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Published on Leave a comment on The Patron Saint of Second Chances
The Patron Saint of Second Chances Book Cover The Patron Saint of Second Chances
Christine Simon
Fiction
Atria Books
April 12, 2022
Advance reader copy
304
Free from publisher

Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212) Signor Speranza has a problem: unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the town’s pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all its residents will be forced to disperse. So in a bid to boost tourism—and revenue—he spreads a harmless rumor that movie star Dante Rinaldi will be filming his next project nearby.

Unfortunately, the plan works a little too well, and soon everyone in town wants to be a part of the fictional film—the village butcher will throw in some money if Speranza can find roles for his fifteen enormous sons, Speranza’s wistfully adrift daughter reveals an unexpected interest in stage makeup, and his hapless assistant Smilzo volunteers a screenplay that’s not so secretly based on his undying love for the film’s leading lady. To his surprise—and considerable consternation, Speranza realizes that the only way to keep up the ruse is to make the movie for real.

As the entire town becomes involved (even the village priest invests!) Signor Speranza starts to think he might be able to pull this off. But what happens when Dante Rinaldi doesn’t show up? Or worse, what if he does?

My review:

3.5 stars

Need a lighthearted book that is not a romance, one that will make you laugh and root for the characters as though they are real friends and neighbors? You've got to pick up this little gem! This poor old guy (my favorite to read about), the mayor to a population of 212, has to come up with money to save his town. Upon visiting a prosperous neighboring village he gets the idea to plant a rumor about a beloved actor coming to make a movie. The story takes off from there, with him trying to stay ahead of the snowballing effects this has on the townspeople. The way that he and his partner deal with the ever increasing lies put forth is delightful to read about. The interactions amongst the townspeople was endearing, even the curmudgeons get in on the act. I did find the actors involvement a bit too farcical, but the ending was just what I was hoping for.

I highly recommend this sweet story that will make you chuckle at the antics, while also wanting to visit these fictional characters in Italy. Such a refreshing story!

Published on Leave a comment on True Biz
True Biz Book Cover True Biz
Sara Novic
Fiction
Random House
April 5, 2022
Hardcover/Audio
400
Purchased

True biz (adj/exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk

True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another--and changed forever.

This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, cochlear implants and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.

My review:

This book was not really on my radar, but I picked it as my Book of the Month selection mainly for the disability representation. I have not read many (if any) books centered around the deaf community, and it was time I rectified that. I found this book to be not only a really well crafted story about the lives of three wonderfully fleshed out characters, but also a learning experience about American Sign Language (ASL). I listened to this on audio, which was a great experience, but I was very glad that I had a physical copy of the book to refer to. In between some of the character chapters were different references to signing, with accompanying pictures to create a unique visual within the book. I've always been fascinated with sign language and wish that I had taken the time to fully learn it. When my oldest daughter was diagnosed with severe dyspraxia at age two, we used a few signs to teach her how to communicate things like eat, drink, more, etc. while she was undergoing numerous hours of speech therapy. I love that this book is an own voices story, as the author herself is a member of the deaf community. There was a very interesting commentary on the use (or non-use) of cochlear implants that I had never contemplated before. The only ultimate downfall of this book was that the ending did not have anywhere near enough resolution for me. I wanted to know more about what happens to these characters who I grew to care so much about.

An excellent look at the ever present issues presented to the deaf community, with lots of information to absorb and process. Jut go in knowing that you may not get the full resolution you want at the end.

Published on Leave a comment on French Braid
French Braid Book Cover French Braid
Anne Tyler
Fiction
Knopf Publishing Group
March 22, 2022
Hardcover
256
Purchased

The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever leave home, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their teenage daughters, steady Alice and boy-crazy Lily, could not have less in common. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping his family's orbit, for reasons none of them understand. Yet, as these lives advance across decades, the Garretts' influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation.

Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel of tremendous warmth and humor that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how close--yet how unknowable--every family is to itself.

