Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. Another win: 5*

 

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Sadie is a talented, starving young artist living in a not quite ready for habitation apartment owned by friends. She has finally, after years of hard work, placed as a finalist in an international portrait competition. She’s going to get her chance, and then…

She doesn’t remember. She doesn’t remember why she was in the street, or who helped her. She vaguely remembers a kind, handsome man, and she knows her evil stepmother, who may not be so evil, waiting in the hospital.

 With the diagnosis that she has an operable brain injury, Sadie is forced to make a decision that will effect the rest of her life. Will she be able to compete after the surgery? Will she even be able to paint? And who was that kind, handsome, man?

In true Katherine Center form, these questions are answered with humor, empathy and quite a bit of emotion. The things Sadie must go through to reach her own conclusions are heartbreaking, but beautiful. Plus, we get to learn all sorts of new, mostly unknown, facts about the brain and how it works.

Another winner for Katherine Center, who bring joy to literature and isn’t embarrassed to love romance novels---anymore.

Hello Stranger goes on sale July 11, 2023. Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this copy.

A serious 5 star, but not an easy read. Lessons, by Ian McEwan

 

Ian McEwan is, without argument, one of the best novelists or our time. Lessons might be a blueprint of life, or just a chapter in the unwritten novel of the twenty first century, which Roland Baines, the protagonist, longs to read.

The novel covers Roland’s life, from first memories until old age. McEwan skillfully intertwines the history of the last century into his character’s lives, and those of us lucky enough to have lived through the same events relish the authenticity, factual as well as emotional. Sometimes, it was happening to us. Sometimes we were just distant observers. Along with a fair rendering of time, we are gifted with beautiful prose and fascinating characters. We have the pleasure of growing up and growing old with many of them. I highlighted pages of lines I loved, but as a woman of the age, this was one of my favorites. Describing his widowed mother, Roland says “... she had aged and shrunk, she couldn’t sleep, the skin under her eyes showed deep wrinkles like a walnut.”

This is a book to savor. It isn’t a quick and easy read and will need your attention and time. There are Lessons to learn if we are open to them.

How to Write a Novel in 20 Pies. 4*

Clever idea, and I can’t wait to try the recipes. I’ve read many writing craft books, and many cookbooks. This is a new approach, though if I apply the pie baking to my work every time I get stuck writing… well, it’s not the time of year to count calories.

 I did wonder how the author expected writers to analogize things like leaf lard” to what felt like standard writing advice. She has a friendly, open voice that will appeal to seasoned writers as well as newcomers. Easy to read, and inspiring, with wonderful illustrations.

 

I read an advanced reader copy provided by the publisher, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and NetGalley.

One Last Gift by Emily Stone. Great Christmas season read!

 

There are always so many books that come out for the holiday season that it’s hard to choose which ones to read. Do you go with a romance with cookies and sleigh bells? Ski adventures or tropical holidays? Or the Hallmark miracles and hot chocolate variety? 

One last gift is a bit of all of them, and if you want something to just sink into this year, I recommend it. Emily Stone has given her complex characters lovely, quirky personalities and while there is definitely romance, it isn’t the kind of direct, formulaic trail we usually follow. For one thing, there’s a lot of loved one who die. Cassie, our heroine, is a brilliant event planner stuck in a dead-end job with an ogre of a boss. Yet the banter and love she and Tom, her brother, as well as their best friends Hazel and Sam, share, makes you wish you had people like them in your life.

But tragedy strikes and turns this dynamic on is head. While Cassie tries to solve the treasure hunt her brother gives her every year, she finds more than the promised gift at the end. I won’t put spoilers in here, but I will remember these characters and the lessons they learned. Like don’t wait to tell people you love that you do.

Published by Random House/Ballantine on October 11, 2022. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn. 4*

 

This is the story of the breeding program of the Aryan Race, and what happened to the participants.

I found it difficult to read this book, not because it was not well written--it was! But because it gave names and faces through its characters to atrocities that I knew about, but not in such a personal way.  That human beings could treat others in the way the Third Reich treated not only their enemies, but their own women devastated me.  The description of the horror of Kristallnacht, which always sickened me, was almost of a celebration... a party! and I'm sure those who participated felt that they were doing the right thing.
It is too reminiscent of current events, and I found myself having to take breaks. Fiction helps us understand reality, and this one broke my heart.
Four stars only because there are so many WW2 books.  I kept thinking...those poor girls. Those poor babies, Poor humanity. If you want yet another perspective of that awful time, read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Publication October 11, 2022, by Sourcebooks Landmark.

