(2) Brief reviews - Quartet in Autumn; Barbara Pym and Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendship; Nina Totenberg

 

Quartet in Autumn; Barbara Pym

Plume - 1977

This is a book I had on my 2022 - 2023 Bucket list and, I am happy I had a chance to finally read it. 

Quartet in Autumn is the story of (4) older coworkers approaching retirement age: Edwin, Norman, Marcia and Letty.  Each is single, lives alone and except for work lives a mostly solitary life.  When the (2) women retire, the story takes a darker turn. Instead of the leisurely days one tends to associate with not having to get up ealy and go to work each day. the reader gets a glimpse at how sad and lonely a life without plans, dreams, hobbies  or friends can be.

I thought this story was very well written. Pym uses wry humor to which at times take away from what could have been a very depressing story.

Rating - 4/5 stars 

Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendship; Nina Totenberg

Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022

Nina Totenberg had a long career as a prize winning reporter for the National Observer and NPR. Her professional career also led to a remarkable fifty year friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

While I was expecting a book that would focus mostly on the author's friendship and professional relationship with RBG that is only a small part of the story. This book is a memoir about Nina T and it is fairly well written. but just not what I was expecting.  I admired how these women fought for a voice for advancing equality for women over the years.  There were some heavier, more personal insights as well: both women had to deal with the illness and subsequent deaths of their spouses.  While this memoir was interesting enough, I expect that readers who were looking forward to a focus on RBG will be somewhat disappointed. The audio is read by the author.

RATING - 3/5 stars

Book Review - Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn

 

Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn

Berkley - 9/2022

This is my first time trying this author and the appeal of this book for me was the fact that the main characters were women who were easing intro retirement in their 60s after a career in a non traditional female field - 40 years as female assassins. The all female team worked for a group called The Museum, originally tracking Nazi but over their tenure as the as the world changed so did the kinds of people they went after such as  drug smugglers and human traffickers.

Now Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie are on an all expense paid cruise but, when they spot a former assassin from the Museum among the ship's crew something doesn't feel right and the women wonder if they are suddenly not on a leisurely cruise but targets. Can this group of savvy women use the skills that honed over the years to stay alive? Why has the Museum turned on the women?

The story is told from the POV of Billie and takes the reader into the past as we learn about some of their missions over the course of their career. but, more of the book was set in the present day.  It was easy to get a feel for the individual strengths of the relationships of the women.  I felt the story moved along at a good pace but, I was surprised by the darker details the storyline took at times. There were some moments that made me smile but, the story wasn't at all light and humorous either.  I can't really say that I would even  classify this as a mystery.  In the end this was just another case of a book that wasn't a good fit for me.

RATING - 3/5 stars

Book Review - Life Ceremony: Stories; Sayaka Murata

 

Life Ceremony: Stories; Sayaka Murata

Grove Press - 2022

I became a fan of Sayaka Murata after reading and enjoying the author's darker fiction that, Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings had to offer.  Her latest offering, translated from the Japanese to English, features a series of (12) short stories, some only a few pages long others quite a bit longer. Each of the stories seem to feature characters who deviate from the norms of society and, the stories feature topics so odd or far out that at the very least come across as somewhat unsettling.

One story: First Rate Material - features a soon to be married couple who disagrees about what to wear and what kind of furniture to buy. Unlike his soon to be wife who loves wearing sweaters adorned with "human hair", wearables and furniture made from human teeth, bones and fingernails or the decreased, the soon to be groom opposes it.  In a stories a middle-aged man is kept in a shed as a pet for a young girl.  Hatchling, features a bride-to-be with five different personalities and a need to be liked by all.  The title story, Life Ceremony is totally bizarre and one of the longer stories. It focuses on the extinction of the human race with a goal to increase population through insemination.  Other stories deal with magical places and cannibalism. If the thought of reading about cannibalism isn't bad enough, there is a focus on the details of taste and texture while feasting.

