Sunday Salon: Quick Trip and a Book Review of The Other Passenger by J.E. Rowney

 I’m visiting relatives in Toronto and am also reading The Other Passenger The Other Passenger by J. E. Downey. A new book from NetGalley, publication May 31, 2024. 

The Other Passenger 

May 31, 2024

Description: On the run from their pasts, a man and a woman are forced together by the weather and by necessity. When a radio news broadcast reports that a body has been found further back along the road on which they are travelling, tensions rise and it’s only so long before the truth must come out. But the truth is never quite what you imagine.''

My review: 

Emma and David are both running away from something and land up in the same car during a terrific storm on a dark night in a remote area of England. David we know from the outset is upset at being passed over for an award at work that he was sure he was going to get; Emma is trying to find her sister Angeline.

The descriptions of the car ride into the stormy night and of the two strangers in the same car going somewhere, but not knowing exactly where, carries the story. The plot is not complicated but the background stories and the interaction between the two strangers, forty-year- old David and the 21-year-old Emma, also carry the story.

The ending of this psychological thriller came as a surprise. It was well worth reading for the writing as well as for the plot.

Hope you are all enjoying spring or whichever weather zone you are in. I’m loving the good food here that I can’t get back home, namely dim sum with all the varieties, Jamaican patties, and sticky rice with roast pork and mushrooms. 

And of course seeing relatives again. 

What are you reading/watching 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

Magic, High Fantasy, Historical Fiction: the Poppy War Trilogy

 Mailbox

Another book came in the mail, thanks to Wiley Saickek Publicity.

A Fondness for Truth: A Linder and  Donatellli Mystery by Swiss/American author, Kim Hays, April 16, 2024, Seventh Street Books

Genre: thriller, mystery

Description: Andi Eberhart is riding her bicycle homewhen she is killed in a hit-and-run. Her partner Nisha is convinced the death was no accident since Andi had been receiving homophobic hate mail for several years. Nisha, a second-generation immigrant from Sri Lanka, has her own problems; her traditional Tamil father has banished her from the family home and won’t acknowledge Nisha and Andi’s baby daughter.

Homicide Detective Giuliana Linder is assigned to investigate what happened to Andi. This is the third book in the series, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Currently reading

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, May 1, 2018; Harper Voyager

Genre: historical fiction, fantasy, high fantasy, magic 

Description: When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good....

An epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic. I had to read this to see why it received all the awards and accolades. Apart from being a Goodreads Choice Award for 2018, the first book received 

Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2018), Locus Award Nominee for First Novel (2019), World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2019), Compton Crook Award (2019), British Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Newcomer (Sydney J. Bounds Award) (2019), and several other award nominations

The other books in the trilogy are

The Dragon Republic and 

The Burning God. All three books won the Goodreads Choice and the last two were also nominated for awards.

R. F. Kuang is also the author of Babel, Yellowface 

What are you reading/watching 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

Voices of the Old and the New: Corky Lee and Julia Alvarez

 

NEW RELEASES

Corky Lee's Asian America

Fifty Years of Photographic Justice

by Corky Lee

Publication April 9, 2024; Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, NG

Photos celebrating the history and cultural impact of the Asian American social justice movement, from a beloved photographer who sought to change the world, one photograph at a time.

Corky Lee

American activist, community organizer, photographer, journalist, and the self-proclaimed unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate. He called himself an "ABC from NYC ... wielding a camera to slay injustices against APAs." Wikipedia

I heard a lot about Corky Lee and his photographs showing Asian American activism in the U.S.

Introduction to the book

John J. Lee, Chee Wang Ng & Mae Ngai

This is the story of a man who endeavored to change the world, one photograph at a time. Who dared to create a record of an upheaval—of thoughts and beliefs that held a people down, of an ignorant nation that prevented the growth of ideas new and better. The truth and a bit of justice. This is the story of our brother and friend, whom the world came to know as Corky Lee.

