A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

Title: A Woman of No Importance

Author: Sonia Purnell

Publisher: Viking 2019

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: "She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her." 

The target in their sights was Virginia Hall, a Baltimore socialite who talked her way into Special Operations Executive, the spy organization dubbed Winston Churchill's "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." She became the first Allied woman deployed behind enemy lines and--despite her prosthetic leg--helped to light the flame of the French Resistance, revolutionizing secret warfare as we know it. 

Virginia established vast spy networks throughout France, called weapons and explosives down from the skies, and became a linchpin for the Resistance. Even as her face covered wanted posters and a bounty was placed on her head, Virginia refused order after order to evacuate. She finally escaped through a death-defying hike over the Pyrenees into Spain, her cover blown. But she plunged back in, adamant that she had more lives to save, and led a victorious guerilla campaign, liberating swathes of France from the Nazis after D-Day.

Another incredible story of a fascinating woman during WWII. I immediately fell for Virginia and her search for purpose in life. She’s such a fascinating character. The story dragged a bit during the early section, but once Virginia moved into position in France, the pacing moved forward. There were definitely parts of the story that were hard to read. But, overall, I learned so much about the variety of resistance activities within France during the occupation.

Next up on the TBR pile:

You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

Title: You Think It, I’ll Say It

Author: Curtis Sittenfeld

Publisher: Random House 2018

Genre: Short Stories

Pages: 223

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

A suburban mother of two fantasizes about the downfall of an old friend whose wholesome lifestyle empire may or may not be built on a lie. A high-powered lawyer honeymooning with her husband is caught off guard by the appearance of the girl who tormented her in high school. A shy Ivy League student learns the truth about a classmate’s seemingly enviable life.

Curtis Sittenfeld has established a reputation as a sharp chronicler of the modern age who humanizes her subjects even as she skewers them. Now, with this first collection of short fiction, her “astonishing gift for creating characters that take up residence in readers’ heads” (The Washington Post) is showcased like never before. Throughout the ten stories in You Think It, I’ll Say It, Sittenfeld upends assumptions about class, relationships, and gender roles in a nation that feels both adrift and viscerally divided.

This is the Girly Book Club selection for August and it was a dud for me. I finished this collection of short stories a while ago, but had to sit with my thoughts to really understand my problems with them. My initial reaction was: Human beings are trash. After thinking more about it, I am going to stick to that statement. Diving deeper, I was left with a very depressed cynical view of humanity after every single story. I don’t need “happily ever after” stories, but these seemed so incredibly pessimistic about life and relationships. I thought that “Gender Studies”, “Bad Latch”, and “The Prairie Wife” were very interesting stories, but my goodness they were bleak. Once I thought about the stories even more, I realized that almost all of the characters featured were upper middle class and white. There was so much privilege inherent in all their lives. I think I might be over stories that focus on this demographic (full disclosure: I am part of these demographic). I am wanted to read about a variety of stories and situations. I don’t think I will have very charitable things to say about these stories at book club. But I have to admit that these stories are very well written.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

Title: Hope and Other Punch Lines

Author: Julie Buxbaum

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2019

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Literary Escapes - NJ

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka "Baby Hope") wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing. 

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She's psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope. 

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it's a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers?

Not sure what I was expecting when I picked this one up. Well, that’s not true. I was thinking this would be a very typical young adult romance. Instead, we get a very powerful story of teens dealing with perceptions, growing up, and identity. I loved following Abbi as she navigates an identity that was thrust upon her in infancy. She attempts to explain to others how this identity feels, but often the other characters put their own ideas and feelings onto her. I love that the romance wasn’t the main focus of the book. Sure Abbi and Noah end up together. I don’t think that is really a spoiler. But that storyline feels very third tier in the grand scope of the book. I’ll admit that this book had me tearing up in multiple spots. It was a lot more hard-hitting than I was expecting. This book may not make it onto my Top 10 for the year (seriously, I’ve read way too much this year already), but I may have to put it in my Top 25.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald

Title: Time After Time

Author: Lisa Grunwald

Publisher: Random House 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 401