 

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow By Gabrielle Zevin --Five plus stars!

 

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

By Gabrielle Zevin

Gabrielle Zevin has written, again, (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is another favorite of mine) the kind of book I hated to finish and can’t wait to talk with someone about. Wonderful, complicated characters that I loved dearly, and a smart, contemporary world that understands the influences of technology on not only the people who play video games as youth, but on anyone who ever tried to control a character with a joystick. Sam, Sadie, and Marx are all college kids when they decide to create their first video game. Sam is a poor, orphaned and disabled, multicultural character, Sadie, a wealthy Jewish girl who is one of the few who not only understands programming, but it’s possibilities, and Marx is Sam’s also multicultural, well off, kind roommate. The three of them are perfect counterparts, playing off each other’s strengths and weaknesses and creating something magnificent. Tragedy, romance, and real life are their motivations, and they use each to find their own way to adulthood.

The writing is beautiful, and though it’s been years since I played a video game, this book reminds me of the way alternative, virtual worlds, can open possibilities to everyone. I love this book and this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the review copy. The book published on July 5, 2022.

Off the Yoga Mat by Cheryl J. Fish. 4.5*

 

Nora, Nate, and Lulu are at the magical age of forty, and suddenly questioning their life choices. Nora and Nate have been living together, but Nora wants to take the next step and start a family. Nate can think of nothing but his ABD (all but dissertation) status, and Lulu, a successful yoga studio operator, is haunted by characters from her childhood. All three have trouble connecting with others in ways that are meaningful. Off the Yoga Mat follows these three as they try on lives and decide what really matters to each of them.

The novel is well written from the point of view of the three main characters and covers vast swaths of both emotional ground and geography, from New Orleans to Helsinki, with stops in New York City. The characters are fresh, and–mostly--likeable, but not perfect. You will find yourself screaming at them sometimes, but you will always care. Since each of the narratives are wholly drawn, braided together along the way, there are complete casts of characters for each narrative and the number of characters gets cumbersome in the first half of the book. By the last half, the reader will have straightened it out, and will enjoy the ride toward the conclusion. Ms. Fish has written a coming-of-age novel for the forty-year-olds, which will seem ambitious to those younger, and all too familiar to older readers.This is a debut novel, and I look forward to reading more.

Thanks to Livingston Press and NetGalley for this review copy. The Novel will be released on October 10, 2022.

Mercury Pictures Presents, Anthony Marra. Brilliant.

 

We may think we’ve read all there is to read about World War II, but Anthony Marry has discovered and brought to life a segment that this reader has not seen before… what happened in Hollywood. While it is a war story, it’s more an immigrant’s tale, following well drawn, fascinating characters as they traverse from Nazi controlled Italy to the bright lights.

Marra braids the stories of Mercury Pictures a B grade movie house and the feuding twin brothers who run Mercury with stories from Hollywood personalities, overbearing politicians and displaced immigrants trapped in wartime quarantine. His characters include a photographer, an architect specializing in miniatures, a clever guilt-ridden daughter of the best lawyer in San Lorenzo, and a supporting cast of aunts, politicians, and ladder climbers to create an extensive though brilliant cast of characters. Throughout the story, Marra’s fresh language, sharp wit, and humor from a time where we’ve been conditioned to find none, carries a story threatens to break the reader. As it is, the humanity holds both the novel and the reader together. It’s simply brilliant.

Mercury Pictures Presents was released on August 2, 2022.  Thanks to the publisher, Random House Hogarth for this advanced readers copy.

With Love From Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke 5*

Marnie Fairchild, from the rogue side of the Fairchild family, and thus not part of its fortune, is a businesswoman. She’s gone from a food truck to a high-end gift service. Her business includes everything from selling specialty gift wrap to personal gift shopping for her clients. She’s ready to move up in her retail location and has her heart set on a posh address where her grandfather worked as a cobbler. Marnie works hard, but she has goals. She wants that space.

Complications come when gifts are misdelivered. One to the wife, one to the mistress.

Her characters are charming, but not perfect, her plot has surprises and a fresh approach to the “woman starting a small business” trope, and she did a great job of struggling with the issue of personal responsibility, in this case, by enabling cheating husbands, but also the emotions when the recipients of the gifts realize that they weren’t chosen by a loved one, but a pro.

