This is my online book club… Please let me know what you think about the books I’m reviewing. I’d love to hear your opinion!
I’m also always looking for the next book to read. Please help me compile a list of great books with your suggestions right here in the comments for this post…
Thanks and happy reading!
Corby is admittedly struggling. Ever since he lost his job, his wife has been working regularly while he has taken on the role of homemaker for his toddler twins, Niko and Maisie. He has tried to find work, but has not been successful, and after many rejections, has essentially given up. But while he maintains the appearance of continuing to search, he also copes through the use of alcohol and a bit of an uptick in his anxiety medication as well. One morning, as he is preparing to bring his children to their grandmother’s house, a horrific accident occurs that turns Corby’s life into a living hell.
Wally Lamb has never shied away from difficult topics, and this novel is the perfect example of this. To be responsible for the loss of one’s child and then have to pay penance – to other family members, to society, and to oneself – is the ultimate worst case scenario, in my opinion. This is what Corby must come to terms with. And with the crisp, honest, and gritty writing that Lamb utilizes, with most of the narrative coming in the voice of Corby himself, we live his hell along with him.
What is remarkable is the likability of Corby’s character. He has done something horrible, for sure, but not intentionally. And he takes full responsibility for his actions, which garners our respect. He also earns the respect of those around him, with the exception of the few cruel officers who have something to prove. He is able to care for a few of his fellow inmates in a way that sometimes puts his own safety at risk, and yet we understand when he loses hope at times as well.
This is a powerful read, but definitely not for the feint of heart. It is emotional, even brutal in places – but it also is insightful and meaningful as well.
Daphne and her husband, Jonathan, are visiting the Met Museum in Manhattan, when Jonathan comments that an older man has his eye on Daphne. This is apparently not unusual, as Daphne tends to attract older men – her husband being one such man – but it feels different somehow, as this man is actually following them. When Jonathan confronts him, Daphne suddenly realizes that this is her estranged ex-step-father, Eddie, whom she adored but hasn’t seen since she was nine years old. They join for a spontaneous lunch in the Met restaurant, and a reunion of sorts begins. As Daphne gets reacquainted with her ex-step-father, she reexamines her past with him, learns why her mother divorced him, and begins to make up for these many years of lost time together.
Perhaps I’ve been reading too much suspense lately, but I felt that this story was something of a let-down. While it is a very sweet narrative with characters we come to care about, the plot never builds to any major crescendo, nor are there any unexpected twists. And while Eddie’s character, for example, is admirable and clever, he is almost too admirable, too clever. The characters are almost one-dimensional. There is a backstory that comes out slowly during the course of the book, but it never reaches a level of intrigue and it is almost predictable.
Still, the story did hold my attention and I cannot say I regret reading it. It just did not live up to what I’ve come to expect from Ann Patchett, to be honest.
Maybe her next book?
2011: When Laurel was only 16 years old (more years ago than she’d like to admit), she witnessed a traumatic scene involving her mother, Dorothy, and baby brother. None of her 3 sisters were around, but she knows what she saw. She also knows her mother, with all her loving spirit and her tender ways, would have had a very good reason for doing what she did. And now that her mother is elderly and dying, Laurel feels this is her only chance to find out what exactly transpired on that terrible day.
1941: Dorothy has suffered a great loss. After she’d left home, her entire family was killed in a bomb blast during the London Blitz. Dorothy has managed to forge ahead, pick up the pieces, and make a new life for herself and for her boyfriend, Jimmy. In fact, when she lands a position working for a wealthy elderly woman, she finds herself living a new life the likes of which she could never have imagined. Better yet, she has made a posh new friend, Vivien, who she feels will be able to teach her how to continue to improve her lot in life. After an altercation with Vivien, however, she has come up with a plan to truly achieve what she aspires to in life.