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, a fiercely independent aspiring artist, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

I was a bit confused about this book at the beginning. I thought it was a straight-forward historical fiction novel, but nope, there’s was definitely a fantastical element to this novel. I immediately fell for Nora and Joe and wanted to watch them through the years. And overall, I really loved reading their story. I was not a huge fan of the second romance featured. If the book ended about 75 pages before it actually did, this one would have earned 5 stars from me. As it stands, I did enjoy this historical fiction.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Title: The Mother-in-Law

Author: Sally Hepworth

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2019

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 340

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Cloak and Dagger

From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her desperate attempts to win her over. And as a pillar in the community, an advocate for female refugees, and a woman happily married for decades, no one had a bad word to say about Diana…except Lucy.

That was five years ago. 

Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body claiming that she longer wanted to live because of the cancer wreaking havoc inside her body. 

But the autopsy finds no cancer. 

It does find traces of poison, and evidence of suffocation. 

Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her children, and their spouses? And what does it mean that Lucy isn’t exactly sad she’s gone?

Another pick from Anne Bogel’s Summer Reading Guide. I was expecting a very pedestrian thriller type of mystery, but this one really had depth. About 50 pages into this novel, I was fully invested in uncovering the secrets of the Goodwin family. I could not stand Diana and loved Lucy at the beginning of the book. By the end, things switched a bit and I began to really see Diana as the strong woman she was. I really enjoyed the back and forth in point of view and time periods. It added so much layer to the storyline and characters. I really enjoyed this one so much. Great pick from the Summer Reading Guide.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Title: Recursion

Author: Blake Crouch

Publisher: Crown 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 326

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Time Travel

Memory makes reality. 
 
That’s what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
 
That’s what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent. 
 
As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face to face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.
 
But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?

I loved every page of this book! I thought I really enjoyed Dark Matter, but this one was much more nuanced. The storyline is fast pace enough to keep me engaged. The science is explained, but the reader doesn’t need to have a complete grasp of the science to enjoy. The characters are interesting and real. I got about halfway through the book and thought a conclusion was coming. And it was in a sense. But then the book changed direction and really started flying. I will be pushing this book in J’s hands next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

Title: Waiting for Tom Hanks

Author: Kerry Winfrey

Publisher: Jove 2019

Genre: Romance Comedy

Pages: 274

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Literary Escapes - OH

Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks—a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat—her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight.

When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days...can he?

Way over-hyped and too cliched for me to enjoy that much. Annie is a very annoying protagonist waiting around for Mr. Right to canter up on his white horse. I just couldn’t with her constant reminders of waiting for “Tom Hanks.” We get it, it’s the title of the book, you don’t have to constantly remind me. Beyond that, Annie acts more like a 15 year old girl than a 27 year old woman. I just couldn’t get over her immature attitude about everything. And the romance wasn’t that great. Possibly could have been better as a YA novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Title: Dark Matter

Author: Blake Crouch

Publisher: Crown 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 342

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Lirbary Love; Literary Escapes - Illinois

“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

I really enjoyed this science fiction thriller. In many ways, it reminded me of The Martian. We meet a man on the verge of encountering a major problem. We then follow him as he navigates a new-to-him world. The reader is hurtled along the adventure attempting to figure out the solution along with our main character. I sped through this book on the edge of my seat. I had to see how it all ended. I had to see if our Jason was able to get home. My one issue was the lack of depth to the character of Angela. She really was just Jason’s therapist on the journey. I wanted more from her. I wanted to hear more about her desires. Even with that gripe, I really enjoyed reading this one. Hoping to get to Recursion soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Title: Columbine

Author: Dave Cullen

Publisher: Twelve 2009

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 417

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Nonfiction - 5 Star Read for a Friend

"The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . ."

So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a false script, seized upon by a generation of new killers. In the wake of Parkland, Charleston, Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this plague grows more urgent every year.

What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror of Columbine left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we "know" is wrong. It wasn't about jocks, goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this book -- widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, Cullen draws on mountains of evidence, insights from the world's leading forensic psychologists, and the killers' own words and drawings -- several reproduced in a new appendix for the paperback.

