Under Water by Tara Menon

Let me start by apologizing to anyone who has commented and didn't see it published.  Today I recognized I had over 10 comments in Spam awaiting approval.  Many from friends and I don't know why on earth they went to Spam.  In my haste, I clicked on "delete forever" instead of publish.  So...some I won't know about as I only briefly scanned the list. Apologies.

Book chat / Under Water by Tara Menon.  Look at that cover - it's visually stunning. 

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This is a story about Marissa and Arielle's deep friendship and the insurmountable grief that occurs with Arielle's death. This is not a spoiler as this is described in the book flap.

Marissa has PTSD.  The beginning depicts a vile dream sequence, obviously symbolic of the loss of her dear friend Arielle.  

The chapters of this book take us back and forth from Thailand in 2004 to New York in 2012.  Disastrous events occured in both years, a tsunami  and a hurricane, both involving catastrophic damage and death by water and wind.  Marissa experiences both.

In present time Marissa starts her day writing copy for travel destinations to exotic places.  I like the jar of words she has to evoke imagery such as secluded, sparkly, gleaming, cinematic,  etc. I liked the ritual of her pulling a slip of paper with a description out of that jar. As you read about her life it's clear she hasn't reconciled her friend's death these many years later as it affects so many things in her daily rituals and thoughts.

In the 2004 time period in Thailand, and years as they grow up together, the narrative establishes their wonderful friendship.  Both of their parents were marine biologists and this plays a part in their experiences and activities, especially in the water where they spend quite a bit of time.

There is much sadness in this book as Marissa dwells on environmental catastrophes and death.  It's not a constant but it's enlightening.  You will read about the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami  as well as Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

I liked the vivid descriptions of marine life, the colors of everything from the sky to the beach and visuals you could just inhale as you read. The story was good but it would have been a stronger book if it didn't skip from 2004 to 2012 every other chapter.  Let us read several chapters and really get into this friendship and their experiences and then take us to 2012 for a few chapters of that time line.  

Based on the writing I would read another by this author. 3.75 stars

This was a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card.

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Next up is The Collector by John Fowles for my Classics Club goal and more of the library books to work on my summer goal.

I think when I start a new reading goal end of August I'll try and keep the reviews here short and elaborate more on Goodreads. 

Oh, Women in Translation month is August and I plan to read Tata by Valérie Perrin.  Are you going to participate in the WIT month?  Any book suggestions you can share?

Saoirse is engaging and Ivan Ilyich dies

It's been a week of storms and reading. Last Friday we had plans to pick up takeaway and watch a movie.  A big storm blew in rapidly with straight line winds, caused damage and knocked out electricity.  It was rather scary to be honest and I watched the neighbor's porch awning torn off the wall of his home.  Another neighbor had a tree fall on their house, knocking the chimney off their roof and into another home. Sadly two people died in the adjoining neighborhood when a tree fell across their car.

Electric was out until 2:30 a.m. which made sleeping a real treat. It was 80 F/26 C in the house and we were trapped.  The garage door is electric and the emergency manual pull was not aligned, which we didn't know beforehand so...yeah...trapped at home.  But I should not complain as so many had it worse and we only experienced discomfort.  These storms seem to be getting worse every year. 

 Let's get to the books I read this week with Loki, my reading buddy. 

The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a very short and introspective book. 

This novella is about a man who has regrets during the end of his life. Ivan Ilych attained a good position in society and had a respectable career as a prosecutor.  He married well and you'd think he could be happy with his life.  But as soon as things aren't smooth in his marriage after his first child is born, he is irritated and displeased.  He spends less time at home to avoid conflict instead of being a partner in marriage, helping with any difficulties.  That may not have been the way life works for a man of that time period or how it goes in Russia.

"He now realized that matrimony – at any rate with Praskovya Fedorovna – was not always conducive to the pleasures and amenities of life, but on the contrary often infringed both comfort and propriety, and that he must therefore entrench himself against such infringement."

Upon hearing of Ivan's death his colleagues thoughts turn to promotion, now that a vacancy has occured they will all move "up the ladder."

"So on receiving the news of Ivan Ilych’s death the first thought of each of the gentlemen in that private room was of the changes and promotions it might occasion among themselves or their acquaintances."

