Author: Lisa

Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls—You may remember Walls from her memoir Glass Castle about growing up in the Appalachians with her off the grid parents. Her father was a bootlegger and that’s where she gets much of her material for her latest novel.

Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of The Duke, a big man in a small town in Virginia. This family saga spans from WWI through Prohibition. Sallie’s mother had died in a violent argument with Duke and he promptly marries Jane and has a son, who is nothing like the firebrand that is Sallie. After an accident with Eddie, Sallie is sent away to stay with her aunt. But when she returns it is to care for her half-brother after the death of Jane. Not even a month goes by, and Duke is married once again. This novel is full of marriages, affairs, secret children that pop up when you least expect them and deaths… lots of deaths.

The legacy of Duke hangs heavy over Sallie as she fights to retain control of Kincaid Holdings. And when yet another family member appears after Duke’s untimely death, Sallie is sent to make sure all Prohibition laws are adhered to. In small-town Virginia that is a tall order.

I will leave the reader to find out how Sallie befriends and protects the bootleggers and leads the law on a merry chase. Feisty, determined to lead her own life, Sallie is an interesting character to follow. Somehow, I can see this as a movie and Barbara Stanwick (that’s how old I am) plays the role of Sallie.

The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt—Bob Comet, 71 years old and a retired librarian (of course I had to read it) lives alone, has no friends and basically reads. He is not unhappy or lonely. When he meets an obviously lost lady in a pink sweater, he guides her back to the Senior Center where she lives, but often wanders around Portland. When he meets Maria, manager of the center, he decides to volunteer, even against her warnings.  Ah… the reader thinks, he and Maria…but DeWitt’s story goes far afield. Bob is a bland character, but his life has been far from dull. We return to his life as a librarian when he meets both his wife and his best friend. We return farther back to his 12-year-old self when he runs away and spends a week with two strange old actresses in an old hotel. The thing about Bob is that he hardly ever really talks, and we depend on the quirky characters he meets to make the conversation more interesting. And I loved the other characters.

There are many times in the novel that I thought that this is the place where it ends…he dies or he becomes fulfilled and happy…or he finds love…but I was wrong.

His memories of the library though, were true and sometimes very funny. And that is one reason that I would recommend this book.

Fresh Snow on Bedford Falls: Second Chances by G.L. Gooding—Well this is a different book…Who hasn’t watched the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”? And if you have, who hasn’t wished for a more definitive ending, much like the SNL skit where a group of very upset citizens beat up Mr. Potter. https://youtu.be/vw89o0afb2A

But Gooding takes this in a very different direction. Starting the day after the movie ends, an “investigator” arrives in Bedford Falls to really find out what happened to the missing $8000. And when he finds out, he does a deep dive into Potter’s past to find out what made him the way he is. Most of the novel takes place in London where he meets his future wife, and the reader follows his sad trail to the future.

The writing is not the quality I was searching for, but the story is captivating…and the ending…wait for it!

With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

What is stalking and what is just extreme curiosity? It certainly depends on the stalkee. In With My Little Eye these are questions worth exploring. Maribel Mills is a semi-well-known actress known for a small part in a series years ago. She does not feel that she warrants a stalker. but somehow, she has one…and he is getting closer, until she literally smells his distinctive odor on her sheets. She then takes her daughter Honor and they move from LA to a place she swore she’d never return…Atlanta where she has a past. 

For a while she thinks she has outrun him. She has a job; she makes a friend and her almost 13 year old autistic daughter seems to have a friend as well. But then the letters start coming again and her ex-boyfriend from LA mysteriously arrives. Oh, by the way, she is also following or is she stalking her ex-husband, while her new friend Cooper seems to be following his ex-girlfriend. 

There are several plots in this fast-paced thriller. Who are the good guys and who is the stalker? There are several choices, and I was wrong about most of them. Joshilyn Jackson continues to provide her readers with wonderful characters, and with especially real problems. I particularly appreciated the depiction of her daughter.

And here’s something again from my Gaithersburg Gazette (RIP) “Check It Out” column from last century (1998) proving I hope that old books and old columns are just as readable.

A Widow for One Year by John Irving—This very literary novel (all four main characters are writers) cover enough issues to keep the reader busy for all 537 pages—the death of children (a staple of Irving’s work) a dysfunctional family obsession with older women and prostitution as well as literary angst.

We follow Ruth Cole as she grows up in the specter of her two dead brothers and missing mother. Like her father, Ruth becomes a writer as is her mother, Marion, and the young man obsessed with Marion. All their writings become part of the novel.

This is a work of incredible emotional force and because of the characters’ strength and believability, it is Irving’s most readable opus to daten(1998 that is.)

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride—McBride is one of my favorite authors and his newest novel is at the top of the list of most popular books of the year, including winning the Kirkus Prize for fiction. The title refers to the grocery store owned by Moshe and Chona, in the mid 1930’s in Pottstown PA. But the store is in Chicken Hill, populated by African Americans and a small collection of Jewish immigrants. Chona runs the store with the help of Addie, and it is Chona who binds her community together.

The Chicken Hill community is populated with the kind of characters that McBride is known for. Each character, no matter how small their role in the book, influences the outcome of this novel.

Dodo is a deaf twelve-year-old black child who lost his hearing at 9 years old, and his mother recently. He goes to live with his aunt Addie and her husband Nate, who works for Moshe in his theatre. When the State comes around to take Dodo to a mental hospital, Addie and Nate decide to hide him with Moshe and Chona. And that’s when the Jewish and Black community unite.