Maybe because the pieces were so short, in many cases, and varied in topic, I felt like this collection focused more on shock value rather than to try to engage the reader in a meaningful way even if the stories were short.  Although the writing style felt familiar, I thought the stories for the most part were quite unsettling, not at all what I was expecting after really enjoying the author's first two full length novels. 

Rating - 3/5 stars

NOTE:  This eGalley was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review,

Book Review - A Sister's Story; Donatella Di Pietrantonio

A Sister's Story; Donatella DiPietrantonio

Europa Editions - 2022

After loving A Girl Returned (2019) and rating it a 5 star read for me, I was looking forward to this sequel.  This book was also translated by Ann Goldstein from the Italian.  Unfortunately, it felt almost like it was written by a different author.  

This is a story about sisters, one sister, our unnamed narrator, is a literature professor in Grenoble and she is "The Girl Returned" (as a teen) from the first book.  The other sister is Adriana, is a rather flighty, selfish and shallow young woman who seems to live for the moment.  She has a son named Vincenzo.  As the story opens our unnamed sister gets a call urging her to come to Pescara, Italy but, not the reason she has been summoned until quite a bit later.  The sisters have not seen each other in a good number of years and, we do eventually learn that Adriana is hospitalized after a bad fall and is in critical condition.  

While I was trying to figure out why one sister was summoned, we learn what has been going on in the lives of both sisters - neither came across as people I'd want to root for.  Although the story is only 176 pages, the structure was all over the place - not only does the story move back and forth in time, it also includes past and present relationships of the sisters and a few minor characters as well which was a tad confusing.  It's difficult for me not to compare this series to: My Brilliant Friend series, Elena Ferrante, another series about unlikeable Italian sisters. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this novel without at least reading " A Girl Returned" first.

Rating - 3/5 stars 

Note:  An eGalley was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

 

Brief Book Review - It All Comes Down to This; Therese Anne Fowler

 

It All Comes Down to This; Therese Anne Fowler

Macmillan Audio - 2022 - Library download

(Barrie Krenik - narrator - very good)

This is a story about family and sisterhood that had great potential but, fizzled out fast for me.

The story begins with the not unexpected death of Marti Geller who was dealing with cancer.  Marti was a planner and had all her final wishes clearly spelled out with few surprises. Her modest estate is to be split equally among her three daughters: Beck, Claire and Sophie.  One puzzling provision is that the Maine family cottage must be updated and sold.  The sisters do not understand why and are not looking forward to selling the property.  The sisters are  quite different and not close and each is dealing with their own issues.  When a southerner named CJ Reynolds enters the story as an interested buyer for the Maine cottage, things get a bit more tense and interesting.

It All Comes Down to This, is a character driven novel which I usually love.  Unfortunately, for the life of me, I could not connect with any of the characters. They felt flat and their issues uninteresting to me,  This was a story about family secrets, past betrayals and regrets. It had  a convenient ending as well. I'm giving this one a generous 3/5 stars but, it clearly isn't a book I can recommend.  Other readers may feel differently.  Barrie Krenik, a favorite audio book narrator, couldn't even help save this one for me even though she did a great job.

Rating - 3/5 stars

Book Reviews - Notes on an Execution; Danya Kukafka and The Days of Afrekete; Asali Solomon

Notes on an Execution; Danya Kukafka

William Morrow and Harper Audio - 2022

(combo read/listen) (9 hours 42 min.)

(Mozhan Marno and Jim Meskimen - narrators - very good)

Notes on an Execution caught my eye early on. It is a work of fiction about a serial killer named Ansel Parker sentenced to death for killing several girls years earlier. The story begins with Parker on death row in Texas, 12 hours prior to his execution. Ansel does not want to die, he does want others to understand his story.  As the countdown to his execution plays out we learn of Ansel's past beginning with his mother Lavender, an abused young woman who gave birth to him in a barn at the age of 17 and, then later in pure desperation left him and his infant brother.  We also hear from Hazel, the twin sister of Ansel's wife Jenny who had an early concern for her sister's well being as she saw the ugly side of Ansel when her sister did not. Then there is Saffy, an upstate New York police captain whose job it was to see that justice was served. The two have a shared past in a group home as teens and Saffy also saw the darker side of what turned out to be a serial killer in the making.

