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Published on Leave a comment on After Annie
After Annie Book Cover After Annie
Anna Quindlen
Fiction
Random House
February 27, 2024
Advance reader copy
304
Free from publisher

When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are left to struggle without the woman who centered their lives. Bill Brown finds himself overwhelmed, and Annie’s best friend Annemarie is lost to old bad habits without Annie’s support. It is Annie’s daughter, Ali, forced to try to care for her younger brothers and even her father, who manages to maintain some semblance of their former lives for them all, and who confronts the complicated truths of adulthood.

Yet over the course of the next year, while Annie looms large in their memories, all three are able to grow, to change, even to become stronger and more sure of themselves. The enduring power Annie gave to those who loved her is the power to love, and to go on without her.

My review:

It comes as no surprise that I loved this novel. I've read many by this author, and her way of writing believable and loveable characters is matched by only a small few novelists. I also love that she writes about characters of all ages (from children to the elderly) with the same impeccable style. In this novel she focuses on a man whose wife has suddenly died, the woman's best friend, and the children (particularly the older two)that she leaves behind. All were spectacularly characterized, and you followed their grief as though Annie was someone that you knew, not a book character. While the story does focus a lot on their grief, it is also uplifting as we see how that grief manifests into love and the ability to go on because of that love (of Annie as well as each other). The school counselor was a lovely addition to the cast, you never know when someone will step in to help a person in need. This book focuses on the day to day living of these characters, and the author does a fabulous job of making ordinary living interesting. The end is hopeful and highly satisfying, and showcases everything that Annie would have wanted for those she loved. Trigger warnings for addiction and death.

A beautifully written story of how a person can leave a legacy of love after they are gone. Read this for the wonderful writing and characterization this author is known for.

Published on Leave a comment on The Turtle House
The Turtle House Book Cover The Turtle House
Amanda Churchill
Fiction
Harper
February 20, 2024
Advance reader copy
304
Free from publisher

Moving between late 1990s small-town Texas to pre-World War II Japan and occupied Tokyo, an emotionally engaging literary debut about a grandmother and granddaughter who connect over a beloved lost place and the secrets they both carry. It’s spring 1999, and 25-year-old Lia Cope and her prickly 73-year-old grandmother, Mineko, are sharing a bedroom in Curtain, Texas, the ranching town where Lia grew up and Mineko began her life as a Japanese war bride.

Both women are at a turning point: Mineko, long widowed, moved in with her son and daughter-in-law after a suspicious fire destroyed the Cope family ranch house, while Lia, an architect with a promising career in Austin, has unexpectedly returned under circumstances she refuses to explain. Though Lia never felt especially close to her grandmother, the two grow close sharing late-night conversations. Mineko tells stories of her early life in Japan, of the war that changed everything, and of her two great a man named Akio Sato and an abandoned Japanese country estate they called the Turtle House, where their relationship took root.

As Mineko reveals more of her early life—tales of innocent swimming lessons that blossom into something more, a friendship nurtured across oceans, totems saved and hidden, the heartbreak of love lost too soon—Lia comes to understand the depth of her grandmother’s pain and sacrifice and sees her Texas family in a new light. She also recognizes that it’s she who needs to come clean—about the budding career she abandoned and the mysterious man who keeps calling. When Mineko’s adult children decide, against her wishes, to move her into an assisted living community, she and Lia devise a plan to bring a beloved lost place to life, one that they hope will offer the safety and sense of belonging they both need, no matter the cost. A story of intergenerational friendship, family, coming of age, identity, and love, The Turtle House illuminates the hidden lives we lead, the secrets we hold close, and what it truly means to find home again when it feels lost forever.

My review:

First and foremost, this cover is absolutely stunning! If you are a reader who picks up books based on their covers, this one is for you 🙂 Most of the pertinent facts about this book are in the summary above, so I'm not going to reiterate that in my review. I will say that this was very well written for a debut, and I would not have known this was the author's first book. As with a lot of books with a timeline that goes back and forth, I was more drawn to the stories of Mineko's life in Japan, and even her present story. I thought Lia was a good source for Mineko's storytelling, although I felt her career story was not as compelling and didn't add much to the plot. I did however enjoy the way she used her architect degree to recreate The Turtle House from Mineko's memories. Both characters were very well drawn, and while the ending was melancholy, I appreciated that it didn't tie everything up in a happy ever after, which would have seemed too contrived for my taste. I thought the descriptions of Japan pre-WWII were very interesting.

