Book #21:

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski (Length: 267 pages).  This is a sweet, feel-good novel about a group of elderly Catholic church ladies in the small town of Northwoods, who cook massive feasts of casseroles and desserts for every funeral in their town. Esther, one of the afore-mentioned ladies, who is facing losing her family home (due to an embarrassing circumstance) and her granddaughter Iris, are the focus of this book. Both love men who suffer from PTSD and part of this story is about the dynamics that occur in romantic relationships. Those parts aren’t easy to read but the overall story arc is really sweet (yet not saccharine) and this is well-written, with perfect pacing. I raced through it. 4 solid stars from me.

Book #22

Jane and Dan At the End of the World by Colleen Oakley (Length: 368 pages). This is the third novel by this author I’ve read so far, and it’s my favorite. Jane and Dan go to an uber-exclusive restaurant (courtesy of a raffle they randomly won) where a hostage situation develops exactly as Jane tells Jan she wants a divorce after almost 2 decades of marriage. The kicker? The developing situation mirrors her first novel she got published (with lackluster numbers). This is laugh-out-loud funny, very well-written, and fast-paced. The premise is memorable because it’s so unusual. I was smiling during most of the novel. Five stars from me.

Book #23:

You Like it Darker by Stephen King (Length: 510 pages).  King has collated a diverse collection of short stories here. Some are much longer and some are very short, but each is well-written, and I enjoyed each one. My favorites in the bunch are “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream” which is about a psychic dream Danny (a high school janitor) has which results in him being accused of a murder, “Rattlesnakes” which is about yes, rattlesnakes, and dead twin boys who won’t go away and “The Answer Man” who is a modern-day genie who answers questions about your life, if you ask them the correct way. King, as always, is such a solid writer, and I enjoyed every minute I spent with this collection. 5 stars!

Book #24:

How to Have a Happy Birthday by Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming (Length: 148 pages).  I was gifted this book (along with its companion workbook) by the publisher. I enjoyed this easy-to-read volume full of ideas on how to reframe how to think of your birthday once you are an adult. The author skillfully helps you to figure out the basis for any negative feelings you may be harboring about this special day via various anecdotes and stories. She parcels out concrete tips on how to “have a happy birthday”. This would be a fun gift idea to a birthday grinch in your life . . . just be sure to gift it to them a month or so before, so they maximize their enjoyment based on these tips.