I love the interwoven lesson of women being responsible for their own happiness and hope to read more from this author.

I received this book from NetGalley and Dell, the publisher. It goes on sale August 17, 2022.

Lucy by the Sea, Elizabeth Strout 5 stars!

 

 

Reading this novel was like visiting old friends from a social distance. We got to know Lucy and William both in prior novels (My Name is Lucy Barton, Oh William!, Anything is Possible) and revisit characters introduced in Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again, and even The Burgess Boys. And that is lovely, as we have come to know that Elizabeth Strout’s voice is true and authentic, we can trust these characters just as we trust our own friends. Strout let’s our friends Lucy and William experience the pandemic on the coast of Maine, as physically isolated from Lucy’s beloved New York as they can be. This book isn’t for anyone still experiencing pandemic PTSD, because in her honesty, Strout brings us right back to the uncertainty of 2020 and the horror of separation from those we love most.

Personally, I love these characters and Strout’s writing style, which is probably apparent from my familiarity with her books and recommend Lucy by the Sea to anyone else who fell in love with the characters in other books. But the book also stands alone for anyone who has not read the others, as these characters don’t depend on their past iterations to come to life. As yet another pandemic book, this one stands out as a chronical of what was, and how emotional humans, especially older ones, can thrive, and survive

 An Arc of Lucy by the Sea was provided to me by the publisher, Random House, and will be released September 20, 2022.

Mad Honey: A heartbreaker by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, 5 stars,

 

 

 

To say Jodi Picoult books pull their themes from the headlines or that they break your heart would be an understatement. In Mad Honey, her talent for creating characters that I love and want to prevail is added to the depth that collaborating with Jennifer Finney Boylan to put the issue of not just the legal rights, but the right to live of transgender people in the U.S. today in sharp focus. It’s one thing to argue bathroom bills and choice for adults, but Mad Honey expands the discussion in ways that only good story telling can do.

As with most Jodi Picoult books, the research of the other theme in this book is tremendous. The bees! I thought I knew some things about bees, but I barely scratched the surface. Fascinating both factually and for the metaphor of the lives of these ancient creatures as applied to this family.

Mad Honey also touches on the issues of domestic assault, divorce and how the ones we love most are often the most cruel. I could not stop reading this book, and yes, it will break your heart. 

I try to read everything Jodi Picoult publishes, because she takes such a balanced approach to issues.  I am looking forward to reading more of  Jennifer Finney Boylan's books, and hope these two collaborate again.

I received this advance reader's copy from the publisher from the publisher, Random House-Ballantine. Mad Honey will be released on October 4, 2022.

 

The Best is Yet to Come by Debbie Macomber. 4*

 

Macomber is a master at the small-town romance, and The Best is Yet to Come doesn’t disappoint. Her characters, both Hope, a young teacher whose twin brother has been killed in Afghanistan, and Cade, a former soldier struggling with mental and physical injuries, are complex and relatable. Adding in Shadow, a neglected and abused dog who is destined for euthanasia, and you have the formula for a romance built on recovery. That the high school where Hope teaches worships football and its heroes, and the problems that go along with blind worship, and you could be in any small town in America. Oceanside though, is a special place, and it is a great town to visit this summer!

The Best is Yet to Come will be released July 12, 2022. Thanks to the Random House Ballantine for the advanced reader copy!

The Catch by Alison Fairbrother 5*

 

This was a book that surprised me. I expected it to be about how the father, who’d had four kids with three different wives, a minor poet at that, was “the catch.”  But Catch has so many meanings, and they are all in play in this fun novel where the main character Ellie, tries to understand why her now deceased father left his most prized possession, not to her, his favorite, but to a stranger. The unfolding of this mystery is full of emotion, good humor, and excellent characters. I’d call it a great summer read, but if isn’t a typically shallow, feel-good book. The writing is gorgeous and the story complex enough, with much emotional growth, that is deserves any season. I’ll look forward to Fairbrother’s next one!

 

Thanks to Random House for the advance copy of this book, which published on June 22, 2022.

