The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This is an interesting book conceptually and I enjoyed it. I did think it was a little "preachy" however.

The premise is that everyone aged 22 and over is delivered a box with a string in it.  The string indicates how long your life will be.  No one knows where the boxes came from or how they got here, but everyone gets one.  The implications are immense, of course. Start thinking about that in the context of your own life. Would you open the box?  How would you change the way you live? How would this change society? Immensely!  The author does a good job of covering so many scenarios as she follows a bunch of people's lives in the story.  Most of the scenarios are good and interesting. There was one, however, that I thought was ridiculous (Jack and Javier) and I won't say why.  

Anyway, I am glad I read it and I think it would be a good book club read.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

One of my favorite authors finally came out with a new book and it did not disappoint!  Tough subject: opioid epidemic, and handled with such dignity.

Kingsolver retells the story of David Copperfield in the context of modern-day Appalachia.  I never ready Dickens (I hate to admit that!) but am familiar enough with Copperfield to see the connections to what Dickens was conveying.

What stands out in this book is her amazing capability to bring life to these characters - both the "good" ones and the "bad" ones.  None of the addicts can be blamed for their habit; society is to blame.

I love the way she describes Appalachia - lovingly - so despite what the reader may have in terms of preconceived notions, we learn to love the beauty of it.

There's so much here;  I wanted to read it again as soon as I finished. It took me a long time to read; it's not a short book. It deserved more time than I gave it, however.  Reading this book also made me want to re-read "the Poisonwood Bible" as I recall that as being one of the best books I ever read!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I waited a long time for this book.  It is SO popular right now and on everyone's "best" list.  Barnes and Noble named it the Book of the Year.  I really enjoyed it!

It's an easy ready, and entertaining, but brings to mind life for my mom while I was growing up.  Granted, she had no career aspirations, or at least not that I was aware of, but if she had, she would have faced what Elizabeth Zott did in this tale.

From Bas Bleu | Books & Gifts for Avid Readers

This funny, poignant, and fiercely inspiring novel revolves around Elizabeth Zott—a brilliant scientist, devoted mother, and kind and complex human. Rational and uncompromising, Zott cares not for convention, nor for coddling male egos…but it's the 1960s (not to mention she's a single mom who lost the love of her life), so things aren't always easy for her. Lessons in Chemistry offers several infinitely lovable characters (including a wonderfully wise dog named 6:30) and a propulsive story line that will have you cheering, even through Zott's most difficult challenges.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

 Great writing, but I was not as engaged as I was with Hamnet. I hate comparing the two books, but I kind of HAD TO.  The marketing of the book was capitalizing on the success of Hamnet.  Look at the covers:

Not really relevant but bothers me that the covers are so similar.  

The writing is good, of course, but I was not as drawn into the characters and the story as I was with Hamnet.  Maggie is still a favorite author - don't get me wrong!

The Family Chou by Lan Samantha Chou

 

"The Guardian" called this a "tasty Succession novel." Good one!

And the theme is borrowed from Dostoyevsky's "Brothers Karamazov, another Succession-like tale.

This was a very intersting book, but a bit long, I thought.

From the Guardian review:

"...a writer cutting through the darker depths of what it means to be treated as an outsider in America. At the novel’s halfway point we are confronted with the words “THREE MONTHS LATER”. The central events on which the plot turns have taken place off stage, in an unlit space. Chang is more interested in consequences, and she has great fun unpicking the slightly breathless trial that occupies the final third of the book."

Here's a book I should read again, for sure.  

The Maid by Nita Prose

I listened to this book and feel like I got a lot out of it through the audiobook version. It was narrated by Lauren Ambrose, a fine actress, and she was a fantastic Molly!

I thought at first that the "killer" was obvious, but in the end, I was wrong! I will just say that because I was so certain.  And if I had been correct, I would not have liked the book as much as I did.

Most interesting was the character of Molly.  A bit on the spectrum, I would say and so interesting and likeable. Not always accessible to those around her.

It's a quick and fun read and I recommend it highly if that is what you are looking for.

Something Wild by Hanna Halperin

I read about this book in my University of Wisconsin publication (the author is a Madison graduate) and it sounded really good, but disturbing. I was correct on both accounts. But it was also a touching story about relationships between mothers and daughters, and sisters.  While I could not relate to the situations they were in, I could relate to the feelings expressed about these relationships.

