Jeopardy! has long been a staple in our family, and we try to catch it every chance we get. My husband, in particular, loves the show, and we have a friendly competition going to see who can shout out the most correct answers before they're revealed. If one of us is particularly clever, that person even gets to lord it over the other for a couple of hours afterwards. So I was super curious when I saw that Trebek's memoir was coming out.

The Answer Is… is a look back at Trebek's life and his work in television. Told through short vignettes, it's a chance for the famous game show host to reflect on his life and to share some of the wisdom he's gain through the years. The short chapters, each only about one to three pages in length, make this a super readable book. Whenever I had a few moments, I would easily gobble up a few chapters. My favorite parts are definitely those related to his work on Jeopardy!

I wouldn't say this book provides a particularly insightful look or a deep dive into his life. Rather, Trebek has said himself that his mental faculties have been fading a bit with age and by rigorous cancer treatment, and that is something that's reflected in the book. Still, he comes across as hardworking, humble, and kind. And he seems to have a great sense of humor, able to laugh at life and at himself.

I enjoyed this book and found it interesting, though I wish it offered more. But still, as a fan of the show, I found it to be a terrific companion to understanding more of the man behind the show. I don't think this memoir is for every reader, but I'd definitely recommend it if you're a fan of Jeopardy!

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Oh my, what an absolute gem this turned out to be! It's quintessential Backman: quirky, heartwarming, and uplifting.

On the surface, Anxious People is a story about a bank robbery gone wrong. The bank robber, having failed at robbing a bank, bursts upon an apartment viewing and proceeds to take a group of unfortunate strangers hostage. This group of mismatched folks, each with their secret fears and mistakes, slowly open their hearts to one another, and as a result, find their lives inexplicably changed for the better.

At its heart, this is a story that speaks to the humanity in all of us. No matter our backgrounds or experiences, we each have done the best we can with what we are given. We have messy feelings that go with our messy lives. We've made mistakes and all deserve second chances to redeem ourselves. That is what Backman has captured so deftly with his tale.

Reading this book feels like digging through a treasure trove, with wonderful surprises at every turn. There's even a little mystery in here, when the police tries to reconstruct what happened, and things don't seem as straightforward as they initially thought. The mystery is really a small part of the story, but even that is superbly done and managed to surprise and delight me.

Backman's writing style has always been quirky and his themes somewhat sentimental, but the two elements balance each other out, so that the quirkiness cuts through the cheesiness and helps to tone it down. The theme of this story, when you think about it, is really more sentimental than all the rest, so I found the writing to be even quirkier than his other books. I really enjoyed it, but I can see how this style wouldn't be for every reader or even every moment.

I appreciate that Backman tries to tackle complex and timely topics in his books, and he does so in such an uplifting way. Especially now, when we live in a world more divisive than it's ever been, this story reminds us that if we only take the time to get to know the other side, we'd realize we are more alike than we are different. In my opinion, it's an overly optimistic stance, but it's still healing to be able to escape into this imaginary, wonderful world, even if just for a few hours.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Whenever I come across a murder mystery on an island, I just can't resist. The setting is positively atmospheric and who doesn't love a good locked-island mystery? There's something immensely appealing about a small group of people being stuck together with no escape while knowing that a murderer is among them.

(And it takes place at a wedding! I love weddings!)

So I put on my detective hat and get ready to puzzle this out, with much glee. But here is the first problem: not only do we not know the murderer, we don't know who the victim is either. So right off the bat, some of the fun is taken out of the whole thing.

The story also suffers from a few other issues that seem to plague most books of this genre. The characters are, unfortunately, all unlikable and dumb. They have trouble saying simple things to each other that would clear up much confusion. They make mistake after mistake, and then ruminate at length about each. And they all drink themselves into stupors at the first sign of discomfort, instead of just... talking.

There is so much buildup for this story. For 200+ pages, we are treated to nothing but petty drama between all the participants. There is a constant feeling of anticipation and foreboding, as if something bad is going to happen, but nothing actually does. It was exhausting. And when we finally get to the good stuff, the twists are fine, but they weren't surprising. I figured this was the direction the story was going, and it indeed went there.

