Beastmomma

From goodreads: 

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

Pages: 384 (paperback) 

Publisher: Published June 4th 2013 by Dial Press Trade Paperback (first published June 19th 2012)

Rating: 10 out of 10

Source: Checked out of the library 

Date Completed: December 29, 2013

When I first heard the premise of Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt, I was not sure if I would enjoy the book.  Two members of the book club advocated passionately for it and I trust their tastes.  After the first paragraph, I was immediately sucked into the story.  There are so many layers in the book-- to the characters, the individual connections, the huge AIDS epidemic unfolding in the background, and a girl becoming a woman.

Greta was the character I found the most confusing and frustrating, but the one I grew to like the most.  Seeing her relationship with June unfold was really good.  I feel like it is cheating to say that I like June because how could you not like a character who is grappling with what she has been told versus what she believes.  Another thing the book illustrated was how people with AIDS were demonized and the subtle (and not so subtle) ways June confronts and copes with this; specifically, I am thinking about the bank scene and a conversation she has with a police officer. 

Each time I returned to the book, I was excited to find out what happened next.  I read a lot of really great books this year, but this one is certainly a favorite. 

From goodreads: 

In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun who’s lived more than a century. A diary is Nao’s only solace—and will touch lives in a ways she can scarcely imagine.

Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao’s drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future.

Pages: 422 (hardback) 

Publisher: Published March 12th 2013 by Viking Adult

Rating: 10 out of 10

Source: Checked out of the library 

Date Completed: December 6, 2013

I have been a fan of Ruth Ozeki ever since I read My Year of Meats for the Atlanta book club. She consistency gives an interesting premise to a social justice issue whether it is the global impacts of increased beef consumption, genetically modified food, or bullying. Her characters are well developed and in the middle of wanting to cry, I often start laughing because there are lots of pieces of dark humor and sarcasm.  When I was in Seattle, I was briefly part of a book club where we read All Over Creation; I remember being struck by the themes of family and identity in addition to learning a lot about genetically modified food. (You can read my review here)

In the summer, I was at the library and noticed a book newspaper that had interviews and previews of upcoming books. I got really excited to see a cover story about Ruth Ozeki and was thrilled to learn that she had a new book coming out.  I immediately put myself on the wait list for A Tale for the Time Being.  After returning the book to the library without it reading a few times, I learned that A Tale for the Time Being had been nominated for the Man Booker Prize. I was excited and moved the book to the top of my to-read list. 

A Tale for the Time Being started off slowly for me. I enjoyed reading about the zen Buddhist practice, but the story was not particularly gripping.  As I got further into the story, my stomach started to hurt as I learned more about Nao's background and circumstances.  I also loved getting to know Ruth and how she was struggling to write her next novel while part of a small community on an island. My favorite character is the 104 year old Buddhist nun.  Her energy and interactions with Nao were so lovely.  I wish that the book had been selected as a book club pick as I would have loved to discuss with others. 

P.S.-- Ruth Ozeki is on twitter. You can follow her @ozekiland

From goodreads: 

Growing up in Calcutta, born just fifteen months apart, Subhash and Udayan Mitra are inseparable brothers, one often mistaken for the other. But they are also opposites, with gravely different futures ahead of them. It is the 1960s, and Udayan--charismatic and impulsive--finds himself drawn to the Naxalite movement, a rebellion waged to eradicate inequity and poverty: he will give everything, risk all, for what he believes. Subhash, the dutiful son, does not share his brother's political passion; he leaves home to pursue a life of scientific research in a quiet, coastal corner of America.

But when Subhash learns what happened to his brother in the lowland outside their family's home, he comes back to India, hoping to pick up the pieces of a shattered family, and to heal the wounds Udayan left behind--including those seared in the heart of his brother's wife.