I just listened to McBride speak about this book and he is as mesmerizing in person as he is in print. I have one suggestion for you, when you finish the book, go back and read the first chapter. That will set things in place. I’m looking forward to discussing this with my book club and hope you will as well.

The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri—In September I wrote a review of Daniel Nayeri’s book called Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) which is a mixture of truth and fiction about their family’s immigration story aimed at middle schoolers. His sister, Dina also wrote a book. Both penned their books about their refugee experience from Iran to Oklahoma, but Dina’s book was not only from her perspective as a child but what followed her to adulthood.

She also writes about other refugees and their experiences as she travels to places where refugees remain in what seems like an eternal purgatory, waiting at the mercy of immigration officials and lawyers where they are questioned thoroughly but their answers must fit into the correct framework of the country they are trying to enter. Often, these immigrants who come from places like Iran cannot answer in these frameworks. She researched a man who became so frustrated, that he set himself on fire in front of a courthouse in Holland.

Her book is thought provoking, but she does go on (probably too long) as her frustration and anger mounts. Reading both these books and comparing them would make a very interesting book discussion.

Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal and translated by Jessica Moore—Aliocha is a 20-year-old Russian conscript headed eastbound on the Trans-Siberian railroad with 100 other conscripts. These were the young men who couldn’t find a way out of the Russian army, either by bribery or parental obligations. But Aliocha is neither rich enough nor involved with women enough. He knows he is not a fighter, although he is clever, and so he does what he can to escape.

He meets Helene, a French woman escaping her own past who hides him in her berth. Together, although neither speaks each other’s language, they develop a relationship. And the reader understands each character, how they instinctively approach each other and how they are bound together.

This novella, written in 2012, and translated in 2023, was not about being sent to Ukraine, but reading it, it is a door into the Russian military and what these Russian soldiers may be feeling now. The writing is sparce but beautiful and the characters are fully drawn. This melodic translation fully realizes not only the plot but the relationship and the landscape that speeds by.  A short but mesmerizing novella.

American Mermaid by Julia Langbein—When Penelope, an English teacher, writes a novel about an ecowarrior mermaid, she doesn’t expect it to be a bestseller and when she is approached by Hollywood to make a movie, she is thrilled. But moving to California and fighting to retain the core of the book is much more difficult than actually writing the book herself.

Her attempt to meet and be accepted by film people and book people while attempting to retain the core of the book is the substance of the novel but there is more and that’s what I like most about this story. We get to read excerpts from “American Mermaid” and finally understand the mermaid character, Sylvia, the kindly doctor, and her evil scientist “father”. It is actually more interesting than watching Penny and her tribulations. Lots of plot twists in what turns out to be a beach book, appropriately.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan—You know him. He’s a standup comedian, and if you’re familiar with his routine, you may find familiar material. But since I’m not, every page is fraught with the crazy and very funny ideas directly from his head. There is no plot but simply essays on being a father of one, then two, until his current five children. His wife is a saint and somehow accomplishes everything including Gaffigan’s career while breastfeeding.

Since my children are long grown, the familiarity of young children comes from my grandchildren, and he is dead on… from stealthily changing diapers in the middle of the night to germ infested daycare. (that’s why we always get sick when we visit) It’s extremely funny and probably a good read while breastfeeding in the middle of the night.

And here’s some homework to do during February. I’m sure you can fill it all in! Until March then.

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger—It is 1958 in the small town of Jewel, Minnesota and everyone has a secret, whether it comes from the war, barely 13 years old, a family secret or a forbidden love. And when Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy landowner and a very unpopular man, is found dead and half eaten in the Alabaster River, everything could be exposed.

Sheriff Brody Dern oversees the investigation, and as much as he doesn’t want it to be, the verdict is murder and Noah Bluestone, a Native American and veteran of World War II who brought a Japanese bride home, is assumed to be the killer. He is arrested but he and his wife refuse to speak at all.

The full story eventually comes out along with the history of the town, the Quinn family, the Native Americans who had lived in the area for so long and all those hidden secrets.

After reading Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite of his novels, but his writing always brings to mind his love of small-town Minnesota as well as the people in it and they are drawn carefully and lovingly.

Somebody’s Fool (North Bath Trilogy book 3) by Richard Russo—I cannot start this review without revealing that most of Russo’s books are about the real city of Gloversville, NY, as well as other small towns, and that I lived in Gloversville for several years. So, I have a vested interest in this town and in this author. In an interview on NPR Russo explained that he keeps returning to fictional Gloversville because he can’t get it out of his head, just like he can’t get his father out of his head.

The main character in the first two books, Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool is Sully, based on Russo’s father, an endearing and frustrating man who never kept a job and was estranged from his son for many years. We also meet his equally hard drinking friends. When Peter, his son, a professor, returns to North Bath and slowly gets to know his father, much to his mother’s dismay, Peter becomes part of the fabric of North Bath that could have been as wealthy as nearby Schuyler Springs but never did.

In Somebody’s Fool, Sully has been dead for ten years but somehow is still a part of the story. He had charged Peter with the care of his friends, a downtrodden cast of characters that are working through their problems and are also part of the first two books. Although Peter plans to fix up Sully’s house, sell it and move back to New York City, stuff and people keep getting in his way.

