Improvement by Joan Silber

This is the first book I've read by Joan Silber, but I'm sure it won't be the last. She's a literary shapeshifter - a 73-year-old Caucasian woman who can believably voice an international cross-section of characters from different backgrounds and cultures.

The story starts off with Reyna, a twenty-something mother who visits her boyfriend at Rikers Island. When he gets out after his three-month incarceration, he and his friends hatch a plan to smuggle cigarettes across state lines and they ask Reyna to be part of their plan. She's has reservations, but agrees to be on board up until the very last second, when suddenly she has a change of heart. She decides that she cares too much about her four-year-old son to attempt something so risky. All goes well...until something goes very, very wrong.

The plot then expands and encompasses the lives of relatives, friends and acquaintances. It elaborates on different times and places. Since everyone is intertwined in some way or another, we witness throughout the book how decisions create a very real ripple effect. In this case, they ripple across the globe. Through the characters, we travel from Reyna's basic apartment in Harlem to the exotic Istanbul and the Middle East.

We see how greed and love and death ricochet through people hearts and minds. We see how one person's decision - bad or good - can affect another one's entire life. We're shown how relationships form a rich tapestry, just like the fibers of the Turkish rugs that travel throughout the novel, intertwining lives and knotting them together.

Book cover rating: 3/5

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I picked up The Kiss Quotient to fulfill a "book you would normally consider a guilty pleasure" read for this year's Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge. I'd heard this one was hot, but I was not prepared for just how steamy this one got! 

It's the love story between Stella, an autistic math whiz, and Michael, a part-time male escort. Because Stella's parents are nudging her towards marriage and grandchildren, she believes she needs practice in the dating department. Her previous relationships have not gone well and her self-confidence is low. This leads her to the idea of hiring a male escort to teach her about romance and sex. Since her prior relationships were degrading and one-sided, she figures if she can get a professional to show her the ropes, she'll have a better chance of success.

This Pretty-Woman-in-reverse plot tends to be pretty predictable, but somehow the pleasure of the guilty pleasure is all about Stella. She's just impossible not to like. Yes, she's a bit awkward and insecure, but her straightforward thoughts and actions just mean there's no mistaking what's in her heart. She's always been a workaholic, working with numbers and data, but when her focus turns to Michael, she puts in equal time and effort. The attraction between Stella and Michael is mutual: they fall in love with one another because it's the first relationship for each of them where the other person has cared more about the other than themselves, their focus is on one another's happiness over their own and it's obvious they respect and care deeply for one another. But because Michael has officially been hired by Stella for a limited time, the end of their time together always seems to loom overhead...

Yes, this is a lighthearted quick read, but before you blow this book off as just a piece of fluffy romance, an unexpected takeaway is that this book importantly dispels many misconceptions about autism, specifically related to feelings, love and emotion. Many assumptions that I had prior to reading this book were thoroughly deconstructed. I was interested to find out that while doing research about autism before writing this book, the author discovered she identified with many of the traits she was reading about and was subsequently diagnosed herself with autism. So for this book to be written by an own voices author gave it a completely different level of credibility and insight. The weight of this can't be discounted and if an easy-to-read popular fiction novel can help shed some light on the realities of a sometimes misunderstood group, then I have nothing but positive things to say about it.

Book cover rating: 2/5

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

The convenience store is gleaming white and everything is in its place, as it should be, when Keiko Furukura works her shifts. There are clear rules and rituals that don't deviate much from day to day. The soundtrack she loves best is the accumulated sounds of the convenience store: the customers' chatter, the bar code scanner, the door chimes, the ring of the till. These are the sounds that comfort and reassure her. In this insular environment where there is a place for everything and everything has a place, Keiko thrives.

In addition to the convenience store, Keiko relies heavily on her sister, Mami. She has leaned on her throughout her life. Mami has always advocated for Keiko, helping her come up with acceptable wording to parrot to her friends, colleagues or boss. Keiko both needs and wants her sister to tell her what to do, how to behave, and how to appear "normal" so she can get on with her daily life.

But at thirty-six years old, her family begins to wonder where her life could possibly headed. How could she possibly still be working in a dead-end convenience store job after eighteen years? Is she never going to get married? Have a family? None of this bothers Keiko herself, but after a lifetime of never being "normal", of never fitting in, someone finally arrives in her life and she decides to try to conform to everyone's expectations of how her life should look, at least from an outside perspective.

Without giving away the plot, this is not at all a typical relationship. When she informs her family that there is suddenly a man in her life, they are immediately overjoyed and jump to all sorts of conclusions that Keiko simply goes along with. They fill in the blanks with typical societal expectations. These answers satisfy them without anyone realizing they've not actually got the whole picture. This shift finally makes Keiko feel accepted, even if she actually remains misunderstood. In Keiko's mind, as long as she mimics normalcy, life should run smoothly enough.

However, when Keiko starts outwardly conforming, despite the pull of acceptance, on the inside she begins unraveling. She has relied heavily on the routine of her eighteen years at the convenience store to guide her behaviour. Life without the convenience store is suddenly extremely inconvenient.

Book cover rating: 4/5

Next Year For Sure by Zoey Leigh Peterson

Initially, I wasn't 100% sure about this novel. It wasn't because of the theme and what I knew (or thought I knew) was about to transpire. It was because within the first few pages, the characters are going camping. I can't state quite how much I dislike camping. Lucky for me, the camping trip soon transitioned elsewhere and I quickly got caught up in the love triangle between Chris, Kathryn and Emily. There was just something very captivating about each of them as individuals and then their group dynamic.

Chris and Kathryn were together for nine years. Chris rescued Kathryn from an emotionally abusive relationship and they'd been the loves of each others' lives ever since. They lived together and knew each other better than anyone else. They had their own secret language, the kind that slowly develops over years of synchronizing with another person. They really understood and respected each other and wanted only the best for one another.

Then one day free-spirited Emily enters the picture. Chris meets Emily at the laundromat and they develop a friendship. Fairly soon, they develop feelings deeper than friendship. Kathryn encourages Chris to ask Emily out on a date. She encourages Chris to sleep with Emily. And she too develops a friendship with Emily.

This arrangement can be difficult to wrap your head and heart around if you, like me, are drawn to monogamous relationships. It was definitely difficult for Chris and Kathryn's friends and family members to accept. They all thought Kathryn must be hiding her true feelings just to make Chris happy. That Chris must be a selfish creep who only cares about himself. That a relationship is meant to be two people, not two people and a sidepiece.

But for Chris and Kathryn, the opposite appeared to be true. They carefully thought through every decision as a couple. They planned everything together and really seemed to have each others' best interests at the forefront. Chris volunteered to stop seeing Emily at the drop of a hat any time Kathryn displayed any type of unease. Chris and Kathryn were both deeply sensitive people who oozed empathy and thoughtfulness. Unfortunately, because they were constantly looking out for others and reassuring each other that they weren't in jeopardy as a couple, they didn't always make the best decisions for themselves. They had to figure things out as they got more deeply rooted in their new lifestyle and decide how much others' judgments and perceptions affected their decisions.

This is a book about trying to find true happiness, following your heart and seeing where it can take you. It's about taking a leap of faith when it comes to love and seeing where you land. In this case, where these characters landed wasn't anywhere I predicted.

Book cover rating: 3/5 (but the artwork title "Unnamed Affection" fits perfectly)

Family Trust by Kathy Wang

Stanley Huang has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only has a short time left on this earth, but he's in no rush to formalize his will. This sends his family into a tailspin as they try to ensure his wealth is distributed fairly, while trying not to appear as though they're clambering over each other for a piece of the trust.

Linda, Stanley's first wife, believes him to be a complete idiot and is trying to look out for the best interests of their adult children, Fred and Kate, and to keep his money away from Stanley's second/current wife, Mary. Linda believes Mary only married Stanley for his money and is just waiting for his imminent death so she can swoop in and take over his cash.

Fred is trying to climb the corporate ladder in the field of finance. He feels he's put in his time but lost out on a few key promotions and doesn't want to let the latest lucrative opportunity presented to him escape him this time around. Meanwhile, his sister Kate has big career ambitions of her own - she just needs the confidence to own what's hers and really believe in herself. 

Money issues aside, Linda and her two kids are also fumbling through difficult romantic relationships. Linda decides to embark on a new adventure but doesn't know exactly what she's getting herself into, Fred is trying to figure out if his current girlfriend is a really, really bad choice or marriage material, and Kate is juggling two kids of her own and a secretive husband.

No one really knows what Mary's up to. Between a language barrier, a significant-enough age difference between her and Stanley, and the stigma of being the second wife and stepmother, it's anyone's guess. 

They're all brilliant and well-educated, but naive and set in their ways. A lot of hilarity ensues, but you'll have to wait till the end to find out if, as everyone seems to think, money really does make the man.

Book cover rating: 3/5 (This is not a book filled with flowery language - but it is written by a graduate of the Harvard Business School, which makes you feel pretty freaking brilliant yourself as a reader when you can actually understand all of the financial jargon and business schemes described throughout it.)

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

This book has been on my radar for some time, but for some reason, I never picked it up until now. Was I ever happy I finally did! I was immediately drawn in from the first page.

First we meet seventeen-year-old Nadia Turner. She's just lost her mother to suicide. She's left with a distant father and a too-quiet home. She picks up with the pastor's twenty-one-year-old son, Luke, and develops an unlikely friendship with Aubrey, a quiet, churchgoing girl who is her opposite in every conceivable way. Until she finds out otherwise. Both girls have empty, broken hearts they're trying to fill.

Most chapters start with hushed gossip coming from The Mothers - a group of older church ladies who go to Upper Room, which turns out to be a sanctuary for some of the characters, an obligation for others. Nadia and Aubrey slip in and out of its doors for different reasons, but both are searching for answers. They have both lost their mothers to different circumstances. Motherhood is a theme played out in different perspectives throughout the novel. The complexity of motherhood, of friendship, and of love are all explored in detail through different lenses.

This is one of those books that fully envelops you. It's constantly asking what if. What if a mother hadn't abandoned her child? What if different paths had been taken, different decisions made? What if so-and-so had never met? What could have resulted if love was chosen instead of betrayal? Is it possible to run away from your problems or does everything eventually catch up to you? Each character is deeply developed and complex. There is the perfect overlap of each one, each person relatable for their own reasons. It doesn't feel in any way like a debut novel. If you, like me, waited till after the buzz died down a bit on this book, go and pick it up. Brit Bennett is a five-star author. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Book cover rating: 3/5

What's inside: 5/5

In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons from 29 Heroines Who Dared To Break the Rules by Karen Karbo

I am generally in awe of - and often slightly intimidated by - difficult women. It's probably because my inner self wants to be all confident and courageous, but my outer self is passive and apologetic. But yesterday, I had a moment. A man I'd never met ask me some questions, basically hoping I'd bend to accommodate his wishes. It was irritating me, so I stood firm. I thought of all of the women in this book who stood up for themselves and took life by the reigns. I gathered some courage from deep within and I tried something different: I held eye contact. I stated my facts clearly and didn't bend. Oh my gosh, this one is big: I didn't apologize. And guess what? No one was rude. No one got offended. No one walked out on me. It worked out in my favour. 

There are twenty nine women profiled in In Praise of Difficult Women. I'd heard of all of them, but I didn't know many of their stories. Many were pioneers in their areas, but the point that struck me the most was how so many of them forged ahead and carved their own paths, leading by instinct and sheer ballsiness alone. They saw no reason to question their lack of experience or expertise to get where they wanted in life. They made their own place in the world through their own strong will and determination. It was so inspiring! Some gained fame and adoration because of their accomplishments, which was a bonus; others were considered too demanding, too greedy and weren't as well liked - but those women weren't the kind to give a second thought to what others thought about them anyway, rendering a need for approval irrelevant.

Some grew up as the poorest of the poor and had nowhere to climb but up. Their courage came from not wanting to suffer anymore and to gain success in life to make up for all of the things their childhoods lacked. Others were born into great privilege and it's their wealth that allowed them the freedom to explore their desires and whims.

No matter the circumstances, every one of these women inspired me in some way. As an introvert, I would find myself shrinking in alarm at some of the things these women expected from those around them, simply because they demanded it. But I credit this book and the women within it for giving me that little push to try being my version of difficult for a minute yesterday and it kind of felt good. Do I think I've changed and that I'll start commanding attention? In all honesty, no, and it's not necessarily what I want. But I might just stop apologizing quite so much - and that in and of itself is reason to thank these strong women who also never felt the need to apologize for just being their badass selves.

Book cover rating: 3/5
(But 5/5 for the individual portraits included of each featured woman inside.)

And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman

At the beginning of a new reading year, I like to start with a happy, uplifting book before I begin my descent into the murky world of addiction memoirs and depressed protagonists. And the Pursuit of Happiness was just that - it definitely lived up to its lively title. It's what I might call a happy history book, if there is such a thing. A history book for the non-history buff (that's me)!

Author/illustrator Maira Kalman set out to record her yearlong investigation into American democracy. Some of the many places she visited on her travels: various museums, the White House, a military training base, the Supreme Court in Washington, City Hall in NYC, a gigantic sewage plant. I'll stop now for fear this won't convey the juicy tidbits and hilarious contemplations contained within this book's covers.

The art, photos and typography played so well off the quirky narrative and the many lighthearted musings. One example comes as she's discussing various laws (the laws of mathematics, the laws of the jungle, etc.). Among the list, she haphazardly throws in the laws of her own father: "Law No. 1: No singing at the dinner table. Law No. 2: Do good deeds for strangers, but beware of relatives." I think we would have gotten along. Our family dinner table law was: "No elbows on the table unless we're eating hamburgers."

Other delicious tidbits dotted among the significant historical facts include random items such as olden-day self-tipping hats, historical figures' favourite vegetables, and even a Jell-O lightbulb. Important historical figures are included in the artwork, but so are many meals on trays, glorious fashion items, and even a long-beaked echidna.

The descriptions are all so, so good. One of my favourites: "The floors are polished to the point of ecstasy." If only my own floors could be so ecstatic!
This book just made me smile from beginning to end. It took me on a journey through history, art, and cleverness. What a great start to 2019!

Book cover rating: 4/5
(Turns out it's a portrait of Benjamin Franklin who, apparently, had "Tons of French aristocratic frou frou fun. Marie Antoinette and the whole gang at court were nuts for him with his brains and his crazy fur hat." Enough said.