Vikzen reads through 2021 - #1

Hi! I'm back again! So far, I have managed to surpass my numbers each year in this challenge, yet I haven't gotten to 75 in any of them! Let's hope that this is the year I will clench that goal! :)
Once again, I continue to have a ridiculous TBR pile which I continuously add to at an alarming rate, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to read them all!

A bit about me:
- Name's Vic!
- Black female, avid reader - chronic shortage of time to read all the books ever!
- Just past mid-twenties!
- Lawyer/teacher/entrepreneur - rather time-consuming professions but I still try to make time to read for pleasure
- I live in Barbados, open to meetups if you are travelling this way! (Stay home! Visit us after the pandemic!)
- I have a gazillion hobbies aside from reading, including dancing, gardening, planning, writing and music :)
- Book choices: Fiction lover with eclectic tastes. I'll read most things but I stay away from horror generally (love a good thriller though!). Hoping to read more non-fiction books this year as well (same as last year). Cheers!

Books I've Read in 2021:

Currently Reading:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Maid by Stephanie Land

Completed in 2021:
1. Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner
2. The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton
3. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
4. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
5. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
6. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
7. Woman of God by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
9. Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz
10. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
11. Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
12. The Mothers by Brit Bennett
13. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
14. Intercepted by Alexa Martin
15. The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
16. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
17. A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
18. Fumbled by Alexa Martin
19. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
20. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Brathwaite
21. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
22. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
23. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
24. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
25. The Push by Ashley Audrain

DNF
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Placeholder :) (I'm sure I'm going to need this later on)

Placeholder #2 :) (I'm sure I'm going to need this later on too)

Happy reading in 2021, Vic!

Happy new year! Mrsdrneutron and I were reminiscing about our trip to Barbados a bit ago and hoping we can visit again after all this pandemic is over. It was one of our favorite vacations, and meeting you made it even more fun.

Have a good year!

Enjoy your 2021 reads!

>5 FAMeulstee: Thank you! I'll be sure to pop in on your thread and say hi!

>6 drneutron: Happy New Year to you too! I hope you and Mrsdrneutron are keeping safe! Definitely come visit again once the pandemic is over, it was so nice to meet you!
Unfortunately we are having alot of cases right now, so I'm just keeping quiet at home for the time being.

>7 thornton37814: Thank you! Same to you! I'll pop in on your threads.
The first one for the year was a terrible read unfortunately but that means it only gets better from here!

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

Happy new reading year, Vic!

Good to see you back, Vic!

Found you!! Best wishes for a better, brighter, bookier 2021!!

>10 vikzen: I got lucky on my first!

>11 ronincats: Thanks for the star! :)

>12 katiekrug: Thank you! Same to you!

>13 Crazymamie: Thank you!

>14 Berly: Yes you did! Thank you, hope the same for you!

Review:
1. Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner 1.5 stars
My central question is: why? Why did the author waste the public's time, interest and money with whatever this was? This is the lowest ranked "novel" I have read in years. It is more of a novella as it only has 5 chapters and barely crosses 100 pages. I only read it because it was a recommendation in my library app and I figured, hey why not? Now, I hate to DNF books so I powered through, but this is a waste of time - at least not too much time since it's short. I felt like it lacked perspective even though it was told from the POV of the mother, father and daughter. It was choppy and lacked nuance. The only person who could have gotten away with this is a rich straight white man...oh wait.

Happy New Year, Vik. I'm glad to see you back. Sorry your first book was so horrible. I hope for great reading in 2021.

Loved your comments.

And keep up with my friends here, Victoria. Have a great 2021.

Sounds like we have some similar tastes, Vic, so I'm dropping a star.

Hi Vic - your post on the intros thread caught my eye! Excited to see what you read this year.

Interested in seeing your thoughts on Red, White and Royal Blue, I read it last year.

Sorry your first read was a dud, hope you have more satisfying reading for the rest of the year.

>20 BLBera: Glad to be back, Beth! I hope everything else reads much better, certainly! I've got off to a rather good start, let's see if I can keep up the momentum.

>21 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul! I hope you have a positively lovely year ahead!

>22 MickyFine: I'm glad to hear that! Now I'm super curious so I'll pop in on your page and see what's up. Happy New Year!

>23 curioussquared: Hey there! Thanks for reaching out, I'll hop on over to your page as well. I suspect this year will be particularly good book-wise :)

>24 fairywings: I'm about 20% through, and so far it's not bad! Thanks for the wishes, I hope your reading is great this year as well!

