Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam

Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam

Genre - Dystopia

For a long time - probably around the time of Hunger Games - I was reading so many dystopian novels. These were the kinds of books my student readers wanted - so in the spirit of collection development and book talks, I read and read. When the trend ended, I took a bit of a break. I have since read some adult dystopias, and my most recent is National Book Award Finalist Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam at the recommendation of a friend. An urban family is escaping to a rental house for a beach getaway. They are surprised when the homeowners arrive in the middle of the night citing a black out in New York City. With some reservations, Amanda and Clay agree to allow George and Ruth to stay, especially after they offer a partial refund. Strange things are happening. Animals seem to be gathering in the woods. Internet connectivity is sketchy to nonexistent. Piercing sounds nearly disable them. Suspense builds as tension builds among the residents in the house.

The tension and the mystery surrounding these characters kept me reading avidly. I’m not sure that I was fully grasping what was happening in the outer world, but that didn’t really matter. Actually for this reader, the lack of detail made the plot  easier to believe, more difficult to criticize. The fear among the characters was palpable. What would we do if we couldn’t google on our phones to find out what was going on in the world? How would we react if we were essentially trapped with strangers - neither family trusting the other? Do we trust others or isolate? How do we protect our children - from fear, from disease? How well do we know even people we think we know? These questions are just some of what these characters must address.

Mostly this title left me unsettled - perhaps as intended I’d say. I was not surprised that it was composed in 2020 - a time of much uncertainty in the world. In retrospect, I’m not sure as a culture we have done much to improve in the areas where weaknesses were evident during this time. I pondered the questions raised by the novel for a time, but I am not quite in the place to spend much time in the uncertainty of it. Just as an aside - I did follow up the reading of Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind with the Netflix movie. For me as per usual, the book was better but both were certainly unsettling and thought provoking, highlighting the importance of art and artists in confronting the world in which we live.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun - Elle Cosimano

Genre: Murder, Mystery, Suspense, Humor

When I’m laughing out loud on the first page over a scene in a department store bathroom, I think I’m starting a great book. When the book is about Finlay Donovan, that thought becomes a certainty.  Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano does not disappoint. From the chaos that is her family life on page one to a trip to a police training camp. Finlay and Vero work desperately to clear Vero’s debts and keep the Russian mob from killing them. In the meantime, the novelist needs to complete her latest novel and figure out what exactly to do about her attraction to police detective Nick. Much to do.

From book 1, I found it impossible to not enjoy Finlay, Vero, and the other characters that populate their world. They are all complex. They all make me uncomfortable now and again - with their choices and their secrets. I think maybe they are the kind of folks I want to hang out with in book land, but might make me just a little nervous in real life. (Partly why readers read, right?)The plot is complex here - as it is in books 1 and 2, and reading the series in order would be most helpful. The setting for most of the book is a sort of police boot camp - complete with dorm life. The change in setting makes for learning, laughter and interesting new adventures. What I love about Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series is that as I’m reading I think “no way.” But then yes, yes what is happening continues  and weaves itself delightfully into the overall content of the book. 

Pure entertainment. I would love to climb into Elle Cosimano’s brain to just see how these ideas develop.  Her work is carefully researched, filled with adventure and suspense, and laugh out loud funny. If you haven’t already, give FInlay Donovan Jumps the Gun a chance!

Cacophony of Bone: The Circle of a Year - Kerri nĩ Dochartaigh

Genre - Memoir

Sometimes I read a book that makes me long for the ability to produce something just as beautiful (or even partially so). Kerri nĩ Dochartaigh’s Cacophony of Bone: The Circle of a Year is such a book for me. I can say easily I loved her use of language - her prose is poetry and her words are precise and just lovely. I listened to her reading it first, and found her voicing of her text  beautiful. Now I am rereading it in the traditional print mostly because I need to slow it down just a bit and dig slightly deeper. I’m already entranced with the arrangements of words on pages. You guys. Also, this book is the first that has much to do with 2020 that I didn’t read and say, “Um, you know, I’m just not ready…and perhaps the key to that for me is in the prologue where Dochartaigh writes, “ I am telling you here of a year that was like no other…I am telling you here of a year that was just the same a every other that had ever gone before.” Her lens is so very different from mine during that time and speaks to me in a way that previous writings have not. Additionally, I am intrigued because many of the poets she quotes are favorites of mine. I needed to own the print version to explore her quotations and mentions of other writers more carefully. I am not sure what that means beyond reading and rereading some things. I am kind of excited about it though. Oh and birds. I have long been drawn to birds. Dochartaigh seems to be as well and how she weaves them into her work is simply stunning for me. 

In a typical review, in this paragraph I tend to try and take a technical look at the book for review. In fiction I tend to focus on setting, characterization, plot, etc. I have not worked with nonfiction and memoir as much. True confession: I googled how to review a memoir structurally. The results weren’t helpful - in part I think because I don’t necessarily feel qualified to “review” this work. And so. She structures her work very much like a journal. She starts in January of 2020 - naming months and numbering days throughout. It sounds like something ancient (especially aloud) but then she’d be referencing something she saw in instagram, and the contrast just worked. She is cyclical in her references to the moon. She writes of birds and of swimming and of collecting bones and of grieving and of writing. She captures a year very directly but also through snippets and fragments that seem accidental until you see the patterns that aren’t really patterns after all. I will leave the academic analysis this time to the academics I guess. I have had the conversation with students again and again - the difference between appreciating writing, loving it versus tearing it apart to analyze it deeply. And sometimes the analysis increases the appreciation and the love (for me it usually does), but sometimes it is just as good to read and appreciate and love. For now I am doing that with Cacophony of Bone. 

