Anthem

Title: Anthem
Author: Ayn Rand
Published: First Published in 1938 by Cassell
Format: Kindle, 112 pages
Genre: Dystopian Novella

First Sentence: It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper on others are to see.

Blurb: In Anthem, Rand examines a frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces of individualism have been wiped out.

Despite such a restrictive environment, the spark of individual thought and freedom still burns in him--a passion which he has been taught to call sinful. In a purely egalitarian world, Equality 7-2521 dares to stand apart from the herd--to think and choose for himself, to discover electricity, and to love the woman of his choice.

Now he has been marked for death for committing the ultimate sin. In a world where the great "we" reign supreme, he has rediscovered the lost and holy word--"I." (Amazon)

My Opinion: A short and powerful dystopian novella that explores the idea of individualism (“I”) versus collectivism (“we”) and ends with ego. The story follows a man (Equality 7-2521) who lives in a society where everyone is equal and has no identity or choice, even when it comes to occupations. He rebels against this system after discovering what was left behind, and in doing so, discovers his own self and the word “I”.

For me, the novella was engaging and terrifying. Others claim it has flaws and biases, and some of the events are unrealistic, but isn’t that prevalent in all dystopic novels?

Having a Fudgy Christmas Time

Title: Having a Fudgy Christmas Time
Author: Nancy Coco
Published: September 26, 2023 by Kensington Cozies
Format: Kindle, 132 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Candy-Coated Mystery Series #11.5

First Sentence: I’ve lived my whole life on Mackinac Island, and I think there’s no place better in the world.

Blurb: Carol Tunisian is looking forward to finishing plans for the Mackinac Island Senior Center Christmas Ball. But when she arrives at the center, she finds the door jimmied open and a dead man inside. The victim is a local senior who seems to have been sleeping in the center at night—but why? Although she promises Officer Rex Manning not to involve her book club in solving the mystery, Carol finds a way to fudge around that. Rallying her troop of silver-haired sleuths—and with some support from Ally in between her batches of Christmas fudge -- Carol sets out to discover which grinch tried to steal this Christmas. All she wants from Santa is to get this case wrapped up with a bow!

My Opinion: A nice filler novella that has Carol Tunisian as the amateur sleuth instead of Allie and her ever-present Bichonpoo Mal. To be honest, I needed a break from the usual protagonist and her trusty sidekick that can sniff out a dead body miles away. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs, but this one has more skill than Sherlock Holmes.

This quick read novella hits all the right cozy and wintery spots. I did question a few things, but that is what cozies are, friendly books that might have a few things that make you wonder, but are woven with enough antics to make you easily forget about the “whys” and the “would a person really do that” parts.

A dozen books in and I’m going to stick with the characters I know since the next book in the series, ‘Three Fudges and a Baby’, is due this spring.

The Golden Gate

Title: The Golden Gate
Author: Amy Chua
Published: September 19, 2023 by Minotaur Books
Format: 384 pages, Hardcover
Genre: Historical Mystery

First Sentence: 1930. Inside an alabaster palace one January afternoon in 1930, a six-year-old girl hiding inside a closed armoire felt truly alone for the firs time in her life.

Blurb: In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan has just left the swanky Claremont Hotel after a drink in the bar when a presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms upstairs. A rich industrialist with enemies among the anarchist factions on the far left, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of groups. But strangely, Sullivan’s investigation brings up the specter of another tragedy at the Claremont, ten years the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the Bainbridge family, one of the wealthiest in all of San Francisco. Some say she haunts the Claremont still.

The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now Iris’s sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth―not the powerful influence of Bainbridges’ grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley’s district attorney, or the interest of China's First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in his findings―Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.

Chua’s page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history.

My Opinion: What sets the stage:

“Q: Mrs. Bainbridge, I’m giving you a chance to help your family. We know one of your three granddaughters is a murderer, I can convict all three as coconspirators, or you can tell me which one did it, and I’ll spare the other two”.

For the first third of the book, I couldn’t understand the flow. The mystery would then suddenly devolve into a history of the bay area, then back to the mystery, then over to family history. It got to the point that I was ready to put the book down since, to me, it felt like Amy Chua (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) was just testing the waters.

Then something happened. I got the flow; the cousins finally came into their own. The background and history added to the story and made the time and place its own character, becoming just as important as the dead guy on the bed.

