Lemonade Revealed by Will Chluho

More lemonade please ...

About Lemonade Revealed by Will Chluho:

FICTION: A boy on a voyage to find his true father regained consciousness on an unknown island to the curious stares of three old men: a warrior, a trader, and a priest. The lost boy would later discover through a mysterious man–a skinhead with an eye tattoo on his neck–that one among the trio could be the father he’d been looking for….

NONFICTION: This “little yellow book” is a good place to reclaim such good old-fashioned gems as “faith” and “hope” under the demythologized light of human reason. It is a phenomenological examination on the possibility and probability of a divine existent vis-à-vis a real world of human frailties and frictions. Lemonade Revealed is a timely discourse in a timeless (and engaging) story.

My two cents

When I first saw this book, it reminded me of the Moleskine notebook with its clean lines, minimal design and embossing. I am such a sucker for pretty looking books. Then that title ... how intriguing! But is what's inside just as good as what I see on the outside?

Oh, definitely!

This is a tale of a young boy who is washed up on the shores of a strange island, which seems to be somewhere in Asia. He comes under the care of three of the most influential people of the island: a priest, a warrior, and a trader.

The young boy discovers he is suffering from amnesia. He goes on a quest to find out. He becomes totally befuddled by the politicking on the island, with each of his mentors alternately warning him to be careful of the other mentors. With clues from here and there, making the acquaintance of the feared skinhead who purportedly eats bats and falling in love to boot, he pieces together what happened to him and discovers his true identity.

This coming-of-age story is such a sweet, relaxing read which opens one up to further meditation and musing on identity, love, and truth.

***

This is a surprise of a book! I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened up its beautiful pages. I found it a joy to read, with a story told so simply yet so profoundly.

As I can't go into too much detail because it would spoil things for first time readers, I'll say that:

• I enjoyed discovering the identity of our shipwrecked hero -- his unusual name (yes, it's revealed at some point!), his heartbreaking back story, his love story, and his relationship with each of his mentors. 
• This is an interesting melding of philosophy and magical elements and can I infer, time travel?
• I loved the ambiguity of the location and the era, and the author's nod to Asia.
• The writing, which is simple yet lyrical.
• The fact that it is unresolved - this may irk some but I think that its lack of resolution is meant to open one up to contemplation.

Now this is pretty random, but this also made me think of:

• Just being myself and thinking for myself -- don't think about what others tell you not to do -- they probably have vested interests and not me in mind.
• What an impact each of us has on others, many times unbeknownst to us. 
• Hermit crabs are such ingenious animals ... but is it simply its inherent ingenuity or something bigger than we could ever have imagined?
• Lemonade is a great diversion. 

Verdict: I thought this was a sweet coming-of-age story but I'm sure I've only scratched the surface. I'm betting a reread will reveal more ... lemonade :) I'll drink some more, for sure!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

Links:
Lemonade Revealed Official Website
Will Chluho's guest post BEA in New York and The Elephant Fable

Check out the rest of the tour here. 

Book Depository
256 pages

Publisher: Twiitaga Pte LTD (June, 2014)

Pocket Forest by Kimberly Karalius

A broken ceramic deer and six degrees of separation.

About Pocket Forest by Kimberly Karalius: Since childhood, Harriet has dreamed of exploring forests with Stig Hemming, the boy lost to her in the frayed bonds of an old family friendship. Years later, in the wake of losing her mother, Harriet finally meets Stig only to discover a frightened young man clawing to regain a life no longer his. The darker parts of the forest beckon, where ghost-dogs patrol a crumbling boarding school and treasure, once lost, must be snatched back with bravery. This contemporary original fairy tale, complete with all the attendant comforts and threats, will pull you into the woodlands of the heart.

My two cents

This short tale is about the beauty of six degrees of separation of Stig Hemming and Harriet. Stig, who finds himself seemingly as an orphan at a private boy's school, suffers at the hands of a cruel and even a little odd-in-the-head headmaster. Stig escapes. Meanwhile, Harriet's family remembers the Hemming family and Harriet finds herself curious and strangely compelled to find Stig. A common thread: a forest, a ceramic deer with a broken ear ... and their paths finally cross. The unexplained things become explicable and two young lives are renewed.

***

This is very short, about 50 pages. First time I zoomed through this ... and I went "What?!!" I think I wasn't in quite the zone. Read it literally and it will annoy.

The second time around, I decided to take it slowly: read, absorb and reflect. I read in short bursts before going to bed.

What can I say about the beautiful simplicity of this a slim book? A fable-of-sorts, this has the whimsy of a fairytale but a dark menacing magical realism about it. It is replete with symbolism, and there are little nuggets to discover and ponder upon. I don't want to get into detailed themes but would love for you discover them yourself.

***

I also wanted to say that I love that this book was custom-made. The book's cover is made with handmade and printed paper (see coloured flowers on the side) and print runs are in limited numbers. It gives this book a sense of the intimate and the personal ... as if this were a book that could personally speak to you. And it can, if you let it. 