Overall, it was a passable way to spend a few hours, but it doesn't quite rise above all the other modern thrillers in this over-saturated genre. It's just if you're going to build up an entire story on nothing but anticipation and petty drama, when it finally gets to the payoff, it better blow me away. And this just didn't.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

 

I've been dying to get my hands on this, Dunmore's sophomore book, ever since I read her first book earlier this year. I loved that one so much that I couldn't put it down, even while walking, which led to a small accident and a permanent scar. Nope, I'm not kidding. So it is with great anticipation and excitement that I finally get my hands on this one.

But honestly, A Rogue of One's Own just didn't quite capture the magic of the first one. On the surface, it's got everything I enjoy: a strong female character fighting the good fight (suffrage), a guy who loves her for her fierceness and her brains, and lots of attraction disguised as mutual dislike. And sure, I definitely enjoyed all those, but something felt missing.

For one, the book is too long for the story. The pacing is leisurely bordering on indulgent, and the plot advances at a snail's pace. Our couple doesn't even exchange their first smooch until past the halfway mark (more than 200 pages in). There were too many mostly irrelevant side plots, making the whole thing more convoluted and confusing than necessary.

The story also lacks that all-important sexual tension that's vital for a romance. I remember the sizzle of the first book, and I kept waiting for it with this one. But the scenes where our couple interacted with each other felt more like they truly disliked each other, with none of the attraction. It's a headscratcher, for sure.

And when we get to the crucial physical moments, the author seemingly becomes Victorianly shy and prudish, using mostly euphemisms to quickly gloss over the whole thing. It feels so different from the first book that it makes me wonder if Dunmore got feedback to tone down the steam in order to appeal to a larger audience.

For me, the best romances have the perfect amount of urgency and tension, and both were lacking in this book. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this, and without the first book for comparison, I would have found it more than adequate. But I do have my memory of the first book, and in comparison, this was utterly putdownable and a huge disappointment.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

What a tour de force Bennett has achieved with The Vanishing Half. Brilliant and complex, this story surpassed all my expectations and more.

Twins Desiree and Stella couldn't wait to leave behind the small, black town they've grown up in. At sixteen, they finally seize their chance and run away. More than a decade later, the twins have lost touch with each other. One comes back to town with a black daughter, while the other lives across the country, passing for white while hiding her past. As time goes on, they and their respective daughters realize you can never quite cut the ties of the past.

This book touches upon so many worthy topics. The themes of race and racism captured in this book are among the most nuanced and insightful I have come across. At its core, racism is the opportunity for one group to make themselves feel better by acting out to oppress another. There is no group that is immune to being the oppressor, including those that are oppressed themselves. The way the light-skinned colored people of Mallard act towards dark-skinned people both captures the insidiousness of racism (racism only begets more racism) and its pervasiveness in society. I appreciate the book's honesty on this, no matter how disheartening it is to think about.

Another interesting theme captured over and over is whether someone can ever leave their past and heritage behind to make a clean start. The twins ran away thinking they could be the controller of their own destiny. But as they grow older and their paths diverge, it becomes apparent that their years growing up in Mallard continues to follow them. Even as they meet different opportunities and experiences, their past still contributes to shape their decisions and ultimately where they end up. It's possible to live separate lives through different decisions, as illustrated by the twins' dual contrasting paths, but they still remain within the parameters of their past.

The twins' daughters are also molded by their mothers, yet they are a new generation, the first to break through the confines of their mothers' past. The daughters could truly say they are making strides when it comes to racism, having been given increased opportunities, which allow them to become more open and accepting than their mothers (as racism begets more racism, opportunities beget less). Another interesting point is that one daughter grew up with privilege and wealth, while the other grew up wanting. Yet, through choices and motivations, the one who grew up with less arguably ended up with more. And that is an encouraging thought.

This story covers so much ground, both in terms of the strands of the twins' and their daughters' narratives, as well as its exploration of race, gender, identity, and belonging. The writing is beautiful and poignant, flowing smoothly along while guiding the reader from one insightful observation to another. What a powerful read, indeed.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!