Tag: fiction

December 2024–Part One

December 16, 2024

Book #103:

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (Length: 304 pages). This psychological thriller is very well-plotted and executed and it’s smart! I didn’t see the big twist coming here, but of course, looking back all of the signs were there. The premise is a couple who has been married for coming up on ten years wins a stay at a very remote B&B in Scotland during the winter, and things get very creepy, very quickly. I had a mounting sense of dread almost the entire way through and couldn’t stop reading. I love when that happens! Because of the nature of the twist here, I’d recommend the written version of this novel over the audio. I give this a solid 4 stars!  

Book #104:

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis (Length: 413 pages). Ashlyn Greer is a young woman who owns a used bookstore and also restores old books. She happens to have a gift for psychometry and can sense the emotions of readers/owners of old books, so when she comes across a beautiful pair of books with no author’s name but with intense emotions attached, she starts to investigate the provenance of these books. This is a beautiful love story: well-written and not manipulative, which I appreciate. The storyline here is very memorable and while this was slow to start for me, I am so glad I picked this one up. 4.5 stars from me!

Book #105:

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver (Length: 372 pages).  I’ve had this book for the entire past year, having selected it from the Book of the Month club. I waited until this month to read it because I wanted to enjoy its promised seasonal vibe, and it absolutely delivered! I LOVE this book. It’s set in New York City, obviously, and the premise here is Iris, a young British chef escapes a problematic romantic relationship and comes to New York to start over. She visits a gelato shop she recognizes from her mom’s old photos, and it turns out her mom has the only existing copy of the family vanilla gelato recipe which, thanks to a somewhat unbelievable series of events, is very necessary or the business will go under. It doesn’t hurt that the shop owner’s son Gio is a total hottie! This does have more depth than most rom-coms, I adored all of the characters here and the winter in NYC setting is magical! 5 solid stars from me.

Book #106:

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M.C. Beaton (Length: 224 pages).  This is the second book in the Queen of the Village Mystery Series featuring Agatha Raisin. I listened to this on audio (and it was delightful–so easy and fun to listen to!). I am growing to like Agatha a bit more but I’ve read one doesn’t truly get to like (and understand her) until further on in the series. This installment features a handsome new vet who tries his luck at opening his business in the village, but doesn’t seem to like animals at all. He does, however, seem to be drawn to all of the single ladies who have larger pocketbooks. Agatha solves the mystery here with the helpful of her reluctant (single and handsome) neighbor and they get into all sorts of good trouble. I enjoyed this one! The setting is just as charming, the mystery is more at the forefront in this second novel and it’s an easy read/listen. 4 stars from me.

Book #107:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Length:355 pages). This magical book is in the top 3 books I’ve read this year! Set in a fancy hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, which has been rented out for a $1 million wedding, Phoebe Stone (the sole guest who isn’t involved with this wedding), has arrived with the sole intention of enjoying her $800/night penthouse suite for one single night, before killing herself. Instead, Phoebe gets strong-armed into being the willful bride’s confidante and is sucked into participating in all of the drama of the week-long wedding. Spending a week with the various members of the party affects her in unexpected ways. The writing here is truly lovely, the main characters are all multi-dimensional and fantastic and the supporting characters are funny and charming. There are some laugh-out-loud lines of dialogue and while trigger warnings do abound (suicide, obviously, along with infidelity), nothing here is gratuitous in my opinion. A solid 5 stars from me!

November 2024–Part One

November 18, 2024

Book #93:

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (Length: 384 pages).  This first book in a series of rom-coms went viral on TikTok, and since I was in the mood for a “cozy” rom-com, I picked it up. Set in Dream Harbor, a small town in New England, this novel features Jeanie, the brand-new owner of the Pumpkin Spice Cafe and Logan, a quiet, handsome bearded farmer. One might suspect nothing bad or stressful happens in a cafe with this name, and one would be correct . . . this is cute, charming and nothing too deep or particularly well-written. It’s a great palate-cleanser between meatier reads, however, so it does the trick. 3.5 stars.

