The Last Days of Cafe Leila

Another to be read book that I finally got around to. It was a pretty good story. On the title alone I thought this was a story about a  Cafe on its last days of closing. But it's so much more. About one country's culture to another, father daughter, father, son, brother to brother, and mother to daughter. And finally husband to wife.

The characters were ok. Noor goes back to her country Iran after having difficulty with her husband and to find where she belongs. She brings her daughter Lily back to where her father has made a place of comfort. Either in food and, or company.

As the story progresses we find out a bit about Noor's family between she being in San Francisco with her husband and daughter, and her family (mother, father, brother, and close relations) in Tehran. How she and her brother ended up in California.
She longed for that family connection of 3 generations in the food world, a homecoming. As she visited her father Zod, and seen how passionate he was about food, making people feel happy. And that happiness Zod had. It was a struggle for she and her daughter Lily.
Of course Lily the brat that she was in the beginning I believe she was the most annoying character in that story. Why is it always the way that children need to be mean to their parents before actually finding they are not so bad.

There is a thread going through the story on pre/ post-revolution Iran. Especially works well on how Noor's mother died. Whatever happened to her. And to give the readers a look on why the people have to do what they had to do. Which Lily refused to want to understand. A family that was torn apart by loss, tragedy and a distance for a person to wonder why did she ever come back when she knew it was nice to stay in San Francisco. Noor does remember with fondness the beauty and customs of how she lived and wanted to pass that on to Lily.

Eventually a story that a reader can get wrapped up into her family and each character does find some solace in what life throws out in Iran. For Noor, Lily, Zod, and Noor's brother. Also Noor and her husband finally come to a calmness.

And for The Last Days of Cafe Lelia, is there? Interesting... 


I give The Last Days of Cafe Lelia 4 

The Other Mrs

Although I figured it out what was going on, (sort of).When I look at the title I think, oh must mean something about an ex wife, or maybe another Mrs, a mistress. As I read on I was a little confused with the chapters of different characters. Until certain things fell in place and yes, then I knew. The character Sadie was complex enough to want to know what else happened. 

The author I believe did a terrific job on the characters. Imogen was very interesting. Dark but understandably why. Mary Kubica had some twist and turns for them all. Made me hate them, and to  say why can't she just say or stick up for herself, I seen myself root for them all the way. Even though  ups and downs were there.

Without giving too much away its very difficult for something to be wrong with a person and not know it. Especially tragic things happening around and to ones self.

Sadly there is no one to count on but your family/friends. And to find out who you can't trust. It's like the whole bottom of your world that got knocked out from under you. You protect yourself in a way you don't realize. As Otto, Tate, and even Imogen thought Sadie went blank in her head. I can see why.

I read the reviews. And I must say for the most part agree. But for some they read so much of one kind of genre. That the seen it/read it makes their reviews jaded. So even though they liked the book I still get the feeling that there will never be a great book. Maybe they should format their review a bit differently. Those kind of review did not help me.

Wouldn't mind reading another book by this author. And I look forward to seeing The Other Mrs on Netflix. And have some highlights that were made from my kindle I will share.

Even though the chapters a bit too long. I still give The Other Mrs 5 

Daisy Jones & The Six

It ended up as a good book. In the beginning, story was a slow starter. I didn't really like the idea of a story being as an interview. I got hung up on who said and did what. Instead of looking at it as a story about the band.

The dynamics of Daisy and Billy were very polarizing but their personalities and what they wanted were the same. 

Karen and Graham meant to be? But in the end looking for something totally different.

For the rest of the band, brothers, managers, etc.. you can tell it was hard for them to follow people to make this great band and babysit too.

It is very easy to feel it is about a real band. Someone said it put them in mind of Fleetwood Mac, which I love. I could picture DJ &The Six that way too. And once I started reading like that it created a kind of groupie life for me.

What was very interesting to find out, who was writing this piece and why. How they fit in with the band. Then the pieces started to fit together. It was great to find out what everyone was up too. And how they handled walking away from that life. What and why did they?

Daisy Jones & The Six had its moments. Was rooting for them throughout. I was annoyed at some of the stuff that was done. But if someone is feeling all these emotions I think it's worth looking into.