These characters sometimes get confusing, so much so that one of my friends had to make a chart to keep them straight. But each character becomes a friend, and we understand why Peter gets involved with them. And when Thomas, Peter’s estranged son appears on his porch, he sets into motion complex feelings from Peter’s past and various plot twists ensue.

This is a story about healing, as the characters work through their past so they can face their future.  It’s a lovely novel and makes me want to not only reread the first two “Fool” books, but rewatch the movie Nobody’s Fool starring Paul Newman, who for me (and Russo) will always be the face of Sully.

Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok—Chinese born Jasmine escapes to New York from a bad marriage where her husband literally sold her daughter, Fiona, to an American couple. Jasmine is determined to find her, but she must pay back the Chinese mafia who financed her and working at Opium, a Chinese strip club will do it.

Rebecca, Fiona’s adoptive mother, is trying to balance her career with her family and deal with the strange Chinese nanny her husband found.

At first the writing seemed halting and the plot slow, but as the “plot thickened”. I couldn’t wait to find out: will Jasmine find her daughter, will her husband find her, will she finally discover true love with an old friend, will Rebecca at last find balance in her career, and what about that strange nanny?

On a long car trip, I found the answers to all these questions and so will the seven readers waiting to listen to this audible book.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo—Flor is a woman of many talents, the most important being that she can predict the death of those around her. At 70 she decides to plan a Living Wake…for herself. And the novel revolves around the three days prior. Has she predicted her own death?

Her sisters, though, have talents of their own and we are drawn into all their lives. It is graphic, it is magical, it takes us from the Dominican Republic to New York City, it takes us back in time and flashes forward. Sometimes it is confusing about where and when and even who is speaking but it is always fascinating, and the writing is captivating. I suggest you read it rather than listen to it, as it is easy to get lost…especially when you’re driving on a dark rainy night. This feminist novel is shortlisted for The Center for Fiction 2023 First Novel Prize.

There, There by Tommy Orange— If you are interested in learning about Native Americans living on a reservation in a traditional setting, this is probably not the book for you. Tommy Orange, a debut writer from Oakland, California tells his own story, one of the modern Urban Indian, which is actually not that rare. 70% of Native Americans live in cities. His story is about many characters who are trying to discover their own identity and why Oakland is now a part of it.  

Each character is its own chapter, whether it’s a young man googling traditional dancing, a woman trying to rediscover her family, brothers trying to score it big and a grandmother attempting to keep her grandchildren safe. But they are all headed toward the same destination: the Big Oakland Powwow and that is where they all come together in an ending that nobody expects or wants.

The story is graphic and violent and very sad. The first chapter, an historical essay about the horrific massacres on the Indian community will make the reader think about Thanksgiving in a different way.

It was not an enjoyable read but it certainly will create an interesting discussion, which is why it was chosen for the One Maryland One Book for 2023 by the Maryland Humanities Council, to “bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book.” I expect that we will have a lively discussion in our book group. The good news is that there are plenty of copies available on and offline.

Thank you all for reading. I hope to hear from you with book suggestions and comments. Have a lovely holiday and a happy new year. Whether you spend it with family or friends please include a good book.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghase—As promised I finished this grand book and I say grand because it has grand themes: love, loss, family secrets, the forces of nature, of Indian politics and the power of medical science. But it all starts in 1900 in Southwestern India with a 12-year-old girl, Mariamma, on her way to marry a taciturn 43 old widower with a 6-year-old son. It is the last time she will use her name, forever after known as Ammachi (mother) and finally Big Ammachi, a name she is proud to accept. It is through her bravery and her devotion that we get to know her children and grandchildren and it is through her namesake that we discover the family secret.

We are also introduced to Digby Kilgore, a young doctor from Scotland who moves to India. His journey takes him to places he never would have ventured as he meets Rune, a doctor from Sweden who founds St. Bridgets, a leper colony. It is all entwined with the family from Parenbil, and you must read this amazing book to follow the plot twists and fall in love with these amazing characters.

You need to know that Abraham Verghase is first and foremost a physician and so there is a lot of medicine in this book. But there is also his grandmother’s reflections that make up the core of Parenbil.

I not only read it but listened to it as well…made it go faster…and Verghase himself narrated it. Surprisingly, he was very good at different accents, especially Scottish! So, if you have the time, read this sweeping saga. You will not regret it.  

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett—Another novel set in Covid Time, but really only part of the time. Lara, her husband Joe and their three young adult daughters are quarantined on their cherry orchard in Michigan, and to while away the hours as they pick cherries, the girls have coerced their mom into telling them about her days as an actress, especially about her time with Peter Duke. There is a dreamy quality as Lara goes back in time telling her daughters and us about what led to her acting. And why she stopped. She was a young, naïve, actress who had only played one part, Emily, in “Our Town”, the role she apparently was meant to play. It was there she met Duke who captivated her right from the start.

She tells the story as the girls pepper her with questions. They swoon listening to her and probably all fall in love a little with Duke and his brother Sebastian as she recounts the bittersweet tale of those young days when she thought her days were all mapped out for her. And how she ended up on the cherry orchard.