Verdict: This short tale will either annoy or get you pondering. Get into a good meditative mood and get transported into the magical world of forests, re-found treasures, and the happy coincidence of six degrees of separation. 

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

 

Very Recent History by Choire Sicha

Odd. Anthropological. Fable.

About Very Recent History: An Entirely Factual Account of a Year (c. AD 2009) in a Large City by Choire Sicha: What will the future make of us? In one of the greatest cities in the world, the richest man in town is the Mayor. Billionaires shed apartments like last season’s fashion trends, even as the country’s economy turns inside out and workers are expelled from the City’s glass towers. The young and careless go on as they always have, getting laid and getting laid off, falling in and falling out of love, and trying to navigate the strange world they traffic in: the Internet, complex financial markets, credit cards, pop stars, microplane cheese graters, and sex apps.

A true-life fable of money, sex, and politics, Very Recent History follows a man named John and his circle of friends, lovers, and enemies. It is a book that pieces together our every day, as if it were already forgotten.

My two cents 

This is a fable about a great city – in all its success, glory and grittiness, its hustle and bustle, and what makes it tick – and it's economic downturn. We also follow a group of young gay men who call this great city home, take a peek into their professional and personal lives, and how they are affected by the changing economic tides.

***

I struggled with this one; in fact it bordered on painful, reminding me of school days when I had to  slog through chapters and chapters of a textbook. Overall, the writing felt sterile, clinical and tedious. I felt totally detached from the characters and I couldn't relate to them. When I made it through the halfway mark, I sighed and wondered if I should even continue. But continue I did, hoping for the payoff.

Did my payoff come? Well, there were glimpses of it. For one, this book had quite a lot of insightful (oftentimes snarky) commentary on politics, money, power, marriage, sex (particularly gay sex), and the growing role of the Internet in people's social lives (those who love their internet and their apps will snicker at the subtle name dropping). See all the hot buttons? Maybe one these will intrigue you enough to get you to read it.

I also thought that the concept for the book was intriguing. It is meant to be an "anthropological account" of the year 2009 - meant to "enlighten" someone of the future of this present - which explains why the author seems to be talking about very mundane everyday things to someone far removed from these realities or maybe a teacher talking to  a bunch of very young kids.  That's why the beginning felt so drawn out as it involved breaking down of things.

Check out some snippets and my reactions:

A homeless man described as "a man who did not have a home, and whose practice of employment was that he would ask passersby for money." (first page)

Ok, a little snarky, and this sort of thing was fun at times. There was a lot of this throughout the book, and I mean a lot!

"The idea of a distinct unit of money was, at that time, a little more than 5,000 years old, as near as can be told. The idea of precious metals being used as currency was maybe 2,500 years old. The idea of a piece of paper standing in a for a set value was almost 1,000 years old." (p. 33, ARC page may change)

This goes on for a few more pages describing the concept of money, the different things that were used as money – gold, silver, shells - and the concepts of banking, hoarding, and how government regulated money. Somewhat interesting but too much of this and my mind was rebelling because it was textbookish; I skipped over a few of these so-called "anthropological vignettes."

"In any event these two were in love, and so they pledged to spend their lives together until they died. Or until they didn't want to be married anymore – that was currently legitimate as well. The whole "until you die" thing might have been a leftover thing that people said because they were supposed to." (p. 185, ARC page may change)

Oof! True! Now that's insightful!

I was rather disappointed in the characters. For one, I thought that the book would explore a diversity of characters as is befitting a huge bustling city; instead it focused on gay men and that subculture, highlighting their sexual exploits and their loose relationships. I found it a little worriesome that the characters simply reinforces stereotypes of the gay community; I find that surprising since it seems this will be marketed to the LGBT niche as per the back cover. (Do I read too much into this? I suspect not being from the target audience for this book maybe the reason why all the nuances and details may have simply lost on me).

I couldn't feel any connection with any of the characters and their generic names of John, Jason, Tyler, made them all feel the same to me. I found the dialogues clipped (a succession and excessive use of "said, said, said" and one character with a cutesy "like, like, like"), which were sometimes a little grating, and frankly, simply just not appealing to me.

The book touts to "piece[s] together our every day, as if it were already forgotten." If someone 10 generations in the future read this, I'm afraid they'd think that one of our "great" cities was populated mainly with gay men looking to hook up online and sleep around.

Verdict: Built on an innovative concept with glimpses of insightful social commentary, the payoff never really came for me. This felt like such a mishmash that my head was sort of spinning, and I don't think I really got my bearings. Those who like unique or experimental stories will most probably enjoy this, even revel in it! Give it a go, it may be up your alley!

About Choire Sicha

Choire Sicha is the coproprietor of The Awl. A two-time editor of Gawker, he has written for the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times as well as a suspiciously large number of magazines exactly one time. He lives in Brooklyn.

Follow Choire on Twitter.

Check out the rest of the tour here.

Thanks to the publisher for an Advance Reader Copy via TLC Book Tours. 
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Fish Tank: A Fable for Our Times by Scott Bischke

A fable about coming together to solve a problem.


Fish Tank: A Fable for Our Times by Scott Bischke

The book in one sentence: The inhabitants of the fish tank come together to solve the issue of depleting food supplies.
 

