Seedfolks - A Book Review

The title caught my eye first. Next, the cover drew my attention. Once I started reading, I knew this book offered more than a way to pass the time. I love short stories because sometimes I get so busy I have read in small bites. This book is like a collection of very short stories that are connected by the garden. Each story is told by a character, an immigrant, in their distinctive voice. I particularly enjoyed Sae Young. As I read, I could hear her speaking in the familiar broken English that I have heard many times, sometimes daily. Another aspect I enjoyed in this book is how it addressed the issues which we deal with today like immigration, racial profiling, and segregation. The author nor the characters never say this is what is happening. It is described as unintimidating as the weather. You know it is happening, and you understand it from the character's point of view. The character's story doesn't end. It's like a conversation. Each person tells their story and simply move to the background while the next person picks up the conversation. I know this book is written for children, but I enjoyed it. I often enjoy a good children's story, probably because I have read so many to and with my children; the ones that offer wisdom as well as entertainment. One is never too old to learn something new. 😃

The Murder House by James Patterson & David Ellis

I listened to the audiobook and it was gripping. I knew from the first sentence this would be a book I would not be able to leave. There were no word fillers in this story. Each one counted. Once I entered this maze I was unable to exit and come back another day. I finished it before I went to bed. At some points I felt like my head was spinning. At others I found myself tense with anger with some of the characters. One sentence I thought gave me a clue as to who was behind all the murders and then as the story progressed, I thought it was someone else and then it was him again and then someone else and then I wasn't sure and then I was and maybe and.. This is the kind of story The Murder House is, you just can't be sure what's going on and why. It keeps you spinning around in circles, never trusting anyone. And you know what? You won't know why, how or who until you reach the end where you are released from the maze and given the opportunity to take in a full breath and blow it out with satisfaction.


Have you read A Secret Love?