Book Reviews

 Here are a few things I've been reading recently.

The Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen, Adult historical fiction, 2023.

What it's about: The Paris Assignment follows Madeline during WWII when she becomes a spy for Britain in France after her husband is missing and her son is supposedly killed in a train bombing.

What did I think? Overall, I liked the book. I especially liked the descriptions of the training and missions, which are the major part of the story. However, I found Madeline's hardships and victories to be a bit melodramatically written. 

What did others think? Good Reads and Amazon readers give it an A-.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, children's fiction (elementary ages), 2013.

What it's about: Flora Belle, who is a self-described cynic and has read every Terrible Things Can Happen to You comic, finds a squirrel, Ulysses, with superpowers after he is sucked up into the neighbor's vacuum cleaner. Her parents are divorced, and her mother wants to kill Ulysses, and her father tries to help Flora save the squirrel. Chaos ensues as they sneak the squirrel away to save it. Throw in quirky neighbors to add to the amusing romp. Through it all, the characters learn about each other and themselves.

What did I think? I enjoyed the book. It was humorous, with heart. The book had numerous pencil drawings, and sometimes the story was written in panels, like the comic books Flora reads. These enhanced the story.

What did others think? The book won the Newbery Award in 2014. The award is given annually for the most distinguished children's book in America.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Adult fiction, 2022

What it's about: Carrie Soto, a world record-holding tennis player, decides to make a comeback at age 37 after a five-year absence from the game. She is coached by her father and practices with an older male tennis player who is trying to stay in the game. Romance eventually ensues. Carrie is brash and ruthless on the court and off, earning her the nickname of Battle Axe. The second time around, she learns more about herself and empathy for other players she didn't have before.

What did I think? I liked the book, and I think someone would appreciate it even more if they were a tennis player.  Most of the book is about the game of tennis and the tremendous amount of skill and practice that goes into making a championship player. Tension builds throughout the book, as Carrie plays her various matches. I will say that towards the end, I started to skim the details of the matches because I was impatient to see who won.

Reid has a way of making her stories seem like a documentary more than a novel, and this was no exception.

What did others think? Carrie Soto is Back had universally positive reviews (at least the ones I could find) and was #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller, Children's fiction (elementary age), 2024.

What it's about: Magnolia is lonely and spends every day in her parents' laundry mat. At the laundromat, Magnolia has been pinning up loose socks she finds on a bulletin board, hoping they will find their mates. When Iris moves from California to New York City, Magnolia makes a friend, and they set out to find the socks' owners. They travel around their neighborhood in New York City and learn new things about themselves, their parents, and their neighbors. Also, the girls have to deal with racism along the way.

What did I think? I enjoyed the book and found the premise of looking for socks interesting. The book has many life lessons that are illustrated during the story, and I thought those were well done. For example, Iris is overwhelmed by the busyness of the city, and, in particular, by a flock of pigeons one day. Madeline tells her to pick out just one pigeon and pick out one feature on that pigeon and focus on that to calm herself. 

What did others think? This book was on many bestseller lists and was Amazon's best children's book for 2024. It was also a Newbery Honor Winner.

Until next time...