The Deal of a Lifetime, written by Fredrik Backman, translated by Alice Menzies, and narrated by Santino Fontana
I'd never heard of this novella, but did a quick search on Libby for a book that was immediately available to start while I went for a walk. I've previously enjoyed two of Backman's books and this one piqued my interest. It's a short, poignant story of a man recognizing the true value of a life.
Eat Cake, written by Jeanne Ray
This novel about the strain of extended family living together unexpectedly, prioritizing a marriage relationship, parenting teens, and employment upheaval sounds like it could be dismal, but it's actually a light read with a happy ending. Bonus points for a bunch of cake recipes at the end of the book.
p. 2, Cakes have gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always one person at the table who holds up her hand when I serve the cake. No, really, I couldn't, she says, and then gives her flat stomach a conspiratorial little pat. Everyone who is pressing a fork into that first tender layer looks at the person who declined the plate, and they all think, That is person is better than I am. That person has discipline. But that isn't a person with discipline, that is a person who has completely lost touch with joy. A slice of cake never made anybody fat. You don't eat the whole cake. You don't eat a cake every day of your life. You take the cake when it is offered because the cake is delicious.
p. 10, Life was not a static experience. We shouldn't expect things to remain the same.
p. 186, Nobody likes to think they need to be rescued and everybody is grateful when it happens.
Little Bee, written by Chris Cleave and narrated by Anne Flosnik
Monday Mornings, written by Sanjay Gupta, MD
I enjoyed the hospital setting of this novel - quick decisions that must be made in the ER, exclusive meetings where wrong decisions are put under the spotlight by peers, professional strengths and weaknesses being recognized, and personal growth in the main characters. I didn't like that two characters were having an affair. We all have different tolerance levels for what we consider negative behavior in books and adultery's a plot line I avoid. Another character's crassness and lack of respect for women in his personal life also bothered me, even though I admired him professionally. So while I liked a lot about this book, it wasn't an overall favorite.
Radiance of Tomorrow, written by Ishmael Beah
I read Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, fifteen years ago and more recently discovered he wrote this novel just a few years later (and another in 2020). This is a beautifully written story of people trying to forge a new life after war in Sierra Leone has devastated everything, navigating the realities of outsiders taking control of their land in cruel and unethical ways, and trying desperately to retain tradition, respect, integrity, and hope in an environment that seeks to undermine those things at every turn. As always, I believe there's so much value in reading about circumstances we've never experienced, especially when written by those who have actually lived them.
p. viii, After I wrote my memoir, A Long Way Gone, I was a bit exhausted. I didn't want to write another memoir; I felt that it might not be sane for one to speak about himself for many, many, many years in a row.
p. 24, He had a smile so wide, so brimming with happiness, that the sun hid behind the clouds for a while to give permission to the display of unrestrained delight within him.
p. 143, It was a night filled with dreams of what was to come. Dreams were still possible here even thought the paths to attain them weren't necessarily the best ones. But who can ever know what path to walk on when all of them are either crooked or broken? One just has to walk.
p. 167, The smiles that had dulled brightened again. This wasn't a place for illusions; the reality here was the genuine happiness that came about from the natural magic of standing next to someone and being consumed by the fortitude of his or her humanity.
The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes, written by Robert S. McGee
This book addresses four lies people believe that keep them from an accurate sense of self-worth. Using real life illustrations and lots of Bible verses, McGee shows the reader how destructive the lies are and the healing that comes from believing truth.
This memoir of a woman who was raised in a polygamous colony is filled with abuse, neglect, poverty, disability, constant relocation, and tragedy. It's disturbing on many levels, especially knowing the author and narrator actually lived the experiences. It's infuriating because of the perpetrators of all the dysfunction, heartbreaking for the victims who were blinded by good intentions and taken advantage of, and inspiring when looking at those who did the best they could in horrific circumstances and kept moving forward.
