Tricia Nelson
I received an autographed copy of this book from a good friend who knows the author, and I'm so so happy I read it! The premise is that a woman returns home from a trip early and discovers that her house is on fire, and her husband is caught on scene with another woman. Her husband is a politician, causing the fire and a photo of the situation becoming big news overnight. The woman is also shown in the photo with a period stain on her pants, and overnight also becomes famous for sparking a movement that people should no longer be ashamed of their menses. I enjoyed the story and the journey the woman goes on over the course of the month after the fire. The book encourages the reader to think a little deeper about the effect that social media, news media, and cancel culture have on all of us and our families. It's a unique story and one I enjoyed reading. There is a lot to think about and spark conversation with the story, and this would be a great book club book.
Fun summer read set in the entertainment and theatre world - this was a fast enjoyable read! Kathleen and Cal have a complex and rocky history from their years together on tour as musicians, after meeting at summer camp as kids. They meet again to work on Kathleen's best friend's musical and their journey tells a story about second chances.
It just wouldn't be summer without an Emily Henry book to kick it off! I can always pick up her latest safe in the knowledge that I will enjoy the story. This one has a great cast of characters that you come to know and love, who all gather in Maine for their annual week together. At the start of the week, there are things that these friends are hiding from each other, even though they are the closest people on the planet to them. By the end of the week, all is revealed and everyone is closer yet because they understand each other a bit better. I'm so glad that this author is getting the recognition for great reads, particularly summer reads with a touch of romance thrown in, with her first hardcover release. Great beach read for anyone looking for interesting complex characters and a solid storyline.
I read this with some friends as a summer read, and I'm so so glad I did. It's a substantial read that took a minute to get into, but once I did, I loved it. If you are interested in reading a story about ordinary lives and interesting characters, this is for you. I read Zadie Smith's essay about the book “Middlemarch and Everybody” from her book Changing My Mind, and it's absolutely correct. Middlemarch is about everybody, about small town life, about love and career choices and moral choices. There is something here for everyone to relate to and think about.
Note to readers - if you have trouble reading it, try listening to it while reading it at the same time. It made all the difference to me. The Juliet Stevenson version of the audio book is fantastic.
Every so often I read a book that I might never have picked up because I'm in a book club, and I discover a true gem that someone was wise enough to place in my hands. This book is all of that. Take an island just off the coast between South Carolina and Georgia that belongs to neither state, run by a Matriarch called Mama Day. Add in mystical powers and a connection to the island that Mama Day and her family has. Add in a daughter of the island who goes to NYC and falls in love. You've got yourself a good story that draws you right in and keeps your interest. Lots to discuss for book clubs!
After reading this author's first novel, The Lost Apothecary, I was really looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint. The premise is this - set in London in 1873, Lenna's sister Evie was killed and the police have no leads. She sets out to learn how to conduct a seance under the tutelage of Vaudeline D'Allaire, who is well known and respected for her seances that are used only to communicate with murder victims in order to find justice. Vaudeline is invited back to London as a favor to find out what happened to someone, and the story grows from there with suspicious activities happening at the London Seance Society, a gentlemen's club in London. The author's notes at the end of the book are very good and clearly state what is historical custom versus author's imagination. Very well done!
Louise and Mark are siblings that haven't lived near each other for most of their adult lives, but come together when their parents die unexpectedly in a car accident. Their complicated relationship adds to the tension when they enter their parents home that is FILLED with dolls and puppets that are decidedly creepy. From there the story unfolds with one twist and turn after another that kept me glued to the pages. The first Grady Hendrix book I read was The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and I loved it. This second read by this author did not disappoint! This was the first book that truly scared me in quite some time, but in all the best ways.
I read this as part of a book club and I'm so glad I did! The characters are complex and endearing and more, and the author does a great job of interweaving their stories. This one has a mystery to solve, a dash of magical realism thrown in, themes of family and home and friendship and addiction and community. It is a good story that is well-crafted and there is so so much to discuss it is an excellent selection for a group!
I heard about this book before it was published and was excited to read it. Someone described it as “Encanto” but an adult story. This book is more than that. There is a magical element, tied to a ranch in Mexico and a family that cares for the land. But at its heart, the story is about rebirth and new beginnings, about love, family and heritage, about becoming who you are meant to be. One of the quotes I noted sums it up: “Life is just a series of beginnings and endings. It's one long season of learning how to let go. People, dreams, ideas, jobs, love. We hold each close to our bones and spirits, clutching so tightly we risk suffocating that which we profess to love, and then the time to let go comes - it always comes. We can run, or fight, or try to hide, but none of that will change the gathering storm on the horizon. And maybe it's the storms that change us, that help carve a new path toward who we were always meant to be.”
I picked this up expecting a lighthearted feel-good story and got so much more. What a great ride - I was quickly invested in the characters in all their flawed realness, laughed often at the situations they found themselves in, and didn't want to put it down. The extended ‘family' in the story that come together around a baby that needs them is the perfect example of a family that is both by blood and by choice. Loved this book- you will smile- you will laugh - you will relate!
