The Book Chubi

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara It is a Thursday evening in March. My husband and I have arrived early to  Skylight Books  in Los Angeles. The multitude of bookshelves are being rearranged for tonight's event. We pick up our copy of the book, pre-ordered weeks ago to save our spot in the signing line. Like many others there, we wanted to secure our opportunity to hear Patton Oswalt and get his autograph. There is another reason too. The book is intriguing with a backstory that is rarely heard.  I'll Be Gone in the Dark   is being published posthumously, which adds a grime yet alluring tag for a true crime book. We take our seats and I open up the hardcover to catch a glimpse of what is to come. The foreword, written by Gillian Flynn, sets us up to understand that while we will be reading about an investigation into a rapist and murderer what we are really reading is a memoir of Mi

Mislaid by Nell Zink Ah, the American vision of a Nuclear Family -- Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter living together in a beautiful home hosting interesting house guests as they live their perfect lives. Might make for a pleasant life, but likely a very boring story. Luckily, Nell Zink takes these seemingly dull character outlines and shoves a little unexpected reality into her tale of the Flemings. First, a look at the characters. Lee Fleming, the Father, is a not-quite-closeted gay poet from a rich family who isn't seeing a dime himself and is hiding his lack of funds by teaching at a women's college. Peggy, the Mother, is a budding lesbian also from a well-to-do family who is just boyish enough to attract Lee's attention. Then you have Brydie, the preppy Son who is going places and Mirielle, the dim but lovable Daughter who wants everyone to just get along. Getting along certainly is not this family's strong suit. With parents like Lee and Peggy

Books of a Feather: Hurricane Katrina As the morning of August 29, 2005 dawned a drastic change had overcome the Gulf Coast of the USA. A category 5 hurricane had finally made landfall and caused devastation that had not been seen in the area in decades. Most upsetting was the aftermath faced by the affected communities, the poor response by governmental agencies and neighboring areas in the wake of the flooding, and the discovery that the worst of the catastrophe was not done by the hurricane itself but by human hands. In the summer of 2016 I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans, Louisiana for a wedding and traditional second line. Exploring the city was an amazing adventure and one that I look forward to repeating in the future. There was not near enough time to thoroughly delve into the beautiful culture of the area. A blues festival was in full swing in a park outside the tourist areas which, in addition to incredible music, also featured delicious food and gorgeous

The Power by Naomi Alderman If you haven't yet picked up a copy of Naomi Alderman's The Power , what are you waiting for? This electrifying novel sets up a world where women wield the power (literally) and become the dominate sex in society. The quote on the front of the book is praise from Margaret Atwood telling you the book will make you "think twice, about everything." And that, at least for me, is what makes this story so worthwhile.  In the world of The Power young women are discovering an electrical force developing inside their bodies. It is treated at first like the latest drug fade. The teenage females are getting it and using it in secret; it is disgraceful if it is found in your home; young women found using the power are kicked out of their homes. Then the younger women start to awaken the power in their moms, aunts, grandmothers, etc. Turns out every women has this power inside them and the world order reverses drastically. There ar

Wanderlust: Your Reading Guide to... Uganda, Africa If you have never been on an African safari before, start planning your trip now! First, flight deals to East Africa are popping up constantly and second, this is an amazing bucket list destination that you cannot miss out on. I recommend using a travel agent that specializes in African safaris, like Extraordinary Africa  which is based in the UK but arranges travel for international clients as well. Alex was our travel agent and set us up for absolute success on our adventure. Uganda is a large land locked country which hosts the source of the Nile, a must see on your journey. In many East Africa countries you may have one or two base camps from which you depart for daily safaris. Instead, in Uganda it is beneficial to take a tour around the entire country. We traveled to Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo during our whirlwind tour of Uganda. Elephants, giraffes, hippos (oh so many hippos!

A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee Novels like A State of Freedom allow readers an intimate glance into cultures and class that they would otherwise be unlikely to experience. Set in India, Mukherjee explores the lives of five individuals who attempt to change their lives for the better. The challenges they face and their success or failure are on stark display as we journey with them throughout their lives.  This novel is set up as a collection of short stories. Each section centers on a different character and has a writing style tied to their personality. This can be jarring if you aren't expecting it since Part I and Part II, for example, not only have an entirely different set of characters, but are also written with different tones and narrative styles that seem very disconnected from each other. It is only when you start to compare the commonalities of the various tales in theme and message that you really feel the weight of the stories as a cohesive whole

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Stripped down to its most basic core you might call Exit West a relationship story. The central plot revolves around a young man and young woman in a poor country. What makes the novel so enticing is everything else happening around them throughout the novel.  You have to call Exit West a refugee story as well. As the young man and young woman start a new relationship their country is starting to be ravaged by war. So as many young people do in times of unrest where they live, where opportunities are limited and the risk of death so high, the young couple leaves for an unknown place that might improve upon their situation. Where they go and what they find is what made this novel thought-provoking. It felt like living the news headlines in person, which Hamid cleverly touches on in a scene where the young woman sees an article about the refugee crisis with a picture she is startled to recognize as herself. If you have read about Greece and t