Pages: 344 (hardback) 

Publisher: Published September 24th 2013 by Knopf (first published September 8th 2013)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Source: Checked out of the library 

Date Completed: November 7, 2013

I was excited that The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri was selected for both of the book clubs I am in for the November and December meetings. The story of the brothers, Udayan and Subhash drew me in instantly. I was especially struck with how their relationship evolved as Subhash moved abroad to pursue his education while Udayan stayed in India and became more engrossed in politics.  My parents both left siblings behind in India when they got married and began a life in the United States.  I have often been curious about how their relationships with their siblings evolved over time and distance.   In the book, Subhash and Udayan drifted apart, but as they story unfolds, we come to know that their fundamental connection remains in tact. 

 My favorite character was Subhash. He was thoughtful and insightful; his journey seemed the longest and the most fulfilling. I wanted more from the female characters, particularly Gauri.  Her character seemed limited and unlike able.  I appreciated her desire for a fresh start, the chance to pursue a professional career, and time alone. However, I felt frustrated with her lack of concern for her daughter and inability to communicate with Subhash. 

In addition to book clubs, I am counting this book for the following challenges: 

• What's in a Name Six: I am counting it for the category of up, down or equivalent. 
• 2013 South Asian Reading Challenge: Jhumpa Lahiri is South Asian and part of the book takes place in India. 

From goodreads: 

One Sunday in the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked. The details of the crime are slow to surface as Geraldine Coutts is traumatized and reluctant to relive or reveal what happened, either to the police or to her husband, Bazil, and thirteen-year-old son, Joe. In one day, Joe's life is irrevocably transformed. He tries to heal his mother, but she will not leave her bed and slips into an abyss of solitude. Increasingly alone, Joe finds himself thrust prematurely into an adult world for which he is ill prepared.

While his father, who is a tribal judge, endeavors to wrest justice from a situation that defies his efforts, Joe becomes frustrated with the official investigation and sets out with his trusted friends, Cappy, Zack, and Angus, to get some answers of his own. Their quest takes them first to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe. And this is only the beginning.

Pages: 321 (hardback) 

Publisher: Published October 2nd 2012 by Harper Collins

Rating: 10 out of 10

Source: Checked out of the library 

Date Completed: October 9, 2013

I kept hearing that The Round House by Louis Erdrich was an amazing book; I nominated it to be read by book club many times. When I heard that Erdrich won the National Book Award, I decided to read it on my own. My takeaway is that this book should be on the must-read list for humanity.  The story is compelling, the characters sympathetic to the point that I worried about Joe when I was not reading and compared all the different types of parents I know to his.  I learned a lot about reservation life and tribal law.  There was a scene where Joe's father was explaining tribal law with the use of a frozen casserole which I keep replaying.   The unfairness and complexity of seeking justice in a screwed up legal system was illustrated beautifully.  In addition to the plot development, I also liked hearing about the traditions; particularly the story telling. 

From goodreads: 

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?” 

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

Pages: 222 (hardback) 

Publisher: Published November 1st 2011 by Crown Archetype (first published January 1st 2011)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Source: Checked out of the library 

Date Completed: September 28, 2013

I was excited when the Boston book club selected Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. I had been curious about the book and, as a fan of the Office, wanted to get some details about what happened on set. While I enjoyed the book overall, I wish that it had been more consistent.  Some sections I really loved and others were just okay.  Because I had read excerpts of the book that were published in magazines or read during interviews and/or heard about different sections, I also felt a bit like I do when I go see a movie and realize that the previews gave away the major plot points.  

Nonetheless, I loved laughing (instead of crying which I have done WAY TOO MUCH recently with my book choices) as I was riding while using public transportation.  The chapter about high school and first real friend reminded me of my first best friend Sonja. (If you reading, hello Sonja! I am excited to talk with you again!) Kaling captures the desire to transform into some cool person and then realizes that the best friends are the ones with whom you can be yourself while still striving to be better.  My other favorite chapter was the one of types of women in movies who are not real.  It was both funny and sad.  One of the reasons I am hoping that Kaling has continued success is that I want her to write more women who are relatable, funny, and realistic-- just like her!

I am counting this book for the 2013 South Asian Reading Challenge as Mindy Kaling is South Asian

P.S.-- She is hilarious on twitter. You should follow her: @mindykaling