OnDBookshelf

Title: In the Unlikely Event
Author: Judy Blume, narrated by Kathleen McInerney
Published: June 2, 2015 by Random House Audio
Length: 14 hours 4 minutes
Source: Publisher at BEA
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, she paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place—Nat King Cole singing “Unforgettable,” Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat. And a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.

In the Unlikely Event is vintage Judy Blume, with all the hallmarks of Judy Blume’s unparalleled storytelling, and full of memorable characters who cope with loss, remember the good times and, finally, wonder at the joy that keeps them going.

My review:

I'm embarrassed to admit that this is my first Judy Blume book. I should have read Are You There God since that was published when I was a pre-teen, but somehow I didn't. Most of her later works I was out of the targeted age range. I think my girls may have read one or two of her books, but they were reading on their own by that point, so I did not experience them. I'm only mentioning this because I went into this book blind, with no expectations of the author's previous works. I've read a few reviews where this expectation from reading the children's books has translated into a bit of a letdown with this adult novel. I really liked the book, although I did have a few issues with the writing style (maybe a bit simplistic in parts for an adult novel), and SO SO many characters. Keep in mind that I listened to this on audio, so there was no going back to figure out all the characters that are thrown out in the first quarter of the book. I found that as I kept going and the characters repeated in the story, it all came together, but it is a bit troublesome at first. So apart from that, I loved the character of Miri, she was wonderfully portrayed (not surprising as she is around the age of Blume's former characters). The story about the plane crashes was compelling and very factual. Ms. Blume lived through them in her hometown so there are interesting anecdotes from the local paper (real articles as well as the fictionalized ones written by Miri's uncle). Why have we never heard of these in history? I even asked my mother-in-law who lived in NYC at the time, and she doesn't remember it. I enjoyed many of the side stories, particularly those of Christina and Henry.

I listened to this on audio, and I thought the narrator did a good job, especially with the huge numbers of characters she was dealing with voicing.

A book worth picking up if you like fictionalized accounts of historical events, with lots of intermingling side stories. Just go with the flow at the beginning and the characters will all fall into place.

Title: The Rumor
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Published: June 16, 2015 by Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher at BEA
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

Madeline King and Grace Pancik are best friends and the envy of Nantucket for their perfect marriages, their beautiful kids, their Sunday night double dates with their devoted husbands. But this summer, something's changed, and if there's anything Nantucket likes better than cocktails on the beach at sunset, it's a good rumor.

And rumor has it...

...that Madeline, a novelist, is battling writer's block, with a deadline looming, bills piling up, and blank pages driving her to desperation--and a desperately bad decision;

...that Grace, hard at work to transform her backyard into a garden paradise, has been collaborating a bit more closely that necessary with her ruggedly handsome landscape architect;

...that Grace's husband, successful island real estate developer "Fast Eddie" Pancik, has embarked on quite an unusual side project;

...that the storybook romance between Madeline's son, Brick, and Grace's daughter Allegra is on the rocks, heading for disaster.

As the gossip escalates, and they face the possible loss of the happy lives they've worked so hard to create, Grace and Madeline try mightily to set the record straight--but the truth might be even worse than rumor has it.

My review:

Let me say first off that I don't begin reading a novel by Elin Hilderbrand expecting the literary equivalent of a prize winning book. I read her books because they always have an engaging plot, lots of characters that give you a choice about who to root for, and they just make me want to go to Nantucket! The Rumor did not let me down on any of these things. The plot was fun.....who hasn't engaged in, or been the subject of a rumor? As with all rumors, some were legit, and some were not. I also really liked the idea of a novelist as one of the main characters, it was a fun insight into the trials that can sometimes occur leading up to a completed story. Madeline and Grace's husband were probably my favorite characters, but there was a little something for everyone. As in all of her books, the author (who lives on Nantucket) does such a wonderful job of describing the island life. The people (tourists, summer people and year round dwellers), the food and local businesses, the beaches, and the weather. I've never been to Nantucket (although I have been to neighboring Martha's Vineyard), but I always want to go after reading one of these books. Kudos to the lovely cover as well!

A quick, light read, I really enjoyed The Rumor. I had the pleasure of hearing Elin Hilderbrand speak at the Triangle Reads event (as part of the Southern Independent Bookseller's Association conference), and she was delightful!

Title: Surface
Author: Stacy Robinson
Published: February 24, 2015 by Kensington
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher via BookSparks
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

In this powerfully written and insightful novel, author Stacy Robinson explores the consequences of flawed choices, the complex nature of betrayal and forgiveness--and the intriguing possibility of second acts. . . Claire Montgomery has a lifetime of sensible decisions behind her. Yet all it takes is one impulsive indiscretion to bring everything crashing down--her marriage to a wealthy entrepreneur, her status as half of one of Denver society's power couples, and the future she dreamed of for their seventeen-year-old son, Nick. Claire's husband, Michael, angrily blames her for the recklessness that has left Nick's life in the balance, though not nearly as much as Claire blames herself. But as Nick struggles to move forward, Claire too begins inching toward a reimagined future. Along with a fresh perspective come new questions. Are there other reasons for her fractured relationship and Michael's increasingly erratic behavior? Has he, too, been harboring painful secrets? And does Claire dare to find the real truth, when her seamlessly decorated world of privilege and security is at stake?

My review:

After reading the first few pages of this book, which deal with an act of infidelity, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a book for me to read. However, I did continue, and I'm glad that I did. While infidelity is not typically something I like to read about in my novels, this act and its repercussions, was the platform for the rest of the book. I did end up liking the character of Claire, and found many moments to empathize with her plight. I felt that the characters, while not necessarily likable, were written in a way that you could understand why they were acting the way they did. I enjoyed the medical aspects as I used to work in the medical field (although not doing anything particularly related to this topic). I approved of the ending, if it had gone a different way I think my review would not have been as positive. This book will most definitely make you stop and ponder how one act can have life altering consequences. A few things (beside the opening scene) that kept me from really liking this book were the fact that no one blames the son for his stupid reaction to the situation (ugh, teens), it was a bit slow during the first half, and the cover is awful (I know, not a valid reason, but hey......it does matter to me when I pick up a book). A good start for this debut author, I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

A good story if you enjoy family dramas, and following the consequences of an impetuous decision.

Title: Biglaw
Author: Lindsay Cameron
Published: September 7, 2015 by Ankerwycke
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher via BookSparks
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

Mackenzie Corbett has always dreamed of living in New York City. Now, almost two years into her job as an associate at a premier Manhattan law firm, she's living her fantasy--big salary, high profile deals, cute boyfriend, designer bag on her arm. The giant bags under her eyes from lack of sleep don't fit into the fantasy, though. To make matters worse, she's being tormented by a bitter, bitchy senior associate, her cute boyfriend is annoyed she never has time for him, and now she's stuck on the deal from hell with a partner whose biggest claim to fame is throwing a stapler at a cleaning lady because she touched his ficus plant.

With the opportunity to secure a prestigious secondment on line, the overachiever in her is determined to endure whatever it takes to close the biggest deal in the firm's history. But when Mackenzie finds herself the focus of a devastating investigation her dream job begins spiraling into a nightmare.

In this pitch perfect, frightening accurate novel, Lindsay Cameron throws back the curtain to this intriguing world exposing the truth about life in Biglaw.

My review:

This was a fascinating look into the workings of a huge conglomerate big city law firm (referred to as Biglaw). Mackenzie is one of a very few women in her firm, which of course makes her plight even more difficult. She is a very likable character, and I couldn't help but think how can she take all this crap? Of course there is some sinister stuff going on behind the scenes (which I did figure out before the end but it in no way ruined the story for me), and you are anticipating when the ax will fall. There were some great supporting characters, most notably Rita. This is the debut for this author, who was a lawyer before giving it up to write. I'm going to assume that this stuff really does go on, and I'm happy to say that I'm glad I'm not a lawyer at one of these firms.

I'm not a fan of law shows on tv, nor do I read many books dealing with lawyers, but this one was really interesting, and a very eye opening look at these large powerhouse firms.

I read this as part of the BookSparks University Fall Reading Challenge. You can read more about it by clicking on this link.

Title: A Window Opens
Author: Elisabeth Egan
Published: August 25, 2015 by Simon and Schuster
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher at BEA
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

In A Window Opens, beloved books editor at Glamour magazine, Elisabeth Egan, brings us Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all, sandwich generation heroine for our social-media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age.

Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers―an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life―seems suddenly within reach.

Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new “balancing act” (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up and her work takes an unexpected turn. Readers will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it’s possible to have it all, but what does she―Alice Pearse―really want?

My review:

I've read several "woman trying to have it all" type stories this year, and this one is certainly one of the best! The characters in this were very well done, I particularly loved the storyline involving Alice's father. Alice was a character that completely immerses you into her world, and you feel every emotion right along with her. I also loved the part that books played in this novel. We had the best friend who owns a struggling bookstore, the job as book reviewer for a magazine that Alice has at the book's beginning, and the new start-up company focusing on books where Alice is eventually employed. I could not stop reading as Alice juggles so many balls in the air, to find out how things end. The only nit picking I would give would be the way her husband handles his addiction (not believable to me that he would not need some type of help), and the company Scroll was so unusual that at times I got a bit bored with the work processes. These are very minor faults, because overall this book was a treat.

You might think this subject has been done to death, but you would be missing out on a great read by not picking this book up. Alice Pearse is a character not to be forgotten.

This book is part of the BookSparks summer reading challenge. While I did not receive my copy from them, I will still link my review to the challenge.

Title: We Never Asked For Wings
Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Published: August 18, 2015 by Ballantine
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher at BEA
Rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads

For fourteen years, Letty Espinosa has worked three jobs around San Francisco to make ends meet while her mother raised her children—Alex, now fifteen, and Luna, six—in their tiny apartment on a forgotten spit of wetlands near the bay. But now Letty’s parents are returning to Mexico, and Letty must step up and become a mother for the first time in her life.

Navigating this new terrain is challenging for Letty, especially as Luna desperately misses her grandparents and Alex, who is falling in love with a classmate, is unwilling to give his mother a chance. Letty comes up with a plan to help the family escape the dangerous neighborhood and heartbreaking injustice that have marked their lives, but one wrong move could jeopardize everything she’s worked for and her family’s fragile hopes for the future.

Vanessa Diffenbaugh blends gorgeous prose with compelling themes of motherhood, undocumented immigration, and the American Dream in a powerful and prescient story about family.

My review:

This was one of my most anticipated books at BEA (Book Expo America) last spring. I adored this author's novel The Language of Flowers, and couldn't wait to see if magic could strike twice. It did, and I loved this book almost as much as her first. Starting with the gorgeous cover, then immersing myself into Diffenbaugh's beautiful writing, this story was compelling and wonderful. The characters were well drawn, and you wanted to take them all under your wing and make sure that they would all be ok. The only reason this did not receive a 5 is that it wasn't quite as powerful as The Language of Flowers, but it was close. This novel took three years to write, and I can only hope that we don't have to wait that long for another novel from this author. This is a gem!

If you love stories about family, rooting for the underdog, wonderful characters, and beautiful writing, you must pick this up. But please, do yourself a favor and read The Language of Flowers if you have not read that one yet.

Title: Everybody Rise
Author: Stephanie Clifford
Published: August 18, 2015 by St. Martin's Press
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher at BEA
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

It's 2006 in the Manhattan of the young and glamorous. Money and class are colliding in a city that is about to go over a financial precipice and take much of the country with it. At 26, bright, funny and socially anxious Evelyn Beegan is determined to carve her own path in life and free herself from the influence of her social-climbing mother, who propelled her through prep school and onto the Upper East Side. Evelyn has long felt like an outsider to her privileged peers, but when she gets a job at a social network aimed at the elite, she's forced to embrace them.

Recruiting new members for the site, Evelyn steps into a promised land of Adirondack camps, Newport cottages and Southampton clubs thick with socialites and Wall Streeters. Despite herself, Evelyn finds the lure of belonging intoxicating, and starts trying to pass as old money herself. When her father, a crusading class-action lawyer, is indicted for bribery, Evelyn must contend with her own family's downfall as she keeps up appearances in her new life, grasping with increasing desperation as the ground underneath her begins to give way.

