Monday 13 July 2015

Americanah



Americanah
Americanah 
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Sweeping love story meets meditation on race relations: this is Adichie at her best.
 
Ifemelu grows up in Nigeria and in high school, meets Obinze, the love of her life.  Sounds cliché, but Adichie’s writing makes it so real, so heartfelt, that even the most jaded readers will want this love to flourish.

But, as often happens after a high school romance, things change.  In a country where children are primed to move abroad when they reach adulthood, Ifemelu moves to the United States.  It is there that she discovers the concept of race.  In Nigeria, race is not something she ever thinks about.  In the U.S., her life is defined by race.  She must learn her place in a complicated racial hierarchy and discovers that she is on the bottom.  As she struggles to find work, Ifemelu begins to blog about her experiences.

Race is a central concept in the book as Adichie touches on everything from the acceptability of wearing your hair in braids, to the racial divide between light-skinned and dark-skinned blacks.

Her life evolves in the U.S., and Ifemelu begins to thrive.  But something is pulling her back to Nigeria.  Which brings us back to Obinze.  Now married with a child, Obinze and Ifemelu find each other again.  Will their love return after all these years?  What follows may bring some readers to tears.

Saturday 11 July 2015

Cross-Stitch Before Dying : an Embroidery Mystery

By Amanda Lee

When a Bollywood starlet is found murdered all suspicion is on Beverly, the costume designer. What does this have to do with our main character Marcy, you might be asking yourselves. Well Beverly just happens to be Marcy's mother. Set in quiet Tallulah Falls; Beverly suggested the location for the filming of a big Bollywood production. The whole town was excited until the tragedy struck. There was some tensions between the diva starlet and Beverly over costume choices and decisions so the town has decided that Beverly is the main suspect. It turns out there were many people that didn't like the starlet so the list of suspects is long and Marcy is up for the task so from her little embroidery shop she will solve the crime.
This is a fast read, great for these hot summer days. I read this while summing myself at the beach this weekend; a light read just right for helping to get your mind off the stresses of the day. Amanda Lee, author of the Embroidery Mystery series, has created an interesting mystery with a little bit of a love story and of course the mention of Angus the dog. Angus is, by far, my favourite character in this book. So pick up Cross-stitch Before Dying today, sit back and enjoy.

Wednesday 8 July 2015

The Husband's Secret

The husband's secret

by Liane Moriarty

Cecilia Fitzpatrick accidentally comes across a letter her husband wrote to her after the birth of their first child. However, the envelope says not to open the letter unless he's dead, and he's very much alive. What would you have done? The decision Cecilia makes may not only ruin the life her and her husband have built together, but the lives of those around her as well.

I can't wait to read Moriarty's other book, Big Little Lies. Hopefully it's just as good!