Klara and the Sun

There has been alot of excitement recently about Kazuo Ishiguro's newest novel Klara and the Sun. It received rave reviews and has been adapted into a movie. Sony Pictures will release the film on October 23, 2026. I always prefer to read a book before seeing the movie so I picked up a copy of it. The novel is fantastic.

The publisher's summary:

Here is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. 

The story takes place in a future, dystopian U.S where children are genetically altered for academic advantages. Klara is a robot that runs on solar power as do all Artificial Friend (AF) creatures. Klara's manager placed her in the store's window for two weeks. Klara was able to recharge quicker as she was exposed to more of the sun. More importantly, a young girl saw her in the window. Josie visited Klara a few times while she was with her mother. Her mother wasn't sure how well Klara would fit in inside their home. A few weeks passed before Josie was able to return and buy Klara.

Klara and Josie got along well. However, Melania Housekeeper was curt towards Klara. Klara soon learns that Josie has an illness and when she feels bad Josie can also treat Klara poorly. I was amused that the housekeeper's name was Melania. 

I enjoyed reading the story from Klara's perspective. The author did a good job of interpreting how a robot adds information into its memory. Klara's method of reasoning was also fascinating. It all happened fast for Klara and she was able to change her responses to Josie according to Josie's moods. 

The novel is not really about artificial intelligence though. I think the author is comparing the abilities of humans versus robots to add information to their memory and also to show emotion. Note that Klara behaves better than any of the human characters in this novel. 

I loved this compelling story. Before reading the book friends told me that I would cry at the ending. I didn't cry but certainly felt some emotion. Klara and the Sun is simply an outstanding read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Ransom

Ransom is the 26th installment of Dan Silva's Gabriel Allon spy series. I have read every book in the series and always eagerly await the arrival of a new book. July 14, 2026 was the date! As with all spy thrillers there is a theme of greed and corruption in Ransom. However, this story is about the kidnapping of a billionaire's wife.

The publisher's summary:

Alice Winter, one of Britain’s most dazzling socialites, seemingly has the perfect life—a lavish home in posh Knightsbridge, a grand estate in Devon, millions of followers on social media who eagerly await her next post. But when she disappears without a trace while on holiday with three old friends from Cambridge, her desperate husband, the real estate baron Edward Knight, turns to none other than Gabriel Allon to find her.

He soon discovers that Alice Winter is not the woman she appears to be, that she has a reckless side, that she has secrets. But Edward Knight has a secret too, a secret so dangerous that Gabriel will have no choice but to return to the life he thought he had left behind. An old enemy lurks there, waiting for him to make one misstep, waiting for the perfect moment to exact vengeance.

From its irresistible opening chapters to its heart-pounding climax and shocking final twist, Ransom is a riveting, page-turning tour de force that proves yet again why Daniel Silva is the reigning master of international intrigue and suspense.

 

The title of the story gives us the plot line. The wife of a British billionaire is kidnapped while she is vacationing with three friends from her college days in Cambridge. The ladies are on the Spanish island of Ibiza. One of them, Phoebe, has a huge argument with Alice and leaves the island the next morning. Alice disappeared at 2 a.m. that morning but the kidnappers didn't contact her husband until six days later demanding a one billion euro ransom. Gabriel is hd by Alice's husband Edward Knight to find her. Gabriel solicits the help of a former associate Sarah Bancroft, an ex-CIA operative-turned-art , and international thief Ingrid Johansson. Both ladies appeared in earlier books of the series. The first half of the book dealt exclusively with the negotiation of the ransom and its subsequent payment. Then the backround on the kidnapping was turned upside down. 

International intrigue abounds in this novel. Gabriel learns that Russian intelligence officers and oligarchs are involved with Edward Knight. He has to sift through all of the clues concerning their possible involvement with the kidnapping. However, instead of the usual nonstop gun fighting between Gabriel and his adversaries the reader sees a slow build up of suspense as Gabriel deciphers who is involved and who isn't.

While Ransom isn't the typical Gabriel Allon novel I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The author created a magnificent plot with clever twists. It is superb.

4 out of of sars.

