September 2.0

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman is a go-to author for me. The history is always deeply researched, her characters flushed out and made human, and the writing...well, it is just magical. In her latest novel, set in WWII France, Hoffman makes good on a promise made to an audience member at a book talk, to tell the story of the Jewish people, to not forget, to remember the pain and suffering, but also the heroes who arose. Her characters are gorgeous: Ettie, the rabbi's daughter who wants to study with the boys, who creates the golem to protect a child, who fights for her world; Hanni, who suffers the greatest loss, who pours her tears into the golem's eyes so that she looks on her child with a mother's love, who knows the world as she knew it is gone; Lea, the child to be protected, who grows into a woman who sees the possibility in the new world to come, who must make the most painful choice of life or death; Julian and Victor, the two disparate brothers, who watch their Parisian world be destroyed, who fight in different ways, who sacrifice everything; Marianne and her father, the Huguenots, who rebel in the French mountains and fight to save thousands of Jewish children, to change their world; and Ava, the golem, made of mud and blood and tears, who is bound to protect, to defend, to kill if need be, who dances with a heron, who sees the Angel of Death and the World to Come, who must find a place in this world. Do. Not. Miss. This. Book.

The 10,000 Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
I requested an early copy of this book due to the cover (I mean, really!) but the writing, the story, the main character blew me away! This is one of my favorite books of the year. January is a young, lonely, semi-orphan, stuck with a rich old man as her guardian while her father explores the world, ostensibly looking for treasures. However, once January begins to read the secret book of his life, she starts to understand the magic portals that lead to adventures, secret lives, and danger. This author can seriously WRITE, and gives her main character a sassy authentic voice to tell her story. January is oh so human, making mistakes like many teenage girls, yet she surrounds herself with a heroic supporting cast. And the fact that January uses books to escape - isn't that what we all do when we bury ourselves in a book?? I could not put this book down. Alix Harrow transported me to worlds of magic, and swept me away from my mundane life.

The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2)by Margaret Atwood
As a huge fan of not only The Handmaid's Tale (the book, not the show), and Margaret Atwood's other writing, my expectations were high. Did this book meet all of them? No. Did it entertain me and keep me turning pages? Absolutely. Can she still write the socks off most people? You bet. In this account, the story is told by three narrators: the baby Offred sends to Canada in hopes of a better life; Offred's first daughter, left behind in Gilead, training to be a Commander's Wife; and Aunt Lydia, the evil manipulator of the first book. Once again, Atwood plays with time as we are yanked back and forth, following the life events that drive the plot for each character. I found Lydia's background most fascinating; it is provocative to think what one might do for survival. A few small plot holes exist for me, and I found myself wondering "Would Atwood have written this sequel without the success of the television show?" Regardless, it is a worthy follow up and gives some closure to Offred and the freaky deaky world of Gilead (that is coming just far too close for comfort in our world of today).

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I am quite torn on this one. On on hand, it is a beautifully written, lyrical, evocative tale that exposes the truth of slavery in all its ugliness. The  main character, Hiram Walker, is born a slave, yet son to the master, part of the Underground, yet 'Tasked' to labor, in love with a woman yet cannot own or control her, son to a dead woman yet is orphaned as she is sold south. It is a powerful story. However, it was a bit of a slog. It is looooong, there are so many characters to keep track of, and while the writing is gorgeous, there's just too much of it. The long, beautifully descriptive paragraphs wore me down at times. Obviously the man can write; his non-fiction book, Between the World and Me, as well as his writing for The Atlantic, proves that. I just did not need it proven to me over and over again. There's my honest take on this book, which I am sure will be highly lauded in smarter circles than to which I belong.

The Most Fun We've Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Family drama on steroids in this long book of over 500 pages. It was tempting to just forego it, no matter all the positive reviews I had heard. I mean really, it was soooooo long. However, I read it in just two days (okay, I have no life and it was seriously wicked good). In varying perspectives and time periods, it tells the story of the Sorenson family and their four daughters: David, a doctor, and a rather stodgy father; Marilyn, the mother whose life took a different track, who loves her husband senselessly; Wendy, the oldest, a drunk, a busybody, with a wicked tongue and a complicated past; Violet, the 'good' daughter, with a dark secret; Liza, the professor with a clinically depressed boyfriend and an unintended pregnancy; and Grace, the 'epilogue' in the family who has no idea where the hell she's going. I kinda hated all of them for the first 100 pages, especially when the 'secret' comes out and disrupts everyone's lives. Yet the realness of family life comes through eventually, making me laugh out loud, or want to wring their neck, or roll my eyes, or completely relate to the craziness of family. It is just a great story.

A Field Guide to the Jewish People: Who They are, Where They Come Frome, What to Feed them...and Much More. Maybe Too Much More? by Dave Barry, Adam Mansbach, Alan Zweibel
I picked up and read this book in a day, the weekend of the terrible El Paso and Dayton mass shootings; I needed warmth and light and distraction from the horrors of the real world and this book provided just that. These three comedic writers take on all the stereotypes of Jewish culture and life and skewer them, shining a humorous yet pointed light on the history of Judaism. Quite often, I found myself laughing out loud, as well as thinking "Yep, I've seen that" or "Wow, never knew!" My own daughter converted to Judaism a few years ago, getting married under a chuppah, so while I have learned much from her, I also needed a crash course that entertained me. This book provides the exact amount of knowledge and laughter.

Inland by Tea Obreht
Literally could not finish. Listened to four hours and was bored beyond tears. Perhaps someone else will like it better?

September

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Way back in 2013, our book club chose to read Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. We all loved it, though I had never heard of his previous books. Ordinary Grace was a huge hit...but where was his next book? Usually authors capitalize on the buzz and pump out the next book quickly (and I find often, not nearly as good of a book). My oh my, I am so glad Krueger took his time with This Tender Land as it is well worth the wait. Set in Minnesota during the Great Depression, the story begins in a reformatory school for native children. Some were orphaned, some taken from their Native families to be 'retrained.' It is a terrible place, full of abuse and hate, run by the Brickman couple who are sufficiently evil bad buys to root against. When a chance arises to flee, four heroic children do just that. Each child has their own part in Odie's story: Albert, his brother and a mechanical genius; Mose, the Sioux boy whose tongue was cut out as a toddler, looking for his identity; Emmy, the little girl whose 'fits' foretell the future; and Odysseus (ie. Odie) whose search for home leads them all on their wild odyssey down the river. Yep, they run into a cyclops character, a siren who sings like the angels, and many other obstacles along the way. I became so enmeshed in these children's trials and tribulations that I could not put this book down. This book should be another huge hit for this author. Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Anytime President Obama puts out a reading list, I figure all the titles are 'must-reads.' Hmmm...what a pleasant past reminder, that some presidents pick up books and read! Needless to say, Stamped from the Beginning is a powerful walk through history. Using five guides for each time period (Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. DuBois, and Angela Davis), we are given an in-depth look at not only where racist ideas came from, but how they have been nurtured through each tumultuous time period, as well as those of so-called 'peace and prosperity.' I listened to this book, thinking it might be too dry for a read. I find myself most interested in the three later 'guides' through history, but the early ones definitely gave me lots of 'ah-ha' moments. Highly recommend if you're looking for some knowledge during the times we are living through today.

When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
This debut novel by Irish author Anne Griffin was a pleasant surprise. Short, beautifully written, emblematic of Irish culture and history, I had a hard time putting this one down and in fact, read it in just one day. Maurice, an elderly Irish gentleman, sits in his village hotel bar on night. As he gives a toast to each of the people in his life who influence him the most, we take a walk with Maurice through his past. He is a complex old fella: raised poor, gathered wealth and a wife and a family, strained relationships with some, shady business deals, questionable decisions, introspective and thoughtful to the nth degree. Admittedly, I got a little weepy in spots but Griffin was really able to pull on my heart strings without being maudlin or melodramatic, so kudos to her. This could be a provocative book club choice as it deals with the consequences of life decisions, as well as end-of-life choices.

Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action; A Memoir by David Fajgenbaum
As many of you know, I am always a big fan of real-life, medical mystery stories and this one does not disappoint. David Fajgenbaum takes the reader on a story of his life: his childhood with hyper-focus ADD, falling in love, his years in college and medical school, his mother's death, and ultimately his devastating diagnosis of Castleman disease. We go on the exploration with David as he tries to hunt down not only a diagnosis, but treatment, institutions, cure regimens, experimentation, you name it. At times he gets a little stuck in the weeds with the biology of it (admittedly, I occasionally skipped the super scientific stuff!), but he always brings it back to real life and what he experience as a patient. This is an outstanding book to give the medical student in your life, or the person who like me, just loves this kind of real world mystery. Thanks to Net Galley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

29 Seconds by T.M. Logan
This is an entertaining thriller if that is what you are looking for; it moves quickly, has some good twists and turns, and is topical in its plot devices surrounding the Me Too movement. However, I will say I had to suspend belief at times or I would have gotten frustrated. If you're able to do that, it's a roller coaster of a ride. Sarah is a young college professor, single mom of two young kids, trying to get tenure at a British university, but unfortunately she works for a sexist pig. Luckily for Sarah, she is owed a debt by a wealthy but criminally active man who can solve her problem for her. The action takes off from there. Will it make you turn pages? Yep. Is it competently written? Yep. Is it memorable? Not so much, for me. It's what I would call an absorbing beach read, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
Lately, it feels like a pigpen cloud is over the States, with all the hateful talk, mass shootings, divisiveness, domestic terrorism. This sweet story is the perfect solution to blow the clouds away. We meet Arthur Pepper one year after his wife of forty years has died. He rarely leaves the house, is annoyed by his neighbor, has little relationship with his children, and is stuck deep in the rut of his daily routines. Yet, as he cleans out his wife's closet he finds a charm bracelet hidden in the toe of a boot. Finding the meaning behind each charm leads Arthur on a search for his wife's history, but also for a way out of his present life. Told in a crisp British accent, this narrator enveloped me in a delightful story, reminding me to reach out to all people who cross my path, to smile at the stranger, to show interest in other people, to live. Arthur Pepper is the perfect combination of Ove, Harold Frye, and Major Pettigrew so if you need a pick-me-up, this book won't steer you wrong.