This is a dark, exceptionally well written novel which is very different from anything I've read in a long while.  The victims themselves were not well explored but, that in no way detracted from the effectiveness of the story.  I never understood how Ansel Parker was able to do what he did yet, his story was still sometimes sad, compelling and ultimately powerful.  I was satisfied with the way the story played out. This is one of those stories I will not easily forget; it left me with plenty to think about.  Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a darker character driven work of crime fiction. 

(eGalley courtesy of publisher and Edelweiss - audiobook download from my public library)

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

The Days of Afrekete; Asali Solomon

Random House Audio - 2021

Narrated by Karen Chilton - good 

(5 hours and 33 min.)

The Days of Afrekete is a book which recently came to me attention by reading Susan's post on her blog, The Cue Card.  It's a relatively short novel (novella) at just around 200 pages and 5 hours on audio.  I'm still not sure how to classify it.  It's dark, bold and even funny at times but, I thought it was a bit strange as well.

The story begins with a black woman named Liselle Belmont hosting a dinner party to thank her white husband Winn's political supporters for their hard work despite his failed political bid for state legislature in PA.  As the dinner party is about to begin we learn that only Liselle is aware of the FBI's interest in her husband, a former real estate lawyer for some rather sketchy business dealings.  As the uncomfortable party is about begin, Liselle's mind flashes back to some 20 years earlier to her college days at Bryn Mawr and her sexual escapades as a lesbian where she eventually meets a black woman named Selena.  We begin to understand why the lives of these women play out in very different ways. Liselle begins to think given her current situation,  that Selena may be the only person who might really understand her.

Told mostly from the POV of Liselle, the story seemed to focus more on the past including insight into both women as well as  Liselle's mother Verity who a lot of issues of her own.  This is a rather short novel and although the audio, narrated by Karen Chilton, was well done, I just wasn't a huge fan of the way the story played out.

Rating - 3/5 stars

(audio book download from my public library)

2 books that left me a bit disappointed - The Hotel; Pamela Kelley and Still Life; Sarah Winman

 

The Hotel; Pamela Kelley

Piping Plover Books - 2021

The Hotel is a novel that takes place in Nantucket, a place and setting that is hard to beat.   In this story The Whitley Hotel is the most famous and luxurious hotel on the island and, it has been in the family for years. Set on white pristine beaches, the hotel and surrounding cottages are about to undergo a management change.  Cousin Andrea is out as general manager due to her abrasive personality and granddaughter Paula who had less of a presence because of her accounting role is now moving to the general manager position. In addition, grandfather Whitley has hired David as a consultant to aid in the transition.  There is also Nick, a chef and brother to Paula as well as Bella, a Hollywood superstar who is staying at the hotel somewhat discreetly.

The chapters alternate between the characters and what started out promising and had a picture perfect setting, the one-dimensional characters and under developed yet predicable story left me disappointing.  I found lots of irritating details like what an Etsy store is and what Lyme disease unnecessary and, I wished the author devote more time in plot line and character development.  The audio book was read by Leslie Howard who did a fine job but, overall this story itself was disappointing.

Rating - 2/5 stars

Still Life; Sarah Winman

G.P Putnam - 2021

Still Life was another book that had so much promise and although many readers seemed to love it, it just was a struggle for me. 

Still Life begins in Florence and spans the years 1944 - 1979.  At the heart of the story is a young British soldier and globe maker named Ulysses Temper and 64 year old Evelyn Skinner, an art teacher and historian and possible spy.  The two meet in the midst of war as Ulysses hides out in a wine cellar. He is a kind and gentle man who is easy to like and one people are quickly drawn to.  As the war ends and Ulysses returns home, we meet wife Peg, a marriage of convenience, as well as a quirky cast of characters including an Amazonian parrot name Claude who quotes Shakespeare. 

 I started with the audiobook which is read by the author, but, I found it very difficult given the author's heavy British accent and multiple characters (8+) to follow. I switched to the hardcover and although this was easier, the hefty novel overall still wasn't a great fit for me and I found myself skimming sections.  I felt some of the characters were very well written but, I think my biggest pet peeve was that there was quite a bit of dialogue and the author did not use quotation marks. Unfortunately, I guess I haven't had the best luck with this author as I see her novel Tin Man was not a winner for me either - review HERE.

Rating - 3/5 stars

Book Review - Blush; Jamie Brenner

 

TITLE/AUTHOR:   Blush; Jamie Brenner

PUBLISHER:  G.P.  Putnam

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Family /Contemporary

FORMAT:  eGalley / LENGTH: 384

SOURCE:  NetGalley

SETTING(s):  NY

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A story about wine, trashy books and and three generations of strong women.

BRIEF REVIEW:   Hollander Estates and winery, located in the North Forks of Long Island in Cutchogue, NY,  has been a wonderful place for family, parties, day trips and destination events.  Leonard Hollander has spent a good part of his life developing the winery after gaining experience in CA.  He has provided his family with a beautiful home and lifestyle and has groomed his son Asher to learn the business.   Leonard now has a big announcement to make. The winery is in dire financial straights and must be sold otherwise Leonard and his wife Vivian may not have enough money for retirement.  For years Leonard has kept the business operations a "man thing" while his wife Vivian, entertained, looked beautiful and hosted her book club with her like-minded friends.  Leonard even kept daughter Leah in the dark about the operations.  Leah is married to Steven and she and her husband operate a popular cheese shop in Manhattan.  Their daughter Sadie, has had trouble focusing on her senior thesis and needs a break to refocus her priorities.  As these three strong women converge at the winery during the summer,  Sadie discovers some old journals stashed away in the library from years gone by, along with some trashy romance novels by 1980s feminist authors which inspire the women to come up with a plan to take charge and make their input count.  Smart women, good cheese, good wine and trashy books that inspire, do these women have what it takes to save the winery and change their lives in the process?

This is my third summer themed book by the author and unfortunately this one was my least favorite. The story moved very slowly for me ( it took me over a week to finish what should have been a quick read).  Although the story finally came around, I just never connected with the characters and family drama.  I'm guessing my love of good wine just wasn't enough to make this one work for me.  Disappointing.

RATING:  3/5

Book Review - Under the Wave at Waimea; Paul Theroux

 

TITLE/AUTHOR: Under the Wave at Waimea; Paul Theroux

PUBLISHER:  Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Surfing / Aging / Small Town Life

FORMAT: eGalley / ARC LENGTH:  416 pp

SOURCE:  Edelweiss

SETTING(s):  Hawaii

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  The life and times of a once revered surfer dude, now an aging has-been forced to deal with his new reality.

BRIEF REVIEW:   

Joe Sharkey,  A.K.A."The Shark"  for years held celebrity status when it came to mastering the big waves on the northern shores of Oahu.  It was how he spent his life of privilege, living off an inheritance and endorsements.  Now at 62, although he can't compete with the younger surfer-dudes who don't even recognize him.  Sharkey's not ready to give up life in the fast lane for a rocking chair just yet.  He has a 38 year-old British girlfriend, Olive,  that helps him to forget his age and the old timers on the island still look up to him. One night, after having a few too many drinks at a local bar, Sharkey hits a homeless man on a bike and although he manages to avoid prosecution, he life begins to go downhill.

I was looking for a story that took place in Hawaii and this one seemed appealing.  I liked the idea that the protagonist was an older guy dealing with his new normal and, While I enjoyed the small town feel and overall setting this novel didn't work well for me. Even though this was not a complicated story, it was one that tested my patience at times as the author chose to rehash the previous 50 years of "The Sharks" life.  I dislike the constant internal ramblings of the rather unlikeable (obnoxious) protagonist. The novel was just over 400 pages and I admit to skimming certain parts which were not holding my interest.  I found the overall storyline disappointing.

RATING:  3/5  

ARC sent to me in exchange for my unbiased review courtesy of Amazon Vine program, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt and Edelweiss.

Book Review - And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer; Fredrik Backman

TITLE/AUTHOR:  And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer; Fredrik Backman

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Audio

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2016

GENRE: Fiction / Family Life

FORMAT:  eAudio / LENGTH: 1 hour and 9 minutes

SOURCE: Library download

SETTING(s):  UK

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A sad story about memories and letting go.

BRIEF REVIEW:  A grandfather, son and grandson grapple with the fact that although Grandpa is still doing fairly well physically, his mind and memories are failing him.  Grandpa has always had a close relationship with grandson, Noah, it was time treasured by both parties and Grandpa thought of it as a second chance since he wasn't always available when his own son Ted, (Noah's father) was a young boy.  The grandfather reflects on his relationship with his wife who has passed on, things about his son but mostly about treasured times he has spent with his grandson Noah.  Grandpa's thoughts seemed to ramble and,  although the story is brief, I often found myself wondering whose POV  was at play and where the conversations were taking place - except maybe at the very end.  This is a tender, reflective story which I don't recommend that you read if you are feeling down or if you have a loved one struggling with memory issues.

Fredrik Backman is an author I always seem to enjoy but, this novella didn't work all that well for me. The audio was read by David Morse who did a fine job. It was more that the overall story was a bit of a miss for me even though I loved the special relationship that Noah and his grandfather enjoyed.

RATING:  3/5 stars

Book Review - A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History, Dr. Paul Koudounaris with Baba The Cat

 

TITLE/AUTHOR:  A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History; Dr. Paul Koudounaris

PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Co

YEAR PUBLISHED:  2020

GENRE: Non Fiction 

FORMAT:  PP/LENGTH: 288  pp.

SOURCE: Library

SETTING(s): n/a

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A book about the history of cat's through the ages, beginning with the pagan gods through modern times.

BRIEF REVIEW:  As a life long cat lover I was sure that this would be a book for me. Although the book is well-researched and full of lovely glossy, colored, costumed photos of one-Baba the Cat, overall, the book did not work well for me.  However, I'm sure many others will disagree and love it.

Personally, I found the book was too detailed. The biggest disappointment for me was that the print was way too tiny and light in color on these glossy pages for my imperfect vision.  This is really too bad as I think this is the type of book best enjoyed in print format not as an eBook. On a whim, I even tried to sample the audio version but found that the stage-like performance and over acting was not to my liking either.  Instead I found myself reading the sections I found most interesting and enjoying the lovely pictures.  I also loved the Afterward: A note from Baba the Cats Human, on how she chose the author when he had his heart set on a silver long-haired tabby.

The Book is broken out intro sections such as:

• From the Golden Age of Egypt
• Europe
• Seafaring Cats Through the Ages
• Rise of Modern Times
• A New Beginning: Cats Across America

RATING:  3/5 stars

Book Review - The Murder at the Vicarage; Agatha Christie

TITLE/AUTHOR:   The Murder at the Vicarage; Agatha Christie

PUBLISHER / YEAR PUBLISHED:  1930 (2011 - Harper Collins Ed)

GENRE: Fiction Vintage Mystery

FORMAT:  PP/LENGTH: 256 pp.

SOURCE: Library

SETTING(s): England - Small village of St. Mary Mead

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  This was the first book in the Miss Marple mystery series, just who killed Colonel Protheroe?

BRIEF REVIEW: When I first read the intro paragraph to this book sometime back, I figured I'd be in for a fun ride, I liked the humor here:

"It is difficult to know quite where to begin this story, but I have fixed my choice on a certain Wednesday at luncheon at the Vicarage.  The conversation, though in the main irrelevant to the matter in hand, yet contained one or two suggestive incidents which influenced later developments.

I had just finished carving some boiled beef (remarkably tough by the way) and on resuming my seat I remarked, in a spirit most unbecoming to my cloth, that anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe would be doing the world at large  a service."

Locals are shocked by the murder of Colonel Protheroe, a local magistrate whose body is found is the study of the Vicar.  The Colonel had many enemies and, he had a pretty, younger, second wife as well.  

