A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

October 23, 2022

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

Three ordinary people experience terrible loss: 70-something Chuck loses his beloved wife to cancer; Kirsten is a young woman just out of college, whose father is murdered in a gas station robbery gone wrong; and Ella's daughter has been taken by her estranged husband. All three are going through the motions of living while trying to come to terms with their grief. They find themselves again when they unexpectedly come together to help each other.

This is a wonderful heartfelt novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It's about grief, it's about loss, it's about how to get up every morning and keep going. Loss takes many forms: losing a spouse, losing a parent, a child gone missing, even the pain of having to give up a beloved pet. It's very much character-driven with each person having to find their way forward. The characters are at different places in their lives but they are all well-developed and you care about them. Part of the reason they are so relatable is because they are regular people: they're not celebrities or super-wealthy or rich and famous. They are nice people who care about others. The story reminded me somewhat of Fredrik Backman's writing where the characters are written with great feeling and often have hidden connections to each other. One of the characters tells others to be someone's cardinal - the cardinal stays through the winter when all the other birds have gone - be there for others when times are good but especially when times are hard. Lovely book, highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

A winter cardinal

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

October 22, 2022

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus, being held prisoner (his opinion) at a small aquarium in Washington state. He knows that his species lives only about four years, and he is past three years old. He's very smart and has learned many things, including reading, unlocking boxes, and how to escape from his tank so that he can go snack on the other inmates at the aquarium (particularly the sea cucumbers). He knows things. Marcellus forms a bond with Tova, the senior citizen who cleans the aquarium at night. Tova's son Erik disappeared over 30 years ago, and Marcellus has answers to some of Tova's questions.

In California, Cameron Cassmore is down to his last few dollars. His former girlfriend tossed him out and he can't seem to hold a job for longer than a few days. He doesn't even have a car to sleep in. After his aunt gives him a box of stuff that belonged to his mother, Cameron is convinced that one of the guys in her senior class is his biological father, and incidentally, the guy is now a rich property developer. He decides to go to Washington state to shake the rich guy down.

I loved this book! It's one of the most satisfying books that I've read this year. It's heartwarming, the characters are wonderful, the writing is fluid, and the plot moves along at a good pace without the wandering off topic that is so common in many books.

And I LOVED Marcellus the octopus! READ THIS BOOK!

Giant Pacific octopus

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

September 19, 2022

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY). He visits orphanages that house/confine children with unusual magical talents. Once he completes his visits and submits his reports, he rarely gives a thought to how his findings might affect the children who live there. He follows the official RULES AND REGULATIONS to the letter. Other than his cranky cat Calliope, he lives a solitary life. But then one day, he is selected by Extremely Upper Management to visit and report on a group home that he has never heard of, run by a man named Arthur Parnassus. Linus finds himself thrown completely off balance by the residents and the philosophy of the master, causing him to rethink his whole life and his job.

This is a delightful charming story, filled with hope, joy, sadness, and love! The characters are wonderful and draw the reader in immediately. It does have a YA feel to it, and there is a strong theme of inclusivity, so there are LGBTQ characters as well as characters with extreme magical gifts. The closest comparison might be to the Harry Potter books. I was sorry to see it end, but I couldn't put it down. Put this one on the top of your TBR pile (which I heard someone call Mount TBR). Beautiful cover art. Highly, HIGHLY recommended. A best book of 2022.

A phoenix (yes, a phoenix plays a part in the story)

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

September 17, 2022

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

It's New Year's Day, and almost everyone in the small Welsh town of Cwm Coed has turned out for the traditional lake plunge. There was a massive New Year's Eve party the night before at the exclusive lake community called The Shore, and some people are hungover while others are still drunk. But the annual event is abruptly cancelled when a body is found floating offshore. Since the border between England and Wales runs right down the center of the lake, a detective from each side is assigned to the case. It seems like everyone in the community has something to hide or someone to protect, as well as a reason to want the victim dead.

This was a very good modern mystery. There was a twist in the middle that I did not see coming. Quite honestly, the murder victim was a thoroughly reprehensible person and needed killing. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys contemporary mysteries.

Lake country in Wales (not the lake in the book, which is fictitious)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

September 7, 2022

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

George and Isabelle Walker and their son Caleb live a quiet secluded life on the outskirts of Old Ox, Georgia. George has always been an eccentric man: he inherited a large tract of land from his father and he preferred to sell off the land piece by piece rather than work. He spends his time reading and taking long hikes in the forest that he owns. Isabelle loves her husband but has never understood him. Caleb enlisted in the Confederate Army, just like all the other young men in Old Ox. Near the end of the war, Caleb's best friend August brings them word that Caleb has been killed in the war. Following General Lee's surrenders, Old Ox is living under military rule. A short time later, Caleb comes home but by that time, August's father has spread word throughout the town that Caleb is a coward and a deserter. His face is damaged but he is otherwise unharmed. But Caleb and August have a secret - they have been lovers since before the war.