I found Patchett’s use of the plays “Our Town” and “The Cherry Orchard” very intriguing and how she deftly wove them into the story.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book, and it was possibly because Meryl Streep narrated the audio book. I’ve spoken to many who have read it and although they enjoyed it, they didn’t love it. Somehow, Streep was Lara. I can certainly picture the movie, with of course Streep as the older Lara and even the younger Lara. What a delight.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano—William grew up lonely and miserable with parents that couldn’t seem to love him after after the death of his 3-year-old sister. His only happiness was basketball and as a tall young man, he finally felt at home and garnered a friendship with his team.

Julia grew up with her 3 sisters in a loving boisterous family, and when William met Julia, he was attracted to her family as much as to her take charge attitude. Julia would take care of him, and she did. Guiding him into an academic career in history where the only subject that truly interested him was the history of basketball. When Julia’s younger sister got pregnant out of wedlock, Julia decided to have a baby to make her mother happy. William tried to warn her that he wasn’t ready. And that’s when his life began to fall apart. Julia didn’t understand, but her sister Sylvie did.  When he left his wife and their baby, Julia never followed…. but Sylvie did. His subsequent suicide attempt led Sylvie to sit by his side for months as he lay in his hospital bed. She never told Julia.

Sylvie and William began to live their new life, while her sisters were realizing their new lives as well, including Julia and her daughter, Alice, who William gave up voluntarily. Julia moved to NY and cut off all ties with the family.

What brings her back is something you’ll have to read yourself. This is a story about the power of a family where there’s either too much love or not enough. The relationship between these sisters is key. Have tissues handy, after all it is an Oprah book.

And here are two articles from my Gaithersburg Gazette (RIP) “Check It Out” column from last century (1992 and 1995):

Patty Jane’s House of Curl by Lorna Landvik—If your taste runs to the great tearjerker movie “Steel Magnolias” then you must read Patty Jane’s House of Curl. Focused on the title character’s beauty parlor, we meet and fall in love with the wisecracking Patty Jane as well as all the women in her family. Not to mention all the men that come in and out of their lives. Their problems include love, alcoholism and death. (the 3 big ones)

Although this is a testament to the strength of women who face constant turmoil, it is far from depressing. The author uses her characters’ humor to balance the darker elements of the story. And if you like her writing, there are many more of her feminist-based Minneapolis novels.

The Queen and I by Sue Townsend—If you thought the English royal family was crazy in real life, here is a novel written in 1992 that takes them one step farther out of reality. Townsend has written a very funny yet cautionary tale about what happens when the People’s Republican Party is elected and the royal family is banished from their various palaces to live in the projects, cut off from their wealth.  Aside from a social worker, there is no one to help them. Every family member must stand on their own merit. What I found most interesting, and maybe not surprising is that the women, and especially the Queen, survive much better than the men. No one is surprised at that. (We’ve all seen “The Crown”)

I will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider—Last month I found a very apropos cartoon that I thought I would use on my blog but I just wasn’t sure I was allowed to do that, so I put on my librarian’s hat, found Grant Snider’s publisher and emailed them to ask his permission. He emailed me back within the hour and graciously allowed me to use the cartoon. He also told me that it was from a book he wrote…so I bought it. If you are a book lover (which I assume you are) you will appreciate the sometimes-awkward situations in which you may find yourself and the many types of books to which we’re attracted.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng—This is a cautionary tale about an America, not much different from our America but “whose volume is turned up to 11” says Ng. It centers on Bird, a 12-year-old whose mother has to disappear when he is 9 years old because of a book of poetry she wrote years ago which has been adopted by anti-government protestors. In this dystopian world the US government has legalized PACT (The Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act) which basically codifies Anti-China (converted to Anti-Asian) laws. It also enforces censorship which shows up in the empty shelves of libraries. The worst part of PACT is the removal of children from their politically active parents.

After Bird’s mother disappears, her name is not to be brought up in the family, so Bird who is now called Noah, remembers little of his storytelling mother. But when he receives a postcard in the mail filled with images of birds, his curiosity is ignited, and he goes on a quest to find out about her and finally to find her.

Written in response to the 2016 election, the Anti-Asian racism and the rise of censorship, Ng nevertheless wants to show us that there is hope, hope through art, hope through simple acts of protest and finally through simple acts of love. If you have read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, you may find some parallels. It is a beautifully written book and certainly one worth discussing.

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri—This book is a patchwork of memories and mythology, of fiction and nonfiction and of adult and juvenile fiction. Khosrou (soon to be renamed Daniel) and his sister and mother leave Iran under threat of imprisonment or death, spend a year in a refugee camp in Italy and eventually land in Oklahoma. As the only Persian family in their small town, Daniel becomes the poet and living embodiment of the Persian culture. We learn about Scheherazade and the tales she tells to stay alive, which is what Daniel does. He weaves these ancient tales with the stories of his own life. Are these true? Memory is a tricky thing. But Nayeri (the author) claims that according to his own memory, they are.

His mother is the heroine of the story, having sacrificed her life in Iran for her Christian faith. And she never falters. But what of his father who stayed behind and of the stepfather in Oklahoma? Daniel will fill in their stories for the reader. Look for this title in Juvenile Fiction but whomever these stories are designed for, they are fascinating. Oh, by the way, I heard him speak at the National Book Festival…he was very engaging!

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer—Clover has always been fascinated with death, she even majored in it at college. As an adult, she becomes a death doula. Yes, that really is a “thing”. She is on call to spend time with the dying, listening to their regrets, their advice, discussing the dying process, and helping with the family as well. She is very good at what she does, but does she know about life?

