Happy Birthday, Turk!

I found Jakob Arjouni’s Happy Birthday, Turk! while googling about the television series Cenk Batu: Undercover Agent. Cenk Batu is a German of Turkish ancestry, and my google search introduced me to a world of Turkish-German television series, movies, and books. Happy Birthday, Turk! was highly recommended on several sites, so I quickly ordered an English translation through my library’s interlibrary loan program.

Turk! was a fast read. Kemal Kayankaya is rough-living private investigator that is hired to investigate the murder of a Turkish migrant. I am not sure if it was the translation, but the reading, though fast, was not smooth. I never felt invested in Kayankaya and wasn’t sure how such a lazy, angry, drunken young man was able to solve this crime.

This book was valuable to me, though, as a perspective on the Turkish experience in Germany. Though Kayankaya has no ties to Turkey, he suffers from the same discrimination as other Turks in Germany. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the racism and prejudice the Turks experienced in this book, but I was.

A Year Without Mom

A Year Without Mom is a touching graphic novel about 12-year-old Dasha, whose mother has gone to study in the United States. As a mother it is hard to imagine the separation between parent and child, but I also understand Dasha’s mother’s desire to improve their situation—something that Dasha cannot understand. I’d be interested to hear the perspective of a child reading this book.

The Fixer

Tess Kendrick has to leave her life on the ranch with her ailing grandfather to live with her older sister, a high-power “fixer” in Washington, D.C. Tess gets caught up in intrigue when the grandfather of a new classmate mysteriously dies.

This was a fast-paced, interesting YA novel. It was an easy read, and the relationships between Tess, her sister, and her sister’s associates was engaging. Definitely a good beach read.

The Forty Rules of Love

Elif Şafak’s The Forty Rules of Love was on a list of recommended reading for books about Turkey. I certainly would not recommend the novel to understand Turkey better, since the story really has nothing to do with Turkish culture or geography. However, I would recommend it to understand Sufism, Islamic mysticism, better.

The novel varies in perspective between Ella, a housewife reviewing a manuscript for a literary agent, and the novel she’s reading. The manuscript is about the poet and theologian Rumi and his relationship with Shams of Tabriz, a dervish. The novel within the novel also alters between perspectives—Rumi, Shams, Rumi’s family, even a prostitute.

I must admit that I was most interested in Ella’s story and her relationships with her family and Aziz, the author of the Rumi novel. I’m not sure why I cared about the story since Ella wasn’t exactly an attractive character and her growth in the novel did not feel like an accurate reflection of the Rumi/Shams subplot.

 I was also invested, although less so, in the relationship between Rumi and Shams and feel I should do further research to verify the fictional account. Overall, the story was appealing, though the writing often felt stilted and formal. As such, I only recommend the novel for those interested in mysticism.

The Widow

Fiona Barton’s The Widow was an interesting read. The story is told from the perspective of the mother of a missing child, a reporter following the case, the police detective in charge of the case, the suspect, and the suspect’s wife. The change between points of view, and shifts between past and present, kept the chapters short and the pace fast. I was intrigued to know what happened to little Bella and whose perspective was actually reliable.

That said, this is not a book of great literature. Although the writing was adequate, the story was actually rather predictable, without the unexpected twists and turns of other recent bestsellers. I wouldn’t recommend this book as a “must read” but also wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking it on.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? was a fun read. It has been a long time since I’ve read a book with such a delightful style. The writing is clever, the tone is light (although the content is not), and Marie Semple does an excellent job of creating different characters with distinct voices. The story is told from the perspective of Bernadette--a former shining star in architecture, Elgin--a coding genius at Microsoft, their teenage daughter Bee, a neighbor with a grudge against Bernadette, and Elgin’s admin. The plot goes off the rails at the end, defying me to suspend my disbelief, but the story remains consistently entertaining throughout.

Uncommon Criminals

It had been so long (four years!) since I read Heist Society, the prequel to Ally Carter’s Uncommon Criminals, that I just could not remember the huge cast of characters. So many people came in and out of the story that I just did not recall, but that Carter assumed I did, that I often found myself confused and floundering. Overall, the plot of Uncommon Criminals can stand on its own, but to understand the characters, readers really need to have recently read the prequel.  

Uncommon Criminals finds Kat once again trying to use her skills as a thief for the good. This time, she agrees to return the Cleopatra Emerald, a cursed jewel, to its original owner. Of course, all does not go according to plan, so Kat must assemble her cast of thieves to help with a seemingly impossible job.

The book is a fast and a fun read. I am amazed by Carter’s imagination and impressed by the clever scenarios she develops. Clearly, I do not have the ingenuity to be a thief—which is, I suppose, exactly why I read.

Goodbye Stranger

The middle school students in Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger face issues typical to young adulthood: changing friendships, budding romances, and even sexting (though that word is never used). Despite introducing serious topics (like sexting), the book feels appropriate for a younger audience. The characters experience crises, but the mood stays positive and the outcomes tend to be unrealistically rosy. The book seems to be a good introduction to topics like romances, divorce, and peer pressure and reminds me a little of those “very special episodes” they showed on TV when I was a child.

The Uninvited

I read The Uninvited after attending a lecture by the author, Tim Wynne-Jones. I enjoyed his presentation, particularly his focus on place, and wish I had read The Uninvited beforehand because he referred several times to the young adult novel. As I read the book, though, I was much more interested in the plot. Mimi runs from New York City to Canada to avoid a bad relationship. When she arrives, she learns family secrets and finds out she has a stalker. The story is intriguing and kept me reading. I wanted to know what was going to happen. However, there is also an overt theme of incest that I found both uncomfortable and interesting, but I also question whether a young reader would be sophisticated enough to differentiate the shades of familial relationships that Wynne-Jones paints.

