January started out rough for me with my father’s death on January 2nd. I had to drive down to Connecticut to join my siblings for the service so I knew I would be in the car for at about 8 to 9 hours, so I decided to pick a long one a story that could take my mind off of my long drive and all that awaited me. Kaikeyi is a saga that over 17 hours, I started to listen to a few days before driving down, on the drive there and back and finished a few days after my return home. Zen in the Archery I found on a recommendation which now escapes me. Which makes me want to keep better track of where the recommendations I follow come from in the first place. I have always been interested in is nature and nothing makes me feel better than walking in the woods. I had seen a lot of buzz about Finding The Mother Tree which I read on my Kindle, so highlighting and keeping notes is easy. Finally, Bomb Shelter was a Literati recommendation I started at the end of December but wasn’t able to focus on reading a lot with my father’s failing health.
Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Once again, I seem to be on the other side of the fence regarding popular opinion about a book. December was rough for me, but I don’t think that had anything to do with why I struggled to finish Bomb Shelter: Love, Time and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott. It’s a collection of essays about life’s milestones that Philpott experiences broken up into six parts: the Prelude, Parts 1-5, and One Last Part. The book didn’t flow for me, and I could only read 5% at a time. Thin threads are weaving these essays together; some pieces are humorous and relatable, yet the story overall was disjointed. I expected more of a cohesive memoir from the reviews that would touch me to my core, but that didn’t happen.
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not for everyone
My interest in nature and forests led me to read Finding The Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard. Luckily, I have a strong interest, as I needed it to be able to finish the book. Explaining ecological experiments and discussions of observations and findings is challenging to make enjoyable for a broad audience. Simard’s personal story is intertwined with her journey to finding the mother tree and the forest’s interconnectivity. I think the book is worth reading, albeit a struggle—it took me two months to read because I could only read about 20 pages at a time. I enjoyed the book, but it’s not for everyone. 3 stars.
Zen in the Art of Archery: Training the Mind and Body to Become One by Eugen Herrigel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel is a short book I plan to read over and over. Even though it’s a short book that could be read in a day, I took my time reading a little bit at a time. Anyone working on trying to master a skill, from physical skills like archery, martial arts, and yoga to non-physical crafts such as flower arranging, painting, and photography – it doesn’t matter – would benefit from reading it.
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kaikeyi retells one of the ancient epics in world literature – The Ramayana – although with a feminist twist and dash of mysticism and magic. Vaishnavi Patel’s novel focuses on Kaikeyi, the stepmother of Rama, who, in The Ramayana, is forced into a 14 yr exile. However, Patel’s Kaikeyi narrates her story, so it’s not necessary to know the original fable — which is something I looked up only after enjoying this imaginative tale. Narrated by Soneela Nankani at a length of 17 hrs and 22 mins.
The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The 100 Nights of Hero is a beautifully illustrated, delightful retelling of literature’s ancient tale, One Thousand and One Nights but with a feminist twist. In the same way, Scheherazade cleverly tells her stories to save her life, Isabel Greenberg’s Hero tells her nested tales to protect the virtue of her lover, Cherry. Each story is more riveting than the last; they weave a visual tapestry of the misogynistic world of Midgal Bavel. I enjoyed this book and was enchanted by Greenberg’s unique, whimsical style and gift for captivating her readers. 4 Stars
Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature by Nathan W. Pyle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Review of only the Audiobook Version
There are some books that don’t transfer to audiobook format as well as others and for me, Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature is one of them. The story is fun and humorous but when viewing the sample version of the hardcover and Kindle versions of this story – I would recommend the focus stay on the visual graphics which add so much to thie children’s story.
The Lion’s Den by Anthony Marra
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was intrigued by the title The Lion’s Den, the third installment of Inheritance, “a multi-author collection of 5 stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations” by Amazon. It sounded interesting, and I loved the first story in the series, Everything My Mother Ever Taught Me, by Alice Hoffman. But what I found in Anthony Marra’s father-son drama was dull and cliché, barely holding my attention. The story was short at 40 minutes – thankfully, but it was also short on style and substance. If it had been any longer, I would have shelved it.
Despite a rough start to the month, I have managed to stay on track for this year’s Good reads Reading Challenge. Fifty-nine books is this year’s goal and now I am 7 books in at around 11% of my goal. I’ve have enjoyed escaping into the world of the graphic novel with Isabel Greenberg’s 100 Nights of Hero, so plan to continue to explore this genre this year. I will add that to my ever growing list of ways to tackle my TBR list. I will expand on that thought in another post in the future. Until then, enjoy your reading.
“The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.”
Mark Twain