She lives in New York City, in the same apartment where she grew up with her grandfather, staying as far from the living as possible. It is only when she meets Sebastian, whose grandmother, Claudia is dying that her little world becomes bigger. And when a new neighbor moves in and literally pulls her out of her apartment, she begins to understand the meaning of friendship.

I wouldn’t call this a romance, it’s closer to a novel about letting go of your fears, getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing life before you experience death. As you read it you may think you know where it’s going…but do you?

Prom Mom by Laura Lippman—Whenever Lippman publishes a new book, I’m there and I’m always intrigued with her storylines, and this novel was loosely based on a true story. This is her COVID book. Every writer seems to have one.

Can you ever go home again? Amber Glass (labeled the Prom Mom) did, 12 years after she was accused of killing her newborn baby on prom night. She has no recollection of this event but took her punishment and made a new life for herself in New Orleans until she did go home again…looking for Joe, her prom date, the man she couldn’t get over. Her relationship with Joe is complicated, both of them trying to figure out what really happened on that fateful night and how it changed their lives.

Joe is now a real estate developer and married to Meredith, a plastic surgeon, but also in a very uncomfortable relationship with Jordan, a woman who will not let him go. He is also in big financial trouble.

So, we have Amber, Jordan, Meredith and Joe, quite a complicated little group, navigating their lives in the midst of the pandemic. My question is what do any of these women see in Joe? He’s very slimy, constantly playing the victim, telling himself that he’s doing this or that bad thing for a good reason. I will not reveal the ending but if you’ve read Lippman’s books you know it’s not a happily ever after. Actually 5 pages before the end, I couldn’t have predicted it…although I predicted something! Possibly a little too rushed. Okay, not her best book. But she wrote it during the pandemic and her marriage was ending. So, let’s give her a little slack.  

I will not review The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese because I’m only halfway through it…it is 700 pages after all, but next month I hope to do just that. I will say it’s the best book I’ve read this year. More next month. Enjoy the wonderful fall weather.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai—Part mystery, but more than that, a reflection of the life of Bodie Kane as she returns to her boarding school to teach a two-week class. As soon as she arrives, she is sucked up in the memory of the murder of her high school roommate, Thalia and the man convicted of killing her.  As she ruminates about her life there, different perceptions of that fateful day sneak into the novel.

Makkai’s genre for this novel is a “literary feminist boarding school mystery”, as she herself attended a boarding school much like Bodie. You must know it’s not a Whodunit. It’s about crime, it’s about race, of course feminism, the #MeToo movement, and how flawed memory can color everything.

Read it somewhere quiet when you have time to think about it. It’s not a beach read.

Someone Else’s Shoes by JoJo Moyes—OK so you’ve heard about Moyes and probably read a few of her books, and possibly have put her in a specific genre…romance, mystery, women’s fiction. Well, you’re probably right but I’m here to tell you she writes a good story, a page turner even.

Set in London, Sam, a busy mother and wife, a printing executive with the worst boss ever, and a depressed husband who has just been fired, she has three important pitches to make that day, but first goes to the gym, where she picks up the wrong gym bag containing a pair of the fanciest shoes she has ever seen. They have a transformative effect on her.

Then we meet Nisha, the owner of said bag, who at first and second and even third glance is a rich entitled American who shortly finds out that losing her bag is not the worst thing that will happen to her that day. Her husband totally cuts her out of their life, and she is left stranded in a London where she is not treated with the kid gloves she is used to. With the help of Jasmine, a cleaner in the hotel where she formerly stayed, who sees something in Nisha, she slowly emerges as a real person. Eventually she finds Sam and with the help of Jasmine and other friends, they claw themselves out of the swamp that they’re both in.  I figured out the ending, but it was very satisfying…a beach book for sure.

On Earth as It Is on Television by Emily Jane—When alien ships land in various cities around the globe, and then several weeks later take off again without a word, life takes on a new meaning for everyone. We meet Blaine and his wife Alice and their strange TV addicted children, “Malibu” Heather and her stepdad Jack P., famous for his Jeopardy appearance, and Oliver, in a catatonic state for 20 years until the spaceships’ landings. And speaking of cats…after reading this very strange novel…you will have a new appreciation for these highly evolved creatures.  What do these three groups have in common and will they finally meet? Well, you have to read this absurd (mostly from Earthlings) and very funny debut novel to find out. This comic novel reminds me of Christopher Buckley, famous for his humorous political and occasional alien novels. Best if read near your highly intelligent cat, possibly named Pumpkin…

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz—Two women arrive in NYC, Alice an 18-year-old from Wisconsin and Ruby, 36 from Australia. Alice narrates the story and foretells her own death, so I have no trouble telling you that piece of information. But it’s how they meet that is the crux of the story. Ruby is trying to get out of a bad relationship and is kind of drifting through life. Alice, also fleeing a bad relationship and a sad childhood, is determined to make something of herself and nearly does. She wanders around NYC armed with a Leica camera she stole from her boyfriend and the many tales of NYC she’s learned from Noah her new landlord and savior.

This narrative is as much about finding yourself in New York as about women and men and crime and love and lost and found and death and eventually life. It is a beautifully told tale which I think would make an interesting book discussion. (Read it on the subway)

And here’s something from my Gaithersburg Gazette (RIP) “Check It Out” column from last century (1998) proving I hope that old books and old columns are just as readable.

