Contemporary Fiction Without Tropes: Sunday Salon

Trope free:  

I found two upcoming novels that are contemporary fiction/women's adult fiction that have none of the tropes that fuel so many modern plots. In other words, the situations created in both books can't be explained by the standard plot formulas. I'm not sure I liked the books very much, though I did give them three and four stars.

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Publication: June 11, 2024; William Morrow, NetGalley

Genre: contemporary fiction, adult fiction

Margo Millet, impressionable student, becomes pregnant by her junior college professor Mark, who wants nothing to do with her decision to keep the baby. The novel follows her struggles to make enough money to survive - by using social media, getting followers, and making them pay for her various online services. I was amazed at the ways Margo makes money online. In a slightly pornographic way, she gets paid to describe pictures of male private parts, and also writes brief essays, on demand, for people who give her their writing prompts. Because she is creative in her writing, she gets attention and soon is making enough money with her web activities.

This means of making income must happen a lot in real life, I came to the conclusion, and it's interesting to be reading a book about it. There is romance at the end but this book is in no way a rom com. That Margo is able to retain sole custody of her child when the father later surfaces and demands custody, is cleverly plotted.

This is a book for people who are social media fans and who interact with others online in a significant way. The book was an eye opener for me about the direction our society is going in relation to the web and social media.

Though what Margo does in the beginning was morally iffy and barely legal, she finds ways to monetize her online activity and later heads into advertising and a more acceptable way of supporting herself.

I Hope This Finds You Well: A Novel by Natalie Sue

Publication in May 21, 2024; William Morrow, NetGalley

Genre: women's fiction, contemporary fiction, adult fiction

My take on this book: I admit it was difficult to spend my reading time about a group of uninteresting, uninspiring, petty and unfriendly, unfunny group of people, people that main character, Jolene, works with in her drab office for 40 hours a week. Until the new Human Resources manager, Cliff, arrives, her life was not only boring, but very pathetic. How and why she stayed in that particular job for so long was not immediately clear.

Told in the first person, the novel has Jolene eventually opening up and finding a few worthwhile things about some of her office mates that made them a little less unlikeable. Nevertheless, it was not easy to keep reading about this uninspiring group. I kept wanting things to move in another direction. Realistic people and realistic workplace, you might say.

That Jolene found her "true" self in the end helped, especially after working through guilt about a past incident in her life that could explain why she remained so long in that job. I was glad Cliff came to her rescue.

What's on your reading schedule this week and/or the rest of the month?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

Wishing you all happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year's Eve!

Sunday Salon: Two Books for AAPI and Two Suspense Novels

 Two more books for AAPI Heritage Month and Beyond...and two new thrillers

The Queens of New York by E.L. Shen

Publication: June 6, 2023; Quill Tree Books

Genre: Young Adult, Asian American Literature, romance

Three young Asian American friends in New York are pondering their future after high school. They are from different ethnicities, but that this does not affect their friendship - Jia is Chinese; Everett is Vietnamese; and Ariel is South Korean- but they are in fact, all New Yorkers.

I found the themes intriguing and timely: Everett experiences discrimination and stereotyping of Asians at a theater production in Ohio; Ariel helps her family by discovering the details of the sudden death of her adventurous and non-traditional older sister in Korea;' and Jia decides whether her future will be separate from her restaurant owning Chinese family. What is heartwarming about this novel is how the three band together to support each other in their crises, and how they help solve Everett's soul crushing experience in Ohio.

I was surprised by the novel, in a good way, as the cover of the book prepared me for a different kind of story.

The Comeback by Lily Chu 

Publication: May 9, 2023; Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: romance, Chick Lit, contemporary fiction

An enjoyable Chick Lit romance set in Toronto and Seoul, with stressed out lawyer Ariadne Hui connecting with her roommate's cousin, Choi Jihoon, who turns out to be South Korea's most famous contemporary star.

That Ariadne doesn't know who Choi really is adds to the drama of the story, and their romance leaves the reader wondering how things will end for two people from such different worlds. The romantic suspense was worth the read, also the info about how stars can be overwhelmed by their young fans and how they protect themselves while catering to their young audience.

I'm back to reading thrillers!

The New Mother by Nora Murphy 

Published: May 30, 2023; Minotaur

Genre: thriller, suspense, mystery, contemporary, adult 

I was impatient with Nat, the new mother, who is exasperated with the new baby - his sleeplessness, his crying, his demands to be fed every two hours. I could understand her frustration, but thought she was over-reacting.