What I came to feel, not a full comparison and others might not see it, there were parts that reminded me of John Steinbeck. I know that is a reach, an maybe it is just the bay area, but my brain was linking the two authors.

This is a book that might deserve a second read. Now that I understand the characters, the beginning, and the importance of the California history sections, I think I will appreciate it more.

Geneva

Title: Geneva
Author: Richard Armitage
Published: October 12, 2023 by Pegasus Crime
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
Genre: Medical Thriller

First Sentence: Prologue: A shard of ancient granite thrusts upwards through the white origami folds of the Swiss Alps, piercing the low-hanging cloud.

Blurb: Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier has taken a step back from work to spend more time with her family. Movie nights with her husband Daniel and their daughter Maddie are a welcome respite from the scrutiny of the world’s press. As much as it hurts, it’s good to be able to see her father more too. He’s suffering from Alzheimer’s and needs special care.

Sarah has started to show tell-tale signs of the disease too. She’s been experiencing blackouts and memory loss. It’s early days but she must face the possibility that she won’t be there to see her daughter grow up. Daniel, a neuroscientist himself, is doing his best to be supportive but she already knows that she will have to be the strong one. For all of them.

So when Sarah is invited to be the guest of honour at a prestigious biotech conference in Geneva she declines, wanting to stay out of the public eye—that is until Daniel shows her the kind of work that the enigmatic Mauritz Schiller has been developing.

Flown first class to the spectacular alpine city and housed in a luxury hotel, Sarah and Daniel are thrust back into the spotlight. As they try to shut out the noise of the public media storm, in private Sarah is struggling with her escalating symptoms. And the true extent of what Schiller has achieved is a revelation. This is technology that could change medicine forever. More than that, it could save Sarah’s life.

But technology so valuable attracts all kinds of interest. Wealthy investors are circling, controversial blogger Terri Landau is all over the story, and someone close to Schiller seems bent on taking advantage of the situation for themselves. Sarah feels threatened and does not know who to trust—including herself. Far from being her lifeline Schiller's technology may be her undoing.

As events spiral out of control, Sarah and Daniel are faced with the ultimate question: how far would you go for someone you love?

My Opinion: I found the book overly descriptive and it felt like the author was writing a screenplay rather than a novel.

The premise was not believable, I couldn't understand why the media would be interested in stalking and photographing a Nobel Prize winner acting as an influencer for research dollars at a technology summit in Geneva. While the person hosting the summit is world-renowned, the average person would hardly know a Nobel winner in the field of science, let alone be impressed enough for photos and inside scoops.

The book had many unrealistic details, which isn't unheard of in medical thrillers but still annoying. A quarter of the way through the book, readers can predict the plot, but Richard Armitage manages to pull off one final twist.

By the end, there are more questions than answers, and I will continue to believe the intention all along was a screenplay rather than a novel.

Charlotte's Web

Title: Charlotte's Web
Author: E.B. White
Published: January 1, 2012 by Harper Collins (First published October 15, 1952)
Format: Hardcover, 182 pages
Genre: Children's Classic

First Sentence: Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

Blurb: Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.

My Opinion: This is the first time that I have read the book. I know, I should have read it as a child, but here we are. My first take is that it is scary and sad, maybe too much for a child. As an adult, it is just heartbreaking.

Wilbur, the pig that should not have lived, is the one left behind to remember all the stories and can only share them with the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who were so important to the humble pig.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it and it’s just a great book about the antic in a barnyard and county fair, but Wilbur is just one of those characters that will stay with the reader whether they are 5 or 50. There is just so much heart in that little runt.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Title: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Author: Judy Blume
Published: April 29, 2014 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (First published January 1, 1970)
Format: 192 pages, Paperback
Genre: Coming of Age

First Sentence: Are you there God, It’s me Margaret, We’re moving today.

Blurb: If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him?

My Opinion: I remember feeling scandalized when I first read this book as a preteen. However, reading it today made me miss those naive times. At the same time, I realized how outdated the ideals portrayed in the book are.

The genre of coming-of-age books has evolved over the last 50 years. Unfortunately, I don't believe this novel is the classic others claim it to be since it doesn’t hold true today as it did in 1970. Although the portrayal of girls' friendships, lies, and cliques still resonates today, other parts of the book seem dated and unrelatable. Do girls still stuff their bras?

Thank you for taking me on a trip down memory lane, but I would not recommend this book to today's young girls.