My review:

I'm at the point where I would read the phone book if it was written by this author! She has such a quiet way of inserting you into the lives of the people within her stories, and you wish they could never end! I will say that if you are not a fan of character driven plots, this (and most of her other works) will not be for you, but oh are you in for a treat if you are! Her descriptions of normal family life with all of its idiosyncrasies will have you caring about each of these characters whether you like them or not. Each of the main characters has a certain personality that you come to recognize without even having to see their name on the page. The main character Mercy was so interesting to me. I never really understood most of her motivations, yet I still loved that she stuck with her convictions over a lifetime. I loved that we got several generations, and that the book encompasses time from 1959 until the present. I think I could have spent a few more decades with this family. As is always true of her novels, Tyler has perfectly constructed sentences and descriptions, and settling down with her books is like welcoming an old friend for a catch up. The only nit pick I have is that the first chapter is not in chronological order, whereas the rest of the book is. I think I understand why it was constructed this way, but it still left me pondering. I also wish the novel had been longer, I wanted even more of Alice, Lily, and David's stories. Since the book ends in present time, I was as satisfied as I could be with the ending, some of the characters' lives are still open ended.

All hail to the queen of writing about the mundane aspects of life! This book is another masterpiece in character (family) studies. If you are a lover of family stories, please pick this one up!

Published on Leave a comment on The Younger Wife
The Younger Wife Book Cover The Younger Wife
Sally Hepworth
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
April 5, 2022
Advance reader copy e-book
352
Free from publisher via NetGalley

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?

My review:

Although this is being tagged as a thriller, it is so much more than that. Part of the novel takes place during a wedding. This part is being narrated by an unknown person, who is slowly revealed throughout the book. We know from the beginning that something goes completely awry at the wedding, and the rest of the story concentrates on the circumstances and characters leading up to this point. There is much to dissect in this one, issues of sexual assault, kleptomania, relationship abuse, and dementia are among the main topics. I loved the way the characters were fleshed out, and the fact that the happenings at the wedding are in the back of your mind as you explore each person and their motives in regard to each other. I changed my mind a few times over whether I thought any of these people were truly reliable narrators. I've heard some backlash over the ambiguous ending, but I really liked it! There was enough information given that I was satisfied with the resolution of the major plot points, and enough to make me think what happened was the way it should have been (that'll make sense once you read it). I thought it was fun that I went in with one attitude, and that changed as I got to know each character. This is a thriller type book, so I'm being rather vague as required by this genre, so as to not give away spoilers.

This book packs a lot of different topics into it's pages. The characters are the focal point, with the undercurrent of what happened at the wedding always prevalent throughout. Definitely worth the read, especially if you like a bit more substance from your thrillers.

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Published on 1 Comment on Nine Lives
Nine Lives Book Cover Nine Lives
Peter Swanson
Fiction
William Morrow
March 15, 2022
Hardcover
336
Free from publisher

Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke - until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor.

FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next.

My review:

I'm not going to lie, my last two reads from this author have been less than stellar. I have had a bit of a hit or miss with his books, but I always come back hoping this will be one of the hits.........and this one was! Super fast paced (which I love in a thriller), this one kept me guessing from the beginning right up until the end. What in the world tied these characters together, and why are their murders not even committed in the same manner to give any clues? As always, the writing was superb, no extra words thrown in that weren't critical to the flow of the story. It also follows a linear time frame, which I always appreciate, sometimes going back and forth just adds to making the plot and characters confusing. There is also a handy guide to the nine strangers at the beginning of the book which was helpful at the start since there are a lot of characters introduced at once. I really appreciated the closure at the end of this book, it made for a satisfying end to the journey, and had an unexpected bonus twist that I was more than happy to see.

This author impresses me once again with this excellent thriller, and now I will anxiously await the next book. Will it be a hit or a miss? There is only one way to find out.........

Published on Leave a comment on Lockdown on London Lane
Lockdown on London Lane Book Cover Lockdown on London Lane
Beth Reekles
Fiction
Wattpad Books
February 1, 2022
Paperback
352
Purchased

For the inhabitants of London Lane, a simple slip of paper underneath each of their doors is about to change their lives in a hundred different ways.

URGENT!!! Due to the current situation, building management has decided to impose a seven-day quarantine on all apartment buildings on London Lane.

With nowhere else to go . . .

Ethan and Charlotte wonder whether absence really does make the heart grow fonder when they end up on either side of a locked door.

A fierce debate over pineapple on pizza ignites a series of revelations about Zach and Serena’s four-year relationship.

Liv realizes rolling with the punches is sometimes much harder than it looks after her bridesmaids’ party goes off the rails, leaving the group at each other’s throats.

Isla and Danny’s new romance is put to the test as they jump ten steps ahead on the relationship timeline.

And Imogen and Nate’s one-night stand is about to get six do-overs they never really asked for—not awkward at all.

