Lilac Girls Book Review

I’ve been reading historical fiction for a long time, and I’ve noticed that the genre adores stories about World War II. I can understand that. Authors can tackle one or multiple aspects of the war like women’s efforts, the Western Front, the Pacific Front, etc, and they can show them from any perspective. It’s a gold mine. But, how would a WWII-based historical fiction novel stand out during this present time? Martha Hall Kelly provides one effective answer with her multiple-narrator book Lilac Girls.

Lilac Girls tells the stories of three women – Caroline Ferriday, Kasia Kuzmerick, and Herta Oberheuser from 1939 to 1959. Caroline is a former Broadway actress who works at the French Consulate in New York City when Hitler invades Poland. She later sets her sights on France. Kasia is a Polish Catholic teenager at the beginning of the war; she becomes a courier for the underground resistance movement. Herta is a young German doctor who lands a position at Ravensbruck, yet she finds herself in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power. Their lives begin to collide when Kasia, her mother, and sister are sent to that same concentration camp. As a result, their stories intertwine as Caroline and Kasia seek justice for people that history has forgotten.

What makes Lilac Girls stand out is that it encompasses a broader view of the non-soldier’s experiences throughout World War II. This is especially true with the home front and the work that women performed on both sides, despite how deadly some of that actually was. Some sections can be hard to get through, especially the parts that involve Kasia and her family at Ravensbruck. Yes, there are times, in which it focuses on Caroline’s glamour parties to raise money, but it doesn’t stray far from the cruel realities that people faced during the war, especially Kasia’s and Herta’s. While the story could have been solely Kasia’s and be just as gripping, having the multiple-narrator aspect makes the story stand out from its peers. 

In addition, the main characters are fleshed out and have their own real struggles and flaws. Caroline wants to help the Rabbits of Ravensbruck (women like Kasia who were used as lab animals for medical experiments), but some of her efforts can come off as tone deaf. This is especially true in the scene in which she tries to give the survivors handbags, but the women themselves are from Communist Poland, and they’re not allowed to have gifts like those. At first, Herta questions the treatment of the prisoners, yet over time, she becomes desensitized to the cruelty thrusted upon them. I also want to point out that her colleague Fritz forced her to inject an elderly prisoner with a lethal drug although he would later leave the camp to be a medic on the front lines because he couldn’t stand what was going on there. In other words, Fritz is a hypocrite. And then, there’s Kasia, who has a hard time letting go of her time in Ravensbruck. It gets to the point where she refuses to have a relationship with her father’s new girlfriend (after her mother disappears) and slaps her own daughter for accepting paint brushes from her sort of stepmother. Despite her questionable actions, Kasia’s journey to move forward with her life and family drew me in and made me root for her to achieve that.

I’ve noticed that some readers are not really fans of how the novel jumps from one character to another, especially right on a cliffhanger. Even though I felt annoyed by this at times, I think that Kelly did this on purpose to balance out the negative and positive story elements. It could have been done better, yet it’s Kelly’s first book, so I’ll let it slide.

The only thing in this novel that didn’t work as well as it should have was the romance between Caroline and Paul. The Author’s Note reveals that the love story was fictionalized, so Caroline could have a real connection to France, especially during the war. That’s understandable. I didn’t mind the romantic subplot, and I was fine with them not working out in the end. However, I did mind that the book spent so much time on it that it felt misleading when the relationship ultimately fizzled. 

There’s another thing I have to address: the cover. I’ve noticed that there’s a certain trend with WWII-based novels having covers depicting women looking away. Why does this happen? I don’t think anybody really knows, but it’s here and in full force. What is worse is that the cover in this case doesn’t work. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that it’s misleading because I thought it would be all of the main characters walking together. While reading the novel, I realized that it wasn’t going to happen since Caroline and Kasia would never be friends with Herta. In fact, the other books in the Lilac Girls trilogy (yep, it’s a trilogy) have similar covers. I’ve reviewed a book with a similar cover (The Atomic City Girls), and in that instance, that one made sense as the two women are walking to the facilities that would aid in making the atomic bomb. In the case of the Lilac Girls cover, it was basically a cash-in on an existing trend. 

