(2) Brief Book Reviews - Fellowship Point; Alice Elliott Dark and The Night She Disappeared; Lisa Jewell

 

Fellowship Point; Alice Elliott Dark

Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books / Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022

Fellowship Point is an expansive story (nearly 500 pages) about a lifelong friendship of two Quaker women who are now in the eighties.  The women are Agnes Lee, a writer of children's series books entitled ...WHEN NAN.......... which was first published in 1965.  She has also written another six adult novels under a pen name about individuals in her Philadelphia social circle. Agnes has never married and now in her twilight years has found out she has cancer. She is also being pressured by Maud Silver a publicist to write a memoir.

Polly Wister is a loyal wife and mother, her husband and adult son on the other hand are men who are best described as "difficult and self-centered." Agnes and Polly could not be more different but, their shared pasts and the fact that they have vacationed for years on Fellowship Point, a remote, coastal island in Maine.  Now after all these years there is a fear that once the two women are gone their interest in keeping the island and cottages the way it has been dating back to the 19th century, may die with them.  A developer has interest in purchasing the properties to develop a posh resort in place of the cottages and surrounding wildlife sanctuary.  The land was purchased by Agnes' grandfather a wealthy merchant.

Although the first half of this novel moved somewhat slow for me, I loved the writing and depth as well as the build up for what what followed . I loved the way I felt swept away by the trials and tribulations of these women as I read and listened to this well-written novel. The audiobook was narrated by Cassandra Campbell who did an excellent job.

I received an audio download as well as a hardcover copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

RATING - 4.5/5 stars

The Night She Disappeared; Lisa Jewell

Atria - 2021

The story begins in 2017 with Tallulah, a young mother who also attends college and her boyfriend Zach needing a night out. Tallulah's mother Kim agrees to babysits.  In the morning when Kim realizes Tallulah has not come home, she begins making phone calls and the police become involved but, eventually the case is unsolved.  The only lead they have is that the couple was never seen after a night of partying at a remote country estate where Scarlett, a wealthy college friend lives.  Fast forward to 2019, a young mystery writer new to the town who lives on the edge of the woods notices a sign while out walking in the secluded area. The sign says "DIG HERE."  Is this significant in regards to the missing couple?

This is one of those stories that kept me quickly turning pages and trying to find out what happened,  I thought the dual time periods worked well and the story was well paced as well. 

I received an audio download as well as an advanced reader print copy of this book  from the publisher last year in exchange for my unbiased review.

RATING - 4/5 stars

Book Review - The Foundling; Ann Leary

 

The Foundling; Ann Leary

Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022

Scribner/Marysue Ricci Books - 2022

Mary Engle was raised in a Catholic orphanage when her mother died shortly after her birth. Her best friend there was Lillian Henning.  

Fast forward to 1927, Mary is now eighteen and has been hired  as a secretary by Ann Vogel, a psychiatrist she met at a lecture. The brilliant Dr, Agnes Vogel runs the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age.  She believes that weak, feeble minded women are preyed upon by unscrupulous men and should be confined in an institution where they can do farm labor to earn their room and board.  Unfortunately, many of the women at this institution were not feebleminded, instead they were dumped there by spouses and parents if they were deemed difficult or in some cases unmarried and expecting a child.  The institution is located in a remote area and conditions at the institution were horrific to say the least.

One of the women at Nettleton is Mary's former friend Lilian Henning. She has been confined there for having the child of a black man who she was not married to.  Lillian begs Mary to help free her.

Mary was a frustrating character at times who failed to see what was going on before her very eyes. Quite naive to say the least, I gave her a pass at times because of what she went though as a child. The novel is a fictionalized account of Laurelton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age which was located in central PA. 

The story was frightening at times forcing you to think about what went on back in the day when women were deemed unfit to have children.  We learn about eugenics -- selective breeding and removing undesirables from the race, forced sterilizations and the prohibition of mixed races from marrying as well as individuals with mental and physical disabilities. 

I thought the author did a good job getting her story across.  This is my third book in the last few years that has focused on the treatment of women in the 1920s. It was disheartening to see women considered as mere chattel back in the day regardless if they were rich or poor. I originally started the audiobook, read by Laura Benanti, but,  I then switched to the eBook which I preferred.

