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Chilli Banana: Authentic Thai Cooking from May's Kitchen
May Wakefield, Rachel Heward, Phil Turner and Paul Cocker
Book
From an inquisitive child trying out her first taste of cooking in the family home, to successful...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Ties That Tether in Books
Apr 1, 2021
A sweet OwnVoices romance
This is the twentieth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Azere has always kept a promise she made, at twelve, to her dying father to only date Nigerian men. She's kept this vow even after the rest of her family emigrated to Canada, and Azere has had to struggle with preserving her Nigerian culture in a new land. Then one evening, yet another date set up by her overbearing mother goes awry. Frustrated, Azere heads to the hotel bar for a drink before heading home. There she meets Rafael Castellano; the two hit it off and share a few drinks--and later, his bed. Azere leaves the next day ashamed that she slept with this handsome white man. But when their one-night stand later evolves into something more, Azere must make a serious choice between pleasing her family or loving a man who isn't Nigerian.
"Culture is important. Preserving it, even more important. It's the reason I've always abided by one simple dating rule. Tonight, I've broken that rule."
This book was exactly what I needed when I picked it up--a simple romance that took my mind off things. It's not the most complicated or deftly written book, but it's cute and fun. Is it a bit predictable at times? Sure, but that does not take away any of the enjoyment. Azere is a lovely character, and the book does an excellent job exploring the dilemma she faces of love versus family and culture. Her mother, honestly, is a hateful character, and I felt terribly for the pressures Azere faced.
Rafael was a excellent character as well, as he came with his own baggage and struggles. It's easy to root for the pair of them. I loved that the book is an ode to romances, with lots of references to other love stories and films that predated it thrown in.
All in all, this is a delightful "culture-clash love story," and I am sure that Igharo's work will only get better with time. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
Azere has always kept a promise she made, at twelve, to her dying father to only date Nigerian men. She's kept this vow even after the rest of her family emigrated to Canada, and Azere has had to struggle with preserving her Nigerian culture in a new land. Then one evening, yet another date set up by her overbearing mother goes awry. Frustrated, Azere heads to the hotel bar for a drink before heading home. There she meets Rafael Castellano; the two hit it off and share a few drinks--and later, his bed. Azere leaves the next day ashamed that she slept with this handsome white man. But when their one-night stand later evolves into something more, Azere must make a serious choice between pleasing her family or loving a man who isn't Nigerian.
"Culture is important. Preserving it, even more important. It's the reason I've always abided by one simple dating rule. Tonight, I've broken that rule."
This book was exactly what I needed when I picked it up--a simple romance that took my mind off things. It's not the most complicated or deftly written book, but it's cute and fun. Is it a bit predictable at times? Sure, but that does not take away any of the enjoyment. Azere is a lovely character, and the book does an excellent job exploring the dilemma she faces of love versus family and culture. Her mother, honestly, is a hateful character, and I felt terribly for the pressures Azere faced.
Rafael was a excellent character as well, as he came with his own baggage and struggles. It's easy to root for the pair of them. I loved that the book is an ode to romances, with lots of references to other love stories and films that predated it thrown in.
All in all, this is a delightful "culture-clash love story," and I am sure that Igharo's work will only get better with time. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
2.5 Stars
I was intrigued with The Widow. From the beginning, the suspicion was so focused on Glen, I was curious to find out if the real suspect was, in fact, someone else entirely. I had my options: Mike Doonan, the mother herself, or even Jean. Even as the evidence piled up against Glen, I held a sliver of doubt, because I don't like to leave any possible scenario unexplored. For a good while, I seriously thought Dawn had been involved somehow - I was extremely relieved when I discovered she wasn't. Mike was a momentary thought but, even though I didn't believe his disability claim for even a moment, I didn't dwell on his involvement for long. It was quite easy to be biased, with all the evidence and the fact the police continued to zero in on Glen. When the scrapbooks of baby pictures were mentioned, I began to consider Jean might actually be a suspect. I mean, she's telling the story, so she could twist and change anything she wanted to; she was desperate enough for a child, I figured maybe she just blocked it all out or maybe her medication had resulted in some kind of split personality. However, it was difficult to keep up with the different perspectives. First there's Jean ("The Widow"), Kate ("The Reporter"), DI Sparkes ("The Detective"), and even Dawn ("The Mother"). There was even one chapter written from Glen's perspective. I also had a hard time keeping the timeline straight, because even during the present, Jeanie would look back on a memory - that was pretty confusing, even with the dates. To be honest, I skimmed through most of Kate's and Sparke's chapters, briefed over Dawn's, and looked for interesting pieces of information in Jean's. Had I known Glen was the kidnapper the whole time, I doubt I would have read this book in its entirety. Like I said, I was hoping the suspect was another character and that Fiona was deliberately misleading her readers. I was disappointed in the story as a whole, because the majority of it was slow going and kind of boring. It didn't feel fast paced or "edge of your seat" exciting.
I was intrigued with The Widow. From the beginning, the suspicion was so focused on Glen, I was curious to find out if the real suspect was, in fact, someone else entirely. I had my options: Mike Doonan, the mother herself, or even Jean. Even as the evidence piled up against Glen, I held a sliver of doubt, because I don't like to leave any possible scenario unexplored. For a good while, I seriously thought Dawn had been involved somehow - I was extremely relieved when I discovered she wasn't. Mike was a momentary thought but, even though I didn't believe his disability claim for even a moment, I didn't dwell on his involvement for long. It was quite easy to be biased, with all the evidence and the fact the police continued to zero in on Glen. When the scrapbooks of baby pictures were mentioned, I began to consider Jean might actually be a suspect. I mean, she's telling the story, so she could twist and change anything she wanted to; she was desperate enough for a child, I figured maybe she just blocked it all out or maybe her medication had resulted in some kind of split personality. However, it was difficult to keep up with the different perspectives. First there's Jean ("The Widow"), Kate ("The Reporter"), DI Sparkes ("The Detective"), and even Dawn ("The Mother"). There was even one chapter written from Glen's perspective. I also had a hard time keeping the timeline straight, because even during the present, Jeanie would look back on a memory - that was pretty confusing, even with the dates. To be honest, I skimmed through most of Kate's and Sparke's chapters, briefed over Dawn's, and looked for interesting pieces of information in Jean's. Had I known Glen was the kidnapper the whole time, I doubt I would have read this book in its entirety. Like I said, I was hoping the suspect was another character and that Fiona was deliberately misleading her readers. I was disappointed in the story as a whole, because the majority of it was slow going and kind of boring. It didn't feel fast paced or "edge of your seat" exciting.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Our Little Cruelties in Books
Dec 17, 2020
William, Brian, and Luke Drumm--three boys each born a year apart. William becomes a successful movie producer. Luke, a famous singer. And Brian, the steady middle brother, watches over careers, money, and their mother. But none of the brothers are as successful and happy as they appear--scarred by their traumatic childhood and their constant attempts to gain the attention of their mother. Now, the brothers are gathered together again: but only two are alive.
"All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral. But only one of them was in the coffin."
I made a lot of mistakes with this book. First, I thought I loved Liz Nugent, but then I realized I had her confused with another writer, and that I've never read any of her books. Next, I thought this would be more of a true, suspenseful mystery. It is not.
I feel bad, but this book was not for me. It started out slowly and just never got better. The plot drags on and on. While it is somewhat a mystery about a dead brother (which Drumm has died?), it's mostly a character-driven tale about three awful brothers. Because these three men are terrible and despicable, and I found it nearly impossible to become interested in them or their stories.
The book is told in chunks--from the perspective of each brother. Within their parts, their stories go back and forth in time. It's hard to keep track of the passing of time, especially as the book progresses.
This novel could provide in-depth perspective on mental illness and the impact our parents can have on our lives, but so much of that nuance gets lost in our characters and their abject hatefulness. There is little redemption to be had here. I had twinges of sympathies for the brothers, but, at times, I wasn't sure I would care if they were dead. They are truly evil sometimes.
Overall, this book just didn't work for me. I wasn't interested in the characters, and I wanted this to be a different type of story. Many others found this much more captivating and enjoyed the character driven style, so it may work better for you. 2 stars.
"All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral. But only one of them was in the coffin."
I made a lot of mistakes with this book. First, I thought I loved Liz Nugent, but then I realized I had her confused with another writer, and that I've never read any of her books. Next, I thought this would be more of a true, suspenseful mystery. It is not.
I feel bad, but this book was not for me. It started out slowly and just never got better. The plot drags on and on. While it is somewhat a mystery about a dead brother (which Drumm has died?), it's mostly a character-driven tale about three awful brothers. Because these three men are terrible and despicable, and I found it nearly impossible to become interested in them or their stories.
The book is told in chunks--from the perspective of each brother. Within their parts, their stories go back and forth in time. It's hard to keep track of the passing of time, especially as the book progresses.
This novel could provide in-depth perspective on mental illness and the impact our parents can have on our lives, but so much of that nuance gets lost in our characters and their abject hatefulness. There is little redemption to be had here. I had twinges of sympathies for the brothers, but, at times, I wasn't sure I would care if they were dead. They are truly evil sometimes.
Overall, this book just didn't work for me. I wasn't interested in the characters, and I wanted this to be a different type of story. Many others found this much more captivating and enjoyed the character driven style, so it may work better for you. 2 stars.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Girl of Ink & Stars in Books
Jun 24, 2019
This is quite a short YA novel, a standalone book that I just picked up on impulse. I immediately got the impression that this was aimed at slightly younger teens - the protagonist was only thirteen, so I didn't really connect that much. It's that awkward age where you think you're old, but you're not. I could imagine thirteen-year-old me would enjoy this quite a bit.
Isabella lives alone with her father, a skilled cartographer. Her mother and twin brother had passed away, leaving the two alone. The Governor had taken control of the land, and his daughter, Lupe, attended the same school as Isabella. The two were very close, and Isabella's angered outburst causes Lupe to run off into the Hidden Territories to prove she wasn't "rotten". A classmate of theirs had recently been found dead, and Lupe was going to find the killer.
Isabella, disguised as her deceased brother, shows Lupe's note to her father and a small group begin going after her, Isabella included. They follow a map passed down to Isabella's mother, through blackened forests scattered with bones. They do find Lupe, along with the Banished and, worst of all, the hell dogs from Isabella's favourite myth.
This myth turns out to play an important role in their journey, and Lupe discovers something about her father when he sacrifices himself to fend off the wolves. They face Yote himself - the mythical fire demon - and Isabella finds herself returning home without Lupe.
It is quite a young teen book, as I said, and the plot develops all because of Isabella calling Lupe's family "rotten". This drama and exaggeration is pretty typical of a children's/teen book, I find, and seemed a little immature to me. The writing was great, I just couldn't get over the simplicity and immaturity of the plot at times.
For a teen book, it was quite dark at times - a lot of death was included. The ending was both happy and sad, which is nice. I get quite fed up of too many happy endings. 3 stars.
Isabella lives alone with her father, a skilled cartographer. Her mother and twin brother had passed away, leaving the two alone. The Governor had taken control of the land, and his daughter, Lupe, attended the same school as Isabella. The two were very close, and Isabella's angered outburst causes Lupe to run off into the Hidden Territories to prove she wasn't "rotten". A classmate of theirs had recently been found dead, and Lupe was going to find the killer.
Isabella, disguised as her deceased brother, shows Lupe's note to her father and a small group begin going after her, Isabella included. They follow a map passed down to Isabella's mother, through blackened forests scattered with bones. They do find Lupe, along with the Banished and, worst of all, the hell dogs from Isabella's favourite myth.
This myth turns out to play an important role in their journey, and Lupe discovers something about her father when he sacrifices himself to fend off the wolves. They face Yote himself - the mythical fire demon - and Isabella finds herself returning home without Lupe.
It is quite a young teen book, as I said, and the plot develops all because of Isabella calling Lupe's family "rotten". This drama and exaggeration is pretty typical of a children's/teen book, I find, and seemed a little immature to me. The writing was great, I just couldn't get over the simplicity and immaturity of the plot at times.
For a teen book, it was quite dark at times - a lot of death was included. The ending was both happy and sad, which is nice. I get quite fed up of too many happy endings. 3 stars.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated I'll Give You the Sun in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Read the original review: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/book-review-ill-give-you-the-sun/
(Self-portrait: Book Remakes Girl)
Oh my Clark Gable. I'll Give You the Sun is simply amazing. It's a piece or artwork in itself, a definite new favourite of mine.
Alternating between twins Noah and Jude, I'll Give You the Sun is two alternating stories that twist together in ways so unexpected and so perfect that you'll undoubtedly want to read to the end without putting the book down. The Invisible Museum of Noah, aged 13 to 14, and The History of Luck, 16-year-old's Jude's story, are amazing on their own, but then they start to fit together so tremendously, and every little thing makes so much sense... I can't describe how amazing I found this book.
Jude and Noah were close; Noah was always painting, inside his head and out, and Jude was out being a badass daredevil, and building her flying women in the sand. But a horrific accident involving their mother sends them both tumbling, and the relationship between them is ruined.
But although all hope seems lost, the now-boycotting Jude finds the answer in such an unexpected way and suddenly everything falls back into place.
And Noah, after having his heart ripped out by his own actions, has to decide between telling the truth about his mother or keeping her secrets hidden beneath lies.
I love the style and layout of this book. The cover alone is wonderful, but the pages themselves are all so unique and interesting, I loved it at soon as I turned to the first page. It's not too busy or intricate, just simple little doodles and such giving each page a bit of character. And every cover I've seen is nice and minimalistic too. (If you want to look the book up and see the over editions and covers you can look at it on Goodreads.)
A story of family struggles, individual troubles, love and heartbreak, I'll Give You the Sun is simply beautiful. I'm dying to read it again, even after finishing it just ten minutes ago! A full 5 stars for this gorgeous book.
(Self-portrait: Book Remakes Girl)
Oh my Clark Gable. I'll Give You the Sun is simply amazing. It's a piece or artwork in itself, a definite new favourite of mine.
Alternating between twins Noah and Jude, I'll Give You the Sun is two alternating stories that twist together in ways so unexpected and so perfect that you'll undoubtedly want to read to the end without putting the book down. The Invisible Museum of Noah, aged 13 to 14, and The History of Luck, 16-year-old's Jude's story, are amazing on their own, but then they start to fit together so tremendously, and every little thing makes so much sense... I can't describe how amazing I found this book.
Jude and Noah were close; Noah was always painting, inside his head and out, and Jude was out being a badass daredevil, and building her flying women in the sand. But a horrific accident involving their mother sends them both tumbling, and the relationship between them is ruined.
But although all hope seems lost, the now-boycotting Jude finds the answer in such an unexpected way and suddenly everything falls back into place.
And Noah, after having his heart ripped out by his own actions, has to decide between telling the truth about his mother or keeping her secrets hidden beneath lies.
I love the style and layout of this book. The cover alone is wonderful, but the pages themselves are all so unique and interesting, I loved it at soon as I turned to the first page. It's not too busy or intricate, just simple little doodles and such giving each page a bit of character. And every cover I've seen is nice and minimalistic too. (If you want to look the book up and see the over editions and covers you can look at it on Goodreads.)
A story of family struggles, individual troubles, love and heartbreak, I'll Give You the Sun is simply beautiful. I'm dying to read it again, even after finishing it just ten minutes ago! A full 5 stars for this gorgeous book.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Alice in the Looking Glass: A Mother and Daughter's Experience of Anorexia in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I'm probably more obsessed with ED books than is healthy, but it's so reassuring to read other people's experiences that are similar to my own. This book was absolutely fantastic - not only did it help me see that I'm not alone or abnormal, but I was also able to read a mother's point of view on the experience. I understand now how awful it must have been for my own mother during my inpatient hospital stay and the initial battle of getting a diagnosis.
I found it interesting that they gave Jo (the mother)'s perspective first, instead of Alice herself. We learn about what she witnesses before we find out exactly what Alice was actually thinking and feeling.
They don't include weights or numbers in this, which is tremendously helpful. Like Jo says, this is a competitive illness, and even parents seem to want to compete in having the "most poorly" child. But it's so triggering for other people to read about how much weight someone lost, and it's not really relevant. Weight loss is just a side affect of the illness, and not the main issue itself.
The reality is addressed so honestly in this book, all the feelings and experiences that we may be ashamed to admit are written in black and white. It made me feel a lot less guilty about things that I've felt, knowing other people have felt the same way, too. And the recovery aspect was not unrealistically easy or happy; Alice is not completely recovered even at the end of the book, but is managing her illness. That is how most of us will live for a long time, if not for the rest of our lives. But Alice expresses how she is so much happier "managing" her anorexia than she was when she was suffering years ago. It gives hope - even if you don't fully recover, life can be good.
I really loved this book. I'd urge anyone with a loved one who is suffering from an eating disorder (or has one themselves) to read this, as it would really help seeing both perspectives on the journey. 5 stars.
I found it interesting that they gave Jo (the mother)'s perspective first, instead of Alice herself. We learn about what she witnesses before we find out exactly what Alice was actually thinking and feeling.
They don't include weights or numbers in this, which is tremendously helpful. Like Jo says, this is a competitive illness, and even parents seem to want to compete in having the "most poorly" child. But it's so triggering for other people to read about how much weight someone lost, and it's not really relevant. Weight loss is just a side affect of the illness, and not the main issue itself.
The reality is addressed so honestly in this book, all the feelings and experiences that we may be ashamed to admit are written in black and white. It made me feel a lot less guilty about things that I've felt, knowing other people have felt the same way, too. And the recovery aspect was not unrealistically easy or happy; Alice is not completely recovered even at the end of the book, but is managing her illness. That is how most of us will live for a long time, if not for the rest of our lives. But Alice expresses how she is so much happier "managing" her anorexia than she was when she was suffering years ago. It gives hope - even if you don't fully recover, life can be good.
I really loved this book. I'd urge anyone with a loved one who is suffering from an eating disorder (or has one themselves) to read this, as it would really help seeing both perspectives on the journey. 5 stars.
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9.1
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9.0
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