Bracing, hilarious and often poignant, Stephanie Clifford's debut offers a thoroughly modern take on classic American themes - money, ambition, family, friendship - and on the universal longing to fit in.

My review:

I have to admit that this book did not really deliver until the second half. It starts out with a great premise, but it is kind of flat. There is definitely action and stuff going on, but it's all rather boring. The bright spot in the first part of the book is Evelyn's mother, a has-been social climber, who (of course) is always trying to give her daughter advice. Once things start to go downhill with Evelyn, the book really picks up speed and my interest. I very much enjoyed the latter half of this book, and I went from kind of tolerating Evelyn, to rooting for her to get her act together. The secondary characters were well done, and while I can't profess to know anything about that lifestyle, it seemed to be on point. Writing style was fine, no issues with that. Giving this one a 3 (average of a 2 first half, and a 4 second half).

Bottom line......an enjoyable story if you can get through the beginning. I've heard from several people who gave up on it, I'm glad I kept with it since it did get better. I don't regret reading this, I'll be interested to see what Clifford comes up with next.

Title: The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
Author: Pam Jenoff
Published: July 28, 2015 by Mira
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher at BEA
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

Summer 1941  

Young Adelia Monteforte flees fascist Italy for America, where she is whisked away to the shore by her well-meaning aunt and uncle. Here, she meets and falls for Charlie Connally, the eldest of the four Irish-Catholic boys next door. But all hopes for a future together are soon throttled by the war and a tragedy that hits much closer to home. 

Grief-stricken, Addie flees—first to Washington and then to war-torn London—and finds a position at a prestigious newspaper, as well as a chance to redeem lost time, lost family…and lost love. But the past always nips at her heels, demanding to be reckoned with. And in a final, fateful choice, Addie discovers that the way home may be a path she never suspected.

My review:

This was my first Jenoff read, and she is a lovely writer! Her descriptions of the people and places in this novel were so real, it made you feel as if you were there. I loved the beginning story of Adelia, her time at the beach cottage and her comradery with the Connally boys. Her work during the war in Washington, and eventually London, was fascinating. The descriptions of the war and it's effect on everyday life and people was well documented. The only thing I didn't like was the romance aspect. Adelia drove me crazy with her desire to be with Charlie and her running away from the situation. I really didn't like her at all by the end of the story, and particularly thought the ending romance was really contrived.

While I was disappointed in the romance aspect of this book, it is still worth a read for the wonderful descriptions and lovely writing of Jenoff. I will definitely be looking out for her next book, she was a joy to read.

Title: It Started With Paris
Author: Cathy Kelly
Published: August 4, 2015 by Grand Central
Pages: 464
Source: Grand Central Publishing
Rating: 3.5/5
Goodreads

It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy couple, but for the family and friends awaiting their return in Ireland.

Leila's been nursing a broken heart since her husband suddenly left her, but she's determined to put on a brave face for the bride. Vonnie, a widow, has finally dared to let love back into her life, but a curveball arises that puts another's safety at risk. And Grace, a school principal, finds that her son's impending union brings her ex-husband back into her daily life, and starts to ponder past decisions and wonder if her divorce was in fact a mistake.

As these three women gather around the young couple to prepare for the wedding, they'll each have to address their own demons and find a way to move forward, whatever the cost.

My review:

This was a very clever concept for a book. The prologue has the engagement, then we follow people who are related in some way with the impending wedding, but who don't necessarily know each other. It takes a while to get into the swing of this book because there are a boatload of characters thrown out at the beginning. I think maybe because of the nature of the clever concept I spoke of, we end up having a lot of secondary characters that need sifting through. Once it settles down, there are 3 main storylines......the bride's best friend, the groom's mother, and the cake decorator. We then switch back and forth between their stories. I enjoyed all the stories, and went back and forth during the book about which person I liked the most at any given point. They were three diverse stories, so I think there is something for everyone to relate to. There was a nice flow to the story once we got over all the character introductions. It really came together with a nice ending, which of course was the wedding.

An enjoyable read with a different concept, do not be discouraged by all the characters thrown out at the beginning.