This dual timeline brings to life the rough and unpredictable existence of those living in London during WWII. Few were able to continue much as they’d always done, such as the privileged woman Dorothy found herself working for. But for most, it was a much more bare existence, most being recruited to work for the war cause in whatever way that was. Jimmy, for example, was a photographer who captured the moments of pain, moments of violence of the war for the media. The story also highlights that good people will still be good and evil folks will remain evil, no matter what is going on in the world. But most are just trying to survive the best they can.
The writing here is solid. There were times when the story might have moved a bit more quickly – I did find myself becoming restless at moments. But overall, the characters are lovely, the plot thickens, and the twist at the end is something I, for one, did not see coming.
Definitely one to look out for!
Alicia Berenson has been found with her murdered husband, Gabriel, a gun with her fingerprints, and her wrists slashed and bloodied. Since that moment, she has not uttered a single word: not in protestation when she was carried off to be interrogated, not in her own defense during her trial, and not since she’s been committed to a psychiatric facility six years ago. Although Theo Faber, a forensic psychologist, has been employed by another institution, he is so captivated by Alicia’s well-publicized story that he feels compelled to transfer to hers and attempt to help her himself. While Theo seems to make unusual progress with Alicia, he also finds his personal life begins to encroach upon this professional pursuit.
I listened to this audio book and I have to say it was engrossing, suspenseful, and at times, shocking. Just when I thought I might guess where the plot was heading, I found how wrong I could be. And just when I thought I had come to know the characters, I found I knew nothing at all. It was so well plotted, so well-depicted that it kept the suspense until the very last chapter.
I love that we come to know the “silent” character, Alicia, through her writing, in a diary she keeps hidden in order to tell her story. We learn of her unique artistic talents, those who have sought to take advantage of her, and those she fears without others believing her. She’s left unsupported by everyone who has claimed to love her.
This is a clever, twisty novel that compels you to keep reading (or listening) long past your bedtime! Great for summer, but great, really for any time of year…
It is early 1930’s and Nell and Fen are newly married and working together on researching the various tribes of New Guinea. Well, perhaps working together is being a bit generous, as Nell has an overwhelming curiosity about the gender roles of the tribes and has embedded herself into their cultures with ease. She has also been more productive than Fen, having published a now world-renowned manuscript that has brought her quite a bit of fame. Even their friend, Andrew Bankson, a fellow anthropologist and self-doubter, can see that this has created jealousy on the part of Fen. Could this be how Bankson can work his way into Nell’s favor? Or might this be just a disaster waiting to happen?
This novel pours historical fiction and fascinating anthropologic hypotheses into a triangulated love story. While we learn about the cultures that Nell, in particular, is studying, how she integrates into their society and records details of their cultures, we also feel the palpable admiration and tenderness that Bankson feels towards Nell, even as Fen appears to ignore her. Meanwhile, as Nell learns about the more open attitudes of these more isolated cultures toward sex, she feels a kinship with them in many ways.
There is quite a bit to unpack here, and I believe bookclubs will have a field day with this one. I would not be able to do it justice in this blog, and so I will not try. But I do recommend this book highly, as I feel it has so much depth, both in the character structure and in the many ideas that the three scientists bat around. The plot develops quite subtly and one might believe they know where it leads, but they would likely be surprised.
Not quite a MUST READ, but close!
Jules is shocked. Called back to her hometown because of her sister, Nel’s death by drowning, she immediately becomes enveloped in her own haunted memories. Even seeing her niece, Lena, now a teenager who is resentful of Jules’ estrangement from Nel, isn’t fully bringing her back to herself. But when she discovers a haunting pattern of women falling (being pushed?) over the cliff into what has been named the “Drowning Pool,” and sees that Lena may be a potential target, she is shaken into action. But who can she trust to help?
This is a totally suspenseful novel that will keep you biting your nails and turning pages late into the night. Full of twists and turns, the plot becomes thicker and thicker with each chapter, and even as we read the story from the varied perspectives of the many characters here, we still are kept guessing until the very final paragraph. As the story unfolds, we also learn, bit by bit, where the sisters fell out, what misunderstanding from a tragic act of violence has separated them over all these years. It is horrible and heartbreaking.
There are a few characters here who delve into the mystical, which is usually not my thing. I did love this one particular character, Nickie, however. She is older, thought of as a fraud, and constantly being ignored. But of course, she is the one who holds the town’s secrets and is truly the one not to miss. We know that older women are often dismissed, and here is an example of why that could not only be foolish, but dangerous.
This is a fantastic beach read – just in time for summer!
Born to a Korean mother and an Ashkenazi Jewish father, Angela feels caught between their two worlds. Is she truly Jewish, as her Reform synagogue has considered her? Is she not really Jewish as she’s been accused of by Orthodox acquaintances? Having been raised in an open, inclusive congregation in Tacoma, Washington where she was one of very few Jews, she identifies as very Jewish and early on felt her calling as a rabbi. Women had just begun to be ordained the year she was born, at least in the Reform movement, and her experiences as a Jewish song leader in her summer camp and in the religious school at her temple, as well as her close fellowship with her rabbi and first mentor, impacted her feeling of purpose. Along the way, she encountered many obstacles as well as much encouragement, and with all of this has gained much fame as the first Korean, woman rabbi and the spiritual leader of one of the largest congregations in the Jewish world.
In more ways than one, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is an unlikely rabbi. According to traditional Jewish law, which defines being Jewish without conversion through one’s matrilineal line, Angela would not be considered to be Jewish by Jews outside of the Reform Movement. In fact, many have questioned her identity as a Jew, at least before she did undergo a more official conversion (although still others would not recognize her Reform conversion, which is, in my opinion, unfair). Meanwhile, her most formative experiences were always spiritually Jewish. Even as a teen, she attached the newest, most joyful tunes to familiar prayers and shared them with youth both at her summer camp and in her community. While in Israel on a summer program, she inhaled the religious guidance from the many mentors she found (even while digesting the rejections she also met) and this and other experiences solidified her mission to pursue the rabbinate.
Interspersed within her story, Rabbi Buchdahl also shares words of Torah. Between each chapter, she shares her and others’ interpretations of various. relevant phrases from the Scripture, enhancing their meaning and tying them to what she has experienced/discussed. This not only provides an unusual reading experience, but also highlights her insight, sensitivity, and wisdom.
I am also impressed with how flexible and supportive her mother has been. While her mother treasured her Korean culture and background, staying close with her family and spending her life helping Korean and other immigrants in their settlement to this country in so many ways, she also allowed her daughter to find her own path to a spiritual life. She always encouraged her in spite of being concerned about the many obstacles she foresaw and worried about. She was always proud of her daughter’s accomplishments.
This is an important memoir in many ways. It demonstrates that Jews can have many identities, whether being of color, of mixed race, or coming from unusual backgrounds and experiences. It demonstrates that women can achieve high levels of leadership that don’t necessitate compromising their personal lives. It demonstrates that Jews of all demographic backgrounds and denominations can achieve success in inspiring others to find religious fulfillment.
Birdie: It’s early 1930’s, and the Great Depression has hit Mississippi quite hard. Birdie considers herself lucky that she has a job, tedious and underpaid as it is. She has pretty much resigned herself to her single life, living at home with her Mama even as her younger sister has already flown the coup and gotten herself married, informing the family only after the fact. When circumstances become financially dire for Birdie and her Mama, she is encouraged to visit her now wealthier sister to ask for a loan. When she finds her sister and sees the reality of her life there, Birdie finds life can be challenging in ways she’d never dreamed of.
Meg: Being eleven years old at an orphanage during the Depression is hard, but never as hard as when the head of the establishment, the “esteemed” Garnett Pittman, just seems to have it out for you. Having been deserted by her mother two years prior, she continues to have dreams about her mother returning, which her best friend insists she must let go. But since she’s been exiled to a dreary, windowless room to herself all day, leaving only for meals and sleep, she can hardly be expected not to fantasize about her Mama. What else does she have to do? It is only when a new volunteer comes to work on the books for the orphanage and shows her a bit of kindness that she imagines she may have a future other than what Garnett has planned for her.
This is an incredibly beautiful story about women, their limited choices, and the lengths to which people will go for those they love. Written by the author of The Help, this novel is animated by the vernacular, the color, the beauty and the darkness of the South in the 1930’s. I listened to this on audiobook and found it utterly absorbing and entertaining, enjoying the lovely accents, rich characters and wonderfully snarky dialogue. As each of the histories of the main characters are gradually revealed, there is also a sense of horror at the evil inclinations of some and the victimization of many. Women at the time were particularly vulnerable, and those few with power did not always use that power for good.
But we root for these two characters – and many others – as we come to know their kindness, their sensitivity, and their complexity. And as the plot thickens, and takes unexpected curves, we find we worry for their safety and keep turning pages (or listening attentively) just to ensure we learn their fates. There is a great deal of suspense, of caring and of sadness – as there is in real life.
It’s been awhile since I’ve designated a book a “MUST READ,” but The Calamity Club absolutely is one! Whether you read or listen, I guarantee you will be taken in and love it!
Ronnie can’t believe his luck. After waiting for Lindsay for hours in the town square, she’s finally come to join him. Even better, she has asked him to join her in a bit of a prank. You see, Lula Dean, nobody’s favorite, self-righteous snoop in the town, has set up a little box of “free” library books in front of her home. While she had led a crusade against “dangerous” books being available in the schools and the library of their small, Georgian town, she has decided to establish a more “appropriate library” for the townspeople to use. Unbeknownst to Lula, however, Lindsay has what she feels might be a creative solution to the problem of Lula’s book banning. However, she has no idea what she might have unleashed on the town from this little prank…
What starts off as vignettes about the various characters who borrow the books Lula has left out in her library evolves into a more connected, linear story about a Southern town afflicted by its sordid past. The town has celebrated, with a huge statue in its town square, its deep roots in the enslavement of Black folks and in the extremist groups fostered there. Some of the characters here feel threatened by any sort of change, any progression toward inclusiveness; on the other hand, there are many who seek to move on from their history, to do better. The message here is clear: those who read, open their minds, and learn about others, become more empathetic to the plight of those who have been marginalized for whatever reason.
This is a clever novel, with amusing characters as well as a surprisingly complex plot. My only complaint is that the ending is, once again, a bit too neat. Perhaps it is the hope of the author that by reading this book, one will open their minds and learn that doing so will lead to happy endings. A sweet message if perhaps a bit naive. (I may just be cynical, given our world right now, though.)
Upon boarding the ship, the SS Morro Castle, Catherine must act as if this is just another luxury cruise to Cuba that she is taking, something she’s completely used to; that is, if she’s to continue to convince her fiance, Raymond, that she is the heiress she has implied she is. Meanwhile, Elena is determined to hide out as much as possible on this same cruise, if she is to accomplish the revenge plot that she’s been scheming for months now. As the cruise progresses and the two women become more immersed in their ruses, we gradually learn how their stories are intertwined and how the success of one is heavily dependent upon the other.
Another gripping story of historical fiction from this author, Chanel Cleeton! We are treated to her creation of beautiful women characters who are both vulnerable and strong, irate and determined. They have both been wronged and are yet resilient and ready to move forward. They are also enmeshed in a plot that is complicated and intriguing, with unforeseen adversity that rushes up suddenly and overtakes them by storm.
My only complaint is one you’ve heard before from me: that the story is wrapped up too tightly into a pretty bow and delivers a happily-ever-after that is just too perfect. This is not how life generally works, and it is not how I like to see a novel end. But that may just be me…
Otherwise, this is an engaging work of historical significance, from both the Cuban history perspective as well as the story of the ship itself.
kindread spirits 