November 2.0

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

The author of The Heart's Invisible Furies, my pick for best book of 2017, is back with another incredible story, exploring the age old siren's song of success and greed. The life of Maurice Swift, a man who relentlessly seeks stories, is a tale of greed, obsession, desperation, and unmitigated ambition. Told through the eyes of the many characters who inhabit the decades of his life, we see Maurice at the beginning of adulthood, willing to do whatever it takes to obtain a publishable story. Next, we observe his mid-life years in the world of writers and publishers, and how his raw need for subsequent stories will drive him to ever darker behavior. Ultimately, we witness his elder years, where life has taken unexpected turns and another's ambition will seek to destroy Maurice. The question is, what came first...the evil or the ambition? This is a provocative novel that will provide a book club with endless conversation and an individual with haunting thoughts.

The Witch Elm by Tana French
Having read every one of Tana French's previous books (yep, there's six of them, all part of the Dublin Murder Squad series), I was itching to get my hand on this stand-alone novel. It did not disappoint. I understand some reviewers on line being frustrated with the length of it, but for a 500 page book, it did not move slowly at all for me. French is the master at developing characters, which is one of the reasons I love her writing. I can see deep into the soul of the people she creates, helping me to better understand the complicated plot lines she lays out. In this book, Toby is our main character, suffering from a traumatic brain injury following a home invasion. As he recovers at his uncle's house outside of Dublin, this home of special childhood memories begins to take on a dark side as a skull and a murder are discovered. French builds the characters and plot methodically and deliberately, but not pointlessly. Great twists and turns abound, leaving the reader satisfied but not in a perfectly-wrapped-package kind of way. If you like Tana French, you will like this book.

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4) by Robert Galbraith
Yes, I love JK Rowling (aka Robert Galbraith) and of course I love HP. But seriously, this woman is just a great storyteller. Her main character of Cormoran Strike is one of my favorites in today's world of British mysteries; he is wretchedly smart, wryly funny, tortured by his past, frustratingly oblivious to his own feelings, and thoroughly delightful. If you haven't read the other three in the series, catch up! But if you haven't, this can be read as a stand alone, but you would miss the development of the relationship between Strike and his assistant/now partner, Robin. This time around these two have their noses in the government, with some crooked ministers, a creepy old country mansion, and a mysterious crime. Solid mystery + engaging characters + thoughtful prose = a hit for me.

The Gods of Gotham (Timothy Wilde #1) by Lyndsay Faye
One of my favorite "listens" over the last few years was Lyndsay Faye's 2016 book, Jane Steele. I loved her sassy voice, her prowess with vocabulary without being too verbose, and the wickedly complex character she creates. So, I thought I should go back and read an earlier series, based around Timothy Wilde, a New York cop. For the record - good decision! Timothy is an interesting man; half his face burnt from a home fire that killed his parents, desperately in love with the pastor's beautiful daughter, complicated relationship with his brother, and a reluctant cop on the newly formed NYC police force, Timothy then decides to adopt a little girl who has information on a murder case. Mid-century New York is a fascinating setting and Faye creates a city that sings with darkness, crime, and rotten politicians, but with a couple good "copper stars" who don't mind getting their hands dirty. Lyndsay Faye is one talented story teller - don't miss her novels.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
Curiosity about Cuba led me to this book, as well as the rave reviews. Admittedly, I am a bit torn. The story is told from two different perspectives: the tale of long ago during the revolution, involving Elisa and her siblings as the privileged planter class watches their world be destroyed; the other story is one of Elisa's granddaughter, coming to modern day Cuba, to sprinkle her grandmother's ashes. I was absorbed with the story of the revolutionary with whom Elisa falls in love, the story of how and why rebels chose to follow Castro, and how it impacted the people of Cuba. However, I would have enjoyed some different viewpoints. Elisa and her family are quite wealthy and they have the means to escape; while Cleeton gives some details of the poor and middle-class left behind, it is quite sparse. And the modern day story was a bit too romance-y for my taste, reading more like a Harlequin novel. With that said, I did enjoy the richness of the Cuban story and might be willing to try the sequel, which is about the older sister Beatriz (more of a rebel, she may be more interesting to me than Elisa). If you're planning a trip to Cuba, this would definitely add to one's knowledge base.