Hi all. We arrived home from our road trip after visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Idaho. It was great fun and very scenic. We enjoyed skiing together and going on walks with our Labrador dogs in the winter wonderland. They have good snow there. Much better than we do here in Alberta, where windstorms have turned things to icy conditions. On the way back, we drove through beautiful areas in Idaho and Montana and saw elk, big horn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and many bald eagles. It was cool. There’s also a moose and calf in my sister’s neighborhood so we were on guard not to get in the way. All in all, it was a great trip and fun visit and I stayed completely unplugged from my laptop, which is quite rare but was a nice break.
Now we’re home and I need to get back on the ball. I haven’t had time yet to post my February Preview so that will have to come next week. But I have done a few reviews below of what books I finished lately. I plan to visit others’ blogs this week to see what I missed and what you all are reading. I hope the new year is treating you kindly and that your reading is going well.
Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang / Random House / 224 pages / 2022
This tale, about a mid-30s ICU doctor in New York who seems to be going through a bit of a crisis, snuck up on me as it went along.
Joan is an American-Chinese workaholic who is so capable at her job that she eagerly assumes extra work shifts to fill up her time. But after the death of her father in China, her life goes a bit adrift … and she begins reflecting on the “gulfs within her family, the migrations they’ve made [her parents brought Joan and her brother to the U.S. as kids and went back to China after they were grown] and the cost of love.”
It’s true Joan is sort of an odd and lone duck. She has few friends, prefers to work all the time, has a sparsely furnished NY apartment, and has some problems seeing eye-to-eye with her mother, brother, and sister-in-law. But she studied hard at Harvard and became a successful doctor, though now her family has other wishes or expectations of her.
While the story is a bit scattered, I liked quite a few of Joan’s observations about her life, being a doctor, and their family … and also the pandemic as it comes into play towards the end of the book. You want to see how it will affect her and her relations, and by the end it seems Joan turns a bit of a corner. It’s a subtle character-kind of story — mostly of Joan’s inner thoughts without a lot of plot action — but still it comes off a bit meaningful.
Thanks to the publisher Random House for providing me with a copy of the e-book to review.
O Beautiful by Jung Yun / St. Martin’s Press / 320 pages / 2021
When I picked up the audiobook of this, the plot seemed enticing to me about a woman, who was a former model in NY and is returning to her home state of North Dakota to write a magazine article on the oil boom’s effects on a town. Her journalism prof, whom she had a relationship with, gave her the story, but while there some bad things start to happen her, including being abused on the plane, having to endure racist and misogynist language against her, and being kicked out of her hotel.
Much of the story deals with the evils of the oil fracking biz, the misogyny and racism of the people it employs and attracts, the pollution, and the violence that has risen during the boom. All of which seems valid to raise, even if it feels a bit heavy-handed at times.
My qualm was that I found the main character Elinor Hanson quite unappealing to spend hours with. I get that she has some substance issues and is grappling with her past and present and trying to write the story and get an angle on it, but she seems such a negative unhappy person toward everyone and everything (even with her sister who lives there) that I had a hard time with her. The story itself is very negative and on top of that she is too. It was just the combination of both endlessly that felt oppressive and made me lose some interest. I also wanted to know how her article goes … but at the end you don’t really find out, though you assume she’s well on her way with the material she’s able to gather.
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal / 384 pages /2014
We listened to the audiobook of this nonfiction book on our long road trip, and holy smokes it’s quite the true story of friendship and deception. I went into it pretty blind — not knowing too much about the events surrounding this British traitor — and was appalled by what MI6 officer Kim Philby did and got away with spying for the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1963.
Good grief the events detailed will turn your stomach inside out … not only because of what Philby did — blowing the cover of agents and handing over classified information and missions to the Soviets — but also because of the old-boys snobby network of the British MI6 that refused to believe that one of their own was involved in doing this. They let Philby off the hook after his colleagues defected to the Soviet Union in 1951, and he was able to continue on as a spy till 1963, when information finally came to light that the intelligence agencies could no longer refute.