With each photograph he took, Corky aimed to break the stereotype of Asian Americans as docile, passive, and above all, foreign to the United States. He insisted that Asian Americans are Americans, that they were, and are, part of this country, of its history and the ongoing project of its making. As he wrote after 9/11, “Do not let anyone tell you to go back to the country of your ancestors. You belong here. Immigrants built America. It was created for you and me.”

The Cemetery of Untold Stories

A Novel

by Julia Alvarez

Published April 2, 2024; Algonquin Press, NG

Genre: magical realism, historical fiction

The Cemetery of Untold Stories asks: Whose stories get to be told, and whose buried?  Julia Alvarez reminds us that the stories of our lives are never truly finished, even at the end.

The plot: Alma Cruz, the writer in The Cemetery of Untold Stories, inherits a plot of land in the Dominican Republic, her homeland; she creates a graveyard for the manuscript drafts and revisions and the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life and who still haunt her. 

Among them: Bienvenida, the abandoned second wife of dictator Rafael Trujillo, consigned to oblivion by history, and Manuel Cruz, a doctor who fought in the Dominican underground and escaped to the United States.
 
Alma wants her characters to rest in peace. But they have other ideas, and the cemetery becomes a mysterious sanctuary for their true narratives. 
The characters defy their author: they talk back to her and talk to one another behind her back, rewriting and revising themselves.

 

Julia Alvarez

left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. Her books and poetry have garnered wide recognition. In the Time of the Butterflies was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

What are you reading/watching this week? Are any of them new releases? 

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

TV Drama, Thriller, Rom Com: Sunday Salon

 Watching TV

I've found a few good Korean, Chinese, and Japanese tv dramas dubbed in English or with English captioning, such as Midnight Diner, set in a district of Tokyo and based on the manga by Yarō Abe titled Shin'ya Shokudō. 

Queen of Tears promotional poster (Wikipedia)

The Korean drama I'm watching is Queen of Tears, and am waiting for the 9th episode airing tomorrow. There are 16 episodes in all, so I'll have to wait week by week to see them all. 

The story:  a haughty department store owner marries a lawyer from a poor farming family who courts her thinking she is sweet but poor girl. After she commits a terrible betrayal in their marriage, the two become estranged for over several years, though he continues working for their wealthy family in Seoul. The couple faces multiple crises but may find their way back together. Just how and if they will make it is the theme right now as the husband has come to despise his controlling wife, keeping divorce papers on hand.

Why do I watch K dramas?  The romance plots and family dynamics are complex, and so are the interesting and often humorous side characters populating the many episodes, more than any one book can hold!  The cinematography is usually very good. 

Currently reading

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, August 6, 2024 by St. Martin's Press, NG

Genre: thriller, domestic drama, child advocate

What I've read so far: Nine-year-old Rose stopped speaking after seeing her nanny Tina fall to her death from an upstairs window. A lawyer and child advocate is sent to determine which of the parents Rose should live with after their upcoming divorce. This is the setting of the thriller. 

The advocate, Stella, is determined to find out if the pregnant nanny's death was an accident or a murder and by whom. Everyone in the house seems to be lying, making it harder for the lawyer to make any decisions about the child's final custody.

Flashbacks to Stella's own childhood trauma, hearing her mother's murder, haunts this story as Stella decides to also find out the truth about her own mother. 

Rom Com in the Mail

Thanks to Avon Books for One Last Word by Suzanne Park, April 16, 2024

Many rom coms are hit or miss but this plot looks entertaining.

Description: an aspiring tech entrepreneur develops an app, which sends messages to loved ones after you pass. She accidentally sends her final words to all the important people in her life—including the venture capital mentor she’s crushing on.