Review:

#2: The Perfect Girlfriend - 3.5 stars
Okay so this was solid in the middle. It’s a suspense novel which took me practically a year to borrow from the library the waiting list was so long! Not sure if this was like big on everyone’s list last year but hey, it is what it is.

What I liked: there was no good over evil winning here so you came away from the story largely unsettled and incredulous at how things ended up, which I believe was the author’s intention. I for one have been consistently saying that in real life as much as we’d want it to, goodness or justice doesn’t always win and this was showcased here. I mean…Juliette is a psycho and I felt sorry for Nate being caught up in her trap. I understand her pain but the level of escalation here is just very extra and what’s most unsettling is that there are people like this who really exist in society! I’d read another book by this author. I think this was her first novel. Good.

Review:
#3: Red, White and Royal Blue - 4.5 stars

You guys, I really liked this book! It was so good! I spent most of today devouring it. I didn’t want to put it down! I enjoyed that it was LGBT (yay!) It was such a nice escape from my daily trials, and I applaud the author for sufficient amounts of escapism and somewhat current parallel references to present-day events. It was just a really fun read and the writing was lovely
So I was about a quarter of the way into the book when the Prince kisses Alex, and then Alex yabbers on about how he is straight? Um, excuse me…where? Because from the start of the book I came to the assumption that Alex was gay or at very least bi – not the other way around?! Was I the only one who felt like this? I dunno! This is actually a good point though by the author because the way how Alex unraveled his sexuality is sometimes how it’s discovered in real life. I have to say from the time I saw the emails I just knew it was a set up for an email scandal (cue real life parallel lol) and I was not mad at it even though you could see it coming. I appreciate that the author avoided that oh-so-common romance trope of the characters themselves being horrible and not communicating so thank you! (If you followed my thread last year you would know this is the problem I had with The Kiss Quotient!)
Go read this book! And then come back and let me know your thoughts!

Hi Vic, glad you liked it, I had very similar feelings to you, loved the book and saw everything coming.

>28 vikzen: If I didn't already have this one on my list, your review would definitely have me adding it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

>28 vikzen: I LOVED Red, White, and Royal Blue! I read it in 2019 and again in 2020, because it was such good quarantine comfort reading. Totally agree about the non-communication romance trope -- that's my pet peeve in romance novels, and I usually end up yelling "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!!!" at the book. McQuiston has a new book coming out this year and I've already preordered it :)

>28 vikzen: - That one's been on my library wish list for a while. It may be time to actually check it out!

>29 fairywings: Yesssss it really was enjoyable to read! I'm glad we ended up relating similarly to it! I'll keep an eye on your thread to see what else we find enjoyable.

>30 scaifea: It really is a good read, I highly recommend!

>31 curioussquared: I've definitely added McQuiston to my authors list for ones to watch! Thanks for the heads-up, I'll be looking out for the new release. We feel the same about the non-communication, I've been on the brink of pulling my hair with some books! ughhhhhhh lol!!!

>32 katiekrug: Katie, definitely check it out! I doubt you'll regret it :)

A dear friend asked me yesterday how I choose books to read. It got me thinking, and I really don't have a particular structure at all! I'm actually mildly annoyed at myself right now because I borrow too many library books which leads to books on my shelves going unread! I have hundreds of books, most unread and so you see the problem here. At any rate, I kind of just go with whatever I'm feeling in any given mood; I can be very picky and miserable with my book choices so whatever works for my mood at the time.
I had a whole list picked out called Christmas Reading - you should know I am only just starting one of those 10 or so books! For shame!

How do you choose your next book(s) to read?

>34 vikzen: My reading is fairly mood based also, sometimes though I make choices based on what is being shared here on LT and other times I make choices based on the challenges I'm trying to follow. In saying that though, if I'm not feeling it when I start reading I'll put it down for another time and pick up a comfort or fluff read to get back in the reading mood.

>34 vikzen: My reading has long been governed by lists. Lots and lots of lists (award winners, mostly). I love it, but I know it doesn't work for everyone.

>34 vikzen: - I like to plan my reading based on challenges, shared reads, etc. but 9 times out of ten, the plan gets chucked very early on :)

>34 vikzen: I'm also fairly mood-based, but I do try to prioritize books I own (I'm also part of the ROOT challenge, which helps). Otherwise, I get inspired by reading my LT friends are doing. I also like reading articles on Book Riot or Forever Young Adult; I feel like they help me both keep up with exciting new releases and bump up some backlist options I had forgotten about.

>34 vikzen: I keep a lot of lists to choose from. I plan a month ahead and use challenges to decide what will be read. Doesn't always work out completely, unreads are moved to the next month.