In this paragraph, I like to reflect on the impact of the work on me at a more personal level. I kind of think I’ve been doing such reflection throughout this time. Dochartaigh illustrates change beautifully. She deals honestly with the difficulty of change - addiction, loss, a pandemic. She explores healing through routine, nature, reading, and writing. She inspires me to look deeper into the literature that I have loved for years. I have been gathering books for a bit - mostly collections of poetry - to read when I retired. I haven’t touched them yet. I must. I will be getting even more ideas from this book. But. I am still wired to work. To organize. To clean. To be productive in what I consider a tangible way. Some rewiring is a bit necessary. Dochartaigh teaches that reflection and personal growth are not luxuries, but essential to living well in this world of ours. Please read this memoir. 

The Mystery Guest - Nita Prose

Genre: Cozy mystery

I really like Molly - the protagonist of Nita Prose’s The Mystery Guest. This follow up to The Maid does not disappoint as we come to know Molly a bit better. While you can certainly read The Mystery Guest and understand it without having read The Maid, I very much recommend both. Molly takes great pride in being the head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. So when a famous author dies on what she considers her watch, she is very invested in figuring out what happened. She has been involved in a murder investigation before and much to police detective Stark’s dismay, she feels more than capable of being involved again. She doesn’t even realize how much she will have to dig into her past to move forward here. 

Molly does not respond as one might expect to social cues - she often sees the world a bit differently than others. Part of what I like about the books is that she is never labeled - we just get to know her through the narration. We learn in this book a great deal about how Gran (her late grandmother) raised her - most especially that she valued Molly’s uniqueness - celebrating it rather than trying to label and “fix” her. Even when Gran removes her from a school situation where Molly is not quite understood, Gran is preparing her for a successful future through experience.  Prose cleverly moves back and forth between this past and the present day mystery where we see how Molly’s unique way of thinking is often an asset in putting together clues in ways that Detective Stark can’t see. Their developing relationship is also a strength of this book for me. I tend toward focusing on character development in all of my reading - across genres, but the cozy mystery here is engaging. I like the kind of mystery that takes me back to my Clue board game playing days, where slowly over time clues are discovered and connections can be made - if we’re taking good notes.  Prose pays attention to detail here, and the mystery develops in this way. 

I seldom research a book or its author before writing about them here because the objective is to communicate my impressions and how a book has impacted me. But after I worked on this a bit, I found myself curious about how Prose intended to portray Molly. I found her words in an article by Simon published on the Shondaland website. Prose says, 

I felt that if I waved a big sign on the cover copy or if Molly herself had a diagnosis, it would be too easy for the reader to place her in a box, to decide what she was, to label her,” the author explains. Instead, Prose hopes that readers — who “understand rightfully that there’s something unique about her personality, something very different about how her brain works” — will approach Molly with an open mind. “What I want the reader to do is step into her shoes, live as her, see themselves behind her eyes, and experience for a moment not life as themselves, but life through her particular gaze and her worldview,” she says. “I think only through that experience can we really have true empathy.”

She goes on to report having heard from many readers who feel a connection to Molly. The power of books and reading is clearly illustrated here through an author who creates a character, gives her freedom from labeling, who ultimately feels representative to many of her readers. As a YA librarian, I wanted all of my kids to feel seen in the books of my collection. So I suppose writing about books is the way I am trying to continue to connect readers and books. In the case of The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - you can either relate to Molly or recognize the value of getting to know people like Molly with empathy. And you get a great mystery in the meantime. I also love the hope that resonates in the work at one point, Molly notes, “Gran always found hope and what is hope but shining light into the darkness.” Yes. Great bookish stuff!

Simon, R. (2023, November 28). ‘the maid’ author Nita Prose was scared to write a sequel to ...
Shondaland. https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a45920144/the-maid-author-nita-prose-was-scared-to-write-a-sequel-to-her-best-selling-novel/ 

The Berry Pickers - Amanda Peters

Genre - Historical Fiction 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters is an uncomfortable read, purposely I am sure. Peters explores a world where a 4 year old child has disappeared from her family, and the police have no time to investigate because she is of native heritage. Ruthie and her family leave their home in Nova Scotia and come to Maine to pick berries every year - until the year that Ruthie disappears. Peters explores how her disappearance impacts her family, especially her brother Joe for the next five decades. Meanwhile, Norma is being raised in her affluent family in Maine. She has haunting dreams, and notices that she is very different (particularly in looks) from her parents. She struggles to figure out why in the extremely oppressive house in which she lives.   The book alternates perspectives between Joe and Norma. I listened to the audiobook. Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch do an exceptionally nice job of bringing both characters to life as children and adults. 

The characters are well developed in this novel. The situation created by the plot is very complex, leading to even more complex feelings. These feelings are communicated through the narration. Both Joe and Norma are honest about their confusions and their flaws and the experiences that got them to where they end up. The issues of setting are fleshed out nicely. I was completely unaware of the particular history of berry picking in Maine by Canadians during this time period. The time comes alive. In interviews, Peters talks about driving with her dad in Maine and hearing his stories of his time as a berry picker - and feeling compelled to tell a story. The personal connection is evident. She captures the strength of the family and the love that bonds them. She captures the humor that carries them through difficult times. She illustrates the profound racism and the lack of concern for the well being of native Canadians and their family - allowing for this disaster. As more and more stories surface about the residential schools and the forced family separations of native Canadians, this novel is a moving illustration of the cost of such behavior.