When she accepts her neighbor's friendship and help, stay-at-home dad Paul, she seemed overly clinging and needy, especially when her husband made partner at his law firm and she can think only of how she misses her own law career.

I was prepared to dislike her and the novel all the way through. What changed my mind? The last part of the story was worth reading the first half, as putting up with a clearly unraveling new mother paved the way for a very good ending.

I changed from a 3 star rating to a 4-5.

Drowning by T.J. Newman

Published May 30, 2023; Avid Reader Press

Genre: suspense, thriller, adult 

This was an exciting thriller that started when an airplane with over 90 people on board crashes and sinks into the Pacifie Ocean near the Hawaiian islands. The main characters are a small family - Will and his young daughter, Shannon ,and his estranged wife, professional diver Chris - around whose personal lives the drama revolves.

Suspenseful, unpredictable, and filled with many other interesting personalities under extreme stress, the novel looks at human nature and the behavior of individuals facing difficult situations.  It also deals with the physical obstacles in trying to save the passengers trapped under water.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this nail biting adventure.

What are you reading this week? 

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

AAPI Heritage Month: Memoir, Two Novels Reviewed

For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I'm posting reviews of memoirs and novels I've read and reviewed. Here are a few.

 

Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City by Jane Wong

Published: May 16, 2023; Tin House Books

Genre: memoir 

I liked the poetic prose that Jane Wong uses for much of this memoir. She has a poet's acute and perceptive reaction to life experiences.

I think of the book as a very personal account of her agonies in growing up among those who didn't understand or accept her - in school, university, in Atlantic City, where her parents ran a restaurant until her father deserted the family. Of having to field stereotyping, microaggressions, outright hostility, and more.

Her mother is the force that bolsters her as she goes through one heartbreak after another in her life and even in her failed relationships with boyfriends. The author does not dwell as much on her rise as a poet and on her academic career as an associate professor of creative writing. But I recall betrayals on her road to that position as well.

In this very honest memoir, the heartache comes through, as does her remarkably resilient mother who sees Jane through all her stages of despair and grief.

I was heartened to see that the author is a successful writer and teacher because of or in spite of all she went through.

About: Jane Wong is the author of How to Not Be Afraid of Everything from Alice James Books (2021) and Overpour from Action Books (2016). Her debut memoir, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, is being published May 16, 2023. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Western Washington University.  

A Quitter's Paradise by Elysha Chang

Publication: June 6, 2023; SJP Lit

Genre: contemporary, literary fiction

Setting: New York City and Taipei, Taiwan

I enjoyed the two different stories of two generations in this novel and how they impact one another - the story of Rita and Jing from Taipei, who emigrate to the U.S; and the stories of their daughters, Narisa and Eleanor, who grow up in New York.

Eleanor quits her PhD program in neuroscience; Narisa disappears for good while a teen, after one too many fights with her disapproving parents. Only Eleanor and her mother Rita are left after her father Jing leaves the U.S. and forms a new family in Taipei.

I am left with amazement and dismay at the family dynamics, especially that created by the parents. I wondered how Eleanor would cope with that history of people leaving and with her mother Rita, who is left alone with the girls in the U.S. when Jing leaves.

The novel tells two stories - the history of the parents and their extended family in NY, and that of the girls raised in the U.S. I found both stories fascinating.

About: Elysha Chang lives in Brooklyn, and has taught creative writing at Blue Stoop Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, and Villanova University. A graduate of Columbia's MFA Program, she has published in Center for Fiction Magazine, Fence, GQ, The Rumpus, and others. This is her first novel. 

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Publication: September 5, 2023; Hogarth

Genre: mystery, thriller, literary fiction

Setting: Virginia, USA

A most unusual novel about a missing father of an autistic, verbally challenged 14-year-old, Eugene, who cannot explain in words or actions what happened to his father on that fateful day at the park when Alan disappeared.

I was interested in the description of Eugene's inability to speak coupled with his lack of fine motor skills to use sign language. I enjoyed the mystery - a disappearance that may have been an accident or a murder - and a story that explains that a non-speaking individual that can't control their own movements could still understand speech and even be able to read.

