Book Review - Dominicana by Angie Cruz

 

Dominicana by Angie Cruz is about a teenager named Ana Cancion who moves to America with her husband from the Dominican Republic. Fifteen year old Ana never imagined that she would be going to America. She thought she would spend her entire life in the Dominican countryside. However, when Juan Ruiz proposes to her, her entire life changes. He is twice her age and she doesn’t love him but she is excited about the opportunity to go to America. She knows that it is an opportunity for her family to eventually immigrate over and it’s an opportunity that many people wish they had but might never get.

In 1965, on New Year’s Day, Ana packs up her belongings and leaves everything she knows behind. In New York City, she becomes Ana Ruiz. She spends most of her time in their apartment and the rest of the time is spent taking care of Juan and his younger brother, Cesar. Ana is miserable and isolated with her new life as her new husband turns out to be abusive towards her. She decides to run away and hatches a plan to escape. However, while at the bus terminal, she crosses paths with Cesar and he convinces her to stay.

Juan has to return back to the Dominican Republic as the country is in political turmoil. He needs to secure their family assets and ensure that their restaurant business is coming along okay. Juan leaves Ana behind and asks Cesar to watch over her. 

Ana is overwhelmed and excited by her new freedom.  She can finally do whatever she wants without having to worry about Juan. She can take English lessons, spend time exploring the city, go dancing with Cesar, watch movies and have her own food and clothing repair business. Ana finds that she is finally enjoying her life in America. However, when Juan returns unexpectedly, Ana is torn. Will she  give up her newly found freedom or stay with Juan so her family can have a better life?

The book is an entertaining read. The writing style was easy to read and flowed smoothly. The book was slow during some parts and nothing was happening for quite a bit. The story reminds me of many stories I heard of immigrant families sacrificing to have the opportunity to come to America.

I was saddened to see how trapped Ana must have felt because she had to deal with an abusive husband and then a family who was expecting her to lift them out of poverty. Many times she had to put other people’s happiness before her own. I enjoyed the parts of the story where she was able to find bits of happiness for herself; even if the way she went about it wasn’t the best idea.

The novel is narrated by both Ana and Juan. I thought both perspectives were engaging but I didn’t think it was important or necessary to include Juan’s story. It was interesting to read about his perspective but his story didn’t add much to the main story line as he mostly muses about his love for another married woman. It could have been left out and I wouldn’t have missed it. Perhaps, if his chapters talked about Ana and how he felt towards her, it would have added more to the story. The majority of the novel is narrated by Ana, and Juan’s chapters were a small part of the book. If you like reading stories about women finding their voices, then you might enjoy this book.

Book Review - My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse

 

My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse is about a woman, Iris Prince, who is starting over after a divorce.  Iris feels that she needs a change. She feels that she and her husband, Alex, want different things in life. She decides that a divorce will help her find her path again. She and her nine year old daughter, Melanie, move to a new town to start over.

Iris feels that she will have more time to pursue her passions and things she wants to do. She even feels that she will be able to connect and bond with her new neighbors. After spending a few days in her new place, she wakes up one morning and looks out her kitchen window. She noticed a wall appeared in her front yard overnight. The wall wasn’t there last night and it seems to be growing and looks more menacing as time goes by. 

A new law was proposed and passed that requires everyone to wear “the Band”. It is supposedly a convenient way to help people pay bills, get access to utilities, and serves as an ID. The catch is, only people who can prove that their parents are US citizens can have access to the band.

Iris was proud to be a second generation Mexican American woman. Growing up her parents has always told her that no one can take away her citizenship because Iris was born in the US. However, that all changes when Iris is no longer able to qualify for “the Band” since her parents are undocumented.  How far will Iris go to protect what matters to her the most while everything around seems to be closing in on her?

The novel started off okay but then I lost interest towards the middle. The book was boring and didn’t really have much going on. I also didn’t like that some of the characters spoke in Spanish and there was no translation to help readers understand what was going on. After a while, it became too cumbersome to look up every other sentence to figure out what the characters were saying. The ending was especially disappointing as it was mostly in Spanish also. Therefore, I had no idea how it ended and from what I was able to understand it didn’t really seem like it gave the readers any closure.