It's a mystery why Ivan died.  He was hanging curtains and fell.  After that his health declined slowly.  His brother-in-law noticed this decline when he visited and urged Ivan to go to a doctor but no specific treatment was mentioned.  As he faded Ivan thought about all the things he wished he had done as he knew death was near.  He should have read more.  He should have been kinder and so on.  Regrets as he circled the drain.

I didn't feel sorry for him as he allowed pride and vanity to come before kindness and understanding. He wasn't a mean man but, if things weren't great for him, his irritation showed and he removed himself from a situation.

What happens after you die?  Well a lot of things happen after you die.  They just don't involve you.  Life goes on.

This is one from my Classics Club list.  3 stars.

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Next up is Saoirse. I liked this better than Ivan's story.

 An author new to me is Charleen Hurtbuise.  I would certainly read another of her books.  Saoirse was a page turner for me.  The end chapters were a bit intense and I stayed up late to finish the book.  The setting is 90% in Ireland and the back story is set in Michigan and Florida.  Two places I have lived :-)

Our main character's real name is Sarah Roy and she is living a secret life.  Sarah/Saoirse has fled a horrific past in the U.S.   She had grown up with a drug addict mother, a manipulative step father, neglect and crime.

Using a stolen passport she gets on a flight to Ireland.  Her seatmate Paul is overly solictious, helping her when she doesn't want it and after they land, kindly offers her a place to stay with his family...just for a few nights until she gets organized.  But Paul is not a good man. Paul is a creep and this is revealed later. Paul's mother makes room for her and over time things get out of hand. 

The Irish name Saoirse is bestowed on her by an admirer named Daithi (pronounced Dah Hee) when she is on a camping trip with Paul and his friends. I loved his character and Daithi is a good man. The wild coastline of Donegal county is where Daithi lives and it's so appealing in the descriptions.

Saoire is a talented artist but not a professional until, eventually,  her work gains great  attention.  The publicity she is getting makes her nervous as she fears her past will be revealed. She refuses interviews and doesn't attend any of her art showings. This only makes her more appealing and mysterious. 

Interspersed between some of the chapters are descriptions of Saorise's art.  It gives the title of the piece and the medium used such as charcoal, acrylic  etc. This is followed by one of her memories which inspired the art.  The thing is, the memories are not public, this is for us readers to hear her backstory and it isn't pretty.  Her trauma is expressed through art.

All she wants to do is reinvent her life and hopes the past will never catch up.  4.25 stars

Upcoming is Under Water by Tara Menon.  It was a good buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card .  Very descriptive prose about female friendship.  More later....

Sharing with:

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Joy for British Isles Friday (for Saoirse)

The Classics Club

Be Curious, Not Judgmental{2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge}

This is a book for Ted Lasso fans.  If you have not watched the show the book will give you spoilers about some of the characters such as their emotional growth, both tragic and hilarious moments and certain key developments.  Of course if you have not watched the show you probably wouldn't read this book.

There are 12 chapters cleverly divided between sections titled Warmups, First Half, Second Half and Stoppage Time.

This takes you through the series from beginning, history of how the show was created, the making of season one during covid and the lockdown,  interviews with everyone involved.  The writers, the characters...all of them.  The format may not appeal to everyone but I was fine with it.

This is not a show about soccer.  It's about human decency, personal growth, relationships and touches on sensitive subjects such as mental health and anxiety.  

A few quotes:

• "The concept was simple: Take all the antiheroes that had dominated TV for years, from Tony Soprano to Walter White to Larry David, and do basically the opposite. 'Treat others with kindness. Greet setbacks with grace. Be curious, not judgmental. "I personally didn't want to do the arc of son of a bitch to saint," Sudeikis recalled "I was like, What about just playing a good guy," Jason Sudeikis
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•  "Brendan's football reference knowledge is unreal, like, its unprecedented. Its verging on concerning. He is the sage with that stuff" quote by Phil Dunster/Jamie Tartt. Page 132

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• "It’s mad that this was normal, people being fucking horrible to each other… It felt revolutionary to see someone being nice… And it shouldn’t have.” Brett Goldstein/Roy Kent

One of the chapters focuses on the music used in the show.  I had no idea there were so many hoops to jump through to get permissions to use a song.  Did you notice during the Rolling Stones song Like a Rainbow the different colors imposed on the scenes? Keely showed up in gold when that color was sung, when Leslie Higgins sees his wife "she's all in blue" and this song was Higgins' ringtone for his wife well. 