The Trumpster Fire Escape Almanac

I received a free copy of this book from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club in exchange for an honest review. With just 84 pages, the book still manages to contain a wealth of information on how to relocate to another country. If Donald Trump has you thinking about leaving the U.S., this book is for you.

The publisher's summary: 

Donald Trump’s America feels less like the land of the free and more like a quickly spreading dumpster fire. If you’ve ever thought, “Maybe it’s time to think about getting out of the US…” this book is your roadmap to moving abroad.

The Trumpster Fire Escape Almanac blends biting political commentary with practical guidance for Americans considering living overseas. Part escape manual, part statistical almanac, it helps you answer the real questions about leaving America.

Where can I live without my blood pressure spiking at every headline? Which countries welcome expats with decent healthcare, affordable living, and functional democracy? How do visas, taxes, language, and safety stack up in 99 countries and nearly 500 cities worldwide?

What’s the difference between running away and choosing a better life?

With data pulled from the World Bank, CIA Factbook, UN, and more, this unique relocation guide offers both the facts and the comic relief you’ll need to plan your expat life. Whether you’re a retiree, a digital nomad, or just someone who can’t breathe through the smoke anymore, this book shows you how to scout, select, and settle into your new homeland.

There is alot of political anti-Trump commentary as well as practical advise for Americans looking to move abroad.  Topics covered include visas, healthcare, cost of living and safety from 99 countries. Most of this information is contained within two spreadsheets that the author created. 

The chapters are short making the book a fast read. The information the author provides is thorough. He gives all of the necessary considerations you need to know to plan an international move. I would say, though, that this information is just the starting point for the research that you must do in order to be fully prepared for your move.

The book was published in late October 2025 so the information inside the pages might be out of date. This will depend on which country you might consider moving to. If you are someone afraid of what Trump might do to you, this book is required reading. 5 out of 5 stars.

Daughters of Shangdong

The Daughters of Shangdong is Eve Chung's debut novel. It's a winner! This historical fiction novel is based upon the author's grandmother's experience in China. The story delves into her attempts to escape from China after the Communists won the civil war.

The publisher's summary: 

Daughters are the Ang family’s curse.

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.

This story is intense and emotional. Hai, Di and their mother went through so much trauma during these years it's amazing that they were able to forge a life for themselves afterwards. Hai almost died when Mao's guards grabbed her and denounced her among her neighbors. She was struck another of times and spent hours kneeling in the town square. She was an Ang and had to be punished for coming from a privileged family. The guards wanted to know where her parents and grandparents were because they were the real targets. Unfortunately, the family deserted her mother and sister and ran for safety from the Communists. Hai suffered lifelong pain from just this one experience.

Di was more adaptable and she handled the loss of food and shelter much better. However, their mother was stuck in the culture in which her grandmother was raised. She believed that she must be subservient to all of the men and elders in the family. Mom never was able to overcome this training she received from childhood. That said, Mom was incredibly resilient. Mom made sure her daughters would have good careers and husbands. That is what she fought for. The struggles of these ladies showcase the lengths that people will go through to be free. 

Along the way, the ladies lived with neighbors, refugee camps and in a box. They've used all the legal means available to them in order to travel to Taiwan. It took years.  Also, I learned alot about the adverse history between mainland China and Taiwan. The book is a good primer on their current relations. 

I loved this heart-wrenching story. I highly recommend the book and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. I think it will be in my top ten books of the year.

September Armchair Travel Plans

Next month I will continue to read books about the founding of the U.S. as well as catch up on my TBR list. 

A few cozy mysteries are in my reading plan. Ellie Grant's Plum Deadly (North Carolina) and Wendy Meadows Decaf Deceit (Millpond) have been on my TBR list for a few months so it's time to read them. Dorothy Gilman"s Caravan is a selection for the Alphabet Soup Author Edition Challenge. It takes place in North Africa.

My overseas reads include England with Nancy Bilyeau's The Heiress of Northanger Abbey. This book is a sequel to Jane Austen’s classic Northanger Abbey and it will be published on September 1, 2026. I planned on reading Tokyo Express in August but didn't have time so I will try and fit it in. China is another place I plan on traveling to with Eve Chung's The Daughters of Shangdong, a historical fiction account of the Chinese Civil War. Taiwan Travelogue will take me to Taiwan with a mystery story. 