I listened to the audiobook, and it was very good. Cassandra Campbell (an award-winning audiobook narrator from everyone’s favorite book Where the Crawdads Sing) is Caroline, and she voices her like a Hollywood starlet with kindness in her heart. Kathleen Gati (from General Hospital) plays Kasia with a vague Polish accent, and she captures the emotions that Kasia feels, especially during her time at Ravensbruck and how she deals with it afterwards. Kathrin Kana – a bilingual German/English actress – takes on the role of Herta. Kana plays her part well as her character becomes desentized to the horrors while working at Ravensbruck. For those who haven’t read the book yet, the audiobook is the best way to do so.

Overall, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly is a wonderful book that stands out in the midst of established WWII-based historical fiction. It focuses on three women with vastly different struggles throughout the war and afterwards, and each of the characters are distinct (I’m not just saying that because of the audiobook). This novel is so good that one can easily overlook the relatively minor flaws. I would definitely recommend it to people, who enjoy not only historical fiction set during WWII, but also stories about women who made differences in people’s lives.

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What Am I Reading – Chapter Ten

Hello Everybody!

I’ve finished the two books from the last chapter, so it’s fitting to read two more. They’re pretty eclectic.

One of them is…

The Lesser Blessed by Richard Van Camp is a coming of age story of what it is to be a young Native man growing up in Canada. Larry Sole is a Dogrib Indian growing up in a small town in the Northwest Territories. At age 16, he loves Iron Maiden and Juliet Hope – the high school “tramp.” When Johnny Beck – a Metis – moves to town, Larry is pretty much ready for anything, especially confronting his memories and his future.

While I’m almost done reading it, I have enjoyed it. Larry is like any other teenage boy right down to his thoughts about doggy style. At the same time, he is fleshed out as a character. He can be brave, but he can also be vulnerable. In addition, he has a traumatic past that involves his abusive father and an accident that killed many of his cousins. How he deals with them is very much in line with his self-deprecating and bottled up behavior.

Johnny is a very charismatic character, as in one who’s so unique that he draws in outcasts like Larry. He’s one of those troublemakers that wouldn’t be one if it weren’t for the environment that he was raised in. He even changed the seating arrangements in one of his classes, so he and other students could focus more despite the ire of their teacher.

I wish Juliet was little more developed. I appreciated the moments, in which she isn’t talking about past relationships, the male characters, or her body.

The copy I’m reading is in the 20th Anniversary special edition. This consists of an introduction from the author himself about the novel’s legacy as well as two short stories “Where Are You Tonight?” and “How I Saved Christmas.” The first short story shows readers what the main characters are doing in one night, and it displays some unexpected character development, especially Johnny. I have not read the second one, but I hope to soon.

Now, let’s move onto the second and final book of this latest installment…

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: Making a Legend by Simon Van Booy and Harvey Briggs is exactly what it is: a book about how these famously luxurious British automobiles are made.

I started reading it yesterday, and I noticed that it really wants readers to see how bespoke these cars are. These mainly come through the photographs that are peppered throughout the book, and I’m not mad. They’re absolutely stunning! The book also wants readers to know that these motor cars are still being made by human hands (as much as possible) with how many times they mention craftsman (meaning both men and women), but that’s the point. The book is endorsed by the Rolls-Royce automobile company. I can’t wait to read it more!

We now have come to the end of the tenth chapter of “What Am I Reading?”

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The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When reading, I usually form an opinion of the novel that I have in my hand during the first third. But sometimes, that changes after a certain moment, and it would change my beliefs for better or for worse. Luckily, in the case of The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming by Kelvyn Fernandes, that development was for the better.

The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming follows Peter – a bubble mage – and Fi – an orphaned rabbit-eared chimera – as they go on adventures searching for something uniquely special to them within the four kingdoms of their known world. They encounter goblins, pirates, a prissy princess, and fantastical beasts and use biochemistry-based magic to aid in their journey.

