Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold

February 12, 2025

Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold

Ice skater and Olympic bronze medalist Gracie Gold details her triumphs and losses on the ice, her struggles with mental health and addiction, and her road to a healthy, fulfilling life. Many of the problems with being an elite athlete and the toxic culture surrounding the Olympics and national competitions have been detailed by others (e.g., struggles with weight and body image, the physical toil that long hours of daily hard training takes on the body, an unnatural childhood and adolescence that focuses only on training and competition, thoughtless coaches unconcerned by the overall health of the young people they coach, sexual predators who prey on young athletes, a governing and judging body that chooses to ignore or hide anything unpleasant). She details the way that being an elite athlete skews one's judgment: after winning a bronze medal in the team Olympic event, she threatens to throw it in the trash because she didn't get a gold medal. Honey, you may not have won a gold medal but there are THOUSANDS of athletes who didn't even get the chance.

Gracie had some terrible experiences but she also portrays herself as a victim betrayed by those around her, including her sister, who had the nerve to quit skating and make a life for herself, rather than remain available at all times to manage things during Gracie's next crisis.

Gracie Gold

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

January 24, 2025

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Each summer for decades, Rachel and her family have been spending a week at the same vacation rental on Cape Cod. They do all the touristy things: swim in the ocean, picnic on the beach, eat at the town clam shack, shop for local seafood and sweets, visit the library book sale. But this year is different. Rachel is in the throes of menopause, her children are on the brink of real adulthood, and her parents are slowly slipping into old age. She feels as though she is balanced on the fulcrum of a seesaw, sandwiched between two generations that need her.

This is a book that addresses a topic that isn't often talked about, the generation that is sandwiched between their children and their aging parents, being pulled in both directions. I can understand the mixed reviews on the book; it's not for everyone. Not everyone will identify with the main characters or the storyline, and I agree with some reviewers that the main character Rachel (for some reason, the author makes a point of telling the reader that people call her Rocky, even though I think her husband is the only person who uses that nickname once in the book) is annoying. She was probably annoying before menopause (note: menopause isn't like that for everyone - a lot of us managed it with minimal discomfort and without ripping our clothes off in public or sharing with everyone - anyone who is suffering as bad as Rachel needs to see their doctor for some pharmaceutical assistance). Rachel is also not appreciative of what a lovely husband she has, instead she is furious with him because he can't read her mind (this irritated me, because it's one of those stereotypes about women that need to go away). But there is also a lot of humor, like when one of Rachel's friends says she saw an ad for a drug that will help a man last longer during sex, and the friend says who wants a guy to last longer, finish already, my library book isn't going to read itself. They do eat a lot of sandwiches, and who doesn't love a good sandwich! Themes are loss and change, and sensitive readers should be aware that there are discussions about miscarriage, abortion and sexuality. For readers who enjoy literary fiction.

A Cape Cod wharf

A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi

January 11, 2025

A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi

Emma and Agathe Delorme are sisters, close friends as children with older sister Emma protecting the more fragile Agathe from their mother, other children, and life in general. As adults with their own lives, they have grown apart but remain united in their love for their grandmother, Mima. When Mima dies, the two sisters come together one last time at her house to reminisce about the time they spent there together and how their grandmother shaped their lives.

The format can be somewhat confusing, with two narrators and two timelines, one of which is always moving. I loved their story but the chapters were confusing and I found myself frequently going back to the beginning of a section to see who was talking and what year is was. While I don't have a sister, I do know about the dynamics of sibling relationships (as I tell my brothers, I know them better than anyone else on this planet). Told with love and frequent humor, painful subjects such as child abuse and mental illness are treated with compassion. Lovely writing and a good translation. You may need tissues at the end. Don't be fooled by the cheery image of the two women on the surfboards on the cover. And yes, a good life is something worth striving for. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

French Basque country

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

June 11, 2024

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

It's right after the COVID-19 pandemic, and Phoebe is checking into a grand hotel in Rhode Island. She always wanted to stay at the hotel with her husband, but unfortunately he found a younger woman and divorced Phoebe. Between the divorce, losing interest in her job as an English professor, and the isolation of the pandemic, Phoebe sank into depression and decided there is nothing left for her. So she makes a reservation to visit the hotel by herself and end her life there - with her cat's pain killers, which taste and smell like tuna. But when she arrives, Phoebe discovers that the whole place has been booked for a week-long wedding event and that she has essentially crashed the party.