Rating - 4/5 stars

NOTE:  I received an audio and eBook download from the publisher at no cost in exchange for my unbiased review.

Brief Book Review - Cloud Cuckoo Land; Anthony Doerr

 

Cloud Cuckoo Land; Anthony Doerr

Combo - Read/ Listen (mostly read)

Scribner and Simon & Schuster Audio - 2021

(audio narrated by Marin Ireland and Simon Jones - very good)

It took me a while to wrap my head around what turned out to be an impressive story. I started with the audio book which is expertly narrated but, I quickly decided this one would work better for me in print because of the concentration required.

This expansive novel is almost like five separate stories about five characters in different centuries.  From medieval Constantinople to modern day Idaho and even on an intergenerational starship on a 592 year journey. Each of the characters, some elderly and some young, becomes fascinated by an ancient Greek manuscript called "Cloud Cuckoo Land" which was believed to have been written by Antonius Diogenes. As the story plays out we also learn more about "Cloud Cuckoo Land." The chapters of this novel are short and the stories that go back and forth between centuries are beautifully written and sometimes a little sad as we read about the struggles and hardships of individuals along the way.  The way everything comes together in the end was not only amazing but, it was incredibly moving as well.  

If you are ready to put in some effort, I think you will be rewarded by this one.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I was provided a copy of both the eGalley and the audio download from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros; The Foundling, Ann Leary

                                                         

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon. 

The Foundling; Ann Leary

Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books - 2022

One

I've been told that my mother had a wonderful sense of humor.  Also that she was pretty.  But most people recall her wit first, and her easy laughter, and because of this I've always had a better sense of how she felt than how she looked.  She must have been happy most of the time if she found so many things to say and laugh about.  She died when I was an infant, so I have no memory of her.  After I moved to my Aunt Kate's house, I'd hear her talking with friends about my mother and me, usually in hushed tones after I'd left the room.

"She's a somber little thing," somebody would say. Or, "She's so shy; she certainly hasn't Louisa's high spirits."

What do you think, read more or pass? 

Book Review - The Book of Mother; Violaine Huisman

 

The Book of Mother; Violaine Huisman

Scribner & Simon & Schuster Audio - 10/19/2021

Translated from French by Leslie Camhi, The Book of Mother, is a deeply moving and, at times, a rather painful read.  It is a story about dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships: what goes on and how the individuals are affected by the emotional trauma and abuse later in life. 

The mother, Catherine, A.K.A. "Maman" is a beautiful but broken woman who suffers from mental illness in the form of manic depression.  Her daughters Violaine age 10 and Elsa, age 12 are the victims of their mother's instability in the form of sometimes violent mood swings and just an overall pervasive chaotic, unpredictable home environment.  The story takes place in Paris in the wake of Catherine's third marriage falling apart.  There is a horrible scene when she deliberately drives her car into traffic with the two daughters in the car.  Fortunately, everyone survives but it's clear that Catherine needs an intervention and  psychiatric stay.  The girl's father (second husband of Catherine) isn't interested in being tied down raising his daughters so the girls try to hide their situation from school officials - at least for a while.

The story is told in three parts - first by young Violaine (yes, same first name as the author but this is debut fiction, one which has a semi-autobiographical feel.)   We learn through Violaine what went on in the household and how she and her sister tried to understand the many things they witnessed and how their mother could mistreat them as she often did.  We also learn about Catherine's early life through a third person POV, which helps the reader understand what has "perhaps" happened early on to cause her to behave as he does and what triggers her violent mood swings.  Finally, the last part deals with the sisters as adults and trying to process what they have endured try to move forward with their adult lives.

I'm always interested in stories involving dysfunctional/mother daughter relationships.  Catherine comes across as vain and self-absorbed yet, there were moments when I felt for her and what had happened to her when she was younger.  This is a tough read but, it is well-written and the translation is excellent as well.  One thing that struck me was how much these sisters loved their deeply flawed mother despite all they had to endure.  Potential readers should be aware of potential triggers: sexual abuse, mental illness, substance abuse and suicide.

Rating - 4/5 stars

This was a combo read/listen for me. The audiobook was narrated by Tosca Hopkins who did a very good job. The eGalley and audio download were provided to me at no cost by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.

