Month! I haven't been sold on the Harbinder series, but will give it a chance. I liked Griffiths' "Mephisto" series.

Petra wrote: "Alias, I stumbled upon it while checking out the available audio books at the library one day. I had never heard of it myself. It doesn't seem to be very well distributed."

Very odd.

madrano wrote: I followed this with a sort of science fiction wherein there is a chair in a cafe in Japan which will take you back in time...with all sorts of conditions. Before the Coffee Gets Cold was much less about the science (none at all, really, now that i think of it...perhaps magical is the right description) and all about relationships. Toshikazu Kawaguchi created a lovely story & i will continue to seek out this author..."

I've passed this title on to a friend.

John, i haven't even begun that Griffiths series. I like the second in the Harbinder series ( i now realize that is her first name, but i've forgotten the proper one).

Alias, i hope your friend likes the Coffee, so to speak. :-)

I started off March reading Gai-Jin and am about half way through. It's 1200 pages and I read a few other books beside this. Hopefully, I will finish it by the end of April. It's not Clavell's best Asian book but the action is non-stop and I'm enjoying it.

I also read Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik. This book is about the Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad. She faced tremendous difficulties in writing poetry during the regime of the Shah in Iran and paid with her life. I rated it 4****.

I also read A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell. This book was an amazing story of an American woman who became the most notable spy in France during World War II. She worked in a world of men's egos and never got the recognition she truly deserved. It was fascinating. I rated it 5*****.

Also, I read Traveller by Richard Adams. I'm really glad I stuck with it. I don't know how many books I'd want to read with a horse (Robert E Lee's horse) as a narrator, but overall it worked. In the middle of the book, my score went to 3*** but by the end, it was back up to 4****.

Also, The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow. This is a heartbreaking tale of a boy growing up with a brutal father and mentally ill mother. It is funny, captivating and shows the triumph of the human spirit.

The last book in March was The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam. A very good novel about the rise of radical Islam in Bangledesh after a bloody civil war that is told from the point of view of a family (mother, sister and brother) and the secrets and trials they face. There are two other books in this series. I rated it 5*****.

I think I did a good bit of reading in March.

Gina wrote: "I started off March reading Gai-Jin and am about half way through. It's 1200 pages and I read a few other books beside this. Hopefully, I will finish it by the end of April. It's not C..."

Great to see that sticking with a book paid off for you!

Gina, it looks as though March was a good month for you, as far as reading goes. I liked learning about spy Virginia Hill in Purcell's book, too. Good story, well told.

Thanks for the introduction to the historical novel about poet Forugh Farrokhzad. I'd not heard of her or her poetry. Now i can learn about her & read some of her work. Thanks.

Gina wrote: "I think I did a good bit of reading in March..."

Wow ! I'll say you did a good bit of reading. Also it was a nice eclectic selection of books.

I'm putting A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II on my TBR list.

In March, I read The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat. It is a historical fiction novel set in the isle of Jersey during World War II. The main characters were real people, but the details of the story are fictional. The main character, Hedy Bercu, moved to Jersey from Austria to escape the Nazis. However, now the Germans have occupied Jersey and Hedy, who is Jewish, must find ways to survive with the help of her friend Anton, his girlfriend Dorothea, and her German soldier boyfriend Kurt. This story mostly focuses on the relationships between Hedy and her friends and the hardships they deal with during the war.

Dru83 wrote: "In March, I read The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat. It is a historical fiction novel set in the isle of Jersey during World War II. The main charac..."

Sounds interesting, Dru. I usually enjoy books set in WWII. Thanks for sharing.

Dru, the topic of this book is uncommon territory and sounds good. It's neat that the characters are real people, too.

I still had quite a few for March as well.