Neruda On the Park, by Cleyvis Natera. Beautiful debut, 5*

 

The Gurrero family is like many immigrant families in the United States. Leaving behind hunger and poverty in their beloved home in the Dominican Republic, they settle in New York City’s Nothar park. Father Vladimir becomes a policeman, while Eusebia, his wife, becomes not only her neighborhoods force to be reckoned with, but also her daughter, Luz’s biggest champion and driving force. Each success Lux achieves is not hers alone, but also Eusebia’s, each lapse in what Eusebia sees on Luz’s course to the top, her own.

When Luz loses her high paying job as a corporate attorney, and Eusebia takes a fall that alters her personality, they join in the fight of gentrification of their neighborhood. Natera creates a colorful, emotionally deep set of characters to populate the neighborhood, and it is in the interactions between the main characters and these secondary ones that the novel shines. Gorgeous writing, and characters you will not want to let go fill this beautiful book, filled with the beauty and sorrow of not only Neruda, but people who’ve left their homeland everywhere. This is a writer I will watch.

The publisher gave me an advanced reader copy of Neruda on the Park. It was published May 25, 2022.

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Awaeke Emezi. 2 *

 

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Awaeke Emezi

This is the story of Feyi, who, married in her twenties, loses the love of her life to an accident. Five years later, she’s ready for a physical relationship again, and we are in for a wild ride.

                                                             

I should have expected that this book would be a bit much for me with the sex and bad foul language from the first sentence. I kept hoping we would get into more substance than Feyi, the main character’s, seeming promiscuity. So much sex, so many partners, and while it was always “great,” I, as a reader, never found it special. By the time we get to the end, we doubt our protagonist’s ability to be sincere, authentic, or faithful.

 

Emezi’s writing is lovely, or I’d have probably quit on this book. I think if I were in my twenties, as most of the characters are, and been raised in this millennium, I might be able to relate more, but I’m a midwestern mom, and I kept thinking how dangerous Feyi’s actions were. I loved the storytelling and the descriptions, but I wouldn’t recommend the book to my book club. 

I received this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, the publisher. It goes on sale May 24, 2022.

 

The Summer Place, by Jennifer Weiner

 

 

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

I’m a longtime fan of Jennifer Weiner, and have watched as her writing has grown more complex and personal over the years. Anyone who follows her knows that 2021 was a very hard year for her. I’m delighted to see that she was able to marshall the emotions that surfaced through her personal trials to create a cast of characters who are vivid, complicated and oh so relatable.

The overriding story is a young couple who’ve decided, shortly after emerging from lockdown, that they want to get married. Technically, the story covers the short time from the announcement of the engagement until the actual date of the wedding. Adding in the backstory, this is a novel that covers generations, and the missteps and mistakes made at each level before the betrothed couple. At one point I had to stop and say, REALLY?? But it works and the way the story loops around to its beginning is nothing short of gymnastics!

I promise you will find at least one character to root for, and if not, you’ll fall for the house. This is a fascinating book of characters and their passions. Great new summer book for Jennifer Weiner fans!

The Nantucket Beachfront Inn, By Ainsley Keaton. 3.5*

 

The Nantucket Beachfront Inn, by Ainsley Keaton

This book follows three friends, their “second act” after leaving, for the right reasons, their first careers. Ava, a high paid and powered attorney, finally rebels from her tax haven seeking millionaire clients. As luck would have it, just when she has realized she has no way to support her lifestyle, and old client dies and leaves her his Nantucket beachfront home, all set up to be a B & B. Her best friends, Quinn and Hallie, decide to come along to the beach…at first as support, but ultimately to reestablish themselves as well.

Ava has problems with her children, one of which is not speaking to her at all. The usual beach shenanigans prevail, including a little bit of witchcraft and lots of fun in the sun. This is the first book in what will be a series, and stands out as a great beach read. Beyond that, there are just too many lucky coincidences, but it’s fun and that’s good, too.

Culture, Characters, Issues and Imagination. Black Cake has them all. 5*

 

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel has all the elements that make fiction so rewarding. Wonderful characters, skillfully drawn, settings that take the reader’s breath away, whether through their beauty or the things they lack.  Historical references that place the cultural issues in perspective and an imaginative story so creative, it must be real. 

Benny and Byron are long separated twins, rejoined when their mother dies and leaves them a strange legacy.  Not just the historic Black Cake, whose recipe has facilitated the survival of this Caribbean family, but a video recording, telling the story of where they all came from. 

While plenty of obstacles face the characters, there is always hope and that hope kept me reading to a satisfying conclusion.  This is a great “book club” book, because it addresses so many issues important today, and does so in an accessible and fresh manner. 

Damnation Spring, by Ash Davidson 3.5*

 

Damnation Spring is a book about the old growth redwood forests of the American PNW, with the switch that it is told from the perspective of the families who make their living cutting those magnificent trees down for lumber.

Following the Gunderson family, Colleen, a young mother, her husband, Rich, a lumberjack, we encounter the hazards, fears and tragedies faced due to poverty, environmental collapse, politics, and family relationships. The characters are well drawn, and the descriptions so spot on you will feel stuck in the mud along with the characters.

It took a while for me to adjust to the dialect and language of this book, but it was done with such authenticity and confidence that once I was a chapter or two in, I was thinking in those phrases and patterns of speech. I think this author deserves kudos for making this happen.

I'm all for treating our characters badly to develop the story, but these folks never seemed to get a break.  It was hard to keep reading, realizing that inevitably, something bad or worse was coming.  Perhaps that is the situation in this part of the world.  In the end, I felt terribly sad. 

Martita, I Remember You. English and Spanish, Sandra Cisneros

 

I was thrilled to get to read an advance copy of this book, by beloved Sandra Cisneros.   Basically, a love letter to youth, and relationships and mistakes, this part epistolary, part novel in flash takes the reader along to Paris, Argentina, and Chicago through the vision of three young women trying to discover who they are.  Their letters reveal the affection they remember, despite the years that pass, and lets the reader peek into the era, with world events, the despair, and the joie de vivre of youth and the special trials of the immigrant, regardless of country or era.

 

It is very short, and I was happy to get to read the Spanish version, which is also included, as the musicality of Cisneros voice comes through in both languages. A lovely gift for close friends, especially those who speak or read Spanish.

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout 4*

 

Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout

 

Elizabeth Strout is an author who feels more like a dear old friend, or that cousin you like to be seated next to at a wedding. Her writing is both accessible and complex, as are the characters she creates.  Oh William! is the story of Lucy Barton as a woman who has divorced her cheating first husband, remarried, and lost her second to cancer. It is a family novel, examining the relationships between both parents, children, and their extended family, and it is a love story, though not a romance.  As many of Strout’s books do, it is sprinkled with historical fact that shaped the lives of the people living through events… like the POW camps in Maine, but the characters of the novel. The result is characters so authentic that I found myself looking to see if I was reading memoir.

 

At the heart of the novel is the secrets kept by both William, the cheating husband with whom Lucy retains a lovely friendship, and recently widowed Lucy.  The big secret that they investigate doesn’t feel any more important than the dozens of other revelations these characters give in this captivating book. Fans of Lucy Barton and Olive Kittredge will not be disappointed. Newcomers will be charmed by Lucy’s quirkiness.  And everyone will be saying “Oh William!”

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman 4*

 

The completion of the Practical Magic story of the Owens family and their curse in matters of love makes the swing around to complete the circle.  The primary settings are the house on Magnolia Street where the Owens family has lived for generations, with trips across the ocean and back to the place of the original pond where the curse began in England.  As with any good series, this one tied up loose ends left open in the prior books and created a landscape all its own.  Fresh characters join the beloved one, and we feel immediately at home in the libraries and homes of the characters.

 

Hoffman’s writing has been called lush, and for this reader, some places where a bit too lush, especially once the action moved to England. But the story and characters were worth wading through a bit of brush and marsh, the ending is surprisingly inevitable.  I was charmed by the explanations of love for this family… “you stayed when you wanted to run away. You held on when you knew you had no choice but to let go.”  I wish I had the whole series to read again. 

 

 

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, 5+ stars!

 

“A tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness…” Those are the words Anthony Doerr uses to describe this wonderful novel, and each thread in that tapestry is golden wire wrapped in color.

 

Told from the perspectives of young people, from four different centuries and centering loosely around a fictional manuscript written by an ancient Greek author, this book ties the stories of Konstance, from a space ship in the twenty second century to not only the ancient Greek, but also two teen agers on opposite sides of the siege of Constantinople in the fifteenth century, and a group of fifth graders in 2020, who wish to perform the play, Cloud Cuckoo Land, as translated by their friend,  Zeno, a Korean war veteran. With his gentle and caring hand, Anthony Doerr lets us inside the world of the disfigured, the orphaned, the lost, the mentally challenged, the single mother, the unrequited homosexual, the war veteran, and even the hopeless parents in fear for their children on a dying planet. He weaves these stories so perfectly that we don’t even realize what he’s doing until we reach the surprising, inevitable conclusion.

