A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @marinerbooks for the review copy of A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Have you ever moved to a new area, or do you live where you grew up?  I grew up in a small town in Michigan, but I now live in a small town in Wisconsin.  There are some differences and some similarities.

Another question, have you ever had something go wrong even though you’ve done everything correctly in life?  I feel like we’ve all had that moment where life suddenly goes wrong.  That is what happens for the Shah family in A Great Country.  They have moved to the prestigious Pacific Hills area in California and things seem to be going well for the family.  Suddenly one night, the Shah parents, Ashok, and Priya, receive a call while at a dinner party.  Their 12-year-old son has been arrested.  How can this be and how can they help their son?  How can this happen to model minorities?

My thoughts on this book:

·       Wow!  This book packed a lot of important and thoughtful topics in a relatively short book.  It would make an excellent book club pick and would provide a lot of discussion points.

·       I liked the thoughts on being a model minority and what that means.  The Shah family has been in the United States for twenty years, worked hard and built a successful business.  Does that protect them from being perceived in a biased manner?

·       This novel also turned bias around the other way.  Does the Shah family hold biased views against other groups?  What is the difference between them and another family who had their young son killed?

·       Do you need a new fancy house in a new fancy neighborhood to be successful?

·       It turns out that their 12-year-old son, Ajay, is on the spectrum.  Ashok does not want his son labeled and has not had him evaluated or tried to receive any help for him. Culturally he believes that children should be perfect. He thought things were fine until Ajay did not react the way the police think he should react.  I liked the thoughtful look into realizing that it is okay if your child has problems, and it is okay to get help for those problems.

·       As a mother, I thought this entire scenario was very scary, but also very important to think about.  Do you think, well, that will not happen to my children because they are of a certain ethnicity or a certain religion?  Is that okay?

·       I also liked the thoughtful look at the police.  Just like people, there are good and bad police.  And even the so called “bad police” may have had experiences that make them have certain bias or perceptions that they use to protect themselves. In this case, one of the police was a veteran that had seen young children used as weapons for terrorism in Afghanistan.

·       It had an interesting look at the caste system in modern day India and how that may trickle over into immigrants in America and how they treat others.

·       The ending was satisfactory to me, but I’m sure some will think it ends too tidy.

·       I have read and enjoyed Secret Daughter by this author in the past.  This reminds me that I should read her other novels.  She is an excellent author.

·       If you enjoyed reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, I highly recommend this novel.

Favorite Quotes:

“He’s at a tender age, your brother.  Losing his innocence.  Seeing the ugliness of the world.  But he’ll get through it. You all will.”

“An immigrant-rich country like ours makes for a complex fabric.  These are tricky things to navigate in our society, which is something Vikram’s learning as well.  We are all here too help you.”

Overall, A Great County by Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a book that I will think about for a long time.  It’s an important and timely read.

The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin

 

Title:  The Autistic Brain:  Thinking Across the Spectrum

Author:  Temple Grandin and Richard Panek

Narrated by:  Andrea Gallo

Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC.

Length: Approximately 8 hours

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

What person would you like to learn more about?  I keep seeing interesting things about Temple Grandin and decided to listen to the audiobook The Autistic Brain to learn more about her and about autism.

The Autistic Brain is a great look into Temple Grandin’s life and her research on autism.    When Temple Grandin was born, autism was first being named and understood.  In this book, she discusses the latest research into autism while explaining her experiences.  I love that she was looking at Amazon reviews of her earlier book in the 1990s and it inspired her to do more research.  The review said not all autistic people think in pictures, which truly astounded Temple Grandin.  She decided she needed to learn more about this and how autistic people think.  She discusses picture-thinkers, pattern-thinkers, and word-fact thinkers.   She still does try to categorize people into these three categories, but I don’t think people can be categorized that neatly.

Grandin takes a fascinating look into possible causes of Autism and various ways it manifests. She talks about brain imagining and genetics, and other studies for possible causes.  It appears to be genetic.  She talks about how there is a very wide spectrum and that the key is it to find the strength of the autistic person and work with them using that strength.  There was also great information and detail about various sensory issues.

 Other interesting tidbits:

-        10% of autistics are savants.

-        Most savants are autistic.

-        Many autistics are good at seeing details, although many can’t see the big picture as they are too focused on the details.

-        Temple Grandin asks autistic people she meets after her talks what their favorite subject is and the most common response is history.

Andrea Gallo was an interesting audiobook narrator.

Great quote: "I've seen these cases--kids who are considered to have severe behavior problems at school until you give them math lessons that meet them where their brains are. Then their behavior normalizes, and they become productive and engaged--maybe even model students."

Overall, if you would like to learn more about autism, this is a great book with a lot of very interesting information. 

Connecting with the Autism Spectrum by Casey “Remrov” Vormer

 

I read Connecting with the Autism Spectrum:  How to Talk, How to Listen, and Why You Shouldn’t Call it High-Functioning by Casey “Remrov” Vormer in April for Autism Awareness month.   In 2021, 1 in 44 children in the United States (1 in 27 boys, 1 in 116 girls) were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.  Many older adults probably have autism, but diagnosis didn’t happen as much in years past.  You probably have a friend, family member, or a coworker with autism.

I enjoyed this book as Casey Vormer has autism and is an autism advocate.  He talks through his experiences with autism, but also makes note that autism is a wide spectrum, so his experiences are not the same as everyone else.  This book gives a brief introduction and explanation of autism spectrum disorder and gives tips for talking and listening to neurodiverse adults to “make your interactions more transparent, meaningful, and rewarding for all.”  

This book was short and written in an engaging format.  It had a lot of good tips in it, including things to never say to an autistic person.  It also describes how the autism diagnosis is personal for people and that they need to have the choice to “come out” as autistic to family and friends.

Some of my favorite quotes were at the end of this book:

“What I enjoy most is being with a friend who encourages me to be myself and who doesn’t criticize me.  I also really appreciate a friend who will offer some advice, help, or support every now and then.  When it comes to befriending an autistic person, keep an open mind and do not judge.  Be patient and take the time to get to know an autistic person.”

“To the reader, I just want to say that it means a lot to me and probably to many other autistic people, that you took the step to learn more about autism by reading this book. I hope it will help you as a teacher, an employer, a coworker, or as a friend of an autistic person. Every person on the spectrum is unique, so not everything in this book applies to every single one of us, but don’t be discouraged if you make a mistake.”

“Autistic or not, everybody has their own story.  We all want the same things in life:  to be happy, to feel appreciated and loved, and to take part in this roller coaster we call life.  Everybody deserves a chance, and the best way to make this happen is to cross out the word “normal” in your dictionary and to be open-minded.  Embrace difference.  Celebrate the strengths and skills everyone has been given.  That’s the key for everyone to succeed and to thrive.”

Overall, Connecting with the Autism Spectrum is a great book to learn about autism and steps you can take for better communication with someone on the spectrum.

Book Source: Purchased from Amazon.com.

25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

I have a great love of Christmas books and read a lot over Christmas.  I may have just finished my last one last week.  I have gotten behind with posting reviews with the business of the season.  I’m hoping to catch up with blog posts over the next few days.

25 Days ‘Til Christmas was a fun book to receive and review.  My book club, Rogue Book Club, was chosen by the TLC Book Tours Book Club Contest to all receive a free copy of the book.  We handed it out in November and hoped to discuss it at our December meeting. Unfortunately, bad weather cancelled our meeting, but we did discuss it at our rescheduled meeting yesterday.

Kate Potter is a young widow trying to make ends meet in Bristol England.  Her husband Tom died while serving in the military and she is stuck now in a dead-end job selling Christmas trees outside a store.  She’s trying to keep Tom’s Grandmother in a nursing home as her health is failing and she has dementia, but Kate may not have the funds to keep her there.  She wants to make Christmas special for her son Jack.  Her friend gives her the idea to have special items to do each day of Advent as they count down until Christmas.  Will Kate be able to have a Merry Christmas with Jack?

