The Hating Game

The Bookworm Says... Maybe. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is a little bit outside of my wheelhouse- I'm not a big romance gal, but this was mailed to me by a friend to pass time during quarantine so I thought I'd give it a shot. If you have ever hated someone- really, truly hated someone- you know how all consuming hatred can be. Josh Templeman and Lucy Hutton are both consumed by their hatred for each other and they let it show every chance they get. They are assistants to former CEOs of rival publishing houses who became co-CEOs after an unfavorable merger and spend their days sitting across from each other and trying their best not to let their virile hatred distract them from their professional responsibilities. When a promotion comes along for which Josh and Lucy are the primary candidates, the additional competitive dynamic in their relationship drives their hatred to new levels. As their respective interviews for the promotion grow nearer, their relationship dynamic continues to grow more and more heated; however,  Lucy going on a date with another employee of their office brings this heat to a new level. Perhaps their all consuming hatred for each other was suppressing some other emotions all along...

As I mentioned before, this is definitely a little bit of a departure from what I usually read, but I wasn't totally disappointed. It's perfect for a quick guilty pleasure read. The plot lacks substance, the characters lack depth, and at many points it read like a Wattpad fanfiction, BUT I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I was frustrated by the lack of complexity in the characters and their misconstrued notions of love, but I still found myself picking up the book in my breaks between Zoom classes. I wouldn't recommend The Hating Game if you are looking for something profound or intellectually stimulating in any way, but if you're looking for the literary equivalent of a steamy romantic movie, this is the one for you. It isn't incredible by any means but it is certainly indulgent.

"I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I've had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations."

Becoming

The Bookworm says... Yes!! Becoming by Michelle Obama is one of the most heartfelt memoirs I have read lately. This memoir starts with Michelle's childhood in "Becoming Me". As a child growing up in the South Side of Chicago during the time of "white flight", Michelle Robinson watched her classrooms go from diverse to homogeneous over the course of a few short years. She highlights how important it was to have strong mentors who believed in her, drawing her to Chicago's first magnet school and eventually to Princeton University. In the next section, "Becoming Us", we learn about Michelle's journey through law school and the beginnings of a career in law; through her career she met Barack Obama, then a summer associate at her law firm while still in law school at Harvard. As she begins to fall for Barack, Michelle realizes that she is not fulfilled by a career in law and would be happier in a profession that allows her to feel more involved in helping people, and she transitions away from her career in law. Michelle begins a new career and not long after her husband begins a new career adventure as well, this one in politics. In her final section, "Becoming More", Michelle narrates her experience throughout her husband's political career and what it means to be a working mother, especially a working mother whose husband is rarely available due to his career.

This memoir was touching in many ways, not only due to the newly enhanced appreciation many of us have for the Obama family. What I found most inspiring about Becoming was not the story of Barack Obama's political ascent, nor was it the story of voter mobilization that led to his election (these things are inspirational in their own right but were not the focal points of this memoir, at least not for me). I was most inspired by Michelle Robinson's strength and flexibility throughout her lifetime. She pursued a career in law at a time when she would have been one of few women in any law office, not to mention one of very few women of color. When she was not happy and not being fulfilled she changed her path. She changed her path again and again, seeking what was best for her, best for her community, and best for her family. Michelle gave back to the community that raised her for the rest of her life, a display of the gratitude that so many of us should share for the communities that give so much to us at a young age. As a working mother she proved that women can be dedicated to their families and their work, that it doesn't have to be one or the other. She showed that it's important to ask for help when you need it. She was a fierce advocate for her daughters from the day they were born, she made her children and family a priority at times when the effort required was nearly herculean, and she made sure that being elevated to national political fame did not alter the things she cared most deeply about. In Becoming, Michelle Obama shares a story of resilience, compassion, and fearless advocacy, qualities I finished this book hoping to emulate in my own life.

"For me, becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn't end."

Sharks in the Time of Saviors

The Bookworm says... Yes! Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn is already one of my favorite reads of the year. When Nainoa Flores falls overboard into a throng of sharks in the Pacific Ocean off of the Hawaiian Coast, his family fears the worst; spared from tragedy, Noa is returned directly to his mother's arms by the sharks themselves. They view Noa's salvation as a gift from the Hawaiian Gods, a suspicion reinforced by Noa's newfound (strange) abilities following the accident. Noa's story is the stuff of legends, but the pressure to fulfill his god-given destiny eventually drives the Flores family apart. Years later, when all of the Flores children are living independently, nearly adults, the same supernatural influence that drove them apart revisits the members of the family still living on mainland Hawaii. The reappearance of this maybe divine influence forces the Flores family to reconsider what it means to family and what it takes to survive.

This is an incredible novel, with Washburn artfully weaving a heart-wrenching family saga together with detailed legends of the Hawaiian Gods and stories of Hawaiian tradition. It forces everyone who reads it to think deeply about salvation, about family, and about what it means to survive. From the moment I started reading I knew that the end was going to come too quickly; it has been a long time since I have read something so unique, something so refreshing, or something that made me reflect so deeply. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing what Kawai Strong Washburn does next.

"The figures of our bodies become shadows and warp and diminish into the paddies, the river, the bay, as if we are made of the same water, beating into the current with the same motion the sharks are making now, everything blending into the other, it all flows into me and I flow into it."