I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott

Title: I Miss You When I Blink

Author: Mary Laura Philpott

Publisher: Atria Books 2019

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 276

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Nonfiction Bingo - Self-help Title

Mary Laura Philpott thought she’d cracked the code: Always be right, and you’ll always be happy.

But once she’d completed her life’s to-do list (job, spouse, house, babies—check!), she found that instead of feeling content and successful, she felt anxious. Lost. Stuck in a daily grind of overflowing calendars, grueling small talk, and sprawling traffic. She’d done everything “right,” but she felt all wrong. What’s the worse failure, she wondered: smiling and staying the course, or blowing it all up and running away? And are those the only options?

In this memoir-in-essays full of spot-on observations about home, work, and creative life, Philpott takes on the conflicting pressures of modern adulthood with wit and heart. She offers up her own stories to show that identity crises don’t happen just once or only at midlife; reassures us that small, recurring personal re-inventions are both normal and necessary; and advises that if you’re going to faint, you should get low to the ground first. Most of all, Philpott shows that when you stop feeling satisfied with your life, you don’t have to burn it all down and set off on a transcontinental hike (unless you want to, of course). You can call upon your many selves to figure out who you are, who you’re not, and where you belong. Who among us isn’t trying to do that?

A real mixed bag here. I just didn’t connect to Philpott or her life even though we share a lot of similarities in our lives. Most of the essays came off as “let me tell you how to live” instead of a more personal sharing of struggles. I felt like the author came across as very condescending at many points throughout. I just really couldn’t connect with Philpott and wanted her to stop telling me what to do. Just really didn’t connect at all to this one.

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:

The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

Title: The Twelve Clues of Christmas (Royal Spyness #6)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2012

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 354

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Cloak and Dagger

Scotland, 1933. While her true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending his feliz navidad tramping around South America and her mother is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with droll playwright Noel Coward, Georgie is quite literally stuck at Castle Rannoch thanks to a snowstorm.

It seems like a Christmas miracle when she manages to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village should be like something out of A Christmas Carol, but as soon as she arrives things take a deadly turn when a neighborhood nuisance falls out of a tree. On her second day, another so-called accident results in a death—and there’s yet another on her third, making Georgie wonder if there's something wicked happening in this winter wonderland...

Another fun cozy mystery featuring Georgie and her wayward relatives. I loved the move to a new village full of Christmas cheer and murder. I thought the murder plot was pretty laid out early on, but it took Georgie forever to figure it out. But that’s okay, she’s an amateur detective. The part that I wasn’t keen on was Darcy’s insistence that Georgie was wrong. I really loved racy until this volume. He just irked me. And then his revelation to Georgie seems to come out of the blue. I just want more…

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Mental Load by Emma

Title: The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic

Author: Emma

Publisher: Seven Stories Press 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 216

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

In her first book of comic strips, Emma reflects on social and feminist issues by means of simple line drawings, dissecting the mental load, ie all that invisible and unpaid organizing, list-making and planning women do to manage their lives, and the lives of their family members. Most of us carry some form of mental load--about our work, household responsibilities, financial obligations and personal life; but what makes up that burden and how it's distributed within households and understood in offices is not always equal or fair. In her strips Emma deals with themes ranging from maternity leave (it is not a vacation!), domestic violence, the clitoris, the violence of the medical world on women during childbirth, and other feminist issues, and she does so in a straightforward way that is both hilarious and deadly serious.. If you're not laughing, you're probably crying in recognition. Emma's comics also address the everyday outrages and absurdities of immigrant rights, income equality, and police violence.

I previously caught a few of these comics online in various places, but finally got my hands on the entire translated volume. At first glance, this is a lighthearted collection of stories. But then you get into actually reading them and the topics are very serious. I had to take a few breaks to let myself recover from the big feelings that I had. These chapters really pack a punch. Very nuanced takes on modern issues.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gumballs by Erin Nations

Title: Gumballs

Author: Erin Nations

Publisher: Top Shelf Productions 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Gumballs dispenses an array of bright, candy-colored short comics about Erin's gender transition, anecdotal true tales of growing up as a triplet, and fictional stories of a socially inept lovestruck teenager named Tobias. The wide-ranging series is filled with single-page gag cartoons, visual diaries of everyday life, funny faux personal ads, and real-life horror stories of customers at his day job. Gumballs offers a variety of flavors that will surely delight anyone with a taste for candid self-reflection and observations of humanity.

