Tag: to be read

The Lost Apothecary
Author: Sarah Penner
Publication Date: March 2021
Genre: historical fiction
Method: hardback from BOTM subscription

I was so hoping to love this book – my expectations were very high. As the daughter of not one, but two pharmacists, I was intrigued by the ideal of a feminist, murdering apothecary/pharmacist. If this story was only about Nella and her apothecary and expanded on that plotline alone, *chef’s kiss*, a perfect book. But unfortunately, the present day story line really didn’t do anything for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for women empowerment and Caroline finding herself in her loveless marriage. But, murdering apothecary. Need I say more. Other than, I needed more.

Pachinko
Author: Min Jin Lee
Publication Date: February 2017
Genre: historical fiction
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

What a joy it was to be engrossed in this multigenerational story centered around a Korean family uprooted to Japan in a time of war and civil unrest. I loved the search for understanding of identity seen in every generation and character of this story, whether that be as “able-bodied”, husband, wife, mother, and arguably most devastating, what it means to be a “good Korean.” I felt so much for these characters, often times heart broken, but hopeful. Personally, I could have done without the sexually explicit content, but given the historical nature of the novel, I can assume, and hope, it’s relevance to the time period. My only regret was listening to the audiobook. While I enjoyed the story, I think taking the time to physically read the book would have helped me understand and differentiate the characters more easily. I found myself replaying entire chapters when my mind would wander.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month selection

Catherine House
Author: Elisabeth Thomas
Publication Date: May 2020
Genre: fiction
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

I mean, how could I give this anything less than a 5 star rating? I knew going in, it was going to be weird, and yeah, it was weird. But in a intriguing, captivating, can’t stop listening, finished it in two days, kinda way. The characters? Weird. The house? Atmospheric. The normalized same sex relationships? Here for it. The premise hooked me from the start. I found myself anxious for what was going to happen, even though nothing was happening. I literally can’t name a single thing I didn’t like. Some say, plotless. I say, so what? For me, the book did nothing wrong. When I see the book cover, I’m just filled with longing, admiration, and confusion. So it’s a 5 star read, I don’t make the rules. But I do.
Buzzword Readathon: May selection

Ninth House
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publication Date: October 2019
Genre: fantasy
Subgenre: dark academia
Method: hardback borrowed from TPL

This one hurts. I wanted and expected to love this book because there definitely is hype surrounding this, which is understandable. Reviewers, youtubers, and book-tokers rave about Bardugo’s writing, her magic systems and world building. The premise is strong, definitely into the dark academia vibes. Yale and it’s mysterious, elite secret societies as a back drop for this story was incredible, smart, and captivating. Shout out to the map in the beginning of the book – which I referenced often. I may have squealed in excitement having seen Grace Hopper college, we stan. But was never once referenced, a shame. The 3 star rating comes from a place of disappointment, for feeling let down. Let’s call it like a 3.75, nearly a 4 but couldn’t bring myself to it. I just felt lost at times. Not necessarily in the plot progression, but trying to keep the various houses separated and distinguished from one another.
Maybe I’ll re-read it one day and have a change of heart. Bardugo is said to be working on the follow up novel set to release in 2022. I’m definitely intrigued enough to keep up with the series.
NPR Author Interview linked here
Buzzword Readathon: May selection

White Fragility
Author: Robin DiAngelo
Publication Date: June 2018
Genre: nonfiction, race
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

I am white, and therefore, deemed superior by a society of people who look like me. I have advantages and entitlement bestowed upon me because of the color of my skin. I don’t feel at peace with this privledge, but I acknowledge it. I can appreciate author DiAngelo’s stories, experiences, and point of view as a white woman working professionally in racial injustice and education. The book was fine, educational, eye opening, but the next texts I pick up about racism will be from the perspective of black authors and activists.

84, Charing Cross Road
Author: Helene Hanff
Publication Date: January 1970
Genre: nonfiction, autobiographical
Method: hardback borrowed from TPL

I definitely wanted to love this short, charming set of letters exchanged between New York City writer Helene and London based bookseller, Frank. But alas, I just didn’t have the diverse and extensive knowledge of English and British literature for this to have had a lasting impression. Present to me the same story with works of fiction and poetry 1980s to present day? Then we’d have something for me to love on. Nevertheless, I blew through this in about 45 minutes, no harm, no foul.

