The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek follows three 15 year old kids starting one fateful Summer when all their lives changed. Their paths separate only to recross later as adults when their lives become entwined again with one another. Beautifully written, emotionally charged, and full of wonderful details that pull the reader in and make us care for the characters. I enjoyed this book while reading it, however, I doubt it is one that will stay with me for long.
Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan is historical fiction based on the life of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny Osbourne. It’s a fascinating adventure tale of two free spirited artists who met in France (Stevenson was Scottish and Osbourne American) and traveled the world looking for a place to call home. I never knew Stevenson was chronically ill while writing Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; all the while looking for a climate…
The Mountain of Light by Indu Sundaresan is historical fiction based on the 186-carat Kohinoor diamond and those who possessed it during it’s long history in India, Persia, Afghanistan and England. It’s a fascinating story, however Sundaresan never lingers long enough on any of the characters for the reader to feel fully invested in what happens to them, and to understand what possessing this diamond really meant. An interesting read that could have been a fantastic story had it been…
A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton, is a beautiful and sad novel about the survivors of Nagasaki, and those who didn’t survive when the bomb was dropped. Painful memories come back to Amaterasu when a disfigured man knocks on her door and claims to be the grandson she lost 40 years earlier. Beautifully written, heartbreaking, memorable. A great read.
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent, follows the life of Addie Baum, born in 1900 in Boston to Jewish immigrant parents. She is now 85 years old and telling the story of her life to her granddaughter. Although a decent read, I found it somewhat forgettable, unlike The Red Tent which has never left me even though I read it many years ago.
The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic is a novel about two sisters from a small island in Croatia. One never leaves the island, the other immigrates to America, then disappears in NYC. The story traces three generations of the family, through war and hardship as they each search for peace and a place to call home. This is a beautiful, well written novel full of memorable characters. At times it seems to veer off track a bit,…
Today Will Be Different is Maria Semple’s new novel. Where’d You Go Bernadette was so brilliant, clever and funny I was anxiously awaiting her next book and it doesn’t disappoint. She is one of my favorite authors of the moment; with such original ideas, her writing is full of intelligence, wit, humor and heart. The story follows one day in the life of middle aged Seattle animator Eleanor Flood. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending, but the mini graphic novel…
Weighing in at 731 pages, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow kept me busy for quite some time. This is the biography that the musical Hamilton is based on and it’s fascinating. Unless you’re already a history buff, this biography will teach you more about our founding fathers than you ever learned in school, along with the American Revolution, the Constitution, our financial systems, our military and much more. Alexander Hamilton was a genius and as his story unfolds in this…
The Past by Tessa Hadley is a novel set in Somerset where three sisters, a brother and their families gather for one last Summer together in their grandparents house before they may have to sell it. Hadley is a undoubtedly a great writer, she moves back and forth through time to bring her characters stories to life. Full of secrets, and family tensions, yet in the end mildly depressing and mostly forgettable.
Truly, Madly, Guilty is the new novel by Liane Moriarty. Moriarty is one of my favorite writers; her books draw you in and you just can’t put them down, This one is no exception. There is a mystery at the heart of the novel that takes place on a sunny day during a backyard barbecue in Sydney, and when you think you’ve figured out what happened, keep reading, you’re probably wrong. Although I appreciate Moriarty’s writing skill and her gift…