Lovely writing and characters equate to the beauty of this cover. I loved Mineko and her story, what a stoic and brave woman, who just wanted to get back to the place that made her the happiest. Well worth the read, and a place face out on your bookshelf!

Published on Leave a comment on The Frozen River
The Frozen River Book Cover The Frozen River
Ariel Lawhon
Historical fiction
Doubleday Books
December 5, 2023
Hardcover/Audio
432
Purchased/Library audio

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

My review:

I've read a few historical fiction books by this author, and while they have all been beautifully written and well researched, the story has never grabbed me quite like this one did. I must admit that I am a sucker for a midwife novel (The Midwives by Chris Bohjalian remains one of my all time favorites!). I've never met or used one, but I find their work fascinating. Not only was the daily midwifery engaging in this particular story, but the way that Martha was way ahead of her time with looking out for her patients. In a time when women were frowned upon to be anything other than house servants and baby makers, Martha defied the odds with not only her profession, but her willingness to defend a townsperson raped by prominent men. Martha's diary becomes a central part of the goings on in the town over a long winter. There is a lot to engage in with this book, Martha's family and home life, her work as a midwife, and her testimony at trial. One of the men accused is found dead at the beginning of the story, so there is also the mystery of who killed him to uncover. I would also be remiss if I didn't give credit to Martha's husband, a man not found nearly enough in those times.

Excellent writing and characters made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I love when a woman can be a hero for her time, and Martha fits that bill. I highly recommend to those who like historical fiction with a strong female protagonist, and just an all around good story.

Published on Leave a comment on Mercury
Mercury Book Cover Mercury
Amy Jo Burns
Fiction
Celadon books
January 2, 2024
Hardcover/Libby
336
Purchased/Library audio

It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. Their silhouettes blot out the sun.

The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father’s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they’ve always known―or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.

My review:

I love to start the year with a five star read within the first few weeks, and I'm happy to say that I have accomplished that with this book! After reading the synopsis of this one I was hopeful, since it has the buzzwords I gravitate toward. I love a good character driven family story. Bonus points if that family is dysfunctional. I'm not sure that I would say this family was dysfunctional in the way that generally comes across, but I would call them troubled. Either way it worked for me! I loved the way all of the characters were portrayed, particularly the main character Marley. The roofing business at the center of this family almost seemed like another character, with the expectation that the children would take over for their father, like it or not. While the focus is definitely on Marley, we still get plenty of exposure to the parents and three brothers. There is a mystery within the story, but it's not a main plot point. It does add to the narrative, particularly when we as readers are made privy to the details. In the end, this is a story of how family can break you apart, and also bring you back together.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a character driven family story. It moves along very well and I was engaged throughout, but if you are a reader who needs lots of plot points in your books, this may not work as well for you. It certainly ticked all my boxes!

3

Published on 3 Comments on Best Books of 2023

Time to wrap up 2023. I do this post to highlight my 5 star reads, and then break down my top 5 books, including my best book of the year!

This year I read 305 books (247 audio 58 physical), and I had 16 that earned five stars (yes, I'm very selective in giving out the highest rating, approximately 5% of my reads for the last few years have ended up with top accolades). Here are my unforgettable 5 stars reads:

It's a bit hard to read the title of the book with the black/white stripes, it is Kill Show by Daniel Sweren-Becker.

And of these, here are my top 5:

#5 Happiness Falls by Angie Kim I picked this author's debut novel (Miracle Creek) as my book of the year a few years back. This one also didn't disappoint, her books always teach me something along with the character driven story.

#4 Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb I had two books by this author in my 5 star reads this year (The Violin Conspiracy was a backlist book that I finally got to). While both were excellent, the historical mystery in this one was fascinating.

#3 All the Broken Places by John Boyne This is a sequel to Boyne's young adult classic Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with that book (if you haven't read it), I think you will get more out of the story which follows the characters in the years after.

#2 Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent If I'm being honest, this was probably my favorite book of the year, but because it has such a dark premise, and this blog is read by a wide variety of readers who may find it too disturbing, I'm slotting it in the 2 spot. I will never forget Sally, or this book!