The book follows Philby’s long close friendship mainly with fellow British MI6 officer Nicholas Elliott (but also to a lesser extent CIA operative James Angleton) as they go about various spy missions. Elliott particularly trusted Philby and shared with him his intelligence info for decades … without ever questioning this man who apparently charmed the socks off of the clan at MI6 and was a well-liked hard-core drinking buddy and a close family friend of Elliott’s. Later Elliott and Angleton stood up for Philby in the 1950s when he was being investigated for being a spy, helping him to become exonerated of the charges.
Good grief it’s an exasperating story. Philby’s now known as one of the worst (most effective) spy traitors in history, and the fact that he pretty much got away with it all then was able to disappear is cringe-worthy stuff. Philby certainly duped his intelligence friends and wives along the way, who come off looking foolish and negligent. It’s quite a tale — well told, suspensefully by Ben Macintyre, though he sometimes goes off on tangents that you wish he wouldn’t, so you could get back to the main story. Still he infuses the book with many fascinating details and leaves you with little confidence in the 1950s intelligence community … who come off looking like heavy drinkers, partiers, and incompetent nits who bore little accountability for the damage Philby left in its wake.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read these books or authors and if so, what did you think? And how’s life?
Wow, it really looks like winter wonderland. Glad you managed to go skiing and see your family. 🙂 Joan Is Okay sounds like a story, I would enjoy. I have Ghost Forest about a Hong Kong immigrant family on my wish list and hope to get to it soon.
Hey Stargazer, thanks, great hearing from you as always. I’ll have to check out more about Ghost Forest … as I have not heard of that one. Joan Is Okay was subtle in certain ways but interesting nonetheless. She’s a bit of a quirky character but likable. The skiing in Idaho was really good. It’s a trip that will keep with us for quite a long while.
I’ve heard quite a bit about Kim Philby and it’s an amazing story.
Your road trip sounds fantastic; I’d love to see all those animals in the wild!
Thanks Helen. Yeah the trip was quite special. About 12 hours of driving each way but it was worth it. The skiing there is awesome too.
As a British citizen you must have heard a lot about Kim Philby … it is quite an unreal story… and I feel like I know it in depth now from the book. I’m hoping MI6 has improved a great deal from those days … the Cambridge spies as 5 of them were known … were a total blow for British intelligence. Terrible!
Have a great week.
I was interested to see your take on Joan. I finished reading the book a couple of weeks ago and still have to review it. (I’m behind with my reviews, as usual.)
Sounds like you had a great visit and that picture really does look like a winter wonderland.
Thanks Dorothy. It was a good visit and I’m still savoring the time there.
I was a bit all over the place in my thoughts about the Joan novel. Some parts I liked of her observations etc. and other parts I sort of wished Joan would be a bit more social and open up a bit. Maybe I wanted a bit more to happen in the story too. What did you think? I look forward to your review of it. I gave it 3.7 stars on Goodreads … but rounded it up. I have not read her first novel so wonder how it compares. Have a great week.
Glad you had such a fun trip to Idaho. I could use a lovely break like that right about now. And we could sure use some of that snow down here in Utah!
And Joan is Okay sounds like a book I might like. 🙂
Hey thanks Lark. Is your Utah bare of snow these days? I heard Park City was in need of snow badly. Joan Is Okay had some subtle good parts to it. I hope you have a great week.
Lovely picture – so glad you had a great time with loved ones skiing. It’s been so cold lately we haven’t gotten outdoors as much as I would like. I listened to Joan is Okay and rated it 4/5. I enjoyed Joan but, felt like I wanted more. I’ll be looking for you February list – working on my now.
Hi Diane — thanks. The trip was special & fun. Now Canada is very cold too so it’s tough walking the dogs, ugh. I agree with you that I wanted a bit more from the Joan story. I rated it 3.7 stars on Goodreads rounded up. It was novel that was anticipated pretty highly so perhaps it didn’t live it up to all the hype.
We will see about February books. Happy reading.
Beautiful photo… glad you had such a wonderful trip. I’d love to see Idaho one day!