Roy Kent realizing what his heart wants, running through the London streets to Nelson Road. All the while the Stones are playing in the background.

The Father and Son song is still in my head.  That fits so well with sooooo many characters.  Jamie and his dad, Ted and his father, Ted and Henry, Rebecca, Nate Shelley and Sam Obisanya. 

* screenshot off Facebook (I'm not on FB but this was available to me)

All three seasons are set in England with one episode in Amsterdam. Ted, his family and Beard are the only Americans in the show.  Most all the other actors are British.

Obviously I am a big fan.  We watched it a second time a month ago.  Caught some other things we didn't notice before.  The Believe sign is on my wall at home. The water bottle is Loki's for the car.

Themes of forgiveness, healing, love

Linking up with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. Category: Television

Also sharing with Joy for British Isles Friday

Coffee, seafood and books

Well here we are at the end of  June.  It's been a month that seemed to both drag by and go fast all at once, depending what was going on.  That's a conundrum.

Here are a few highlights. Coffee.  My husband has mastered the espresso machine and it's like a chemistry set with the weighing of beans, getting the correct temperature of water and ordering beans roasted on specific dates.  Too complicated for me but he loves it.  And I am enjoying the flat whites and cortdas.

Lunch out at The Wharf for our anniversary. Grilled shrimp, hush puppies and Gouda cheese grits.

Currently reading Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso by Jeremy Egner

Just finished  Whistler.  One of my favorites for the year. I have enjoyed previous books by Ann Patchett but this one gets 5 stars.

Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan are enjoying a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when Jonathan notices a man who seems to be following them. When the man is confronted it turns out to be Daphne's stepfather, Eddie Triplett. It had been over 40 years since Daphne had seen Eddie and she loved him with all her heart. The last time she saw him she was 9 years old and they had been in a car accident, Daphne being the one to save them both.

The story weaves in and out of their present, the recollections of the car accident and Daphne and her sister Leda's relationship with their mother Abigail.  There is quite a bit packed into this book.

When Daphne was nine her seven-year old sister Leda had appendicitis and was rushed to the hospital. Eddie took care of picking Daphne up and dropping off some essentials at the hospital for Abigail and Leda.  Then on the way home he took Daphne up to a raspberry farm to go look at the stars.  It was snowy and the car went off the side of the road.  While they were trapped and freezing Eddie told Daphne a story about a woman named Mary Carter and how her horse Whistler had saved her life. It was an intense story and made an impression on Daphne.  

How I grew to love Eddie and his life story, his demeanor and his love for Daphne and her family. There are other important characters  in this story as well, such as Daphne and Leda's father Buddy and some of that back story.  It's not too much information or too many characters.  It all blends smoothly and you will hate putting this book down.  The end chapter was perfect.

The themes of love, forgiveness and trust run through this narrative. This was a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card. We were lucky enough to get the book at the same time.  Please check out her excellent review :-)

I've a stack of books coming up and plenty of time to read.   I'm in because of the heat and 90% humidity - yuck. It's near 100° F/38 C by noon . If only Shelleyrae would beam me to Australia so I can enjoy winter temps. 😊 Winter clothes are my favorite. 

Linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

Priceless by Robert Wittman{2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge}

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert Wittman

I was attracted to this book after reading The Art Thief by Michael Finkel last year and what do you know, it will fit the same nonfiction category this year as well- True Crime.  The Art Thief introduced me to a level of art thievery I was unaware existed.  The sheer volume of crimes dealing with masterpieces and historical artifacts is astounding.

Robert Wittman was a FBI detective working undercover tasked with recovering these treasures and arresting the criminals.  It's dangerous work and he has so many good stories about his part in the recovery of  Geronimo's headpiece, a Rembrandt painting, a suit of armor and so much more. He even arrested someone with the Antiques Roadshow!  Lots of good stories.  His book covers how the FBI worked in the 1990s and gave an interesting snapshot of that time period. 

I'll say the narrative is a bit dated calling some of the female undercovers babes and the cavalier posturing. Still, for an undercover to pull off a false identity and mingle with felons easily takes some stones.

 I liked The Art Thief by Finkel more than this one but that was a completely different point of view. 3.25 stars

Linking up with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. Category: True Crime

Next up is a monthly update, a review of Whistler by Ann Patchett (amazing book) and another nonfiction titled Believe by Jeremy Egner.

Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love

The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love is a wonderful collection of stories from authors about their dogs. Some will make you cry and some make you laugh and read aloud to share with the other dog person in the room.

The contributing authors are listed at the end of the book along with a short bio and some of their publications.  I found that helpful as I am always on the lookout for new titles.

The story about the greyhound adoption had me laughing and Bonnie Garmus nailed that story.  And the Petco adoption event by Trigiani was interesting to read as the daughter just knew which dog would be the best fit for her.  All of the stories are good and this little book would make an excellent gift for any dog lover.  It's a tribute to our canine companions and the unconditional love and devotion they give us as they in turn, enrich our lives. 

Linking up with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. Category: published in 2026

Books, doctors and an anniversary!

These past few weeks have been a little busy but more like those hurry-up-and-wait  situations. We are both trying to change doctors which is taking way longer than it should. Then last week was a CT scan for my husband; we are scheduled for the results at a neurosurgeon this week. Friday I'll see a podiatrist and I sure hope I don't need that awkward boot on my foot.  It's my driving foot!  And I need to walk....ok, I am borrowing trouble early here, lol.

The good things are today is our 42nd wedding anniversary I think we are going out to lunch.  Also, I've been putting a dent in my summer reading plans as I've been inside quite a bit.  That equals more reading so, without further ado...here are some the books I finished. 

The News From Dublin. This Colm Tóibín book is a set of seven short stories set primarily in Dublin. There is sadness of course because that's what you get with Irish literature.  The first story was good, the second was confusing to me as to what was going on until read over half of that one.  Then  after a few more I was tired of the short stories so I count this as a DNF. 

I very much liked his books Brooklyn, Long Island and Nora Webster but I could have given this one a miss.  Just my opinion. I would read more by this author in the future.

Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah.  The setting is Montreal in 1986. I heard about this book from Jackie at Junkboat Travels, her post HERE.

This is about an immigrant from Lebanon trying to make a new life for herself and her young son Omar.  In 1984 Muna Heddad lived in Beirut with her beloved husband and son Omar. During the civil war her husband was kidnapped.  Her husband's family took care of her for a while but then "encouraged" her to follow through with the plans she and hubby made to immigrate to Montreal. Muna didn't really have a choice.

Muna is fluent in French and was a qualified teacher in her home country.  As there were a good number of French language teaching positions she thought she'd be able to get a good job in Montreal.  The postions always went to someone else who were either Canadian citizens or were just not Lebanese.

Finding housing and a job proved very difficult.  She was discriminated against for her nationality as well as having a child.  No one wanted to rent to her and have a noisy child around (he was not noisy).

Muna was forced to accept a job as hotline operator for a weight loss center.  You know the ones selling packaged foods and pitching the positive lifestyle? It was a paycheck and she needed to provide for her son.  The experience was sad watching her stretch her money to afford decent food, shop at thrift shops for warm clothes all the while missing her husband.  Always holding out hope he survived. 

The positive part of her job was connecting with people, realizing her "clients" were also experiencing hardships and her calls helped them, just by lending an ear and being positive.  Sometimes that's all someone needs - a kind word.

This story is inspired by the author's experience as his mother moved them to Montreal and scraped together a  life for them.  I can't imagine  being in that position, moving to a foreign country where my options were limited only by others prejudices and trying to make ends meet. Overall a positive and heartwarming story. 

I would read more by this author. 4.5 stars

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman.

This is one of those family drama novels I like with an interesting cast of characters.

After I had read this book I saw some reviews saying it was like short stories but I didn't find it to be that way.  The first chapter had so many characters mentioned I was getting confused about relationships until I bookmarked the family tree in the front.  After that, I had no trouble keeping the relationships straight.

First off it starts with the youngest sister Jeanne in hospice and all the family members making visits. Some heartfelt and loving, others obligatory visits. After that chapter each one after focuses on one person's point of view as life goes on. 

In one chapter where Pam is telling her boyfriend about the Isabella Gardner art museum and how you get in free if your name is Isabella, I had to look that up.  Yep, it's a lifetime free pass if your name is Isabella. (That's the boyfriend's daughter's name).

I had many bookmarked pages on the kindle and highlights which can be read on Goodreads. 4.25 stars

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So, that's one book off the library holds list and two from my shelves,  I am just about finished with Priceless, a nonfiction about art theft. 

How is your summer or winter reading going, depending on your hemisphere? 

Sharing with:

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Joy for British Isles Friday