I keep my want to read list in GoodReads and use a random number generator to pick my next reads (although I'm always allowed to run a new number if I'm not feeling the book that comes up). This year I'm trying to alternate library books and my own books so I get to some of my own unread books and get in some re-reads which is why I buy books in the first place.

I used to follow lists a lot more, but for the last few years the majority of my reading has been from library books. I should read more of my own books, but they sit at home. I do most of the collection development at the library where I work, so I am always adding books to my reading lists and checking them out.

>35 fairywings: Oooh, okay! I do always say I'm going to try a challenge and then I end up falling off lol consistency is supposed to be my word of the year for 2021 so maybe I'll try that! I do love a good LT review or recommendation as well. Totally understood putting down a book and grabbing something else when the mood strikes.

>36 scaifea: This is interesting too! I want to try the Pulitzers sometime, have you done this list already?

>37 katiekrug: Ha! I imagine! It starts with good intentions and then it ends up however it ends up!

>38 curioussquared: Ooh lovely! I'll look into this ROOT challenge, I saw it mentioned on your thread before! I have never heard of those two sites, I will be sure to check them out as well :)

>39 FAMeulstee: This sounds like a mighty fine strategy Anita! Can only dream of being organised a month ahead! What challenges will you be doing this year? (Will peep at your thread so you won't have to repeat yourself)

>40 MickyFine: You know, since I have LT I never find myself on Goodreads unless a friend wants to share a list? The end of year stats must be cool though! Random generator is truly intriguing as well - might try it! Good idea re alternating library books: I have pushed back the delivery date on some of the holds I have, ostensibly with the premise that I'll use that time to read my own books. Let's hope!

>41 aktakukac: I feel you, I've been caught up in the library wave! I do want to read and get rid of some of these books so I've got to give up something at some point. Collection development sounds super cool! Hope you found some good ones recently!

I'm very much a mood reader and I've been very moody of late. Lots of rereads for comfort reads crowding out the newer more challenging reads, I fear.

>42 vikzen: I'm slowly working through the Pulitzers now, in fact. (Working through lots of lists all at the same time means that none of them get finished very quickly.)

>45 scaifea: >42 vikzen: I've been slowly working thru the Pulitzers for the last 15 years. I never really make it a priority, just that I have the list and if I read one, I mark it. So far I'm up to 32. (Doing the same thing for the Hugo novels as well)

Vik - You sound pretty normal. I don't really plan my reading either. Sometimes one book leads to another, and I do get a lot of recommendations from LT.

>34 vikzen: I plan my own reading way too much, Vic, and cannot recommend anyone to follow it! I have over 5,000 unread books at home so I need to use the challenges to help me choose. I, of course, stray from that constantly!

I am totally overwhelmed by shared reads in April -- I think I have 7!! I could definitely go with a little more spontaneity. : )

>44 ronincats: Oooh, I can understand that! Comfort reads are awesome especially with the chaos going on in the world.

>45 scaifea: One of these days I'll get to the Pulitzers, and the Gillers, and the Bookers, etc!

>46 mahsdad: Oh that's cool! I will check out the Hugo as I had never heard of it before.

>47 BLBera: Okay so we're pretty similar in that regard then, going with the flow where it feels right!

>48 PaulCranswick: My goodness Paul 5k books?! That is such an impressive library! Wow! Certainly understandable the need for some semblance of structure to hack away at those reads.

>49 Berly: Well a little variety is the spice of life! 7 books coming up is quite a lot!

Review:
4. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - 3 stars
I didn't really enjoy this book like I thought I would. The characters are all a bit unrealistic for my tastes, but I got through it.

AAAAAAAAAAAAND WE’RE BACK! Well, I’m back, at any rate! This is what happens every year lol I want to read, I want to come on here and be more present and visit the threads regularly and marvel at your reads and your thoughts but life.
Life happens sometimes and that’s okay! I have 3 jobs and several hobbies which tend to take up large chunks of time so I choose sleep over the computer most days.

Now! I’ve updated my post at the top which tracks my books, and now I’m on vacation from school for a bit, I’m hoping to squeeze in a lot more reading. I haven't finished a book since The Couple Next Door so I must change that shortly. I did read the majority of Noughts and Crosses recently so I should have a review up for that soon.

>50 vikzen:. Hugo’s are one of the awards given to science fiction and fantasy authors. So if you’re into sci-fi or want to dabble it’s a good place to start

>53 mahsdad: Ahhh that makes sense as to why I hadn't heard of it before! I am only now easing into fantasy so I'll keep an eye out for winners of these awards.