Book #94:

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (Length: 320 pages). WHOA. This mystery/thriller is very creepy and unsettling, and downright scary in parts. The premise is a woman answers her door, and a family is standing there. The father talks their way inside, saying he just wants to show his family his former childhood home, and things go downhill from there. There is a bit of an unreliable narrator here (which isn’t my favorite trope) but I enjoyed this novel, overall. There a few “articles” that appear every few chapters which provide some needed background (not sure how these would play out in an audio version, however). There are a few surprise twists, and I definitely found it to be scary. Don’t read this one if you’re home alone at night! 4 stars for this fun read!

Book #95:

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (Length: 400 pages).  This historical fiction novel is based on the lives of haenyo, the female divers who supported their families while the fathers took care of children in Korea in the early 20th century. The main historical event in this book is the horrific Bukchon Massacre which occurred on 4/3/49 where up to 80K Koreans were killed. The sections on diving are absolutely fascinating, and the female friendship at the center is fully drawn. This is dark, sad and very well-written. 4 stars from me.

Book #96:

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand (Length: 272 pages).  I’m a bit burned out on Hilderbrand but I’ve heard this series is her best, and I like that it’s set in the wintertime on Nantucket Island. This is the first in the series and it centers on the Quinn family. The book starts with a bunch of drama right off the bat, with wife #2 leaving the family patriarch, Kelley, and each of Kelley’s adult children (and wife #1) all have their own issues going on. But nothing is super serious, and Hilderbrand’s writing style is top-notch here: smooth, well-written, propulsive plot and fun character interactions. Because it’s the first in a series it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I’m not sure I’ll keep reading any further. 3.5 stars from me.

Book #97:

The Deaf GIrl by Abigail Heringer (Length: 240). This is a memoir written by the first deaf contestant on the Bachelor show, with a cochlear implant. I have a loved one who has recently started wearing such an implant, so I picked this one up with the intention to learn a bit more about the realities of hearing-impaired and deaf people’s lives who choose this device. To that end, this book is worth reading. The writing is (understandably) juvenile given it’s not the author’s job, but I learned quite a bit and would absolutely recommend if you, like me, want a firsthand account of how this device can impact one’s hearing and life.

October 2021–Part Two

October 20, 2021

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 Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Length: 482 pages). I really enjoyed this very atmospheric Gothic thriller. It’s similar to Mexican Gothic, but with a more fleshed out (and creepy) plot. The house is also its own character in this novel. I found the character arc of the protagonist Dr. Faraday to be interesting. He goes from fairly unlikeable to worth rooting for, and then back to, OMG please stop being such as ass. I thought the writing here is beautiful. The pacing is a bit slow in the middle but I was able to easily keep reading, and I was happy to pass this one on to a like-minded reader friend knowing she would enjoy it as much as I did. Great reading for October!  

Book #2:

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres (Length: 402 pages).  I’ve had this memoir on my Kindle for quite a while, and I don’t remember who recommended it to me. This is written by a woman with five siblings, two of whom are adopted and are Black. The younger of the boys, David, is who the author was bonded with (and whose photo is on the cover of the book). Their bond is due to extreme emotional and physical abuse by the religious zealot parents (the physical abuse was only inflicted on the Black siblings). The author and her brother are ultimately sent to a religious “reform” school in the Dominican Republic when they are teenagers. I found the author’s writing to be excellent . . . she tackles the hypocrisies of Evangelical Christianity (and its related racism) with clear eyes and a complete lack of drama, even while recounting graphic tales of incest and abuse. This is worth a read, and if your book club is sufficiently open-minded regarding organized religion, this memoir should generate some fantastic conversations.

