James by Percival Everett

 What a brilliant book. That is about all I can say. Read it. It deserved to win the Pulitzer Prize. It's inventive, gripping, funny, tender, perfect!

Isola by Allegra Goodman

This was quite a book and based on a true story! I heard about it and immediately knew I had to read it. I am a fan of Allegra Goodman, too. This was quite a different book for her. This is the entry on Amazon for this compelling novel!

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. That journey takes a unexpected turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.

Rental House by Weike Wang

 

I am a fan of Weike Wang, but this was not my favorite book by this author. Perhaps the timing of when I read this was off. I did enjoy it and I love her witty style of writing. But I guess I just didn't like the main female character, Keru, as much as I would have liked to.

A couple rents a house and invites their families to visit: one at a time however. Here is a good summary of what happens between THEM

For Keru and Nate, the vacation home is supposed to be a place for relaxation, an escape from the mundane stresses of life; but it presses them up against their problems without the escape of work. The two see each other laid bare, rife with neuroses, disappointments, insecurities — and only then do they see what exactly it is that holds them close.

Audition by Katie Kitamura

This was quite a compelling book.  I listened to it and wish I had had a physical copy because reading the words on the page would have added something, I believe.  But there is also something special about having it read aloud.  It's just that this book was so DEEP! I wanted to mull over certain passages, which I can only do by reading the words. 

The end confused me a bit. I think I need to take out the physical book and have another look.  Kitamura is a deep thinker, a writing genius, I think.

Here's a brief summary from Tertulia:

“Kitamura’s novels are short, sharp, and deadly. I’m not sure there’s anyone better writing in America today,” declared The Guardian in their roundup of fiction to watch in 2025. In Audition, an accomplished actress and an attractive younger man meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. As the encounter unfolds, competing narratives emerge, questioning the roles we play and the truths we conceal.

 

Dream State by Erich Puchner

 

This book I LOVED! It took me a while to read it but it was very satisfying in the end.  I had never heard of this author before, but he's now on "my list." This book tells the long story of a love triangle, in effect, and how the three people interact and interplay throughout their lives. 

It's a family saga and also brings in a lot of current issues, like climate change, addiction, senility.....happy stuff! Haha.  But the tale is told with beautiful language and compassion, and humor.

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

 

From NPR: 

Harris asks a question Americans have yet to figure out: How does a community make peace in the wake of civil war? I'm not sure the novel comes close to finding an answer. But posing the question and following through the work undertaken felt incredibly worthwhile nonetheless.

This was a book club read, and I enjoyed it for the most part, but I didn't think it was particularly original.  The subject matter was disturbing so it was not an easy read, but the themes and ideas were compelling. 

The characters were fully drawn and likeable (well, the ones you were supposed to like). I'm glad I read it but it was not one of those, "OH, you HAVE to read this book!

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker

I read another book by this author quite a long time ago. Since I keep this blog, I can link to that entry and recall that I read it more than 10 years ago. It is one of those books that you remember reading, even if you don't remember the details; you remember that you read it and it had an impact.

Well, that will be true with this book, too.  It's compelling and mind-boggling account of a woman, Jane, and her encounters with a psychiatrist, Dr Byrd.  She has hyperthymesia which is an excessive, accurate memory for dates, places, and events. She can remember what happened exactly on any date in the past and can describe details that would seem impossible to remember. But, some of these things did not really happen. Or did not happen in this reality. The book reminded me of The Midnight Library a bit and the concept of parallel universes.  But it's really beyond that. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot and the story is told from the point of view of both Jane (in the form of letters to her infant son) and Dr. Byrd.

All I can say is, I found it quite riveting and it's one of those books that I could pick up and start all over again.....if another book weren't waiting for me in my Library queue.