As one can see from the title and the summary, the book is not one story. It contains multiple plots that all culminate into one at the very end. Think of it as a season of a television show. It has one main arc and several little ones, which all come together in the finale.

Speaking of television shows, judging by its cover (guilty!), I noticed that it had a very anime-centric style to it. Some readers and reviewers were initially put off by it, claiming that it made them think the book was for kids, yet in my case, it got me excited for the novel due to its similarities with mangas in terms of art style. As a result, while I was reading The Many Adventures, I couldn’t help but to imagine it as an actual anime show. I would definitely subscribe to Crunchyroll to see that!

In addition, the main characters Peter and Fi are very intriguing and distinct. Peter is a no nonsense magician who is helping Fi find her way home despite the fact that he was already on another quest. Fi is an engeratic chimera, whom readers don’t really get to know her backstory until the final chapter. Their relationship is much like the one that siblings have. They argue about certain things, but in the end, they still care about each other.

There are other wonderful characters like Captain Mathers and Abigail the snotty princess, but readers don’t really get to interact with them alot. Maybe they will come back in the next volume.

Unfortunately, my excitement waned when I couldn’t follow what was going on. I didn’t even understand how the world that they inhabited worked a lot of the time. To be fair, I was listening to the audiobook, and the narrator didn’t make the voices distinct enough for me. However, I will give him credit for vocalizing most of the villains like Vegeta from Dragonball Z with a Southern accent (I was waiting for him to say Kakarot to prove my point) and giving the snobby princess a Terry-Jones-as-a-pepperpot voice. On a positive note, his whimsical and relaxed tone was totally suitable to the story and made me keep going. In addition, his narrating became better as the book progressed.

Given all that I have said up till this point, I would have probably said that it’s on the border between okay and good, but it was the final chapter that made everything click and tipped it to being the latter. As I mentioned earlier, readers discover Fi’s backstory in that chapter. All I will say is that it’s extremely heartbreaking, and it reveals her goals as clear as a whistle. Also, like a season finale, it even sets up what potentially might happen in the second one.

Overall, The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming by Kelvyn Fernandes is a pretty good book. Even though I wasn’t able to connect with it as much as I could have, I enjoyed the main characters, and I look forward to reading about them again in Volume II. I would recommend this to teenagers and adults who love fantasy and adventure. Oh, and if it’s picked up for an anime, I’ll find a way to watch it and possibly recommend that too.

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What Am I Reading – Chapter Nine

Hi Everybody!

I recently finished two of the books that I have been reading for a long time – Blowback by Brad Thor and What Was Your Name Downriver by Anthony Lowe!

Spring is around the corner, so it’s time to start anew with two new books!

One of them is this:

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw is about three siblings and their friends who experience a devastating moment following a wedding. It takes place over 25 years as they deal with this trauma in their owns ways through friendships and love affairs, marriage and divorce, parenthood, holidays, and the modest calamities and triumphs of ordinary days.

Much as I liked the premise, I had a feeling that not much would happen. Now that I’m over halfway through, I can say that it’s more a character study, but with a goal of trying move on. It’s not a bad thing. The Four Sworn: Spring Equinox by Leonore Sagaskie was like an origin story for the main characters. It explained how they got their powers as well as how they met and later formed a group to defeat a powerful villain. Both have thin plots, but the characters are compelling enough that I can look pass that flaw. In Carry the One, each of the siblings – Carmen, Alice, and Nick – deal with the tragedy in different ways. One puts herself into her work, her son, and her family with her second husband; another goes through women while trying to get over her true love; and the other one does drugs. Anyway, I’m hoping they’ll be fine in the end.

I’m listening to the audiobook, and it’s narrated by Renee Raudman. Raudman is best known for voicing Ms. Butterbean in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. At first, I was worried that I might hear that character throughout the novel and not be able to take it seriously. Luckily, that was not the case, for none of the main female characters had that voice. Raudman has a range with voicing Carmen as a woman who acts like she has it together, but in reality doesn’t, while she portrays Alice as more free-spirited, but frustrated with her love life. The men kind of sound the same, but as I have mentioned on this website, voicing audiobooks is hard.

