#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!

#64 The Pattern Artist

The Pattern Artist
By Nancy Moser

OK, I was desperate for a book and this was what I had so I had to read it. It looked interesting: the story of a young immigrant woman in New York who finds her talent as a pattern/fashion designer. Through a series of opening doors, she finds work at Macy's, and then Butterick patterns, and she also finds a man.

The story of the Butterick Pattern Company is true, and quite interesting.

In summary, it's romance novel with Christian undertones (I skipped those parts). Readable.

Rating: 1/5
Recommendation: Only if you're absolutely desperate!