#1 The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland Loved this historical fiction novel following four characters impacted by the 1811 Richmond Virginia theater fire. I was equally interested in all four people (which doesn't always happen for me). I picked this for my in person book club, and everyone enjoyed it!

And there you have it, my best of 2023! Here's to all the fantastic reads coming my way in 2024!

Published on Leave a comment on The Sweater Weather Series

My review:

Looking for a wonderful Hallmark type series that takes place in the fall instead of Christmas? Look no further! I loved this collaboration from seven different romance authors, who have written seven books that take place in a fictional North Carolina town near the Appalachian mountains. All the books can be read alone, but there are characters who are mentioned across other books in the series. I personally read them in order, and was completely immersed in Harvest Hollow. These books are all what is known as closed door romance, which is my go-to when I'm looking for a story that focuses more on the lead up to love, rather than the happenings through sexual encounters. While I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, my two favorites of the series were the first and last. These both had a focus on the minor league hockey team (known as the Appies) that play there. There is even a book featuring a bookstagrammer who meets up with fellow book fellows at a weekend book festival (oh how I miss my yearly pilgrimage to Book Expo America!). Lots of mentions of fall festivals, apples, fall foliage (and tourists) make this the perfect series to curl up with. The town stores are a recurring theme across the series, particularly the coffee shop and library.

I'm not a reader of horror or creepy Halloween type books, so this was such an excellent way to connect in a different way with the season. I have seen nothing but praise from readers, so I hope this is not the last collaboration we see from these authors!

Here are the titles in order:

Just Don't Fall by Emma St. Clair

The Fall Back Plan by Melanie Jacobson

Can't Help Falling by Courtney Walsh

Faking the Fall by Julie Christianson

Easy As Pie by Carina Taylor

A Not So Fictional Fall by Savannah Scott

Absolutely Not In Love by Jenny Proctor

Published on Leave a comment on The Leftover Woman
The Leftover Woman Book Cover The Leftover Woman
Jean Kwok
William Morrow
October 10, 2023
Hardcover
288
Purchased

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth--another female casualty of China's controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she's forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She's even hired a Chinese nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca's job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city--separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.

My review:

I've read from this author before, and she always does an excellent job of creating characters that jump off the page. This novel is no different. Told from the perspectives of two women who are far apart in so many ways, yet have a common bond. It's hard to write too much in this review without spoilers, but know that there are several twists that make this a very engaging and propulsive read. Speaking as a mother of two adopted daughters from China, who were part of the one child policy, I found this part of the book so real in that I actually lived it! That same theme also made me nervous throughout the story that I was not going to like where it ultimately ends up, but I was pretty satisfied with the ending. I will say that the way the women intersect was a bit of a stretch, but because I liked the rest of the book so much, I gave this a pass. I also found it interesting that Rebecca is an editor who is trying to win a contract for a book that in many ways parallels the life of Jasmine.

Lovely writing, wonderful characters, and a story that includes the issues of class, race, immigration, economic disparity, language barriers, and human trafficking. But it is far and away a story of motherhood and the lengths a woman will go to care for her child. Definitely worth the read.

1

Published on 1 Comment on Kill Show
Kill Show Book Cover Kill Show
Daniel Sweren-Becker
Harper
October 3, 2023
Hardcover
240
Free from publisher

Sara Parcell disappeared without a trace on a crisp April morning in Frederick, Maryland. Her tragic story was a national obsession and the centerpiece of a controversial television docu-series that followed her disappearance in real time--but is it possible that everyone missed the biggest secret of all? Ten years after these events, the people who knew Sara best are finally ready to talk.

In this genre-bending novel, Daniel Sweren-Becker fashions an oral history around the seemingly familiar crime of a teenage girl gone missing--yet Kill Show, filled with diabolical twists and provocative social commentary, is no standard mystery. Through “interviews” with family members, neighbors, law enforcement, television executives, and a host of other compelling characters, Sweren-Becker constructs a riveting tale about one family’s tragedy—and Hollywood’s insatiable desire to exploit it.

