Book #14:
The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn (Length: 576 pages) WOW. I LOVE this book! This is an expansive, sweeping and at times quiet family saga primarily focused on three half-siblings who lived in a ramshackle estate on the sea in Dorchester, England just prior to World War II. The writing here is lyrical, with excellent character depth and development. The plot is pretty propulsive but more so once the war arrives. The centerpiece of the book is the eponymous whale bone carcass that forms the basis of the family theatre the siblings develop. This beautiful novel is very memorable and is absolutely worth a read. This is on the longer side and would be a fantastic book for a longer travel day as you’ll enjoy the immersive experience that is this gem of a novel.
Book #15:
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh (Length: 352 pages). Alternatively entitled The Man Who Didn’t Call, I listened to this one as I had heard it’s a fun listen on audio and it’s a backlist title so it’s easily available from the library. Check and Check. An hour or so in, I realized the plot sounded familiar but I kept on going with it. The twist that comes about halfway through still surprised me. The plot is well-constructed, and the characters are well-drawn. I will say the female gets a bit too moony (about the dude not calling) and somewhat whiny, but stick with it as the payoff is worth it. Great on audio!
Book #16:
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (Length: 413 pages). I ADORE this writing duo and was very excited to finally read their latest full novel. This book is a sort of sequel to and overlaps with The Soulmate Equation, which I enjoyed. The overlap is that Fizzy, a very successful rom-com author as well as the best friend of the main love interest, Jess, in TSE is now trying to find someone to date, who will help her get her writing mojo back. Using technology from the DNA matching dating app DNADUO from TSE, a newly-created reality show is setting Fizzy up with some of her matches. Fizzy jumps at the chance to keep her loyal readers interested in her as her next-promised novel is stalled out, but Fizzy finds herself distracted by the show’s producer. Said producer just happens to be a climate change documentarian, British and gorgeous. The witty banter between Fizzy and Connor is what Christina Lauren is known for and Fizzy is weird and funny, with zero filter. Some readers reportedly have found Fizzy to be annoying but I LOVE her! 4.5/5 stars from me.
Book #17:
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay (Length: 288 pages). This little book was on many “Best of” lists last year and I finally picked it up. And, pun intended, it IS delightful. Renowned poet Ross Gay made a point of notating daily delights (102 of them) during a one-year period. These essays focus on random moments, animals, music, food, people, gardening and each one is truly wonderful to read thanks to the author’s writing talent and eye for seeing beauty in the everyday. This book is meant to be read on a daily basis, or every few days and would make an excellent gift! I want to read the sequel soon.
Lora Terrill 