Taipei Story by RF Kuang comes out on September 8. Finally, Singapore is in my sights with Christmas at the Convent, the latest Harriet Gordon mystery by A. M. Stuart. 

Where are you traveling to next month?

Captivating Character of the Month:August

I was captivated by the story about Ellie Chang in The Young Will Remember novel. Ellie was a Chinese American journalist who took huge risks by traveling to battle sites in North Korea. After her military plane crashed, a woman who saw the crash mistook Ellie for her long lost daughter. Emma talked her into walking to Emma’s home for safety. Unfortunately the home was located in the very north of North Korea near the Chinese border. Ellie was stuck there for two years before she was able to enter Hong Kong and return home to California. How did she get to Hong Kong? By walking to South Korea and catching a boat. She walked through towns and villages during American bombing raids in order to get home. 

Name of Captivating Character: Ellie Chang 

The reason she is captivating: risk-taker, brave, reslient

Book and Author: The Young Will Remember by Eve Chung

Genre/Categories/Setting: historical fiction, survival and escape, Korea (1950-1951)

Mood: suspenseful, tense, fear

Content Considerations: dialogue on comfort women 

So my friends, who is your captivating character of the month?

Book Cover of the Month: August

I love the cover and inside illustrations of the new graphic novel by Megan Kearney. Corpse de Ballet was not only written by Kearney but also illustrated by her. Kearney drew the design elements of the book cover but the cover design was actually put together by Sunny Lee and Yan L. May. 

Kearney is a cartoonist based in Toronto with a background in animation. Corpse de Ballet is her first solo graphic novel. Sunny Lee is an Associate Art Diector with First Second, the publisher of the book. She earned an MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I could not locate any information on Yan L. May but I am presuming they also work at First Second.

 The color pallette of blues with white was utilized in both the book cover and the inside illustrations.

Can't Wait Wednesday #53

This weekly meme is hosted by the Wishful Endings blog. The meme spotlights the books that we are excited about but have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released.

Nancy Bilyeau is one of my favorite authors. She is coming out with a new book on September 1, 2026. The Heiress of Northanger Abbey is a Jane Austen sequel concerning Catherine Morland. Twenty-two years after her marriage to Henry Tilney, the imposing estate of Northanger Abbey will pass to a new generation. Catherine's daughter Phoebe is expected to inherit the grand estate. However, she inherits more than just the estate. Phoebe uncovers long-buried secrets, hidden corridors, and haunting secrets. 

Here is the publisher's blurb. 

Gloucestershire, 1820: Catherine Tilney receives a letter that resurrects her darkest fears. Her daughter Phoebe has fallen under the influence of the unscrupulous Thorpe family-the very figures who once nearly destroyed Catherine's happiness.

Determined to protect her child from dangerous fortune hunters, Catherine follows Phoebe to an isolated manor on Dartmoor. There, she finds a landscape of reckless passions, family secrets, and a dangerously charming aristocratic neighbor. It all feels eerily like the plot of the latest Gothic sensation, The Vampyre - but is Catherine once again letting her imagination run wild?

In this psychologically charged sequel to Jane Austen's classic, award-winning historical novelist Nancy Bilyeau transforms Catherine's youthful adventures into a mystery with the highest of stakes. The Heiress of Northanger Abbey is a story of mothers and daughters, deception and desire-and of a woman who must learn to trust her power of perception before it's too late.

So my friends, what book(s) are you anxiously awaiting to read?

Book of the Month: August

I had a hard time selecting this month's book of the month. There were two books that I considered. The graphic novel Corpse de Ballet by Megan Kearney was a top contender. Eve Chung's The Young Will Remember won out for my best book of August. The book is a historical fiction story set in 1950s Korea during the Korean War. The War was fought from 1950 through 1953 but the story takes place just in 1950 and 1951. 

The novel has a main Korean character, Emma, but the real main character is Ellie Chang who was a Chinese American journalist. During a military flight to cover a battle in North Korea, Ellie’s plane crashed. A woman who saw the crash mistook Ellie for her long lost daughter. Emma talked her into walking to Emma’s home for safety. Unfortunately the home was located in the very north of North Korea near the Chinese border. Ellie was stuck there for two years before she was able to enter Hong Kong and return home to California.