As with Above the Salt by Katherine Vaz, I am in awe of the resilience of the people of this book. I am reminded how entitled I can sometimes feel - truly that I have the luxury of retiring and examining my feelings, and sharing them here and with others. Ruthie’s family endures the worst possible event and still finds love and hope in what is often a cold world to them. They just keep moving forward - some more hopeful than others - but moving forward. Norma processes years of not quite fitting into her family - and avoids the kind of bitterness that would likely tempt many - like Ruthie’s family she moves forward. I recently listened to an episode of The Lazy Genius Podcast called “Starting Fresh When You Can’t Start Over” in which Kendra Adachi advises listeners to “continue not just begin.” When we are in the January hustle it is easy to be lured into trying to start over. When we retire, it can be tempting to think we are required to start over. When you have endured painful, unspeakable tragedy, starting over likely feels like a dream. Instead those in this book continue - to live and love and even to hope. Folks if they can, so can most of us. Honestly, I’d love to know more about the aftermath of the story, but that kind of tidy ending truly would take away from what Amana Berry’s The Berry Pickers has to offer - a little discomfort. 

The Berry Pickers Book Cover Amanda Peters

The Reading List - Sara Nisha Adams

Genre: Contemporary, realistic fiction

Trigger Warning: Suicide

When books turn up from my hold list in Libby, I’m not usually 100% sure why I put them there in the first place.(Any suggestions for easily tracking that?) But Sara Nisha Adams’ The Reading List was just a perfect fit for this reader, no matter from whence it came. Mukesh and Aleisha, both searching for different things, meet at the library and bond over reading. Aleisha is providing books for Mukesh from a mysterious list she has found; the books include: To Kill a Mockingbird, Rebecca, Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, A Suitable Boy and Beloved.

Others in the community have found the same list - Chris, Indira, Izzy, Joseph,Leonora, and Gigi. Mukesh is trying to recover from the loss of his beloved wife Naina and believes reading one of her last checked out library books The Time Traveler's Wife had allowed him to become closer to her. Aleisha struggles with her older brother Aiden in caring for their mentally ill mother. She finds reading the books from this list brings her comfort. What follows is a beautiful look at love, loss, community, and the power of books and reading told through all of these characters, expertly rendered by Adams. To try and summarize the narrative plot would be a bit silly, but the beautiful complexity and richness of it will alternately sadden and delight the reader’s soul.

I love how the book has multiple perspectives. We are able to get to know a rich cast of people well. I read the audiobook and the variety of performers excellently brought these characters to life. Thank you to Tara Divina, Sagar Arya, Paul Panting. While reading these books is not at all necessary to appreciating the novel, I have read all but one.I have in the course of my teaching career taught some of them. What I love here is how different characters derive different lessons from the books - all perfectly right in context. Near the end of my teaching career especially, I delighted in a variety of interpretations of a text. Of course evidence - of course explain, but what a joy to see how student experiences and needs led to individual meaning. To me this collision of experience and need and meaning is what makes reading of all kinds so powerful. Adams illustrates this throughout this small community of diverse readers. Can I just say it? Books matter. Reading matters. Libraries matter. 

I can’t spoil the ending, but through The Reading List, Adams teaches us that no influence is too small. I needed this reminder as a newly retired teacher. I had the privilege of working with hundreds of students over years. And some of them did benefit from their time with me. I have missed that opportunity to make a difference, no matter how small. I have been actively seeking new areas of service but am truly grateful for this reminder. You never know what a simple gesture might bring. Be creative with your influence. I will endeavor to be more so in working to make the world a better place for those of us in it.  

Everyone Here Is Lying - Shari Lapena

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Everyone was certainly lying - from the beginning to the end in Shari Lapena’s novel Everyone Here is Lying. Young Avery disappears from her home following an argument with her father. The police quickly begin to canvas the area - interviewing the family, the neighbors both friends and strangers. Many of them lie - it’s hard to tell if anyone is being honest. Days pass and frustrations mount as secrets are revealed, but Avery remains at large. Oh and then a twist - well played, Ms. Lapena…well played.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by January LaVoy. Her performing experience was excellently put to use here. She differentiated between a number of voices - successful even as 9 year old Avery. Her skill enhanced the suspense and certainly maintained my interest.

Nobody here, with the exception of Avery’s 12  year old brother Michael, is likable. Honestly - if this is a real suburban slice of life, let me live in the country. LaPena expertly juggles a huge cast of characters - changing point of view regularly from Avery’s family to the neighbors to the police who are investigating the crime. I had the feeling of sort of investigating the crime as a reader more fully than I often do. Lapena layers the information carefully and grows the story in such a way that the twist, while unexpected, is completely believable. I remember thinking, of course, yes, this is absolutely what happened. Excellent plotting. And, no spoilers, the ending is just perfect. I love the uncertain certainty of how Lapena finished. 

I like to finish my thoughts with a little lesson learned, and I’m not sure I can do so here. Perhaps I could wax eloquently about the reality of uncertainty?(I probably could.)  But most importantly, this book is engaging, entertaining, and just what I needed when I got it from the holds list - worth the wait. If you enjoy a good suspenseful mystery, Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena is for you. And please comment below if you want to talk about that ending.

The Librarianist - Patrick deWitt

Genre - Literary Fiction

We are taught from elementary school not to judge books by their covers. I often encouraged my students towards books I knew they’d like even thought the cover was dated. But  I literally checked out The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt because of its cover. I was working at a library fundraiser, and the book was on display. How could a retired librarian resist? 