Well well well...so...this has been a very interesting time for us all here in Barbados! There is an actively erupting volcano on the neighbouring island of St. Vincent and the winds are blowing the ash over onto our island. We've been stuck inside for about 5 days and trying to go outside to clean up the ash is an ongoing process as long as it continues to erupt explosively. Slowly picking my way through some reading material in between cleaning up.

>55 vikzen: Wow, I live in California and have occassionally had to deal with ash from forest fires (generally no where near me personally), and there's always a chance of earthquakes, but having to deal with volcanos is a natural disaster I could do without.

Did you have any earthquakes in conjunction with St. Vincent?

>56 mahsdad: Oh sorry to hear that re having to deal with the forest fire results! The volcanic ash is not like ash from fire, it's like being showered in a fine sand. It looks like snow, but grey. Not good to breathe in at all so luckily everybody has masks now anyway because of Covid, need them to go outside. It gets into all the cracks and crevices and turns like cement when wet. Been a task and a half to try to clean and the trees and what not are still full of it ugh! Never thought I'd be affected by a volcano - nobody had this on the 2021 bingo card! lol

No earthquakes here or other related disasters due to it, besides the ash.

Sorry to hear about the ash being everywhere. Nice job looking on the bright side of wearing masks for COVID. ; ) Happy reading!

Wow, the ash sounds like a big mess, Vik. Take care. Who would have thought we would be thankful for masks!

Vic, I am doing a Round the World reading challenge whereby I want to read as many books as possible by writers from different countries. For Barbados I have previously read several collections by the late Kamau Brathwaite but am planning to read George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. Have you read it?

>58 Berly: Thanks!!

>59 BLBera: Thanks! It is quite a bit of a mess. More than a month later and still cleaning ash from the windows every other day.

>60 PaulCranswick: Oh this sounds like a fantastic challenge! Sorry I didn't see this message earlier! I haven't read Castle of My Skin as yet unfortunately. I hope you enjoy it! I recently got a signed copy of a new bestseller from Barbadian author Cherie Jones. It's called How the One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, if you're curious.

Nice to see you posting! Hope you are winning the ash war. Hurray for a signed copy!!

>63 Berly: The ash is still ever present but trying my best! I'll try to hop on over to your thread soon!

I've just realised that I'm so very behind on my book reviews! I must admit, I have not been reading at the volume or speed that I would prefer, but between my jobs and my mental health, I've just been taking it easy. I'll try to have reviews up soon! It seems I've gotten my appetite for books back a bit so I'm looking forward to reading and getting rid of a few books taking up space on my shelves.

Reviews: 4-8
#4 The Couple Next Door – 2 stars
This is a book I just wanted to end. It seemed unrealistic from beginning to end. I did read this a little while ago so I can’t remember all the plot points, but it wasn’t giving me what I needed. I didn’t enjoy the narration, as it was rather far removed from the situation in the plot. The writing was a little meh, at best.

#5 The Unhoneymooners (e-book) – 2 stars
I didn’t like this book very much unfortunately. I wanted to stop reading at several points but I did finish it. I felt like we didn’t learn much about the characters. I’m also not very interested in the miscommunication/lack of communication/assumptions character trope that happens with many romance novels so based on that this book wouldn’t be high on my list. We really could have connected more with the characters but it seemed to be more highly emotional female protagonist that I would like. I’m sure many people liked it as it comes highly rated but it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.

#6 One to Watch (e-book) – 4.25 stars
Yay for this book! I read this book with my aunt as a buddy read, and it was so fun and enjoyable! I don’t watch the Bachelorette , but I understand the concept. I liked the bits of banter (messaging board, podcast chat, tweets) which made the formatting interesting. I guessed correctly at the guy she would end up choosing, but not in the way she ended up choosing him! It did seem like she did not have a good grasp on her self-confidence, but I also know that it is very hard to love every single physical part of your body. I thought the book did a good job of portraying a plus-sized lady navigating the world. Just wish she would have believed in herself a bit more but then by the end she works that out. Love the fashions she was in! Lots of twists and turns, a fun read!

#7 Woman of God – 3.5 stars
Okay so this one was rather interesting. I didn’t quite imagine that it would turn out this way but I enjoyed the book. She did experience so much trauma but once again, people experience trauma as they live. I found it a good read.

#8 The Girl on the Train – 3.75 stars
This one got off to a bit of a slow start for me, I found I wasn’t really interested in the beginning of the book but I kept going. It got good about ¼ way through so that paid off! I have to say, I did NOT see the twist at the end coming! None of the characters in this book were really likeable, like they’re all kinda shitty people but it also struck me as a realistic portrayal of the effect of life events on people. It was a cool ending.

Review:
#9 Trust No One - 3.75 stars
This book was surprisingly good! I read it as one of those that I'm trying to get out of my stash but I really did enjoy this book. The pace was fast but still allowed for the characters to be fleshed out, and was easily readable. I can see why she has alot of books!

Hi Vic! I'm returning your visit - but I should warn you that I seem to be going slow on LT these days (it seems to work out as either-LT-or-books for me).

How do I choose what to read next? Just what I feel like. This last year and a half (for some reason), the selections on Overdrive have improved a lot (plus - shh! - my s-i-l in the States has been kind enough to let me borrow on her account) but otherwise I browse my own shelves until I see something I feel in the mood for. Planning has never worked for me - then I feel obligated to read that book, which takes away some of the joy of reading it. I didn't start the TIOLI challenges this year because my first two months had low numbers, for no particular reason, but even when I did, I retrofitted my books to the challenges at the end of the month. I did join the ROOTs challenge again this year so I need to read more of my own books. My TBR mountain is quite large - which seems to be a common problem.

Hi Vic - nice to catch up with your reading!

Hi Vic - nice to see you posting. How is the ash situation? Has the volcano quieted?

>66 vikzen: Sorry to see you didn't like The Unhoneymooners! I'm planning to listen to that one soon but will go into it with low-ish expectations.

>68 humouress: Thanks for the visit! Quite understood, I often fall off of LT when life gets too real LOL.
I also borrow Overdrive as well so we have that in common! Our library system here leaves something to be desired unfortunately. I feel you re book selections; I just go with whatever interests me at any given time. Right now I'm trying to put a dent in some of the books on my shelves that I want to get out of the house.

>69 katiekrug: Hey! Let's hope I keep up the momentum lol

>70 BLBera: Hello! The ash is better, but still a bit of a bother. Nothing now compared to the initial downpours. The volcano seems to be quieting down.

>71 curioussquared: I'll look out for your thoughts on it! I read it with my aunt and neither of us liked it much. Can't get into that duo for some reason.

>73 vikzen: >71 curioussquared: I liked their In a Holidaze better, which I read first (and which has some time-looping). Hmm ... I seem to have given them both 3.5 stars - I must have been in a good mood when I reviewed The Unhoneymooners.

ETA: looks like touchstones stopped working

>73 vikzen: >74 humouress: My library hold just came in so I expect I'll have some thoughts to share soon!

>74 humouress: How interesting! Lol re being in a good mood haha!

>75 curioussquared: Wonderful! I'll stalk your thread for the review

Today I hauled yet another book - as though I need any more books ever in life lol but I got The Burning Bush Women by Cherie Jones. She is a Barbadian author so I always like collecting Caribbean lit, but especially by a fellow Bajan! I also have her latest traditionally published release. I don't expect I'll get to read either of them before the summer holidays but lucky to have them on my shelf.

A couple of books I had on hold at the library came off yesterday, so I'll have to pause my physical 'read and get out of my house' project to read those before they expire. I am notorious for borrowing books repeatedly and never getting to them.

I am notorious for borrowing books repeatedly and never getting to them.

Heh, done that myself!

Just keeping current here. : )

>78 drneutron: What he said, and you before him! LOL

Vic, I didn't see your review of the Cherie Jones book yet?

I have looked for it in the shops here but it isn't out in Malaysia yet.

>77 vikzen: >78 drneutron: >79 Berly: What? Who, me? No, no, never.

>78 drneutron: >79 Berly: >81 humouress: LOL! It seems like we are all on the same train where serial book-borrowing/returning unread is concerned :D I'm really trying to make a concerted effort to borrow less so I can knock down that physical TBR. Maybe just reading what comes off holds

>80 PaulCranswick: Heya! I haven't read it as yet! I'll probably get around to it in July or so :)
Oooh hopefully it reaches Malaysia soon! I believe Little Brown/Hachette are the publishers.

Review:
#10. The Guest List - 4.5 stars
Man! I had this book on hold from the library for quite a while (many months, certainly) and I am only too glad that I got the chance to read it. I enjoyed it, especially coming on to the last 3rd of the book where the various threads come together to make sense. I have to say, I did not see it coming re Aoife being the one to kill Will, but it makes total sense.
Most of the people in this story are insufferable, in particular Will, the blokes from the school/the ushers, and I really found them quite irritating. However, I could see that happening in real life regarding their behaviour.
The end of the book was a bit open-ended, not much resolution to the rest of the characters and how they got on after, but then again, not much to be said I suppose. I liked the repetition of the phrase 'And then the lights went out' so we were left wondering which one of these people had killed that miserable so-and-so Will. The beginning was just a teeny bit of a drag but all in all a good fast-paced read.

