Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

Did I Say That Out Loud? by Kristin van Ogtrop (Length: 192 pages).   This book of essays on middle age is written by the former editor of Real Simple magazine, one of my favorite magazines ever. Each essay has something oddly relevant to my life as a middle-aged (but in my mind I’m 29!) woman. They are all witty, profound and interesting enough to read the entire book in one sitting. This is a must read for any woman born in the 1960s or 1970s!

Book #2:

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand (Length: 433 pages). I find Hilderbrand’s novels to be consistently enjoyable–they’re not high-brow literature by any means, but she’s a decent writer and I never fail to finish a novel she’s written, so there’s that. This one is set in Nantucket, per usual, but the set up is a bit different in that two lovers meet once a summer during Labor Day weekend, for 28 years. (A la the Same Time, Next Year movie.) I found the writing to be stronger than her usual novels, with excellent character development. (The plot and setting take a back seat, predictably so). There is a tear-jerker of an ending, however, so be forewarned.

Book #3:

What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins (Length: 429 pages).   This novel was written by a judge and a former family law mediator about the aftermath of a teen homicide/suicide in a community in the Pacific Northwest. I listened to an interview of the author on a book podcast and she explained that she lived in a Quaker community for a month in order to understand that religion and culture, and I found the Quaker characters in this book to be the most interesting. This quote from the novel about Quakers really struck me: “. . . those who believed that loving presence and listening hearts saved far more souls than the millions of words written by man in God’s name”. The writing is fantastic here, as are both the plot and the depth of the character development. (The dog Rufus is one of my favorite characters in the book–apparently he’s modeled after her family dog). This novel is also quite the page turner as a few mysteries are revealed. This is absolutely a must read, and would make a fantastic book club choice!

Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (Length: 385 pages).   This author comes highly recommended for writing well-written “chick lit” books. I picked up this first book in a three-book series to check her out. I enjoyed the snappy dialogue as well as the character development, but I will say that this particular book is an example of why I’m not a particularly huge fan of this genre. There are problems the protagonist has with her romantic partner that literally could be solved with a five-minute conversation to clear things up. Instead, we are drawn through the mud with the pair of them, all the while we are yelling, JUST TELL HIM! (The female protagonist thinks she’s infertile and the male protagonist wants children, so she’s too afraid to tell him this is why she can’t be with him.) This is annoying as heck to me but I guess this is the way the author is creating the central conflict here. Perhaps I’ve had too much life and relationship experience for this book? If you are into a fun, breezy read, this is a good one to check out, but if you’re also easily annoyed like me . . . consider yourself forewarned.

Book #2:

Gratitude by Oliver Sacks (Length: 63 pages). I picked up this very slim volume of four essays on gratitude after reading about someone who keeps this on their nightstand to read whenever they are in need of a reminder to be grateful they are alive. These four essays by this hugely prolific author (and doctor–the neurologist at the center of Awakenings) were written by Saks in the two years before his death from liver cancer. The essays contain his thoughts on dying, old age, etc and are absolutely worth reading. They aren’t maudlin in the slightest, and indeed, are reminders to us to be grateful for every sunrise, every sunset and every day.

Book #3:

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (Length: 401 pages).   This is the sequel to The Friend Zone reviewed above. I enjoyed this book much more than the first. It features Sloan, the BFF of the protagonist Kristen in the initial book, and she’s definitely not as angsty as Kristen which helps. The dialogue in this book is snappy and fun, just as in the first book, but the romantic relationship at the center is much more natural (even though the boy is a huge rock star). In an ironic twist, Kristen tells Sloan to just talk to her boyfriend to resolve their big issue. Duh! This is a fun beach read, and the writing and character development are sufficiently well-done that I’ll likely read the third book in this series sometime.

Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

In the Woods by Tana French (Length: 495 pages).   I listen to several “bookish” podcasts during my weekly hikes and without fail, every one of them mentions Tana French and her Dublin Murder Squad series. I finally opened the first one in the series (I believe there are 6 total so far) and wow, the writing is gorgeous! Very lyrical, with strong character development and a strong sense of place. Apparently each book in the series focuses on one member of the police squad. In this one the protagonist is Detective Adam/Rob Ryan. There are two mysteries in this book–one modern-day and one which occurred when Adam was a child. The modern day mystery here is a bit too obvious, and the detective work utilized to ultimately solve it isn’t very impressive (ie, they miss very obvious clues right from the beginning). But I honestly didn’t care because the writing is beautiful and there is enough plot to keep me turning the pages. There is enough here that will keep me reading the next books in the series for sure.

Book #2:

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (Length: 423 pages). This is another mystery series that I learned about via one of my bookish podcasts, but this one is of the young adult variety (9th-12th grade). This book is the first of a trilogy and it’s set in Vermont, at an exclusive private school for gifted children called the Ellingham Academy. There are also two different mysteries here–one modern-day and the older mystery occurred in the 1930s, when the Academy first opened–so the novel alternates chapters between the two different plot lines. The dialogue in modern-day between the teenage students is snappy and fun, and the mysteries are pretty well-constructed. However, neither is fully solved or resolved which is a bit annoying as the reader “has” to read the next novel in the series to get any (hopeful) resolution. I enjoyed the setting and the writing style enough that I don’t mind, but just a heads up if you are a reader who will.

Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner (Length: 400 pages).   I’ve read a few books by this author who is known more for her “chick lit”, but this is her first mystery. The central mystery is well-crafted and interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. What I enjoyed even more (and what I think Weiner is good at) is her depiction of motherhood in a very wealthy neighborhood in Connecticut. My favorite characters in this novel are her spicy firecracker of a young daughter (Sophie) whose one liners made me chuckle and her best friend Jamie, who is Sophie all grown up. This is a cute beach book but I wouldn’t rush out to get it . . . it’s worth a library rental but overall it’s nothing to write home about.

Book #2:

In Shock by Dr. Rana Awdish (Length: 265 pages). This is an excellent memoir of an ICU doctor’s personal journey (over the span of two years) in the ICU (after literally dying in the OR). This is very well-written, with lots of (medically) scary details of her health issues. (She does lose her baby during childbirth so trigger warning here). I think EVERY medical caregiver and professional should read this book as it’s so important to see through a patient’s eyes. Dr. Awdish argues for empathy and better communication between doctors (and nurses) and their patients. She wasn’t aware of these issues until she was a patient, but has the humility to recognize where she went wrong as a doctor (fellow) and actually gives concrete tips at the end of the book to both patients and medical professionals regarding HOW to open the lines of communication and increase compassion between these two groups of people. I personally have had a few aggravating encounters with doctors, and found this book to be SO helpful as a patient going forward on my own medical journey. An example from the book that horrified me was when Dr. Awdish saw a glimpse of her baby on the ultrasound (and recognized the baby’s heart had stopped beating) WHILE Dr. Awdish was bleeding out, and the resident asked her how she saw that, and could she point it out to him. This is a must-read!!

Book #3

Grace & Favor by Caroline Upchur (Length: 411 pages).  This is a family drama set in both London and in the Hamptons, and concerns two sisters split at the birth of the younger sister. The older sister is a very famous semi-reclusive author, while the younger sister is a woman with a family of her own. The writing here is good, with excellent character development. The plot is generated by the sisters eventually meeting and what happens from there. The older sister is NOT likeable (in any way) although the author seems to argue she’s just misunderstood. If likeable characters are important to you, skip this one. (Which you may have to do anyway as this book is incredibly hard to find for some reason . . . I had a copy from a library book sale but I am not seeing it on Kindle, etc.)

Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet (Length: 272 pages).   This is a book of essays written by an author (known as “Capi”), who, as a widow with 5 children, spent every summer exploring the coast of British Columbia via the family’s 25-foot boat. This was in the 1920s and 30s, pre-technology, and is utterly fascinating, and very well-written. Capi’s stories are so interesting and detailed, full of the sea journeys, wildlife (both shore and oceanic). I love her essays about the various Indian villages as well as the harrowing storms and sea passages the family enountered. This isn’t widely available (it was gifted to me by my friend who grew up in BC) but it’s worth a read if you are ever lucky enough to come upon a copy.

Book #2:

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan (Length: 305 pages). This is a delightful “crime” novel set in Mumbai, featuring a newly-retired police inspector who continues to investigate a murder that occurred on the last days of his job. Concurrently he comes into the possession of a baby elephant, and the elephant ends up assisting him with his investigation in very cute ways. The characters in the novel are very likeable (I love his wife!) and the murder mystery is simple, but fun to follow. I’m always a fan of novels set in India, and there is a wonderful sense of place here, which is a bonus. This is the first of at least five books in the series, and I will absolutely be reading more.

Book #3

Think Again by Adam Grant (Length: 319 pages).  This book came onto my radar thanks to Instagram (if you don’t follow @SharonSaysSo, you’re missing out!), and I’m glad I read it. This reads like a Malcolm Gladwell book, with lots of relevant anecdotes to illustrate the author’s arguments. His main argument here is that we should all rethink our assumptions, as doing so will force us to consider any gaps in our knowledge. This book is full of practical tips, which I love. For example, when debating someone about a firmly-held idea, instead of focusing on WHY they believe in something, focus on HOW such an idea would work in practice. This forces both sides to figure out what is missing in their assumptions. Also, in a heated argument or negotiation that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, ask “What evidence would change your mind?” If the answer is “Nothing”, there is no point in continuing. (This also has the added benefit of underscoring that evidence may not be the basis for that person’s convictions). While I’m not sure I’ll remember much of this book six months from now, I did get a lot out of reading it, and would absolutely recommend it.

Book #4:

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (Length: 465 pages).  Who knew I was a fan of mermaid horror? I LOVED this book, and literally couldn’t put it down once I hit the 20% point. This is not the best writing, technically speaking, and the character development isn’t very detailed, but the sense of place AND the plot are where this fun novel really sing. There are fantastic science-based details throughout which lend a sense of legitimacy (real or not) to the idea that there are killer mermaids residing in the Mariana Trench in the middle of the ocean. I really enjoyed the novel once the characters arrived onto the luxury research/cruise ship and were anchored above the trench . . . this is when the novel grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. The horror here is more of the gore/suspense type, and not the type that will give you nightmares (unless you happen to be in that area of the ocean of course!). I hope this is a movie someday. If you love the ocean and/or marine life, and if you love being entertained, read this book!