Book Review - Billy Summers; Stephen King

 

                                                             Billy Summers; Stephen King

                                                       Simon & Schuster Audio and Scribner - 2021

Who is Billy Summers? At 44, Billy has seen a lot, a decorated war vet who served in Iraq, a professional sniper and a calculated killer with one last hit to accomplish before that part of his life is over.  While waiting for just the right moment to make that final hit, he uses not only multiple disguises but, also poses as an author who needs quiet and seclusion to work on a book his is writing.  

It is through this therapeutic writing exercise that we learn so much about Billy and his childhood tragedies as well as the horrors he experienced in Fallujah.  The internal struggles that Billy deals with help the reader to understand the real Billy, a man ultimately in need of redemption.  When a young, college student named Alice is drugged and viciously raped and dumped on the side of the road, it is Billy who rescues her and helps her heal from the physical and emotional trauma.  We suddenly see the softer side of Billy, a man with compassion but also one who understands in the need for justice.

I will admit this story took a while to get going but, once it did, everything just flowed making this a book that was so hard to put down.  Through Billy we get a taste of small town life as he goes about his business using different aliases along the way, talking with some towns people while he poses as a writer.  There are loads on literary references in this story which I enjoyed. Some of the locations where Billy finds himself are "red state areas" that allows the author to make several political observations which may annoy some readers, but that is a rather small insignificant part of what what ends up being a very satisfying crime novel.  I could definitely see this story playing out on the big screen. Highly Recommended

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This was a combo read for me. The audio book, read by Paul Sparks was very well done. The audio download was made available at no cost to me by Simon & Schuster Audio and the print edition I borrowed from my local library. 

Book Review - Vera; Carol Edgarian

 

TITLE/AUTHOR:  Vera; Carol Edgarian

PUBLISHER: Scribner

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Historical Fiction

FORMAT:  eGalley / LENGTH: 336 pp 

SOURCE: NetGalley download

SETTING(s):  San Francisco, CA

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  Not the engaging piece of historical fiction I was hoping for.

BRIEF REVIEW:  When I read that Vera was set around the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and resulting fires, I couldn't wait to read it.  I recently read another historical novel set around the 1906 earthquake, The Nature of Fragile Things; Susan Meissner which I loved.   Unfortunately, Vera was a bit of a disappointment for me.

Vera Johnson is a fifteen year old girl just trying to find her place in the world.  Her real mother is Rose, who runs San Francisco's most famous brothel and, it is only a few times a year that she actually gets to see her.  The olive-skinned, Vera lives with a widowed foster mother Morie, a light-skinned,  Swedish woman who Rose pays to care for her illegitimate daughter, Vera.  Morie also has another daughter, eighteen year old Pie.  The two girls are quite different, where Pie is easy going and innocent with simple dreams, Vera is far more complicated, bold and determined. When the 1906 earthquake and resulting fires hit the city just days after Vera's fifteenth birthday and Morie ends up dead, Vera and Pie must do what it takes to survive a city in chaos. As they make their way to Rose's Pacific Heights mansion they find out that she isn't even around. Not sure whether Rose is dead or alive, it's here that Vera's strength and determination is needed most.  

While I'm sure that the author did her research while writing this novel about the 1906 earthquake, I felt the plot was way more involved and complicated than it really needed to be. The characters were plentiful yet very few were memorable for me.  

RATING:  2.5/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Vera; Carol Edgarian

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book they are reading or that they plan to read soon. 

                                                                    Vera; Carol Edgarian

                                                                          Scribner - 2021

First Things

"I always thought of my city as a woman. But the house, it turned out, was a woman too.  When the quake hit, she groaned. Her timbers strained to hold on to their pins, the pins snapping. And the rocks beneath the house? They had voices too. And if I ever wondered how long it would take for the world to end, I know: forty-five seconds."

I haven't started this one yet but hope to later this week.  What do you think, read more or pass?

                                                             

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Ask Again, Yes; Mary Beth Keane

On Tuesday, Vicki, ( I’d Rather Be At The Beach)  hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where  readers post the opening paragraph (or 2 ) of a book they are reading or that they plan to read. 