The Skittering by David Haynes - 5 stars. This was a horror bug story gone so wrong that I was happy that I didn't live in that town! lol
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Haunting of Bloodmoon House by Jeff DeGordick - 4 stars.
This was about a haunted house that a niece inherits from her uncle and the house comes "alive" during a bloodmoon.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Broken Window by Amy Cross - 4 stars.
This book is the first in a series that is suppose to be a different take of Jack the Ripper. This first book was great but the next book I had to make it a dnf as it just went downhill.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Irish Gothic: Tales of Celtic Horror by Ronald Kelly - 5 stars.
This is a collection of stories that are Irish/Celtic in nature - horror of course (lol), but the stories have quite a bit of myth/legend Irish lore wrapped into them. I really enjoyed this collection by this author.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Child Eater by Brian G. Berry - 4 stars.
This is a new author to me and this book is really about a werewolf which I didn't mention in my review (lol). I was trying to keep it contained as the story is so short that I didn't want to give away spoilers. :)
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Ghosts of Hexley Airport by Amy Cross - 5 stars.
This book is about a haunted airport, but there is a major twist near the end of the book that I never saw coming! I love twists in stories where you think it is going to be one way and it turns 360 degrees back the other way - that is how this book turned out.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Sensitives Books 1 - 3: A Paranormal Horror Series by Rick Wood - 5 stars. These books are in a series which I read these three but I have the other books as well that I need to get back to reading. These books are really creepy as they are chock full of demonic activity and the main characters in the series are paranormal investigators that deal with exorcisms of demons. Scary stuff for fiction.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

An Extreme Turkey Dinner by Sea Caummisar - 4 stars. This was an extreme horror book where the main character turns a Thanksgiving dinner into something gory!
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Halloween Land: A Coming of Age Novella by Kevin J. Kennedy - 5 stars. This story is about a carnival that comes to town and two friends go check it out, but something happens to them once they go inside one of the attractions.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Ghosthunting Florida by Dave Lapham - 3 stars.
This was an interesting book about different places in Florida that are haunted. Since I live in Florida I found it all interesting. :)
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez - 4 stars. This was about a camp that has a bad past with murders and some friends go out to the camp to check it out, but things start happening to them.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sacrifice of the Sorcerer by William Massa - 5 stars. The second book in the Hexecutioner series that I started back in February. This one was about a cult leader that has dabbled in the dark arts and the Hexecutioner has to take care of the man his way.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Well those are my reads for March - I read quite a few that month as well. :)

Wow, Marie, you weren't kidding. This month was jammed with scary novels. My favorite stars were "five 'four-leaf clover folklore horror'". LOL! And i like books associated with a country, so that's a winner all around.

The Skittering had my skin crawling with imaginary insects just reading your review. Gross!

Others were fun to read about, not to mention scary. The 8-series Amy Cross books will keep you going.

It's been a pleasure reading these comments.

madrano wrote: "Wow, Marie, you weren't kidding. This month was jammed with scary novels. My favorite stars were "five 'four-leaf clover folklore horror'". LOL! And i like books associated with a country, so that'..."

Thank you, Madrano.

Actually I gave up on the 8 book series of Amy Cross - I might pick it back up later, but I read it with a couple of buddies and it seems the books were up and down so at this point it is a "maybe" I will step back into them. Amy Cross is hit and miss with her books - some of them are great and then some just drop off.

Yeah some of the reads were scary this time. I am trying to step more into crime thrillers this year and reading one now actually along with a horror book. lol

On my star ratings - I try to give them some pizzazz! LOL :)

Marie wrote: "I still had quite a few for March as well.

The Skittering by David Haynes - 5 stars. This was a horror bug story gone so wrong ..."

You had quite a reading month, Marie. Thanks for sharing with us.

Alias Reader wrote: "You had quite a reading month, Marie. Thanks for sharing with us. ..."

You are welcome, Alias! :)

What is great about mixed-bag books by an author is that it's okay to drop them, then pick others by her later. It may be some aspect of her writing wore you down but when resumed, it's great again. I love when that happens!