Everything Sad is Untrue

 Fiction by Daniel Nayeri

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

The cover of this book asserts that it is a true story, even though it's classified officially as a young adult novel. This is because it's a memoir that cannot be independently verified, I think, because it is indeed the true story of the author's childhood history.

Daniel was born in Iran, and he was named Khosrou and his family was wealthy. But when he was about five, his mother converted to Christianity and had to flee the country with him and his sister, leaving behind everything in order to live in poverty in Oklahoma instead. In this book, 12-year-old Daniel is trying to explain his origins to a class full of kids who don't know the different between Iran and Iraq, and think that his lunches smell weird.

It's an amazing story. I don't know why it is called "Everything Sad is Untrue," though. I would pick a different title.

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House

 Fiction by Cherie Jones

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

Lala's grandmother Wilma tried to raise her right and keep her out of trouble. Still, sometimes young girls go looking for trouble, and Lala found it at not-quite-eighteen when she got pregnant and married bad-boy Adan. So Wilma washed her hands of the girl, and never acknowledged that some of the things she should have protected Lala from were in her own house. Things don't get better for Lala or her baby, either...

This book is set in Barbados, and I loved how truthful the depiction of that island seemed. I also liked most of the characters, but I didn't like how none of the nice ones could seem to catch a break. It was a really bleak story.

The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma

 Fiction by Ratika Kapur

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a strange little story set in India. Renuka Sharma is a married lady who lives with her teenaged son and her elderly in-laws in a small city apartment while her husband works overseas to try to earn money for a better life. But when Renuka gets lonely she doesn't want to admit it. Instead she begins a weird sort-of relationship with a younger man that the reader can tell will not end well.

Stay With Me

 Fiction by Ayobami Adebeyo

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This story, set in Nigeria during the end of the twentieth century, gave me an interesting glimpse into as culture I'm completely unfamiliar with.

At its heart, it's simply the story of Yejide and Akin, a married couple navigating though the crippling despair of infertility until the strain breaks them apart. But the cultural aspects of the strongly patriarchal, polygamous traditions in Nigeria, along with the political unrest of the time make everything worse for Yejide, and for Akin too, as it turns out.  

American Dirt

Fiction by Jeanine Cummins

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

I read a lot of good things about this book before I got a hold of it. Everyone was talking about this novel. It’s even an Oprah’s book club selection, which I didn’t realize was still a thing. (Who knew Oprah still had a book club? Didn’t that disappear in like 1999?)

Anyways my point is that this book had a lot of hype to live up to, and I doubted it would be THAT good. But good news! I was wrong.

I knew the story was about immigration, and quite honestly I prepared myself to be preached to. But fortunately, it was a STORY first and foremost. 

The novel follows a Mexican woman and her son who are escaping serious trouble in Acapulco and hope to get to El Norte, which is what they call the USA. (Incidentally I think “El Norte” would have been a better title, but what do I know?)

This was a great story!

My Sister the Serial Killer

Fiction by Oyinkan Braithwaite

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a fun and fast-paced book! Set in Lagos, Nigeria, the story focuses on Korede, a plain and competent nurse who always feels overshadowed by her pretty and glamorous sister Ayoola. Still, as a good big sister, Korede is always there to help Ayoola and clean up the younger girl's messes. Unfortunately, the messes Ayoola gets into involve dead bodies of former boyfriends...

This book was very interesting and the ending was a surprise!

Golden Child

Fiction by Claire Adam

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This story is set in Trinidad, which is not a place I know much about at all. It's got an exotic feel, not in a pretty way, but in a foreign, Other-kind of way.

At the beginning of the book, a man called Clyde comes home from work to find that Paul, one of his twin 13-year-old sons, is missing. We don't find out until near the end what has really happened, but most of the story is about the family, especially Paul and Peter, his twin.

This is not a thriller, but more of a family story. It's good but somewhat sad.

The Hypnotist

Fiction by Lars Kepler.


https://www.barnesandnoble.com

A dark Swedish thriller, this book was exciting to read.

The eponymous Hypnotist is a psychiatrist who has vowed never to hypnotize a patient again, after something bad happened ten years ago. Guess whether he can keep that promise?

This one is not for the squeamish, by the way, which you might be able to tell from the bloody scissors on the cover. If you don't mind a little gore, however, you should read this book and find out what gets cut off with those scissors....

Precious and Grace

Fiction by Alexander McCall Smith


https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is the latest book in the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series; it is number 17. So then I realized I hadn't yet read #16 in the series: The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine. I had to go to the library and check that one out as well! -->>

So this is actually TWO books I read here.

Both were good stories, engaging in a pleasantly low-key way as all the books of this series are. I think I liked The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine better, but maybe that's just because I'm starting to think that a series is a bit played out after sixteen books.

Still, if you start from Book #1, these characters are definitely worth reading about.


I also read recently by this author: The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection

The Ice Princess

Fiction by Camilla Lackberg,


https://www.barnesandnoble.com

I had some trouble getting interested in this book. I'm not sure what the problem was, but I didn't care as much as I should have about who murdered this girl.

The Blue

Fiction by Lucy Clarke.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

A pair of British girls traveling abroad find a place they think is absolutely perfect: sailing on a yacht with several other young people of mixed nationalities. They feel they can leave their pasts behind and start anew. But of course, no place is perfect, an the past tends to catch up with you....

This book was good, although a little slow in places for a mystery/thriller. I was definitely surprised by the twist at the very end.

The Japanese Lover

Fiction by Isabel Allende.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a really good character story. I'd definitely recommend it! I'm giving it almost two-thumbs up, which would be one-and-a-half-thumbs. (See new graphic below!)

Oddly enough, this is another translated work, originally written in Spanish. I may have to revise my position on translated books.

I also read by this author: Ripper

Ghost Boy

Nonfiction by Martin Pistorius.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a really interesting true story about a South African boy who had been totally unresponsive for a decade before someone figured out he was aware and learned how to communicate with him. Amazing.