In this New York Times bestselling work, Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers, who stand in stark contrast against the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors of the Columbine massacre.

This is one of those books that I feel like many should read, but you aren’t really going to enjoy it. There’s nothing particularly feel good in this account of the Columbine shooting, the origin of the idea, and the aftermath of the event. We meet the various people involved diving into some of their lives pretty deeply. A good portion of this book is given over to attempting to understand the shooters. We follow them as they plan one of the deadliest school shootings in America’s history. This book is not for the faint of heart. There are passages that are particularly hard to read. But yet, I felt like I needed to read this one to understand the state of school shootings today. I was a junior in high school when Columbine happened. This volume brings back all the memories of seeing this play out on the television and my own school’s reaction. Based on an interview with Dave Cullen that I recently read, I would like to pick up his newest book, Parkland. He describes them as bookends on the topic of school shootings.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Publisher: Scout Press 2016

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 340

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Monthly Motif - August

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

Argh! A complete and utter fail for me. Right from the beginning, I was very wary of Lo and her entire story. She wasn’t an interesting or likable character what so ever. And then the cruise started and I never found her more likable as a character. But my biggest problem was all the twists and turns. They were completely unbelievable and dumb. I did not like this one at all. Waste of my time.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Title: Evvie Drake Starts Over

Author: Linda Holmes

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 293

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Literary Escapes - Maine

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them.

Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future.

When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out.

Another Anne Bogel Summer Reading recommendation. I was expecting a very heavy exploration of life after a husband’s death. Instead, we get a much lighter book. But one that I really enjoyed. I’m not really sure why I was confused about the premise, but oh well. I really enjoyed Evvie and loved following her rediscovery of life. She’s a very realistic character full of flaws and quirks. I telegraphed the entire plotline, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. A nice fairly light read for this week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

Title: The Masterpiece

Author: Fiona Davis

Publisher: Dutton 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Historical Fiction

For most New Yorkers, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.

For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future. It is 1928, and Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. Though not even the prestige of the school can override the public's disdain for a "woman artist," fiery Clara is single-minded in her quest to achieve every creative success—even while juggling the affections of two very different men. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they'll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression...and that even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.

By 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay's life. Dilapidated and dangerous, Grand Central is at the center of a fierce lawsuit: Is the once-grand building a landmark to be preserved, or a cancer to be demolished? For Virginia, it is simply her last resort. Recently divorced, she has just accepted a job in the information booth in order to support herself and her college-age daughter, Ruby. But when Virginia stumbles upon an abandoned art school within the terminal and discovers a striking watercolor, her eyes are opened to the elegance beneath the decay. She embarks on a quest to find the artist of the unsigned masterpiece—an impassioned chase that draws Virginia not only into the battle to save Grand Central but deep into the mystery of Clara Darden, the famed 1920s illustrator who disappeared from history in 1931.

Out book club selection for August (I read this one early). I really enjoyed this story, but there were a few sticking points for me. I loved the entire storyline set in the late 1920s involving Clara and the art school. I loved following her as she navigates being a struggling artists in a man’s world while also experiencing the beginning of the Great Depression. I loved Levon and Oliver and even Mr. Lorette. But then we get Virginia’s story in the 1970s. While I enjoyed the rediscovery of Clara’s art and the fight to save Grand Central Terminal, I did not like Virginia at all. I just didn’t love that character and wanted her to grow much more than she did throughout the story. And don’t get me started on Virginia and Ruby’s relationship. I wanted to strangle both of them at many points. Still, I enjoyed this book overall and have put some of Davis’s other works on my TBR list for the future.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Title: Less

Author: Andrew Sean Greer

Publisher: Back Bay Books 2018

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Who says you can't run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. You can't say yes--it would be too awkward--and you can't say no--it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of invitations to half-baked literary events around the world.

QUESTION: How do you arrange to skip town?

ANSWER: You accept them all.