The book is from people of Mexican descent’s point of view in dealing with the changes due to the “bands”. I would have been interested in reading to see how other minorities dealt with these changes as well. I didn’t find any of the characters interesting or relatable. While they were trying to do the best they could do with the new mandates, I found some of the characters selfish and not loyal to their family members and culture. The book has tons of symbolism  and cultural references that were interesting but, it wasn’t enough to make the story more captivating. The book might be enjoyable if you understand Spanish to better grasp these parts of the story containing Spanish phrases. Otherwise I would say just skip it.

Book Review - Promises of Gold by José Olivarez

 

The book is a collection of poems from Mexican poet, Jose Olivarez. It contains a mixture of poems dedicated to people and experiences from his life. The book had two versions of each poem, one in Spanish and one in English. There was a translator note explaining the different nuances for translating a poem from English to Spanish as it can take away some of the author's meaning. I thought the poems were an interesting but, some I felt that I didn't quite understand the references. If you are a fan of poetry and a familiar with Mexican culture, I believe you will thoroughly enjoy these poems.

Book Review - Sea Rose Lane (Hope Harbor, #2) by Irene Hannon

 

 

Attorney Eric Nash returns home after being layoff. When he arrives to his childhood home, he realizes his home is being turned into a bed and breakfast. Instead of being able to plot his new future course, he has to contend with the noise and chaos from the construction along with the alluring architect, BJ Stevens. He finds himself drawn to BJ but, he knows he can't have a relationship with her if he will be leaving town for a new job.

BJ feels attracted to Eric but, she is afraid of committing because of her own disastrous romance in the past. She rather focus on getting her new business new customers and working on her special projects. However, when one of BJ's projects needs help, Eric steps in to assist. Will the pair be able to ignore the feelings they have for each other?

I found the novel to be an okay read. I like that there wasn't too many back and forth between the characters and their feelings. I liked that they were open and honest with each other about how they felt. Their romance was definitely a slow burn and took a while before they confronted their feelings. Fans of the author would enjoy the book.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Harry Houdini (The First Names Series) by Kjartan Poskitt

 

Harry Houdini is probably the most well known magician in the world. Harry Houdini was actually born Ehrich Weisz and he was an Hungarian-born immigrant. He began performing stage tricks so, he can bring in extra cash for his family. He started off doing card tricks and gradually started doing escape acts. Harry became well-known for his death-defying escape acts. 

He was known to undergo daring feats, such as, being buried alive, being locked in a crate that was thrown into a river, and escaping from a milk can. Harry was able to captivate the audience's interest while entertaining them with magic. 

The children's book comes illustrated and goes into detail about Harry's life. The book provided in-depth facts and stories about Harry along with tidbits on how the tracks were performed. The back of the book included a glossary, timeline, and an index. One thing to note, unlike other biographies about Harry, this one doesn't include the story of his death. Overall, a good read for the kids and fans of Harry.

 

Book Review - God Bless America: The Story of an Immigrant Named Irving Berlin by Adah Nuchi and Rob Polivka + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Izzy Baline and his family emigrated from Russia to America. Shortly after arriving, the Baline family falls in love with their new country. His family never had much. When his father passed away, Izzy decides to run away and try to make his own future. Izzy has a passion for music and creates beautiful songs that his fellow citizens enjoy. When Izzy joins the army, he realizes he can put his passion to better use and creates an inspiring song that can rouse the entire nation.

The book was beautifully drawn. The characters had a comic book feel. I found the book to be fun and engaging. However, some of the pages were a bit confusing and lacked context. I would recommend reading the last few pages in the book before reading the story to make it easier to understand. This was definitely a fun book and I look forward to reading more books like this.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

GOD BLESS AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT NAMED IRVING BERLIN

Title: GOD BLESS AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT NAMED IRVING BERLIN

Author: Adah Nuchi, Rob Polivka (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: June 5, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 40

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks,  TBD

An inspiring portrait of an immigrant and the gift he gave his new home.

Persecuted as Jews, Izzy Baline and his family emigrated from Russia to New York, where he fell in love with his new country. He heard music everywhere and was full to bursting with his own. Izzy's thump-two-three, ting-a-ling, whee tunes soon brought him acclaim as the sought-after songwriter Irving Berlin. He ignited the imaginations of fellow countrymen and women with his Broadway and Hollywood numbers, crafting tunes that have become classics we still sing today.

But when darker times came and the nation went to war, it was time for Irving to compose a new kind of song:

A boom-rah-rah song.

A big brass belter.

A loud heart-melter.

A song for America.

And so "God Bless America" was born, the heart swelling standard that Americans have returned to again and again after its 1918 composition.

This is the tale of how a former refugee gave America one of its most celebrated patriotic songs. With stirring, rhythmic text by Adah Nuchi and delightful, energetic art by Rob Polivka, readers will be ready to hum along to this exuberant picturebook.

About Adah:

Adah Megged Nuchi was first introduced to the children's publishing world at home, as the daughter of a children's book art director. She began her own publishing career at the National Book Foundation, and later at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, where she was an acquiring editor of picture books, middle-grade, and young adult fiction for seven years. Her books have been named to the Kids' Indie Next List, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, and Indies Introduce New Voices lists. As an editor, she most loved finding new talent and working with authors to shape a story.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of GOD BLESS AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT NAMED IRVING BERLIN, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2757/?

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

6/11/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

6/12/2018- Little Red Reads- Review

6/13/2018- Reading Is My SuperPower- Review

6/14/2018- Two points of interest- Review

6/15/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

Book Review - Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Photo Credit - Amazon

 Danny Cheng always knew his family had secrets but when he found a box filled with old letters and a file on a wealthy Silicon Valley family, he realizes there is much more to the story that he was told. When he tries to talk to his parents about their past or his dead sister, they immediately try to change the subject. Danny receive a full art scholarship into RISD, he decides going to college can as a be a way to escape his parents.  He realizes then he would have to contemplate a future without his best friend, Harry Wong. However, when he delves deeper into his parents' past, he finds a secret that causes him to question his entire being. What is the secret that his family is keeping from him?

The first few chapters I thought was interesting but I found the book to be a bit boring and dragging towards the middle. It was hard to stay engaged with the characters especially with the way the chapters were formatted. There were quite a few dilemmas Danny faced in the book and it was a bit overwhelming. I felt that not enough time was spent on each issue. I felt the parts discussing the history of his sister was a bit confusing since it was narrated by a third person. If the story had less going on and was fast paced, I would have enjoyed it more. 

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Book Review - Exhibit Alexandra by Natasha Bell

Photo Source - Amazon

Alexandra Southwood has the ideal life, she is married to her devoted husband, Marc and they have two beautiful daughters together. However, all that changes when Alexandra is being held in a room against her will. She is forced to view her family's suffering over her disappearance and how her family is coping with their loss. She is shown press briefings of Marc's appeal to the public for information about his missing wife but she can only think about her courtship and their marriage.

Marc refuses to think that his wife is dead even when they come across her bloody belongings near the river. Marc is desperate to find out what happened to his wife and he takes matters into his own hands. As he begins his search, he starts to uncover secrets about his wife and is confronted with how little he knows about her. 

The thrilling novel was an interesting read and perfect for a rainy day.  I was expecting the story have the clique murder-kidnap plot, but then slowly it became clear what the secret is since the author littered the story with clues. The book is predominately narrated by Alexandra after the events have already taken place and while it was interesting, I found the book to be a bit slow in the beginning but it did pick up towards the middle.  I am iffy on whether or not I like this book mostly because this was the first book  I couldn't really relate to the main character nor did I really care about her. However, I do believe that this book will leave readers with a lot of questions about identity, art, family roles, and self-happiness.

Book Review - The Heirs A Novel by Susan Rieger

Photo Credit - Amazon

After their father, Rupert Falkes, dies his five adult sons find their inheritance threatened when a woman sues their father estate, claiming she has two sons by him. While the brothers are still reeling from their father's death, they feel betrayed by the turn of events. However, their mother, Eleanor seems to be calm and cool even under pressure of the claim. Eleanor even believes that they should give some of the money to the "other" sons. The novel follows the quirky cast of characters as they deal with Rupert's death. Who is this mystery woman? What secrets is the family hiding?

A quick and interesting read with an unexpected ending.  A good read for the beach with the complex and interesting characters. But it lacks much of a story line; if you rather read more about character details, than this book is for you.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**