Hi Vic - I think all readers suffer from the "check something out multiple times" syndrome. :) I have The Guest List on my shelf and will have to try to get to it soonish. It sounds like a good vacation read.

>77 vikzen: My version of borrowing things repeatedly and never getting to them is delaying delivery of my digital holds for months and months at a time :)

Hi Vik: I just finished How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, set on your island. It was wonderful.

>85 BLBera: Haha I definitely agree! All readers!
I would recommend the Guest List!

>86 curioussquared: Listennnnnn! Delayed delivery is so good and so bad at the same time LOL

>87 BLBera: Oh yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope to get to it this summer. You haven't been to Barbados yet, right?

Update: Whew! It has been a whirlwind of a time over here, lemme tell yuh! I was caught up at work with lots of stuff, and then we had the arrival of Hurricane Elsa, which was the closest hurricane (location wise) to our little island since 1955 (Hurricane Janet caused a ton of destruction back then). My area ended up being without electricity for about 5 days as the utility company worked tirelessly to restore power islandwide. Made it through with no major issues at my house so that is good. Hopefully the season is not too active this year.

I'm on vacation from teaching for the summer (yay)! I almost feel like a loose end since I'm so used to working with the kids. I am hoping to do alot of writing and reading this vacation.

How has everyone been?

I'm glad to hear that Hurricane Elsa didn't leave you homeless, Vik. No, I haven't been to Barbados. Someday.

Enjoy your summer.

>90 BLBera: Its a gorgeous place! We're gonna get back there someday. I need to stock up on some St Nicholas Abbey rum!

Reviews:
#11 Sex and Vanity – 3 stars
I was debating whether to give this book 3 or 2.5 stars but I suppose I’ll just go with 3. This book is from the author of Crazy Rich Asians, and that seems similar to what this is but with another set of characters. I felt like I was reading a screenplay, in that I could see how this would translate to a movie and if it was a movie, I would still watch it, because it would be fun, but as a book, it was meh. Would I recommend? Nah. It's rich people with rich people problems though I suppose if you're into pedigrees and such like, you might like it. Let me say though, the main character was rather insufferable and stupid at parts but at least she kind of came around to it in the end.

#12 The Mothers – 4.5 stars
Listen. I love Brit Bennett’s writing! I am just going to accept this fact. I read The Vanishing Half last year, and it is now one of my top books of all time. The Mothers, her first novel, is quite good, never mind I read it after TVH lol. I really enjoyed this story. Black families and the connection to the church, illness, mental health, friendships, the ultimate betrayal…this book has it! The subject matter itself is difficult to deal with, but I think the author did a good job showcasing the various sides and feelings that can come of these kinds of situations.

>90 BLBera: Thanks!! Hope you come visit after the pandemic!

>91 drneutron: Yessss it is beautiful! So glad I was able to meet you and your lovely wife on the trip! St. Nicholas Abbey rum is certainly worth the price and the trip.

>92 vikzen: I need to get to Brit Bennett!! Hopefully soon 🤞

Review:
#13: Transcendent Kingdom - 4 stars
Now now, we know I LOVED LOVED LOVED Homegoing, so OF COURSE I had to pick up TK, right? Right! This book is not a happy book by any stretch of the imagination. As a reader, I felt detached from the protagonist as there were not really any endearing traits beyond her brilliance as a research scientist. I did appreciate the difficult questions this book asked, and tried to answer through the lens of Gifty (protagonist). It felt like an essay in parts, although I am sure that is attributed mostly to the subject matter (neuroscience to a point). It tackles large issues: addiction, depression/mental health, social awkwardness, trauma and healing, immigration, single-parent home, etc. So you can see that these are some big issues for one book to deal with. While it dealt with them okay, I felt that it kind of prolonged the story, which was already sad to begin with. Also I found the very end to be slightly incongruous with the rest of the book up to that point.
That being said, I still intend to read any/all of Yaa Gyasi's books in the future.

>94 curioussquared: Ugh, she's so so so good! Let me know your thoughts once you get round to reading!

I'm glad the hurricane left you safe, although being without electricity is no fun.

(My kids would never survive without their devices.) ;0)

>95 vikzen: I so want to read this one and I so want happy books right now. Saved for later I guess. I was a neuroscience major and that part of the book obviously interests me. Glad you survived the hurricane and I hope you are enjoying your time off.

>97 humouress: Oh yes, it was definitely not a fun time
Kids would be so upset I imagine!

>98 Berly: Yeah it is definitely not a happy book so I'd agree re saving it for later in the year :) That is so cool re neuroscience!