Some of the descriptions may lead you to believe this is a rom-com, but it's not. This is a delightful feel-good read, one of the best books that I've read this year, written with warmth and humor and a wonderful writing style. The storyline focuses on the connection that we all long to make with others, and that most of us are lonely inside, even when surrounded by other people. The characters are all likable, and you want them all to have a happy ending, even the self-centered bride and Phoebe's ex-husband. The dialogue has a genuine ring to it. And it's so much like a real wedding: all the weird family members, the friends that you suspect may actually be frenemies, the kids sneaking alcohol under the adults' noses, things going wrong, no matter how carefully you plan. Strongly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good story with great characters. A major studio has already picked up the film rights.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A Rhode Island wedding

Set for Life by Andrew Ewell

December 4, 2023

Set for Life by Andrew Ewell

A nameless creative writing professor who is on a deadline to get something (anything, really) published has major writer's block. He is a failure at writing, at teaching, at being a husband, at life in general. His wife is a successful novelist and she encourages him at every turn. In typical male midlife crisis fashion, he begins an affair with one of his wife's friends, thinking that this is the answer to all of his problems. When his now-estranged wife publishes another novel with a character based on him, his envy knows no bounds and he feels he is entitled to some kind of compensation. After he manages to implode his entire life, he retreats to Florida where his parents (who he has always looked down on as failures) own a small beachside hotel.

All of the characters in this novel are unlikeable, with the exception of Carlos, the visiting writer. The main character is immature and a complete snob - everyone and everything is beneath him, and he feels that success should be just handed to him rather than having to work for it. It's always someone else's fault. Also, the main character drinks WAY too much, in fact many of the characters drink almost constantly. It's fairly obvious that he is depressed and everyone knows it but him, and several of the characters try to throw him a lifeline (including the department chair, who he despises, who not only doesn't press charges after the main character almost burns down his office, but he tries to help him find a new job). The writing is good, there is some dark humor, and it's a quick read - like a train wreck, you can't look away. I sincerely hope this novel isn't autobiographical.

Is it just me or does anyone else think this is a really boring cover?

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

December 22, 2021

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

Following the death of his father, Benny Oh begins to hear voices. Not just any voices - he hears items like a shoe, vegetables, furniture, and Christmas decorations speaking to him. His depressed mother develops hoarding tendencies, which doesn't help Benny's situation. He finds solace in the quiet of a large public library, where the books speak to him but in an orderly fashion, and he meets a variety of street people who also take refuge there. 

Although I liked the story and it held my attention, it's very difficult to categorize or describe. The narrator is a book that tells Benny's story. As a librarian at a public library for 30 years, I recognized many of the characters that Benny encounters at his public library. Libraries are safe havens for many people who otherwise don't fit in or have nowhere else to go. Books and libraries can save us by finding a way out of our own heads - I have always known this. It's also about how we fill our emptiness. Some people fill their emptiness with alcohol or drugs or excitement; others lean toward books, art, and objects.

I really like the author's previous book, A Tale for the Time Being. Ozeki tends to write in an experimental style. While this isn't for everyone, readers of literary fiction will find a lot to think about.

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan

September 3, 2020

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan

"When I grow up, I wanna be famous,

I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies.

When I grow up, I wanna see the world,

Drive nice cars,I wanna have groupies.

When I grow up, be on TV

People know me, be in magazines,

When I grow up, fresh and clean,

Number one chick when I step out on the scene.

Be careful what you wish for, cuz you just might get it."

- When I Grow Up, The Pussycat Dolls

When Cassidy Holmes competes in a national TV singing competition (a la American Idol), she doesn’t win, but she does catch the attention of a large music producer.  A year later, she is tapped to round out the girl group Gloss (think Pussycat Dolls or Spice Girls), and the recording company thinks they can be BIG.  They hire publicists and stylists who set about remaking the girls' images, and marketing the girl group.  The four members of Gloss are shocked and delighted with their instant success, but they quickly realize there is a dark side to fame.  Cassidy decides abruptly to leave the group when they are at the height of their success, and the group quickly falls apart.  The other three girls shun and ignore Cassidy, and largely go their own ways, until they hear of her suicide 15 years later.