A Patchwork Planet by Ann Tyler—Welcome to Tyler country, where characters desperately try to get their lives in order. Barnaby Gaitlin, 30, is the self-proclaimed ne’er-do-well son of the wealthy Gaitlins, to whom he is a constant disappointment and financial strain. He is also the father of a 9-year old. Barnaby works at Rent-A-Back, helping elderly customers move heavy objects, pick up their dry cleaning and just listen to them. A dead-end job to some, Barnaby loves the seniors, and they ultimately show their support for him.

Into his life comes Sophia, the “angel” who is going to fix his problems. The question is whether she loves him because she sees the good in him or because she is attracted to his “bad-boy” side.

Tyler is remarkable at bringing alive eccentric characters. She also does an admirable job of understanding his elderly clients.

Enjoy your August and try to stay cool.  

We are the Light by Matthew Quick—Lucas Goodgame has survived a terrible disaster, one which has become all too common in this country. The Majestic Theatre in his town of Majestic, Pennsylvania, was attacked by a mentally ill young man, and many were killed, including Lucas’s wife, Darcy. Lucas watches as all the dead become angels and fly away, except for his wife who stays close to him.  We read this novel from Lucas’s point of view through his letters to his psychiatrist, Karl. And through these letters we learn how Lucas is coping, mostly through the kindness of his friends, and eventually through his kindness to a lost teenager, Eli. They plan to make a movie and not only bring the survivors together but restore the theatre as well.

Lucas shows us how he not only survives, but grows as well, and with lots of help, comes to realize the truth of what happened that fateful night. It’s a beautiful story of grief and love and forgiveness.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Merriweather Post by Alison Pataki—Most of us know about this incredible woman through Post breakfast cereal or by her Hillwood Estate and Gardens. But this novel fills in all the blanks. The daughter of C W Post, she grew up mostly under the tutelage of her father, learning the business and as the business got bigger, she became richer and then richest! This novel covers her life, her many adventures, her love of art, her involvement in the business, her philanthropy and her four marriages, often in haste while repenting at leisure. It’s a fascinating read, leaving my book group with much to discuss.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn—When this book was suggested to me, all I could picture was Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Diane Keaton and Candace Bergen…with guns. But it was actually more serious and more into the thriller genre than that. Billie, Natalie, Mary Alice and Helen were all recruited into “The Museum” in 1978 as assassins of former Nazis and then generally bad people. 40 years later at age 60 they retired, given a nice pension and treated to a cruise. It is then that they realize they themselves are the target of an assassination from the Museum. They use their honed skills and add the skills of being 60-year-old women, often invisible, to their advantage. They must figure out why they are targeted and how to survive. It’s a good read…certainly a good beach read and surprisingly a page turner.

All That is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay—It is 1975 and 10-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home to an empty house. Her mother, Jane, has vanished and there are no clues about what happened to her. Her family is questioned, specifically her father, Dan Larkin, a clever lawyer and the chief suspect, but nothing is ever proven and the family lives on in a life of doubt. Most everyone thinks that Dan is the killer but there is no evidence and no body. Twenty years later, the bones of Jane Larkin are found, and the case is reopened. We read this story from the point of view of several of the family members, including a family friend and even Jane herself.

Yes, it is a mystery, but it is also the story of a family torn apart. You may recognize William Landay from Defending Jacob and remember a family torn between love and truth. This is the story of a family torn apart by love and doubt.

The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening by Ari Shapiro–If you are a National Public Radio listener, and tune into All Things Considered, you will recognize Ari Shapiro and his distinctive voice. And now through his new memoir you will learn all about him and the fascinating people he has met along the way.

Born in Fargo, ND, part of the only Jewish family there, Ari and his brother would tour all the classrooms with a dreidel and a menorah and explain Judaism to their classmates. His journey from Fargo, through Portland, OR to Washington DC and NPR where he meets and interviews people from all walks of life is an interesting one. And by the way, he also sings with a band called Pink Martini. Is he a journalist or just a personality? He is both. He has stories to tell, about himself and others that will make you want to keep reading.

Enjoy the beach, the mountains, your porch (hopefully screened in) or wherever you are traveling, but bring along a book!

Once again, I attended the ever more popular and ever more crowded GBF, but this year it was a very enjoyable 70 degrees. Yes! And here are my picks to write about. And once again, full disclosure, I have not read the books that the authors discussed, but I’m impressed enough to want to.

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples From Destruction by Lynne Olson—I am a big fan of Elizabeth Peters and her Amelia Peabody series and when I first heard of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the French archaeologist, I was convinced that Amelia Peabody was written with Desroches-Noblecourt in mind. I could be wrong, but she was indeed quite a woman. Lynne Olson author of 9 books about World War II, found her story while researching for a book and knew that Desroches-Noblecourt deserved a book of her own. In the 1930’s, archaeology was certainly a man’s club and when she tried to break into it she was not welcomed. But she persisted. And not only served as a resistance worker, sending messages from France to the Resistance network, but actually saving the Rameses II and the Abu Simbel temples from inundation by the Aswan High Dam, Nasser’s symbol of modernization of Egypt. She learned Arabic, she cared about the workers in her digs, she fought against the men who tried to take credit for her work and she never rested. Desroches-Noblecourt was active until her 70’s, and in January 2008, was presented the Grand Cross of the Légion d’honneur, the highest decoration in France.

