FLASH REVIEWS: Recent Audio Reads with an International Flavor

As I mentioned in my last post, my pleasure reading of late has been almost entirely limited to audiobooks. It's been a while since I finished some of these, but here are some quick reviews of international-themed books I've been reading/listening to over the past few months:

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Adult/YA Crossover
Genre: Coming-of-Age Story/Political Fiction/War Story

This stunning coming of age novel tells the story of Jean Patrick Nkuba, a young Rwandan who dreams of running in the Olympics. He is a kindhearted and slightly naive boy, but as he grows older he becomes increasingly aware of the stark ethnic divide in his country and the challenges his Tutsi heritage will present to achieving his dream. Gripping and frequently distressing—this is one of the few novels that has made me cry—Running the Rift is nevertheless a story of hope, love, and perseverance. Benaron does not shy away from the escalating violence that eventually leads to the Rwandan genocide, but the story is not sensationalistic in any way. Instead, through the fictionalized account of Jean Patrick, it brings a relatable voice to an unimaginable tragedy and shows that there is much more to the country and its people than can be surmised from political reports and news stories. In contrast to the unflinching portrait of violence and moral complexities are Jean Patrick’s genuine love of his sport, his country, his family, and a young woman for whom he would do almost anything.



The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Literary Fiction/Political Fiction/Dystopia

Set in the real-world dystopia of North Korea, this Pulitzer Prize–winning novel takes readers on a weird and wonderful journey along with its anti-hero protagonist. Jun Do begins life with the unlucky reputation of being an orphan—although in actuality he is not—and through a series of strange circumstances and fateful choices he finds himself filling unlikely roles, from professional kidnapper to national hero to romantic rival of the Great Leader himself. Set in a world where the “story” is so much more important than truth—where the story becomes truth—Jun Do seizes opportunities to reinvent himself over and over, and yet the nature and politics of North Korea can easily take him on a detour that will rewrite his story all over again. Perhaps because the world it explores is so very alien, I must admit that I initially found this book a bit difficult to connect with. I also wonder whether my occasional dissatisfaction might be related to the audio format. There are multiple voices and frequent interruptions from propagandist loudspeakers that perhaps did not translate well in this audio adaptation. But while it becomes a bit tedious at times (whether due to format or subject matter), The Orphan Master’s Son is also frequently brilliant, fascinating, and surprising.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Nonfiction/Social Issues/Travel Writing

In this intimate and poignant book, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist creates a extraordinary portrait of India's urban poor. By focusing on Annawadi, one of dozens of tiny slums that exist alongside the modern new airport and luxury hotels of Mumbai, Katherine Boo is able to bring to life the everyday realities faced by so many. While the story centers on the accusations of a woman who set herself on fire and the repercussions for the family accused of harming her, several key residents of the small undercity are examined. From petty squabbles that escalate into tragedy to a murdered garbage thief left ignored on the side of the road, death and survival in Annawadi is brought to vivid life by Boo’s compassionate yet clear-eyed reportage. There is Abdul, the quiet, diligent garbage collector; Asha, an ambitious kindergarten teacher determined to work the corrupt system for her own betterment; and Manju, Asha’s disapproving, intelligent daughter who hopes education will be her way out. Readers are left both frustrated by the actions of some residents and cautiously hopeful for the futures of others; but, in the end, the people of Annawadi are portrayed at complex individuals, not as collective objects of pity but as human beings fighting for survival and carving out a life in a flawed and corrupt system.  

REVIEW: Overseas by Beatriz Williams

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Love Story/Fantasy/Time-Travel
Audience: Adult

Summary: In modern day Manhattan, newbie Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson is mystified and intrigued when billionaire Julian Laurence begins pursuing her after little more than a passing glance. But their love story is not an easy one: Julian's pursuit blows hot and cold despite their irresistible attraction, and he also seems to be keeping secrets. Interspersed with this tale are scenes from World War I–era France, to which modern-day Kate has somehow traveled on a mission to find Captain Julian Laurence Ashford and protect her lover from the future.


Tracy's Thoughts: As regular Books News & Reviews readers may have already guessed, I've been in a bit of a reading slump of late. I've been enjoying audiobooks on my commute to and from work, but it's been difficult to find the time and focus for any pleasure reading beyond that. I've started several (print) books over the last few months, but sticking with them has been a different story. And yet I finished Overseas in two days, staying up till 2 a.m. on a work night in order to finish. Overseas isn't great literature or even particularly original, but it held my attention and made me care about the characters. I simply enjoyed it.

At times, it reminded me of Fifty Shades of Grey with less angst and a time travel twist. Overseas doesn't feature erotic sex scenes—love scenes are more in the fade-to-black tradition, though Kate and Julian's relationship is certainly passionate. Julian isn't nearly as tortured as Christian Grey, but he does have secrets. Also, the writing is better (thankfully, none of the characters have bickering conversations with their "subconscious"). So as much as I hate the habit of comparing recent reads to the latest big-hit book phenomena, the push-pull dynamic between the characters and the development of their relationship did call to mind James's trilogy.