I loved Daisy Jones & the Six, and Sloan’s debut novel has been compared to it, but it is nowhere near as good.  The plot crawls along, with each of the four girls narrating in turn.  Every costume, every tour stop, every spat, is described in minute, incredibly painstaking detail, yet there is little about the four girls' lives since the group disbanded.  Rose, Merry, and Yumi, the other three Gloss girls, had been chasing fame and fortune since they were in middle school, but once they achieve it, they whine about wanting to be loved for themselves, not for their stage personas, and they’re upset when their fans give them nicknames (Rosy, Cherry, Tasty, and Sassy).  None of the three seemed like really fleshed-out characters – there were hints of their lives since their break-up but the only one whose life gets any detail is Merry.  Yumi in particular is like a cut-out.

There was a little more substance to Cassidy, but she suffers from depression and insecurity, and I wish the author had written more about that, rather than throwing in side bits about current event topics like directors who sexually abused starlets, and Hollywood men who were physically abusive.  We find out that a rival singer breaks Cassidy’s arm when she is 20, but then there is very little about her life over the next 15 years, except when her sister gives her eulogy, which is easily the most moving and best-written part of the book.  Not recommended - read Daisy Jones & the Six instead.

Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing an eARC in return for a review.

 

Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman

February 27, 2020

Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman

Judy Vogel wrote a highly successful children’s book that became a children’s television series, but she hasn’t been able to write another book.  Her current job is writing 300-400 word articles for a wellness site, producing three or four articles a day.  Not only does Judy have writer’s block, but she also feels totally disconnected from everyone she knows.  She is separated from her husband Gary, but they can’t afford to live in separate residences because Gary works as a part-time snackologist and spends large amounts of time smoking pot.  So Gary lives in their basement and Judy and their teen-aged son Teddy live upstairs.  While working on de-cluttering their storage area, Judy comes across a baby sling left from when her son was born.  On impulse, she slips the sling over her head and puts Charlotte, the family’s Sheltie in the sling.  For the first time in years, Judy feels a connection to another living being.  Meanwhile, their son attends a Montessori school that is also in crisis.

I initially picked up this title because of the cover art, a woman wearing a baby sling with a small dog’s head sticking out.  While depression is a main theme, there is also commentary on marriage, parenting, and progressive education.  There is just enough humor to keep the story from wallowing in sadness.  We have one of those wellness sites where I work so I know the kind of peppy little useless articles that Judy writes.

At age 50, Judy feels invisible:  not only is her marriage falling apart and her son doesn’t need her anymore, her best friend and editor is dying of cancer and she is crushingly lonely.  Wearing the dog in a sling at least attracts some (mostly) harmless attention.  Maybe that’s why middle-aged men buy a Corvette, divorce their wives of 25 years, and get a trophy wife – anything so that they can feel someone SEES them (never mind how people see them).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in return for a review.

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

January 8, 2020

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

Fifteen years ago, Sarah Cook disappeared on the same night that her parents were brutally murdered.  Her boyfriend at the time was quickly arrested and convicted of the crime, and has been on Death Row ever since.  Now a date has been set for his execution.  His sister, convinced of his innocence, wants to make one last attempt to find Sarah, believing that she holds the answers to what happened on that long ago night.  Believing she has seen Sarah in the area, she hires private investigator Roxane Weary to try to locate the woman that she is sure is the missing Sarah.  Roxane takes on the case, needing the money, but already pretty convinced that the police got the right guy, although she soon realizes that there is more to the story.  But Roxane has troubles of her own, dealing with her father’s death in the only way she knows how, by looking at the world through the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

This is quite a decent thriller with a number of plot turns and a flawed detective who lives a messy life.  Roxane herself fits the mold of the noir detective nicely:  she’s always broke, so she takes on cases that she knows she shouldn’t; she has a cool old car; she is attracted to lovers that she knows she should stay the hell away from; she drinks way too much; she hides from her feelings, refusing to deal with the emotional issues looming in her life; she doesn’t take care of herself; she gets stopped by the police frequently since she skitters on the edge of the law in her work.  It’s fast-paced, a quick read, and will keep you turning the pages.