Jung Yun’s Shelter was a favorite the year I read it, so I’m disappointed to hear about your experience with O Beautiful. Don’t think I’d want to spend a lot of time with the main character either.
Kim Philby appeared in A Woman of No Importance, which I read in January, and this could be an interesting follow up. I’ll need a little break from the spy world first though. Happy February!
Thanks JoAnn: great trip & I’ll have to post more photos sometime.
Perhaps you might like O Beautiful better than me? I don’t know. I wanted to like it going in – but it just came off all negative … and right now I need a glimmer of hope.
I saw that you read A Woman of No Importance which looks really good. I’d be interested to see how Philby appears in it. He really was a smooth deceiver and did so much damage! Happy reading to you in Feb.
I’m glad you had a fun trip. I camped in Montana for a few summers when I was a teenager. I love it there. Happy February!
Thanks AJ. Yeah Montana and Idaho are awesome. I can see where you’d like Montana! We have spent some time there … in Bozeman (where my brother lives) and in Missoula (on a bike trip) … also have made stops in Butte and Helena. Beautiful country. (as well as your Colorado). 🙂
That pic is amazing, and to think you saw so much wildlife! Joan is Okay sounds good; it is among the most anticipated books of this year, so you started on the right track. I have the Philby book on my shelf, but I don’t know when/if I will get to it. The man did some heavy damage and destroyed careers left and right. I look forward to your February preview.
Hey Carmen, great to hear from you. I have more pics to share … pretty awesome sights there. Although the Joan novel has some good parts to it, it might have been a bit overly hyped. It just needed something a bit more to happen. Still I liked it well enough and gave it 3.7 stars on Goodreads rounded up to 4. She’s a quirky character, a smart loner -who is going thru a hard time.
The Philby guy – whoa! What a destructor! Nobody suspected him for decades, yikes. His close friend Nicholas Elliott … was played big time. It’s lucky we didn’t drive off the road listening to the audio, ha. We’ll see what Feb. books bring, try to post for next week. Happy reading to you.
What a stunning photo of that snowy mountain range! Snow always looks better with a crystal clear blue sky, right? Glad you had a good trip and that you saw so much wildlife. Jealous!
I’m eager to read/listen to Joan Is Okay, which I’ve seen compared to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, which I loved on audio. I think I’ll skip O Beautiful, though. The main character doesn’t sound very likeable.
A Spy Among Friends sounds like it would be a fascinating read/listen. We’ve been watching MI-5/Spooks for the past few weeks and now I’m curious about MI-6. I’ll bet my husband would enjoy the book, as well. Having listened to the audiobook, do you think it or print edition would be best (with regard to keeping track of all the names and events)? I’m also a bit hesitant to listen to a book that is read by the author.
Hi Lesley, thanks the trip was a great break away. Much to see. We rarely do road trips like you two do – but it was a manageable 12 hours away, which we broke into 2 days. The scenery and mountains were captivating.
fyi – The Spy – Philby book is not read by the author and is pretty good on audio. It took us awhile to get into it but then later we got hooked. The print book would be good as well I think. But we were able to follow the audio. It probably helps to listen to it in big chunks of time like on a road trip instead of in little bits here & there. Also I’m not sure Joan is as absorbing as Eleanor Oliphant or else it’s just a different kind of story/narration, so a slight heads up … it might not appeal as well as that but see what you think. Hope all is well at your cove. Feb. is usually the last rough winter month here. hmm. we’ll see how we get thru.
Beautiful picture. I’ve only seen snow of that beauty and magnitude once in my life, and it was decades ago. Hard to even imagine it now.
I really like the sound of Joan Is Okay. Character-driven novels are what I enjoy most, and this one sounds like a close look at an unusual character still trying to figure out herself and the world she lives in. I’ll have to see if my library is going to order this one…maybe I can encourage them.
Hi Sam, you should do one of your road trips to Montana and Idaho sometime. You’d be quite awed I think. There was much to see. And it was beautiful indeed.