The story of retired librarianist Bob Comet was … I am struggling with the word, so perhaps complex will suffice. DeWitt starts the narrative after Bob’s retirement as Bob stumbles on a purpose with a local center for the elderly. The details of his childhood, youth, and young adulthood are filled in as flashbacks. He finds adventure when he runs way as an 11 year old and experiences an interesting couple of days with traveling actors at a hotel along the shore. I may have to read it again to process the particular interlude. He finds solace in reading throughout his life. He finds and loses at least one friend and one lover. 

I had to google “librarianist.” Even with an MSLS and 20+ years in the field, the term was new to me. Aaron Kreuter notes, “As the obscure word ‘librarianist’...suggests, working in a library can be more than just a job. It can be something of an art, a calling” (https://reviewcanada.ca/magazine/2023/10/inside-voices/). The joy of the book for me is that Bob found this calling. In spite of what appears to be a sad childhood in which he is fairly neglected, he finds reading and an education and a mentor and a job. The sadness of the book for me was the inevitability of the implosion of his relationships with Ethan and Connie. The redemption, I guess, is Bob’s renewed sense of purpose when he discovers the center for the elderly and finds a role there. The twist is that he finds one rather big surprise as well. Bob’s character development is thorough. If you don’t love a character driven book, this may not be the best choice. If you do, (and I do) de Witt provides us with a fascinating, sometimes frustrating man. Some of what I'd like to discuss will provide spoilers, and I hate to do that. Suffice it to say that the novel has what my former AP kids would have called a “literature” ending. (ie I didn’t necessarily get the kind of resolution that I hoped for. ) As I look at what I’ve learned to guide me in the newly retired part of my life, it is this. Bob ultimately makes peace with his life - even the most devastating parts. He continues to live in a way that works for him. He remains open to new experiences, even. He has good boundaries in the end (that prevent me from getting the ending I want). Even as a child, when for a moment,  Bob seems to be living his best life ever, he accepts that the experience has ended with equanimity and seems to just move on. I struggle with making peace and I can learn from Bob’s acceptance. Like Bob, I have a bit more time to think and to reflect. I hope I do it as well has he does. 

The Homewreckers - Mary Kay Andrews

Genre - Contemporary Mystery & Romance

What does this book have to do with Christmas you ask - well, just this. I needed something to listen to in the last minute dash to get things done around the house. That meant finding something available on the Libby app. When Mary Kay Andrews’ Homewreckers  popped up, I remembered my recent read of her new Bright Lights Big Christmas and thought why not? 

I love to watch HGTV and Magnolia Network, so a novel about renovating a beach house seemed good. I enjoy a good mystery and this novel offers an unexpected one. Homewreckers felt like the perfect choice to entertain as I worked away.

Hattie Kavanaugh is in a tough spot, widowed at 25, she has just lost a great deal of money working with her father in law - because she invested in the wrong house. When a Hollywood producer offers her the chance to work on a Saving Savannah show, she is skeptical, but really needs the cash and the chance to redeem herself. Things quickly seem to spiral out of her control. Saving Savannah becomes Homewreckers; she is forced to work with Hollywood designer Trae, and gulp, a dead body is found in the old sewage system.  Hattie needs to find the strength she has lost since becoming widowed to win back her confidence and self respect. Kathleen McInerney’s narration brings Hattie’s experiences to life in an engaging and entertaining way. 

When I learned that Hattie had kind of frozen herself after she lost her husband in a motorcycle accident - my heart just ached for her. I have not, thank goodness, experienced that loss but love people who have. The stacks of supplies and unfinished home was a beautiful symbol in her world where she creates beauty for whom she works. I loved the drama of the show and seeing the dark underbelly of home improvement TV. The cozy mystery portion is well developed and who doesn’t love seeing a cold case solved? The romance was kind of just an undertone, and I liked it that way. Hattie’s transformation is what drew me the most. I loved seeing her find her voice, Andrews making that the centerpiece around which all of the other plots pivot. Grief takes time. It’s not an orderly progression as some might suggest. A good group of people who love us are such a blessing on what for most is a tempestuous journey. Letting go of the old that doesn’t work and finding a love renewed for what does and combining it with the new - I enjoyed watching Hattie move forward. And the comedy and the mystery elements give us room to breathe as she does. Andrews strikes an excellent balance. So why not a beach read in December while you prepare for Christmas? I’m a fan - especially if it ends with that new year, new you vibe. 

Homewreckers book cover

The White Lady - Jacqueline Winspear

I was left with the same general feeling when I finished The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear that I get when I read a historical novel like this. I am in awe of the resilience of people in history who have survived more than I can imagine. Their cleverness and strength in these times is often nothing short of miraculous. I have not suffered in such a way. And quite honestly, I doubt my ability to step up. And, while this is not a political blog in ANY way, I am reminded how much I hate war: the loss, the destruction, the evil it engenders. I can’t. And I can’t with people who seem eager for war to occur. I don’t know if I have a better solution to solving world disagreements and profound philosophical differences, but I fervently believe that war is not it. I spent my adult life trying to educate students to have a more thoughtful view of the world. Part of the figuring out process of doing life for me has to be how to continue efforts toward making a difference. 