Eugene's older siblings, the twins John and Mia, are intriguing characters, intellectually gifted; the contrast between them and Eugene stands out, especially as the twins try to understand how their dad, Adam, was testing and training Eugene in ways to communicate.

Using technical theories and examples re communication and speech therapies made made the novel more interesting. It was not a problem for me to have a mystery, complex family dynamics, and a novel about a severe disability be all rolled into one in the same book.

I did however, find it unusual and unrealistic for the family to emphasize only verbal communication from Eugene and not the use of simple hand signs for even a Yes or No answer, especially regarding his father's disappearance in the park. Perhaps the topic was too stressful for him to respond in that way. 

A thought provoking book re autistic and non verbal persons, and a suspenseful mystery plot. 

About: Angie Kim moved from South Korea as a preteen. She studied at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won several awards and was named one of the best books of the year. Angie has written for numerous literary journals. Happiness Falls is her second novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for these ebooks

What are you reading this week?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

Sunday Salon: Mystery Thrillers New and Old

 Recently reviewed:

Sun Damage by Sabine Durrant

Publication: August 1, 2023; Harper Paperbacks

Genre: mystery thriller, fiction, France, literary fiction

I loved reading the suspenseful events leading up to fugitive Ali's arrival as a cook for the vacationing family in the large house in the south of France. I also enjoyed the chance for romance for the wayward, lost soul that she is. 

It was surprising how well Ali carried off her duties as cook, which she is not and only pretending to be, and how fortuitous it was to have a guest to help her with duties in the kitchen.

The ending of the thriller came with a twist that was not a total surprise but it did add more drama to the  story. I liked the more or less realistic ending with Ali not totally changed in her ways but much better, enough that we like her and wish her well, even though she is not totally redeemed.

An Oxford Murder by G.G. Vandagriff, November 6, 2019 publication

Genre: mystery, historical mystery, cozy mystery, romance 

Catherine Tregowyn and Dr. Harry Bascombe, teachers at Oxford, decide to play detective and solve the murder by strangling of Oxford don, Agatha Chenowith.

There are several likely suspects in the world of professors, poets, and their partners, with everything from revenge, jealousy, fear, and secrets for the two amateur sleuths to investigate. 

I enjoyed reading about the famed buildings and rooms at Oxford, and of the rivalries between colleagues that can build up. It was an enjoyable if light read and I would like reding the other books in the series of the two  would be detectives.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley, June 2, 2020, William Morrow

Genre: mystery, thriller, suspense, adult fiction

Setting: an island off the coast of Ireland

About: On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests celebrate two people joining their lives together as one....And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? 

I am very curious as to why I wrote only one short sentence for a review, after rating the book 5/5. And I'm even more curious about what I said:

Great characterization of a villain, which slowly unfolds as the story progresses.

That sentence intrigues me. Now I'll have to go back and reread the book I read in 2020. Anybody else prone to forgetting books they've read two or more years previously?  

What are you reading this week? 

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted byThe Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

Book Reviews: Multigenerational Families in one Household: Comedy and Pathos

Two very funny books, despite the seriousness of many topics and themes, had me re-reading one in total and the other in parts. Here's what I think about the books.

 

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir by Curtis Chin  October 23, 2023, Little, Brown and Company

Genre: memoir, family drama, multicultural interest, LGBTQ

This is a memoir about growing up in Detroit in the 1960-1980s. The publisher sums the book up best:

Nineteen eighties Detroit was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone—from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples—could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal.

Here was where,... surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese; where he navigated the divided city’s spiraling misfortunes; and where ... he realized just how much he had to offer to the world, to his beloved family, and to himself.

As an Asian American living in the Midwest, I saw Detroit as both fascinating and dangerous, even as it declined economically and socially when it lost the auto industry and economic power, and became a literal war zone, with riots and fires, a city soon abandoned by many long time residents.

I was delighted to read of this Chinese family that stayed and thrived even in dangerous conditions, because of their well-known restaurant with customers from all classes, races and religions, the common ground being love of Chinese cuisine.

The memoir describes a volatile Detroit during those changing times and the lives of the Chinese family, the Chins, as seen by third son, Curtice, a second generation son. Curtice's book covers his life there until he left after graduating from the University of Michigan to find his own way, as a film maker in NYC.  

The heady topics of his sexuality, his position in the family as the middle child of five, plus racism and discrimination, and the dangers of Detroit are offset by the humor with which Curtice Chin tackles his own personal life there.  The memoir is entertaining as well as informative and very considerate regarding many of the people he came in contact with in school, at work, in daily life. This, in spite of the fact that the Chinese community there could not forget the murder of a family friend, Vincent Chin, considered an act of discrimination that was never fully punished. 

I can see that it took this long for the author to write this book, perhaps because of the sensitive subjects and also because gay rights and legal immigrant rights are now fully established. (At least, we hope so.) 

Kudos to the author for writing with so much insight and honesty, and presenting himself with delightful humor in between the very serious topics.

The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel, January 31, 2023, Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Genre: family drama, contemporary fiction, romance, comedy 

The theme of the book is in its epigraph, a quote supposedly from Thomas Mann. 

 " The sweet spot is where duty and delight converge."

I read the book twice and laughed out loud both times. I consider Amy Poeppel a comic genius for her humor in writing as well as for her intricate plotting, colorful characters, and their coincidental and often hilarious interactions with each other. 

Take the young couple, Lauren the ceramist and Leo the teacher, who were just given a huge brownstone in Greenwich Village, NYC to live in, thanks to a peripatetic father, Phillip.  With their three young children, the couple live happily in the rundown building over a loud basement bar named The Sweet Spot, owned by Dan. 

Phillip, Leo's father, and Evelyn, Lauren's mother visit the house, Phillip to stay and Evelyn to decide on a daily basis whether to go or stay. They all cohabit rather messily but lovingly, while dealing with the problem of other characters - Melissa and Felicity and Russell and their new baby. Plus, there is Bumper, a large messy stray dog that they took in.

Melissa is out for revenge on everyone, targeting Lauren and her boss Felicity. Her antics are mind bogglingly nasty but nevertheless very funny, even when they cause a lot of grief for the others.

A whirlwind of characters, interacting in very comedic ways. I loved laughing while reading.  I recommend this book for anyone looking for a read and a good laugh.

 What are you reading this week? 

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

Sunday Salon: Two Japanese Novels with a Message

 

 

 

The Cat Who Saved Books

Sōsuke Natsukawa, Louise Heal Kawai (Translator), February 2017

About: High school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. (publisher)

 This is a book for bibliophiles, readers, reviewers, and those who collect books. It's also for those who don't read and are sceptical about the value of books.

 Reclusive and shy student Rintaro is led by a mysterious talking tabby cat into labyrinths behind his father's old bookstore to confront and correct these five misusers of books.

 1) The Imprisoner: a hoarder who collects and neglects his books, finding value only in reading as many new books as possible.

2) The Mutilator: who values extreme editing of books to summarize and cut them down to one sentence. 

3) The Seller of Books: who sells and discards without caring about individual books.

4) The Final Labyrinth, in which Rintaro confronts a sceptic and gives the real reason books are valuable, new or old.

Rintaro:

"Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy....(W)e learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves."

" I think that the power of books is that - that they teach us to care about others. It's a power that gives people courage and also supports them in turn.... Empathy - that's the power of books."

Becoming more confident after his experiences in the labyrinth, Rintaro happily returns to school after being a shy truant.

The book, in translation, would be good for students and new readers. It also reinforces what long time readers already know. 

 

 There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved reading about all the problems that can go wrong in various job situations. A young woman moves into five different jobs before coming to terms with what she can and will accept. 

The different jobs she takes within a year read like separate short stories - surveillance; writing bus advertising; writing random facts to be printed on the backs of cracker packets; putting up posters on storefronts, and working alone in an isolated hut in the middle of a forested park.  

The five jobs were interesting and entertaining to read about -  the dilemma of work with various employees and environments, and  different demands of bosses.

"..what I'd discovered by doing five jobs in such a short span of time was this: the same was true of everything. You never knew what was going to happen, whatever you did..."

You just try to do the best you can, is her final word of advice. 

 

 

 

These reviews are part of the Japanese Literature Challenge 16  hosted by DolceBellezza

 

What are you reading this week?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

 

Reviews of Two Novels of China During Two Wars, 1918 and 1937: Historical Fiction

The Porcelain Moon

by 

Janie Chang

Genre: historical novel, WWI novel

Expected publication: February 21st, 2023; William Morrow

The historical aspect of this novel is as important if not more important than the novel's basic plot of marriage and romance in the early 1900s during WWI. 