Hope all is getting back to normal, Vic.

Internet not working?

Where'd she go? Hope we hear from you soon. : )

I hope everything is well with you, Vic.

Victoria?

>100 PaulCranswick: & >101 Berly: Thanks for the kind thoughts!
>102 humouress: Thanks for checking in!

Hi guys! Back again :)
So sorry for my long hiatus from LT! I am happy to report that I am well in body, and that is certainly something to be grateful for in these uncertain times.
Life was quite a bit hectic there for a while, dealing with some other stuff but I am well.
Thanks again for the kind wishes and inquiries! Hoping to be able to read a few more books soon.

She's here! And doing well! Happiness.

>105 vikzen: Good to know. Looking forward to hearing about your books (and everything else).

>106 Berly: Thank you so much for the care and concern! How have you been? I hope all is well.

>107 humouress: Thanks so much!! I will have to pay a visit to your page shortly

Anybody know if there is going to be a SantaThing this year?

Someone asked this question a few days ago and the response from LT folks was to watch for an announcement very soon. Here's the thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336418#n7643988

Reviews:
14. Intercepted – 3 stars
This is light fare, and at the time it was definitely needed. The premise of the series revolves around football wives, and it is pretty much what you would think. I have read the 2nd book in the series as well (see below) and I enjoy the writer’s expressions. Works well for a nice romantic romp. The characters don’t annoy me as much as I thought they would lol

15. The Lions of Fifth Avenue – 4 stars
This historical fiction was quite gripping, and I enjoyed the style of writing. The story was pretty cool, not immediately obvious what twists would happen (to me at least). I would recommend this book, and I will look into other books by the same author.

16. Noughts and Crosses – 4 stars
This book is a heavy book in terms of the content. It is a young adult title, centered around role reversal of race between black and white. The book also touches the issues of mental health, classism, human rights, etc. I read this technically a long time ago for book club but just had a few pages to finish up. I would recommend this if you are looking for a thought-provoking fiction book for teens.

17. A Pho Love Story – 3 stars
I didn’t realize this was a teen book until I was about halfway through, and that makes sense (based on the writing). This was a perfectly fine read, revolving around Asian main characters. The misunderstandings between the younger generation and older ones were done well in terms of parallels to present day.

18. Fumbled – 3 stars
This is the 2nd book in the Playbook series by Martin (see review above for #1). It was not as fun as the 1st book, but still enjoyable! Will continue with this series.

19. Dial A for Aunties – 2 stars
I did not like this one. I read this with my aunt (also Asian, for reference as the characters are) and she didn’t enjoy it either. I think the idea was good but the execution was a bit contrived. I wanted to know more about the characters. It was a romance book imo, but you know, it was a bit cringe and I found myself being frustrated at multiple points.

20. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Brathwaite – 3.25 stars
Now this….this is a fun, fast read! It does not take itself overly seriously (as you can tell by the title). Loved that it was set in Nigeria, and focused on family dynamics, as well as DV and colourism. It kept me reading and I was able to complete it in a few hours. Recommended if you’d like some lighthearted adult fare.

>110 drneutron: Okay great! Thanks! I will keep an eye out for it.
How have you been?

>112 vikzen: We've been well. Been dreaming about another beach visit there when we're less constrained by Covid!

>109 vikzen: Not sure about SantaThing, but we 75'rs will definitely be doing a book swap. I'll be creating a thread about it this weekend, or Monday.

Review:
21. Arsenic & Adobo - 2.75 stars
This book gave me Nancy Drew energy (a la amateur sleuth); middling at best. This is going to be part of a series if I'm not mistaken, and the book was light-hearted enough for me to feel like if I would read another one. The main character is flawed (which is fair, but I mean, what was the point of her not talking to her supposed best friend?), some of the plot lines felt too hastily tied up, and the timeline was somewhat difficult to follow. It revolves around food, and included some recipes as well if you're into that.

>113 drneutron: Glad to hear that! Hopefully you and Mrs. Neutron can visit soon! It is as hot as ever (ah, climate change) and the beaches aren't going anywhere.

>114 mahsdad: Ooooh! I will go and look for that post. I saw the SantaThing is up now as well.

Vic, I just wondered how is the situation in Barbados with the pandemic? Is your lovely country open for business yet?

Hi Vic. I enjoyed your comments >111 vikzen:. I look forward to The Lions of Fifth Avenue.

>117 PaulCranswick: Hey Paul, we are pretty much overrun with community Covid spread at present. Approximately 200-300 people per day testing positive (which is alot in a country with less than 300k people). Most people are in home isolation though so the country is 'open' per se. Cruise ships are coming back. The curfew has been moved from 9pm to midnight so that is good as well.

