Ally
This one is set in Penang, Malaysia, under British colonial rule in the early 20th century. The chapters alternate between Lesley's first person POV and the third person of her house guest, the (real-life) famous author W. Somerset Maugham. Eventually, Lesley begins to confess to him the story of an interesting era of her life, presuming he will use this as material for his next book. Through this, we explore complicated marriages, as well as the politics of the era, particularly those of Sun Yat Sen. The polite racism, misogyny, and homophobia felt apt for the era and setting.
I loved the descriptions of Penang, its people and culture. I enjoyed the characters and their various personalities. I liked the doors analogies and writing generally. And really, I devoured the whole story. But there was an undercurrent that a major revelation was coming and that ended up being a touch underwhelming for me.
This book did what I love for historical fiction books to do - it taught me about a time and place about which I knew little (or nothing).
This is a debut novel, set in a reimagined but familiar version of the colonized Caribbean. Sofia is a recently freed-woman, who is determined to find her brother, who went missing along with their (former) master years ago. They visited the vacation island of Isla Bestia, where guests experience a luxury Carnaval for the duration of their stay, and haven't been seen since. Sofia and Adelina, her white best friend, set off for Isla Bestia, determined to solve the mystery, but get swept into the Carnaval experience themselves.
The book excels when we're caught up in the fever dream of the Carnaval nights and when Sofia is trying break through the confines of her own mind to figure out exactly what's going on. I loved the incorporation of indigenous mythology and the aspects of vengeance & reclamation of power. There were parts where I couldn't put the book down because I was so enthralled.
But without revealing any spoilers, some of it just didn't completely come together for me. That and instances where the prose felt a little forced were my biggest cons. As not a huge fantasy reader, this is exactly the type of fantasy I DO like though!
This is my first book of Kuang's, and I'm glad I started with Babel, because I loved it. It's set in mid-1800s, primarily in Oxford, in a world where language (and specifically the translation of languages) powers the modernization of the world and the expansion of the British empire. Ostensibly, it's the story of a linguistically brilliant young boy, who is groomed from an early age to become one of the vaulted translators. But really it's an indictment of all the ills of this world: colonialism, exploitation, & prejudices (racism, sexism, classism, etc).
I love words and language (I always say that in another life I would've liked to be a translator), and I appreciate how language is really at the heart of the story. I also enjoyed the incorporation of the ancient story of Babel, the dedication to detail of 19th century Oxford, the accuracy of the casual disdain coming from the elites, and the imperfect characters. And after if finished reading, I start thinking about the exceedingly precise research that must have gone into the translations incorporated throughout the whole book, which is just impressive!
I keep seeing it billed as a fantasy, and then some reviews that didn't like it because it didn't have enough fantasy elements... And I think that's because it's NOT a fantasy novel! It's an alternative history with magical realism, and I get that maybe that's splitting hairs, but they are different in my opinion.
I love Pat Conroy and have read most of his work. His descriptions of setting, namely the low country of South Carolina (and Charleston in particular, in this book), are so vivid and evocative that the location almost becomes another character. He also writes dialogue, particularly sharp and sarcastic banter, in such an accurate way that I feel like I'm eavesdropping on a real conversation. He handles the complexities of emotions within and between the characters deftly. It all just feels very real, and I feel like my descriptions come nowhere close to doing his work justice.
Lords of Discipline isn't a super easy book to read. It tells the story of a cadet at 'Carolina Military Institute,' a fictionalized account based on Conroy's own experience at the Citadel. It details the main character's own terribly brutal plebe year, as well as his efforts to moderate the system for those who came behind him during his senior year. Along the way, he learns the good, the bad, and the ugly about himself, his friends, military culture, Charlestonians, and society as a whole.
Fun fact, after the publication of this book, Conroy became persona non grata with his alma mater for a few decades, but was later welcomed back, awarded an honorary degree, was the 2001 graduation speaker, and inducted into the Citadel's athletic Hall of Fame.
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This book was an enjoyable read for me - a coming-of-age, forging your own path away at college story + family drama.
The main character, Pen, decides to leave Canada for Scotland for college, not in a small part because she thinks it'll help her understand her parents unhappiness and failed marriage. She navigates her first year with a few good friends, meets her father's own college best friend and his family, and eventually figures out the family secrets.
Though the title of the book did reveal its relevance towards the end, I ended up wishing that analogy was woven through the story a little more aggressively 🐙
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Part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to the Commonwealth of Virginia, I loved this book!
Tim Kaine, Virginia's junior senator (and most well-known on the national stage as Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate), is apparently a fairly avid outdoorsman. Wanting to do something to celebrate his 60th birthday and 25th year in public office, and realizing the Virginia lacked an outdoors 'challenge' that other states have, he created his own. He dubbed it the "Virginia Nature Triathlon," and spent weekends and Senate recesses over the course of three years completing it: 1) hiking the entire Virginia portion of the Appalachian Trail (559 miles), 2) biking the Blue Ridge Pkwy & Skyline Drive (321 miles), and 3) paddling the entire length of the James River (348 miles).
The book details the journey, day by day, and intersperses Kaine's reflections on his life, family & friends, politics, and Virginia history. I learned quite a few new facts about Virginia and briefly wondered if I could complete the challenge... before remembering that I really like running water and that the last time I canoed was in approximately 1999.
While written by a politician, most of the book isn't politics - I'd say it's roughly 75% travel diary, with the remaining 25% a mix of personal reflections, tidbits of wisdom, politics, and Virginia history.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which is fun because Kaine narrates it himself!
This book is a lot of things: historical fiction, a well-executed dual timeline narrative, a little bit of magical realism, a family drama. And it comes together beautifully!
The timeline switches between modern day Virginia and WWII era occupied France. In the modern day, Louise learns her family's secret in a very dramatic way. Helene's (Louise's great-grandmother) timeline fleshes out that secret as she trains as a nurse while under Nazi occupation.
There's a little bit of a plot twist at the end, which I knew existed from other reviews, and had been trying to predict throughout my reading of the book. I never figured it out, but it fits just perfectly with the whole story!
Overall, the book is both an entertaining story and an appreciation of nurses & healers, mothers & daughters, and all women. It honors those who "aren't afraid to sing in the darkness."