Picked this one up on the recommendation of the Reading Glasses podcast. I loved the mix of serious plot points and more humorous points. The illustrations are basic, but the dialogue and topics covered are amazing. I’ve really been enjoying graphic novel memoirs lately.

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:

Lumberjanes Vol. 7

Title: Lumberjanes Vol. 7: A Bird’s-Eye View

Author: Shannon Watters, Kate Levh, Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen, Maarta Laiho, Carey Pietsch, Ayme Sotuyo

Publisher: BOOM! 2017

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

All Lumberjanes are on deck when the High Council comes to camp for inspection!
The High Council is coming to camp and counselor Jen is determined to make everything perfect, even though a storm is brewing and kittens from the boys’ camp are manifesting magical powers. It’s every Lumberjane on deck as the girls do their best to prep the grounds for inspection . . . but there are some storms no one can prepare for.

Another super fun adventure with the Lumberjanes. We get to see a reappearance fo the members of the Zodiac cabin and Barney. Plus super kitties! Another fun 30 minutes spent in this very strange forest.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lumberjanes Vol. 6

Title: Lumberjanes Vol. 6: Sink or Swim

Author: Shannon Watters, Kat Levh, Carey Pietsch

Publisher: BOOM! 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Camp is about more than just crafts and acquiring badges when you’re a Lumberjane. When April, Jo, Mal, Molly, and Ripley all decide to learn more about the mysterious Seafarin’ Karen, things take a turn for the strange. Shapeshifters, strange portals, and friendship to the max make for one summer camp that never gets boring! Collects issues #21-24.

These trades are like a breath of fresh air. I love reading the adventures of the girls of Roanoke cabin. This volume has a great story featuring a high seas adventure. I loved meeting and adventuring with Seafarin’ Karen. And we get another great appearance from the Bear Woman.

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:

Lumberjanes Vol. 5

Title: Lumberjanes Vol. 5: Band Together

Author: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen, Shannon Watters

Publisher: BOOM! 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

The Lumberjanes meet rock n' roll mermaids!

Excited for the annual Bandicoot Bacchanal, Ripley recruits her friends to help her get ready for the dance. But before the Lumberjanes know it, something mysterious begins to bubble to the surface of the lake near camp! Will the Lumberjanes be able to bring peace to the lake in time for the Bacchanal?

I love this series oh so much! All of the characters are amazingly fun and cute! I loved seeing the arrivals of the girls to camp. And we get a great underwater adventure. Definitely need to grab the volume soon.

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:

The Walking Dead Vol. 31

Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 31: The Rotten Core

Author: Robert Kirkman; Charlie Adlard; Stefano Guadiano; Cliff Rathburn; Dave Stewart

Publisher: Image 2019

Genre: Comics

Pages: 136

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Rick leads the Commonwealth's Governor, Pamela Milton, on a tour of the various communities Alexandria is aligned with. Naturally... terrible things begin to happen very quickly.
Collects THE WALKING DEAD #181-186.

After the last volume, i was a bit worn out and unsure of where this story was going. Thankfully this volume helped get the story back on track. The leader of the Commonwealth is a fascinating character addition. Things are going to end badly, I just know it. And I’m super here for it all.

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:

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Title: Once Upon a River

Author: Diane Setterfield

Publisher: Emily Bestler Books 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 464

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Popsugar - Based on folklore; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Uncommon Fantasy Creatures

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

I finally got Diane Setterfield’s new book and loved every single sentence of it. Setterfield’s writing meanders just like the Thames, but I savored every turn. We follow a beautiful yet haunting story of three lost girls who may or may not have come back. The lives of three families are affected by the events of the Winter Solstice. We spend the next year following those families and the various characters around the village. My favorite storyline was following Rita as she tends to the people around her, especially the little girl lost. This is not the book for those readers that love a fast moving plot. But it is for those that love a haunting story that may or may not have magical elements. My absolute favorite part was the legend of Quietly. Perfection!

Next up on the TBR pile: