Book Review - Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell

 

Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell is about a young girl, Halle, and her mother being admitted to the hospital with tuberculosis (TB). In 1935, tuberculosis was spreading rapidly across the nation. People were dying at an alarming rate and the population was afraid. When Halle and her mother both get diagnosed with TB, their community shuns them. To help them recover safely, they were sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital.

The hospital is in a woodsy area in upstate New York. It isn’t easy for people to get to and it’s far away from Halle’s difficult father. Halle is glad to be away from her father who is always upset and hard on her. However, she misses her mother and wants to see her but because of her mother’s unstable condition, they won’t allow Halle to visit her as her mother is in a different section to the hospital. Her mother is really sick and is considered a high risk which is why the hospital secludes her from other patients including Halle.  As Halle begins her healing journey, she befriends the other children in the children’s ward. There she bonds with her fellow bedmates and learns how to cope with TB and missing her mother.

I thought the book was a cute and heartwarming read. I liked reading how Halle was trying to bond with her friends but also trying to help her mom get better. The scenes between Halle and her dad were sad and left me feeling heartbroken because it was clear that they loved each other but didn’t know how to express it to each other. I think this was a good book for young readers because it could also tie into our most recent pandemic in a thoughtful way. It illustrates to young readers that in a scary and uncertain time, things can be manageable if we rely on and support each other. I enjoyed the book, and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - Vampire: The Masquerade Vol. 1: Winter's Teeth by Blake Howard

Vampire: The Masquerade Vol. 1: Winter's Teeth by Blake Howard is about a vampire trying to unravel a conspiracy against her employer. Cecily Bain is an enforcer for the overlord who controls the Twin Cities vampires. She follows her orders dutifully until she comes across a newly minted vampire. She decides to take the vampire under her wing and offer protection. As she tries to adjust to her new role, Cecily uncovers a rebellion plot that plans to overthrow the current vampire elite and replace them with someone else. Will Cecily be able to stop their plans before it’s too late?

The graphic novel is a quick and entertaining read. There were a lot of characters, and it was a bit hard to keep track of them at times and how they related to the story. I like the dark and moody drawing style of the graphic novel. The plot was a bit predictable, but I would be open to reading more graphic novels by the author.

Book Review - Free Period by Ali Terese

 

Free Period by Ali Terese is about two middle school students who are advocating for period equity. Helen and Gracie are best friends, and they enjoy spending their time pranking their fellow students. After a rather stinky stunt involving a stink bomb, the principal orders the best friends to join a Community Action Club so, they can use their time productively to care for something instead of causing chaos.

The duo was planning on blowing off their punishment and not participating in the club. However, when Helen is caught unprepared by an early period, and it bleeds through her pants; the girls decide to take an interest in the group’s period equity goal. They wanted to make period products available for everyone who needs them. When progress is going slower than expected, the girls take matters into their own hands to bring attention to their cause.

I thought the book was an okay read. The book does cover an important topic that affects many young girls/young people who menstruate.  I had mixed feelings about the book, it was mostly due to the characters. Helen and Gracie were strong-minded and energetic characters. I liked them but sometimes, they were a bit out there with their plotting and scheming, and even the way they spoke. The writing felt choppy and a bit confusing with the way they spoke. I had a hard time connecting with them but, I am going to chalk it up to being significantly older than them.

Book Review - Nobility in Small Things: A Surgeon's Path by Craig R. Smith, M.D

 

Nobility in Small Things: A Surgeon's Path by Craig R. Smith, M.D is a biography about a noted heart surgeon. Dr. Smith talks about his upbringing and how his unexpected jobs in his youth paved the way for him to be the doctor that he is now.  Dr. Smith was made famous during the COVID pandemic as he wrote encouraging emails to the staffers to help inspire them during a trying time.

I wasn’t familiar with Dr. Smith before reading the book. I can see how the book could be encouraging and motivating to some people. I felt like he was a bit pompous and full of himself. I feel like as he is looking back, he realizes how lucky he was because of certain privileges that were extended to him because of personal connections.  I liked reading about his cases and how he felt. But some parts of the book were just dragging, and I didn’t care to read about them. It was interesting to see how much the hospital did get paid but the number of details that were included wasn’t needed in my opinion. I was more than 90% done and I decided that I was no longer interested in reading more.

 

Book Review - O Beautiful by Jung Yun

 

O Beautiful by Jung Yun is about a woman, Elinor Hanson, who travels back home to North Dakota to work on a writing assignment.  Elinor is a former model who is trying to reinvent herself as a freelance writer. Her mentor from grad school offered her a life-changing opportunity to write about the Bakken oil boom in North Dakota for a prestigious magazine.

Elinor grew up near Bakken with her sister, a strict father, and a distant Korean mother.  Her mother met her father when he was stationed overseas. Elinor has spent decades away from home, and she wasn’t looking forward to returning. She is surprised at how much the landscape has changed from her youth.

Her home city is now overpopulated with roughnecks chasing a chance to make a fortune in the oil business. Some long-time residents are worried about what the oil boom would do to their local community.  As Elinor tries to work on her article, old feelings of resentment start to boil up.

I am not sure what to make of the novel. It started off okay but then towards the middle and end, I was trying to understand what the point of the book was. Was it to show how detrimental oil drilling was or how some men could be savages and rude? The book felt like it was all over the place and then there was a mystery about a missing woman. However, that went nowhere, and I wanted to know what happened to her. The book was well written, but I didn’t care for Elinor as a character.  I had a hard time connecting with her. I would have enjoyed the book if it had a point to it. I am in no rush to read other books by the author.