Ask Again, Yes; Mary Beth Keane

Scribner - 2019

Prologue

July 1973

"FRANCIS GLEASON, TALL AND thin in his powder blue policeman's uniform, stepped out of the sun and into the shadow of the stocky stone building that the station house of the Forty-First Precinct. A pair of pantyhose had been hung to dry on a fourth floor fire escape near 167th, and while he waited for another rookie, a cop named Stanhope. Francis noted the perfect stillness of those gossamer legs, the delicate curve where the heel was meant to be Another building had burned the night before and Francis figured it was now like so many others in the Four-One; nothing left but a hallowed-out shell and a blackened staircase within.  The neighborhood kids had all watched it burn from the roofs and fire escapes where they dragged their mattresses on that first truly hot day in June. Now, from a block away, Francis could hear them begging the firemen to leave just one hydrant open.  He could imagine them hopping back and forth as the pavement grew hot again under their feet."

I'm on chapter 9 and so far I must say it's wonderful. It's supposed to be one of the hottest books this summer. Would you read more or pass?

Elevation; Stephen King

TITLE: Elevation

AUTHOR: Stephen King

PUBLISHER: Scribner

PUB. YEAR: 2018

SETTING:  Maine
FORMAT:  - library

RATING: 4/5 stars

Something is wrong with Scott Carey, divorced white male with a cat named Bill. He's steadily losing weight, even though you'd never know it by looking at him.  No matter how much he eats or how heavy his clothes are, when he gets on the scale his weight continues downward.  Even his retired doctor friend can't figure out what is going on. At this rate, soon there will be nothing left of him -- yes, he could be weightless.

In Scott's town of Castle Rock, Maine, there's something else going on as well. The locals are not tolerant of people who seem different. In this case it's Dee Dee and Missy, the married couple who just opened a new Mexican restaurant in town. The locals are avoiding the place and the couple's livelihood is being threatened. When Scott tries to befriend the women to show them that not everyone is trying to drive them out of town, his act of kindness has a profound impact.

A short, hopeful story (just 146 pages) - certainly not perfect but I enjoyed it.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Elevation; Stephen King

Each Tuesday, Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where  readers post the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book that they are reading or plan to read.

Elevation; Stephen King

Scribner - 2018

Chapter 1

Losing Weight

"Scott Carey knocked on the door of the Ellis condo unit, and Bob Ellis (everyone in Highland Acres still called him Doctor Bob, although he was five years retired) let him in.  Well, Scott, here you are.  Ten on the dot. Now what can I do for you?

Scott was a big man, six-feet-four in his stocking feet, with a bit of a belly growing in front. I'm not sure. Probably nothing, but... I have a problem. I hope not a big one, but it might be.


What do you think?  (It's just 146 pages instead of the heavy tome King generally writes.)

The Chalk Man; Tudor and The Outsider; King - a couple of creepy reads - mini reviews

 The Chalk Man; CJ Tudor

Crown and Random House Audio - 2018

I wasn't actually sure what to expect when I first started listening and also reading this book but, it wasn't long before it started to feel like a story Stephen King might write.  It had a small town setting, gritty, some nail biting moments and even a bit a horror.

The story begins in 1986 and follows Eddie Adams and his buddies as a young boys when the gang would draw chalk figures leading others to a particular location.  One day someone else leaves an unrecognized chalk figure drawing leading to a body in the woods.  Fast forward 30 years with the guys now in their 40's, when a letter arrives with a chalk figure drawing. The letter arrives while one friend is visiting another to work on a book about that terrible year, 1986. When a friend ends up dead with a chalk figure drawing attached to the body, finding the identity of the "chalk man" killer is critical.

The story alternates between flashbacks of 1986 and the present day, the characters are great, a nice dose of creepy and enough twists that led to an ending that I didn't expect.  This was a nice surprise by a new to me author, it's worth reading or listening  to for fans of creep fiction.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

(eGalley and Audio)

The Outsider; Stephen King

Scribner - 2018

In this 58th King novel in the last 44 years, a young 11 year old boy is found brutally murdered. All evidence seems to be leading to Terry Maitland, an English teacher and youth sports coach.  Terry is a well respected, family man who seems like an unlikely suspect but, the evidence against him is strong.  Yet, there is one opposing piece of evidence that seems to contradict all the other facts that have been gathered including DNA.  How can this be? Has Terry been living a lie?

I loved the first half of this 500+ page novel. I also liked that the strong central characters from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy reappeared in this book.  I found myself quickly turning pages and thinking that King plot style was about to change and soften a bit but, then by the second half the old King style had returned with some blood, gore and supernatural elements at work.  I should have known better.  I loved the set up, the small town mystery elements and the characters but, I ended up a bit disappointed by the end -- don't get me wrong it was still worth reading just headed into territory I wasn't expecting.

Rating - 4/5 stars

(library) 

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Outsider; Stephen King

On Tuesdays First Chapter, First Paragraph/Intros is hosted by Vickie/ I’d Rather Be at the Beach.  Readers are asked to share the first paragraph of a book they are reading or plans to read soon.  

The Outsider; Stephen King

Scribbler - 2018

The Arrest

July 14th

1.

"It was an unmarked car, just some nondescript American sedan a few years old, but the blackwall tires and the three men inside gave it away for what it was.  The two in front were wearing blue uniforms. The one in back was wearing a suit, and he was as big as a house.  A pair of black boys standing on the sidewalk, one with a foot on a scuffed orange skateboard, the other with a lime-colored board under his arm, watched it turn into the parking lot of the Estelle Barga Recreational Park, then looked at each other.

One said, "That's Five-O."

Does this sound like a book you might consider reading?

End of Watch; Stephen King

End of Watch; Stephen King

Book #3 of The Bill Hodges trilogy

Scribner - 2016

The much anticipated third book of the Bill Hodges Trilogy opens with a flashback to 7 years earlier when a deranged driver, Brady Hartsfield, driving a stolen Mercedes plows the vehicle into a crowd of people waiting in line for a job fair to open.  In that incident many people died and others were permanently disabled.

Brady Hartsfield is now in a coma at the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic.  In his condition what more harm could he possibly do to unsuspecting people? The answer would be plenty! Behind the blank stares lurks new powers, more evil and the possibility of more deaths.

Bill Hodges, a retired detective now with a private practice returns once again in this installment and he is pretty sure that Brady just may be faking his coma.  Holly Gibney, socially awkward but, a delightful character returns as well working closely with Hodges.

I really enjoyed this series and it's one you really should read in order: Mr. Mercedes,  Finder's Keepers and End of Watch.  There is violence, suicide and acts of revenge throughout this story, so as long as you don't mind reading about such things in fiction, I do recommend this series.  If you are obsessed with video games, this particular story may give you a few extra chills as well.

4/5 stars

(library download)

First Chapter First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros; End of Watch; Stephen King

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon.  

End of Watch; Stephen King

(Book 3 of the Mr. Mercedes Trilogy)

(Scribner - 2016)

April 10, 2009

Martine Stover

"It's always darkest before the dawn.

This elderly chestnut occurred to Rob Martin as the ambulance he drove rolled slowly along Upper Marlborough Street toward home base, which was Firehouse 3.  It seemed to him that whoever thought that one up really got hold of something, because it was darker than a woodchuck's asshole this morning, and dawn wasn't far away."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories; Stephen King

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories; Stephen King

Scribbler - 2015

For a number of years I tended to avoid short story collections but, something changed after reading  listening to, Just After Sunset and Full Dark, No Stars -- two of my favorite short story collections by King.  It's nice to be pulled in by a story and get to finish it in a short amount of time. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams allowed me that pleasure once again, and what I really enjoyed was that King provided a brief intro to each story often telling where he got the idea to write it.  

This book is a collection of (20) short stories, a few of them  ere family to me having surfaced previously as singles: UR, and Mile 81 .

A few of the other ones I really enjoyed were:

• Mile 81,  a closed down rest stop off I-95 that proves deadly for those who stop and dare to check out a mud-splattered old wagon parked there.  The Little Green God of Agony, inspired by King's 1999 accident where he was hit by a car while walking and required 2-3 years of physical therapy recover.  In this story the victim is Andrew Newsmen, the 6th richest man in the world, who will do just about anything to have his pain taken away.  
• After Life,   is there one or not?  William Andrews is a Goldman Sachs investment banker who dies an unexpected death.  He doesn't believe in the "after life", but gets a big surprise.
• Obits,  a recent URI graduate with a degree in Journalism finds a job writing snarky "obits" for someone who is still living, but each dies an unexpected death once the "obit" has been written.
• Batman and Robin Have an Altercation,  a father with Alzheimer's and his son go out for lunch each Sunday and on the way home a road rage incident changes things up a bit for the duo.

Some of the stories were just okay but, for the most part I enjoyed this collection. King's enthusiasm for the his craft shows through in many of these stories.  I also enjoyed that some of these stories were inspired by things that happened to him in some form.  The Maine setting and the creepiness and weird elements infused into each story came across as signature King.  I thought it was interesting that many of the stories were about aging, death and even the afterlife. I guess even Stephen King, now in his late 60's, clearly wonders about these things.

Enjoyable collection, I'm guessing the audio version would be awesome as well.

4/5 stars

(library)

Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories; Audrey Niffenegger

Ghostly; Audrey Niffenegger

2015- Scribner

Ghostly, was a pleasant surprise, an awesome collection of short ghost stories. Each story can be completed in a short sitting, preferably by a nice warm fire or glowing candle with something warm to drink. 

Each story begins with a small intro and illustrations, and each selection has a specific theme as well: loss, cats, houses, children and unrequited love -- things and places that are often thought of as being haunted.  All are about death in some way.

I enjoyed almost every story in this collection. My absolute favorite was one written by the author: "Secret Life With Cats", which I found to be very personal and moving as well. The story of a lonely marriage, volunteer time at a cat shelter, an elderly woman who disappears and a new life. Other stories that I thought were great were: "A Black Cat," Edgar Allan Poe: a creepy mean man and a cat who get's revenge on him. Edith Whaton's, "Pomaganate Seed," was very good, as was "Tiny Ghosts"; Amy Giacalone, which was a ghost story that made me laugh, and "The Pink House"; Rebecca Curtis, which was deliciously creepy. "Honeysuckle Cottage" by P.D. Wodehouse was also very good as was "Click Clack the Rattlebag "by Neil Gaiman. One story felt seriously date, "They"; Rudyard Kipling.

It doesn't matter if you believe in ghosts or not to enjoy this collection, and I doubt that reading any of these stories will cause you to wake from sleep screaming either. The illustrations are lovely, and honestly, this may be a book that I'll have to buy and reread each October, I enjoyed it that much.

4.5/5 stars

(eGalley)

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You ~ Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories; Audrey Niffenegger

This book actually was released on October 6th by Scribner, and I just finished the first 3 stories -- Black Cat; Edgar Allen Poe,  Secret Life, with Cats; Audrey Niffenegger and Pomagranate Seed; Edith Wharton.  I loved all 3, but especially the first 2. I can't wait to continue reading the rest -- delightfully creepy and spooky.  Be sure to check this collection out!

Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories

Scribner - October 2015

OVERVIEW

Collected and introduced by the bestselling author of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry—including her own fabulous new illustrations for each piece, and a new story by Niffenegger—this is a unique and haunting anthology of some of the best ghost stories of all time.

From Edgar Allen Poe to Kelly Link, M.R. James to Neil Gaiman, H. H. Munro to Audrey Niffenegger herself, Ghostly reveals the evolution of the ghost story genre with tales going back to the eighteenth century and into the modern era, ranging across styles from Gothic Horror to Victorian, with a particular bent toward stories about haunting—haunted children, animals, houses. Every story is introduced by Audrey Niffenegger, an acclaimed master of the craft, with some words on its background and why she chose to include it. Niffenegger’s own story is, “A Secret Life With Cats.”

Perfect for the classic and contemporary ghost story aficionado, this is a delightful volume, beautifully illustrated. Ghostly showcases the best of the best in the field, including Edith Wharton, P.G. Wodehouse, A.S. Byatt, Ray Bradbury, and so many more.

The Sunken Cathedral; Kate Walbert

The Sunken Cathedral; Kate Walbert

Scribner - 2015

The Sunken Cathedral is a character driven novel with not much plot, but still a very interesting read.  There is a sense of dread throughout the novel about some catastrophe looming, with surreal images of the Hudson River flooding NYC as strange storms threaten to devastate New York.

Marie and Simone grew up in France and later moved from Europe to Chelsea after WWII reuniting as young mothers after both women married Americans.  Now widows in their 80's it's hard not to notice just how much life in their NY borough has changed.  Both are still active women but anxious women as well. 

The women begin a painting class from Sid Morris along with Helen a former art historian who is also in her 80's. Sid leaves a lot to be desired. His studio is filthy, his manners missing and he's eccentric to say the least.  Both Marie and Simone oddly seem interested in the uncouth Sid.

Elizabeth is another character, a tenant of Marie. She is a 40-something woman with not much self-confidence.  Elizabeth struggles with the uncertainty of life. Her young son Ben attends a progressive K-8 school where parents are thoroughly involved, and seem to have it all together which intimidates Elizabeth all the more. Children at this school are prepared at an early age for terror attacks, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Told from the third person POV, I liked the fact the central characters were seniors, something you don't see as often in fiction today.  The story was well written and footnotes can be found at the bottom of many pages which further explores the more personal inner thoughts and details of various characters -- this worked extremely well IMO.

Overall, I was very pleased with this novel. It's different, but in a good way and fewer than 300 pages as well.

4/5 stars

eGalley

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You; The State We're in: Maine Stories; Ann Beattie

A Maine fan from way back, I'm looking forward to this collection of linked Maine stories that debuts next month.

The State We're In: Maine Stories; Ann Beattie

Scribner - August - 2015

(Description)

From a multiple prize–winning master of the short form: a stunning collection of brand-new, linked stories that perfectly capture the zeitgeist through the voices of vivid and engaging women from adolescence to old age.

“We build worlds for ourselves wherever we go,” writes Ann Beattie. The State We’re In, her magnificent new collection of linked stories, is about how we live in the places we have chosen—or been chosen by. It’s about the stories we tell our families, our friends, and ourselves, the truths we may or may not see, how our affinities unite or repel us, and where we look for love.

Many of these stories are set in Maine, but The State We’re In is about more than geographical location, and certainly is not a picture postcard of the coastal state. Some characters have arrived by accident, others are trying to get out. The collection opens, closes, and is interlaced with stories that focus on Jocelyn, a wryly disaffected teenager living with her aunt and uncle while attending summer school. As in life, the narratives of other characters interrupt Jocelyn’s, sometimes challenging, sometimes embellishing her view.
Riveting, witty, sly, idiosyncratic, and bold, these stories describe a state of mind, a manner of being—now. A Beattie story, says Margaret Atwood, is “like a fresh bulletin from the front: we snatch it up, eager to know what’s happening out there on the edge of that shifting and dubious no-man’s-land known as interpersonal relations.” The State We’re In is a fearless exploration of contemporary life by a brilliant writer whose fiction startles as it illuminates.From a multiple prize–winning master of the short form: a stunning collection of brand-new, linked stories that perfectly capture the zeitgeist through the voices of vivid and engaging women from adolescence to old age.

“We build worlds for ourselves wherever we go,” writes Ann Beattie. The State We’re In, her magnificent new collection of linked stories, is about how we live in the places we have chosen—or been chosen by. It’s about the stories we tell our families, our friends, and ourselves, the truths we may or may not see, how our affinities unite or repel us, and where we look for love.

Many of these stories are set in Maine, but The State We’re In is about more than geographical location, and certainly is not a picture postcard of the coastal state. Some characters have arrived by accident, others are trying to get out. The collection opens, closes, and is interlaced with stories that focus on Jocelyn, a wryly disaffected teenager living with her aunt and uncle while attending summer school. As in life, the narratives of other characters interrupt Jocelyn’s, sometimes challenging, sometimes embellishing her view.

Riveting, witty, sly, idiosyncratic, and bold, these stories describe a state of mind, a manner of being—now. A Beattie story, says Margaret Atwood, is “like a fresh bulletin from the front: we snatch it up, eager to know what’s happening out there on the edge of that shifting and dubious no-man’s-land known as interpersonal relations.” The State We’re In is a fearless exploration of contemporary life by a brilliant writer whose fiction startles as it illuminates.