The two entwined settings of Overseas make for a suspenseful, perfectly-paced story that answers one question only to raise another. The reader is able to piece just enough together to feel informed and invested, and yet all the the whys and wherefores remain a mystery until the perfect moment. Overseas is a charming and imminently readable love story that will likely appeal to fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Outlander, and perhaps even Fifty Shades of Grey fans who are interested in the powerful man/ordinary girl relationship dynamics but who are not necessarily looking for BDSM or erotic fiction.

FLASH REVIEWS: Dot by Patricia Intiago & Flood by Alvaro Villa

With the reintroduction of Toddler Storytime and Storyhour this week at BCPL, I thought it would be a good idea to explore some recent additions to our children's picture book collection. Here are my thoughts on two titles that recently caught my eye:

Dot by Patricia Intriago
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Preschool–Kindergarten
Genre: Picture Book/Concept Book

This book is a restful and appealing way for young children to explore the concept of opposites. There are occasional splashes of color—such as with the red "Stop dot" and green "Go dot"—but most of the work is in black and white, placing greater emphasis on the simple, side-by-side juxtapositions. For example, one left page shows a a large black dot with concave indentations suggesting a bowling ball. The text labels it as "Heavy dot." On the right-side page are "Light dots," differently sized circles—sketched out in thin black lines drawn with a white center against the white page—all floating near the top of the page to resemble bubbles. For me highlights include the humor-laced images depicting a dot with a bite taken out of it ("This dot is yummy") and its opposite, a similar dot with the removed portion discarded to the side as if spit back out ("This dot tastes bad"). All in all, this is a clever and well designed book that encourages children to explore an important concept and sparks imaginations. The simplicity of the design and the many opportunities for reader interaction are somewhat reminiscent of Hervé Tullet's fabulous Press Here.

Flood by Alvaro F. Villa
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Kindergarten–Grade 2
Genre: Picture Book/Wordless Picture Book

Flood begins with an idyllic two-page painting of two children playing outside with their dog on the water's edge, a lovely cottage looming large in the foreground. But then the clouds roll in, bringing a sense of menace. Interior shots show the family gathering information and discussing the incoming storm before eventually shoring the house up and evacuating. The storm then comes in full force, devastating the land and house despite the precautions taken. A bird perched on a broken branch—perhaps the same bird seen flying overheard in an earlier illustration—seems to be the lone survivor. When the family returns, their grief is clear, but with the help of the community everything is rebuilt, allowing a return to a new idyllic world. Often, the appeal of wordless picture books is lost on me, but this is a gripping story of loss and regeneration featuring beautiful illustrations that skillfully relate the story, no words required. Flood provides many opportunities for children to interpret and discuss the family's emotions, and parents may also want to introduce the subject of persevering after an unexpected loss or setback.

NEWS: Teen Read Week 2013 Coming Soon

YALSA's Teen Read Week 2013 will be here before you know it, and we here at BCPL are busily updating our Ultimate Teen Booklist in time for the October event.


Last year's inaugural list included 102 books and series. This year, we want to know what titles YOU would like to see added to the list. Which of your all-time favorites and new loves from the past year merit inclusion?

You can vote here for your favorites, or e-mail titles to me at reference@bcplib.org. Top vote getters will not be automatically added to the list, but each of your favorites will be read by a member of the organizing committee for consideration.

GUEST REVIEW: My Sister's Stalker by Nancy Springer

BCPL programmer Allison is back with another guest review!

Allison's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Audience: Teen/Young Adult

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Rig Googles his sister, who he is missing camaraderie with since his parents' divorce, and finds that there is a website dedicated to her. He feels that the person who put the pictures of his sister on the website is a stalker, though he has trouble trying to convince his mother of that fact. She feels that the site dedicated to her daughter is created by an admirer. Rig skips school and takes a bus to his old hometown to show his father what he has found. While his mother is obviously looking at things pessimistically, his more down-to-earth father shares his concerns. The two of them embark on a journey where Rig has to look into himself to "connect" with the website creator in order to save his sister from what he sees as a threat.

Allison's Guest Review:
This will be a good read for reluctant readers, especially among young men. It is a quick read; it took me just under two hours to read. It will be perfect for those who just want a quick mystery, but some readers used to in-depth novels will be asking for more detail. Rig is a typical sixteen year old, struggling to adjust to a new town and a new school after his parents' divorce. He feels more connected to his mother than his father, and begrudgingly admits to missing his sister, too. He must connect with his father in order to warn his sister of the danger he feels she is in, and discovers that he has the quality traits his father has always professed to not seeing in Rig. The two embark on a trip to save Rig's sister dealing with knife-wielding maniacs, an inability to communicate, and inner turmoil in order to accomplish their goals.

