Review: The Other Einstein: A Novel by Marie Benedict

The Other Einstein: A Novel by Marie Benedict

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclosure: I was given this ARC/Uncorrected Proof (?) from NetGalley.com for an honest review.

Sorry to be getting so far behind on my reviews/reading. Summer. That’s all I can say. I am still knitting and crocheting hats for Hugger Hats (for the homeless or cancer victims) and then there is a lot of going outside and gardening, walking, traveling to Bend, and fighting flares take up a lot of my time now. Reading this book seemed to happen after the sun went down (9:30-10) when I was dog tired. Often getting to bed after midnight and being awakened at dawn (4:30-5) made for a sleep deficit. Warm days call for siesta! Good thing I am taking Spanish (and German) on Doulingo so I could come up with a word meant to take care of people in the summer heat.

As for this book… This was a good book. I appreciate the author going into the research to present to us a brilliant woman who was left behind to be yet another Hausfrau. We need many more books like this as history has only centered on HIS story. It is time to see Her story. Did you know that Albert took full credit for a theory SHE came up with and had the math skills he didn’t have to prove it all? This is a book that will make you mad. But it will give you an idea of what has happened in millions of marriages throughout his-story. Because of biology, women, brilliant or no, are forced to take care of home and children while the man gets all the glory and mental stimulation while she washes dishes and cleans poopy diapers. Why is that? What could have happened had all those chores be shared while all the brains got all the education and stimulation they needed, male or female?

The story was rich. But I felt it lacked a bit in energy. Not sure how I can explain that drag. And maybe it isn’t the author but rather… see my apology paragraph. On the other hand, maybe the edited version are better done. I must admit that the beginning of each chapter with a letter–was it a formatting issue? It was very distracting, especially for a text-to-speech reader like me. But then maybe those who are able to read without the TTS don’t even see that? And maybe all that has been fixed by now.

Those issues aside, I think this is another book that should be required reading for everyone. Except I always hate books that were required reading. SO PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. See if you don’t find enlightenment!

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Fcuk Pretty

Review: Far from Home by Lorelie Brown

Far from Home by Lorelie Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclosure: I was given this copy for an honest review by NetGalley.com.

Most of this story was interesting or better. I just couldn’t care for the main character and her anorexia. Sure, I know the disorder exists and causes pain to those who have it and their loved ones. But for some reason, it doesn’t come across for me as a redeeming quality for the main character. Maybe redeeming is the wrong word. I know we need to write characters that are flawed those they need to be rescued from or cured of. And maybe this was the flaw the author thought would endear us all to her. But I found it took away from the story rather than adding a sympathetic quality.

Maybe the story should have told from the Indian woman’s point of view? She looking to marry so as to stay in the USA. But she seems to have no flaws what so ever. She even has a most loving family, a super career. But other than that we know very little of why she longs to stay in America so badly that she is willing to marry someone she doesn’t know, especially a female.

Those points aside, I like the characters as they fall in love and struggle through their new relationship. The erotic scenes are hot but not overdone, they fit in the story quite well.

I always like to read stories that come alive in places I have lived. Orange County, California is one of my favorite places to live. The trouble with it is there are far too many people and it is far too expensive to live there. Beaches were what I lived for when I was there. I miss beaches. I must give my thanks to the author for letting her characters walk the sand and see the surf.

Even though this wasn’t a favorite story for me, I still look forward to reading more from the author and hopefully about this couple. Maybe that was why their histories weren’t told in depth? There’s more to come? I hope so.

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Review: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW! Can I give this book 10 stars instead of 5? This was a brave and wonderful story! I need to preface all this with the fact that I got this uncorrected proof from NetGalley.com. And GoodReads is having a giveaway right now. Good luck! I hope you are able to get this one way or another.

I haven’t read anything by Jodi Picoult that I know of. I have heard of her but just never got around to one of her books. Now I am a big fan! On a day when this happened once again (http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/07/us/falc…) we need a discussion of how it would be to walk in someone else’s shoes. If you are white, do you understand, truly, what it is to be black? If you are black or other non-white, do you understand your counter-point?

This book doesn’t just say that we should all get along. Ms. Picoult tries to get us into the heads of her characters both the black nurse and the white neo-nazi new father. When he bans the nurse from the post delivery room, little does he know that the person he bans could be the only one that could save his child’s life. No one is completely innocent, except the baby. But Jodi takes us into their heads and lives to help the reader learn more about these lives. She, also, takes us into the head of the defense attorney. Through these points of view we learn about their histories and families.

The in-depth research shows all through this story. Not in a boring, author knows more than reader sort of way, but enhancing the characters and story bringing the reader into a deeper understanding of love and bigotry. If you think you are without a bias of some kind, this book will open your eyes to areas you may need to work on.

If it weren’t for the idea that I hated to read required books in high school, I would love this book to be required reading for all human beings. That is how good it is. AND if this was the uncorrected proof, how would one know the corrected proof? I saw no problems. But that may be why I am not an editor. I do get deeply into the story and tend not to see mistakes. Even in the stories I write. Take a look at my reviews, you’ll see tons of mistakes, I’m sure!

Anyway, if you haven’t figure this out: I LOVED this book!!!! Try it and see if there aren’t gems just for you to collect!

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