Book #3:

Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton (Length: 303 pages).  This is the very first “cozy mystery” I’ve ever read, thanks to picking up a small pile of them at a used library book sale. The plot of this one is very cute. Set in a book and typewriter repair shop in scenic Star City, Utah, which also happens to be the home to an international movie festival (think Sundance), the character development here is not the star attraction. The mystery and the plot are why readers like these mysteries, and while this one is very basic (and free of violence on the page), it’s fun to try to solve. This is a super quick read, I appreciated all of the bookish talk, and I found the plot was moving along sufficiently enough to keep my interest. A fun diversion for sure, and I’ll definitely read some more in the future.

Book #4:

Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (Length: 588 pages).  Since I’m obsessed with this author’s previous two novels (A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility both reviewed here previously), I was pretty nervous to read his latest novel in case it didn’t live up to his other books. I’m so happy to say that I LOVE this book! It’s similar to Rules in tone, and as with both of his other books, the character development is fantastic here. Even when I found myself not liking a character, I was able to understand WHY they were acting the way they were. The story arc concerns two brothers, Emmett and Billy Watson, who decide to travel along the Lincoln Highway in 1954, from Nebraska to California. Emmett has just been released early from a work farm for wayward boys thanks to the death of the boys’ father. Eight-year-old Billy wants to try to find their mother in San Francisco, and Emmett wants a fresh start, but they somehow find themselves in New York City along with a few other boys from the work camp. The tone of this novel reminds me of Of Mice and Men, for some reason–maybe it’s the journey. The cast of characters in this novel is delightful and the thread of the plot propels the story just quickly enough to maintain your interest. Billy captured my heart and I will absolutely count this gem of a novel in the top 10 books of this year for sure.

Book #5:

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Length: 313 pages).  I adore this author–she is a fun follow on Instagram, and I will read anything she writes. This psychological thriller is a quick and fun read, and focuses on the relationship between Fern (who is on the spectrum) and her neurotypical sister Rose. Told in alternating chapters between Rose’s diary entries (flashing back to the girls’ childhood with their single mom) and in present time from Fern’s perspective, the plot is propulsive and I dare you to stop reading to find out what happens next. Fern is delightful, and I love her descriptions of working in the public library and her interactions with her coworkers and library patrons. She meets Rocco/Wally, who also may be on the spectrum, and her portrayal of one of her first adult romantic relationships is charming. The twist is fairly obvious early on, and the author comes right out with it about halfway through, but it’s still a great ride (and read). I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Book Reviews–September 2019

October 1, 2019

Welcome!  I have large stacks of books TBR (To Be Read) on my nightstand, plus electronic stacks of books lined up in my Kindle, as well as books on hold at the library.  As I read these books, I love to share my thoughts and opinions of what I’ve read here in this space, because I enjoy sharing my passion for books with others.  I do have an eclectic taste in books, and will choose books based on my mood, or what’s going on in my life that week.  Finally, the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.  Thank you!)  I hope you enjoy this series.

Book #1: 

A Better ManA Better Man  by Louise Penny (Length: 417 pages).  When one is obsessed with an author and a series, one often is simultaneously excited and nervous with each installment in the series, because what if it’s not as good as the previous books?  I was SO relieved to discover that this novel, the 15th in the series about the village of Three Pines and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is probably the best book written so far.  This is also the first time I’ve ever pre-ordered a book, but I was that excited about this book.  The characters and the central mystery are as top-notch as ever in this mystery, which is actually mostly set in Three Pines (not all of the books have been).  I adore reading Penny’s Acknowledgements at the end of her novels, as they get better and better.  Finally, I was absolutely surprised by the resolution of the mystery in this novel, which I love!  This is a must read.  (I’d advise starting with her first novel, Still Life, which is a bit slow to start, but stick with it).  

From the publisher:

Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.

It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.

As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.

Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel…, he resumes the search.

As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.

In the next novel in this “constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves” (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question.

What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?

Book #2: 

Harry's TreesHarry’s Trees  by Jon Cohen (Length: 432 pages).  After Louise Penny’s novel, this is honestly the best book I’ve read all year, and maybe even in the past two years.  I just adore this novel!   There are two parallel stories involving two different grieving widow/ers and the widow’s child who meet in a forest.  There are references to trees throughout, with lots of educational tidbits shared with the reader.  The storyline is a bit offbeat and fun, and interesting all around.  The writing is excellent, the character development is deep, and the author has created a beautiful sense of place.  There’s even a library!!!  The ending is satisfying, but not too perfect, which I appreciate.  This is a must read!!

From the publisher:

A grieving widower, a determined girl, a courageous librarian and a mysterious book come together in an uplifting tale of love, loss, friendship and redemption.

Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane works as an analyst for the US Forest Service. When his wife dies suddenly, Harry, despairing, retreats north to lose himself in the remote woods of the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She and her mother, Amanda, are struggling to pick up the pieces from their own tragic loss of Oriana’s father. Discovering Harry while roaming the forest, Oriana believes that he holds the key to righting her world.

Harry reluctantly agrees to help Oriana carry out an astonishing scheme inspired by a book given to her by the town librarian, Olive Perkins. Together, Harry and Oriana embark on a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wild dream—and ultimately open Harry’s heart to new life.

Book #3: 

Illumination NightIllumination Night  by Alice Hoffman (Length: 276 pages).  I really enjoyed this novel.  The author is known for her writing, and she doesn’t disappoint with this particular novel.  I enjoyed her vivid depictions of the main characters (about 6 total).  The plot is a bit slow-paced, but it’s worth it as this book is more about relationships (between parents/son, grandmother/granddaughter, lovers, etc).  Not all of the characters are likeable, but that’s okay here.  The storyline about the “giant” who lives nearby is my favorite.   This is very well-done, and would make a good book club book!

From the publisher:

Elizabeth Renny has only made two decisions of consequence in her seventy-plus years. While the first, marrying her husband, had adequate results, the second—deciding she could fly from her bedroom window—is less successful. But her flight sets in motion a series of events that will forever change the lives of six residents of Martha’s Vineyard: a young boy who refuses to grow, a wife stifled by her irrational anxiety, a husband tempted by the unknown, a girl flirting with disaster, a gentle giant tortured by his size, and an old woman with nothing to lose.

Praised as “an intelligent novel” by the New York Times and “achingly vivid” by Newsday, Illumination Night is a sparkling and heartbreaking narrative that explores marriage, friendship, youth, yearning, disillusionment, and desire, a book as bright and memorable as the festival of lanterns for which it is named.

Book #4:  

The Last House GuestThe Last House Guest  by Megan Miranda (Length: 352 pages).  I’ve read the author’s previous suspense novels so I was looking forward to this one.  It’s a fun and fast read, and is well-written, overall.  I enjoyed the setting on the coast of Maine, and the dichotomy between the haves and the have-nots.  The Loman Family owns the majority of the rental properties in this enclave, and the narrator/protagonist is their young property manager.  The mystery at the heart of this novel is well-crafted.  I suspected one part of the solution but didn’t see the other part coming at all.  The story is well-paced and plotted.  Would make an excellent vacation/travel read.  

From the publisher:

Littleport, Maine, has always felt like two separate towns: an ideal vacation enclave for the wealthy, whose summer homes line the coastline; and a simple harbor community for the year-round residents whose livelihoods rely on service to the visitors.

Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.

Another thrilling novel from the bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger, Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read with a strong female protagonist determined to make her own way in the world.

Book #5: 

The GrammariansThe Grammarians by Cathleen Schine (Length: 272 pages).  This is such a unique and fun read for anyone who loves words and language.  The novel follows the entire lives of word-obsessed twins, including their sibling rivalry, and their very different adult lives.  I enjoyed the wordplay and the definitions throughout.  If you love language and words as much as these characters do, you’ll enjoy this quick read.  

From the publisher:

An enchanting, comic love letter to sibling rivalry and the English language.

From the author compared to Nora Ephron and Nancy Mitford, not to mention Jane Austen, comes a new novel celebrating the beauty, mischief, and occasional treachery of language.

The Grammarians are Laurel and Daphne Wolfe, identical, inseparable redheaded twins who share an obsession with words. They speak a secret “twin” tongue of their own as toddlers; as adults making their way in 1980s Manhattan, their verbal infatuation continues, but this love, which has always bound them together, begins instead to push them apart. Daphne, copy editor and grammar columnist, devotes herself to preserving the dignity and elegance of Standard English. Laurel, who gives up teaching kindergarten to write poetry, is drawn, instead, to the polymorphous, chameleon nature of the written and spoken word. Their fraying twinship finally shreds completely when the sisters go to war, absurdly but passionately, over custody of their most prized family heirloom: Merriam Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition.

Cathleen Schine has written a playful and joyful celebration of the interplay of language and life. A dazzling comedy of sisterly and linguistic manners, a revelation of the delights and stresses of intimacy, The Grammarians is the work of one of our great comic novelists at her very best.

Book #6: 

Mrs EverythingMrs. Everything  by Jennifer Weiner (Length: 481 pages).  Ugh.  I’ve read some of this author’s previous novels and was looking forward to a light-hearted, witty fun book.  This was not my favorite, by far.  The author follows the lives of two sisters, from the 1950s on.  It seems to me like the author wanted to write a feminist commentary on society, so she made a list of every “shocking” thing that can happen to women (ie, molestation, date rape, gang rape, unsafe abortion, etc) and shoehorned them into the novel’s narrative.  I am in no way offended by any of the above topics, and think they are important and should be written about, but I just don’t appreciate when they are gratuitous (in my opinion) to the plot.  Moreover, the inconsistencies in details irked me (ie, the girls’ father was an accountant for the Ford plant and thus brought home a new Ford every few years.  Yet later one of the characters mentions the new Chevrolet models that were brought home.  She also constantly switches between the character’s names “Melissa” and “Missy” sometimes within the same few sentences).   I did like how the author wrapped everything up at the end, so there’s that.  Overall, however, I wouldn’t recommend this book.  I may be alone in my opinion, so if I am and you enjoyed this novel, please share why!  I’d love to know what I may have missed here.  

From the publisher:

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?

Book Reviews–August 2019

September 1, 2019

Welcome!  I have large stacks of books TBR (To Be Read) on my nightstand, plus electronic stacks of books lined up in my Kindle, as well as books on hold at the library.  As I read these books, I love to share my thoughts and opinions of what I’ve read here in this space, because I enjoy sharing my passion for books with others.  I do have an eclectic taste in books, and will choose books based on my mood, or what’s going on in my life that week.  Finally, the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.  Thank you!)  I hope you enjoy this series.

Book #1: 

MIracle CreekMiracle Creek  by Angie Kim (Length: 349 pages).  I really enjoyed this book!  It’s very well-written, the plot is paced perfectly and I think all of the characters are drawn very well.  There are some flashbacks throughout the novel, but the majority is centered around a criminal murder trial (regarding arson at a hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatment center).  The trial is actually pretty realistic (important for this ex-trial attorney) except for the standard hearsay issues.  😉   This would be an excellent book club pick as there is lots to discuss regarding treatment of autistic children, and how far parents are willing to go for their children (autistic or not).  

From the publisher:

The “gripping… page-turner” (Time) hitting all the best of summer reading lists, Miracle Creek is perfect for book clubs and fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng

How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies?

In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they’re part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it’s clear the explosion wasn’t an accident.

A powerful showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Chapter by chapter, we shift alliances and gather evidence: Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owners, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn’t safe?

Book #2: 

L'appartl’appart  by David Lebovitz (Length: 370 pages).  This is a very interesting (albeit frustrating at times) account written by a renowned chef/cookbook author who buys and renovates an apartment in Paris.  I found myself getting frustrated with the author’s continued refusal to listen to his Parisian husband regarding how to act more French (ie, exert his authority over the general contractor and the sub contractors).  Instead, he’s the “nice American” and is taken advantage of throughout.  Still worth reading to learn about French culture, food and home renovations abroad.  The recipes at the end of each chapter are really fun to read, and I enjoyed the journey sufficiently enough to want to continue reading the author’s personal blog for the photos of the finished renovation as well as more stories about living and travelling in France.   

From the publisher:

Bestselling author and world-renowned chef David Lebovitz continues to mine the rich subject of his evolving ex-Pat life in Paris, using his perplexing experiences in apartment renovation as a launching point for stories about French culture, food, and what it means to revamp one’s life. Includes dozens of new recipes.

When David Lebovitz began the project of updating his apartment in his adopted home city, he never imagined he would encounter so much inexplicable red tape while contending with perplexing work ethic and hours. Lebovitz maintains his distinctive sense of humor with the help of his partner Romain, peppering this renovation story with recipes from his Paris kitchen. In the midst of it all, he reveals the adventure that accompanies carving out a place for yourself in a foreign country—under baffling conditions—while never losing sight of the magic that inspired him to move to the City of Light many years ago, and to truly make his home there.

 

Book #3: 

The Gifted SchoolThe Gifted School  by Bruce Holsinger (Length: 462 pages).  This was such a FUN read.  It reminded me of Big, Little Lies, and I could see this also being made into a TV movie or series.  I’m not a fan of the parents in this novel, but you’re not supposed to be, I don’t think.  I see people I know in this book which is interesting.  😉  There is a well-structured plot with a surprising twist, which I always enjoy.  I found the resolution to be satisfying as well.  This would be a GREAT book club book–lots to discuss and maybe even lots to learn from.  

From the publisher:

Smart and juicy, a compulsively readable novel about a previously happy group of friends and parents that is nearly destroyed by their own competitiveness when an exclusive school for gifted children opens in the community

This deliciously sharp novel captures the relentless ambitions and fears that animate parents and their children in modern America, exploring the conflicts between achievement and potential, talent and privilege.

Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado, The Gifted School is a keenly entertaining novel that observes the drama within a community of friends and parents as good intentions and high ambitions collide in a pile-up with long-held secrets and lies. Seen through the lens of four families who’ve been a part of one another’s lives since their kids were born over a decade ago, the story reveals not only the lengths that some adults are willing to go to get ahead, but the effect on the group’s children, sibling relationships, marriages, and careers, as simmering resentments come to a boil and long-buried, explosive secrets surface and detonate. It’s a humorous, keenly observed, timely take on ambitious parents, willful kids, and the pursuit of prestige, no matter the cost.

Book #4: 

The SilkwormThe Silkworm  by Robert Galbraith (Length: 465 pages).  I am already a true Cormoran Strike fan, just after reading book #1, and now I’m even more of a fan.  JK Rowling (the actual author) excels at creating exciting plots with many twists and turns, as well as well-drawn characters with depth and detailed backstories.  I love Cormoran and his assistant Robin even more now.  In this particular mystery I didn’t see the solution until it was revealed, which I love!  It’s very smartly done.  It IS a very long book (an 8 hour Kindle read!) but no pages, or even words, are wasted here.  This would be an excellent novel to read on a long plane ride, or even on the beach.  I couldn’t wait to pick this book up at the end of the day, and found myself thinking about it during the day–always a sign of a good read!  (I would definitely advise reading the first book in this series before starting this one, although it could be read standing alone).  

From the publisher:

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo’s Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days–as he has done before–and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.
But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives–meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.
When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before…
A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

Book #5: 

Maybe you should talk to someoneMaybe You Should Talk to Someone  by Lori Gottlieb (Length: 433 pages).  I’ve had this book on hold at my local library for ages, and it was worth the wait!  It’s SO good!  It’s a memoir of sorts, written by a psychologist, and she talks about both her life as well as a handful of her clients and their actual therapy sessions.  I enjoyed reading about the juxtaposition between what she was dealing with personally as well as professionally.  She also discusses and explains some psychology theories which I find fascinating.  This book is SO interesting, and very well-written.  I can absolutely see why it’s being developed into a TV show.  

From the publisher:

From a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist, a hilarious, thought-provoking, and surprising new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist’s world–where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose of­fice she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients’ lives — a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can’t stop hooking up with the wrong guys — she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Book #6: 

RecursionRecursion  by Blake Crouch (Length: 324 pages).  I was very excited to finally get my hands on this book, as I really enjoyed Dark Matter by this author.  This novel is similar to the previous novel as it’s got a fast-paced plot with lots of forward (and backward) movement.  It’s enjoyable so long as you don’t get bogged down into the “how” it’s all happening.  Lots of theoretical physics, time travel, neuroscience and wormholes . . . all of which is WAY above my head, but I was able to suspend any disbelief (of what I actually understand is possible) and just go along for the ride.  The two major characters in this book are pretty likeable but don’t read this for any major character development.  

From the publisher:

“A time-twisting, mind-bending novel, perfect for summer reading.”—The New York Times Book Review

Memory makes reality. That’s what New York City cop Barry Sutton is learning as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.

Neuroscientist Helena Smith already understands the power of memory. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious moments of our pasts. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face-to-face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.

But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?

Book #7:

The White DarknessThe White Darkness  by David Grann (Length: 142 pages).  I’m not sure where I first heard about this novella but I’m glad I picked it up.  I’m a sucker for any type of adventure memoir, and this one fits the bill.  I remember reading (and loving) Endurance by Alfred Lansing, about Ernest Shackleton’s attempt to reach the South Pole.  This is a modern-day version of that journey.  While not written by the adventurer himself, this author does an excellent job of sharing Worsley’s story of why he wanted to finish the cross-Antarctica journey started by Ernest Shackleton all those years earlier.  This book ends with Worsley’s solo attempt to cross Antarctica in 2015.  Definitely worth a read if you’re an armchair adventurer like me!

From the publisher:

Henry Worsley was a devoted husband and father and a decorated British special forces officer who believed in honor and sacrifice. He was also a man obsessed. He spent his life idolizing Ernest Shackleton, the nineteenth-century polar explorer, who tried to become the first person to reach the South Pole, and later sought to cross Antarctica on foot. Shackleton never completed his journeys, but he repeatedly rescued his men from certain death, and emerged as one of the greatest leaders in history.

Worsley felt an overpowering connection to those expeditions. He was related to one of Shackleton’s men, Frank Worsley, and spent a fortune collecting artifacts from their epic treks across the continent. He modeled his military command on Shackleton’s legendary skills and was determined to measure his own powers of endurance against them. He would succeed where Shackleton had failed, in the most brutal landscape in the world.

In 2008, Worsley set out across Antarctica with two other descendants of Shackleton’s crew, battling the freezing, desolate landscape, life-threatening physical exhaustion, and hidden crevasses. Yet when he returned home he felt compelled to go back. On November 13, 2015, at age 55, Worsley bid farewell to his family and embarked on his most perilous quest: to walk across Antarctica alone.

David Grann tells Worsley’s remarkable story with the intensity and power that have led him to be called “simply the best narrative nonfiction writer working today.” Illustrated with more than fifty stunning photographs from Worsley’s and Shackleton’s journeys, The White Darkness is both a gorgeous keepsake volume and a spellbinding story of courage, love, and a man pushing himself to the extremes of human capacity.