MARCH 3.0

A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
Irish author John Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky) is truly one of my favorite writers and it has little to do with the content of his stories. He writes with a golden pen, but not too verbose, he develops his characters deeply and forces me to care about them, warts and all, and he weaves his themes subtly, not smacking me in the face with life's lessons. In this older book of his, Boyne takes on the Catholic Church, as he tells of the last forty years in Ireland of the church's power, its abuses, its hierarchy, all through the eyes of one priest, Odran Yates. It is a gorgeous, heartbreaking, complex story that I read in two days. It pummeled my heart. I won't forget it easily.

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
This NYC-based YA writer has become a go-to author for me, having read four of his books in the last few months. This one shows us the life of Matt, a teenage boy who lives in a Brooklyn brownstone with his father, a mother dead of breast cancer, friends at school who no longer know what to say to him, and a sassy girl who drags him to a homeless shelter for Thanksgiving. And on top of all this, Matt chooses to work in a funeral home, thus he wears his black suit each day to school, before his work shift. This is a powerful story that addresses themes of loss, of love, a coming of age story that will resonate with any age.


The Unseen World by Liz Moore
If you read Long Bright River, then you know what a talented writer Liz Moore is. This is her previous book, focusing this time on a small, very unique family. We meet Ada Sibelius at the age of twelve, raised solo by her father David, who is a computer scientist in the early days of computing. Ada doesn't attend school; instead, her school is the lab with David and all his team, thus it is all she knows. However, as David starts to show signs of dementia, Ada's life changes dramatically. As the story unfolds, we see her life through snippets of time, as she works to unlock the code that David leaves her, to discover the secrets of both is life, and of her's. Brilliant writing, compelling story, unique plot line - highly recommend.

Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo by Louise Callaghan
This is the story of Abu Laith, an Iraqi man obsessed with animals for his entire life, now trying to save the few animals left in the city of Mosul, not a place a human wants to be in the last decade much less a group of animals. I listened to this book, with a wonderful narrator, and learned so much not just about this family, but also about the American and Isis battles in Iraq, how it impacted lives, and how it changed people forever. Abu Laith was a 'complicated' man; I question whether I would like him in reality. He is arrogant, pompous, dictatorial, and sexist. Yet he is also caring, compassionate, and willing to risk his life to save a couple lions and a bear. His wife is a crack up, who takes no crap from this man. If you're looking for a unique audio, this is it:)

The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache #3) by Louise Penny
I am slowly working my way through the entire Louise Penny mystery series, reading just one a month (otherwise, the number of them are overhwhelming!). They are a bit like coming home and putting on a comfy pair of slippers; you know the characters, you recognize the town, and you are always entertained. This time around, a woman has been 'scared to death' at a seance at the creepy old home in the middle of the community of Three Pines. Inspector Gamache also has some political problems of his own to deal with, as well as personnel issues on his own team. I did not find this one as compelling as the last two, but I will still march on and pick up #4 because they're still better than some of the crap, thin thrillers that populate the publishing world.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Trying to escape the world we are currently living in? Jump into this YA fantasy book - it's a good one:) As a baby, Elisabeth was dropped off at one of the 'Great Libraries' and raised to become a warden of the books, except these are not ordinary books. Instead, they are rather 'alive', as they contain all the creepy magic spells of the sorcerers who read them, and if you don't watch out, these spells escape and become monsters to be killed. And the sorcerers? Yeah, they have to sell a few years of their lives to a demon in order to obtain and keep their magic, so it's a bit of a conundrum. I told you it was an escape book - good stuff!

March 2.0

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
Having read eight of Bohjalian's previous books, I am obviously a fan. He is an eclectic writer, using historical fiction, mystery, and even dystopia in creative ways. His latest is another winner for me, combining medical disease that plays on topical fears, as well as a mystery involving a foreign country, some creepy bad guys, and...rats. Trust me on the rats. Alexis, a young doctor, is in Vietnam for a bike trip with her boyfriend, Austin. When Austin disappears, the breadcrumb path of secrets begin to appear in disconcerting and troublesome ways. Be patient, as the pieces are meticulously put together, but once the action begins to gel, you will not be able to put this book down. 


The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
I do love a multigenerational family saga, and this one does not disappoint. It follows a Vietnamese family from the 1920's, to the Vietnam of today: through the days of colonial rule by France, the rise of the communist party, the land reform that killed millions, the American War, and the reconciliation of the two Vietnams. I was so invested in the grandmother's story of her childhood and the challenges to survive with six children in her young adulthood; there were times I had to put the book down as my heart was breaking, but I could not set it aside for long as I was compelled to see how history would impact each member of this family. For lovers of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, for readers who want to see history come alive, for people who are curious about Vietnam or are planning to travel there, for lovers of beautiful writing, for all people who see books as a window into our past and future, this book is for you. 

The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James
I would call this one a ‘throwback’ to my younger self, when I was obsessed with romantic, mysterious gothic novels that took place in the wilds of Cornwall. It has a dark and mysterious man who needs a governess, a naive and gullible young woman, a manipulative witch from the past, a smart career woman of today, a hot friendly neighbor, all mixed together to create a mystery that must be solved. Yep, all the pieces of yesteryear. It did the trick and made me turn pages, but I did have to stop myself from sighing over the melodrama yet... That’s the Point!

A Fatal Grace (#2) by Louise Penny

Yes, I have become what's called a Penny Pusher: a lover of the Louise Penny mystery books about a small village outside Montreal, its quirky residents, and a very intelligent detective, Inspector Gamache. If you like a good mystery, I highly recommend this series. In book two, a woman is literally electrified from a chair - yep, only in Texas can that normally happen, as Louise would say. But here it is a detestable woman named CC, and as Gamache tries to hunt down the killer, he discovers all kind of intriguing secrets and more compelling characters. If anything, I found Book 2 even better than Book 1.

The Bear by Andrew Krivak
This is what I would call an old throwback to tales of old, a story of a man and his daughter, the last survivors on Earth, as they wander through the natural world, trying to not only survive, but to be good to the Earth that sustains them. I listened to this short, four-hour tale and was not only intrigued, but have been rather haunted by it ever since. No idea what it would be like in page form, but the audio was quite unique and compelling.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Mom has Munchausen by proxy, pretty much wrecks her daughter's childhood. Child, Rose Gold, lets mom live with her post-prison sentence to enact revenge. That about sums it up. I just could not connect with either character (which I guess is good?!), but I also found little engaging about either of them; both seemed quite one-dimensional and static to me. The writing style was more young-adult, which is fine if it is marketed that way. I am sure some people will love this family drama, but it just was not my style. Thanks to Goodreads for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

March

The Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

They say football is a game or inches. However, life itself seems to be a collection of small yet surprisingly monumental decisions. How would life have changed if...I didn’t take that class, move into that house, stop by that coffee shop, cross that sidewalk, form that friendship, etc etc etc. This book, and the point of view from which it is told, takes that thinking to an entirely new level and makes one think hard about each life choice. Valerie doesn’t like her new neighbors (they built an enormous house and pool area that wrecked the root system of her 80 year old oak).  Valerie’s son Xavier has his whole future in front of him with a college music scholarship for classical guitar. Julia grew up in extreme poverty and chaos; she loves her new swanky house. Julia’s daughter Juniper is a teenage girl who is growing tired of the strict parental controls. Her stepfather, and Julia’s husband, is always looking for an angle in life, struggling to control his impulses. Stir all these people together, add issues of race, class, money and boundaries, sprinkle in a provocative voice telling the story, and you have a book that will shock you, rip your heart into pieces,  make you think long and hard about American culture and the direction of our country. This book should explode into the publishing world.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
The author of The Dinner List is back with another un-put-down-able book. Here's the premise: Dannie, a hard-charging corporate attorney, engaged to a the man she loves, falls asleep one night, and when she wakes, it is five years later, a new man in a different apartment. Stuff happens that freaks her out. When she wakes, from this dream-like reality,  Dannie cannot get this image out of her head and the changes it wreaks in her life are monumental because...wait for it...that new man? Yeah, come to find out, itt's her best friend's new love. I think I make this premise sound silly, light, fluffy, but this book is absolutely not. It tells of a deep and abiding friendship, of how we arrange our lives to meet certain expectations, of how we love and what we will do for that love, and of the influences that push us to our destinies. I read this one in just 24 hours, staying up well past midnight because I kept saying, "just one more chapter." It is that good. The next time you want an addictive read, pick this one up - you won't be disappointed.

Chances Are... by Richard Russo
While many of you may be fans of Russo's Pulitzer Prize winner, Empire Falls, I loved his humor in his book Straight Man and I never picked up this 2019 book of his - not sure why. Maybe the content - I mean, what do I have in common with three old men, hanging out together for a reunion weekend on Martha's Vineyard? Honestly, not much but it did not matter. Russo is the most talented writer and he pulled me into his story of these three men and their friendship with a unique young woman, weaving family drama, heartache, and mystery together in a way that amazed me. The beauty of the island and Russo's words made this a delicious read. 

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

I thoroughly enjoyed this writing duo's past books (The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl) - fast-paced, intriguing thrillers. Their latest is a bit of a miss for me. The premise itself is a rather implausible - girl witnesses subway suicide, gets drawn into influential friend group, things go south. There's just too many characters to keep track of + they're one-dimensional women, with little reason for me to feel invested in their lives. Even the main character, Shay, who is the suicide witness, is unappealing and rather flat. I did turn pages quickly, wanting a satisfactory ending that just did not come. Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If We Were Giants by Dave Matthews, Clete Barrett Smith (Contributor), Quentin Regnes (Contributor)
Intriguing idea, putting together a famous musician (Matthews) and a popular children's author from my home town(Smith) so how could I not read it? The premise is a lovely, heroic tale of a little girl named Kirra, a mistake she makes, and the life-changing consequences it has not only on her life, but on many others. It is also the story of how we must live with nature, not against it, and how we need one another to survive. I loved the characters and the plot line, which built tension well and kept moving forward. My one concern is who is this written for? The syntax and vocabulary are too high level for it to be a middle reader, yet the plot line veers more towards upper elementary and middle schoolers, not high schoolers.  I also found it to be quite long for a younger reader to handle. It would, however, be a fantastic read aloud for anyone third grade or higher. Thanks to Net Galley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.