Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi

This is the first book I have read by Mary H.K. Choi. I borrowed the book in part because there is a restaurant in Chicago called Yolk that has a fantastic brunch. I've never eaten there because the wait was always too long when I was downtown. This book is partly based on Mary H.K. Choi's personal life. I have no idea what parts are fiction and what parts are reality. It doesn't really matter.  What matters is that this is an excellent book worth reading --or listening to, which is what I did.

The story is told from Janye's perspective. TW, Janye has an eating disorder. At one point there is a long and detailed binging and purging scene, so bear this in mind if it's something you need to avoid.  Janye is a college student in NYC, though it was unclear to me if she was actually attending school or not during the time frame of this book. She is 19 and she is making terrible decisions over and over again throughout much of the book, but there is growth if you stick with it. The book focuses on the relationship between Jayne (the spare) and June (the heir). I don't have a sister so I don't know how accurate this portrayal of sisters is to real life, but gosh I was really rooting for them. 

This book deals with heavy themes so it's a good book for when you want to feel and think and aren't feeling low yourself.

4 stars

1

 

This Never Happens!

 Recently The Husband suggested we get Apple+ TV. My response was lukewarm. I didn't want to pay for another streaming service, but it turns out Apple+TV is only $4.99 a month, we decided to give it a try. One of the first things we watched, also The Husband's pick, was Greyhound. 

Greyhound stars Tom Hanks who is an untested navy captain who is tasked with being the commander of a destroyer who is leading and protecting a convoy of ships over a stretch of the Atlantic in early 1942.  He's a devout Lutheran who is shepherding the ships, many of which are slow cargo ships, and as the commander he has to try and keep the convoy (the sheep) together and safe from U-boats (the wolves).

The story takes place during 50 nail-biting hours where the convoy is most at risk because they were without air cover. The book is fiction, but is based on the realities of actual convoys. The film does an excellent job of showing how communications were done from ship to ship, the constant fear of u-boats, and how important each shipmate was to the overall ability of the destroyer to stay afloat. 

Because I enjoyed the movie, I wanted to read the book so that I could better understand some of the intricacies of why Commander Krause (Tom Hanks' character) made the decisions that he did.  Since I don't know much at all about boating and even less about naval troop movements during World War 2, having seen the movie before listening to the audiobook helped me to better grasp the story. 

Usually, I like books better than the films based on books; but in this case, I liked both equally!

Over the last week or so, we have had a ton, I mean a ton, of rain, so I may need to learn more about boating ASAP! 

 

#TheSundayPost Wrapping Up June & Kicking Off July!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

This past week I did some things.  First of all, I virtually attended the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Virtual Cancer Policy & Advocacy Team Symposium.  It was a ton of information and great ideas for how I can advocate. Secondly, I signed up to use follow.me so people can subscribe to my blog via email. This was a whole thing because the service that I had been using for years, Feedburner, was ending at the end of June, so I waited as long as I could before I tried to figure out how to change to a different service. I also did a writing workshop with Gilda's Club  and Youngest Child had a birthday party so there was cleaning, dog rangling, and lots of teens singing along to Hary Styles. A busy, boisterous time this week--got to love that! 

Marathon training is continuing and with that, I have three audiobooks I'm currently listening to and will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks:

How was your week?  Did you do anything fun or interesting? 

 

 

How Do You Stop A Determined Assassin?

If you enjoy watching thrillers,  if you enjoy stories set with the backdrop of the white house, if you have seen the movie Air Force One; you'll likely find Carol Leonnig's book Zero Fail a compelling and fascinating read.

How do you keep a President safe?  Especially in this 21st century where there are drones, and Havana Syndrome, and 3-D printers able to print plastic guns. This book examines the decades-long struggle of the secret service to protect the President of the United States, their families, and candidates for office.  The push and pull of trying to protect a highly visible person, one who wants and needs to interact with the citizens of the United States as well as travel the world spending time with foreign leaders and dignitaries, is a real sticky wicket. 

I listened to the audio version of this book while I was out running over the last week or so. It was very interesting to learn about failures on the part of the Secret Service that may have played a part in the shooting of JFK, a near-miss with George HW Bush as well as the shooting of Ronald Regan.  In each case, one small slip, one lack of imagination, or too much deference to the person being protected lead to disaster.  And on the other hand, we will never know how many times people or organizations were stopped by one small thing going right. Lack of funding and resources has plagued the Secret Service--with many of those who were part of Presidential details working an untenable amount of hours on a regular basis. 