This book was an ‘extra, optional' book club book, and I'm SO GLAD I read it. I'm beginning to realize that I love everything I read from this author. The premise - a woman gets stranded on vacation in the Galapagos and away from her significant other who is a front-line doctor in NYC at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic in March, 2020. The story swept me along as she got her footing in her new surroundings and became a part of that community, while having limited contact with NY and her life outside of paradise. Meanwhile, her boyfriend is drowing in Covid patients in NY and hoping she is ok. I saw an interview with the author where she mentioned that she interviewed front line workers while writing the book, and that they were so grateful to tell their story, and the truth of what it was like in the hospitals in 2020. I can't go into more detail about the turns the story takes without major spoilers, but it's a great read with so so much to discuss. Things like - what if we step off the path we are on and really look at it to see if it is still what we want, or what we would choose? Examine if we believe in things we can't understand, or that don't make sense. What would we risk to have a last chance to speak to a loved one? I can't wait for book club to discuss alllllll of it. Highly recommend. First five-star read of 2023!
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I wish I had had this document to refer to when I started using NetGalley - it is well written, easy to understand, and extremely helpful.
I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and the author does a wonderful job of telling a current day story and filling in pertinent facts with flashbacks to the past. It is somewhat of a dual timeline, but is so well done that it feels as though the story continues. The main character, Collette, is immortal and the story touches on many time periods that she has lived in, and many humans that she has loved and lost. By making someone immortal, is that a gift or a curse? Is it nothing forever or everything forever? Is all the good and the bad worth it? There are some deep themes and questions that I will be thinking about for a while.
When I sit down to read a book that has gotten a lot of buzz, I always prepare myself to be disappointed. Sometimes if the hype is too much, the book can't live up to it. Well this book didn't disappoint- it lives up to the buzz! I read this in two days and was thoroughly committed to reading what happened next. The story of Lily and her journey from an abusive household as a child to finding herself married to an abusive man was compelling. The author treated the subject matter and characters with such skill that the book is more than a story- it leaves the reader with questions and much to think about.
I read this book for book club, and I chose it because of the link to the NY Public Library and the bookish themes throughout. I truly enjoyed this story split between 1913 and 1993, with two characters from the same family of a fictional famous writer. The 1913 storyline touches on the restrictive role of women during that time, and the groups in NYC at that time trying to change things. The 1993 storyline also examines choices women have available to them, nearly a century later. There are also book thefts in both time periods and complicated relationships. I wish Goodreads would allow me to give half stars because this is a solid 3.5 star rating for me - very much worth my time and very much a good story. Can't wait to discuss with my book club friends!
I really enjoyed this book. It is a story of family secrets, what we will do for our children and to protect those we hold most dear, and finding ourselves in the midst of expectations that are placed on us by society, family, and community.
The structure of the book is a dual timeline, but is cleverly done in a way that doesn't give the reader whiplash from one storyline to the next. The short chapters and back and forth reads very smoothly, and adds to the story rather than distracting the reader.
The themes of family, inheritance, motherhood, race, emmigration, and grief are intertwined in a tale that has the reader rooting for the characters.
Great book club pick, and the author has a book club kit with a spotify playlist and recipes included!
This was a fun book to read at the beginning of February! Margot and Luke were a fun couple to root for. Their communication, or lack thereof, along with their insecurities and assumptions were frustrating at times, but happy endings prevail (surely that's not a spoiler with a romance novel?). Learning more about owning a winery and running that business was a fun twist and what drew me to this story to begin with - and did not disappoint.
In 1838 a ship named the Steamship Pulaski blew up in the middle of the night and sank to the bottom of the ocean off the coast of North Carolina carrying many prominent members of Savannah Society with it. The author was beginning to write a story around this ship and the people who survived when the shipwreck was discovered. The author was able to use the artifacts discovered and the stories they led to in the novel, and even provides an extensive book club kit on her website to enhance the reader experience.
The novel is a well-written dual timeline and is crafted in a way that the themes of grief, survival, slavery and family are woven between the characters in both times. There is an intriguing part of the story where one character disappeared after surviving, and we find out what happened to them at the end. One of the points that is made in different ways is how different people deal with grief and when they are faced with life-altering circumstances. This is something that will stay with me, both in how “Some people didn't die and some people lived”, and how everything important and unimportant becomes clear when faced with tragedy.
This would make a wonderful book club book. I was able to read an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and ended up purchasing a copy for a book club discussion afterwards.
I was so happy to read the story about the pink-haired friend of Felicity from The Felicity Theory! Evie is a sculptress and takes on a gig to create some pieces for an installation at a rock star's country home. This is a fun open-door romance about two people who have been hurt by fame in different ways. They find out that although they drive each other crazy, they understand each other more than many others do. The banter between Evie and Byron is half the fun, and it has the reader rooting for them as individuals as well as a couple. I gratefully received this as an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story is a fun open-door romance read. The first half of the book had me laughing and coming to like the characters, particularly Lizzie. She has ADHD and has spent her life apologizing for it among people who didn't understand her or try to understand her. The second half of the book had me cheering her on as she found her place amongst people who cared enough about her to understand and love her.
This story is about two poor young Black girls who are sterilized without consent in 1973 Alabama (fictionalized story inspired by real-life case of Relf v. Weinberger) and a Black nurse who blows the whistle on the program and helps bring a lawsuit against the government. The book is compelling and well written. The author sheds light onto this practice that continues today in the United States in some places and circumstances and it is a beautifully told heartbreaking tale that manages to leave the reader with some hope for the future. This one will stay with me for a while, as it should.
This book was a delight. It made me laugh, made me angry, made me shake my head at the absurdity of our culture sometimes. Elizabeth Zott would be on my list of literary characters I would love to have a meal with, although she would never agree to such an activity. One of my favorite books this year!