The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publication Date: September 2012
Genre: science fiction
Method: paperback borrowed from a friend

This was a fun one, a quick read I breezed through in only 3 days. I really couldn’t put it down, I was hooked. Mark Watney is in the running for my favorite character of the year – he’s got it all: humor, determination, intellect, and charm. I loved the journal entry format from Watney’s POV juxtaposed to what was happening down on Earth during the catastrophe that is this Mars mission. I switched back and forth between the physical book and the audiobook which was also excellent, narrated by Wil Wheaton. What is it with me and science fiction this year? I’m not mad about it. Now how long do I wait to dive into Weir’s newest release, Project Hail Mary?
Buzzword Readathon: April selection

The Dutch House
Author: Ann Patchett
Publication Date: September 2019
Genre: fiction, historical fiction
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

First, round of applause for narrator, Tom Hanks. I’m sure I would have loved this story either way but the audiobook was excellent. Please tell me I’m not the only one who loved even the simple things, like the tone and inflection of how Hanks stated the chapter header, giving an indication for the mood of the chapter ahead.
The Dutch House is an intimate story about siblings Maeve and Danny and their lives over the course of 5 decades who lean on one another as their parents and protectors fail them, one after the other. The relationship between Maeve and Danny has a lasting impression on me, one I keep coming back to, and one I don’t expect to soon forget. There is so much to decipher and unpack throughout this story. How you can despise, even hate, your parents and their decisions during ones childhood and adolescence, but in the end, you become just like them, despite your best efforts to be the exact opposite. Maeve puts the needs of others ahead of her own, including her brother and her boss, Mr. Otterson, not unlike her distant mother. Danny, despite his medical degree, leans into the world of real estates such as his father before him, even repeating the fatal flaw of purchasing a home for his wife, without the approval of his wife.
This story checks so many of my boxes for what I love in fiction (in this case, historical fiction), there’s no way it wasn’t going to be a 5 star read: 1) a dynamic, intimate, multi-generational family drama spanning multiple decades, 2) a character enduring medical school/practicing medicine, 3) themes of inheritance, 4) a house/setting as a driving force of the plot, 5) a character I loved to hate (cough* Andrea). In what lifetime, I don’t know, but I hope to also read these titles from Patchett: Commonwealth and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.
Buzzword Readathon: May selection

The Maidens
Author: Alex Michaelides
Publication Date: June 2021
Genre: thriller, mystery
Method: paperback ARC

I truly don’t think I’ve ever felt more conflicted about a reading experience. I wanted and expected love this book but, ugh, it just fell flat for me overall. I loved Michaelides debut The Silent Patient (TSP) so incredibly much, I finished it in less than 24 hours and endlessly sing its praises. While there are similar themes, psychotherapy and Greek mythology, and even character cross over, don’t go into this story expecting a similar reading experience to TSP, you’ll be let down.
Of course there are elements I liked: atmospheric, Cambridge setting, the few character ties, references, and overlap between this story and TSP, short chapters, and I will admit I was easily misdirected overall and the twist came to (somewhat) of a surprise.
However, the cons just overtake the pros on this one – let’s dive in deep. Firstly, for being the namesake of this story, The Maidens get so little recognition when considering the entirety of the story. The secretive, all female group isn’t even introduced until some 100 pages in. I would have loved to learn more about the group: the selection process to join, the weekly meetings, even about each individual girl. What I wanted was a third person perspective on the daily/weekly meetings because I have to imagine the girls and their overseer, Professor Edward Fosca, were trying to solve the mystery and identify the murderer just as much as any other character in the book. For me, this was the huge missed opportunity.
Similarly, the actual depictions of the deaths were rather underwhelming. There are multiple murders that take place throughout this story and in all cases, the reader finds out about them as the main character does, which is fine, but again, what a missed opportunity to include more suspenseful moments. I wish Michaelides would have actually taken us through each murder, the preparation, planning, and how the murderer lured their victims, because I for one, can’t rationalize how any of these smart, intelligent woman got whacked off.
Overall, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. It seems obvious to me this book was rushed given the extreme success of TSP following its release in 2019. I wish it was 200 pages longer. For now, I guess Ill just use my imagine to fill in the gaps. Shout out to Celadon and their partnership with US bookstagrammers and Free Little Library, I had fun finding an ARC copy in Ann Arbor which I’ll cherish forever.