FLASH REVIEWS: YALSA's 2013 Hub Reading Challenge, Check-In #2

Eight down... and seventeen more to go. That's not a very encouraging statistic considering I began this challenge back in February and I now have only until 11:59 p.m. (because every minute counts!) on Saturday, June 22nd to live up to my reading pledge. But as this is Summer Reading season and I HATE to fail at anything, I still think I can do it. Maybe. Possibly. Okay, my chances aren't great, but I refuse to give up!

Anyway, here are the three books that I have read for the challenge and haven't yet reviewed. (Thumbs up on all three, by the way. Although one definitely stands out for me far and above the others.)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery/Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I soooo wanted to love this book. And I did like it—a lot. But for me it did not quite have the same magic and ingenuity that made The Scorpio Races so enthralling. I think part of the problem is that I missed the first-person narration that allowed me to empathize so strongly with previous Stiefvater characters. (Although switching to third-person narration does fix the tendency I've noticed wherein Steifvater's dual narrators often read as too alike and not fully distinct from one another.) But ultimately The Raven Boys lacked the lyrical qualities that drew me to Shiver and (most particularly) The Scorpio Races.

That is not to say that the book isn't well written. It is, very much so. And the premise is intriguing. Blue is an interesting, likeable character who comes from a family of clairvoyants but remains a bit of an outsider. After all, she is not clairvoyant herself, though her presence somehow acts as an amplifier for others' gifts. Meanwhile, there are the "Raven Boys" of Aglionby Academy. Gansey is the de facto leader of a group of misfits at the prestigious boys' school. He feels responsible for guarding his troubled friends' well-being and is obsessed with unraveling a mystical mystery that becomes key to the book (and presumably the rest of the series). Like most of the locals, Blue wants nothing to do with the stuck-up Raven Boys, but then she meets Gansey, whose fate seems tied to Blue and a deadly curse. All the elements—mystery, heartbreak, friendship, betrayal, moral dilemmas—are there, but they only began to come together for me near the book's end. It was well past the mid-way point that the characters and their relationships began to fully engage my interest, but once this happened I was hooked. Luckily, this is only the first book in the Raven Cycle quartet. I think now that the characters have been introduced and the tone set, The Dream Thieves (due out in September) has the potential to far surpass its predecessor.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Genre: Graphic Novel/Realistic Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
This graphic novel from the author of Smile is a quick and amusing read. I loved Callie and really enjoyed all of her interactions with her drama club pals, particularly her friendship with Liz. However, I do feel like the book reinforces stereotypes by [POTENTIAL SPOILER: Highlight to read!] having all three of the male performer characters turn out to be gay (or potentially gay) and making the only female performer into a self-absorbed, melodramatic diva. But then this title was selected as one of the Great Graphic Novels Top Ten 2013 and as a 2013 Stonewall Honor Book, so maybe it's just me. I have yet to see any other reviews that raise the same concerns. But regardless of my quibbles, I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a perpetually lovestruck 7th grader who adores the theater and her role on the crew of the school play. This title should find particular favor with middle-school Glee fans.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Genre: Horror/Historical/Speculative Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
As The Diviners was a 2013 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top Ten selection, I chose to listen to this book in audio format. It was a much better experience than my last encounter with a Libba Bray audio book. At first, the 1920s slang and historical background seemed a bit gimmicky and overdone, but I was quickly drawn into the creepy, atmospheric world Bray creates. The Diviners is shamelessly excessive—the slang, the numerous characters, the mysteries—but this perfectly reflects the sumptuous excess of the era and lends the book an epic quality that promises good things to come. Featuring disparate teen protagonists with nothing in common other that a secret special ability, a ghostly serial killer, and the vivid setting of Prohibition-era New York, this is one of the most memorable series openers I've read in ages. Even better, while reaching a satisfactory resolution to the main plot of this book, there are overarching mysteries that have me eagerly awaiting the second book of the planned quartet.

REVIEW: How to Be a Cat by Nikki McClure

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Toddler-Preschool

Summary: Using single-word text on each page, Nikki McClure gives the reader a glimpse into what a cat's day might look like.


Lucinda's Views: With its simple text and black, white and blue pictures, this eye-catching picture book is good for younger preschoolers and toddlers, especially if there is a cat in the house. The illustrations are basic, but manage to convey a great deal of action with just the simple, bold line drawings. The actions of the cat could be easily mimicked by young children, which makes this a fun read aloud that would be ideal for active kiddos. A fun read!

A Note from Tracy:
I am sorry to report that this post will be our final review from Lucinda at Book News & Reviews as she has decided to resign from her position here at BCPL. (Unless we can convince her to send us the occasional guest review? :))

Thank you, Lucinda, for all of your contributions here at Book News & Reviews and to BCPL. There would be no Book News & Reviews without your efforts and enthusiasm to get us started. (Check out the new statement in the footer!) I wish you the best of luck in whatever the future brings.