By revealing the seedy underbelly of the true crime entertainment machine, Kill Show probes literary territory beyond the bounds of the standard whodunit. It’s a thoughtful exploration into our obsession with the mysteries, cold cases, and violent tales we turn to for comfort. Groundbreaking, fast-moving, and informed, this is a novel about who’s really responsible for the tragedies we love to consume.

My review:

If you've been following my reviews for awhile, you may have noticed that true crime is not a genre I delve into often. It's not a subject that I'm that drawn to, and I don't like to read about violence and gore, which is often present in the stories. This book caught my eye mostly because I really enjoy novels that are told in a medium other than just standard writing. This one is told completely through interviews garnered ten years after the initial disappearance of Sara. It's a good change of pace to read a book told in a different format, and this one was done really well. I was completely engaged throughout, and there were many turns I didn't see coming that kept me flipping pages. It is a short read, due to the interview style and the page count, but I think I would have burned through it even if had it been longer. I will say that I was settled on a 4 star rating until the very last page (and no it's not a giant twist so don't read ahead!). That last interview really hit home as a book consumer, and I knew my rating had to change to 5 stars.

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes true crime, reality tv, and a different writing format. There isn't any grisly parts for those like me that tend to steer away from this type of story. A fast read that really packs a punch!

Published on Leave a comment on Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Bright Lights, Big Christmas Book Cover Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Mary Kay Andrews
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
September 26, 2023
Advance reader copy
288
Free from publisher

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

My review:

Yes, I do realize that I'm reviewing a holiday book in September, but when the publisher decides on that as release day, you go with the flow. I missed having a novel from MKA (as book lovers like to call her) this summer, but this certainly came close to making up for it (although selfishly, why couldn't we have had both?). This was such a delight to read! It had all the makings of a great holiday novel (and I read a LOT of them as the season approaches). I loved the idea of a tree farm (from NC!) stand in Manhattan, there's nothing like the city to bring on the holiday spirit. The characters were all well defined, and of course I can't resist the divorced dad trope. The camper van that they parked on the lot was almost a character in itself, and just added to the cute ambience of the story. Andrews always has a way of interjecting humor into her novels at just the right level for the story. While this one did not have loads of it, her style still showed through in the dialog and situations the characters found themselves in. Lots of Christmasy references, particularly of the decorative variety. And while I'm not one to love a tied up with a bow ending, I'm okay with it when it comes to holiday books.

If you want a book to get you in the holiday mood, that has good substance and great characters, I suggest you give this one a go. You really can't ever go wrong with this author!

Published on Leave a comment on Happiness Falls
Happiness Falls Book Cover Happiness Falls
Angie Kim
Fiction
Hogarth
September 5, 2023
Advance e-reader copy
400
Publisher via NetGalley

"We didn't call the police right away." Those are the first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean-American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing.

Mia, the irreverent, hyperanalytical twenty-year-old daughter, has an explanation for everything--which is why she isn't initially concerned when her father and younger brother Eugene don't return from a walk in a nearby park. They must have lost their phone. Or stopped for an errand somewhere. But by the time Mia's brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father in this tight-knit family is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and cannot speak.

What follows is both a ticking-clock investigation into the whereabouts of a father and an emotionally rich portrait of a family whose most personal secrets just may be at the heart of his disappearance. Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, race, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing person story into something wholly original, creating an indelible tale of a family who must go to remarkable lengths to truly understand one another.

My review:

I've waited a long time for another novel from the author of Miracle Creek (my 2019 book of the year). After reading this one, I know why it took a few years. The research in both novels is extensive. I learned about hyperbaric chambers in the first, and about Angelwood Syndrome in this one. There is also a mystery in this book, but as before, it really takes a back seat to the character development and family dynamics. Both of these were expertly portrayed! The entire story is told by the older twin sister of three siblings, the youngest of which has a combination of autism and the aforementioned Angelwood Syndrome. I liked this format, as the usual script for this kind of story would probably have multiple viewpoints. By using one voice, the author was able to withhold details that others may have been privy to without revealing them too soon. I was fascinated by the use of the communication mechanism that comes into play toward the end of the book. There are a lot of moving parts/plots in this one, and I wasn't bored by any of them.

Well written, well researched, well paced, and well characterized, I don't think I could ask for anything else from a novel. Another gem from this author!