Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

* * * * 1/2

From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.

Source: NetGalley; ARC generously provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I'd previously read Jalaluddin's, Ayesha At Last which was brilliant! Now with her follow up about a restaurant rivalry and an anonymous online friendship I knew I'd be in for a very interesting romance, indeed. 

Hana works at her family's restaurant while also working as an intern at a radio station. She has big dreams of developing her own show and discussing topics that are of interest to her. She has her own podcast that's been gaining traction and it's because of this podcast that she's struck up a friendship with a fan. As they remain anonymous in their communications they share personal dreams and goals with each other, oftentimes sharing advice and suggestions. In the meanwhile, problems arise when a new restaurant opens up that threatens to shut down Hana's family's restaurant which has already been struggling recently. Her family's livelihood becomes the center of her focus as she tries to save them, save her broadcast dreams and save herself from falling for her rival and recipient of all her ire, Aydin.

I easily fell into this story and I think mainly because it wasn't centered around finding a spouse. Instead it was firmly about Hana's desire to achieve her career goal of becoming a broadcaster which her parents fully supported. Admittedly, I took to this subplot because I worked in radio in my pre-kids days. A little detail that made me so happy and felt seen is that her fellow intern, Thomas is also South Asian, desi and Christian. Up until this I hadn't read of any desi character similar to me in that way and it felt great to see that representation even if he doesn't have a large role. Hana comes off as a wonderfully confident young woman who has a strong sense of self. Her rivalry and instant dislike of Aydin fuels a lot of the action in the story. And as much as she wants to all out dismiss him, learning of his backstory makes her sympathize with his situation. How he wears his face on the surface belies the turmoil he's reckoning with inside. After a horribly frightening and public racist encounter involving him, herself and her cousin, he shows a different side of himself to her which makes Hana stop to reconsider her actions towards him up until then. The racist incident is jarring and what results from it renews Hana's personal and professional missions.  

Even with the several subplots, I didn't think it was overwhelming nor did it feel like one was distracting from the other. They made sense and tied together, and I think Jalauddin struck a nice balance with all of them. I did think that Hana was a little naive sometimes like when she decided to sabotage Aydin's restaurant opening. It was childish and you could only shake your head at her. Come on Hana, you're smarter than this! With so many things coming to a head, she finds herself at an important juncture in her young adult life and we're witness to her character growth. The mysterious aunt who accompanies the cousin for a stateside visit provides well, the mystery. She's tight-lipped about the purpose of her visit but boy does she drop zingers on Hana. She really shakes up her thinking and gives Hana the inspiration at the very moment she's feeling lost. As for the cousin ... though he brings an outside-the-box kind of mentality, I personally would've preferred a dialed down personality. He was a little too much for me.

I liked Hana Khan Carries On tremendously even if it included heavier issues such as the scary racist encounter and the Islamaphobia that ensues. Hana's admirable journey to maturity during this wild duration of upending events is a big reason for my enjoyment of this book. She gets her happiness and fulfillment because she's determining what and who is important to her. This was a poignant read and I recommend that you add it to your list!

~ Bel

  

The Lido by Libby Page

* * * * *

**INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER**

“In many ways, this meditation on community and swimming follows in the footsteps of the enormously popular A Man Called Ove… Both are charming and heartwarming.”—Kirkus Reviews

WE'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS—OR TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Rosemary Peterson has lived in Brixton, London, all her life but everything is changing.

The library where she used to work has closed. The family grocery store has become a trendy bar. And now the lido, an outdoor pool where she's swum daily since its opening, is threatened with closure by a local housing developer. It was at the lido that Rosemary escaped the devastation of World War II; here she fell in love with her husband, George; here she found community during her marriage and since George’s death.

Twentysomething Kate Matthews has moved to Brixton and feels desperately alone. A once promising writer, she now covers forgettable stories for her local paper. That is, until she’s assigned to write about the lido’s closing. Soon Kate’s portrait of the pool focuses on a singular woman: Rosemary. And as Rosemary slowly opens up to Kate, both women are nourished and transformed in ways they never thought possible.

In the tradition of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, The Lido is a charming, feel-good novel that captures the heart and spirit of a community across generations—an irresistible tale of love, loss, aging, and friendship. 

Source: library; audiobook borrowed from Hoopla

Note: This title is also known as "Mornings with Rosemary"

I adore stories featuring intergenerational friendships and The Lido seemed promising on that front. Basically if you want a warm fuzzy story and a good cry, look no further.

Though decades apart, Rosemary and Kate are two people looking for purpose in life. Rosemary has been a widow for a few years and finds purpose in keeping to her routine which includes swimming at the lido daily. It's where she has weathered many storms and also created beautiful memories. Rosemary reflects on her life in Brixton through the years, reminiscing on all the changes and friendships during all that time. She has seen and knows all the things, small and big, that make up the tapestry of her diverse community. Kate's been assigned to write about the potential closing of the beloved lido to the public. It's the first news story of substance she's gotten her hands on since moving to Brixton and working for the local paper. She's not ready for the likes of Rosemary when first meets her. Up until this point, she's led a rather solitary existence. Rosemary issues her a challenge at their first meeting and Kate, for some surprising reason, is up for it.  For the first time since moving to Brixton, Kate begins to see the vibrancy of the area the way Rosemary sees it. Witnessing how the lido has always been a significant part of its community's history and the personal lives of its patrons has also been good for Kate's mental well-being. After she moved here she started to experience some anxiety and panic attacks, something she's never discussed with anyone. In Rosemary's company, she finds her worldview along with her social circle broadening. She's also getting braver, going from the mousy, quiet person to someone who's slowly finding her own voice. 

I am an absolute sucker for the cuddly warm grandmotherly types. I didn't have that so Rosemary's friendliness and nurturing side was everything to me. I couldn't get enough of her and Kate's friendship that began as an interview and turned in to community action. The personal impact from that friendship was also touching. The more I listened to the story the more it reminded me of one of my other all-time favorites, A Man Called Ove. 

If you're the type who believes that certain people come in to your life when they're meant to then you will love everything about the The Lido that's told with such sincerity. Rosemary and Kate's friendship, and the way the community comes together ... it all just squeezed my heart. Seriously, this book was the hug I needed. The ending, though bittersweet, was a lovely reminder that each person has a story and each person matters.

~ Bel

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

* * * 3/4

When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop, while dealing with life and love in Harlem.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts in Harlem. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans on what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store: Jesse wants to keep the store open; his brothers want to shut it down.

Jesse makes an impassioned plea to Kerry Fuller, his childhood friend who has had a crush on him her entire life, to help him figure out how to run the business. Kerry agrees to help him reinvent the store and show him the knitty-gritty of the business, but the more time they spend together, the more the chemistry builds. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe this relationship will exist longer than one can knit one, purl one. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her—after all, real men knit.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review

Mama Joy's death is a sudden and unexpected loss to her four sons and the tight-knit Harlem community they live in. Her store, Strong Knits, has been an institution providing not only beautiful ware for knitters to buy but also a haven for like-minded folk and anyone looking for a place to belong. Nobody knows that more than Jesse and Kerry. 

Jesse was one of Mama Joy's four adopted sons and this has been his only family. Even though he's recently been adrift with regards to his personal life, Mama Joy never made him feel unloved. While his brothers may view the future of the shop differently, Jesse firmly believes that he can carry on Mama Joy's legacy and make the store successful. All he needs is a little help and for someone who believes in him. Enter Kerry, who's known the Mama Joy and the boys for years. She feels the loss as much as they do and wants very much to keep Strong Knits going. She offers to help Jesse whip the store into shape and show him what she learned from working with his mother.

I liked the setting of a knitting store and come on, four men who inherit it as part of their family's legacy? That's an intriguing concept. It obviously challenges the concept of gender roles with these four guys who grew up learning how to knit. They're self-assured young men with different careers, except for Jesse. But it's okay that he hasn't quite figured himself out yet because that's what he's doing now. He's filled his time with distractions, like the endless women that he's hooked up with. Now he has to prove that he can handle responsibility and make good choices. This is about keeping the store in business as it is about his own direction. Kerry has seen the parade of women and can only eyeroll at him though it never stopped her from falling for his charm. She offers to stay on to help while putting a pause on her own career ambitions. 

I have to say that I was excited about how Jesse and Kerry would save the store but there didn't seem to be much time spent on that aside from vague references and ideas scattered throughout the story. I really wanted to see more of their business ideas to get a tangible picture in my mind. That was the book's major pull for me, initially. Instead, a lot of time was spent on Jesse's missteps with the women in his past and facing down his brothers when they became skeptical of his plans. Between those two subplots I was more interested in him strengthening his bond with his brothers. There was plenty of longing going on between Kerry and Jesse that took its time to come to fruition. 

While I would've preferred a more streamlined plot that focused more on the store and the artistry of knitting as Jesse and Kerry gradually fell in love, Real Men Knit is still an interesting read and I'm glad I've finally read my first Kwana Jackson book!

~ Bel