My two cents

Here's what I was expecting based on the synopsis, the author's note, and the slew of glowing testimonies at the beginning of the book:

• In your face preaching about global warming. More advocacy than story.
• A Finding Nemo copycat? Hmmm, let's see.
• Academic cover! Errr ...
• Overly lofty and unrealistic goals for the reader. Come on, climate change? And engaging people? Here's what the author says:

Fish Tank exists for a simple reason: to engage people—via a hopefully captivating story—in thinking about the critical issue of our times, climate change. My ultimate goal for the book is to help change society’s discussion from one of denial and “Who cares?” to one of understanding and “What can I do?” The success or failure of that goal, of course, rests with its readers. But for me, I am certain of one thing: I want to leave the next generation and generations to come the world they deserve, not one that has limitations put upon it by my generation’s sense of entitlement, lack of foresight, or, perhaps worse yet, complacency.

But ... I was interested. I don't consider myself an activist or an environmentalist but the message and its intent appealed to me. Plus I always give a book a chance. I was sort of expecting to dislike it but surprise, surprise, I can't say enough good things about it!

What I liked about it: 

• The story isn't that complicated, so even if you read this to your young kids, they'll be able to follow along. In quick summary:
  
  Dr. Brown studies sea animals. He has a fish tank with a variety of sea creatures. But he is going on a one year sabbatical and has been forced to leave it in the hands of caretaker Augustus. Lazy, uncaring and after a quick buck, Augustus replaces the feeder -- which needs to be refilled every week  -- with a fifty gallon drum, not intending to return until just shortly before Dr. Brown's return. Will the fish food in the drum last for the entire year? Speculation and vested interests come to fore. What follows is a string of events where alliances are formed, actions are taken, and a cascade of events lead to a surprising and satisfying ending.

• It's really very clever. If you liked Finding Nemo, with its winning combination of lovable characters and lovely storytelling, I am pretty sure you'll like this tale. The characters are fun but they are also very relatable. In this diverse array of creatures -- from the industrious shrimp, to the proud crabs, to the worried turtle, and the colorful fish -- there is bound to be one whose character, reaction or role would appeal to you. It also allows for some good discussions!
   
• It delivers. I said in the beginning that the author's expectations for his readers seemed unrealistic. However, I personally feel it accomplishes the goal of getting people to start thinking about such an abstract issue as climate change in more realistic manner. It is an effective tool for teaching, and for starting discussions on a relevant message. Kudos to the author for being able to meld story and message in one fun package!

Uh-ohs:

• The cover -- I wish they'd think about changing it. It is so dry and academic looking that it doesn't reflect the whimsy or the young appeal of the contents.
• Personally, those testimonies in the front turned me off. They range from educators, to students, to parents, to engineers and even someone on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ok, I get it, this book wants to reach out to a whole bunch of people. A page of select reviews is enough ... but 8 pages in fine print? Overkill. {I would put the whole bunch in the back and actually have a study/discussion guide right in the back instead of having to download it}.

Don't forget to read my Friday 56 & Book Beginnings!

Verdict: A engaging, fun tale that will get us thinking about the consequences of our actions on our planet. Highly recommended for all ages.

Highly recommended for teachers looking for an engaging way for their students to discuss climate change, resource distribution, and human nature.

First line: Professor Brown could hear Augustus banging around down below and wondered what he was doing.

Last line: In the next moment, the professor leaned out over the water [...]

For more info, please visit:

• Fish Tank Discussion Guide (for classrooms and book clubs)
• Scott Bischke's books  on Emountain Work's website

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. [I saw this book on a Goodreads giveaway and put my name in the hat. I didn't win but soon after, received a message from the author asking if I was interested in a copy (with a miscut cover).]

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

First line: Kino awakened in the near dark.

My thoughts: I’ve been meaning to say a few things about this slim but packed book. This may be required reading in US schools, but here in the Philippines, I’ve seen more than a few of old browning copies languishing in school libraries.

Which is a pity. Steinbeck has written a beautiful parable of what greed can do to even the kindest, most upright man. It traces how in your quest to find the “solution” and eventually have the “solution” in your grasp, that you slowly realize that you have subconsciously turned into the very type of person you despise.

More importantly, I feel that it brings us back to basics, in a rather dramatic fashion – pointing out the obvious: that money can never take the place of a happy family and a sense of community.

Two paragraphs sum up the transformation of the pearl and Kino:

” … there it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon. It captured the light and refined it, and gave it back in silver incandescence. In the surface of the great pearl he could see dream forms.” (p. 25)

“And the pearl was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth” (p. 117)

I read this in a day, but what I got from it is invaluable. Good and evil both reside in men, cliche as it may sound, and what one must do to fight the evil often means learning just how ugly one’s soul can be.

It does also raise more questions: Are things sometimes better left alone? Does this mean we shouldn’t strive for a better life, and become complacent? How does one deal with temptation, when one is so ill equipped to do so?

Last line: And the music of the pearl drifted to a whisper and disappeared.

{Originally here.}