2017 READING ROUNDUP #31-35

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LETTERS TO A YOUNG MUSLIM | OMAR SAIF GHOBASH

I went into this with major hesitation, given the politics (this is authored by the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Russia), but I am so grateful I took the time to read it. The vast majority of discussion I’m exposed to surrounding Muslims, Islam, and international terrorism takes place between white Americans, and occasionally Muslim-Americans. The perspective of someone who considers himself to be a dedicated Muslim, but not coming from a place of defending himself in the American political conversation, is invaluable. He’s writing to his son about what his religion means to him, how lame anti-western radicals will approach him and why. He articulates a compelling alternative worldview that doesn’t simply cater to western ideas, and most importantly, encourages his son to interrogate his own opinions and those of others, even outside of issues of religion. Interestingly, he remarks that American left wing rhetoric about terrorists who operate in the name of Islam aren’t “true Muslims” is the “no true Scotsman” fallacy and that he feels a responsibility to denounce radical groups and their actions. This isn’t a surprise given his position as a diplomat, but was nevertheless heartfelt and valuable. A-

THE GROWNUP | GILLIAN FLYNN

Does Gillian Flynn need more praise? I guess so, because this story was dark and snarky and fun as heck. I read her work infrequently enough that her wicked prose is always an unexpected delight. Our protagonist, who reads auras (read: is a fraud), meets the perfect client, a rich sucker who believes her creepy old Victorian house is haunted. But when our faux-psychic actually enters the building, things begin to get genuinely creepy. In true Flynn style, the twist is surprising but, in retrospect, perfectly seeded. And upon realizing what’s really going on, our girl is cornered into some shady decisions. The Grownup is an entertaining and satisfying journey, and a quick read to boot. A

DOUBLE CUP LOVE: ON THE TRAIL OF FAMILY, FOOD, AND BROKEN HEARTS IN CHINA | EDDIE HUANG

For all his foibles, I don’t have one word to say against Eddie Huang. Much like Fresh Off the BoatDouble Cup Love is raw, engaging, and bursting with ideas and points of view I have only dreamt of seeing represented in the books, TV, and movies I consume. I found myself once again deeply invested in his relationships both with his brothers and his girlfriend. Above all, his insights into being both an insider and outsider in his parents’ homeland were infinitely relatable. It isn’t possible to overstate the authenticity of these vignettes, which repeatedly hit home despite my radically different experiences and relationship with the motherland. As I cheered him on through his various enterprises in this book, I look forward to reading whatever comes next for Huang. A

ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE | GAIL CARRIGER

Victorian frills usually send me running in the opposite direction when it comes to fiction, but my love of secret schools for assassin girls and the Pimpernel-trope of the secret badass persuaded me to give Etiquette & Espionage a try. I wasn’t bowled over by the originality of a boisterous young girl who didn’t fit her restrictive society’s standards for femininity being summoned to a greater purpose, but the novel picks up sharply in fun ideas from there. I wasn’t expecting a couple of the twists any diversity, and was pleasantly surprised by both. While too YA for me, it’s a charming story and a credit to its genre. B 

ABHORSEN | GARTH NIX

I wish I had reviewed Lirael and Abhorsen together. They are, in truth, two acts of the same story: Lirael’s. Taken together, both books are stronger, because Abhorsen eases up on Lirael’s uncertainty and identity struggles as she steps into her role as Abhorsen (high necromancer) in waiting. I deeply felt her story– a girl who wished desperately her whole life to simply belong with the women she grew up around, only to learn that she had a magnificent destiny completely separate from theirs. She embraces her role steadfastly and it brings her the fulfillment she needs, but it doesn’t totally erase the pain of being excluded from the one thing she valued for so long. Unfortunately, the identity crisis faced by the other protagonist, Sameth, isn’t quite so satisfyingly resolved. His destiny seems like an afterthought, and given the rich world building, didn’t have to be. Mogget and the Disreputable Dog are fun, though sometimes fall into that annoying type of kids’ book comedy that becomes repetitive and tiresome. But, it is a kids’ book and a satisfying conclusion to one of the best young adult series around, so it still gets an A-.



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