What would possibly go wrong? Arthur Less will almost fall in love in Paris, almost fall to his death in Berlin, barely escape to a Moroccan ski chalet from a Saharan sandstorm, accidentally book himself as the (only) writer-in-residence at a Christian Retreat Center in Southern India, and encounter, on a desert island in the Arabian Sea, the last person on Earth he wants to face. Somewhere in there: he will turn fifty. Through it all, there is his first love. And there is his last.

Because, despite all these mishaps, missteps, misunderstandings and mistakes, Less is, above all, a love story.

A book club selection this month and I was disappointed in this one. I was interested in the story of a man lost traveling the world to find himself. I wasn’t a huge fan of Arthur. Too much of a sad sack for my tastes. And then the interludes of his history felt like they dragged the storyline down. I kept feeling like I was being pulled completely out of the storyline. Overall this book really fell like a slog to me. I just didn’t want to finish it at all. Definitely not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

Title: The Accidental Beauty Queen

Author: Teri Wilson

Publisher: Gallery Books 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian, and is content to experience life through the pages of her books. Which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty pageant contestant, has been chasing a crown since she was old enough to enunciate the words world peace, and she’s not giving up until she gets the title of Miss American Treasure. And Ginny’s refusing to do it alone this time.

She drags Charlotte to the pageant as a good luck charm, but the winning plan quickly goes awry when Ginny has a terrible, face-altering allergic reaction the night before the pageant, and Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades.

Woefully unprepared for the glittery world of hair extensions, false eyelashes, and push-up bras, Charlotte is mortified at every unstable step in her sky-high stilettos. But as she discovers there’s more to her fellow contestants than just wanting a sparkly crown, Charlotte realizes she has a whole new motivation for winning.

Picked this one up because of Anne Bogel’s summer reading guide and read it in less than 36 hours. Very cute little romcom volume full of ridiculous meet-cute, crazy conflicts, and happy ending. It was sweet. Nothing that’s going to land itself on my Top 10, but a very enjoyable read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Little Beach Street Cafe by Jenny Colgan

Title: Little Beach Street Cafe

Author: Jenny Colgan

Publisher: William Morrow 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 465

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

A quiet seaside resort. An abandoned shop. A small flat. This is what awaits Polly Waterford when she arrives at the Cornish coast, fleeing a ruined relationship.

To keep her mind off her troubles, Polly throws herself into her favorite hobby: making bread. But her relaxing weekend diversion quickly develops into a passion. As she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, each loaf becomes better than the last. Soon, Polly is working her magic with nuts and seeds, chocolate and sugar, and the local honey—courtesy of a handsome beekeeper.

I really enjoyed Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner, but this one just feels like a repeat. Or more accurately, a first stab at the story. I know that the setting and characters are different and yet I felt like I was reading the exact same book. I finished this one, but I really was not entranced in the story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones

Title: The Salt Line

Author: Holly Goddard Jones

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2017

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library love; Popsugar - “Salt”; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Utopia

In an unspecified future, the United States' borders have receded behind a salt line—a ring of scorched earth that protects its citizens from deadly disease-carrying ticks. Those within the zone live safe, if limited, lives in a society controlled by a common fear. Few have any reason to venture out of zone, except for the adrenaline junkies who pay a fortune to tour what's left of nature. Those among the latest expedition include a popstar and his girlfriend, Edie; the tech giant Wes; and Marta; a seemingly simple housewife.

Once out of zone, the group find themselves at the mercy of deadly ticks—and at the center of a murderous plot. They become captives in Ruby City, a community made up of outer-zone survivors determined to protect their hardscrabble existence. As alliances and friendships shift amongst the hostages, Edie, Wes, and Marta must decide how far they are willing to go to get to the right side of the salt line.