Black Buck
Author: Mateo Askaripour
Publication Date: January 2021
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

Every review I read on Goodreads or bookstagram keeps reminding this is satire. This story is told in satire. And still, I’m so uncomfortable. But that’s the point right? As a cis gendered white woman, this story about race, poverty, and exploitation of young black professionals in corporate American was written to make me uncomfortable. And yes it did.
The audiobook was incredible and definitely elevated this reading experience, I don’t think it would have been as impactful. Narrator Zeno Robinson gave this his all, and impeccable performance. There were moments when I was truly frightened as the dialogue turned from conversation to full out shouting and screaming matches, and damn, Zeno did not hold back. His rage, the character’s rage, was palpable.
Black Buck was shocking, eye opening, and cringe worthy (my God, ever time the r word was dropped I winced). Very difficult to listen to at times, honestly considered DNF’ing at 21%, but I’m glad to have finished. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the story, but I don’t get the sense Askaripour set out to write an enjoyable, feel-good story.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Publication Date: February 2010
Genre: nonfiction, science, biography
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

Review: I just can’t even. How do I have a bachelor’s of science and doctorate level degree and I’ve never heard of HeLa cells??? I’ve taken probably over a dozen biology, physiology, and pathophysiology course in my academic career and never once have I learned about Henrietta Lacks. And I’m pissed! What a disservice to Henrietta and her contribution to science, cell biology, and the pharmaceuticals industry.
At times this book was scary relatable. In chapter 13 the author recounts the polio epidemic in the 1951, “Schools closed, parents panicked, and the public grew desperate for a vaccine.” If that doesn’t directly parallel the COVID19 pandemic and last year of our lives, then I don’t know what does. Also, at times, this book was just scary. Like how if cells and tissues are removed from your body, they no longer belong to you! In the afterword, Skloot writes “And at this point no case law has fully clarified whether you own or have the right to control your tissues. When they’re part of your body, they’re clearly yours. Once they’re excised, your rights get murky.” EXCUSE ME WHAT. The audiobook was excellent. Not sure if I’ll prioritize watching the movie adaptation with Oprah Winfrey, I’ve heard mix reviews.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It
Author: Elle Cosimano
Publication Date: February 2021
Genre: mystery
Method: hardback borrowed from TPL

Review: The set up and premise of this book was great. Stressed out single-mom who lands a book deal which is certain to change the trajectory of her life? But also she’s mistaken as a hit-man and tasked with murdering someone’s horrific husband? Sign me up, I’m in! I liked the female friendship and the commentary on Panera, but I found the big reveal way too improbable. Similar to films and tv, I just really really don’t care for any story that involves real or fictional mob/mafia themes, so when that component was revealed, all hope for a 5 star rating was lost. I did love that cliff hanger ending. I’ll pick up the next book in the series in 2022 when it comes out, fingers crossed no Russian mobs in that one.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
Author: Emmanuel Acho
Publication Date: November 2020
Genre: nonfiction, race
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

Review: Quick, informative, conversational text about author Emmanuel Acho’s personal history with racism in the United States throughout his life. A great companion read to Hood Feminism as Acho’s accounts and stories about his life as a Black man. Many topics covered but some of I found most interesting and informative were about the N word, voter suppression, cultural appropriation, and social determinants of health. This book left me feeling like I’m on the right path of allyship, but the work is never done as a cis white woman. Acho gave a great list of essays and books to read for further reading, the ones I plan to pick up include:
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Native Son by Richard Wright
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn’t, and Why by Jabari Asim

Dark Matter
Author: Blake Crouch
Publication Date: July 2016
Genre: science fiction
Method: hardback borrowed from TPL

