It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree by A.J. Jacobs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

AJ Jacobs is always good for an entertaining read, and this latest book is no exception. If you've listened to AJ's podcast Twice Removed you'll already have an idea of what you will get in this book. (And if you haven't listened be sure to check it out. It was a short lived podcast, but kind of fun.) AJ is on a quest to show that everyone is all part of one big family.

There is a light narrative through the book in which AJ is organizing a (hopefully) record breaking family reunion. It seems like a disaster at every turn, but it's interesting to see his big plans unfold. Most of the rest of the book are a variety of genealogical stories. Who are AJ's ancestors? How does one go about researching a family tree? How exactly are we all related?

There are lots of laugh out loud moments in this book. AJ isn't afraid to share his embarrassing moments, struggles, and feuds (great and small). Lots of research has gone into this book, and it's appreciated by this reader. There are several current hot-button social issues hit upon in this book. I'm open to hearing those discussions (in moderation) but it wasn't what I was looking for in a light read about genealogy.

View all my reviews

Millard Salter's Last Day by Jacob M. Appel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Millard Salter has reached his 75th birthday, and he's done all that he wants to do in his life. He's divorced and widowed. His children are grown and most of them are successful. Before his health begins to decline he's decided he's going to kill himself. This is Millard's last day.

Because Millard is 75 I did not understand many of his references. He mentions people who were famous during the prime of his life quite frequently in this story. I understood very few references. I didn't relate to Millard in any way, and I wasn't smitten with him either. He was a character I was quite indifferent about. That, for me, left me wanting quite a bit more from this book.

I did enjoy the writing, so I would seek out other work by Jacob M. Appel. There was a lot of humor and many surprises along the way. That, at least, made this book one I could get through though not one I would reread.

View all my reviews

The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Morgan is a moody, troublesome teenager. She recently got herself into trouble when she was caught spray painting a fence at a nursing home. Her penalty includes community service in the form of repainting the fence. While she's at the nursing home she meets Elizabeth, a blind woman who has a big story to tell. Elizabeth and her twin sister, Emily, grew up on Porphyry Island where her family tended to a lighthouse year round. Elizabeth was responsible for Emily who was mute. Told in alternating points of view, Morgan helps Elizabeth unravel a tale that is decades old and full of secrets.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once the story got going it was very hard to put down. Some parts felt like they could be predictable but then the story would take a sudden turn and there would be a twist I didn't see coming. Twists were revealed through the very end of Elizabeth's story. I couldn't put the book down while I was finishing up the last couple of chapters. Fans of Kristin Hannah will enjoy this book. There is history, a layered tale, mystery, and secrets. Strong women are at the forefront of this story.

Where the author lost me was during all of the parts about the lighthouse and the lake. Yes, I realized that a lighthouse may be a big part of the story based on the title. However, these parts just didn't hold my interest. I know so little about how a lighthouse works that the parts of the story showing the day to day work and life on Porphyry Island were boring to me. Readers who grew up near a lake, boats, or a lighthouse will find more appeal than this landlocked reader did.

View all my reviews

One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Leading man, Silver, is kind of a loser. He's lost his wife, his daughter doesn't talk to him, he was a one hit wonder once upon a time, and has very little to look forward to in his life. His daughter comes back into his life to let him know she's pregnant (and also on her way to start college). Then when Silver learns that he needs a life saving to fix his faulty heart he decides to skip the operation.

What happens during this terminal part of Silver's life fills the pages of this book. There is a lot of humor, and a cast of characters that are a lot of fun to read about in a dysfunctional sort of way. This book is also crude. It's mean for mature readers (but not if you're easily offended).

I had hoped for a little more from this book (though I don't know why my expectations were so high). The humor was great, the story's concept was fine, but these aren't characters or a story that I will remember much of a few months from now. Also, if you want a nice, happily ever after ending, steer clear of this book.

What is your favorite humor writer? Comment below!

View all my reviews

The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Samurai's Garden is set at the beginning of WWII. Stephen has tuberculosis and is sent from his family's home in Hong Kong to their vacation home in Tarumi, Japan. Far from anyone he knows, he spends the year getting to know the quite groundskeeper, Matsu. Matsu lives a quite life but Stephen gradually learns about the generous and humble life Matsu has lived.

This was a really beautiful book with a hint of a fairy tale quality. The characters were surprising. The time period is very interesting if you care to read about Asian culture. Stephen, a Chinese man, lives in Japan while racial hatred is abundant. Stephen also meets and befriends a woman with leprosy at a time and place where those with the affliction are shunned.

The ending of this book seemed a bit rushed to me, and I wanted to know more about what happened to several of the characters. Still, it was an enjoyable read filled with interesting cultural tidbits.

Have you read any books about Eastern culture during different eras? What's your favorite? Comment below!

View all my reviews

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a short, sweet book about a grown woman returning home and reconnecting with her dad. Ruth is 30, still recuperating from her fiance dumping her, and her dad, Howard, is beginning to lose his memory. During Christmas her mother asks her to stay, just for the year. Ruth leaves her job and moves back to her family home to spend the year with her father and mother.

This story is told in snippets. I've read some other books that take this approach (Dept. of Speculation, for example) and they're typically pretentious. You won't find that here. Rachel Khong's story is very honest but still filled with humor and wit. There is some sadness, but this felt more like a celebration of Ruth and her father rather than a mourning of the man that once was.

I was not overly wowed by this book. It was pleasurable, and I'd look for other novels by Khong. It just didn't knock my socks off. Recommended for anyone who has a loved one experiencing dementia. This may be a reminder that even though it's scary and sad watching your loved one lose their memory and identity, there is still humor and love to be found.

Could you move back home for a year to care for an ailing parent? Comment below!

View all my reviews