I picked this one up one the recommendation of the Reading Glasses podcast and loved it. There’s a great utopian society and a spare possibly. And then we get to dig beneath the surface and see what is beyond the wall. I loved the world-building and background information to explain how exactly the characters find themselves in the situation they are in. Once the story moves beyond the wall, the plot picks up the pace and things start to devolve. I immediately felt an attachment to Marta and her backstory. I loved the sections from her point of view. The plot moved fast with the twists and turns. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but overall I really enjoyed the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The River by Peter Heller

Title: The River

Author: Peter Heller

Publisher: Knopf 2019

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Popsugar - About a Hobby

Wynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

Thrillers aren’t usually my go-to genre, but this one was recommended by Anne Bogel. Of course I had to try it out. And I’m really glad I did. I loved getting to know Jack and Wynn as they traveled down river toward the bay and potential peril. There are a lot of tense moments in this book that held me on the edge of my seat. There were some turns that I did not see coming. The ending wasn’t happily ever after, but I like that in a book. Overall a great read that I sped through in just a day. Couldn’t put it down!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Title: The Peacock Emporium

Author: Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin Books 2004

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 389

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Monthly Motif - Through the Years;

In the sixties, Athene Forster was the most glamorous girl of her generation. Nicknamed the Last Deb, she was also beautiful, spoiled, and out of control. When she agreed to marry the gorgeous young heir Douglas Fairley-Hulme, her parents breathed a sigh of relief. But within two years, rumors had begun to circulate about Athene's affair with a young salesman.

Thirty-five years later, Suzanna Peacock is struggling with her notorious mother's legacy. The only place Suzanna finds comfort is in The Peacock Emporium, the beautiful coffee bar and shop she opens that soon enchants her little town. There she makes perhaps the first real friends of her life, including Alejandro, a male midwife, escaping his own ghosts in Argentina.

The specter of her mother still haunts Suzanna. But only by confronting both her family and her innermost self will she finally reckon with the past--and discover that the key to her history, and her happiness, may have been in front of her all along.

This was one big confusing bore. There were too many time periods, jumping back and forth, but also spending too much time in one period. I wasn’t super engaged in the storyline. And was super confused for the longest time about the meaning of the first chapter and then the first section. I figured it out by the end, but was utterly bored with the story. On the other side, the characters were self-absorbed and whiny. I just couldn’t find myself liking any of them at all. I thought this was a new book by Jojo Moyes, but it turns out it was published in 2004 in the UK. It’s come to the US only this year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Furious Hours by Casey Cep

Title: Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

Author: Casey Cep

Publisher: Knopf 2019

Genre: Nonfiction - True Crime

Pages: 308

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell’s murderer was acquitted—thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend.

Sitting in the audience during the vigilante’s trial was Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City to her native Alabama with the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research seventeen years earlier. Lee spent a year in town reporting, and many more years working on her own version of the case.

Now Casey Cep brings this story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of the country’s most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success, and the mystery of artistic creativity.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t happen for me. I was annoyed by the structure and perceived lack of big idea. I didn’t love how the book was split into thirds. And then each section meanders throughout the main line. Cep took way too many side tracks about various topics (seriously multiple pages on the history of the life insurance industry was not necessary) and felt like a ton of padding. I wanted so much more about the murders and aftermath, but Cep speeds through that section to spend so much more time with the lawyer and Harper Lee. And please, do not get me started on the lawyer. His adamant support of the murdering Reverend was just too much. Not a book for me at all…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Title: Fix Her Up

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Avon 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Literary Escapes - New York; Romance

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World... whatever that means.

Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?) 

Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite.

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there's Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her...

Ooof… This was not good. The more I sit on this book, I angrier I get at the book. I feel duped. I feel angry at the patriarchy that perpetuates dysfunctional relationships. I am confused (but not really) by the fact that this was written by a woman. I am turned off by the sex scenes (and I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of erotica). The more I thought about this book, the more stars I knocked off of my rating.

Amongst all of this crap, there were a few good items. I loved the growth of relationship between sisters Georgie and Bethany and friend Rosie. I loved the creation and growth of the Just Us League. I wanted an entire book focused on those relationships.

But instead, we get a deeply problematic romance. I’m not going to get into all the details, but let me say that I was icked out by the power dynamics, the actual sex, repeated use of “baby girl,” keeping secrets, playing games, overprotective brothers, dismissive family, and the need for a clothing makeover focused on tight and short. Checking out other reviews on GoodReads, I realize that I’m not completely alone in my disappointment and anger. Thinking that this author is going on my “do not read” list.

Next up on the TBR pile: