#73 Before We Sleep

Before We Sleep
By Jeffrey Lent

Beautiful writing in this novel, and an interesting story. The story is mainly about Katey, and her discovery that her "father" is not her biological father. She goes on a journey to find her biological father, and encounters interesting characters along the way.

The novel is also the story of her mother and father, her family, and their experiences, particularly her father's experiences during WWII which leave him wounded and changed forever. The decisions they make end up affecting Katey, who has to leave them and journey on her own to find her own truths.

Set between WWII and the 70s.

My only complaint about this novel was that there was too much description, and some of the paragraphs were more than a page long! Though often beautiful, I just skimmed these long paragraphs, as I can't stand long paragraphs! Blah blah blah.

Rating: 3/4
Recommendation: If you love beautiful descriptive writing, this novel is for you.

#72 Ginny Moon

Ginny Moon
By Benjamin Ludwig

This novel is told in Ginny's voice. Ginny is a 14-year old teenager with autism. She is a foster care child who was adopted and is living with her "forever" family. Ginny is quirky and strange, due to her autism. For some reason, Ginny wants to be reunited with her birth mother, who was abusive plus addicted to drugs, and she wants to reunite with her "baby doll", which turns out to be a baby sister who was never officially "born", and who her mother keeps a secret.

A strange novel with a somewhat unlikely plot.

Rating: 3/5
Recommendation: The voice of the autistic main character is interesting and provides an insight into the autistic mind. The plot is unlikely and silly.

#71 The Colour of Our Sky

The Colour of Our Sky
By Amita Trasi

Two young girls from India meet in Bombay. One, Tara, living a middle class life with her parents, the other, Mukta, born a temple prostitute from a small village. They briefly share a life in Bombay, when Tara's father rescues Mukta from the fate she was born to, and she lives with the family as a servant. Mukta is kidnapped by a prostitution ring, and Tara thinks it's her fault.

After a street bombing kills Tara's mother, she and her father move to America. However, her father harbours terrible guilt and commits suicide.

Tara returns to India, determined to find Mukta. She eventually finds and rescues Mukta, who now has a small daughter of her own, from prostitution. Tara also finds out that her father is Mukta's father, thus they are half-sisters.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommendation: An interesting story. Writing a bit awkward, but good pace and a surface look at the horror of prostitution rings in India.

#70 The Alice Network

The Alice Network
By Kate Quinn

Set during WWI and WWII, the novel is about women spies during WWI. Eve was a spy for the British during WWI and she suffered bodily harm after one of her sources learned she was a spy. After WWII American Charlie is pregnant and come to Europe to find her lost cousin Rose. The connection between Even and Charlie is the main plot of the novel and leads to a shocking ending.

Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Chic lit light, but interesting subject matter, based on a the lives of the women who acted as spies during WWI and WWII.

#68 and #69

Well, I read two books when I was on the road and don't remember the names. Don't even remember what they were about and it was only two weeks ago!

#67 Rich People Problems

Rich People Problems
By Kevin Kwan

The third and final novel in the "rich Asians" series by Kevin Kwan. This book can actually be read without reading the other two books first. This final novel in the trilogy wasn't published for a couple of years after the second novel, so I had forgotten what happened in the first two novels, so reading it as a stand-along worked. However, if you could read them in a sequence, then that would work best.

This novel once again follows the life of the ultra-rich in Asia, people from Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. The family in the story has many branches, with members from all these different cultures. Their lives are ridiculous, and this novel actually includes having plastic surgery on a fish (which you can apparently actually do). The cars, the houses, the life styles, the fashion, she shoes, the designers, the chefs, the planes, all seemingly unbelievable to the average person.

A movie is being made of the first novel.

Chic lit at it's best. Surreal, but all based on truth.

Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Sure.

#66 The Windfall

The Windfall
By Diksha Bass

A cute story, and an easy read. Set in New Delhi, it's the story of the Jha family, a middle class family who live in East Delhi. Mr. Jha sells his web company for $20 million U.S. dollars and suddenly the Jhas have moved up radically in life. Their son is doing his MBA in Ithaca, and the Jhas decide to move to Gurgaon, an elite enclave in the richest part of Delhi.

They madly try to establish a new identity, and keep up with the neighbours, they take a trip to New York and shop at Tiffany's, only to discover that their new identity doesn't fit who they really are.

Fun.

Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Yes.

#65 In the Shadow of Alabama

In the Shadow of Alabama
By Judy Reene Singer

I loved this book. Based on the story of the author's life, it tells of Rachel, a daughter trying to understand her father's life. He was an angry man for as long as she knew him, and her mother spent all her energy keeping him calm, to the detriment of her two daughters.

At her father's funeral, and Jewish funeral, a black woman appears and gives a record of Duke Ellington's "A" Train to Rachel. This strange act prompts her to find out who the woman was, and to meet her father, Willie, a black man who had served in her father's regiment during WWII.

A story of sisters, a broken family, racism and violence, of blacks and Jews in Alabama, of planes that crashed and problems that were solved. A very interesting and well written novel about a rare piece of history.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommendation: YES!