Ellie was invited to stay at Emma's home which was actually owned by the Pak family. The Paks were Christians who decided not to flee south as all the other Christians did. Ellie spoke Chinese but not a word of Korean so the family ensured she did not need to speak with any neighbors. If the neighbors discovered the Paks were harboring an American they all would have been executed. During Ellie’s time in North Korea she and Emma walked the length of the country to arrive in Seoul. This was a treacherous journey in winter. A lot happened throughout the story. I think it's an amazing tale of life in North Korea during the war.

Callisto

Callisto is a sci-fi graphic novel about Jupiter's second largest moon Callisto. It is home to a space colony that is one of humanity's industrial and mining settlements. It is also hotspot of commerce, culture, and religion. 

Detective Becca Ramos is assigned to investigate the disappearances of several people on Callisto. She will discover a hidden cult who uses the symbol of a cross in a circle. They are called pilgrims but no one knows why. The group is either a religious group from earth or they could possibly refer to the people who came to America. As Becca investigates the disappearances she sees a growing body count and many of the deceased are near the cross symbol. Field Surveyor Santoro is the suspected perp and Becca is searching for him. 

I particularly enjoyed the mechanical cats on this moon. They look just like the cats on earth but these cats are rechargeable. The Callisto setting was similar to earth. There were highrise condos, a city hall and a jail. However, the buildings look like they were created from shipping containers. There was alot of metal on this moon. Colorist Lee Loughridge colored the drawings in muted tones of green, blue, burgundy, teal and brown. The color pallette helped create an otherworldly, dystopian atmosphere which I would expect to find on another planet or moon. Parents, there is no foul language in the story but there is nudity and sexy scenes.

The story moved quickly making the book a fast read. There is one issue that I have though. SPOILER ALERT. I didn't understand the ending. Becca wakes up in a hospital after being unconscious for three days. She appears to be very pregnant and a doctor states she is ready to deliver the child. On the next page we see that all the doctors are dead, having been gruesomely murdered. Huh?

Please note that I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on October 6, 2026. 

3 out of 5 stars.

Someday Perfect

Someday Perfect is a graphic novel about several teens who are sent by their families to a summer camp for Christians for two weeks. The main character is Meg whose father is a pastor. A few of the other characters include Danny, who Meg has a crush on, Kayla, Nicole, Tommy, Sister Elena, Sister Greta, and Hannah. Upon arrival at the Adirondacks Bible Camp the teens are separated by gender with the girls sent to the Waitress Quarters to live.

All of the girls must work as waitresses for all of the camp attendees. The boys are assigned to wash dishes. The girls were given long skirts and ugly aprons that they were required to wear every day, all day. The boys had no clothing restrictions and they wore their normal clothes. The women who supervised the girls chided them for wearing earrings and talking about boys. 

I was surprised that the kids were required to work at the camp. Is this normal? They were working hard so why is this a Bible camp? There were meetings every morning and evening where an adult would preach but there wasn't much time for recreation. The adults were hard on the girls. If a boy was interested in a girl, she was warned about enticing the boy. Also, since the girls had to serve the boys they were not allowed to eat until the boys were finished. Frequently, there wasn't enough food left over for the girls. The camp counselors would tell them that their figures would suffer if they ate. In addition, the girls were told to stay at least six inches apart from the boys. I felt terrible for them. In my opinion this was abusive treatment toward the girls. 

While all of this was ongoing, Meg becomes attracted to Danny. Along with her attraction came questions. Meg wonders how she can fulfill her role as a Christian when her heart and faith both question whether the attraction is appropriate. I was shocked that Meg felt a teen romance was not appropriate. After all, every teenager since the beginning of time experiences such an attraction. It's normal. Meg also had the pressure of needing to be seen as a perfect pastor’s kid.

The author did a great job detailing life at a summer Bible camp. I think that the Adirondacks Bible Camp is something that the author experienced herself because in her Acknowledgments she wrote that she hoped her parents were not mad at her for writing the book.  It was eye-opening to me as I have never attended a summer camp. Despite my alarm at how the girls were treated, the novel is light reading. The drawings were colored in bright colors. A few of the pages were illustrated in typical comic strip panels but the author primarily deviated from using panels.