Through make ups, breakups, love-ins, and blowouts, friendships are tested as everyone scrambles to make it through the week unscathed. Amidst all the drama, one thing remains constant: life is full of surprises.

My review:

This was one of the cutest books I've read in a long time! And I have to also give it bonus points for being one of the most clever plots as well! An apartment building in London is shut down for seven days during the pandemic, and we follow five of the apartments and the residents stuck inside each of them. Some super funny moments ensue, along with some more sentimental examinations of relationships. It definitely brought me back to the days of disinfecting groceries (remember that?) and being cooped up in one place. I will say that there a lot of characters to keep track of from the beginning, but just roll with it, and things will fall into place as you progress through the book. I loved exploring the different situations that arose, and the ending put a huge smile on my face with excellent resolution.

If you are squeamish about reading COVID related books, I wouldn't shy away from this one. It's all about the lockdown aspect, and not anything about the horrific disease that precipitated it. I had so much fun reading this, and I highly recommend if you enjoy a good rom-com with underlying real relationship issues. I guarantee you will be laughing after chapter one!

Published on Leave a comment on The Golden Couple
The Golden Couple Book Cover The Golden Couple
Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen,
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
March 8, 2022
Hardcover
336
Purchased

Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship driven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.

Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.

When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.

My review:

3.5 stars

I do love a good domestic thriller, and I've been reading this writing duo for a while now (I believe this is book 4?). While they have not all been stellar, what they do have is what I like to call readability. I'm not sure how this team manages it, but their writing style is incredibly captivating and I always find myself flying through the pages. They write in such a seamless way that you would never know there are two authors! In this book, we are told the story from two main characters. I definitely gravitated toward the therapist Avery, I actually found Marissa (one half of the golden couple) to be a bit on the boring side and never really warmed up to her. Of course there are also several side characters who may or may not be important to the story, you as the reader will have to figure that out as twists and turns are revealed. I enjoyed the fact that there were secrets and intrigue involving both the couple and the therapist, and were they going to overlap or not? The short chapters and clues left along the way definitely propel the story forward and make for an addictive read. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I would start to question myself (I ultimately did figure out one part, but not all of them).

While my favorite book by this author duo remains An Anonymous Girl (an unpopular opinion by the way), I will continue to read their books because of their impeccable writing style and the addictive quality of the stories. This would be a perfect novel to tuck in your beach bag if you want something of a more thriller nature than the usual summer romances.

Published on Leave a comment on Peach Blossom Spring
Peach Blossom Spring Book Cover Peach Blossom Spring
Melissa Fu
Fiction
Little, Brown and Company
March 15, 2022
Advance reader copy
400
Free from publisher

"Within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time."

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge.

Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. How can he keep his family safe in this new land when the weight of his history threatens to drag them down? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story?

Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the haunting question: What would it mean to finally be home?

My review:

I find this cover so aesthetically pleasing, and the opening connection to my oldest adopted daughter made the story even more impactful. My daughter was in an orphanage very near to where the opening of this book takes place, in fact we did all of our adoption paperwork in Changsha. Meilin and her young son Renshu flee this city when the Japanese invade the territory. They must then make their way west with what they can carry. After some harrowing conditions they eventually make their way to Taiwan. Meilin lives out her life here, while her son heads to America for schooling (under his assumed name of Henry). The writing was exquisite, and the characters in this novel will resonate long after finishing. The book is based on the author's own family, and what she learned about her father and grandmother's lives. I loved that I got to learn about WWII in an entirely different continent other than Europe. It also touches on the cultural revolution and the rise of communism, and how this effects Henry's fear and actions in America. The beautiful bond between Renshu and his mother in the early days was lovingly characterized, and there is a point about 2/3 of the way in that my heart absolutely ached for what plays out for them. While I found parts of Lily's story interesting (she is based on the author), my heart was really in it for Meilin and her fate. This story spans across three generations and many decades, and I was engaged until the very last page (and now I want to plant peach trees!).

An epic depiction of three lives, which includes instances of war, immigrant experience, immigration, parent/child bonds, activism, and more. Based on the author's family, the gorgeous cover of this one is definitely just a prelude to what is inside.

Published on Leave a comment on Ocean State
Ocean State Book Cover Ocean State
Stewart O'Nan
Fiction
Grove Press
March 15, 2022
Advance reader copy
240
Free from publisher

In the first line of Ocean State, we learn that a high school student was murdered, and we find out who did it. The story that unfolds from there with incredible momentum is thus one of the build-up to and fall-out from the murder, told through the alternating perspectives of the four women at its heart. Angel, the murderer, Carol, her mother, and Birdy, the victim, all come alive on the page as they converge in a climax both tragic and inevitable. Watching over it all is the retrospective testimony of Angel's younger sister Marie, who reflects on that doomed autumn of 2009 with all the wisdom of hindsight. Angel and Birdy love the same teenage boy, frantically and single mindedly, and are compelled by the intensity of their feelings to extremes neither could have anticipated. O'Nan's expert hand paints a fully realized portrait of these women, but also weaves a compelling and heartbreaking story of working-class life in Ashaway, Rhode Island.

My review:

I admit to having doubts when I found out this book was about teens behaving badly (I think murder is just about as bad as it can get!). I usually don't get on well with that subject matter, but I've read from this author before so decided to trust in his writing process. I'm very glad I did because I ended up really liking this one, not so much for the teens behaviors (still appalling), but for the relationships and how they intertwined. This book has one of those opening lines that are brilliant at sucking you into the story and characters immediately:

When I was in eighth grade my sister helped kill another girl. She was in love, my mother said, like it was an excuse. She didn't know what she was doing. I had never been in love then, not really, so I didn't know what my mother meant, but I do now.

That was Marie, who tells her part of the story about her older sister Angel. While Marie's perspective is more in looking back on "the incident", the other characters, Angel, Carol (Marie and Angel's mother) and Birdy (the murdered girl) tell their stories in present time leading up to the crime. These characters are wonderfully crafted, and the relationships within each family's structure are key to the actions of all involved. Another topic woven delicately through the novel is the idea of class. Angel and her mother Carol are stuck in a working class environment they both are desperate to escape from. How much does that play into the tragedy that ensues is a question the reader must ponder. This is a quiet book in that nothing much happens (until the ultimate known climax), except we see the day to day life of these people.

A lovely story. The writing and characters clearly take center stage since we know from the beginning what is about to happen. It's the unraveling of layers of their lives that keeps the reader engaged.

Published on Leave a comment on The Tobacco Wives
The Tobacco Wives Book Cover The Tobacco Wives
Adele Myers
Fiction
William Morrow
March 1, 2022
Hardcover
352
Purchased

Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who’s just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina—the tobacco capital of the South—where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a prosperous wonderland in full technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply uniformed female factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of all, her aunt’s glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco executives.

When a series of unexpected events thrusts Maddie into the role of lead dressmaker for the town’s most influential women, she scrambles to produce their ornate gowns for the biggest party of the season. But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn’t quite the carefree paradise that it seems: A trail of misfortune follows many of the women, including substantial health problems. Although Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise.

Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn’t know who she can trust—and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the proud, strong women with whom she has forged strong bonds.

Shedding light on the hidden history of women’s activism during the post-war period, at its heart, The Tobacco Wives is a deeply human, emotionally satisfying, and dramatic novel about the power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth.

My review:

Two things immediately drew me to this book when I first saw it mentioned. One was that it is set in North Carolina where I have lived for almost three decades, and the second was the cover (isn't it spectacular, kudos to whoever designed this one!). This is a historical fiction novel set in 1946 (another plus since there are SO many books set during WWII) about a small town where tobacco is king. We mostly follow the wives of the tobacco executives and a young seamstress who is tasked with creating ball gowns for their annual party. Lots of issues get exposed, among them the huge divide between the haves and have nots within the town, the conditions at the factories where the women have worked while the men have served in the war, and the potential coverup of the dangers of smoking (particularly among child bearing women). I loved the descriptions of the dress making business, and the usual gossip among the wives as they came in for their fittings. My favorite part was the moral dilemma the protagonist was in, since exposing an issue with tobacco could endanger the livelihood of the entire town (and let's be honest, the entire state of NC back then). I really enjoyed the characters in this story, and I felt transported back to that time while I was reading it. Definitely give the author's note a read to learn how this book intersected with her own family's history. If you ever drive through the rural parts of NC you can still see the acres of tobacco being grown. It's a spectacular site to see when the leaves are at their peak, too bad what comes from it is not as lovely.

A really entertaining historical fiction novel that is a bit lighter in scope (not dealing with war), but at the same time packs a punch in exposing a dangerous threat to society. An immersive story with a memorable plot, I recommend this one.