Pauline Deng and her cousin Theo are Chinese who have spent many years living in France working in Theo's father's antique shop. They are both reluctant to return to Shanghai for arranged marriages to people they have never met.

I was also fascinated by the little known, overlooked part of history, of over 140,000 Chinese laborers and peasants  brought over to help the WWI war effort in Europe, in non-combatant work such as clearing battlefields, loading goods and ammunition on trucks and trains, keeping the railroads running, and soul-destroying jobs such as handling decayed corpses in the trenches.

Pauline and Theo are a fascinating part of the novel, as they struggle to keep their freer life in France, in spite of the war.  There is danger for both of them, and possible death, as they try to find their way during wartime France.

An excellent read. 

The Library of Legends

by 

Janie Chang

Published May 12th 2020 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre: historical fiction, magical realism, romance

Hu Lian and Shao, students at Minghua University in Nanking in war torn China of 1937, flee with their professors and other students into the countryside, taking for safe keeping the Library of Legends, precious books of Chinese literature. With the students is an immortal, a Star, posing as a humble servant girl. The magical elements of celestial beings, gods, guardian spirits, and other immortals pepper this novel, giving a fantastical flair to the novel that describes the drudgery and danger during this long and arduous trip.  Hu Lian and Shao later leave the group and travel to Shanghai to find their mothers, who are both in danger and ill. Their stories give a personal side to these historical events of universities moving to the Western provinces on foot, dodging the enemy planes and troops during the second Sino-Japanese War between China and the empire of Japan. The historical background, the mixture of the magical into the novel, the well developed characters, their romances, and their stories, and the legends made this book both informative and a delight to read. I had my fill of Chinese history from WWI and WWII eras, as I read the two books back to back and quickly wrote the reviews.  I was entralled by the lushness of the descriptive prose and the characters who were individualized and complex.  What are you reading this week?  Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

Sunday Salon: Renewed Reading

That Strawberry Moon hanging behind the trees outside my window has me in thrall. It has for the past two early mornings, too. It was most beautiful and golden Friday morning way before dawn.

My brief period of distaste for books lasted a day or two, and happy to say, I'm back in the reading mode. I've finished

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen 

Publication: August 4, 2020, Berkley

Genre: historical mystery

Georgie, of Her Royal Spyness fame, travels to Cornwall with her friend Belinda, who has inherited a cottage there from her late grandmother. 

They meet Rose, an old childhood acquaintance of  Belinda's, who invites them to stay at her mansion, where Rose lives in lonely splendor, waiting for her husband Tony to return from his business travels. 

The author says this book is loosely based on DuMaurier's Rebecca, but the plot is different enough to make it interesting. There is a spooky and threatening housekeeper who runs things efficiently, as in Rebecca, and Rose seems out of her comfort zone in the stately mansion, as did the heroine of DuMaurier's novel. However, there is enough difference to make the mystery novel suspenseful enough to keep your interest. There is a murder, for one. 

I give this a five for entertainment and originality in spinning the plot of Rebecca into a new weave!

Our House by Louise Candlish

Publication: August 7, 2020, Berkley

Genre: thriller, domestic suspense 

A warning about fraud in real estate deals; sales made and transferred online can be intercepted and stolen. The story was entertaining and informative, as well as suspenseful. A woman returns home after a short trip and finds strangers moving into her house saying they are the new owners. Then she has to figure out how the mistake was made and what her husband Tony has really been up to. The ending is a surprise. Four stars.

The Last Savannah by Mike Bond

Published November 19, 2013, Mandevilla Press

Genre: thriller, travel adventure

Bond uses his international settings to point out political and environmental problems that affect the people and their world. This book deals with wildlife poaching in Africa. Going after poachers from Somalia, who enter into Kenya to gather valuable elephant tusks, Bond goes on a tortuous journey to save a female archaeologist kidnapped by the poachers for ransom. The novel is both an adventure, a thriller, and a romance. I gave this read five stars for plotting, suspense, atmosphere. I've dropped a couple of books along the way, as too uninteresting or improbable. But I'm currently enjoying a few others, such as the one below. All This I Will Give You September 1, 2018 Domestic drama set in Spain Translated novel Novelist Manuel Ortigosa learns that his husband, Álvaro, has been killed in a car crash and finds out that Alvaro has been hiding his past all these years.

What are you reading this week?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon