Book #31:
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (317 pages). This is the sequel to The Guncle, which I loved. Set 5 years later, Maisie and Grant meet up with their uncle Patrick in Europe, for the wedding of their father to Livia, their uber-wealthy European stepmother. Their uncle takes them on a mini tour of Europe before the wedding (in Lake Como!) using 80s song lyrics to show them different “love languages” to get them used to the idea of a stepmom, 5 years after their own mom’s death. I adored the setting, the pop culture references, the author’s humor and writing style and this book holds the same fun and charm as the first. A solid 4 stars from me.
Book #32:
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (Length: 465 pages). This is my book club’s May pick. It’s literary fiction with elements of magical realism and features three main characters: Arthur, a young man in 1840 London; Zayleekah, a hydrologist in 2018 modern day London, and Narin, a 10-year-old girl in Turkey when ISIS is beginning its takeover. These three character arcs are connected with various symbols such as an ancient Mesopotamia poem and hybrid animal as well as a solitary drop of water. You do have to pay attention to every detail in this novel for it to work. I felt the author is telling more than showing with the repeated symbolism and the topics are depressing here. I may not have been in the right headspace to read this however, as the majority of reviewers seem to love this book. It’s not my favorite. 3 stars (for quality writing).
Book #33:
The Q by Beth Brower(Length: 612 pages). While I’m anxiously awaiting this author’s next books in the Emma M. Lion series, I picked up this one, a self-published FUN story about Quincy St Claire, a 19-year-old genius running the “Q” in 1850s Rhysdon, outside London. The “Q” is a gossip style daily insert for major papers where society and others post questions. Quincy was rescued as an orphan by her Uncle (the original owner of the Q) and Quincy from the age of 9 is able to figure out the printing presses, marketing, typesetting and how to grow the business. Quincy is a quirky character (a clear forerunner to her later Emma M Lion character) and I adored her. The plot is a big laggy in the middle (and the book is just too long), but I couldn’t put it down. My issue with this book is it’s obviously self-published and is riddled with several errors (whose vs who’s, etc) and could have used a much more thorough editing. 4.5 stars (deducting .5 for the errors, which grew too distracting as the novel goes on).
Book #34:
The Better Mother by Jennifer Van Der Kleut (Length: 326 pages). This is an insane thriller that is fantastic on audio. Savannah Mitchell has a two-night stand, gets pregnant and the father of the baby gets back together with his ex. But his ex is willing to help raise the baby with him, and Savannah is cautious but excited to have co-parents. This is a WILD ride as hijinks ensue. This is well-told, in the vein of Freida McFadden, but better written. A lot of fun with plot holes you can drive a truck through. 4 fun stars from me!
Lora Terrill 