George suddenly decides that rather than sell off more of his land, he will begin to farm peanuts. He hires two former slaves, Prentiss and Landry. His neighbors reset that the two ex-slaves are working for George for wages while so many returning soldiers are unemployed (not that many of them would have worked as farmhands), feeling that it goes against the centuries-old social order. Even though it doesn't affect anyone except the Walkers, all the whites in the community have an opinion. But when Landry stumbles on Caleb and August having a tryst in the forest, disaster follows.

An exceptional book, one of the best books that I've read this year. This title was chosen for Oprah's Book Club, President Obama's reading list and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. How does a community make peace in the wake of civil war and emancipation? Why do so many people feel it's their place to judge others and decide what's right for them? Until God gives me the administrator's passcode, I'll leave that up to Him/Her/Them.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

July 31, 2022

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

March 2020 - Lucy Barton is living her normal life in New York, meeting friends for dinner, visiting her daughters in Brooklyn, working on her next book tour. Out of the blue, her ex-husband William telephones her and tells her to pack a bag, they are going to stay in Maine for while to escape the COVID pandemic. Lucy hasn't been keeping up with the news and isn't aware of the seriousness of the pandemic, but she agrees to go with him anyway, thinking that it will just be for a week or two.

They end up being stuck together for almost a year as the world goes to hell, until they are able to get the COVID vaccine. At first Lucy hates Maine, she and William manage to reconnect as a couple, even as their daughters' lives and marriage crash and burn, and then as their daughters rebuild their lives and become less dependent on Lucy. Gradually Lucy meets people in Maine and after a year, she is able to return to a new version of her life.

Lucy really irritated me at first - she complains about everything, hates everything. Partially I'm just envious. William arranges everything for them and takes care of Lucy - every trip I've ever taken either alone or with family, I am always responsible for everything. Lucy packs the wrong clothes to take for late winter in Maine, and William orders a coat, jeans, sweaters and sneakers from L. L. Bean. Later, because she's freezing in the winter, he gets two down comforters for her.

Coast of Maine

But as the book went on, I really enjoyed it. This is the fourth book with these characters, and I love the fact that they are senior citizens who have interesting lives, a lot better than their daughters and sons-in-law. I have read most of Elizabeth Strout's books and she is a fabulous writer. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

                                       

            New York City in the middle of the pandemic

This is a picture of my sweet little Asia who died in her sleep one night during April 2020. I also lost a close friend who died from COVID before anyone really knew what it was.

Nightcrawling by Lelia Mottley

July 24, 2022

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

After their father's death and their mother's incarceration, Kiara and her brother Marcus are left to fend for themselves. They struggle along for a couple of years but eventually both drop out of high school to work at minimum wage jobs. When their uncle Ty makes it big as a rap artist, Marcus quits his job to chase a fantasy of becoming a rapper, too. With no way to pay the rent or buy food, Kiara resorts to selling herself on the street. At first she only works as a prostitute to make enough to pay the rent and the bills, but when the Oakland police catch her in the act, they force her to work as a prostitute for their fellow officers, even though they know she's underage, threatening to arrest her if she refuses. At the same time, Kiara is trying to protect a neighbor's child whose mother has abandoned him.

While this is really well-written (especially considering the author is a young adult herself), it was hard to read. It's gritty, sad, and yet compelling. Just about nothing good happens to the kids in the book: prostitution, trafficking, drug dealing, grinding poverty, rape, prison, single parenthood, foster care, abandonment by the adults who should have been caring for them, as well as by the systems that should be in place to protect them. About the only good thing that happens to Kiara is her friend Ale (who has her own grief to deal with). If you give yourself to the streets, it's as good as planning your own funeral.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

July 15, 2022

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Hello - I've been missing in action for a while.  I retired, I had a hip replacement, my sweet rescue dog Asia went to the Rainbow Bridge, etc.  Life happened.  All along, I've been reading, so I'm planning to reactivate my reading blog so I can inflict my reading taste on even more people (I already share them on GoodReads and NetGalley).

Sam and Sadie were childhood friends who bonded over illness and a love of games.  After being estranged for many years, they meet again in college and decide to collaborate on a video game.  With their friend Marx, they design and create several popular games.  Over the course of two decades, they experience friendship, love, and loss.

I've read several of Zevin's books and I really enjoyed this one - so far, it's one of the best books that I've read this year. The main characters in this novel are young adults but it's not a YA book.  It's also about gaming but you don't have to play games to enjoy it or connect with the characters.  Even though I'm over 60, I play games online like many people do, so I understood the definitions about the different types of games and the abbreviations, although the terms are explained well enough for non-gamers to understand.  (While I don't care for shooter or racing games, I do enjoy world-building games and puzzles - there is something out there for everyone.)

I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction, well-developed characters, and a good storyline.  

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.