Category: Adult Fiction

The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe

I won a free copy of This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf in a Goodreads giveaway. Special thanks to William Morrow for hosting the giveaway and the publisher Custom House. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In this story we are following a woman named Rebecca Farwell, a small town girl from Pierson Illinois, who works at Town Hall when she starts buying and selling art. In a different city, a thousand miles away, Reba Farwell–as she’s known to those in the art business–has made a fortune by selling off her paintings. Rebecca/Reba’s art dealings have been fueled by money she’s taken from the town’s accounts. We follow her story over the course of thirty years, watching as she takes larger risks and gains bigger rewards. But all good things come with a price and we must ask: how long can she play this game? 

This book ended up being a miss for me. It was a slow read and I had to force myself to pick it back up and continue it. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and everything was just very dull. I couldn’t tell if the author was trying to portray Rebecca/Reba as having antisocial personality disorder or what was going on with Rebecca/Reba. She knew that the town was going bankrupt from her stealing the money, but she continued to do it, sometimes even blaming others (the state, etc.). What’s more, she attempted to hold fundraisers to raise money for the town and was praised as a great citizen of the town who loved Pierson. She spent tons of money on her friend Ingrid and children, but when Ingrid wanted to do something specific for her children, Rebecca/Reba ignored her, thinking that her own way was the only correct way. The one time she was almost caught by her boss, she freaked out and put money back into the account, and then tried to equate his kissing her while he was married as the same as her embezzling money from the town accounts. 

Rebecca/Reba had little regard for people. She used people and then threw them away when they were no longer of use to her. The book itself was not super engaging. There were only a few occasions where it seemed any action happened, and for a book that was over 300 pages, that is not nearly enough. I don’t mind slice of life, day-to-day books, but there needs to be something happening or at least have some interesting and well-rounded characters. 

Also, this book is classified as a mystery. I’m sorry but that is incorrect. I’ve tagged it as such, but what’s the mystery? The question is can or can’t she continue to get away with embezzling money? No mystery there.

Book is set for Publication September 29. 

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood

I received a free e-ARC of this book thanks to Edelweiss and Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In this story we follow two characters and their families: Anvar and Safwa/Azza. Anvar is a Pakistani native who immigrates with his family to San Francisco in the 1990s. Safwa/Azza is living in Baghdad with her father and facing the fallout of the war until they also immigrate to San Francisco. We follow both characters from the 1990s through 2016 and see where their stories ultimately intertwine. 

Why I liked The Bad Muslim Discount

I really enjoyed this book and gave it a 5/5. I felt like the characters were developed very well. They were recognizable and we could see their thoughts, motives, and flaws. The way that Masood wrote them, I felt personally invested in their lives and wanted certain things to happen for them or to not happen. 

The Bad Muslim Discount covers so many important topics. Religion and what it means to be a “good” muslim is a key component of this book. Masood also includes the power of love, what it means to be true to yourself, family dynamics, the power of a community, and identity—both personal and collective.

One particularly poignant passage stood out to me (quote is from e-ARC and may change upon publication):

“‘America is still the most powerful nation in the world. So why are its people so terrified all the time?’

…

‘We live on stolen land,’ I finally said, ‘in a country built on slavery and reliant on the continued economic exploitation of other people. The oppressor always lives in fear of the oppressed. Americans have always been afraid, first of people native to this continent, then of black men, then of the innocent Japanese citizens they interned and now of Muslims and immigrants. So the real question, I think, is who is next?’”

I highly recommend The Bad Muslim Discount and urge you to read it. Syed M. Masood is writing amazing important books and you’ll be missing out if you don’t pick this up. Publication is set for November.

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood ARC