June Book Reviews

During the month of June, I read 2.5 books.  Here are my reviews.

The Interior Circuit by Francisco Goldman

Blurb from Amazon.com:  "The Interior Circuit is Sue Kaufman prize-winner Francisco Goldman’s brilliant chronicle of his emergence from grief five years after his beloved wife’s death, symbolized by his attempt to overcome his fear of driving in Mexico City (the DF). When organized crime erupts in the city in an unprecedented way during the summer of 2013, Goldman sets out to try to understand the menacing challenges the DF now faces. By turns exuberant, poetic, reportorial, philosophical, and urgent, The Interior Circuit fuses a personal journey to a searing account of one of the world’s most remarkable and often misunderstood great cities."

My thoughts:  I loved this book!  It really inspired me to think about writing a memoir again and even gave me a good starting point for that writing.  Francisco Goldman mixes beautiful descriptions of Mexico City and his attempts to work through his grief with journalistic reports of the many problems in the city and the many others dealing with similar grief.  I learned a lot about Mexico and I got to read something beautiful.  I give it 4/5 stars.


The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

Blurb from Amazon:  "Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…"

My thoughts:  This was the first book I received through Amazon First.  Basically the program allows Prime members to choose one free new release at the end of each month.  I really enjoyed this book.  It was written so well that I couldn't put it down.  It was like a Criminal Minds episode, and I love Criminal Minds.  That being said, this book is about a serial kidnapper/rapist/murderer, so it might be disturbing for some readers.  I give it 4/5 stars.

Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulic

Blurb from Amazon:  " In Frida's Bed, Slavenka Drakulic´ explores the inner life of one of the world's most influential female artists, skillfully weaving Frida's memories into descriptions of her paintings, producing a meditation on the nature of chronic pain and creativity. With an intriguing subject whose unusual life continues to fascinate, this poignant imagining of Kahlo's thoughts during her final hours by another daringly original and uncompromising creative talent will attract readers of literary fiction and art lovers alike."

My thoughts:  This book was not what I was expecting.  I thought I would be reading a fictionalized account of Frida Kahlo's life.  Instead it felt like I was reading a biography.  I have already read a few of those, so this book did not hold my interest for long.  I did not finish and give it 1/5 stars.