I loved this story and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Young Will Remember

The Young Will Remember is about Chinese American journalist Ellie Chang. Chang is on board a military plane to cover a battle in the North during the Korean War. Unfortunately, her plane crashes in enemy country. Chang later is claimed by a Korean woman as being her long lost daughter. This poignant story was published on May 5, 2026. With 454 pages, it qualifies as a selection for the Big Book Summer Challenge.

The publisher's summary:

1950. It’s the coldest winter in decades, and twenty-eight-year-old Chinese American journalist Ellie Chang is on a military flight to cover a battle in the mountains of North Korea when her plane is shot down.

As she emerges from the fallen aircraft onto an icy field surrounded by the enemy, Ellie is sure it’s the end, certain she’ll never make it home to her parents...until a woman pushes her way through the crowd and claims Ellie as the lost daughter that she’s been searching for since the last war ended. Never mind that Ellie doesn’t speak a word of Korean.

Ellie is taken in by her rescuer—a woman who calls herself “Emma”—and the Paks, a pastor’s family. She knows she can’t stay and yet there’s no way she’ll survive on her own.

As the war intensifies, the sky alighting with bombs overhead, Ellie convinces Emma and the Paks to travel south towards an elusive promise of safety, and where Ellie insists they are more likely to find Emma’s real daughter, stuck on the other side of the frontlines. 

Emma's decision to claim Ellie, and Ellie’s choice to take her hand will connect their lives forever.

I LOVED this novel and could not put it down. I learned alot about the Korean war that I didn't know, even though I read about it in school. The Korean War took place between 1950 and 1953. It's known in the U.S. as the Forgotten War as it occurred between the more well known wars WWII and Vietnam. 

The story concerns the women left behind by their husbands and sons who were away from home to fight. We read about their lives in detail through the Pak family and their neighbors. In addition to Emma and Ellie, Pastor Pak's wife Imo and son Jai-Min completed the family. Neighbor Granny Cho plays a big part in the story also. These ladies endured the terror of the American bombs along with the resulting decimation of their land. Their state of mind wobbled between futile thinking and hope. The fact that they could occasionally have hope speaks to the human element. 

War stories tend to bore me but The Young Will Remember is not about the soldiers. Instead, it's about the women left behind. We learn how they were able to handle frequent moves to avoid the enemy and their bombs. With little food available the ladies hid their rations from neighbors.There was no sharing of food as each family just tried to survive. The biting cold of winter weather contributed to the loss of life. Not everyone was able to find shelter as the Pak family did.

This war story shows some gory details of death but it is slight. Whether or not a character viewed the carnage, the survival instinct quickly set in and the women moved on. I found their resolve to be amazing. With Ellie’s career as a journalist the reader learns about the war from the perspectives of the Koreans, Japanese and Americans. Ellie’s discussions over these perspectives gives the reader a better history of the war.

The Young Will Remember is a magnificent, awe-inspiring book that everyone should read. I am rating it 5  out of 5 stars. 

Can't Wait Wednesday #52

This weekly meme is hosted by the Wishful Endings blog. The meme spotlights the books that we are excited about but have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released.

This week I want to feature Eat, Drink and Get Buried by Cleo Coyle. The book is the authors' 22nd coffeehouse mystery and it will be published on September 22, 2026. I cannot wait. The coffeehouse mysteries are my favorite cozy mystery series of all time. 

In this installment of the series the Village Blend caters a rooftop party gone wrong. During the party a woman is thrown off her balcony to her death. Clare Cosi agrees to help clear the name of the accused because it is the boyfriend of a family friend. However, Clare's investigation leads her to a deadly event that her daughter Joy and Joy's friend Ava were involved in years ago when they were teenagers.

I am looking forward to the recipes at the back of the book also. In the past I have discovered new recipes that are loved by friends, giving me a reputation as a good baker. 

If you have not yet read the series, note that it is a contemporary cozy. There is no gore or sexy scenes but sex between the characters will be mentioned.

What books are you waiting to be published?