Nothing on this list particularly dazzled me this month. Other than Crazy Rich Asians, they were kind of slow reads, which is strange since none of them are densely written. Maybe it’s me? Let me know what you think.
One Feta in the Grave (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery) by Tina Kashian. Though this is the third instalment in this series, I think it’s the second I’ve read. I mean, it was okay.
Viola Desmond’s Canada: A History of Blacks and Racial Segregation in the Promised Land by Graham Reynolds. This book contains so much interesting content told as a straight-up narrative recounting of events, plus it has some archival source material included. The writing is in desperate need of a vigorous copy edit and proofread, I must say. However, the stories and photos, and source material––including a chapter by Viola Desmond’s younger sister sharing her first-person point of view–– are fascinating. Well worth your time to learn about a little-taught aspect of Canadian history.
The Gun Also Rises: (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) by Sherry Harris. Not hard to tell which books Dave brought home from the library for me this month. He goes for the puns because he knows that even if the book is crappy I’ll get a kick out of the title. This book is not crappy; it’s fine. Look at me damn with faint praise. I just can’t get my head around the idea that someone could make a living facilitating garage sales for other people. Of all the silliness in the cozy genre, apparently I draw the line at implausible jobs – though crime-solving pets are also a hard no for me.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. I saw this book climb the popularity charts after it came out, but I was put off by the title. I finally saw the movie on a plane and really quite enjoyed it. Frothy for certain, but not the one-note stereotype characterization I had wanted to avoid. And the cast of the movie is really spectacular. So when my library mule brought the book home, I was ready to give it a try. As you might expect, the story is more layered, secondary characters are more fully fleshed out, and there are more plot points than there are in the movie, but it is also absolutely charming. Great summer read.
On the Pod:
If you’re like me and have a person (or, in my case, a few people) with ADHD in your life, you will find great information, advice, and shared experiences in the ADDitude: ADHD Experts Podcast. The cognitive differences that ADHDers experience can affect just about every aspect of their lives, positively as well as not so... Each episode tackles a different topic with different experts, and there’s something for everyone: kids and adults – including seniors – with ADHD, men and women, teachers, parents, and the list goes on. I appreciate that every episode has a title that clearly describes what the episode will focus on.
Recently I’ve enjoyed and learned from Life Skills Every High School Student Should Learn Before Graduation, ADHD in Adults vs Children: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment, and ADHD in Women and Girls: Why Gender Matters in Diagnosis and Treatment.