The Vicar, Rev. Len Clement, narrates the story.  He is a fun, observant and a gentle soul and smart too (well maybe, he did marry wife Griselda after just knowing her for 24 hours.)  She's not the type of woman you would expect to be a vicar's wife.  When Miss Marple does eventually enter the picture,  she's not what I expected: she a nosy, next door neighbor of the vicarage, a spinster with binoculars in tow, she's quite clever in her process.  While I did like the humor in this mystery, I wished I liked it more .  There were at least seven potential suspects and the story seemed like an unlikely mess.  It got somewhat confusing as well with all the characters and everyone telling half-truths.

Unfortunately, bottom line, I think I'm just not an Agatha Christie fan. I've tried a few of her books over the years and they just don't seem to work well for me. While I liked the narrator, I just struggled with this one and set it aside several times to pick up other books.

Are you an Agatha Christie fan?

RATING: 3/5 stars

Book Review - The Midnight Library; Matt Haig

TITLE/AUTHOR: The Midnight Library; Matt Haig

PUBLISHER:  Viking

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2020

GENRE: Fiction 

FORMAT:  eBook PP/LENGTH: 288 pp.

SOURCE: library download

SETTING(s): England

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  Life is too short to live with regrets.

BRIEF REVIEW:  Nora Seed, 35 is a young woman who is unhappy with her life and the choices she has made.  She begins to think that ending her life may be her best option.  The real truth is that Nora has not lived up to her full potential. It is only when Nora wakes up and finds herself inside of the library, speaking with Mrs. Elm, her former school librarian, does she get a chance to see her missed opportunities.  The Book of Regrets gives Nora an opportunity to go back in time to see the path she chose versus what would have happened had she made another choice. Nora once was a champion swimmer with Olympic potential, she was once engaged to get married as well. We learn what then happened to her relationship with her brother and what caused a rift with her best friend and also what really happened to her cat. 

This book does have a happy ending even though it starts out a bit of a downer.  The moral of the story: life is too short to live with regrets and, the time to find happiness is in the here and now. Although I'm happy I read this one, I was a little disappointed in it as well. There are quite a few characters in this story that were not well explored IMO; I wanted to know more.  The flow of this story seem too simplistic as well, I wished it was deeper. I thought it felt as if it had been written for a YA audience even though Nora was 35.  Overall, there was very little that will stick with me about this story long term except for maybe Nora's cat and, no, I wouldn't want an do-overs. 

RATING:  3/5 stars

MEMORABLE QUOTES:  "If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it......"

Book Review - The Lying Life of Adults; Elena Ferrante

 

The Lying Life of Adults; Elena Ferrante

Random House Audio - Europa - 2020

It's the 1990s when 12 year old  Giovanna, an only child,  overhears her father tell her mother, that she is getting the ugly face of his sister Vittoria. The comment shocks her and is more than she can bear,  Who is this Aunt Vittoria and why have they never even met? Why doesn't her father speak to his own sister?  Giovanna becomes obsessed with finding out more about her ugly aunt. When her parents see that she has found the aunt's number in an old address book, they encourage her to look her up.

Giovanna and her well-educated professor parents live in a more affluent area of Naples. Vittoria lives in a lower class, industrial area. Her apartment is filthy, she's rough around the edges yet she is very welcoming and even insists on squeezing fresh oranges for juice for her niece.  Over a period of time Giovanna learns much about her aunt, even about her dead former lover, Enzo. She even gets to know Enzo's adult children in the process. Vittoria pulls no punches, not only does she teach Giovanna about the importance of loving her body and the powers it possesses, she also tells her a few things about her father and instructs her to watch, rather spy on, her own parents as well.  She learns a few disturbing things in the process including the fact that their marriage is on shaky grounds.

With familiar themes, as in earlier Ferrante novels like, social class, relationships, self-doubt, womanhood and sexual awakening, I was disappointed that this story lacked a real plot line.  I also did not care for how abusive some of the male characters had been crafted. There were some blunt sex scenes inserted as well which seemed unnecessary.   I do expected that Giovanna will reappear in another novel in the future.

The audio book was read by Marisa Tomei and even though she did a terrific job, overall, I didn't really care for this one. 

Rating 3/5 stars

Leave Me; Gayle Forman

Leave Me; Gayle Forman

Algonquin - 2016

Maribeth Klein is a 40-something wife, mother to 4 year-old twins and career woman who tries to be all to all people. Her health suffers until one day she realizes she's had a heart attack and requires surgery.

When she finds recovering from surgery and taking care of her own needs extremely difficult with her family still depending on her, she decides to flee. Without any prior discussions she leaves her husband and kids to fend for themselves. She leaves NYC for Pittsburg while she heals and tries to find out about herself and her earliest roots -- she was adopted. WHAT?

This novel was a very quick read with nice short chapters and, while I think many overextended moms dream about escaping, few actually do so without some discussion at least.  I just couldn't understand Maribeth, instead of feeling grateful for making it though surgery she becomes resentful and bitchy. She never talks about her feelings and needs with her mother or spouse and just takes off.  I guess somewhat in MB's defense, her husband Jason, seemed a bit aloof and neither made any effort to communicate and understand the others needs. I think the author missed the mark by never developing her characters in a way that would make them more real and sympathetic.  In addition, the ending resolved itself way too easily to me.

3/5 stars

(eGalley) 

Everybody's Fool; Richard Russo

Everybody's Fool; Richard Russo

Knopf - 2016

Twenty-three years after Nobody's Fool introduced readers to the cantankerous, Donald (Sully) Sullivan and other memorable characters comes the much anticipated sequel, Everybody's Fool.

Set in the fictional, former mill town, North Bath, NY, the story picks up 10 years after Nobody's Fool.  Sully is now 70, not in the best of health but, he doesn't have to worry about money for the time being. His gambling has paid off and he's inherited a house from his landlady. He's more at peace than he's been in years.

There's lots of returning characters in this installment like, Rub Squeer,  a developmentally disable man who happens to be Sully's good friend. He's also the local handyman. Ruth who owns the local diner and a woman Sully was involved with for years, Roy Purdy, Ruth's ex-BIL, an abusive nut.  Doug Raymer, a cop who once had his nose broken by Sully is now the town's police chief and Clarice Bond, the town's black policewoman. Gus Moynihan, the mayor ,also returns as does Sully's son and grandson.

I first started this one listening to the audio book and I wasn't happy listening to it. It wasn't just the tone but, it seemed silly.  I figured I might enjoy the print version more so, although it took a several weeks, I was finally able to get the library copy which I enjoyed more.  

Overall, I wasn't thrilled with this sequel. There were frequent changes in the POV and,  I found this installment unnecessarily long. At times the crazy antics that happened in this town seemed slapstick-like and got to be a bit much. I felt that the story might be better suited as a movie script. 

3/5 stars

(library)

Wreck and Order; Hannah Tennant-Moore

Wreck and Order; Hannah Tennant-Moore

(Hogarth) Brilliance Audio - 2016

Nicol Zanzarella (narrator)

In this coming of age story, Elise is a young woman who is trying to find herself. In lieu of pursuing a college degree she decides to travel abroad with the $40,000 her father has given her. When that money is gone she uses trust fund money and gets an occasional menial job here and there.

Elise is a train wreck: impulsive, self destructive. She goes from one relationship to another while she tries to find herself and her life purpose.  She comes across as rather lost and pathetic and, as someone trying to avoid responsibility and commitment.

I love coming of age stories and had high hopes for this one but, in the end I had a lot of issues with the story. The audio book narrator, Nicol Zanzarella, was pretty good and, although this really wasn't my cup of tea, like a sinking ship, I had a hard time bailing on this one. The author does a terrific job getting into the psyche of Elise. I liked reading about her travels to Sri Lanka which helped me learn a bit about the culture.

If you are looking for a book with a character you can connect with, this probably isn't the book for you. However, it is very different story and the writing is good and even funny at times.

3/5 stars

(library audio)

Orphan #8; Kim van Alkemade

Orphan #8; Kim van Alkemade

William Morrow - 2015

The story centers around Rachel Rabinowitz who was placed in an orphanage, the Hebrew Infant for Jewish children, at the age of four in 1919 in NewYork City.  Rachel was one of several children used in medical experiments by Dr. Mildred Soloman. Rachel is used as Dr. Soloman’s test case for new X-ray equipment. She’s continuously overexposed to radiation which left her bald, browless and disfigured. When she get’s a bit older she is sent to another home, the Orphaned Hebrews Home, where she is taunted by other children.

As an adult Rachel works in the nursing profession back in New York. As a nurse at the Hebrew home for the elderly she crosses paths with Dr. Soloman who now happens to reside there.  Forced to relive the past Rachel must decide whether to make peace with the past or seek revenge.

I’m not a huge fan of historical novels but, coming of age and orphan stories do have some appeal with me.  Overall, Orphan #8 a tough read. In retrospect, I should have picked a more upbeat story. This one just made me angry at times especially after learning that it was in part based on true happenings.

3/5 stars
(print version sent by publisher)

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing & Tidying Up; Marie Kondo

Spark Joy; Marie Kondo

Ten Speed Press - 2015

In her 2014 book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, this author was highly successful in drawing readers who were interested in decluttering and learning how to organize and minimize messes around their homes.  I personally thought that first book, which I purchased, was helpful.  It did seem weird to me when she suggested talking to your possessions - asking each item if it "Sparks Joy".

I borrowed her most recent book, Spark Joy, from the library.  The second book in many ways is a rehash of the first except that this one has drawings which the first book lacked.  (It would have been helpful to see the folding techniques in a photo in the first book, IMO).  This book does get into other areas such as, how to pair down your book collections, paper items, toiletries, memorabilia etc.

This book begins with the Kon Mari method (tidying up by category, not by room - beginning with clothes). With all items - anything which doesn't "spark joy" should be gotten rid of.  But is that practical?  My Kitchen Aid mixer that sits on my counter doesn't really bring me joy but, I use it every few weeks.  Not all of my cookbooks "spark joy" but, I like the way they look in my kitchen.

I also had issues with "praising my possessions and talking to them."  So overall, this book was just okay for me. I did like the visuals and wish the first book had contained some.  I also think the binding is all wrong for this ope of book. It's impossible for it to stay opened to a page or lie flat when trying one of the folding methods for example.  A spiral bound comb would have made this book much more useful, IMO. I know I may have sounded a bit critical here, as there are many helpful suggestions.  It's just that in order to find the useful info, I needed to read through some ideas which just seemed rather odd to me.  If I were to only buy (1) of Kondo's (2) books, I think I would have chosen this one that has the illustrations and most of the info that was important in her first book.

So far I've tackled my clothes and books and purged about 75-80% of what no longer "sparked joy".  RW - Look at her purged closet illustration. Seriously, who has a closet that contains so few items? This seemed impractical to me. Have you read these books? What were your thoughts?

3/5 stars

(library)

A Banquet of Consequences; Elizabeth George

A Banquet of Consequences; Elizabeth George

Viking - 2015

A Banquet of Consequences is book #19 in the Inspector Lynley series but, it's the first Elizabeth George book that I've read.

The story plays out over a period of 39 months. At the heart of the mystery is the suicide of William Goldacre who jumped off a cliff in Dorset, and the death of Claire Abbott, an outspoken feminist author, from Cambridge, who appeared to have a heart attack but, may have been poisoned.

There is plenty everything in this nearly 600+ mystery,  plenty of family dysfunction and plenty of  characters, and, all is not what it appears at first glance.  The author develops her characters over time and many turn out to be much more complex than they first appear. The dialogue between characters is interesting and even funny at times.  I thought the story was longer than it needed to be and it took a while to get going. As an Elizabeth George newbie, I felt disadvantaged by not knowing the backstory of several of the series characters and, in addition, there were several sub stories and lots of characters to keep track of, making this somewhat of a frustrating read for me. I did like the way the author writes but, I'd definitely recommend reading this series in order.

3/5 stars
(library)