There There by Tommy Orange

Cast of characters:

Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield  - Sister of Jacquie Red Feather and grandma to Orvil (14YO), Loother and Lony

Blue – daughter of Jacquie

Dene Oxendene – documentary filmmaker

Tony Loneman – works with Octavio

Octavio – drug dealer

The author is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.  He was born and raised in Oakland, California.  He writes this novel in different POV’s and styles.  First person and third person.

The story starts with Tony remembering how he found out that his mother drank alcohol when she was pregnant with him and it shows on his face.  We meet the other characters, some who tell their story and the others narrated. In between the characters telling their story, a scheme is unfolding that will bring mostly all the characters in the same setting.

I love how the characters stories are intertwined.  I mention this quite a bit in other book journals.

I didn’t like the ending.  Did the families who were separated from each other get back together?   

This novel was recommended in some email but I also liked the book cover, orange background and two feathers.  The title was also intriguing to me. I took it as a feeling of sympathy as in “there, there, everything will be alright”.  But its referring to going somewhere, there, and realizing later on how things changed and what you had is no longer there. 

Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

This 24-hour bookstore in California has members who borrow the same books in the same order. They are part of a society, The Unbroken Spine, that existed for over 500 years.  Members are trying to solve a mystery and when they do, they will be allowed to write their personal story for the society’s library.  Their story is not read until they die. 

Clay Jannon is the narrator and he is one of the workers in the store. When he realized that customers do not regularly visit the store, he begins an on-line ad campaign to attract paying customers. 

One of his tasks as a clerk in the store is to chart down notes on each member when they visit the store.  Mr. Penumbra wants to know what they were wearing, what their mood was, how they smelled, looked, etc.   When Clay discovers the members are borrowing the same books in the same order, he creates a visualization chart to try to find out what the reason is.  There is a mystery underfoot. The alleged mystery is supposed to be the answer to the secret of longevity. 

Clay enlists the help of Kat and another friend to help him solve this mystery.  

Kat works for Google and she acquired one of the coupons for the store. That’s how she met Clay and got involved. Clay goes on a wild adventue to New York to uncover the mystery of the store and the owner, Mr. Penumbra who disappears.

I thought this was a great mystery story involving a bookstore – albeit a kooky bookstore.    Wasn’t fond of the secret society, but I do like the way the author ended the story with a snap shot of what became of the main characters after the mystery was solved.  I would recommend this book.

The Mother of Black Hollywood by Jenifer Lewis

I’ve always liked her as an actress and now I feel like I know her as a person.  And yes, I felt she was always cast as somebodies mama.

She acts, she sings and she’s got that standing split locked down!

It was good to hear that she helps others, even in the writing of her book discussing her mental health issues. If she can talk about it and how she got help, perhaps someone reading this can decide to get help too!

I wish her all the best success in every area of life.

 

 

 

 

 

EARL - The Autobiography of DMX as told to Smokey D. Fontaine

Well written and insightful about Earl Simmons known to the public as rapper DMX.

DMX is telling his story and its raw and real.  It is good to hear that he helps others by visiting children in the hospital and bringing gifts for them.

He has come a long way and I pray the best for him and his family.

West of Rehoboth by Alexs D. Pate

Not what I thought this was about.  From looking at the title, I thought this may have been a Christian genre novel.

It’s about eleven-year old Edward “Eddie”Massey. He’s from a gang-infested neighborhood, but every summer he gets sent to his Aunt Edna in Delaware, Rehoboth Beach to be exact, so that he can live a quiet, smooth country life and be away from the negative elements back home.

This summer, he has his own mission. To discover the secrets of Uncle Rufus who lives in a shack on Edna’s property, is not allowed in Edna’s house/restaurant establishment and goes on drinking binges where the town children are scared of him.

A great story that delves into the heart of one lonely man and the young boy who may be the catalyst for change in his life.

You Can Begin Again by Joyce Meyer

No matter what you have been through in your life, God has a new beginning for you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – If any person is a new creation, the old has passed away.  Behold the fresh and new has come.

Joyce’s main message: whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you’ve been through, it’s never too late to begin again.

Regardless of what you’ve been told, God doesn’t give up on you when you get stuck.  He is not surprised by your situation and he isn’t mad at you.  Only the devil tells you God is mad.

God is your redeemer and he is making a new way for you.  God’s grace says that it is never too late.  In the Old Testament, the only connection to God was through priests and rules and rituals.  But Jesus came and offered a new way to relate to God with a direct, intimate, personal relationship.  Forgiveness comes by God’s grace and each day offers a new beginning. 

Seek God (study his Word),  spend time in prayer, listen for his voice and obey what he says will get you unstuck every time.

Develop a life of praise regardless of what you are going through. Everyday find something to praise God for.

Worship God even when you feel like you are in a dark circumstance.

Psalm 63:4 – I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Make up your mind to live differently.  Your history is not your destiny.  God’ mercies are fresh and new every morning. 

Hebrews 8:12 – God remembers your sins no more.

To get past your past:

1. Forgive those who hurt you.
2. Let go of your past mistakes.
3. Don’t live in your past successes.

You have a new life in Christ.  God has taken care of your past and a wonderful future awaits you. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t.  God’s timetable is different from your timetable.

If I had to summarize this book it would be with this comment: your story is far from being over and it is still being written. Seek God and all will be revealed to you. This book is a message of hope.  Start with praying, study the Word, help others, make better choices and give thanks.

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

The Information by Martin Amis

Richard Tull is a writer.  Richard Tull does not like Gwyn Barry. Gwyn Barry is a writer.  Gwyn Barry is his friend.  Actually he is his only friend. 

Richard Tull goes through bells and hoops to try to have his friend beat up, accused of being a womanizer and being a plagiarizer.  All because Gwyn’s writing career is taking off better than Richard’s.  Richard Tull is one envious son-of-a-bitch!  If he does this to a friend, what the hell would he have done to an enemy??