Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

So far, I’ve really enjoyed two of Erin Entrada Kelly’s books and more or less enjoyed one; I finished Lalani of the Distant Sea this week, however, and I think it’s going to need to be in its own category. Certainly I enjoyed parts of it (although the overall premise is less my thing), and I found some parts of it lyrical and dream-like and beautiful, but the sheer difference of it sometimes left me on the outside of the story, trying harder to relate than I wanted to have to try while reading. Partly, I imagine, it was my lack of familiarity with Filipino culture and legend, but there was also a nebulous quality to the details of Lalani’s journey that I just didn’t always prefer. Because of that quality, my favorite parts were the parts in Lalani’s home village–especially Hetsbi’s growth. That story arc felt most firmly rooted in the book’s reality. For the rest, well–EEK can write, and I admired the beauty of it AND appreciated the story, but fantasy is less my thing at this point (especially nebulous, doesn’t-make-as-much-emotional-sense-to-me-as-I-want-it-to fantasy). So far, my favorite of her books is Blackbird Fly; then again, she has a new book coming out in May that looks promising. We’ll see what happens then!