I have many more pictures, maybe I’ll post a couple more next time.
I’ll be curious if your library has Joan Is Okay … it was a pretty hyped, 2nd generation immigrant kind of book. I thought it was good and interesting but not great great. Still it left me thinking about the disconnect in families & how migration affects each differently. It was a bit subtle and quiet like Joan herself. Have a great week.
That is one beautiful picture of the snow! Glad you all had some good family time and good skiing time. Always fun. We are expecting an ice/snow storm tonight/tomorrow. It will not be fun, I think, but let’s see.
I’ve been hearing about Joan is Okay and O Beautiful – both are on my list. I haven’t yet read a book which features the pandemic so it will be interesting to read that.
Hi Athira, thanks the trip was good. Yeah I heard about the big snowstorm that’s forecasted to hit the Midwest soon, wow. Maybe your kids will have a snow day? It looks pretty big, so best to hunker down till it moves on.
And yes I was interested in the pandemic part of the Joan novel … and I have a few other pandemic novels on my list such as Burntcoat by Sarah Hall. Hmm. But who knows when I will get to it. Hope things are good with you. Happy reading.
I liked Joan is Okay a lot, but I would say that I loved the author’s first book, Chemistry, much much more.
I think I will skip O Beautiful and A Spy Among Friends. Neither sounds like my sort of read.
So glad you had such a great time in the snow in Idaho!
Thanks Deb, the trip was a great time. I’m curious about Wang’s novel Chemistry … and it seems you liked it better. I think I gave Joan is Okay 3.7 stars … but it’s pretty incredible how highly it was talked about. Probably a bit more than I thought. Have a great week.
What a magical vacation! It must have been bliss to be able to reunite with family across the border. I’ve been enjoying xc-skiing too. I love how you introduce me to new books, and this a nice diverse selection.
Hey thanks Sarah. Great to hear from you. Yes … getting across the border during these times is not easy. But we did all the requirements and it was worth it! XC skiing is a complete joy, right? Especially with dogs by one’s side. Hope you are enjoying your winter. Cheers.
A Spy Among Friends looks like a tough read. But wow fascinating.
Glad you had a great time in Idaho with family. That snow looks picturesque! We had all our storms in December, it seems. We’ve got snow in the mountains but not anywhere else.
Thanks for checking in and I hope to get back into it all soon. I hope you have a safe and wonderfully well-read February!
Hey Heather – great to hear from you — and I look forward to your blog posts. See what you’re reading and how you’re doing.
The snow in Alberta is not good either! But luckily the snow in Idaho was a lot better. I hear Park City needs much more! Did you do the film fest again? I’m not sure if it was virtual but I missed it. Been busy.
A Spy Among Friends is fascinating …. and a history of the Cold War too. It was good to learn about, Oh my. Hope you’re all doing well. Happy reading.
It sounds like you had a great time on your road trip and visit with your family. The drive sounds beautiful. I have heard mostly good things about Joan Is Okay and may have to give that one a try. A Spy Among Friends isn’t the type of book I normally pick up to read, but it sounds fascinating. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your recent reads.
Yeah LF : it’s not very often that I complete nonfiction … but my husband wouldn’t listen to fiction on our road trip so we tried this spy book. I don’t read spy books much at all either … but this event turned out to be pretty huge in history and the Cold War … so I’m glad I know about it now. Wow I had no idea!
Thanks it was a memorable trip to Idaho and visiting with family.
I’m glad you had such an adventure skiing, the snow certainly looks inviting.
A Spy Among Friends seems particularly relevant at the moment. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Yeah Shelleyrae: the road trip to Idaho at the end of January was a huge plus for us this winter. Just so much to see & do. We might make it an annual trip perhaps. A pilgrimage of sorts, ha. And the book A Spy Among Friends really rocked me … how this British man with a nice life ends up just working for Russia … and betraying his friends & everyone in his path … just was disturbing. He seemed pretty pathological in a hidden way. And now this War in Ukraine is just so nuts and heavy on the whole world. It’s so awful. I fear a doomsday there. take care.