Mystery – …on the B.L.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

March 9, 2019 RaeAnna

Reading American Spy on a cruise. | Cute and comfy one-piece swimsuit.

Worth A Read Meh
Length 304
Quick Review I wouldn’t read American Spy for the mystery, but I would read it for the nuance, depth of understanding, and style. Lauren Wilkinson makes an impression in her debut novel.

Lauren Wilkinson sets her novel, American Spy, against the backdrop of the spread of communism during the Cold War. Wilkinson writes a beautiful novel about the ferocity of a mother’s love.

Marie Mitchell is a former FBI operative of Caribbean descent. When her home is broken into late one night, her past compromises the safety of her children. Marie writes about her journey to the FBI and operations with the CIA to explain to her past and decisions to her two young sons. A love story unfolds as Marie, the American Spy, is pulled by country, love, duty, and relationships.

I really enjoyed reading American Spy, but I would not come for the mystery. It is absolutely predictable and not terribly interesting. Then again, I never have any difficulty predicting love stories or mystery plots. What is interesting is Wilkinson’s ability to weave a story and her ability to delve into the complexities of human nature, feeling, and personal history. She also utilizes French words and sayings to add authenticity to Marie’s Caribbean heritage. Wilkinson doesn’t over simplify the French but makes it accessible to non-francophiles.

American Spy has a really interesting organization. Time is not linear, nor is there any specific organization. It reads the way the diary of a distraught person would. A bit jumpy. Talking about the past, the present, important people, events, and minor tangents. It’s a brilliant way of transporting the reader into Marie’s mental state. The majority of the time, Marie is telling a story but often utilizes “you” referencing her two sons.

Wilkinson explores the complexities of human nature and racial charges. American Spy is charged with the difficulties of being a professional woman and a professional black woman in the white, good-ole boy club. Wilkinson demonstrates so many prevalent issues throughout her novel without ever seeming preachy or condescending.

I enjoyed reading American Spy; it is definitely a great vacation read.

Memorable Quotes
“My parents had nothing but their children in common.”
“I think that conclusion was drawn too neatly – people are too complex for such simple arithmetic – but I understand the purpose it serves.”
““I don’t like to say what I’ve read. That’s how you disclose the most about yourself. I never make notes in a book or underline passages either. That’s even more revealing.””
“But for you, for black American boys, the middle class can’t help guarantee your safety.”

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Title: American Spy
Author: Lauren Wilkinson
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780812998955

Books, Fiction

Homeward Hound by Rita Mae Brown

February 16, 2019 RaeAnna

Should I Read Meh
Length 336
Quick Review Traditions refuse to change in Homeward Hound even when a snow storm threatens the Christmas hunt. Everyone makes it home safe except one.

Homeward Hound by Rita Mae Brown is comprised of elements, which should make me like it. Unfortunately, they are just that. Elements failing to come together to create a memorable book. What I thought would be a huge cast of dynamic characters was a bland smoothie.

The basic gist: A whole bunch of characters are gathering in the Virginia countryside for the traditional run days before Christmas. The run is steeped in 400 years of tradition and hierarchy. The hierarchy is further bolstered by the social structure of the area they all live. Toss in a pipeline and a wealthy gentleman, who goes missing.

Brown begins Homeward Hound with a list of characters including the humans and the animals. Each character was accompanied by their traits and role within the group. I like the concept when there are so many characters involved because the story doesn’t have to explain it in the story. Unfortunately, the story still felt the need to, so it was basically a waste of time reading those pages. Brown has one family and their “African American”ness was emphasized. Instead of feeling inclusive, it felt racist for needing to point out this otherness in rural Virginia. I got it, they’re black in a sea of white folk in a literal blizzard.

Having a pipeline and a missing person were the main driving forces behind the plot in Homeward Hound, but neither did a great job of making me want to read more.

My favorite part of the entire novel was the way Brown decided to deal with dialogue. The animals had conversations among themselves in the midst of human interactions. The human dialogue was noted in the traditional way with quotes. When the animals spoke, their conversations were italicized, so the reader would know an animal was speaking instead of a two legged character.

I do really like the cover art and the concept of Homeward Hound. The elements just did not come together in a cohesive and compelling enough way to make me enjoy reading the book. I like the cover more than the content.

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Memorable Quotes
“nonagenarian”
“Because those people on the hunt field measured up to sartorial tradition close to four hundred years in practice.”

Title: Homeward Hound
Author: Rita Mae Brown
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Penguin Random House)
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780399178375

Books, Fiction

A Christmas Revelation by Anne Perry

December 6, 2018 RaeAnna

A Christmas Revelation | Sweater (so soft and cozy) | Shoes (so sparkly) | Jeans

Read Yes
Length 160
Quick Review Set in Victorian London, this mild mystery is a sweet story about the meaning of Christmas spirit and never giving up.

Victorian London is an iconic Christmas setting perfect for any holiday mystery. Anne Perry sets A Christmas Revelation in the middle of not-so-respectable London. It’s a short novel perfect for a busy reader this holiday season.

Worm is a nine year old orphan wandering the streets of London, when he sees a beautiful young woman abducted. He lives at a medical clinic with Squeaky, a brothel owner turned bookkeeper, and an assortment of other characters. Worm goes home with the woman on his mind. He confides in Squeaky, who tries to distract him with the Christmas story. Squeaky is an old grump with no holiday spirit, but as he describes the traditions and history to Worm, who’s never had a true Christmas, he begins to melt a little. What ensues is a scramble for decorations and to find the woman because no matter how much Squeaky tries, Worm can’t forget about the woman he saw.

Perry does a very good job of showing the situations of the characters in A Christmas Revelation. In short books, it is easier to tell rather than show the reader. Perry does not succumb even in the earliest pages, “He walked quite quietly, since his boots were very thin…” She writes in the third person narrative, which allows the reader to see the thought process of both Squeaky and Worm. They are on opposite sides of the age spectrum of age, but they bond over a common goal. Perry does a decent job describing the thought process of Worm, but does a better job of getting in Squeaky’s mind. She easily narrates the ways an adult simplifies and side-steps complicated issues for children.

A Christmas Revelation is a sweet Christmas novel under 200 pages. It is small and easy to read. If you’re looking for something light with a super sweet ending, this is a good one. Anyone can easily finish it by Christmas. I read it in two hours.

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Memorable Quotes
“It was a deep sin to ignite dreams in a child that you could not live up to.”

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Title: A Christmas Revelation
Author: Anne Perry
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780399179945

Books, Fiction

Crazy Rich Asians – Book and Movie

August 16, 2018May 16, 2019 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Movie Watch!
Length 527
Quick Review Rachel Chu is completely unprepared to enter her boyfriend’s world of money, drama, and family. Although it comes across as a rom-commy love store, it’s more of a satire.

Recreating the cover of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.

I picked up Crazy Rich Asians and its sisters right before the movie came out because I like supporting POC, especially when they’re represented in the media. I power read my way through Crazy Rich Asians in a day, so I could write and publish this the day after seeing the movie, which I saw last night.

Honestly, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is an interesting read. As an American with no depth in Singaporean high-society or any level of Singaporean society, a lot of the satire and poorly veiled pseudonyms were lost on me without digging a little. From the beginning, Kwan has a quirky and funny writing style. The family tree is footnoted with hilarious tidbits.

Rachel Chu is a Chinese-American living in New York as an economics professor at NYU. Her boyfriend Nick Young, a NYU history professor, is the heir apparent to a millions-upon-millions fortune in Singapore, all unbeknownst to Rachel. They take a summer trip to his hometown for his best friend’s wedding, where she is thrown into the viper pit without warning. Ensues is a level of opulence that makes The Great Gatsby look like peanuts, (although, there are a lot of similar elements between the two stories), mystery, privacy, and so much drama you can’t even imagine.

Kwan does a really good job from the very first chapter in setting up the story to demonstrate the ability the Young’s, T’sien’s, and Shang’s have at getting their way because of their money. Kwan does a much better job at crafting intriguing and well-rounded male characters. For the most part, the female characters fall flat. They lack the emotional range a real woman would have in any situation let alone one similar to that of these characters. The female characters become tropes. There is a lot of mystery and drama, which helped make the novel interesting.

I did enjoy the way Kwan wrote the book. The writing style is fun and quirky with really quippy dialogue. The narrative structure really helped the novel. Had it been told from one or two perspectives, it would have been a lot less effective, and the problems with the characters would have shown through much more. The chapters were told from the perspectives of several characters of different genders, families, and backgrounds; this was great for showing several perspectives, story lines, and mystery. The narration was in the third person, but Kwan gave insight into the character’s psyche through italicizing their inner dialogues. There were also flash back moments to fill in about their personal history or adding to the family’s.

Movie
I saw the movie last night. I really, really enjoyed it. I love that it was an all Asian cast. The acting was great. Constance Wu took the character of Rachel – who fell flat in the book – and turned her into a believable, funny, and interesting character to watch and empathize with. The rest of the cast was equally thrilling to watch. Awkwafina was brilliant.

I loved the men in this movie. Asian men are quite literally the least romantically sought after ethnic group in America because they have constantly been feminized and more. It’s a big issue. A complicated issue. We need to start recognizing Asian men as complex fascinating men just like their counter parts. I have never understood this stereotype. I love Asian guys; I have dated Asian guys; I wish they were seen as the sexy beings they truly are. Like Ali Wong says, they’re frickin’ dolphins with no body hair. What’s not to like??? This movie has HOT Asian dudes in it. Hopefully, it’s a step towards having Asian leading men (and ladies). If we’re only going to let beautiful people on screen, can I, at least, look at beautiful people of different colors.

The movie fixed the things I didn’t like in the novel but cut out the things I did like about the book. Unfortunately. I understand why. You can’t fit that kind of family drama into 120 minutes. I did not love the flat characters in the book, but the movie fixed that. I didn’t think Kevin Kwan really understood how bitchy and subversive women can be when they’re torturing other women, but the movie got it! Cut it short but got it. The movie had to reduce about 80% of the drama and mystery that made the book interesting to read, but I forgive them. The movie can stand on its own without it. The movie also gets rid of a bunch of the profanity and crudeness out of the book. It would have very much been rated R if they kept it. I did enjoy reading those bits, though. Hilarious. Debauchery comes in every culture.

Overall, the movie is fabulous. Go watch it. This weekend! Show up for POC!!! We need to support them, so we can continue to have diverse representation in media. When POC win, we all win.

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Memorable Quotes
“NEVER, EVER wear green chiffon unless you want to look like bok choy that got gang-raped.”

Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
Publisher: Anchor Books
Copyright: 2013
ISBN: 9780345803788