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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Books Lately- January 2021

With Ontario's pandemic lockdown, I do a lot of reading for stress relief and in my spare time... Also, I'm using Overdrive and Libby more so my library has expanded even more! Here are a few that I've read in the past month, especially postseason.



After Betty Ramdin’s husband dies, she invites a colleague, Mr. Chetan, to move in with her and her son, Solo. Over time, the three become a family, loving each other deeply and depending upon one another. Then, one fateful night, Solo overhears Betty confiding in Mr. Chetan and learns a secret that plunges him into torment.
 
Solo flees Trinidad for New York to carve out a lonely existence as an undocumented immigrant, and Mr. Chetan remains the singular thread holding mother and son together. But soon, Mr. Chetan’s own burdensome secret is revealed, with heartbreaking consequences. Love After Love interrogates love and family in all its myriad meanings and forms, asking how we might exchange an illusory love for one that is truly fulfilling.
 
In vibrant, addictive Trinidadian prose, Love After Love questions who and how we love, the obligations of family, and the consequences of choices made in desperation.

I was excited to read this one by a Trinidadian author and it did not disappoint. It really showed a different type of family. It was gritty, real, poignant and haunting. The only complaint I would have is the Trinidadian dialect. While funny to me, as it was very, very Trini; I don't know if the average non-Trinidadian could really follow the story with the dialect being so heavy.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.





it is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep. Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

This book had some good bits. I enjoyed and understood the family dynamics  after the many Bollywood movies of my childhood and the food references had my mouth watering. It was a bit long and cliche for me.  Romance comedy fans will appreciate it though.
Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars.




Jessica reveals for the first time her inner monologue and most intimate struggles. Guided by the journals she's kept since age fifteen, and brimming with her unique humor and down-to-earth humanity, Open Book is as inspiring as it is entertaining.

I was enthralled by Jessica Simpson and all she has done with her life in both the music and fashion world. This book humanized her even more to me. I really enjoyed her candour about her relationships, addictions and mistakes and her raw self-awareness. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars



One life-changing summer on Nantucket brings about exhilarating revelations for a single mother and her two grown children.

Nancy Thayer is like a phone call to your parents... you know what you're getting, you feel good about the world after and you know all will be well. This book was pretty cliche with some heartwarming, feel-good moments. Character development could have been better, the plot was a little rushed but all's well that ends well.
Rating: 3 out of 5 starts. 




One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze.

I keep meaning to break up with Christina Lauren and I keep prolonging it. This over the top book had such a weird Groundhog Day plot and wasn't very developed. The Christmas feel was good and hence one of the only reasons, I didn't hate it. 
Rating: 3 out of 5 





After uprooting her life in the States, Irene Steele has just settled in at the villa on St. John where her husband Russ had been living a double life. But a visit from the FBI shakes her foundations, and Irene once again learns just how little she knew about the man she loved. 

My favourite author but not my favourite series of hers. I read the first two and felt I had to finish the last in the series. It felt a bit rushed and the character development isn't as great as it is in her summer books. It was just okay for me.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.


What have you been reading lately?


                                                       Linking up with Steph for Show Us Your Books.


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8 comments:

  1. The only one here I've read was In A Holidaze!

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  2. I had read Elin's series and Girls of Summer and enjoyed both. I have heard great things from so many people about Jessica Simpson's book. I might have to pick that up as I do enjoy reading memoirs.

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  3. I also read In a Holidaze this past month and ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I thought Open Book was just an okay read.

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  4. I haven't read anything by Christina Lauren except for In a Holidaze, which I also gave three stars. There are a couple others by them I'd like to try out.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  5. The last Paradise did a fine job of tying up the series, aside from some info dumping. But it wasn't my favorite of the three.

    I was never a big Jessica Simpson fan so I was surprised how much I liked her book.

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  6. I an wanting to read more christina lauren

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  7. Love After Love sounds beautiful. I just read In a Holidaze last week and really enjoyed it :) Thanks for sharing and enjoy your month!

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Hearing from you makes me so happy!!