Now, let’s move onto the second and final book of this latest installment…

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (yes, that’s her real name) is about two high school outcasts who fall in love with each other throughout one school year. One is the new girl in town with unruly red hair, mismatched clothes, and a chaotic family life. The other is the boy at the back of the bus who wears black t-shirts, listens to his headphones, and reads his comics.

This got me hooked from the very beginning. Both Eleanor and Park are very realistic characters who initially don’t like each other for some reason (teenagers, am I right?). Afterwards, their relationship slowly blossoms like those in Korean dramas. I hope their love for each other gets stronger, yet I sense that things will not end well. The opening bit of dialogue is reminiscent of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet.

We now have come to the end of the ninth chapter of “What Am I Reading?”

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Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity Book Review

Today is International Women’s Day. What a better way to celebrate it than reviewing a book that celebrates the women who defied expectations and changed the world. Coincidentally, I have one that just happens to fall into that category, and these women lived in Michigan at some point. It’s called Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity by Norma Lewis. Even though it could have been written better, this book is a highly informative text that honors women who performed extraordinary acts that challenged the world.

Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity ranges from known people like Gilda Radner and Gillian Anderson to the obscure like Anna Howard Shaw and Pearl Kendrick. The book even includes women of color like Sojourner Truth (she lived in Battle Creek until her death), Loney Gordon – an African-American woman who assisted Kendrick with developing the vaccines against diseases like the Whooping Cough, and Madeleine LaFramboise – a mixed Ottawa and French woman who was one of the most successful fur traders in the Northwest Territory in the early 19th century.

Lewis often injects a lot of older woman humor (which is not a bad thing) while telling the stories of these women. For example, when she discusses Lauren Wolfe – the first girl on the winning high school wrestling team because she was eligible for the boys’ team, she mentions, “it’s a safe bet that when in high school, any boys she dated took her word for it when she said no, and she didn’t have to ward off any attempts to engage her in the back-seat Chevy Cha-Cha-Cha” (p. 120). For younger audiences, it’s best to shake your heads and move on.

The one complaint that I have is the structure. In each chapter, there’s always a section that’s devoted to one person, but it will end up talking about others at the end. It could have worked better if Lewis had added other sections to emphasize women, in which not much is known about them outside of what they did, even if it means grouping them into one part. In addition, the book is structured based on topics like crime, sports, and reform. I think it’s fine, but it could be improved if it was structured by era.

I also noticed that the book was rushed editing wise. I noticed some factual errors while reading it. For instance, the author notes that blues singer Sippie Wallace was born in 1888 and died in 1986 at age 88 (p. 113-114). As someone who excelled in math in school, I sensed that something was wrong. A simple Google search confirmed that Wallace was actually born in 1898. A more egregious error occurs when the book talks about Alice Lawrence, who murdered her husband and married her brother Raymond Coates. It mentions that Raymond was from Detroit “but had to come to the eastern part of the state hoping to find work” (p. 129). Alice lived in Holland, which as far as I know, is in the western part of the state. Even if one doesn’t know where Holland is, most readers would know where Detroit is. For a book that has a whole lot of extensive research, I wish that someone had looked over the information just to make sure it was accurate on the most basic level. 

Overall, Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity by Norma Lewis is an essential book for Michigan history. Although it could have been written and edited better, the positive aspect of learning about these wild women in an accessible way outweighs the negatives. I would recommend it to those who want to read more about women who defied expectations and a double must if they live in Michigan (like me). So have a happy International Women’s Day, everybody!

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What Am I Reading – Chapter Eight

Hello Everybody!

What a wonderful first day of March! I’m looking forward to spring, especially to travel more! Even if I’m walking around the block, it’s traveling by pandemic standards. I’ve had traveling on my mind ever since I started reading this book:

Around the World in Eighty Days with Michael Palin by Michael Palin is the book companion to the 1989 BBC series of the same name. In the show, the Monty Python member-turned traveler circumnavigates the globe in the same amount of time as Phileas Fogg – the protagonist of the famous Jules Verne novel of the same name – and using the same modes of transportation that were available in Fogg’s time. Along the way, he describes his joyous and sometimes chaotic experiences.

