I Alone Can Fix It

The subtitle of this political non-fiction says it all - Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year.

Prior to picking up I Alone Can Fix It by Carol Leonnig  and Philip Rucker, I thought I'd heard most of what was covered in the book. And I had. But it was a quick, easy read (perhaps because I had heard so much already) and gave a slightly deeper coverage to things I was already aware of. As I read through the book, I'd actually be able to recall when most of the events covered in the book took place.

Having said that, not much else to say about this one.

If you're interesting in getting a little deeper, you might be interested in reading this one. If you're not... then pass this one up.
 

Three More Months

I selected Three More Months by Sarah Echavarie as my free Amazon Prime First Read selection. I loved the idea of getting to spend three more months with a loved one who has died.

I wasn't crazy about the novel, though. Chloe is busy with work, keeps putting off a visit home. Then she gets the phone call. Her mother has been rushed to the hospital from work. Chloe rushes home, about a two hour drive from where she currently lives, but doesn't get there in time. Her mother is gone.

She and her brother are having difficulties coming to grips with the situation. Understandably so. Chloe goes  to bed in tears one night, wakes up the next morning, and her mother is still alive. Was her mother's death a bad dream? Maybe it was a wake-up call that she needs to spend more time with her mother. Was waking up to her mother alive a good dream? Was she living in a parallel universe? Whatever it is, it gives Chloe more time to monitor her mother's health and spend some time with her.

It rarely seemed like Chloe and her mom were enjoying each other's company during this time period. And while I found the dialogue refreshingly authentic, the characters in this novel spoke the way people I know might speak, the character development was pretty shallow. I finished this a couple of days ago and I already can't remember the brother's name. He was the least developed character which led me to think that none of his actions made any sense. I thought Three More Months was going to be a tear-jerker. I was disappointed that I just didn't care enough.

It was a free book. It was an easy fiction to read as I was also reading I Alone Can Fix It, preparing to pick up The Count of Monte Cristo. But would I recommend it? Nope.

Fresh Water for Flowers

Valerie Perrin's Fresh Water for Flowers is simply a beautiful book. Originally written in French, I read the book in translation. I'm sure it is equally beautiful in its original language.

This novel almost defies description, though. It's a novel about tragic loss and grief, about couples growing apart, but it's also about friendship and memories and the strength in the rituals of mourning.

This is the story of Violette Toussaint, the caretaker of a cemetery. It's the story of how Violette came to be the caretaker, the differences she makes in the lives of those who work at the cemetery and those who pass through its gates. There's also a little bit of a mystery involved.

Violette had a tragic youth, got married young, and had a child of her own. She isn't sure what she is deserving of and she feels like she has to learn how to love. It's through her interactions with those who visit her at the cemetery that she comes to appreciate her place in life.

I'd highly recommend this one.

 

Color Me In

I saw this young adult novel recommended on an email from the Jewish Book Council. I thought after the "weightiness" of The Weight of Ink, something more contemporary and shorter might be appreciated for our next synagogue book club meeting. Now that I've read it, even though I enjoyed it, I'm not sure if it's the best choice for this particular book club.

Color Me In is the coming of age story of a 16-year old Nevaeh Levitz. Growing up in an affluent NYC suburb, attending a prestigious private school in Riverdale, Nevaeh never considered her bi-racial roots beyond feeling like she didn’t really “fit in” with her peers. She never even really considered that her very best friend, Stevie, is also bi-racial and facing some of the prejudice that she is able to avoid.

When Nevaeh’s Black mom and White Jewish dad split up, Nevaeh and her mom move in with the mom’s family in Harlem. At the same time, her dad decides that even though Nevaeh is past Bat Mitzvah age, this is a ritual he wishes her to partake in. Now Nevaeh is really forced to come to terms with who she is.

Nevaeh develops a relationship with non-traditional Rabbi Sara while preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. For the sake of the synagogue book club, I wish that this part of the storyline had been more developed. Much more of the story is about Navaeh's realizations of how much easier her life has been because she can pass for White. Thinking outside of just the book club, I really did appreciate the way that Diaz dealt with many of the race issues. 

I also really liked that Color Me In was not predictable. I had a preconceived notion of how the novel would end and it did not end that way.

For the next two months, I will keep my fingers crossed that the members of the book club will have some appreciation for this young adult fiction since I was the one to recommend it.