My local library’s book club led me to Jacqueline Winspear through Maisie Dobbs. We read the first book of the series years ago. I was exploring my local Libby collection after a re-listen to Maisie when I discovered Winspear’s new book The White Lady. Following three timelines WW1, WW2 and shortly after the war in 1947, we learn the story of the white lady, Elinor White. In 1947, she is a mysterious lady who lives alone and remains fairly isolated from the rest of her small village until she finds herself drawn to little Sally Mackie. Through this she learns that Sally’s dad is in trouble - even danger - and determines to get to the root of the problem to protect the family - even when it puts her at odds with Scotland Yard. Throughout the novel, we learn of Elinor’s harrowing past as a member of the resistance in WW1 and essentially a spy in WW2. We meet her mother and sister and come to know the history of how she became the mysterious woman who will take on the local mob. 

Winspear moves flawlessly between the timelines revealing just what we need to know about Elinor at the perfect time. Through the plot we learn (or are reminded) of the extensive efforts in both World Wars 1 and 2 of the resistance and espionage. I am as always fascinated by the courage and skill of these “regular” citizens thrust into unbelievably dangerous situations due to the war. The Europeans who lived through both wars deserve an homage to be sure. Most of the ones about whom I’ve read just downplay the struggle, stoically building a life following war. Elinor reflects this ethic. I enjoyed her complexity. I am glad we meet her as a fairly young girl and get to follow her development through both wars. We experience her fears and her grief both of which help us to understand the choices she makes in the novel. I appreciate the attention to detail in the setting. We are brought quickly into village life and war life. Part of the success of the novel for me was the excellent narration of Orlagh Cassidy. I googled her to find out what else she had narrated and discovered that she has been an actress on a few of my favorite shows. Her acting experience comes through very clearly and enhances the experience of the audiobook version of Jacqueline Winspear’s The White Lady.

The White Lady Book Cover

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - Jesse Q. Sutanto

Genre: Murder Mystery

I love Vera Wong. There. I said it. I would so enjoy meeting her in person, drinking her tree, hearing her unsolicited advice about, well, anything. Jesse Q. Sutanto has created a gem in Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Vera wakes one morning to discover a dead body in her “famous” tea shop. Vera is widowed, and Tilly her son has little to do with her, so she is a bit bored. She is certain of her abilities to solve the murder of Marshall. She pays close attention to who stops by the shop in the wake of the murder and begins to try and solve the case. In doing so, she builds a family, loving in her way, each suspect whom she encounters. 

Vera is a force. She texts her son every day with important advice - even if he just seems irritated by her.  She is painfully honest with all who cross her path. She delightfully ignores everyone who gets in her way - the police, her son…she is on a mission, yes to solve a mystery, but also to feel relevant and add something different to the life that is beginning to bore her. I laughed out loud at her multiple times throughout my reading, and honestly such behavior is not entirely typical for me. Her surrounding cast of characters are well developed and multidimensional. From the murder victim’s wife and toddler to his brother, the programmer he cheated, and the artist he stole from, the cast of characters all come to know and love Vera. Each and every one of these folks have a reason to have ended Marshall’s life. They all have a difficult story to tell. They are all keeping secrets. They are hurting. But somehow, Vera reaches into their hearts and earns their trust in spite of her prickly nature. Slowly she finds ways to bring each one of them back from the brink of their hurt and see hope in a difficult world. Sutanto has me rooting for each and every one of them. I couldn’t for the life of me see how she was going to end this novel and resolve the murder without hurting my heart a bit. And while my heart did hurt, it was for Vera - no spoilers. (No fear, it ends like a good cozy mystery should). Eunice Wong does a lovely job of bringing each character to life with her narration, and of course most especially Vera, herself. She also helps to enhance the insights that Sutanto offers into Vera’s Chinese American culture.

I’m not kidding when I say that as different as this book is,  reading it evoked feelings of Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove - which I loved also. At an older age, when folks can’t keep up with the latest technological lingo and seem too old fashioned for words, Vera and Ove end up showing up in a big way for the people around them. They experience love in new ways as well. The mystery here is almost - almost - ancillary. I am always glad to be reminded that change can be good, friends can be made, new hobbies can be developed, and helping others can ease one’s own sadness. Aging isn’t always a simple proposition. Some days I feel like crawling into bed and staying there. Vera is only a couple of years ahead of me and gives me hope. I hope we get more of Vera. Jesse Q. Sutanto?



The Connellys of County Down - Tracey Lange

Genre: Contemporary Adult

I have always wanted to be Irish…who knows why? I have a Katelyn and a Kerry, and I love a good St. Patrick’s day moment, but I am, I think mostly English with some Scottish thrown in (having a tartan is not awful lol). Any how, I couldn’t help but be drawn to Tracey Lange’s The Connellys of County Down. Always, I am drawn to the power of change and possibility. Retirement has been both lovely and difficult for me. While I know it was time for me to exit full time education for a variety of reasons, I worry that I still have a lot of years and hope to use them contributing to the world. I haven’t completely figured out the hows yet. I could be convinced some days that my current ruts are permanent and that the die is cast for much of my life; Lange shows the power of simple changes leading to a new hope. 

When Tara Connelly is released from 18 months in prison, she is stunned to find neither one of her siblings waiting to pick her up and that she is forced to accept a ride from Ryan, the police officer instrumental in her jailing. The release foreshadows nicely the difficulties that she will find in returning home. Her brother Eddie, who struggles with stress and seizures while happy to find her at home carries a big secret. So too do her sister Geraldine and even the oddly attentive  Ryan. Tracey Lange crafts a lovely novel of coming home, of family love and loyalty, of resolving conflict in The Connellys of County Down. 

 What I enjoyed most about Tracely Lange’s The Connellys of County Down is the strength of the family. She creates complex and realistic characters. We can both admire and dislike them-just like folks in real life. Even with all of the struggles and flaws, Tara, Eddie, Geraldine, and Conner love each other. They share the kind of love that survives serious disagreements and fights. Lange shows them warts and all. The kind of relationships that can transcend such conflict is to be admired. I also appreciated that a mental health counselor also makes an appearance. Through her, much of the healing is rooted. I cheer for the normalization of good counseling and the balance of her help and the persistence of the family in working for positive change.  I also very much enjoyed Lange’s earlier novel We Are the Brennans. I love these families, even as an English Scot. 

Image of the book cover.



The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

Genre: Mystery

What a delightful read! I’m not sure that’s exactly right for a book that features multiple murders and a mysterious set of bones in the cemetery, but gosh, it is! The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and narrated by Lesley Manville is a great read! Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron residents of the upscale Cooper’s Chase retirement village meet on Thursdays to look over unsolved murder cases. Imagine their surprise (maybe not?) when their intellectual pursuit becomes very real with an unsolved murder (or two) in their very own community. While they “befriend” the local police, they fully intend to get to the bottom of things in their very own way. 

This book was recommended to me as I was actively mourning my completion of the Louise Penny Three Pines Series. For a very long time, when I finished one, I had another to start. Catching up to publication was a bitter pill. As  in the way of Three Pines, these folks in Cooper’s Chase took a chapter or six to lure me into their world. Once there, though, I sure did enjoy it. Elizabeth has a mysterious past, which opens up all sorts of resourceful avenues for their investigations. Joyce is a bit silly, but her narration of the events through her journal entries are insightful and a bit funny. Ron and Ibrahim are polar opposites who combine together to accomplish much. Ron’s son and Joyce’s daughter figure prominently in the book as well, and Osman develops those relationships in realistic and poignant ways. Chris and Donna, the police officers and a slightly younger crowd round out the main cast nicely. Osman develops each character major and minor with an ear for detail that creates distinctive personalities that I enjoy so much. The mystery is well crafted as well in such a way that I was  intrigued and surprised by the twists and turns. Further, like in Three Pines we are asked to think about issues beyond the mystery at hand. What do we value in relationships? What does love require? Are some secrets all right to keep? Thought provoking stuff. Lesley Manville brings all of the characters alive with her expert narration. I definitely enjoyed the audio version very much.

As I explore what life means to me in these new steps as I’ve retired from full time work. I am not ready for the retirement village yet, but Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron make it feel a little inviting. This book is a lovely reminder of how much life remains to be lived - to find people and explore interests and passions. I am reading and trying to write and exploring many of the interests that I haven’t recently had time for. Dare I say even look for ways to help the people around me and I am. Simultaneously  the obvious endings - Penny and John, Elizabeth’s husband - are daunting. If I focus there, I can certainly become unnerved. But I can also be reminded that life can change very, very quickly and to value time with the people I love.  If you love a good murder mystery that is lively and thought provoking, please consider Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. I am surely headed to book two! See my thoughts about Book Two and Three here!

Thursday Murder Club book cover



The Christmas Checklist - Lisa Hepner

Genre: Romance

If you love a Hallmark Christmas movie, then Lisa Hepner’s, The Christmas Checklist is for you. Hepner, a Christmas movie screenwriter, taps into her own personal experience to craft this novel. Emily had moved home temporarily to care for her dying mother and is mourning her loss while dreading the approach of Christmas at the novel’s beginning. She finds a checklist that her mom has created of 12 items that she should complete before the holiday’s arrival. She is not at all thrilled at the prospect but out of love and grief, she feels she must try. Cue the meet cute with local journalist Noah. He becomes quite involved in her quest and the ripples her actions are making in their community and would love to write about it for the local paper. Let the Christmas season work its magic.

I do love Hallmark movies, and I really enjoyed  this book. (Which has, in fact, been made into a movie for this holiday season - see Amazon Prime. I’ll be streaming it soon!) I could relate to Emily’s grief having lost my mom very close to the Christmas holiday. The author’s own experience with this is clear, and the book is sincere and lovely. While Christmas movies can be somewhat…predictable, Hepner does an excellent job of providing some twists and turns, maintaining my interest while capturing so many of the traditional Christmas experiences that the reader wants in a novel like this. 

The checklist is very inspirational to anyone experiencing a change from grief to job changes. The list includes donating jackets and clothes, decorating, sending handwritten cards, getting to know your neighbors, and much more. (A complete list is available at The Christmas Checklist) The completion of any of these items clearly will create a ripple effect. I love how Emily grew and changed and found hope and in doing so created hope for others. I love the illustration of a mother’s wisdom. I think we all wish to leave our kids with a hope that outlasts us. If you need a bit of joyfilled hope this season - Check out The Christmas Checklist by Lisa Hepner - and maybe fulfill some items on the list yourself. 



Amazing Grace Adams - Fran Littlewood

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Audiobook

I love a quirky heroine - one who is not perfect and who struggles just a bit with the world around her. The Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood checked those boxes for me with a flourish. The throughline is 40 something year old Grace is desperately attempting to get a special cake to her daughter’s 16th birthday party.  She deserts her failing car, fights with a pharmacist, steals a golf club, and uses it to assault the headlight of a car. She is exhausted and injured and yet…determined somehow to reach out to the daughter who wants nothing to do with her. 

So of course - as her day advances, Littlewood gives us the flashbacks and weaves together the back stories that have led to this tumultuous day. She does so masterfully - I am surprised more than once. Quite honestly, when I think I’m done with Grace - like she’s a little too perimenopausal or self involved, then boom, I’m back and cheering her on and admiring her focus. The book balances a kind of humor with powerful and poignant moments that will take your breath away. I was unprepared for the emotion, but it was that emotion that kept me coming back and rooting for her. The narration was delightful. Claire Skinner adds dimension and insight to Littlewoods words.

As we age, it is easy to feel unheard and discounted. I often feel like I am losing control of everything - my internal thermometer, my weight, the structure of my hair, my ability to think clearly. I guess that’s why I could relate to Grace so quickly. I enjoyed seeing her find her voice. While I doubt I would ever embark on a journey with quite so much aggression, a part of me admired her refusal to stand down; the community service was likely well worth it. And while you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover - this book’s does a perfect job of capturing her spirit. If you need a little boost, some humor, and to see someone coming back from the brink, take some time to get to know Grace. 

Tom Lake - Ann Patchett

Tom Lake - Ann Patchett
Genre: Literary Fiction Historical (?) ( I can’t wrap my head around the 80s being historical) 

Tom Lake is written by Ann Patchett and performed by Meryl Streep. She brings this book to life in a truly perfect way.I feel like I can just stop now, and most of you would find the book to read. I loved every minute. I will see if I can effectively articulate why. 

The novel begins with auditions for the play Our Town in a small New Hampshire town. After listening to a series of just awful Emilys, Laura puts her name on the audition list and gets that part that launches her career in acting as Lara. I love the play; I have read it, seen it, and taught it. Through a series of events, an older Lara finds herself doing summer theater at Tom Lake in Michigan, playing the part of Emily again. She has been “discovered” by this time, has made a movie in Hollywood, and is waiting for it to be released. Here she meets and is swept off her feet by Peter Duke who goes on to become a Hollywood legend. We learn of her summer through her own narration. In another timeline, as a fifty something year old woman, Lara is experiencing the Covid pandemic on a cherry farm in Michigan scrambling to harvest with her three grown daughters who have come home to weather the pandemic. Her eldest daughter Emily (of course!) was convinced as a belligerent, stubborn tween  that Duke was father when she learns that Lara had dated him in her youth. They spend much of the time of the pandemic with her mother sharing out in bits and pieces the story of her summer at Tom Lake.

Her story is fascinating and poignant. We experience the highs of “first” love (passion), acting success, and summer and friendship. We experience the lows of betrayal, realization of limits, and, of course, friendship lost. All of these experiences are set against the idyllically rendered Michigan summer by the lake. These vignettes punctuate Lara’s pandemic experience with her daughters as she reflects on their childhoods and comes to know them better. We see here a family that truly cares for one another in spite of differences and misunderstanding. Her husband Joe and she clearly have a relationship that is strong and loving - that has weathered difficult crops and three small girls and settled into a life that brings both joy. Joe’s involvement in the summer at Tom Lake is introduced gradually and provides a nice layer to the story. 

Ultimately of course, we reflect on the “awfulness” of life - that those who are living it don’t realize it properly. Lara has clearly gained wisdom over the course of her life, and I love that in spite of some very difficult mistakes and a series of losses, she holds no bitterness from this period in her youth, but rather finds the lessons learned, and connects them to the life that she finds beautiful - even in this rather horrific time in history. She notes that she should not necessarily feel joy at this time with her daughters, but she unapologetically does. She is treasuring moments much in the way Our Town suggests we should. 

Tom Lake kind of makes me want to revisit the big moments in my life or perhaps I mean the small ones - those I overlooked and didn’t appropriately appreciate. I long a bit for the certainty that my life was lived fully, and rather than being mistakes, all of my experiences combined to bring me to a present joy. I like very much what Lara chooses to keep and what she chooses to let go.


The Dead Romantics - Ashley Poston

The Dead Romantics - Ashley Poston
Genre - Supernatural & Contemporary Romance

I like to think that Florence Day of Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics and I could be friends. She experiences a number of changes in the novel, but I enjoy her throughout. Listen, if you are a cynic about things of a romantic nature - challenge yourself and give this one a shot anyway. Florence agrees with you. In spite of being a successful ghostwriter for romantic phenomenon author Ann Nichols, finds that she has run out of happy endings. After her long term boyfriend unapologetically steals the precious stories of her child and distorts them in a novel, Florence finds that her tolerance for all things romance is gone. She finds herself unable to complete her final contracted novel in spite of a mandate to do so from her new editor Benji Andor. Her Dad dies unexpectedly, so she returns home to the family funeral home for the first time in a very long time. Some battles with her family, detailed funeral plans to fulfill, and the unexpected ghost of Benji Andor challenge Florence in ways she never thought possible.

I come and go with romance. And I suppose a love affair with a ghost could really send me screaming in another direction, but boy did I enjoy this one. Florence is a delight. I found her to be funny. I can be annoyed by self deprecation and self pity, but Poston explores Florence’s struggle in an unflinching yet amusing way. She strikes a lovely balance. Part of this is the exploration of her relationship with her family. The conflict is real, but the family love and support remain strong. The supernatural aspect is very naturally included. Of course a little girl who grows up in a funeral home has a sensitivity to unhappy ghosts. Of course. Could it be weird for her to fall in love with a ghost? Maybe. But again, Poston makes it work. She continued to surprise me long after I thought I had the book “all figured out.”  

I love that Florence learns the lessons that the universe is offering her. Like me, she takes her time - I often find it easier to rest in my sadness than reach for change. Perhaps a solid visit from a ghost might inspire me? Or, most likely I should keep reading and learning and finding new friends like Florence. 

Famous for a Living - Melissa Ferguson

Famous for a Living - Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Contemporary Romance

The notion of fame in our digital age is fascinating to this 50 something. I recently had supper with some ladies that date the whole way back to elementary school for me and while talking about an influencer (I don’t remember who - doesn’t matter) one of them said - she needs to stop blogging and work for a living. And while I had some understanding of the work involved, this book by Ferguson absolutely put the tremendous amount of work into perspective as well as the mental toll that such work takes.

Cat’s life undergoes an abrupt change when her influencer life is canceled because of a business partner’s financial crimes. Her uncle - a national park ranger- offers her a job, a place to stay, and a soft place to land. Naturally life in the forest is much different from the life she knows in the city. She has reduced resources for her social media “job” and has to share a rustic cabin with a roommate - a young and eager park ranger. And, of course, a man intrudes into her world in a lovely and romantic way.

Ferguson transforms Cat gently and believably. Through the transformation she illustrates the importance of being true to ourselves and knowing ourselves. She doesn’t denigrate influencer culture, but rather focuses on influencing in a way that brings joy and not just stress and strain. I appreciate that message very much for readers. The relationship evolves naturally as well. I love that neither character had to be a completely different person in order to be a couple. I love that message as well. The supporting cast of characters are fully developed and contribute to the development of our romantic leads. The national park and surrounding area  serve almost as a character themselves. I love to visit such parks and value their importance; Ferguson does an excellent job of illustrating their worth. I’ve been thinking a great deal of what matters - what we keep and what we don’t. Keeping our parks matter. I love that Cat retains her love of fashion and makeup but learns to value experience and travel even more. Well done!

A side note I just reviewed Do Tell over on the new books page. As I was reading this, I was surprised that two such different eras, 1940s to 2020s, could have such similar looks at how we treat famous people as a culture. Even though we have much more information about our “stars” now than we were allowed in the 40s, we still seem to want to elevate them, give them a pass based on their popularity as entertainers or influencers. Seems we simultaneously question the value of their work and want to give them a free pass for bad behavior as a culture. We sure can learn from what we read. 

Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver; read by Charlie Thurston

I’m not here to “review” Demon Copperhead  by Barbara Kingsolver. This title has been reviewed by many finer and more well trained minds than mine. Further, I’m a little late to the discussion because I was on the waiting list at my library for sooooo looonnggg. (I’m not complaining, I’m a fan of the Libby app, but rarely can I be cutting edge with my thoughts.) But yet, I feel compelled to talk about how I felt while reading the audio version of this book. 

 I will be seeking this book in print. I don’t often take the time to reread a book, but this one requires another look from me. In part because I hear these gems that I want to highlight and write down somewhere. I haven’t found a good way to do that with an audiobook often because I’m driving. I last did this for Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land. 

Why? Honestly at first I was underwhelmed by Demon. I’m not sure why. He was funny and honest and heartbreaking. I also was overwhelmed by the circumstances of his life - unreliable though loving mom, abusive stepfather, horrendous experiences in foster care, opioids, crime, racism, poverty. I can remember whining in my head too much - Kingsolver has just taken on too much. I wanted things to magically improve for Demon. I wanted him to find a way with zero consistent examples to make better decisions to walk himself out of the life that he was in. This, I think, was partially my teacher brain at work. We see kids for 42 minutes a day and want to inspire them to want to study, to make good choices, to plan for the future. And certainly we have some understanding of the rest of their lives. I can remember berating a student for incomplete homework only to find out later that he had been his mom’s chauffeur for a night of bar hopping. He couldn’t get the work done in the car (before cell phones and constant connectivity). Demon recalled to me my helplessness to decide what was important in those moments. 

So what happened? I started seeing the patterns and the characters started educating me (cue Aunt June, Mr. Armstrong and Stacy) about the life that Demon was in. Demon himself talked about the connections and the losses and the beauty and the sadness that he found in difficult place after difficult place. He talked honestly about his mistakes - genuinely working to reflect placing blame when necessary and accepting blame as appropriate. Did he still drive me nuts sometimes? He did. However, I found myself rooting for him more and more - needing this one kid to make it to a better life as many around him fell. For the first time I felt like I had the tiniest sense of the complexity of the students I had been dealing with for years. I had, of course, studied their issues academically. I attended the trainings, and I read the books. But getting to know Demon taught me more than all of that.

Getting to know Demon was largely a result of Charlie Thurston’s first person performance of Kingsolver’s excellently crafted work. She weaves together humor, heartache, hope, and anger in a way that feels impossible and Thurston delivers these emotions impeccably. Demon’s voice is…well…Demon’s voice. I am roughly from the area of the country that Demon is, and his voice created by Thurston was just right. I could know him. She works in humor in a way that feels impossible and Thurston delivers it impeccably. I know that I will hear Thurston’s voice when I finally get the print copy to review. I often pick audio books based on who is the reader/performer, and I will look for Thurston to be sure. 

While I am no longer in the full time teaching game, I need also to work toward educating myself more clearly about the issues raised in Demon Copperhead. Early in the book I felt like Kingsolver was being heavy handed, and now I’m thinking maybe she is heavy handed because as a culture we just aren’t getting what is happening in Appalachia and to the kids who are growing up there (or maybe I just felt it was heavy handed because I didn’t know) . We need more Junes and Mr. Armstrongs and Stacys. We need to find ways to do education differently. I’ve known that for a bit and am not sure what the answer is, but I do think all educators should get to know Demon. If I were doing teacher prep courses Demon Copperhead would be required reading. And although these are not my areas of expertise, perhaps doctors, case workers, and politicians should read it too. Policy - imagine taking the time to create actual policy to support communities.