It is in essence, a book about domestic violence, but much more than that. Much of it is hard to read - especially the second half of the book - but it is very much worth it.  

I loved her writing and her ability to express conflicting feelings so well.

From Kirkus:

The characters are unflinchingly honest as they explore their emotions in a manner that is both refreshing and haunting. The novel is similarly unapologetic as it tackles difficult questions about abusive relationships, toxic secrets, and romantic and familial betrayals. While certain subplots do little to advance the narrative, this difficult story is sufficiently high stakes and relentless that it remains gripping throughout.

A bold and remorseless debut about the agony and affection that are attendant to complicated families.

Oh William by Elizabeth Strout

What a beautiful book this is! I had the luxury of borrowing the audio version and it was narrated with perfection.  I know I got so much more out of the book through this brilliant audio version.

Lucy is a character that appears in so many of Strout's books, and as soon as I finished this book, I learned that the newest Strout book will be released momentarily! (Lucy by the Sea)

From Kirkus:

While "Anything Is Possible" (2017) told the stories of people among whom Lucy grew up in poverty in Amgash, Illinois, this new novel returns to the direct address of My Name Is Lucy Barton (2016). Lucy’s beloved second husband, David, has recently died, and “in my grief for him I have felt grief for William as well,” she tells us. Her stuttering, stop-and-start narrative drops this and other pronouncements and then moves on, circling back later to elucidate and elaborate. After the pain of their separation subsided, Lucy and William became friends, close enough so that when he begins having night terrors at age 69, he confides in Lucy rather than his much younger third wife. (Wife No. 2 was among the many infidelities that broke up his marriage to Lucy.) Perhaps it’s because the terrors are related to his mother, Catherine, who “seemed central to our marriage,” Lucy tells us. “We loved her. Oh, we loved her.” Well, sometimes; Lucy’s memories reveal a deep ambivalence. Catherine patronized her, referring frequently to the poverty of Lucy’s background and her unfamiliarity with the ways of more affluent people. So it’s a shock to Lucy as well as William when he learns that his mother was married before, abandoned a baby daughter to marry his father, and came from a family even poorer than Lucy’s. Their road trip to Maine prompts William’s habitual coping mechanism of simply checking out, being present but not really there, which is the real reason Lucy left him. Strout’s habitual themes of loneliness and the impossibility of ever truly knowing another person are ubiquitous in this deeply sad tale, which takes its title from Lucy’s head-shaking acknowledgment that her ex will never change, cannot change the remoteness at the core of his personality.

Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown

I really looked forward to reading this book and enjoyed it for 3/4 of the way, and then I got annoyed that it was too kind to its negative characters and wrapped everything up too perfectly.  Then I read the Author's Note at the end and had a completely different opionion. This book was written as a response to the author's feelings and experiences revolving around adoption, so I wish I had known that from the start.  True, there was one character that was overdone, perhaps, but her motives were well-intended.  I would read this book again with new eyes, knowing that the author has a real stake in its content.

Jackie and Me by Louis Bayard

 

I enjoyed this charming fictional account about a part of Jackie Kennedy's life that we know little about (at least I knew little about it.) Jack (JFK) is hardly a major character in the book, except in the 3rd person. The real protagonist is his best friend, Lem Billings (yes, a real person), who "took care of" Jackie while Jack was courting her.....sort of.  He was busy with his Senate campaign and had little time for courting or dating, so he called upon his best friend to entertain her and insure that she didn't get away.  From Good Reads:

It is a surprising look at Jackie before she was that Jackie. And in best-selling author Louis Bayard’s witty and deeply empathetic telling, Jackie & Me is a page-turning story of friendship, love, sacrifice, and betrayal— and a fresh take on two iconic American figures.

I recommend it!

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

From WLS:

"What if you could take a vacation to your past, without the filter of memory? What would you give to go back in time and relive your youth, in person, with the people who shared it? On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice's life isn't terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn't exactly the one she expected. She's happy with her apartment, her romantic status, her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But something is missing. Her father, the single parent who raised her, is ailing and out of reach. How did they get here so fast? Did she take too much for granted along the way? When Alice wakes up the next morning somehow back in 1996, it isn't her 16-year-old body that is the biggest shock, or the possibility of romance with her adolescent crush, it's her dad: the vital, charming, 49-year-old version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, is there anything that she should do differently this time around? What would she change, given the chance? With her celebrated humor, insight, and heart, Emma Straub cleverly turns all the traditional time travel tropes on their head and delivers a different kind of love story--about the lifelong, reverberating relationship between a parent and child"

Really enjoyed this book even though Time Travel books are not my thing. I heard Emma Straub interviewed several times discussing this book. It was her "pandemic book," and I can see why. 