I give Daisy Jones & The Six 4 

not because of the story being interviews. But being that the chapters were so long that it made me want to skim the rest of book. Which I did and came back to fill in the blanks. Made it very hard to want to continue. 

I read this book on the chatter that was given. Not disappointed. But am looking into Taylor Jenkins Reid's book Seven Husbands for Evelyn Hugo. Another read with a lot of reviews.

Next Year in Havana

I find this story to be very interesting and informative as well as entertaining. I like how the interactions of Marisol and her grandmother lives intertwined. 

I think I would be like Marisol and go to the country that my grandparents spoke of so well. Especially if I was given a great responsibility of bringing one back home.

There are many questions of Havana the way it was to what it is now. How the citizens of Cuba have looked too and hope for. And what they strive to do today. 

I can see the struggle that Elisa had of Pablo of what he believed, to what she only knew from how she was brought up. Marisol was seeing 1st hand how it came to be that the people who stayed in Cuba believed in a better country with a different person at the top. But also are treated no better.

The story between Elisa, her sisters, and parents with Pablo I enjoyed. Learning history isn't so bad. True there is sadness with their brother etc., joyful times and scary times. Makes all for a good book. Especially a slight twist at the end.

But for Luis he also felt there was something to fight for his country. But for his safety of life I could see why it is important to get him to America.

I really don't know what to say about this book. I read the history in the story and agree with a lot of it. Because I too have lived my history of my ancestors. For Ireland in some ways are the same. But at the end it is not the younger people struggle, but the generations before them.

We the Irish/Americans, Cuba/Americans can do so much with technology today to make it better for the generations to come. To keep the heritage alive without sacrificing integrity of self. For the Cuban citizens resenting the ones who fled to America, sad to know they felt that way. But they built a community to spread through another country for honor. Some of the places that were mentioned Miami, Key West only made me think I was standing maybe in that same spot as Elisa, 90 miles to Cuba. And her son Miguel listening in on a shell, as Bishop Kee welcomed tourist there with his blowing of the conch shell being populaized by his living. Miami dining on the sidewalk in one of the  paladars.

Even though I enjoyed the book. It did lag a big portion of the story. I feel it was hung up on a lot of adjectives of history. That made it for some long chapters that I just wanted to get to the point. And for that I give Next Year in Havana 4 

Some of my memorable parts of the book are my highlights on goodreads.

A Dark Night in Key West

So I was browsing looking at books and came across this series for a steal. I call it a Key West series. So I got it. Than along came this free Novella. It's like a prologue of this series.

Just coming back from a vacation down at the Keys I thought I would try it. And finishing a reading marathon with two books that were intense, I decided to read A Dark Night in Key West.

I like the characters in this novella. Cam Derringer and wife Malinda, Terri and Jim, and their daughter Diane. And who can forget a great character Sunny Ray.

The story started out a bit on the dark side. Something that a kid at the time Cam, should not of seen. But being friends with a schoolmate Susie, Cam thought he was protecting Susie and it ended up in tragedy with Susie's father and her.

Cam swore he would never let death happen again. So he became a lawyer. Partnered with his friend Jim Dade. Jim, his wife Terri and Cam and his wife Melinda became close. Close enough to babysit their daughter Diane.

All were going to see fireworks and Jim and Terri were in accident. But Terri never made it.

Jim took some time off. Cam and Malinda did what they could for Diane and Jim.

Jim needed to get back into the swing of things and came back to work. Cam took a client. And found out this client was no good. And another died on Cam's watch.

Although Diane missed her mother and father terribly. She had Cam and Malinda to lean on. Diane was the daughter that they couldn't have.

Things were going great. I thought Diane went after someone she thought killed her father. But no Diane had a close call which Cam and Sunny Ray came to rescue.

I really am rooting for Cam Derringer and Diane they have had it pretty bad. This time it has hit him personally. Malinda is missing or died. He spent so much money on trying to find her. First becoming a P.I. and giving up law. Than losing his airplane and house. Bought a houseboat. But to keep the search going for Malinda he must take some cases he does not want. Diane looks after him as a psychologist that she became, she always has him in mind.

So that's it. Now to follow next on a Cam Derringer's adventure. 

It was great to see a lot of places mention. It makes me feel like I was back on vacation in the Keys.

I give A Dark Night in Key West 4 

It is a novella after all.