It came as no surprise to me to learn that often thanks to booze or men not being able to keep their pants on -(be that the President or secret service personnel)  Presidents have been thisclose to being assassinated or compromised by a foreign agent.  And also there is the usual BS you find in any office situation where people are trying to climb the corporate ladder.  I'd been busy with raising kids and I have to say that I completely missed the sex scandal the Secret Service was embroiled in during President Obama's second term--there was a real frat-boy culture. 

 5- stars for Zero Fail from me. This is a very comprehensive look at an incredibly important agency. 

#TheSundayPost May 30th: Are You Ready For The Summer?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Yes! Yes, I am!  The weather here is more like early April, but I am ready for my summer!  My pool is open!  Marathon training starts tomorrow! #1000wordsofsummer starts tomorrow! 

This will be my third marathon and I'm running as a charity runner for Imerman Angels there are still spots available to join the team and run the Chicago Marathon for Team Imerman this fall! If I can run a marathon, you can run a marathon! Imerman Angels is a non-profit group that connects cancer patients and caregivers with peer support.  They call the peer's Mentor Angels.  Mentor Angels are that crucial listening ear, a person who knows exactly what you are going through and is on the other side--able to remind you that even if things are really tough now, there will be better days ahead. 

On the same day marathon training begins,  the two-week writing challenge invented by author Jami Attenberg.  As the name implies the challenge is to write 1,000 words every day for two weeks. It might actually be 15 days now that I think about it, I believe the end goal is 15,000 words which is a nice start to any writing endeavor. I am going to go back to writing the cozy mystery novel that has been lingering unfinished and ignored by me for months. I have a few changes I want to make to the outline and then get back to writing.  Or maybe I'll wind up writing something completely new.  Who knows! 

This week I have 3 books I'll be blogging about:

 A #NetGalley pick-up, New Series!

I'm trying to add some non-fiction to my audiobooks listening.  This book is really fascinating! 

I'm also trying to read down my physical TBR pile.  I like to read my books and pass them on so if you want this book when I'm done, comment and let me know! ( will send as media mail) 

So, what's on your agenda to start the summer? 

If Culinary Cozies Are Your Coconut Jam

 Then you are going to enjoy the stuffing out of Arsenic and Adobo the first book in the new Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series by Mia Manansala.  This is Mia's first book and it's had a great debut, popping up on a bunch of best new book lists. 

This book tells the tale of Lila Macapagal a twenty-five-year-old who has moved back home to help the family business and forget about a terrible ex-boyfriend.  She is also a first-generation Filipino American who spends her free time concocting recipes using traditional Filipino cuisine and giving it her own spin.  Not long after arriving home Lila has new ex-boyfriend problems when an old high school sweetheart keels over in Tita Rosies' restaurant!

Lila is quickly accused of killer her ex-boyfriend and the restaurant, which was already behind on the rent payments is shut down. The clock is ticking; will Lila find the killer and save her family's restaurant?  

My local coffee shop has a new seasonal drink...Ube Iced Latte!  IFYKYK!

I listened to the audio of this book which was read by Danice Cabanela who does a wonderful job of acting out the numerous characters in this first book. It was a very entertaining listen and a nice distraction while running.  I did struggle to keep track of the characters in the book because there were quite a few and it is a little harder for me to keep track when I listen instead of having a book a can flip back through easily. 

Mia Manansala really excels in her food descriptions.  My mouth was watering!  This book is a culinary delight.  I liked getting to know some of the residents of Shady Palms, IL and it was a treat to be invited into Tita Rosie's home. I enjoyed the touch of romance, the diverse cast of first-generation Asian Americans, and it did my little heart good to read about the way Lila's family expressed their love for each other through food. 

4 Stars for this cozy!  I think the second book will build upon this one and I am looking forward to seeing Lila and her friends and family again soon! 

The Sunday Post! This Week I Make My YouTube Debut!

  

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Here is the link to join the live stream! We will be talking about this month's Book Club Book!  Color Me Murder by Krista Davis. The live stream is Tuesday, April 27th at 7PM EST!

Please keep your fingers crossed that all goes well for me on the live stream!  Eeekkk! 

This past week I listened to Boyfriend Material By Alexis Hall.  I recommend it, it's a sweet romance. I also participated in a blog tour with a giveaway, which is still open so enter here.  And on Monday I shared a free book click here. 

This past week my local public library posted that they are accepting applications for an open Trustee position. I threw my hat in the ring.  I don't know if I have a shot or not, but I've loved public libraries since I was a wee lass, so I had to try, right?  

In other media, We've been watching The Circle on Netflix.  It's a surprisingly engaging game show centering around social media and players who don't actually see each other in real life while playing.  I recommend it! 

That's what's going on in my neck of the woods, how are things by you?  Comment and share!