Here's what I selected for each category:
1. a book you’ve been meaning to read: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (on audio) - 4/5 stars
2. a book about a topic that fascinates you: Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (Pride & Prejudice retelling) - 3/5 stars
3. a book in the backlist of a favorite author: Faithful Place by Tana French (reread) - 4/5 stars
4. a book recommended by someone with great taste: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (recc'd by Bookshelf Annie) - 4/5 stars
5-7. three books by the same author: Christina Lauren
- Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating - 3/5 stars
- The Unhoneymooners - 3.5/5 stars
- Twice in a Blue Moon - 3.5/5 stars
8. a book you chose for the cover: Twenty-one Truths about Love by Matthew Dicks - 3.5/5 stars
9. a book by an author who is new to you: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center - 4/5 stars
10. a book in translation: The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani (transl. from French) - 4/5 stars
11. a book outside your (genre) comfort zone: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeymi (fantasy) - 3.5/5 stars
12. a book published before you were born: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morely (publ. 1917) - 5/5 stars
Some good reading here - particularly glad that this got me to pick up a classic, since Parnassus on Wheels was such a delight, and got me to finally read that recommendation from Bookshelf Annie because it was another type of delight. You can see my past reviews of everything in my book archives, and click through to read reviews of the couple that I hadn't posted yet... meanwhile, I eagerly await the release of the 2020 challenge list so I can start planning next year's reading!
Born a Crime
I heard ages ago that Trevor Noah's memoir was a top audio pick. I enjoy the comedian memoir/essay collection category (such as Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, etc.) so this was on my radar, though it took me forever to get around to getting my hands on the audio - but it was definitely worth it. Trevor Noah is so good with accents that it adds a richness to much of the narration, plus he pronounces all kinds of words in other languages that my eyes would have just skimmed over if I had been reading on paper. This memoir has its funny parts, but it feels deeper than your average comedian memoir as he discusses what it was like to grow up in South Africa at the tail end of apartheid in a time where his existence was literally a crime - whites and blacks were not allowed to have relationships, but his parents did, which created him, an existence that was illegal. All of the stories of his childhood antics, which are quite the antics at times, are woven around what it was like to not really be part of any category in society, how he learned multiple languages to fit in various slots, how he tries to navigate a color-obsessed world. It's very insightful about political/social issues, poignant about family relationships and love, crazy and hilarious about the antics of an overactive child. I recommend a listen! 4/5 stars
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
Dr. Trisha Raje is a young but very acclaimed neurosurgeon still doesn't quite manage to achieve enough and fit in to her powerful and wealthy Indian-American family. And while she should be proud of her talent for life-saving procedures, her brusque bedside manner is not great, and her social manner is not much better, coming off as a bit arrogant, with no patience for things she thinks are beneath her lofty life-saving work. Case-in-point when she first encounters chef DJ Caine, who is bidding for a chance to cater a couple of her wealthy family's major events. He overhears her deriding him as "the help," and they immediately take quite a disliking to each other. His pride has no patience for her prejudice...until he realizes she's the one surgeon who could save his sister's life. I'm a sucker for a Pride & Prejudice retelling, and there were some things I loved about this one with angles on the story I've never experienced before - making it an Indian-American family, switching the genders of the Darcy/Elizabeth characters, giving me mouth-watering descriptions of Indian cooking - but it wasn't my favorite-ever entry into this genre. Just moved a little slowly for me at times, and while I think that the big plot point of Trisha being a bit on the outs with her family because of what they perceived as a past mistake was meant to be a useful part of adding a bit of tension to the story, it felt like it made her character a bit self-doubting, which didn't feel very Darcy-esque. Overall a decently fun read if you really love P&P retellings, or you like stories where food plays a big part. 3/5 stars
Twice in a Blue Moon
Traveling to London with her grandmother after her high school graduation, Tate Jones meets Sam Brandis, also traveling with his grandfather and staying at the same hotel, and begins a whirlwind romance during their time in the city - that ends in major betrayal and heartbreak. Then, fourteen years later, she has finally moved on, establishing herself as an up-and-coming Hollywood actress about to take on her biggest role to date, when suddenly Sam enters her life again. This brings on the painful memories of the past, but also forces Tate to wonder if her "once in a lifetime" love could possibly come around twice. In some ways this gave me vibes of The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and maybe even a bit of Daisy Jones & the Six, simply for being a behind-the-scenes look at a celebrity's life and what goes in to making movies (or an album). I love a behind-the-scenes look and thought the day-to-day look at filming a movie made this story such a fun twist on a romance that I was willing to forgive the less strong first section of the book. Of Christina Lauren books, I would say this is more like Love and Other Words in tone than the more comedic Unhoneymooners or Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating. It's still got some great banter between the characters (and some really great side characters) and is quick and light read, but the characters go through some real emotional turmoil without having the comedic foibles - and for that reason actually it is now my 2nd favorite book from this author duo, since that's definitely the tone I find more to my taste. Liked this one! 3.5/5 stars
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