Daniel has lost her sister Zoe.  She had Down Syndrome and a heart condition.  After his parents’ death, he was her caregiver.  He used to love to celebrate Christmas with her, but he now finds himself alone for the holidays.  Daniel tries to keep himself busy by volunteering at a suicide help line.  The holidays are always a busy time for the hotline.  Daniel fondly remembers the Christmas tree girl from years past and is delighted to see her out again this year.  Will he work up the nerve to talk to Christmas Tree Girl?

With the duel narratives it was easy to determine at the start of the story that Daniel and Kate would end up together, but it was interesting to see how the story would play out.  It was a sad story for this time of year, but realistic.  I was particularly drawn to the story line of Kate discovering Jack was autistic and trying to find a good school for him. The way it all works in England was different.  One of my children was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism.  Much of the description of Kate grappling with Jack, I have experienced as a mother.  Suicide, depression, workplace harassment were just some of the themes covered in this book. 

It was interesting in book club to see different people’s take on the book.  It was called a “Hallmark Christmas” type book, but I pointed out that the dark themes had more depth than a typical Hallmark type book.  Sure, there was a romance, but I find it interesting that even women are often dismissive of a book if they think it is a romance.  It also provided interesting discussion about how kids are viewed from a parent or teacher point of view. I looked at it from the parent’s point of view with Kate and her autistic son while the teachers in book club looked at the story completely differently.

Favorite Quotes:

“She was a star too:  cold, remote, distant, and lonely.”

“I love Christmas.  It’s just like real life . . . only more exciting.”

Overall, 25 Days ‘Til Christmas was a surprising Christmas romance novel that took a deeper look at how Christmas can be a sad time of year for a lot of people for many reasons.  I personally liked the look at how the main character dealt with her son’s autism.

Book Source:  Harper Collins Publishers as part of the TLC Book Tours Book Club Contest.  Thank-you!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I have wanted to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time since it first came out, but it hasn’t made it to the top of my pile until now with its inclusion on the PBS Great American Read list.  What I found was a book that made me both laugh and cry, one that was touching and unique.  It was quite a book!

Christopher is a fifteen-year-old boy with autism who has decided to write a book.  He knows that people like mysteries, so he frames the story around the murder of his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, and the events that surround it.  Christopher ruminates over the death of his mother two years before and his love of math and science.  He really wants to take the A level math tests and have a career in science.  Will Christopher solve the mystery, and will he be able to navigate the world?

The book became so much more than a mystery as it really went into Christopher’s home life.   It was really sad, but also seemed realistic, to read about the struggles his parents had in raising them.  I was horrified by one part where his Dad grew enraged and got physical with him.  But I really felt for his Dad later in the book.  I liked that the characters were flawed, but realistic. 

Christopher with all his quirks, was a likeable character.  Even though I am not autistic, I could identify with him. I enjoyed his love of math and science, and of animals. He reminded me a lot of Don in The Rosie Project which I read earlier this year.  I really like how Christopher just says whatever is on his mind and is very truthful on his thoughts.  This was a great coming of age story and journey and I loved it.

I also enjoyed the graphics and pictures throughout the book which seemed believable that Christopher would include.  I have heard this has been made into a play and I think it would be a very interesting play to watch.

My favorite quotes:

“I like dogs.  You always know what a dog is thinking.  It has four moods.  Happy, sad, cross and concentrating.  Also, dogs are faithful, and they do not tell lies because they cannot talk.”

“I think people believe in heaven because they don’t like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living, and they don’t like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish.”

“But I don’t take any notice because I don’t listen to what other people say and only sticks and stones can break my bones and I have my Swiss Army knife if they hit me and if I kill them it will be self-defense and I won’t go to prison.”

“But sometimes we get sad about things and we don’t like to tell other people that we are sad about them.  We like to keep it a secret.  Or sometimes we are sad, but we don’t really know we are sad.  So, we say we aren’t sad.  But really we are.”

I LOVED the last line of the novel, but it’s a major spoiler so I won’t write it here.

Overall, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an excellent novel that will make you both laugh and cry as you enjoying Christopher’s coming of age story.

Book Source:  The Kewaunee Public Library