P.S. I Still Love You

In P.S. I Still Love You, the sequel to Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lara Jean and Peter navigate a real relationship, including exes, physical intimacy, and unexpected friendships. Once again, the characters are flawed but likable. I shed a few tears, wanting the best for Lara Jean and remembering how difficult dating can be. I look forward to next installment in the series.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

In Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lara Jean writes a goodbye letter to each of the boys she loves, without ever intending to send them. When the letters are sent, she must face her crushes, including both her sister’s ex-boyfriend and her former best friend’s ex-boyfriend. Overall, the characters of this book are likeable while still being flawed. I felt for Lara Jean and wanted a happy ending for her. This was the first in a series that left me wanting more.

Orphan Train

I read Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train because it appeared on a reading list for my niece who is entering her freshman year in high school. I was intrigued by a historical situation I was completely unaware of—orphaned and abandoned children from the East sent to the Midwest for “adoption”—and thought it would be a topic worthy of discussion. I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed with the writing or even the plot—too many characters were two-dimensional, all black and white with few shades of gray—but the book raises several topics and questions worth discussing, from the titular orphan train to the Native American experience to foster care to parenting choices. I imagine the discussions following the book will be deeper and more fulfilling than the book itself.

Hugo & Rose: A Novel

Every so often, I approach a book with a complete misunderstanding of its content. In 2003, when everyone was raving about The Da Vinci Code, I assumed it was a novel with some sort of literary merit. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was plot-driven, poorly-written froth. I had the opposite experience with Bridget Foley’s Hugo & Rose. When I read its description on Amazon, I thought it would be light summer reading but discovered it was a much heavier.

The story was slow to start, and I only persisted because I had read good reviews of the book. I could relate to Rose’s feelings of dissatisfaction with marriage, parenthood, and her post-childbirth body. I could relate less to her dream world, which I often found tedious and boring. I found the first half of the book uninspiring but ended up surprised by the turn it took in the second half, although that is not necessarily a positive thing.

Finding Audrey

Audrey is a teenager dealing with a serious anxiety disorder. She finds it difficult to socialize and even leave home—until she meets Linus. Finding Audrey is a young adult novel that tackles issues of depression, self-esteem, and young romance.

I read Finding Audrey because I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series, which I find both entertaining and exasperating. Audrey was an easy read, but it was not as lightweight or humorous as Shopaholic. That said, although Audrey addresses serious issues (and contains strong language), the characters still seem to be unrealistically happy and stable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a young adult novel.

The Girl on the Train

There’s a reason Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on the Train is a bestseller: it’s a page turner. Rachel Watson fantasizes about a couple she sees outside the train window on her daily commute until one day she sees something she shouldn’t. What could be more intriguing?

Reading Train was a similar experience for me as reading Gone Girl. Train’s characters are flawed, often to the point of revulsion, and the story raises doubts and questions about marriage and relationships in general. Yet Train, like Gone, is fascinating, intriguing, and a book you’ll want to discuss with your friends—even if you have mixed feelings about it, as I do.

Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct is the second entry in Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Naturals series. Cassie, a teenage FBI profiler, and her gifted companions are back with a new FBI handler and a case eerily similar to the murders committed by Dean’s father. The premise of these books is farfetched—teenagers with a greater, natural ability to catch criminals succeed when the traditional FBI has failed—but the books are fun, the mysteries intriguing, and the obligatory love triangle engaging. Because the books are ultimately mystery fluff, I had a hard time remembering what happened in The Naturals, but that did not prevent me from enjoying the book.

Famous Last Words

Willa invites the supernatural into her life when she tries to contact her deceased father. The other -worldly visitations increase when she moves into the former home of a late Hollywood actress. At the same time, a serial killer is recreating death scenes from famous movies, and Willa’s lab partner is obsessed with the murders. Famous Last Words is a fun, fast, and entertaining read for anyone who is a fan of thrillers and Young Adult novels.

Seven Houses: A Novel

Seven Houses: A Novel was recommended to me as a must read for anyone with a love for or connection with Turkey. Seven Houses is a beautifully written, literary novel, and I agree with the recommendation. The premise of the novel is that the seven houses, located in Turkey throughout the 20th century, have a soul and a connection to the inhabitants and their stories. The idea of the houses speaking for the family is interesting but not necessary and sometimes a clunky tool. It should also be noted that the family featured in the story is representative of the Turkish secular ideal, so only portrays part of the population and does not address the reality of the much more conservative-leaning Turkish society of today. Even those that do not have a connection to Turkey, but enjoy well-written literary fiction, will enjoy this novel.

Jane

Jane is a modern-day retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. In this case, Jane is a college student that drops out of college when her parents die and she can no longer pay tuition. Instead, she takes a job as a nanny for a notoriously bad rock musician. Although Jane follows the plot of Jane Eyre, it is definitely no Jane Eyre. The book modernizes the relationship between Jane and “Rathburn” (i.e., sex) and, rightly, corrects the inhumane treatment of the Bertha Mason-inspired character. However, the story does not have the elegance, heart, or emotion of the original. Hopefully those that read Jane first will then want to read Jane Eyre and be treated to a real literary experience.

Sharp Objects

Gillian Flynn is a master at creating uncomfortable situations, and Sharp Objects is definitely uncomfortable. Camille Preaker is a reporter that is sent to cover the murder of a young girl in her hometown. Camille is alienated from her Southern Belle mother and younger half-sister but returns home to research the murders. Camille makes some very stupid decisions and the plot is rather predictable, but the writing and story are interesting, engrossing, and uncomfortable. If you can handle the discomfort and enjoyed Gone Girl, you will like this book.