Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

Title: Redhead by the Side of the Road

Author: Anne Tyler

Publisher: Knopf 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 192

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; MMD 2020

Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.

This was not the book for me at all. I’m not a fan of character studies or more specifically, character studies of very blergh people. Every page of this very slim novel was a slog. I just couldn’t connect to any characters or find any joy throughout the book. I just didn’t care about the story or the people in it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Title: Nothing to See Here

Author: Kevin Wilson

Publisher: Ecco 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; MMD 2020

Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.

Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.

Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?

Such a strange little book, but I absolute adored this one. Many of the summaries that I saw led with the children’s affliction making the book focused on the fantasy aspects instead of the real focus. This book is really about the search for identity and family and a sense of belonging. From page one, I was rooting for Lillian and the twins to find their places in the world. Even days later, I’m still thinking about the question of “What makes a family?”

Next up on the TBR pile:

I'd Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos

Title: I’d Give Anything

Author: Marisa de los Santos

Publisher: William Morrow 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; MMD 2020

Ginny Beale is eighteen, irreverent, funny, and brave, with a brother she adores and a circle of friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—and her adventurous spirit—seemingly forever. While the town cheers on the high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Ginny’s best friend Gray Marsden’s father, a fire fighter, dies in the blaze.

While many in the town believe a notoriously troubled local teen set the fire, Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Ginny tells no one, but the secret isolates her, looming between her and her friends and ruining their friendship.

Over the next two decades, Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. Moving back to her hometown, she distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her tyrannical, ailing mother, Adela. But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles, and, just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.

With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery and of friends both old and new, Ginny must summon the courage to confront old lies and hard truths and to free herself and the people she loves from the mistakes and regrets that have burdened them for so long.

This one was a dud for me. I never really engaged with the characters or the storyline. Something about both felt very immature to me. As for the characters, I kept thinking that adult Ginny was much much younger than she actually was. And Avery sometimes acted 12 and sometimes acted 20. I couldn’t get a good feel for any of them. Harris completely annoyed the crap out of me and I was mad at Ginny for not being more upset by his betrayal. And then we get to the big mystery of the fire. I just didn’t really care. I guessed the secret that Ginny was keeping from about when they revealed the fire. the second twist I didn’t see coming, but I didn’t even really care about it. Overall I was left with a big MEH feeling. Not my type of book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Title: Ask Again, Yes

Author: Mary Beth Keane

Publisher: Schribner 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 390

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; MMD 2012-2019

Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.

Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next 40 years. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while haunted by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace.

For the record, I can see why people love this book. I enjoyed Keane’s writing and the transitions between sentences and paragraphs. She is a talented writer. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the depressing family drama stories. The story did not grab me at any time. I wasn’t clamoring to pick the book back up after putting it down. It took me almost two weeks read this books. Ridiculously slow for my usual time for completion of 2-3 days. Everything moved so slowly in the book, except for the large time jumps. The characters are all realistic, and yet, I wasn’t connecting to any one of those characters. I just wasn’t a fan of anyone in the novel. The disconnect combined with slow writing and a very dark tone left me not really enjoying this book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

Title: The Authenticity Project

Author: Clare Pooley

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books 2020

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 368

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren't really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes--in a plain, green journal--the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It's run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves--and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica's Café.

I did not really enjoy this book. I was sucked in by the premise and the back of the book blurb. Unfortunately, I don’t think the storyline or the characters live up to the promise. The storyline was fairly predictable. I wasn’t surprised by the bad decisions and silly interactions with the characters. I wanted to really dive into the characters, but they were often just stereotypes. And Julian, who should have been the most interesting one, was left unwraps most of the time. The only bits we saw were decidedly fake and unappealing. I just couldn’t with him and it spiraled out to the other characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Title: The Secret Life of Bees

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Publisher: Penguin Books 2003

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Top 100 YA, 21st Century Women Authors, Rory Gilmore; Goodreads Random

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sister, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

A really beautiful coming-of-age story set in a fraught time period and place. I was rooting for Lily to find her place int he world away from her father and the ignorant perspectives of many in her community. I loved meeting the sisters and learning about beekeeping and their particular brand of religion. Many of the sequences feel very dreamlike. Almost like the opening scenes of Lily watching the bees swarm in her room. My only quibble with the book is the format. At times, the constant flashbacks muddled the prose. Transitions were not the best. Overall this was a lovely atmospheric book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: After I Do

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Washington Square Press 2014

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 353

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.

I loved Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six so I thought I would read some of her backlist titles. Unfortunately this one just fell really flat for me. I wasn’t invested in the main relationship at any point in the novel. Lauren and Ryan just didn’t seem like a relationship that I wanted to root for. Plus we only really get Lauren’s perspective which irked me. I wanted to see both sides of the story before attempting some type of resolution. The ending was basically a non-ending to me. Nothing was actually resolved and I was annoyed…

Next up on the TBR pile:

The One by John Marrs

Title: The One

Author: John Marrs

Publisher: Hanover Square 2018

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

I grabbed this one from the Prime Reading selections after hearing good reviews from various bloggers. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop. I read at a break-neck pace not wanting to wait to see what happens to each of the main characters. I hated that the storylines kept switching as I kept wanting to know exactly what happened next. It’s hard to really categorize this book, but I felt that this ended up being a thriller. Very entertaining. It definitely kept my attention. I loved Nick and Ellie’s stories the best, but each story was interesting in it’s own right.