It's a good read. 

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

 

Interesting book, well-written but flawed in my estimation.  The writing is very thoughtful and kept me interested, but the ending was just not for me.

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though there was a bit of a "slow spot" in the middle.  The characters, three (no four!) siblings are born through IVF so they are technically triplets, but their relationship to each other is strained to say the least.

This is a family story, and a story of origins, class, deceit, sexuality, tragedy, religion, and more.  Each chapter is written from a different sibling's perspective.

There are twists and turns and surprises in this novel. Her last book, "The Plot," which I did not read yet, has similar characteristics, I think. Here is a paragraph from the Washington Post that says a lot about this book and why I liked it so much:

There’s a jigsaw-puzzle thrill to Korelitz’s family epic — the way it feels like a thousand scrambled, randomly shaped events until you’ve got the edges in place, and then the picture begins to resolve with accelerating inevitability and surprise. Part farce, part revenge fantasy, the climactic scene at a triple birthday party at the Oppenheimers’ “cottage” on Martha’s Vineyard is one of the most hilarious and horrible calamities I’ve ever found in a novel.

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian

I slogged through this book. It started out fast and fun, and I lost interest but got through it anyway. Not sure why it didn't grab me, but it just did not.  Got good reviews, but overall, not for me.

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

I really looked forward to reading this book, but in the end, was disappointed.  It was a "thriller" but did not hold the thrill for me. Too many predictable plot twists and convoluted storylines; implausible situations, stupidity on the part of the main character, etc.

I held out to the end, but really didn't much care who did it and why.

Love Marriage by Monica Ali

I loved Ali's novel, Brick Lane, so was excited to see she had a new book, which I also enjoyed very much!

The story revolves around an interracial couple who are planning their marriage.  Their respective mothers get involved (they are VERY different types of people) and chaos ensues.

There's some infidelity mixed in, some father-daughter conflicts, a difficult sibling relationship and more.  It's wildly entertaining!

French Braid by Anne Tyler

From the Washington Post:

Everything about Anne Tyler’s 24th novel, “French Braid,” is immediately recognizable to her fans. The story offers such a complete checklist of the author’s usual motifs and themes that it could serve as the Guidebook to Anne Tyler in the Wild. The insular Baltimore family, the quirky occupations, the special foods — they all move across these pages as predictably as the phases of the moon.

And I enjoyed every page!  The novel spans several generations and many years and is done in a way that is not difficult to follow. Entire decades are skipped but it does not matter.  It's all about family and how families relate to each other, avoid each other, treat each other, reconnect with one another, and try to deal with the individual relationships and issues they have with each other.  

Reading this reminded me that I have several Anne Tyler books to catch up with!

🌟 The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

Such an interesting and different book, and I really enjoyed it. I chose this for my book club, and it got mixed reviews from my friends. It does not read like a "typical" novel; there is not really a plot line.  Many characters have no name, but there really are only 2 or 3 main characters. Alice, who is in the beginning stages of dementia at the start, her daughter and husband are the only real characters. There is no dialog. There are five sections, all coming from a different first person (mostly plural) voice.  The writing is staccato-like, and for me interesting.  The book deals with different themes, and aging and the way society treats the aging and memory-impaired is pretty brutal.  I can't say it is an uplifting book, but realistic it is. And a kind of scathing indictment of the way elderly are treated in this country.

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

I really enjoyed this book, even though it took me a long time to read it.  Because the reader knows the outcome, there is no compelling "plot line" to keep you guessing and reading.  But there is SO much that I didn't know, and learned, from reading this compelling book.

I highly recommend it (even if the NY Times did not!)  Here is a review from the Washington Post that reflects my feelings on this wonderful historical novel.

An interview with the author, and her afterword at the end, explains just why this book is so important now...today...in this politically charged polarized America we live in.

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin

Read this for book club. I liked it, but did not love it.  A bit too long and disjointed.  Others in the group loved it. 

Here's a synopsis from Amazon:

Violette Toussaint is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne. Her life is lived to the predictable rhythms of the often funny, always moving confidences that casual mourners, regular visitors, and sundry colleagues share with her. Violette’s routine is disrupted one day by the arrival of Julien Sole—local police chief—who has come to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased mother on the gravesite of a complete stranger. It soon becomes clear that Julien’s inexplicable gesture is intertwined with Violette’s own complicated past.

Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh

This is an extraordinary book about a very hot topic: abortion.  It's an education, as well, for someone like me - a pro-choice advocate who hasn't really considered many issues and factors that go into the decisions women have to face when they get pregnant.  Number one is often, "can I afford it?" Very sad because raising a child costs WAY more than having an abortion, especially when you are young, have no income, have addiction issues, and more.....

The characterizations are superb, even though there are several gritty, non-sympathetic characters (men and women alike!)

Claudia, the protagonist, is in her early 40's, not married and childless. She works in the clinic and describes many encounters with women, young and old, who come in for counseling.

Lots of themes here, including misogyny, white supremacism, religion, race, gender, and more.

I really enjoyed her writing and the story.  Highly recommended!

O Beautiful by Jung Yun

 

Superb book! Love her writing and love the fact that she doesn't "wrap it all up" in the end.  Leaves you thinking..... and it's a realistic look into the  the world and life Elinor, the protagnoist, leads. There ARE no easy answers for the issues the author surfaces in this "O so beautifu" book.

There are so many themes going on here, political, personal and societal.  The author has a lot to say and explore (sometimes I thought maybe too much!) but in the end I was not at all disappointed in the book.  I want to read Yun's first novel. Shelter,
 now that I have read this gem.

Joan is Okay by Weinke Wang

My book club picked this book so I first read Chemistry and now the newer book. I must say that I did like the older book better. I had more humor and clever language. The new book deals with serious subject matter in a more somber manner.  She is still funny and clever with language, but not in the same way. 

I loved the idea that Joan is different and SHE is okay with that fact, but others are not.  Her colleagues, relatives, bosses, friends are after her to change her life and the way she lives it.  But she is OKAY with herself and that is really AOK!

Chemistry by Weike Wang

My book club chose Weike Wang's new book for our next read, so I wanted to revisit Chemistry. I thought I had read it, but now realize that I took it out but never read it. She is a very gifted author!

This book is so clever; her language is punchy, smart and very funny!  Some of her observations are just so spot on.  Here's the review on Amazon:

"Three years into her graduate studies at a demanding Boston university, the unnamed narrator of this nimbly wry, concise debut finds her one-time love for chemistry is more hypothesis than reality. She's tormented by her failed research--and reminded of her delays by her peers, her advisor, and most of all by her Chinese parents, who have always expected nothing short of excellence from her throughout her life. "

Her issue: 

"What do I really want? Over the next two years, this winningly flawed, disarmingly insightful heroine learns the formulas and equations for a different kind of chemistry--one in which the reactions can't be quantified, measured, and analyzed; one that can be studied only in the mysterious language of the heart." 

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Read this for book club. Really interesting and loved the way she told the story from the points of view of so many people. Did it very successfully. I thought the book dragged a bit here and there, but really glad I read it.

Here is a synopsis from bookrags:

The book is presented as an oral history comprised of interviews with the various characters involved in the story. The novel follows Opal Robinson (stage name Opal Jewel) and Neville “Nev” Charles. Opal is a Black woman from Detroit, and Nev is a white man from England. Opal and Nev, both musicians, became collaborators around the year 1970. The events that followed became significant not only to the history of rock music, but also the history of the United States. The novel explores themes such as racism, white privilege, art, politics, and memory.

🌟 Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

I read Freedom and really liked it. I think I only STARTED The Corrections but didn't finish.

I must say that I really enjoyed Crossroads, even though the religious aspects confused me.  I have to wrap my head around the focus on Christianity.  Is Franzen contemptuous of it, or what?

I do like his style of writing, and he is very good at developing his characters. They are a fascinating lot here! 

This book is introduced as Part 1 of a trilogy and I kind of resent that. How can you say it's a trilogy if you have only written one book?

I do recommend reading it and beware! It is long, but I was taken in by it all the way!