Every Child Counts - Deborah D. Proctor, M.D.

This book's subtitle, "breaking the cycle of poverty by educating one child at a time" summarizes the contents nicely, as this book is both the recounting of the author's work with an orphanage in Costa Rica and her attempts to reconcile a really important question - do our attempts to help others actually help them? How can we best measure success? How can we provide help without disrupting a community? All important things that are easy to overlook or cast aside when we want to feel like we have "done something." And very timely. I enjoyed this book, for both this debate and seeing how it played out in real life over the years in the lives of some of the children. 

Four Treasures of the Sky - Jenny Tinghui Zhang

This was a seriously heavy novel. The subject matter is disturbing, even more so because it's based on reality. What is wrong with humanity? I really want an answer. As a species we are just awful in general. The writing is good and the topic is timely, so I am happy to have read this book and to have learned more about something I only knew a little about. So I would recommend this book, because we can never forget the past - we have to try to improve. Please tell me if you know how, I am out of ideas. 

Flood of Fire - Amitav Ghosh (Spoilers)

This review includes spoilers for this book, so please skip this review for now if you'd rather read the book first

I had to immediately read this third installment in this trilogy - I needed closure! And I certainly got it - moreso than the second book. I believe we saw what happened to all of the main characters from Sea of Poppies. The setups in River of Smoke mostly paid off as well. We see up close the horrible cost of war on the humans who are caught up in it, willingly or not. I loved getting to know Deeti's brother, although I missed Deeti. I also would have loved to see a certain horrible person get their comeuppance, although I suppose it's more realistic that that didn't happen, and to learn what happened to Kabutri. 

I will say that the plot around Zachary puzzled me greatly. I could not easily or readily connect his behavior in this book with his behavior in the first book - it seemed like such a character change. But thinking it over, maybe not? And also, when we have access to Baboo Nob Kissin's thoughts, it makes it more clear that Zachary is now the embodiment of the greed of this era, of the willingness to cause whatever harm is necessary to make money at the end of it all. Sadly, it seems like this era of evil greed is ongoing. Will it ever end? 

This line caught me entirely off guard and brought tears to my eyes and I had to pause my reading for some minutes to process it: "'Raj Rattan, sir,' he said in a clear voice."

All in all I am immensely happy that I stumbled on that copy of Sea of Poppies on the Library Sales shelves all those years ago. While I did love seeing the story play out across three books, that first book will always be one of my very favorite books of all time and I will never stop recommending it. 

River of Smoke - Amitav Ghosh (Spoilers?)

This review has some information that could constitute a spoiler, so please take that into consideration.

I finally, FINALLY got to read this book, the sequel to my beloved Sea of Poppies, and the second book in the Ibis Trilogy. Before I started the book, I had no idea if it was a direct sequel but it did in fact pick up pretty much right where the previous book leaves off. We don't hear a lot about some of the characters, which is too bad, because I just love them all so much I actually missed them. A lot of the book is almost more about placing us in space and time than catching us up on the characters, but we do spend quite a bit of time with some of them, and catch glimpses of others. I will say that it had less of a cinematic feel than the first book, but of course it was still top notch and I highly recommend it. On to the next book!! 

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde - Tia Williams

This book would be a lovely beach read. I liked the main character and I liked how the love story came together. The story would make a fun movie, even with the more serious topics the book covers. The writing was just OK, very typical of today's bestsellers, so much telling, telling, telling!! But overall a good light read if you're in the mood for a romance.  

Happy Land - Dolen Perkins-Valdez

I have mixed feelings about this book. The story was interesting but everything was sort of drawn out. I don't feel like the characters in the present-day part of the story were sufficiently developed to have an impact on me as a reader. I preferred the portions of the story that were set in the past - that was very inspiring and also, of course, infuriating because of the same hateful bigots that we can't seem to ever be rid of. It's really cool that it's actually based on a true story so I will be doing some research. 

The Girl in the Green Dress - Mariah Fredericks

This was an enjoyable mystery that kept me guessing. I liked the setting of course, and the inclusion of some of the famous people of the era as characters. The writing was slightly clunky here and there but overall this is a great beach read. 

Where the Rivers Merge - Mary Alice Monroe

This book was like a Hallmark Channel movie in book form. LOL

Paradise Falls - Keith O'Brien

As an Official OldTM, I have vague memories of the Love Canal but as I was a child, I didn't know any details. Having read this book, I am now in awe of how a dedicated group of people were able to painstakingly bring about change. At great cost, mind you, but my hat is off to them for doing the difficult thing in the face of tremendous adversity. But of course the real question is: why is money allowed to get away with absolutely everything? Why are companies allowed to destroy the environment and cause people to die of preventable things? It's disgusting and I hate it but I don't know what to do about it. This book was well written and I highly recommend it. Now excuse me while I go listen to one of my favorite songs, Mercy Mercy Me by Marvin Gaye, on repeat for a while. 

Isola - Allegra Goodman

February's Book Club choice was an enigma. The story is fascinating but this book is so drawn out it was difficult to really get into it. It wasn't awful, but it was just too low-key and slow going. Now I need to go down the rabbit hole of the true story this book is based on.