>118 BLBera: Yes! You will enjoy Lions I'm sure :) How have you been?

Hello there! Sorry COVID is still ever present, but man I would like to be on a nice warm beach! I haven't read any of your other recent reads, but I agree with your take on My Sister, The Serial Killer--fun read. Hope you have a great weekend.

>120 Berly: The heat here is certainly not taking any breaks so the beaches are still lovely. It was definitely a fun read! How have you been?

Reviews 22 - 23
22. Children of Blood and Bone - 5 stars
OMG this was SUCH a good read! Wow! I was flattened by the amount of description and detail given in this book. I read this with my students for book club and man, was it good! The attention to detail, the story itself, the emotions expressed by the protagonists, the world itself...just read this book, okay!

23. Seven Days in June - 4 stars
Ha! This was such a fun read! I felt almost tricked because this is a romance book hiding in a literary fiction cover (you guys know the kinds of covers I mean lol). It's very black and hip, it's up to the times. The story was cute enough, I actually enjoyed the romance as well as the back story of the characters.

>122 vikzen: I've had Children of Blood and Bone on my radar for a while now. Your enthusiasm has me pushing it up higher on the list.

Review #24:
Empire of Pain - 4.25 stars
This non-fiction books chronicles the journey of the Sackler family in particular as it relates to the rise of pharma companies namely Purdue and its well-known OxyContin, and the struggles with abuse, justice and the rich.
Oh what a tangled web we weave... I first came upon this topic by watching a documentary called Oxyana (on YouTube) which chronicled the stories of persons affected by the crisis in Appalachia. I went digging and found this recently released book. I always find it absurd how the rich manage to get away with seemingly everything by the use of money. And, being a member of the legal fraternity, it is also interesting to see the tactics used (for me, being an IP lawyer, how they managed to extend the patent monopoly on Oxy) and wrestling with my inner feelings on the topic as well as trying to understand legally what they did to get around things.
This book reads well, it is not dry and generally not boring. The story centers more around the individuals in the Sackler family (up until the end) and how they got to where they ended up by 2020 (still largely unencumbered). I would recommend to read it.

I hear Barbados is now a republic. Congratulations - though I'm a bit sad that you've left us ;0)

>123 fairywings: Yay! I am hoping to read the 2nd book over the Christmas vacation. How have you been?

>125 humouress: Haha thank you! The celebrations were lovely, we got a new hero and all. Still a member of the Commonwealth (for the time being lol)

>126 vikzen: I've been good, busy with school winding down for the year and looking forward to the holidays. How's things with you Vic?

Review #25:
The Push - 4 stars
You know what...when I saw the synopsis of this book I thought that it would be a good addition to the literary sphere - and I believe I was right!
The pacing for this book is good, it is a quick, racy read in that it goes fast even though there are no major cliffhangers - for the most part, what you see is what you get. I like the fact that the author attempted this viewpoint.
I would have liked to hear this from the side of the husband (at least a few parts) though, because both of them were somewhat unlikeable but understandable characters.

>121 vikzen: Well, I have been busy!! Which explains my lack of visitation. LOL You've read a lot of great books lately. Adding Children of Blood and Bone to the WL. Are you well in to the holidays by now, I hope? : )

My SantaThing books came in this week! So excited to open them tomorrow on Christmas! I got a ton of new books recently from my favourite bookseller here in Barbados. Preparing for the holidays.

>129 Berly: Thanks! I think I read a bunch of good books lately! Quite into the holidays now, still got a bit of tidying up to do and gifts to drop off. Merry Christmas!

Have a lovely holiday, Vic.

These were our family ornaments this year and, despite COVID, a merry time was had by all. I hope the same is true for your holiday and here's to next year!!

>131 ronincats: Thank you! Was your Christmas enjoyable?

>132 mahsdad: Thank you! Hope you had a great time!

>133 PaulCranswick: Thank you so much :) How did you enjoy the holidays?

Here are the books I got from my SantaThing person!
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Desire by Haruki Murakami
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Looking forward to reading them throughout the year!

>134 Berly: Ooh what a nice tradition of family ornaments! Glad you and yours had a great time for the holidays.
I had quite an enjoyable time as well, lots of relaxing

I hope you're having a great holiday, Vic. Stay healthy.

I would like to wish you and your family the very best of the season and good health and happiness for 2022.

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Vic.

>138 BLBera: Thank you! Trying to enjoy the holiday

>139 humouress: Thank you so much! Same to you and yours!

>140 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul!

Alright folks, we are on to another year!
Here is the link to my 2022 thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/337872