A Grownup Kind of Pretty by Joshiyn Jackson—When Joshilyn Jackson writes about her southern women characters, it is never what you expect. There could be problems with family, romance, mystery or death, or all of the above. Her latest novel is no different. Jenny was 15 when her daughter Liza was born and she parted ways with her family. When Liza turned 15, she had Mosey. Jenny, AKA Big was determined that Mosey would not carry on the family tradition. But Liza now 30 had a stroke and could no longer speak or walk. And when Big and Mosey find the bones of a tiny baby and Liza could no longer explain what that was about, it didn’t stop Big and Mosey from trying to figure it out. What saves the family is the love that binds them together.
Luckily for me, on my 5 trips to the airport (that’s another story) I was able to finish this unputdownable audiobook read by the author with a pronounced southern accent which made it all the more honest. Another Jackson winner.
Heartwood by Amity Gaige—Forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, a hiker, vanishes from the Appalachian Trail. In charge of finding her is Maine State Game Warden, Beverly, who along with many volunteers is determined to solve this case. We not only learn about Beverly, but Valerie’s parents, her husband, her partner on the trail, and an elderly woman who somehow becomes a key figure in the search. In addition, we get to know Valerie herself through her writing. This novel is not only a mystery but an interior journey into all the novel’s characters. And we learn about what it takes to be lost and then found. We read this for my book club, and the discussion was very interesting.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson—Speaking of being lost and found, Manson, a former blogger, in a very direct message to his readers, explains how positivity can be more dangerous than facing a problem directly and understanding where the blame may lie. Another piece of advice is to examine your life, your priorities and your goals. Rather than concentrate on money and high-powered jobs, think about where you really feel your life makes sense.
If you don’t mind the more than occasional “f*cks” and other profane language, than this might be a book that kicks you in the butt to consider where you would like your life to be headed.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett—When my friend told me to put down everything else I was reading and pick up “The Calamity Club” even if it was 656 pages, I obeyed her command. And I’m not sorry. Kathryn Stockett, author of “The Help”, has done it again. Focusing on women and taking place in Mississippi, 1933 there are several plots but one important theme.
Meg is 11 years old and has lived for 2 years in the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. She is now one of the “big girls” who seem to be unadoptable. She only has good memories of her mother, who disappeared two years before for no apparent reason. She tries not to think about her. The head of this orphanage seems to have something against her, but Meg doesn’t know why. That is her life so far.
Birdie, a bookkeeper, lives and works in a small town with her mother and grandmother and is quickly running out of money. Their only salvation is Frances, Birdie’s sister who married a wealthy man. Birdie finally makes the trip to Oxford to plead with her sister. What she finds is a family with many secrets, and it only gets stranger the longer she stays. When she helps her sister volunteer in the orphanage, that’s when she meets Meg and they instantly bond. Birdie wants to help her but the only help she can give her is to try to get her adopted and out of there as soon as possible. And she does. Will Meg find the family she has dreamt of?
Meanwhile life in Frances’ house has come to a head when they are robbed and Frances’ husband disappears. And when they find out the mortgage is due in a month, they must come up with a plan. There are multiple threads to this novel especially when Meg’s biological mother unexpectedly shows up at their house. And that is when they must come up with an alternate plan. The cast of characters gets more interesting, also funnier and sadder. All I can say is read this novel which will make you laugh and cry and get angry. It’s worth 656 pages. And if you can listen to it, go ahead.
I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney—Bud is at a low point in his life. His wife left him, his job as an obituary writer is almost “dead”, and his blind date meets him with her old boyfriend. That seems to be the last straw. He goes home and in a mix of alcohol and depression, decides to write his own obituary. The obituary is sarcastic, of course self-deprecating and very funny. And in a drunken stroke, he hits the publish button. After several meetings with the newspaper bosses, they attempt to fire him. But because the computer has declared him dead, he cannot be fired…yet.
As his life becomes darker, so does the writing in the book. He meets an interesting woman whose hobby is going to funerals. So, he and his wheelchair bound friend begin to attend as well and it is then that he begins to learn how to live.
I thought this was going to be much lighter and funnier since Kenney can be a very sardonic writer. But as he ponders life and death, it makes for a more well-rounded novel. It was worth reading…landing somewhere between a beach book and a treatise on mortality.
Thank you so much for waiting a little extra time. I hope you will enjoy reading some of the books. There’s plenty more where that came from!
GET LIT WITH LISA 