May 2019

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake
A multigenerational saga involving a white WASP family...not exactly topical, right? Yet Sarah Blake imbues this plot line with deeply held family secrets, deeply developed characters, and a long deep walk into privilege. What are the rules? Who should follow them? Are the rules fair, right, consistent? Do they apply to everyone or just if you are white and Protestant? As the 20th century unfolds for the Miltons and the 21st century is born, each generation is confronted with these questions and many more, as the Miltons face tragedy, lost love, betrayal, and death around their lives in New York City, as well as their island life in Maine. My brain was buzzing throughout the second half, as the motifs rang loudly: the anchoresses, women who are walled into chapel walls set to pray for the rest of their life, forcing one to consider how we are imprisoned into our separate tribes; the unchanging life on Crockett Island, as we question tradition and its forces; the greedy pursuit of money and power, asking what one will do to be 'better than.' This is a provocative, stunning, gorgeously written book that is sure to be on many 'best of' lists...cannot recommend it highly enough.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Put two things together - Appalachia and books - and you've got me at 'hello.' Then add in the Blue People of Kentucky and it is mind-blowing. Yes, blue people actually did exist in the hills of Kentucky, due to a genetic disorder with a lot of vowels that caused a lack of oxygen in one's blood. In Richardson's new book, she creates the character of Cussy Carter, a young "Blue" from Troublesome Creek who works as part of Roosevelt's social program delivering books to folks throughout the hill country. Riding on her stubborn mule, Cussy gets to know the unique characters that inhabit these hills, and so do we as the reader. Unfortunately, she also has to tolerate the racism and violence directed towards her, as we see the upheaval during the Great Depression, the fight to unionize coal workers, and the struggle to literally survive. This is a fascinating read, wretchedly sad at times, but ultimately heroic and hopeful.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
What does one do when buying tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway? Listen to the 35 hour book it was based upon, of course. Yes, 35 hours...yikes. I listened as I drove my car, cleaned my house, walked my dog, and even brushed my teeth. At times it was a slog as Chernow throws in literally every small detail of Hamilton's life from birth until death, but about 80% of the time, it was quite interesting. One learns that politics hasn't changed that much (yep, it was nasty and personal back in the 18th century as well), that the Founding Fathers were not the paragons of virtue they have been made out to be, and that much of what they set up as the United States of America has withstood the test of time. Will this help me understand the play? Sure hope so (update: it totally did!), but even so, I am glad I  added some knowledge to my brain.

Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber
In the first book of this trilogy, we were swept into the magic of Caraval, the magical game where the two sisters, Tella and Scarlet, show their brains, their courage, and their devotion to one another. In Legendary, we saw Legend, the master of the game, as the Fates attempt to ruin the human's lives and once again, the sisters step up. Now, in the Finale, the diabolical bad guys, the Fates, are running lose and causing murder and mayhem, literally. Poison is a nasty piece of business as he freezes entire families, the Assassin can move through by time and space creating some helpful solutions, and the Fallen Star has issues with fire torture and power envy. As Julian and Scarlet discover their love for each other, Scarlet also learns of deep secrets that involve her mother, the Fates, and her own past. At the same time, Tella and Legend take part in a love triangle with Jacks, the King of Hearts and a Fate who has an 'interesting' take on relationships. Stephanie Garber brings together the most intriguing cast of characters seen in YA fantasy. Finale is a worthy culmination to this magical and beautiful trilogy.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce
Think Girl on the Train...because this main character, Alison, is a HOT mess. A raging alcoholic, an absentee mother, lousy wife, marginal friend, and a pretty awful mistress as well. So if you're looking for that heroic lawyer who saves the world, Alison is not it. However, she is intriguing as is the story. Defending a woman who readily admits she stabbed her husband to death, Alison is not fully convinced; she knows something else is going on. As she investigates the many strings through all the rabbit holes, we also watch as Alison's marriage disintegrates. As the road to the culmination comes into view, I had a few prescient guesses but Blood Orange is a solid thriller that kept me turning pages.

Who Thought This Was Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should have Answers to When you Work in the White House by Alyssa Mastromonaco, Lauren Oyler
I have now listened to Becoming by Michelle Obama and The World As it Is by Ben Rhodes which are both serious looks at the eight years of the Obama administration (obviously Becoming was a longer look at Michelle's life). This inside look written by Obama's former Head of Scheduling and Deputy Chief of Staff is a totally different take. Mastromonaco jumps all over the place, as in nothing, absolutely nothing, takes place in chronological order. Listening to this book, it at first drove me crazy. Yet I then realized that this is the nature of the beast in the business of politics - jumping from one fire to the next, putting out what one can. I found myself laughing out loud frequently, as Mastromonaco narrates the book herself and she writes some hilarious insider stories (ie. her cat dying, her visit to see the Queen, etc.) If you want to be entertained, if you want to admire the chutzpah of this woman, her brains, her drive, her ambition, all wrapped up in an honest portrayal of all her own foibles, this book is for you. Highly entertaining:)

April 2.0

The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani
This is a gorgeous book in every way: lyrical prose, deep complex characters, fascinating history, and a multi-generational family drama. It follows two story lines, one of today and one during the British occupation of India. Trying to recover from the break-up of her marriage after multiple miscarriages, Jaya travels to a remote Indian village where her ancestors lived, discovering an old servant who tells her the story of her grandmother. As Ravi unwinds the tale of Amisha, we see her stories that she wrote in a notebook, her arranged marriage, the social strata that cripples Indian culture, the voiceless role of women, and the relationship with a British soldier. The stories of these two women intertwine in a magnificent way and touched my heart. If you like historical fiction and family sagas, this is a "can't miss."

The Bear and the Nightingale/The Girl in the Tower/The Winter of the Witch by Katherin Arden

This beautiful trilogy is satisfying on sooo many levels: one, it is beautifully written, with sentence structure and language that makes one's heart sing; it is deeply researched, able to combine historical facts with tales of old; and the plot and characters are so richly developed the cold forests of Russia come alive. Author Katherine Arden combines Russian medieval history with Russian folklore to create a heroine for the ages, a strong woman named Vasya. The tale begins with a little girl, touched by the Frost king, with the ability to see house demons and forest witches. As the history of Russian spools out, we see the battle to unite the city states against the Mongolian hordes as the pull towards development clashes with the old world beliefs. The age old question of "Can tradition and modernity survive together?" is explored. There is romance, political intrigue, battles, fantasy, death, rebirth, yeah pretty much everything in this trilogy. I spoke to NO ONE for three days as I devoured this gorgeous series.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
Having listened to this powerful, topical memoir, I wish I had read it instead. It is a poetical telling of Kiese Laymon's life growing up in Mississipp and his long road to a professorship and professional writer. Laymon writes the book to his mother, always referring to "you" as he tells of his many struggles through eating disorders, gambling addiction, relationship trouble, issues of racial discrimination, all through the eyes of the relationship with his mother. It is an uncomfortable read, forcing one to look at the world through Kiese's eyes, and not one's own eyes. This would be a provocative book for a book club as it has hours of hot topic discussion buttons to push.

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
Having loved Swanson's first thriller, The Kind Worth Killing, I had to pick this one for my BOTM club pick (yes, that is still a thing, and yes it is a great deal with some great book choices and no I don't get paid to say this), and it did not disappoint. What I find most intriguing about Swanson is his ability, as well as his penchant, to create evil characters that are not wholly evil, that contain a certain moral logic to their behavior, that makes me question who the heck I am rooting for, the good guy or bad guy?? In this case, a young artist named Hen recently settled in a suburb outside of Boston fixates on her neighbor, convinced he has committed murder in his past. The coincidences are a bit contrived, yet that is part of Hen's own issues with going to the police...will they believe her? will they wonder how she could live on the same street as the victim in Boston and then move next door to the killer? is she making it all up due to her bi-polar disorder? who will believe her, other than the killer? Swanson handles the plot twists deftly, and is respectful in how he deals with bi-polar as a disorder that is part of one's daily life. This is a roller coaster ride of a book.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy
Since planning a tripto Charleston, I have tried to read every fiction book about this beautiful city (The Invention of Wings, A Tangled Mercy, Trouble the Water), but the list would not have been complete without the love letter to Charleston, South of Broad, by the quintessential South Carolinian writer, Pat Conroy. Wow, this man can write. I mean seriously - his words are magic, his sentences are poetry, his characters are so rich and full of depth. The book was written ten years ago and I was surprised to find it as topical today as it was in 2009. Following a group of eight friends, we see the Charleston of 1969, San Francisco during the AIDS epidemic, and Charleston during Hurricane Hugo. I became so invested in the characters lives that they lived and breathed in my dreams. Whether you are going to Charleston or not, if you have never read Pat Conroy, do yourself a favor and pick up a book of his - you will be transported to a world where writers live and breath literature.

The King of Scars (Nikolai Duology, #1) by Leigh Bardugo
Welcome back to the grishaverse (if you have read the Shadow & Bones series or the Six of Crows duology, you'll understand - and if you haven't, catch up already!). To lovers of YA fantasy, Leigh Bardugo is a master of the genre. Once again we travel back to Ravka where the kingdom is in a bit of trouble as the new king, good ole Nicolai from her previous books, cannot seem to get rid of the pesky creature that lives inside his black scars and transforms him into a monster at night. His trusted court must find a way to fill Ravka's treasury in order to fight off their enemies, find Nicolai a wife so he can make some alliances, make the dead come alive for a little revenge, and yes, rid him of that monster. Once again, Bardugo creates a magical world full of terrifying villains, intelligent and strong heroes of both sexes, and some plot twists that leave one wondering if our favorites will survive (she does have a nasty habit in previous books of killing off our loved ones). Word to the wise however - read a summary of her past grishaverse books to remind you of the characters and plot twists - it is quite necessary as she doesn't summarize anything from past tales.