Next up on the TBR pile:

25 Days 'Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Title: 25 Days ‘til Christmas

Author: Poppy Alexander

Publisher: William Morrow 2019

Genre: Holiday Fiction

Pages: 348

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Motif - December

Kate Potter used to love Christmas. A few years ago, she would have been wrapping her presents in September and baking mince pies on Halloween, counting down the days and hours to Christmas. But that was before Kate’s husband left for the army and never came home. Now she can hardly stand December at all.

Kate can’t deny she’s lonely, yet she doesn’t think she’s ready for romance. She knows that her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to remember—just like Kate needs a miracle to help her finally move forward with her life. So she’s decided if there isn’t a miracle on its way, she’ll just have to make her own.

As Kate’s advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected. For when the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them.

I picked this one up as a fun holiday read, but it ended up being a lot more somber than I was expecting. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this story of two lost souls finding one another during the Christmas season. Kate annoyed me at times with her unwillingness to accept help and yet I found her very realistic. Daniel is a great character and I kind of wish we had spent a bit more time with him throughout the story. Be warned that there are some heavy themes in this story (death, suicide, poverty, sexual harassment) but they were all handled in a very realistic portrayal of life.

Next up on the TBR pile:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Title: My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan #1)

Author: Elena Ferrante

Publisher: Europa Editions 2012

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 331

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Alphabet Soup - F

The story begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets, the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow - and as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge - Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists.

Our book club pick for this month and I was pretty disappointed. I just couldn’t really dive into this world and these characters. The storytelling felt stilted at times. And all the characters were so incredibly unlikeable. I know many many people have loved this series. I just don’t think this one is for me at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

Title: Twenty-one Truths About Love

Author: Matthew Dicks

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 341

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Daniel Mayrock's life is at a crossroads. He knows the following to be true:

1. He loves his wife Jill... more than anything. 
2. He only regrets quitting his job and opening a bookshop a little (maybe more than a little)
3. Jill is ready to have a baby.
4. The bookshop isn’t doing well. Financial crisis is imminent. Dan doesn't know how to fix it.
5. Dan hasn’t told Jill about their financial trouble.
6. Then Jill gets pregnant.

This heartfelt story is about the lengths one man will go to and the risks he will take to save his family. But Dan doesn’t just want to save his failing bookstore and his family’s finances:

1. Dan wants to do something special.
2. He’s a man who is tired of feeling ordinary.
3. He’s sick of feeling like a failure.
4. He doesn't want to live in the shadow of his wife’s deceased first husband.

Dan is also an obsessive list maker; his story unfolds entirely in his lists, which are brimming with Dan’s hilarious sense of humor, unique world-view, and deeply personal thoughts. When read in full, his lists paint a picture of a man struggling to be a man, a man who has reached a point where he’s willing to do anything for the love (and soon-to-be new love) of his life.

I loved the idea of this book, told completely in lists. Unfortunately, it just didn’t land for me. I couldn’t stand the main character and saw absolutely no growth throughout the book. I felt so much sympathy for his wife. He kept so many secrets that there was no way that I could have liked him at all. Definitely not a book for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane

Title: The Upside of Falling Down

Author: Rebekah Crane

Publisher: Skyscrape 2018

Genre: YA Contemporary

Pages: 247

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

For Clementine Haas, finding herself is more than a nice idea. Ever since she woke up in an Irish hospital with complete amnesia, self-discovery has become her mission.

They tell her she’s the lone survivor of a plane crash. They tell her she’s lucky to be alive. But she doesn’t feel lucky. She feels…lost.

With the relentless Irish press bearing down on her, and a father she may not even recognize on his way from America to take her home, Clementine assumes a new identity and enlists a blue-eyed Irish stranger, Kieran O’Connell, to help her escape her forgotten life…and start a new one.

Hiding out in the sleepy town of Waterville, Ireland, Clementine discovers there’s an upside to a life that’s fallen apart. But as her lies grow, so does her affection for Kieran, and the truth about her identity becomes harder and harder to reveal, forcing Clementine to decide: Can she leave her past behind for a new love she’ll never forget?

Random Prime Reading selection from Amazon that I finally started and finished all in about 36 hours. It’s a sweet romance couched in a finding yourself novel with an outrageous beginning. I really enjoyed Clementine’s search for self and the colorful characters she meets along the way. I was fully on board the story all the way until the last 20 pages or so. I even forgave a lot of the YA cliches. It’s a sweet YA story, I’m okay with some cheesy lines here and there. The way-too-coincidental ending and reveal knocked it down a star for me. Just no… Otherwise, I really enjoyed this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

Title: The Lager Queen of Minnesota

Author: J. Ryan Stradal

Publisher: Viking 2019

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 353

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.

With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.

Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?

I really really enjoyed this one. But coming so soon after reading Stradal’s first book. Kitchens of the Great Midwest, I found myself comparing the two. I really enjoyed Diana and many of the side characters in this book. While rough around the edges, Diana is really someone who cares deeply for her family. Edith and Helen were less sympathetic and frankly interesting characters. I was very annoyed by their choices. Edith was selfless to the point of being harmful to herself, while Helen never seemed to care about anyone but herself. I get what Stradal was trying to do with the two sisters, but I was often annoyed. I was just hoping to get back to Diana’s story quicker. This sound very negative, but I really did enjoy this book. I was intrigued by the storyline and hoped for a satisfying conclusion. Thankfully, the ending has me tearing up. It’s not a “happily ever after” ending (that would have been too far-fetched for the characters), but we do get a satisfying ending. A definite recommendation.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Publisher: HarperTorch 1988

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 208

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Fantasy Projects Popsugar - One Million GR Ratings

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

Such a pretentious novel. The reviews range from the most amazing book ever to the worst drivel. I am definitely on the drivel side. This reads less like an parable journey and more like a really bad self-help book. There are shades of Ayn Rand here that I just couldn’t get over. I could not stand this book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

Title: Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Author: J. Ryan Stradal

Publisher: Penguin 2015

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 312

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Literary Escapes - Minnesota

When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine—and a dashing sommelier—he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter—starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience.

Out book club selection for this month. I had wanted to read this one before reading Stradal’s new book, The Lager Queen of Minnesota. But I wasn’t quite sure what this one was really about. I dove in and after three chapters, finally got the hang of this book. The narration jumps around a bit in narrations and constantly jumps forward in time. And yet, Stradal has done so well in the continuity that I wasn’t annoyed like I usually am. Instead, I was fully immersed in the interconnected stories of the various characters created by Stradal. I especially loved the chapters focusing on Braque and Pat. Beyond the characters, the focus on food was amazing. Stradal deftly combines simple food with larger stories of growing up and finding yourself. In fact, I’m still processing this book. I’m so wrapped up in the storyline, I’m savoring the explorations of food. And I really need to make my own desert bars.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Title: The Library of Lost and Found

Author: Phaedra Patrick

Publisher: Park Row 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people—though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.

All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend—her grandmother Zelda—who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.

This was a random pick from the New Releases shelf at the library. I can’t resist a book cover featuring books and a tea cup. it was too cute to pass up. I dove into the story and loved following Martha along her journey. We encounter such great characters and situations. I loved Siegfried the best of all the town’s inhabitants. Throughout the story we get such great connections to the past. The chapters from Betty’s point of view were difficult to read, but I understand so much more about Martha once learning about her and Betty’s past. Thankfully this story had a happy ending. It left me with all the warm feelings.

Next up on the TBR pile:

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Title: They Both Die at the End

Author: Adam Silvera

Publisher: HarperTeen 2017

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Set in a single day

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

This one was quite the disappointment for me. I had heard great things, but many of the characters really fell flat. The insta-love was problematic. And the story dragged in many places. I just didn’t connect with the emotional weight of the story or really any of the characters. I’m sure many other people would love this book. I am not one of them.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Title: The Immoralists

Author: Chloe Benjamin

Publisher: Putnam 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 346

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.

The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

Full disclosure: I almost gave up on this book. I read the first section, Simon’s story, and almost couldn’t continue. It was so devastating and emotional that I expressed interest in wanting a break and possibly turning to a lighter read. Instead, I sat down the next day and sped through Klara’s story and into Daniel’s. I ended up finishing the book and really enjoying it. I just have to say that this one is very emotional. Klara’s story was my favorite. I feel for her drive for something different and free -spirit ways. Daniel’s story ended up being my least favorite; I just didn’t connect to him as a character. In the end, this is a wonderful character study of a family.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Title: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Author: Abbi Waxman

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 333

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR; Monthly Keyword - September

Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own...shell.

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Another recommendation from Anne Bogel and I’m completely in love with this book. Nina might be another version of me. At first, Nina is a great quirky character comfortable in her life. I loved seeing her life get up-ended in many ways forcing Nina outside of the box. In some ways, this book is a romantic comedy, but I see it more like a great character study. Just in a light-hearted way. I love Nina’s interactions with her newly discovered family members, especially brother Archie. I would love to read a sequel to this book focusing on Nina’s growing relationships within her new family. I want to see more of Peter and Millie, even Lydia (will she ever come around to Nina?).

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

Title: The Last Romantics

Author: Tara Conklin

Publisher: William Morrow 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 354

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time.

It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings—fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona—emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected.  Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they’ve made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love. 

I just couldn’t really find any enjoyment out of this book. This sweeping family saga isn’t my cup of tea at all. I think this is the type of book that just really isn’t for me. I found many of the characters too difficult to connect to and wasn’t really interested in their growth. Just not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile: