The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

This book was a little disappointing.  I did read it through to the end in a short time but in some ways, I felt it was a rather typical story of unrequited love.  Lucy and Gabe meet at Columbia University on Sept 11 and together witness the horror that occured that day.  They have a strong bond and a strong attraction to each other.  But Gabe is pulled toward his dream - of being a photojournalist, traveling the world and he follows his heart in that direction. Lucy is devastated and suffers, always loving Gabe.  But her life goes on and she marries, has children, etc. Then you can almost guess what happens.  That is why I was disappointed in the book. It was predictable.  Kirkus gave it a star.... I was surprised.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This book is a HUGE hit and I put it on my digital hold list at the Library and it appeared way before I thought it would…..that's because they have obtained so many copies to keep up with the demand.
I can see why it's so popular; great story, interesting characters, quick read.
I recall a couple of "Southern" books like this that I loved: Bastard Out of Carolina, Ellen Foster and Charms for the Easy Life. Makes me want to read these again!
Here is a good synopsis from LitLovers website

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl.

But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand.

Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder.

Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

I do recommend this book but don't know if I feel it is worth all the attention it is getting. I think that Reese Witherspoon's Book Club endorsement has really pushed it into the limelight.

The NYTimes says this:

A painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature…. Owens here surveys the desolate marshlands of the North Carolina coast through the eyes of an abandoned child. And in her isolation that child makes us open our own eyes to the secret wonders—and dangers—of her private world.

And yes, the descriptions of living in the marsh alone are quite amazing.....not sure anyone could really do what Kya does in this book.  

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Mosfegh

I had heard so much about this book for quite some time so I grabbed it when it was available at the Croton Library.  I read it quickly but I can't use the word "enjoy." The main character was so dysfunctional that I found it hard to like her or even feel much empathy.  I ask myself why.  I am not sure I have the answer,
I just finished A Ladder to the Sky about an amazingly horrid person, but somehow, that was tongue-in-cheek, or ironic. At least to me. (My husband is reading the Boyne book now and is so disturbed by the characters in Ladder to the Sk".).
Goes to show that reading is very subjective - obviously.  It does stir my curiosity; I ask myself why could I read the Boyne book and NOT hate the characters, but read another book about a person who I SHOULD sympathize with, but I don't.
I am glad that I read it and I think I will try another of her novels.  I just read a review in The Guardian that helps me understand Moshfegh a little better.  I'll give her another chance and read Eileen.