 

It wasn’t easy to get started in this book, nightmares of studying the Odyssey and the Iliad threatened to make me abandon it, but to say by midway I couldn’t put it down is not an exaggeration. This author is a master, and a treasure, and this book is a love letter to books and libraries through history. I loved it.

 

I received this advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher. Cloud Cuckoo Land will be released on September 28, 2021.

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

 

Elin Hilderbrand can always be counted on for contemporary fiction, with complex female characters and a great beach read. The characters in Golden Girl don't disappoint, though they are extremely privileged. I wasn't happy to begin the book reading from the point of view of Vivi, a ghost, because I feel that's been done so many times. 

Still, I enjoyed the book. I liked that the underlying mystery of the "narrators" death gave us a logical timeline. I liked that even in Nantucket, a place that has come to represent the American Ideal, issues of racism, sexism and abuse must be confronted. I think Elin Hildebrand acknowledged the issues, without hitting her readers too hard with them... we don't pick up a self-described beach read to rehash the issues we deal with in our regular lives.

 Golden Girl did exactly what a good summer book should. I look forward to the next one!

 

Wish You Were Here by Jody Piccoult. Another great read!

I’ve long admired the way Jody Piccoult can take a controversial current event topic and make it engaging, readable and interesting. I go into her books thinking I understand an issue, only to be presented with other perspectives. Piccoult gives me an opportunity to think about issues and I always feel smarter when I finish her books.

 Wish You Were Here begins as a romance veering off course. The beauty of the Galápagos, the varied creatures, and an isolation few have experienced set the stage for Diana to explore everything she knows about art, relationships, and grief. As an art broker for Sotheby’s, she already knows a lot about art, but not how it can expand personal relationships. As a daughter of a doting father who died, and an absentee mother afflicted with Alzheimer’s, she must learn a new kind of grief. And as the almost fiancée of a doctor in the first wave of the COVID-19 wave in NYC, she has much to learn about relationships.

I won’t reveal the shift of the second half of the book, but I will say that this book continues the exploration of life and death begun in Piccoult’s last book, The Book of Two Ways, though Wish You Were here is an easier read with a totally different story. (Many of my reading friends didn't like the intense Egyptian explanations of that one, though I found them fascinating. My review of The book of two waysHer research is, as always, stellar, and fascinating. I did not think I was ready for a “Covid” book, written during the actual worst times of the virus in the USA, but I found much peace and healing here. I guess we really couldn’t be shocked any more than we were, and it’s nice to see our feelings given credence and respect. This is a don’t miss book for 2021 and beyond. 

Wish You Were Here will be released November 30, 2021, just in time to be a wonderful gift for reader friends. I appreciate being allowed to read an Advanced Readers Copy by the publisher, Penguin Random House and NetGalley. five plus stars!

Ghosts by Dolly Atherton, 5*

(I know it seems that everything I review is 4 or 5 stars, but I'm not sure why I'd take the time to review something I didn't like!) Ghosts by Dolly Atherton Ghosts is at its heart, romantic comedy, and romantic tragedy. It is a commentary on how we find connections in this millennium, and how easily those connections can disappear. It is the story of Nina George Dean, born in 1986. Coming into adulthood in the Time of the Internet, it is natural for her friends to encourage her to try dating apps to meet interesting men. But like all things on the internet, it is easy to believe the things she is told, and when she meets Max, she can’t help but believe in him, too. Ghosting isn’t a phenomenon we had to deal with when our partners were people we interacted with outside of dating, but it’s all too easy when an app is your connection. I thought that was what the book was about, and was feeling rather ho hum about it, until this wonderful author carried the metaphor through to relationships other than those founded on an app…friends, family, and even our past. Nina is a deep and caring character, and I wanted her to have everything she wanted. You’ll have to read the book to find out if she does, and I promise it will not disappoint. Though it will break your heart in all the best ways. Alfred Knopf and NetGalley have provided me with an advanced reader copy for this review. The book will be released on August 3, 2021.

Dawg Towne by Alice Kaltman, FIVE stars and woofs!

 Tex and Jaz tried to read the book in the sun...too hot!

 

It’s rare for me to buy a physical copy of a book, but Dawg Towne, by Alice Kaltman is one I knew I’d want to pass around, and that’s not easy to do with an ebook. Besides, my dogs, Tex and Jaz, had heard so much about it they wanted to take a look. I sped through it, and was sorry, because I rather miss Towne, now that I am no longer visiting it in words, and the characters, human and canine, worked their way into my heart. Kaltman has done a marvelous job of creating people who live the emotions we all experience, those that we can talk about, and those we can’t. The overwhelming sense that I got was that everyone needs a best friend and companion, and sometimes, dogs are the best choice.

"Did she tell you we liked it?"

 

I won’t spoil the story, but merely comment that this is a book for anyone who’s lived in a city, or suburb, or outside them both, who feels the isolation that each locale can create. It’s also for everyone who’s ever known, or loved, a dog. Thanks Alice, for another wonderful story, and literary companions.

Tex and Jaz cuddled up with the book....

Then they lent it to their pal, Sasha.  

 

 

 And she agreed.  Great book for summer 2021!

To Sir, With Love, another remake ala You've Got Mail! 4*

 

As an admitted rom com afficionado, I have watched Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan answer the AOL siren call many times in Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail.  I knew it was based on a classic and have promised myself a viewing of the 1940’s The Shop Around the Corner.  To Sir, With Love, brought that same romantic feeling to 2021 with of course, an app.  The delicious fantasy that we develop when we spend time in our own imagination, fueled by words of kindness and understanding, is perfectly portrayed by Lauren Layne’s Grace/Lady and Sebastian/Sir.  Setting it in a Champagne shop in Manhattan extended the fantasy for those of us who have always dreamed of New York, but know it belongs firmly there, in our dreams. 

You will love these characters, even though you have a pretty good idea of what will happen.  Thanks Lauren Layne, for a delightful escape in these serious and weary times.

 

Thanks to the publisher, Simon and Schuster, and Net Galley for giving me this break! To Sir, With Love was published today, June 29, 2021.

Songs In Ursa Major, for lovers or music and more. Five *

 

Songs in Ursa Major  by Emma Brodie

 

When Janie Quinn takes the stage at her tiny island’s summer Folk Fest, her local band suddenly subbing for superstar Jessie Reid, she has no real idea of the ride she’s about to go on. Not only does the connection she feels with her fans provide her with the sense of belonging she’s sought since being abandoned as a child, it also opens doors--to Jessie, the strength of his success, and even his piano. Janie’s gift is not something she takes lightly, and conforming isn’t part of the fabric of her family. Songs in Ursa Major leaves readers yearning for Jane to succeed, for Jane and Jessie to find their way together, and for the music industry to find a conscience. I won’t tell you which of those are resolved but will say that for anyone who’s ever been an artist—whether it be with paint or words or music, this story will grab hold and remind you why you do it, and what you are up against.

 

A great story you will not want to put down. Brava Emma Brodie!

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.  It will be released June 22, 2021.

New Girl in Little Cove by Damhnait Monaghan Five Stars!

 

 

 I loved this wonderful trip to Newfoundland and it's fabulous characters.  If you loved Come From Away this book that will remind you of the same feelings you had then, and totally warm your heart.  New Girl in Little Cove is the story of a mainlander... Rachel, ( from exotic Ontario) who goes to Newfoundland for her first teaching job.  Each character will become a friend in your memory and you'll struggle not to want to try out the dialect.  Great read!

More book reviews! All very different. That Summer, You Can Trust Me, The House by the Cerulean Sea!

 

That Summer, Jennifer Weiner 5*

 

That Summer is another book set in Cape Cod, in the area we became familiar with in last year’s Weiner novel, Big Summer. This time we meet two families, one being wealthy, boarding school educated and suburban Philadelphia society entrenched. The other is the created family of Diana, a young woman whose life changed after a traumatic assault when she was young. How the two families intertwine and the tangles along the way create a story you will worry about and test your own thoughts on “#metoo” and money.

 

Jennifer Weiner continues to grow as a writer, tackling complicated viewpoints and issues and packaging them into contemporary fiction. That this book is being called a beach read illustrates again how beach reads have evolved into important fiction. Complex characters and smooth transitions! Culture clashes and #metoo.  Creativity v. Money orientation.  A great read!

 

The Publisher sent me an early copy of this book, which is available now!