Review: Earlier this year I read Recursion by Blake Crouch which I enjoyed, but found it to be very science fiction focused – which makes sense, it’s sci-fi book first and foremost. But what I love about this book, Dark Matter, is the very real, human connections seen between husband and wife, mother and father, that drives the plot and the intentions of the main character, Jason. With the more books and stories I read, the more I’ve come to realize that I love a story opening with a well established family (in this case, dad Jason, mom Daniela, and son Charlie), then getting flashbacks revealing the origin story of the parents, first as lovers, then a dating couple, to newly weds, and parents. Diving into a science fiction title with this element is chef’s kiss near perfection. While, yes, this is science fiction at it’s core, it reads as so much more. An exploration about happiness and what that means on an individual level. Crouch mentions having written this story at “a low point in my life” and “looking back at all the roads not taken and feeling envious of my younger self.” As a work of science fiction, I loved it for the human, emotional elements. But that says more about me, and less about the book, now doesn’t it?
Buzzword Readathon: April selection

This Is How It Always Is
Author: Laurie Frankel
Publication Date: January 2017
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

Review: What can I say, there’s just a lot to love about these characters and this story, no matter how ambiguous the ending – but life is ambiguous, is it not? While this story centers around Claude and their transition to Poppy over a 10 year period, this story isn’t only about Claude or Poppy. But rather the impact both Claude and Poppy have had on every member of the Walsh-Adams family. My favorite being doctor, wife, and mother, Rosie, if anything, this is her story. Rosie has an analytical, methodical, and medical driven mind, in contrast to her husband’s literary, fantastical, and romantic mind. I loved the flashbacks diving into the history of Rosie and Penn – first as lovers, then as partners, and finally parents to 5 children.
Can’t write a review without gushing about K, physical therapist, social worker, mechanic, medic, midwife, extraordinaire. In the words of Rosie, “K was also her physical therapist and her social worker and her security detail… But K had never even been to physical-therapy school or social-work school. K had never even taken a martial-arts class. What K knew, and it was a stunning, encyclopedic amount, she had learned from the doctors who’d come before Rosie, from 0the doctors who came and stayed for weeks or months or years, from watching, from experience, and from necessity.” Honestly, I needed more K in this story. I needed 75 more pages with Rosie, Poppy, and K. Certainly, I’m biased, always love a well developed physical therapist in any novel but especially this one. K is so special. At long last, I leave with a quote from K about change that I keep returning to: “All life. You are never finish, never done. Never become, always becoming. You know? Life is change so is always okay you are not there yet. It like this for you and Poppy and everyone. The people who do not understand are change. The people who afraid are change. There is no before and no after because change is what if life. You live in change, in in between.”
This book explored so much: gender stereotypes, identity, expression, fluidity, gender dysphoria, societal norms. It opened the door for such important conversations about parenting and parenthood with my parent. I’ll think back to this story often, of that I am certain.

Hidden Figures
Author: Margot Lee Shetterly
Publication Date: November 2016
Genre: nonfiction, history, science
Method: hardback borrowed from TPL

Review: A quick read exploring the lives of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden and their contributions in the field of mathematics and physics while working at Langley Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia. I would agree that this book is quite dry. Many reviewers say that movie is much better with more charm and focus on the 4 leading women’s personalities, sacrifices, and achievement. It’s definitely on my list of movies to watch!
This book proved to be a great refresher on the timeline of important historical events, weaving together aeronautics, war, and race. While the discussion on the speed of sound was brief, it had me doom spiraling. Does everyone understand that bullets fire at the speed of sound? At roughly 760 miles per hour? Or was that just my dumbass who didn’t understand this concept? Also, did we learn this in grade school? Because I feel like if children would have learned that bullets leave the barrel of a gun at 760 mph, there’d be less accidental gun injuries and deaths. But maybe that’s just me. This nearly insignificant scientific anecdote led me to MythBusters videos about the speed of sound and sparked very interesting discussion between me and my partner regarding gun violence and gun safety.
Women’s History Month selection

Grace Hopper: Computer Scientist
Author: Jill C. Wheeler
Publication Date: September 2017
Genre: nonfiction, biography
Method: hardback borrowed from TPL

