This might be my last book report that I write about for a while! Next month is when Baby L is due, so I probably won’t be able to write a report. But the books that I read will still be tracked on my Goodreads, if you’re interested!
The Lobotomist’s Wife
This was one of those books that I got off of Amazon for free. I usually don’t go for historical fiction, but I liked the premise of this one, so I grabbed it for free. I was drawn to the story of how her husband, once heralded as a pioneer in medicine for performing lobotomies, spiraled into a monster, and now she’s the only one who can stop him. I wish it were even MORE dramatic than how the book told it, perhaps even a tragic ending. I want all the juicy drama! Personally I think the author could’ve pushed it some more.
Dune
I often joked with HB that this is my “put me to sleep book.” Whenever I need to feel sleepy before bed, I read this book. It had a decently complicated plot with strange names that sometimes made the story hard to follow. But I really have to give it to Frank Herbert for publishing a sci-fi book in the 60’s that still feels futuristic. The character interactions and motivations make the story interesting. Now that I’ve read the book after watching the movie, I’d also say that the movie did a pretty good job of adapting the book onto the big screen. Can’t wait for the movie’s Part 2!
Malibu Rising
At first I thought this would be some dumb contemporary romance like Big Little Lies. The plot summary wasn’t terribly compelling. But I was quickly absorbed into the world of the Rivas family, especially the backstory of June and Mick. Reading about deadbeat dads always strikes a chord with me, because while I’m reading I am thinking “at least these people had it worse than me!” I didn’t particularly care about how this story takes place in Malibu (and how it’s prone to fires) nor how everything culminated in this once-a-year wild party. The flashbacks to each character’s story or childhood were the best parts of the book.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
This was October’s book club pick! The story captivated me, as I’ve never read anything like it before. This book kept me up for hours at night! The basic premise is about two friends who create amazing video games together in the 90’s. But it goes deeper to explore their relationship with each other and their friends. The two main characters are very different people, and the character development was what made this book so good. All the characters are flawed and don’t pretend otherwise - very relatable and frustrating at times! I’m also glad that the ending was not cliché and left room for hopeful interpretation.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Who knew that Howl’s Moving Castle was a book? I’ve only known it as the beautiful Hayao Miyazaki film that I first watched in high school. I always assumed it was based off Japanese manga, but it’s actually an English book written by a British author! And a kids/YA book at that! But it didn’t come across as juvenile. It was fun to see Howl as an even crankier, self-absorbed drama-queen and in comparison, Sophie a saint. It was a cute story that showed how love can emerge in unexpected ways.
The House in the Cerulean Sea
This was certainly a heartwarming story with whimsical characters and a beautiful ending. But maybe that’s what I didn’t like about it? It was a little too perfect where the conflicts were neatly resolved when it just doesn’t work that way IRL. Even though the issues were good, valid ones to explore (how we should treat people who are “different” from us), it was a little too idealistic for me. In the end, I couldn’t help but compare this story to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (which I liked more), especially since Arthur is, well, running an orphanage of peculiar children.
Counterfeit
I usually don’t love contemporary fiction, but boy, I had a great time reading this one! It was a super fun read of two unlikely ladies reconnecting to run a boss b*tch business. It was so nice to see parts of myself, a high-achieving Asian American woman, reflected in the main character of this story. There were parts that were very relatable and hilarious (getting your toddler into an elite preschool?!). It was also interesting how the author told the story that highlighted the differences between Asian Americans and actual Chinese. No doubt I’m giving the book a high rating because of the cultural familiarity (not so much the plot)!
Join the Conversation