Pandemic or no pandemic, seeing pictures of Venice and Cairo make me want to travel even though they were taken over 30 years ago. Palin offers hilarious insights into them. For example, in Venice, a photo depicts an older man faced down, and he muses that the mafia probably got to him (forgive me if I misremember the comment).

I also like how every page indicates which part of the world Palin and his Passepartouts (the film crew essentially) are in. For instance, on one page, it lists Day 5: Cornith Canal in Greece as the author talks about going through it. On the next page, it lists Day 5: Athens as he talks about his experiences in that city. It’s good to know that Palin wants readers to know where he’s at all times (in the book of course).

The travelogue makes me want to watch the 7-part BBC series, which is available in its entirely on Amazon Prime. I look forward to hearing Palin’s narrations since I hear his voice constantly while reading the book.

As for the other novel that I’m reading, I finished My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman, and I’m almost done with What Was Your Name Downriver?: Tales of the Shattered Frontier by Anthony Lowe.

We now come to the end of the eighth chapter of “What Am I Reading?”

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Nighthawk Book Review

One of the most prolific authors who passed away last year (and not from COVID-19) was Clive Cussler. With and without credited ghost writers, he wrote over 70 books during his lifetime. These usually involved characters who worked at the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) and tried to save some aspect of the environment. They often utilized scientific knowledge and contained 2 subplots. I can now say that I read my very first Cussler book with Nighthawk – the 14th book in the NUMA Files series. It was a very fun, action-paced novel that one should not read before going to bed.

In Nighthawk, NUMA crew leaders Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are assigned to locate a highly advanced aircraft, which went missing. The titular aircraft carries antimatter, which was extracted from the upper reaches of the atmosphere and has to remain frozen. If thawed, it will unleash a catastrophe that will have a lingering global impact. The NUMA team along with Russia and China try to find the aircraft before it’s too late.

Before I go any further, I must add that like with Chief Armand Gamache series, the NUMA Files books can stand on their own, but the characters develop throughout. 

The book itself is a very easy read. The scenes move at a quick pace like those in an action/adventure movie. I especially loved the first scene between Kurt and Emma Townsend – the scientist turned agent for the National Security Administration – as they try to run from and fight the Chinese agents. I felt like I was in it as a good book should do. I would love to see this book turned into a film with George Clooney as Kurt, John Cena as Joe, and Jennifer Lawrence as Emma. I think it would be a big draw at the box office.

Having a fiancé who reads Clive Cussler helped me a lot to understand his books. For example, he mentioned that every one of them has a main plot with two subplots. In Nighthawk, the main story is about finding the aircraft, while the minor ones are about the antimatter that could possibly destroy the world when it hits a certain altitude and about the implications of governmental actions without properly considering the past, present, and future.

The latter subplot comes into play in the prologue with the Spaniards giving smallpox to the Inca people in 1525, and later when Kurt, Joe, and Emma go to Peru. They are assisted by Urco – an archaeologist studying the origins and disappearance of the Chachapoya people – with finding the aircraft. However, it turns out that he is the villain, but the book portrays his motivations empathically even if it agrees with the readers that his actions would create more destruction. 

In fact, I came across Bodacious Bookworm’s review of Nighthawk recently, and I’ll let her explain more about Urco:

“This villain … is motivated by tragedy and anger. He is a scientist betrayed by a government agency. An agency he warned about an experiment he worked on. In the government’s effort to keep him quiet, they try to kill him but end up only damaging him mentally and physically. He then turns the tables of the project he created against the three major superpowers- USA, Russia, and China.” (http://bodaciousbookworm.com/book-review-nighthawk-by-clive-cussler-spoilers/)

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Another plus for this book is the humor. It’s sprinkled with quips and retorts up the wazoo. I especially love the banter between Kurt and Emma throughout it. Also, the ending is one of the most hilarious ones that I have ever read in awhile.