Review: This is a biased review because I whole heartedly love and am endlessly inspired by Grace Hopper. With good reason as I am (partially) named after her – it’s a long story. For that reason, I’ve always been intrigued by Hopper and I’m so glad I picked this book up from the library to read for Women’s History Month. I already knew I liked Hopper from the basic level research I’d done throughout my lifetime, but I was amazed to learn how many similarities we shared. From the influence of her parents and their high academic standards, to her hobbies as a child (disassembling and reassembling clocks, sewing, cooking, knitting, needlework, embroidery, tending a garden), to her fascination with Stonehenge. Hopper kept a clock in her office that ran counterclockwise as a reminder that there was more than one way to do any job, and I just love that with my entire heart and soul. I am likely one of a handful of people who will give this a 5 star rating. I’m not embarrassed to admit I cried at the end.
“A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”
Women’s History Month selection

The Time Traveler’s Wife
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Publication Date: 2003
Genre: fiction
Method: audiobook borrowed from TPL

Review: Beautiful, heart felt, touching, poignant, real, messy. People talk about beautiful writing in books and I’ve never really felt or experienced that, until now.
Going in, I knew the general premise of this story. It was a love story with a time traveling main character, obviously we can expect high and lows of love and romance. What I didn’t expect was the connections I felt in the last quarter of the book as main character Henry’s health deteriorates. We had accurate and positive acute physical therapy rep, insight into life following amputation, body dysmorphia, grief about loss of physical and functional health – topics and feelings I work with every day as a physical therapist. I felt connected to this book, connected to Henry. This doesn’t often happen for me. I don’t often relate to characters in books. My tendency is to be engaged while reading, finish, move on and never give characters a second thought. But Henry, he sticks with me. And this is, at it’s core a love story, and yet my lasting impression is so unrelated to the romantic love the main characters share. I’m realizing now this is exactly how I felt reading In Five Years. Where I thought I was getting a romance, but almost felt tricked into reading a book about grief. But I’m not mad about it. I actually really appreciate it, so thanks.
Unpopular opinion: I liked this so much more than The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Buzzword Readathon: March selection

A Brief History of Time
Author: Stephen Hawking
Publication Date: April 1988
Genre: science, nonfiction
Method: audiobook and paperback borrowed from TPL

Review: While I’ve taken numerous physics courses in my lifetime, I definitely didn’t read this to refresh on the context of astrophysics and cosmology, though I found it to be approachable, interesting, and enlightening. This book does not claim to be about Stephen Hawking himself, but I very much enjoyed the personal stories regarding how his life and learning changed after acquiring his motor neuron disease in 1963 at only 21 years old. What is marketed as a nonfiction, scientific text of sorts, I read almost as an academic memoir. As a physical therapist, what Hawking was able to accomplish after his ALS diagnosis is astounding and endlessly inspiring.
Buzzword Readathon: March selection

The Survivors
Author: Jane Harper
Publication Date: February 2021
Genre: mystery, thriller
Method: hardback from BOTM subscription

Review: I need a thriller to have a couple things to be a winner: 1. a diverse and interesting cast of characters, 2. an engaging, paced plot, 3. various timelines, and 4. unanswered questions along the way to keep my mind guessing and flipping the page.
The cast of characters were great with their overlapping histories, so much so I was formulating venn diagrams in my head to understand how they connected to one anther. Having said that, I still don’t know how I feel about a character with dementia being used as a plot point. Personally, I love working with individuals with dementia. This patient population brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction as a nursing home physical therapist. This can be an underserved and misunderstood patient population and time and time again, their diagnosis is exploited as a means to drive plot lines in novels. And I just don’t know how that sits with me. Maybe if I knew that the author had a personal connection with dementia or had adequately studied the diagnosis, I’d feel less icky about it.
Even so, this book came close to having it all, but fell just shy of a 5 star rating. I didn’t get the visceral, physical response I want out of a great thriller. I want a literal jaw dropping moment, I want genuine fear, heart pounding anxiety, I want to gasp out loud. This book didn’t get there for me, but I’m definitely interesting in reading more from this author.