Lucci's List: November 2019

For Lucci's List November 2019, I have reviewed ten books from eight genres to offer you some family-oriented and cozy choices. You can taste a little of everything, just like at Thanksgiving! Warm wishes, readers.

Memoir

"The Navy Gave Me Shoes" by Douglas A. Bryant ENCS (SS) USN (Ret) is real life told in a real way.

This memoir begins in the Great Depression and ends with the author's retirement after twenty-five years served in the US Navy.

Matter of fact, down to earth, and uncomplicated, Bryant divulges the inner feelings of a young man in a wartime submarine. His daily life, the mechanics of living in this closed environment, and the descriptions of the intricacies of underwater survival was both fascinating and nostalgic.

Throughout the book are black and white photos of the author and his experiences in the Navy. Interspersed with diagrams of historic relics such as submarine schematics, World War II maps, and newspaper clippings, the facts and the first person narration make this a powerful and fascinating book.

A Massachusetts native, this is a local veteran we can all be proud of.

Self-Help/Inspiration

"Buddha's Brain" by Rick Hanson, Ph.D.

"Buddha's Brain" combines scientific information with self-help strategies.

Poetry

"Sea Prayer" by Khaled Hosseini
"Sea Prayer" by Khaled Hosseini is a first person poetic account from a father to his young son about living in and leaving their homeland.

The narrative is illustrated by Dan Williams with blended watercolours that match the mood of the concise words.

The story starts out with tales of the father's happy childhood, rife with innocent adventure and family love. It goes on to describe the beautiful country and customs and people who the young boy might be too young to remember.

Circumstances change, and the joy is gone as war tears through their home. The mother has not survived the enemy attacks.

The father must escape with his son and brave the unknown. As their little boat floats away from terror, the father prays with confidence and hope. He has faith that his son will have a safer life. The father believes that it is better to be a refugee in the middle of the ocean than to die in the peril that was once his family's life.

I read this book out loud, and encourage readers to do the same. It is appropriate to read to children, but adults will feel the pang of what it is to leave all you know, and delve into uncertainty, in an effort to protect a child and provide a hopeful future.

Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, this is a refugee story told tenderly. This is a book that will stay with you.

Novels

"All About the Benjamins" by Zev Good

“All About the Benjamins” is a novel about family dynamics when a widowed father comes out of the closet. From the first line, it is obvious that this story is brutal, loving, and honest. “The first time Joel Benjamin had sex with a man, he expected it to leave a permanent mark, something he could point to years later—like a scar, or a tattoo—and recount how he’d gotten it and who’d given it to him.”

After hiding his sexual orientation from his family throughout his 36 year long marriage, Joel desires to reconcile his secret life with his open life. This leads to self-doubt, pain, and crisis. How can he claim to be honest when both lives he has lead are true and false. He looks back at his life as a father and husband, and sees where he fell short of his duties. Pretending to be straight his whole life caused him to deny his loved ones his whole self. The guilt and fear Joel feels in anticipation of revealing his truest self builds up until he is unwittingly exposed.

The more Joel comes to terms with his need to share his sexual identity, the more he sees the similarities between himself and his progeny. Things he never noticed before because he was too distant; lifelong relationships that could have been strengthened if he had been more present; memories that would have been more than vague recollections without emotional meaning. He is in turmoil. He realizes that if he had been less afraid of how his family would react to his sexuality, and if he had trusted them to accept him for who he is, then maybe all of their lives could have been fuller. The lack of familial intimacy he experienced was caused by his own reticence to be strong, to be his own defender, to accept and celebrate his own heart.

The characters in “All About the Benjamins” demonstrate the rawness of exposing your inner workings to the people who would presume to know you best. The family structure and interpersonal relationships feel real. With all their faults, flaws, idiosyncrasies, and failures, they each value the same things. They want to be together, even when they can’t figure out how to be there for each other. I found myself liking them, and empathizing with them, on a personal level.

Zev Good has created a powerful tale that any family can find relatable. The balance between personal independence and finding your place in a family unit is tenuous and must be adjusted throughout life.

“All About the Benjamins” can wreak havoc on your heart like it did mine! The characters, the earnesty, the twisty family ties... Get it onAmazon and ugly-cry-thank me later.

Historical Fiction

"The Goddesses of Japan" by Kazuko Nishimura

"The Goddesses of Japan" by Kazuko Nishimura is a book of historical fiction that explores Japanese culture from the ancient times to the modern eras.

Broken family ties, wars, turmoil between heaven and earth, and infiltration of foreign beliefs all contribute to the downfall of the ancient world's system of power. Unlikely friendships and female tenacity prove resilient in even the darkest times of history.

Gorgeously detailed settings and characters make the myth and history combine naturally and seamlessly. Sensual romance, gritty battle, and authentic feeling dialogue help push the action through the ages and pages.

Several addendum provided quick insight and understanding of words that a native English language speaker may not know. There is a glossary of terms, detailed family trees, a character glossary, and maps of old and modern Japan.

The first person narration is appropriate, and brings the reader into the book's world in a way that would not otherwise be achieved.

Goddesses, gods, witches, shape-shifters, warriors, and Christian missionaries... Throughout the book, from beginning to end, it is the subdued power of womanhood that sparks the flames of life and survival.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

"The Monsters of Music" by Rebecca F. Kenney

"The Monsters of Music" by Rebecca F. Kenney is a brightly written novel about supernatural forces within the music industry.

The truly successful people are not that way by luck or hard work. They have been chosen as a "protege" by a special spirit guide. This guide acts as a muse, and a secret manager, to create opportunities and guarantee stardom.

The characters, particularly the main character, were interesting, well-defined, and unique. The fantastical scenes in a very real feeling world made the plot progress quickly.

The storyline made me think of what it would be like to be behind the scenes at American Idol. One character was so much like Simon Cowell, and the tricks played on him by the main character made me laugh.

I am usually not a fan of romance in books, but this book incorporated it in such a sweet and natural way that I enjoyed it despite myself.

The paranormal characters and shenanigans, the dark humour, the mystical scenes, and the fast-paced twists and turns all came together like a perfectly orchestrated dance routine. "The Monsters of Music" certainly has its own touch of magic.

"The Martian" by Andy Weir

"The Martian" by Andy Weir is a sci-fi story with a believable plot, relatable characters, and interesting fact-based sequences. There is some "blurry science" necessary to implement the scenes on Mars and the ability of NASA to retrieve its lost astronaut.

Humourous, fast based, and a bit hokey, this novel is entertaining for teens, and adults.

"Women Utopia: The Feminists are Here to Exterminate" by Wendy Wee

"Women Utopia: The Feminists are Here to Exterminate" by Wendy Wee is a dystopian novel that explores a modern society that seeks to annihilate males from humanity.

Ramona grows up in a futuristic world with modernistic attitudes towards women as being less-than men. It is hinted that there had been an uprising in recent history, but that the men had managed to overcome the women and continue with their culture as usual.

From her childhood to her adulthood, Ramona has been treated as second-class human because of her gender. She remembers being shamed at a birthday party when she was ten. She was curious about the rotating fan in her friend's home, and asked the mother questions about how it worked, and wondered if she would be allowed to take it apart to figure it out. The dismissive nature of the mother and the teasing and bullying she endured from her peers for daring to be a female who asked questions taught her to attempt keeping her thoughts to herself.

As a young adult, she goes to a job interview. It is rare for a woman to obtain a job, but she is dedicated to trying.

She is quickly turned away, and when she persists, she is subjected to a rambling lecture of the weakness of women.

"It’s biology’, he said, eyeing her up and down in condescension. "You can’t help it. You’d eventually get knocked up—we can’t even predict when—then you’d need time off to recover and breastfeed. We could keep you, but then we’d be one person short. We’d replace you, but the new hiring process would be a waste of resources. Also, PMS and period pains interfere with productivity."

Ramona lifts herself up from her meekness and continues her plea for a job. The men discuss this amongst themselves, but they are all in agreement.

"If you let this one in, the rest will want in too! In no time, you’ll have so many women working, and it’ll be the same as last time. No damn way we’re going back to the dark ages of crazy feminists! 'Oooh, all the men in the world are harassing me! Why is everyone so unfair to me? Me, me, me.' Argh, sickening!"

As she leaves the interview, a man offers his sense of compassion. "It’s not your fault you’re a woman. It’s just the way it is."

Jobless with no meaningful future ahead, something unexpected happens. Ramona is invited to work for a wealthy man - her mother is impressed that he can afford to keep over a hundred wives. Her family gives her a sexy makeover before she leaves.

In the mansion and new environment, there is an inner world of women who allow themselves to be used and abused by the men. It is their goal to plan and devise strategies for freedom. But in the meantime, they acquiesce to the enemy of manhood, biding their time until their revolution can begin.

Ramona meets Jo, a woman who leads a private female militia. "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. You are my sisters and it’s my duty to keep you from harm...Our day will come. I promise you. We will be out of the shadows."

Jo's command of the militia is shocking to Ramona. When more horrors of violence by men against women become evident, Ramona is outraged.

Unfortunately, she falls in love with an elite young man who has every right by their system to keep her under his control. Ramona also has a brother whom she loves. She is torn between her growing rage at how females are mistreated in this empowered male society, and maintaining her affection for the few men she does love and trust.

Peer relationships in the female militia flounder as Jo becomes not just a leader, but a man-like warlord. The women question if their goal for male extermination is the best option after all.

This book included a well-woven blend of futuristic technology and sci-fi inventions. It juxtaposed in a meaningful way with the "old fashioned" and modern ways of thinking and acting that demean women.

The book was slow to start, and often felt choppy. The plot was an interesting fable of what could be if women reversed the power with men in a society that assumes the weakness of females.

Steampunk

"Michael McGillicuddy and the Most Amazing Race" by Trevor Dutcher

"Michael McGillicuddy and the Most Amazing Race" by Trevor Dutcher is a steampunk adventure novel about a young man's quest to solve a puzzle in an intricate game over land, sea, and air.

The steampunk elements and vehicles are interesting. Modes of travel were creative and fun, invoking a compelling story. The prospect of being invited to participate in a cross-the-world contest was thrilling.

I was torn between giving this book a two or three star rating. It has a generally good story base, and the language is clear. I would have given AT LEAST a 3 out of 5 star rating if not for the redundancy, long sentences, lack of showing instead of telling, and the let-down that the action did not satisfy the adventure, particularly at the end which trails off without a solid solution. I think the author has a good thing here, and once it is polished up, could be a real page turner.

Novellas

"Lightbringers and Lamplighters" by Doc List

"Lightbringers and Lamplighters" by Doc List is a novella about a young man who seeks an adventure outside of his humble village. Ham is described as being very different from his peers. He is a tiny bit taller and has wispy light-colored hair. Everyone else has thick dark hair that does not flap around in the breeze like his shiny smooth locks do. Also, Ham has slightly lighter brown eyes.

Ham also has a reoccurring dream which he insists on talking about, but the villagers seem pretty tired of him. He is so strange, the narrator explains, that there is no way he could ever fit in.

He leaves as a young man and walks, and walks, meets a couple of equally dull people, and they walk some more. It's like The Wizard of Oz, except all the characters are trees. At least the trees DID something.

There is no adventure aside from apple picking (ah, there's the tree tie-in!), and of course everyone lives happily ever after, even though everyone was pretty set before Ham decided to walk around aimlessly.

I wanted to like this book. I like fairytales and sweet stories of innocent adventure. I appreciate happiness and sunshine. This book however, was like reading a Dick and Jane book, but with less personality.

I think this could be an enjoyable story, with some more attention.

The simple illustrations by Nina Gvozdeva were charming.