 

You Can Trust Me, by Emma Rowley 4*

 

I’m not generally a mystery reader but like to broaden my scope. When a popular online book club chose this book for a monthly “read along” I hopped on the bandwagon, because their recommendations have led me to many books I’ve enjoyed.

 

I count this one as one of them.  An intriguing house, built on the site of a tragic fire, a wealthy social influencer with the requisite handsome husband and darling child. And the ghostwriter, who is there to expand the brand.  Or is she?

 

The book twists and turns in both viewpoint and time, leading the reader down first one alley and then the next.  Maybe it’s because this isn’t my normal genre, but I found it fun! The ending was mostly satisfying--no spoilers from me!   If you like a mystery, or need a change, give this one a try.

 

 

 

The House on the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune 6*...if possible.

 

 

This may be my favorite book of the year.  It reads like a children's book or maybe a fable, and the magical creatures who make up the characters are nothing like what I normally read, but what a beautiful story, beautifully told.  The characters are exquisite, from the seemingly OCD Linus Baker to the fascinating master of the Orphanage, we are taught to look beyond appearances and preconceptions to the possibility of a kinder, more inclusive world.  Linus is sent to investigate the orphanage, with almost no preparation, so we discover all the idiosyncrasies along with him.  This writer makes us adore the spawn of Lucifer!

"How can we fight prejudice if we do nothing to change it? If we allow it to fester, what’s the point?”

 

Give yourself the gift of reading this one! 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Great summer read! 5 stars

 

Taylor Jenkins Reid has shown she’s a skilled writer, unafraid of using nonlinear storylines to develop the world of her characters.  Malibu Rising is no different. Add to that the family saga of the Rivas and this is the kind of book you can sink into.

 

The Rivas value their family bonds, a value that is tested over and over with their parents, siblings and their choice of loves.  For a group as loyal as the four children, Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit, their secrets keep them from being completely authentic with each other, but for some reason, this, along with insecurities we don’t expect from the celebrities they’ve become, make them relatable characters we just want to cheer for.

 

Set against glamorous Malibu, with the ocean, surfing, fires and wild parties that just the name Malibu brings to mind, this was a satisfying novel with just enough escapism to make it an ideal summer read.  Cinematic in its scope and execution, this book would be a great movie.  Another hit for TJR!

 

Malibu Rising publication day is June 1, 2021. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy!

A Million Reasons Why, by Jessica Strawser. 5*

 

A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser

 

When Caroline’s husband selected the Christmas gift they would give her family, he had no reason to believe it would result in anything but interesting information.  He had no way of knowing the heartbreaking secrets that would be unlocked by that simple test.

 

The information sends this family into chaos that includes infidelity and illegitimate children, to lies told to keep the secrets hidden.  Along the way, complex characters tangled together in a web of love and secrecy gamble with what they hold most dear.  And the plot continues to twist.

 

Strawser had treated moral issues most people never consider with tenderness and compassion. What would you do if you could save someone’s life…and only you could do it?  This book not only explores the morality of its characters, but also of how our society treats people with medical crises, particularly those in need of organ donation.

 

This book will grab you and keep you until the end. You won’t want to put it down.

 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this copy to me. Publication date is March 23, 2021.

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines, debut by Pamela Terry. 4*

 

 

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines

 

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines, a debut novel by Pamela Terry, is the best of southern family drama but also part travel book. The scenes that unfold for the Bruce family, upon the unexpected death of the matriarch sport characters authentic, lovable and embarrassing, just as we’d expect in a story of a family.

 

Where Terry shines most, though, is in her descriptions and sense of place. Lila, our main character, begins the journey at her late husband, now her, home in Maine, where we as readers would be just as happy to stay, with the artists and all the great canine friends.

 

But then she travels “home” to Wesleyan, Georgia, and she not only enchants us with the tasteful homes and small town, but also lets us visit the low country Marsh. The writing in this section felt very much like Pat Conroy could have been nudging the author as she typed.

 

But she saved the best for last, as our characters travel to the Hebrides in Scotland, to the actual island (but fictional community) of Eynhallow, where the beauty makes the reader, and probably the writer, breathless.

 

Encapsulated in these lovely settings is a very real story of loss, mystery and acceptance. In these pandemic times, I’d give it five stars for the chance to “travel” alone, but the story is well done. Especially if you love dogs!

 

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines will be published March 16, 2021 by Random House/Ballantine. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to preview.