I was also amused by the mention of Dirk Pitt in the book. Pitt is the main character of the first series that Cussler ever wrote. I bet the author has a Marvel universe with his characters since most of the main ones work at NUMA.

The only thing that I noticed while reading the book is that if one is going to read it, don’t do it before going to bed. For some, this may not be a big deal, but to others, it is. It contains so many details that I hate to admit this, but I almost missed the subplot about the antimatter. I will be frank. I read the book right before I fall asleep, and I now realize that I should have read it while wide awake. I had a similar feeling while reading So Anyway by John Cleese and vowed never to read nonfiction before I went to bed ever again.

All in all, Nighthawk by Clive Cussler is a very good book and introduction into the Marvel, uh I mean, Cussler universe. It’s full of great action and adventure with a lot of humor thrown in. I would recommend this book to Cussler fans who haven’t read it yet as well as to those who like marine-based suspense books and action/adventure novels with sharp wit. Also, please read this book while awake and not before sleeping. In the meantime, I look forward to more of his books even if they are completely written by someone else. 

RIP Clive Cussler (1931-2020)

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What Am I Reading – Chapter Seven

Hello Everybody!

I hope all of you are staying warm and safe, especially if you live in the eastern part of the United States.

I have been cozying up with What Was Your Name Downriver by Anthony Lowe (almost there!), Blowback by Brad Thor, and Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity by Norma Lewis. Last week, I added this new title:

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman is about Elsa – a 7-year-old girl who is different. Her best and only friend is her brash and crazy grandmother. She tells Elsa stories in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal. When her grandmother dies and leaves behind letters apologizing to the people she’s wronged, it’s up to Elsa to deliver those notes. They lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, vicious dogs, and totally ordinary old people, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

I’ve seen book titles, in which I was so fascinated by them that I wanted to immediately read them. Kill the Farm Boy is an example of this. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is different. Not only is it an exciting title, but I also wanted to know the story behind it. With Kill the Farm Boy, I only wanted to read it simply because it was a cool title. My Grandmother invites readers to know what had happened with the grandmother and why she needed to apologize. No other fictional book has done that to me in recent memory.

This is my second Fredrik Backman novel, and I’ve noticed something about his books. They tend to be eccentric on the outside and dark on the inside. Both this title and A Man Called Ove contain stubborn old people as they deal with life in their own idiosyncratic ways. However, as the stories progress, their backstories are revealed piecemeal, and the dark elements are more prevalent. In the latter, Ove tries to kill himself on multiple occasions. In the former, Elsa gets physically bullied by her peers. She even receives notes telling her to kill herself. I know that Elsa is not an old lady, yet I wanted to point out how intense it can get. Even though I’m only a third in My Grandmother, I wouldn’t be surprised if the grandmother’s backstory is sad and dark.

Joan Walker – an English actress – narrates the audiobook. She has voiced other books from Backman like Britt-Marie Was Here and even A Man Called Ove (I’m going to take note of that for an audiobook versus special). For this novel, she does a good job giving vocal distinctions for the female characters. The grandmother sounds like what one would expect for a brash old lady holding a cigarette in her hands, and Elsa is quiet like a mouse. The second part reminded me of how Eric Idle voiced Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Also like Idle, Walker has some volume issues. She could be very quiet in one second, and then raise her voice in the next. I had to adjust the volume multiple times because of this. I’ll see how this performance unfolds, but I’m liking it so far.

We now come to the end of the seventh chapter of “What Am I Reading?”

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The Book of Love: 50 Poems to Fall in Love Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free PDF copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love is in the air, and there are many ways to express it. One way is to read poetry (no matter how corny it is), for they come from the most vulnerable and deepest emotions. Shah Asad Rizvi has a new poetry collection called The Book of Love: 50 Poems to Fall in Love. It focuses on love and its many manifestations like longing, becoming one with another, love at first sight, and what it means to be in love. Like his previous work Divan of Shah, it’s a good gateway into this genre.

While I was reading this collection, I decided to listen to the 69 Love Songs album from The Magnetic Fields, which includes the famous indie song “The Book of Love.” However, I stopped halfway through the album when I felt that it was mocking the poetry (not unintentionally of course). The poems were clearly written by someone who felt intensely about love and would express his feelings about it no matter how cliche it sounded. This is in contrast to the album, which was clearly made by a cynical, but sincere guy, who expressed love in more realistic and blunt terms. I mean, the opening line to “The Book of Love” is “The book of love is long and boring.”

I can describe The Book of Love: 50 Poems to Fall in Love as many things, which I’ll get to in a bit, but the two things that I won’t call it are long (it’s a little over 100 pages) and inherently boring. So, in conclusion, if people feel the need to read the collection while listening to music, I would definitely suggest piano music like this collection on YouTube. It’ll set a more romantic mood.

As for the collection itself, I noticed that The Book of Love had similar strengths and weaknesses to its predecessor. The pros included the simple, elegant and (mostly) non-rhyming language, which make them feel like pop songs but with a sonnet tone. They also make the emotions and topics clear without being too obvious. In other words, the words and tone are elevated enough that people who love poetry can relish its every word and cadence, yet blunt enough that it doesn’t disway those who are not as into the genre as much. In addition, it helps that the collection forces people to sit down and actually read them in order to absorb their meanings. Some of my favorite poems were “Origins”, “Gesture”, “Gravity”, and “Doorstep.” 

On the other hand, the main con is that it covers the same aspects, but in different ways. Rizvi also has a tendency to repeat the same metaphors to express his feelings like rainbow and colors as well as summer and breeze. There are variations of I can’t live without you thrown in there as well. This could bore some people. Some of it is understandable since some of the poems in The Book of Love were originally from Divan of Shah. I’m hoping that for future collections, Rizvi expands the ways he expresses himself and how he looks at subjects like love.

Before I finish this review, there’s one more thing that I need to point out. As I mentioned earlier, the title is The Book of Love: 50 Poems to Fall in Love. Technically, there are 49 poems. I noticed that the poems “Envious” and “Home” are the same one right down the wording and comma placement. I don’t know how it slipped under the author’s and editor’s noses, but if one is going to have 50 poems in a collection, have 50 poems. It’s like naming a group Fifth Harmony, but only having four members.

In conclusion, like his previous work, Shah Asad Rizvi’s The Book of Love: 50 Poems to Fall in Love is an accessible poetry collection. It’s elegantly passionate and palatable at the same time. Although there are some minor flaws, I would still recommend it to those who want to start reading poetry as well as to those who love poetry, especially the romantic kind. This book of love is not dull and boring, and I’m sure people will love it if their significant others read it to them.

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What Am I Reading – Chapter Six

Hi Everybody!

I hope everyone is having a great first day of February. I sure am! I just finished Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly! I can’t wait to review it this year!

In the meantime, I’m still chugging along reading What Was Your Name Downriver by Anthony Lowe, Blowback by Brad Thor, and The Book of Love by Shah Asad Rizvi. Luckily, I started a new book that I hope to review for Women’s History Month next month, and it’s called…..

Wild Women of Michigan: A History of Spunk and Tenacity by Norma Lewis is about the women who performed extraordinary acts that challenged and changed the world (they lived in Michigan obviously). It ranges from known people like Gilda Radner and Madame Marie-Therese Cadillac to the obscure like Anna Howard Shaw and Pearl Kendrick. The book even includes women of color like Loney Gordon – an African-American woman who assisted Kendrick with developing the vaccine against the Whooping Cough – and Madeleine LaFramboise – a mixed Odawa and French woman who was one of the most successful fur traders in the Northwest Territory. It’s very informative so far, and I look forward to reading more about these women.

The only complaint that I have is the structure. Sometimes, there will be a section that’s devoted to one person, but it will end up talking about others at the end. Despite that, the positive of learning about these women in an accessible way outweighs that little negative so far.

We now come to the end of the sixth chapter of “What Am I Reading?”

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