What are you reading/watching 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

An Island Romance and Two Mystery Novels: Sunday Salon

 Now Reading

Romancing on Jeju by Hyun-Joo Park, translated from Korean by Paige Morris, publication August 20, 2024; Amazon Crossing, NetGalley

Genre: romance

Romi, a young illustrator from Seoul, meets an enchanting beekeeper from the island of Jeju in South Korea, but he disappears from her life after a chance meeting at the airport. She is determined to find him, and goes searching for him among the 100 beekeepers on the beautiful and lush island of Jeju.

I was attracted to the book by the setting on Jeju island that featured on several contemporary Korean dramas on tv. The romance novel might be just so-so but learning more about the island was a plus for me. Bee keeping? Who would have guessed. (Jeju also is the setting for Lisa See's historical novel, The Island of Sea Women.)

A Farewell to Arfs: Chet and Bernie Mystery #15 by Spencer Quinn, publication August 6, 2023, Forge Books, NetGalley

I was chuffed (pleased to bits) to be approved for Spencer Quinn's most recent dog mystery, A Farewell to Arfs. For those who are not familiar with the series, Chet the dog is the artful narrator in the mystery series set in Arizona; he is an amusing and clever partner in crime solving with his human, PI Bernie Little. And he gives us a dog's eye view/point of view of what's going on.

In this book, Bernie's next door neighbor, Mr. Parsons, is scammed of his life savings by his son Billie. Billie has disappeared and Mr. Parsons is in the hospital. Enter Bernie and Chet to find Billie and find out just what the score is. 

I've read all 15 books in the series and find them very entertaining. This is the 15th book in the series, and Spencer Quinn is already working on the next one! 

 

You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen, April 2024; Dutton, NG

Genre: thriller, OCD disorder

I'm eager to start reading this one, just to see what OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) is all about! I throw that term around, but what do I really know? 

Description: In this thriller, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present…
 
Annie “Anh Le” Shaw grew up poor but seems to have it all now: a dream career, a stunning home, and a devoted husband and daughter. When Annie’s mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly one night, Annie’s carefully curated life begins to unravel. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she thought she’d vanquished years ago, comes roaring back—but this time, the disturbing fixations swirling in Annie’s brain might actually be coming true.

A prominent art patron disappears, and the investigation zeroes in on Annie. She distances herself from family and friends, only to wake up naked in a hotel room next to a lifeless body. The police have more questions, but Annie doesn’t have answers. All she knows is she will do anything to protect her daughter—even if it means losing herself. (publisher)

To learn more about OCD symptoms, treatments, and resources, visit the website of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF dot org). —K.T. Nguyen K. T. Nguyen is a former magazine editor now settled just outside Washington, D.C. 

What are you reading/watching 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

Three Novels: Japanese Mystery; Family Drama; Ecuadorian

 Books in the mail

The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani (translated from the Japanese). July 2, 2024, Soho Crime

This is an unusual novel. It's my first time reading a book described as a queer mystery thriller from Japan. It's listed under these genres in Goodreads:  ThrillerQueer JapanLGBT Romance Adult Mystery

Description: 

A fierce mixed-race fighter develops a powerful attachment to the yakuza princess she’s been forced to protect in this explosive queer thriller: Kill Bill meets The Handmaiden meets Thelma and Louise

Tokyo, 1979. Yoriko Shindo, a rugged, brawny outcast, is kidnapped by the Naiki-kai, a branch of the yakuza. Having brutally beaten nearly every member of the gang in an attempt to escape, Shindo is permitted to live if she will become the bodyguard and driver for Shoko Naiki, the obsessively sheltered daughter of the gang’s boss. 

Originally disdaining her ward, Shindo soon finds herself more invested in Shoko’s well-being than she expected. But every man around them is blood thirsty and trigger happy. Shindo doubts the two can survive unless something changes. 

Akira Otani’s explosive English-language debut moves boldly through time and across gender, stretching the definitions and possibilities of each concept. Translated by International Booker–shortlisted Sam Bett, this lean, mean thriller proves that bonds forged in fire are unbreakable.

Thanks to Soho Crime for an ARC of the book, which comes out July 2, 2024.

Sunset Lake Resort by Joanne Jackson, June 1, 2024, Stonehouse Pub  Genre: Saskatchewan, adult fiction, family drama

Description:

When Ruby's father passes away, but fails to leave her the millions some expected, Steve, her husband of 35 years, moves out. Alone, Ruby is torn between panic and relief. When she investigates the remote beach cabin her father had left her instead of his estate, she discovers a dilapidated beach resort in a remote location, seemingly untouched since its former owner died under mysterious circumstances.

 Despite the condition of the property and rumours it is haunted, Ruby decides to move to Sunset Lake Resort, determined to find out why her father bought it, and why he left it to her.

About the Author

Joanne Jackson is an award winning Canadian author of three novels. 'A Snake in the Raspberry Patch, '  'The Wheaton'  and her forthcoming novel, 'Sunset Lake Resort', due spring of 2024. 

Thanks to Wiley Saichek of Saichek Publicity for an ARC of this book.

Reading from NetGalley

 

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, July 23, 2024, One World, NetGalley

Description:

A year in the life of Catalina Ituralde, an Ecuadorian American. A student at Harvard, she "navigate(s) an opaque past, an uncertain future, tragedies on two continents, and the possibilities of love and freedom.

The first part of Catalina was enjoyable to read. Catalina's personality was captivating and her points of view unique. However, I found that the plot became cumbersome, began to lack focus with too many disparate events and ideas thrown in. I'm still reading it and skimming, hoping it will pick up again in interest. 

These are my new books this week. What are you reading/watching? 

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: French Windows and The Venus of Salo

 In the Mailbox

French Windows by Antoine Laurain, publication June 25, 2024 by Gallic Books

Source: ARC from Meryl Zegarek Public Relations, Inc. 

I was intrigued by the stories in French Windows, written by Nathalia about her neighbors in the building across the street. She is a photographer who says she witnessed a murder there, in the style of the well known suspense movie, Rear Window. But her first story, told to her therapist, made me wonder how she could know so much just from observing from her window? I'll have to finish the novel and read the other four stories about her neighbors to get the full picture.

Description:

Antoine Laurain’s new novel of intrigue, murder and neighbourly curiosity ....  Nathalia, a young photographer, has been seeing a therapist. Having accidentally photographed a murder, she finds that she can no longer do her job.  Instead, Doctor Faber suggests that she write about the neighbours she idly observes in the building across the street. 

But as these written snapshots become increasingly detailed, he starts to wonder how she can possibly know so much about them. With each session, Doctor Faber and his mysterious patient will get closer and closer to the truth. 

 Bestselling author Antoine Laurain serves up a dose of suspense and intrigue in Rear Window fashion, with a Parisian heart

Antoine Laurain (born 1972) is a French author. He previously worked as a screenwriter and antiques dealer.

His works have been translated into 14 languages and partly made into films. 

The Venus of Salo 

by Ben Pastor

June 25, 2024 

Source: Bitter Lemon Press

 Description: 

October 1944, in the Republic of Salò, a German puppet state in the north of Italy and the last fascist stronghold in the country. Transferred to the town of Salò on Lake Garda, Wehrmacht colonel Martin Bora must investigate the theft of a precious painting of Venus by Titian. While Bora’s inquiry proceeds among many difficulties, discovering three dead bodies throws an even more sinister light on the scene.

Caught in an unforeseeable web of events, hounded by the Gestapo (for years at his heels on the charge of anti-Nazi activities), hopelessly in love with an enigmatic, real-flesh “Venus,” Bora must resort to all his courage and ability – not only to solve the mystery and expose the perpetrator, but also, in a breathtaking crescendo, to try to save himself from the firing squad, and secure an unlikely way out...

These are my new books this week. What are you reading/watching 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