The Old Lion: a Novel of Theodore Roosevelt by Jeff Shaara—Theodore Roosevelt, certainly an icon of America as well as a memorable president has been thoroughly documented and researched. Why write a novel about him? We need to hear TR’s voice, and he has a very distinctive one. Narrated from his deathbed in his last interview, Roosevelt tells the story of the life which we all are familiar, but in his singular voice.

 Shaara has done his research and it shows. This is a book for hungry historical fiction readers that want to hear the real Theodore Roosevelt and not a lot of dry historical facts. Certainly, listening to Shaara made me want to read this novel.

Jackie & Me by Louis Bayard—After reading Courting Mr. Lincoln and loving his prose, I am eager to read his newest novel. Again, the title is perplexing…Jackie and who? Jack Kennedy? Louis Bayard? No, the “me” is Lem Billings, a close friend of Jack Kennedy who became a close friend of Jackie’s. As an honorary Kennedy, his duty was to make sure that Jackie Bouvier would become Jackie Kennedy. But the more he got to know her, the more doubts he had about their relationship. The novel is narrated by Lem as an older man, looking back on his and their life. If you are a Jackie fan this may be a perfect beach book. Bayard has a way of making history into very readable historical fiction.

The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama by Gabriel Debenedetti—When I think about presidential/vice presidential relationships, it is often about how they didn’t get along. Historically, starting with George Washington, it was a political relationship and often presidents ignored or even embarrassed their VPs…once even threatening to hang them…but I won’t go into that.

The Biden and Obama relationship was certainly an anomaly. It was Obama who was responsible for having weekly lunches together and spending sometimes 7 hours a day together. But their “bromance” was not perfect and far more complicated. They disagreed about Afghanistan and often Obama did not take Biden’s advice. And when Biden was deciding about whether to run for president, Obama was not an early supporter. But their relationship has lasted far longer than the eight years they served together. Gabriel Debenedetti, a correspondent for New York magazine has researched their relationship and given us some answers to the question…were they really friends?

Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency by Chris Cillizza—Now here is an interesting premise for a book: which presidents were athletic and involved with sports and how did that affect their personality and their presidency? Chris Cillizza, former CNN correspondent, discusses which presidents were more athletic, which presidents were good sports and which presidents weren’t athletic but understood sports and knew how to use it, and which presidents were definitely not good sports. The answers may surprise you.

The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening by Ari Shapiro—I’m not going to discuss this now because I’m in the middle of reading his fascinating memoir. Check in next month for my review.

Enjoy this beautiful weather, specifically with a favorite book and I’ll be back next month.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri—This is the story of the aftermath of war, love, grief, blindness, and healing. Nuri and his cousin Mostafa ran a successful beekeeping business before the Syrian war destroyed their life there. Afra, Nuri’s wife was blinded by the bomb that also killed their son, and they slowly make their way from Northern Syria through Greece and improbably to England. Nuri seems to take care of his wife every step of their journey, but as the story progresses, we wonder who is taking care of whom, who really can see and who is blinded by their tragedy.

In this beautifully written novel Lefteri describes the tale of not just Syrian refugees but all refugees, based on her parents escape from Cyprus in 1980. She chose to write about the plight of refugees in fictional form rather than reporting it and we are glad that she did.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt—Van Pelt draws together Tova, a grieving mother, Cameron, a young man searching for his father and Marcellus, a remarkably bright octopus who somehow helps them both. Thirty years ago, Tova’s son died mysteriously in the Puget Sound and Tova has never figured out how it happened. To fill in the time after her husband passed away, she took an evening job cleaning at a local aquarium and that’s when she meets and bonds with Marcellus the restless octopus who is always trying to escape.

Meanwhile Cameron, having just been fired from his latest job and thrown out by his latest girlfriend decides to leave California and head up to a small town outside of Seattle to try to find (and potentially profit from) a man who he thinks might be his father. His mother is long missing, and he only has some old pictures for clues.

We also hear directly from Marcellus who would like nothing more than to escape from his captivity. He is bored and perhaps decides to help Tova with information which he is privy to, to alleviate his boredom. His world-weary voice is wonderful.

 It may have a predictable ending, but I loved everyone in this captivating story…especially Marcellus. I listened to it, and it was a great way to experience this tale of love, loss and friendship.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming—Other than the fact that I can never remember the author’s name, this series has been a perennial favorite of mine since I read the this first volume of the Rev. Clare Ferguson & Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries probably 15 years ago. Some of it has to do with the fact that it takes place in upstate New York, where I’m from, but most of it comes from the very strongly defined characters in the small town of Millers Kill. Rev. Clare Ferguson is the first female priest assigned to this tiny parish and she arrives in the middle of winter in a convertible wearing the wrong shoes, facing a congregation not ready for her…  But Clare as a former Army pilot.is never one to back away from a fight. Soon enough, a baby is left on the doorstep of her church and the mother was found murdered in a nearby park. That is when she meets Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne who has never met a woman Episcopalian priest and doesn’t even know what to call her. That’s where the story begins. 9 books later we are still learning their back stories and there are lots of them.

The crimes are often grisly, the themes dark and the sexual tension is so taut it can be cut with a knife. And the winters are so cold. And that’s why I love this mystery series.

Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving by Mo Rocca—If you have never heard of Mo Rocca, here’s some background. Rocca is an American humorist, journalist and podcaster. You may have seen his work on CBS Sunday Morning as well as numerous children’s shows.  The title tells it all. It is not about their deaths, it is about their lives. He covers famous people, but aspects of their lives that you have never heard about.  Did you know that Marlene Detrich was not only a famous German film star of the 1940’s and 1950’s but was an strongly anti-Nazi activist, even though the Nazi government offered her money and fame to return to Germany?  She not only performed for the American troops but risked her life as well. 

His “Mobituaries” also cover historical figures like the names behind the rest stops on the New Jersey turnpikes (amaze your friends next time you’re on a trip!)  and the death of movements and fads like Disco and the codpiece. And he does not leave out the celebrities who died on the wrong day, i.e. Audrey Hepburn who died on the same day as Bill Clinton’s inauguration, or Farah Fawcett whose death was eclipsed by Michael Jackson’s death. Rocca has much to say about this overlooked actress.

I listened to the audio version, and it was a treat to hear him narrate this fascinating book. I have often been asked for interesting audio books while traveling. This would be a perfect choice. And if you are spurred on for more of Mo Rocca, try https://www.mobituaries.com/the-podcast/

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny— This is the 18th book in the Inspector Gamache series. If you haven’t read any, start from the first book, Still Life. You won’t regret it.

Three Pines is not just a sweet village outside of Quebec where all kinds of interesting and quirky characters gather, it is Inspector Gamache’s sanctuary, a place where he and his family can feel safe and try to forget all that the outside world throws upon him. But when Fiona and her brother, reminders of a crime committed by them but also on them many years ago, are invited into this sanctuary, this world starts to disintegrate.

This is a very difficult book to review, because it is not just about one crime, but several and how they intersect. It’s about women and their historical mistreatment and the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre which actually took place in 1989 where 14 women engineers were murdered. It’s about a serial killer whose only thought is revenge. It’s about the history of Three Pines and eventually about forgiveness.

I can’t explain it…you’ll just have to read it. Read them all and enjoy this beautiful spring weather!

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White—Do you like haunted houses? Communicating with dead people? Being involved with two different men…one obviously the perfect one? Solving a historical mystery? Well if you do, you’ll enjoy the House on Tradd Street and many of White’s other haunted works.

Melany, a sharp realtor in Charleston, South Carolina, is not at all interested in old houses, but somehow inherits a beautiful but run down house. With her architect friend and various helpers including a handsome rogue, she begins to fall in love, and not only with her house.  I enjoyed it, but there is a glaring factual error. Wonder if you’ll catch it.

And now for something completely different…how to explain this book…Entitled: Life Isn’t Easy When You’re a Book by Cookie Boyle– This is a novel narrated from the point of view of a book. We first meet “The Serendipity of Snow” (the title of our book) as she sits on a San Francisco bookstore shelf waiting for her life to begin…and what a life it turns out to be. Did you know that books can talk to each other, but only in terms of their own story.  They can even have a sort of sex or love which I found a bit over the top. And they can even move themselves a bit. But all our book wants is a cultured loving owner who discusses her at a book club.  By the end, our book has acquired several owners and has flown to Paris and London.

As her “story” gets rewritten for a screen play, she is adopted by yet more writers and begins to understand the most important part of her life. Yes, it’s a strange book, yes, it’s pretty weird, but definitely worth the read…if only to figure out what will happen.  

White Horses by Alice Hoffman—I am a big fan of Hoffman, especially her magic series and when I discovered a very early work of hers I was intrigued. (if you haven’t read my blog about her, you may want to…it’s in the “Sliding into Summer” chapter). White Horses was written in 1982 and you can see her magical writing start to blossom and where some of her ideas came from.

Dina grew up in the Southwest with tales of the Aria, dangerous cowboys with special powers. She passed this lore to her daughter Theresa and decided her son, Silver was one of them. Women followed him, including Theresa. And Silver waited and watched as Theresa grew up. Their relationship was certainly odd if not incestuous. And she knew that no matter what trouble he was in, he would always be there for her.  But Theresa also had a sleeping problem. She would sleep for hours, or days, and only her mother or brother could help her. Can Theresa learn to live without Silver? It is not the Hoffman you expect but you can see the precursor of her later works.

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson–Alice, although disavowing love herself, seems to have a knack for helping others. She starts out by writing a helpful story for her lovelorn best friend, Gabby, but when Gabby meets the “perfect” guy as soon as she reads the story, word gets around and Alice now starts a business as a love scribe. Is there magic in these stories? No one seems to care as long as they find love.  But do these relationships last? Or should they?

I thought this would be a much lighter book, having placed it in the “light romance” category in my head. It’s actually quite a thoughtful look at relationships and not everyone ends up in the happily ever after column.

Replay by Ken Grimwood—This has to be my favorite time travel book. A man dies at the age of 41 and then wakes up at 18 knowing and remembering everything he knew before; And then he repeats this again and again, changing his life every time he goes through the process…kind of like Groundhog Day only in years instead of one day. But what happens when he meets a woman who seems to be going through the same sequence? It was written in 1986 so it is a bit dated, but “travels” very well and certainly worth the read. It won the 1988 World Fantasy Award for best novel. Go ahead and try it!

We are really and truly into Spring now so take that book and sit outside or walk with it. Your book will appreciate it.