Jimmy May Be Onto Something

"The thing is, Peter, grown-ups don't know what they're doing any better than kids do. That's the truth."

If you're anything like me, you've got a running list of books to read on your phone. Mine is currently 89 books deep (not joking). Between family, work, and now grad school, some of the books stay put for a bit. When Jimmy Fallon put Ask Again, Yes on his 2019 Tonight Show Summer Reads, I knew I had to move it up closer to the top of my incredibly long list. And by golly, I'm glad I did!

Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes begins in New York City during the 1970s. Rookie cops Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope are newly-minted partners. Due to staffing shortages, there aren't enough cops to give both of them a veteran. The two have virtually nothing in common: Brian was born and raised in Queens, while Francis is a recent immigrant from Ireland. The two begin to bond over being in the same stages of life—newly engaged and looking to get out in the suburbs. As fate would have it, they end up becoming neighbors in the quiet town of Gillam, New York. It sounds like a great friendship's brewing, right?

Wrong. Couldn't be further from the truth. Anne Stanhope, a recent immigrant from Ireland, refuses to speak or interact with Lena Gleeson and her family (and now we got bad blood, hey!). Despite their parents' best efforts, Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope develop a close friendship, one that is tested repeatedly. When Peter's mom does something unthinkable to Kate's family, will their friendship be able to survive?

Ask Again, Yes is a solid read to wind down the summer season. Keane does a fabulous job of keeping you invested in Kate and Peter's story. She also delivers a powerful message of the power of forgiveness. While the book was a little long for my taste, it's worth it in the end. I’m sure Jimmy would offer up one of his famous hashtags on behalf of this book—maybe something along the lines of #WhyIRead.

Posted by Michelle

The Boys of Summer are Back

My favorite book club buddies are back with their latest round of reviews. Looks like we had two hits and a miss, folks. After striking out with Jude last time, I hit it outta the park with a book that made his Captain-Underpants-loving heart scream for more pages. Doesn’t get much better than that! I also had a hard time playing it cool when I heard Nolan loved Circus Mirandus so much he couldn’t wait to read the follow-up. That’s two wins in a row with the pickiest reader of the bunch, for those keeping track. Tate is keeping me humble though with his tepid response to The Westing Game. A 3 out of 5 stars from this avid reader feels like a meh at best. Here’s hoping I win him back with my next pick!

JULY’S PICKS

Nolan(9): I give this book 4.5 stars. This was really a good book. I liked that there were animals and magic in it. My favorite character was the parrot, Chintzy. Chintzy teleports and that’s a cool power to have. I want to read the second book: Bootlace Magician!

Jude(7): I give this book 4 stars. I liked that it was super funny just like Captain Underpants. I also liked that they were creative and did different things in the book. My favorite character was the piranha. I wish the book was longer!

Tate(11): I give this book 3 stars! I wish it was a longer book. I felt like there was a lot talking and not much action. I liked that it was a mystery and it felt suspenseful at times!

Posted by Rachel

Dog Days of Summer

“This is the thing about good and evil. They aren’t so far apart—and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different.”     

The older I get the more I’ve come to believe that a good beach read is therapeutic, even if I can’t physically make it to the beach. There’s something cathartic about getting lost in a story that’s not overly complicated but holds your interest, and makes you feel good in the process. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave checks all of those happy-read-lucky boxes.

Here’s the basic premise: Owen Michaels disappears, leaving his new wife, Hannah, a note with only two words on it: Protect Her. She knows the note refers to Owen’s 16-year-old daughter, Bailey, who wants nothing to do with her. The media shares reports of corruption at Owen’s workplace and the FBI arrests his boss. The FBI, US Marshalls, Hannah, and Bailey aren’t the only ones looking for Owen. Together, Hannah and Bailey begin to realize that Owen isn’t who he said he is. As they look to his past, they unknowingly begin to build their future.

If you’re looking for a story to get lost in before summer’s end, or you’re lucky enough to find yourself with sand in between your toes and the ocean calling, The Last Thing He Told Me is a good four-star beach read that will help you enjoy the dog days of summer.

Posted by Sharee

Hot Dog, This Book is Good!

It’s National Hot Dog Day. And since I’m completely outta franks, I better do my level-best grandstanding here and tell you about one hot dogger of an author. I triple dawg dare you to find a more red-hot novelist than Alex Michaelides right now. He’s definitely puttin’ 5 bright stars all over the psychological thriller category. You know I’m a huge Jane Harper fan, but the Greek may have her beat. (Not that we can’t love them all; we can.) Michaelides’s debut novel The Silent Patient was lights-out good. I have yet to recommend his New York Times bestseller to someone who doesn’t return the book with wicked speed and mouth agape. The ending was one of the best I’ve ever read. This guy believes in the element of surprise. From his own lips: “I love that feeling of reaching the end of a book and suddenly realizing you’ve been viewing the whole thing the wrong way up. I find that really fascinating.”

You know what I find fascinating? When an author knocks a debut novel out of the park—like Hank Aaron home-run stuff—and can give the world a follow-up that is equally compelling. And amazing. Michaelides’ latest, The Maidens, the story he conceived during a little pandemic, is another big whodunnit. Huge actually. Of course, I knew not to expect the obvious; SP taught me that. But the non-basketball, equally Greek Freak kept me guessing as to who the murderer of several female Cambridge students was??? And why? Their violent deaths seemed fairly random, with little in common with one exception: they were all part of a small cult following their Greek Tragedy professor, Edward Fosca. Their name? The Maidens. (I love how Michaelides tied in Greek mythology—it was intoxicating for this humanities major’s heart.) I’m with Lucy Foley, author of The Guest List, The Maidens is “a deliciously dark, elegant, utterly compulsive read―with a twist that blew my mind.” If you’re looking for a masterful, intricate, knife-edged plot-driven book, go read this!

Posted by Tracy

Boys of Summer Bookclub

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” — Walt Disney

Change is hard. We’ve spent the past year transitioning my mom (who suffers from dementia) and her husband to living full time in Arizona—leaving behind the peaceful retreat my parents built almost 25 years ago in Gallup, New Mexico. It means selling the home that saw countless Thanksgivings where hearts were made even fuller than stomachs; summer nights of Navajo Tacos, homemade ice cream, and cheering on bull-riding cowboys; card games that lasted into the wee hours; and “fox hunts” on the trail. It also means saying goodbye to the last tangible connection to my dad.

One very bright spot in my many visits to the town that raised me is spending time with my nephew, his darling wife, and their five kids who are already proving to be as warm and kindhearted as their parents. The three oldest and I quickly discovered a shared love for books and, one sunny Sunday afternoon, we decided to form a summer book club. I’d send them books I thought they’d love and they’d let me know if they were a hit or a miss. Then we agreed I’d share their reviews here so other kids can find books they love too. It’s a win/win.

Before we share June’s picks, meet my book club besties:

Tate

A couple weeks out from turning 11, Tate is a voracious reader. His favorite books are Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Geronimo Stilton. He thinks the hardest job ever would be US President so he’s steering clear of politics and instead hoping to hone his awesome sports skills into becoming a professional baseball player someday. If he had his wish, the sky would rain Bertie Botts beans, he could transform objects into other objects, and he’d never have to clean a bathroom again. He thinks Darth Vader is as villainous as they come because he hurts others and his light saber can cut through anything except beskar. The silliest word he knows? Tim Buck Too.

Nolan

Nine-year-old Nolan just sealed the deal as favorite great grandchild by saying his dream job is owning a trading post. If the stars seem a little brighter tonight, that’s his Great Grandpa Tanner beaming from heaven. This lego-building aficionado dreams of chicken nuggets covered in bbq sauce, avoiding laundry duty for life, and using his super power to blow things up like a bomb. Don’t worry though, he’s one of the good guys. Which is why he’s not a fan of Mardu, who betrayed his kingdom. I’m glad to be a part of Nolan’s kingdom. His favorite books are Captain Underpants, Geronimo Stilton, and The False Prince. The silliest word he’s ever heard? Bitsui Buttcrack.

Jude

Sweet Jude is seven. He’s a big fan of The Magic Treehouse books and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. There’s nothing wimpy about Jude though, he’s got serious kicking skills and hopes to use them to become a professional soccer player someday. The job he never wants? Vice President of the US. Nothing but the top for this sushi-loving 7-year-old! He dreams of being able to control liquids and use them whenever he wants—maybe even find a way to use them to clean the backyard, his most despised chore. Captain Hook tops his list of worst villains because he hits people with his hook and even his friends don’t like him. Clearly, Jude knows it’s best to fight fair and be a good friend. The word that makes him giggle the most? Diabetes.

JUNE’S PICKS

Tate’s Review: I think I like this book better than Fablehaven because it has more action in it and dragons are my favorite mythical creatures. Also, Bracken (my favorite character from Fablehaven) is in this book. It’s really suspenseful so I’m excited to start the second book. I give it 4.5 stars. This book is similar to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson because there is magic in it and it has action in it like Percy does. It’s very descriptive which is just like Harry Potter. I didn’t like that the somber knight didn’t take action but seemed lazy and a scaredy-cat.

Nolan’s Review: This is a really good book because it has mysteries and it kept me interested. I’ve never read a book like this before. I really liked the end of the book and I’m excited to start the 2nd book in the series. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. (Nolan loves reading but struggles sometimes to find books that hold his attention. This felt like a huge win—especially when he included it in his list of favorite books above and his mom told me he’s already finished the second book in the series and is insisting she order the third!)

I struck out on this one. Hey, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, right? While Jude’s mom said he had the reading capability of this book, he seemed a little overwhelmed by the size of it and kept choosing Diary of Wimpy Kid or books similar in size. The goal is to find books he loves reading on his own so here’s hoping next month’s pick does the trick!

Posted by Rachel

All Hail Mark Sullivan!

With love in our hearts, there is nothing we cannot overcome.”

We’ve openly and repeatedly gushed over Mark Sullivan and Beneath the Scarlett Sky. No doubt, we have real love—big love—in our hearts for Mr. Sullivan. It won’t surprise that we jumped on Sullivan’s latest, will it? During one of the most explosive times in our world history, Emil and Adeline Martel must make a crucial decision: Do they wait for Stalin, ruthless and mad, to invade their homeland and risk being exiled to Siberia? Or do they follow corrupt, murderous Nazi officers who’ve pledged to protect and move “pure-blood Germans” into occupied Germany and other acquired territories? The Martels, German-born farmers living in Romania during World War II, must choose quickly. But they don’t want the lesser of two evils. So they set off in search of a better life. With their two small boys in tow, they navigate the landscape of war-torn Europe—danger everywhere. Their ultimate goal? A lush green valley surrounded by mountains and forests with a lazy flowing river beneath, free from persecution and evil.     

The Martel’s search proves compelling. Of course, I couldn’t fathom a true story as stunning as Pino Lella’s—his World War II heroism was lights out. Unreal. Sullivan flexes his storytelling prowess here and makes me wonder if this one wasn’t meant to be? While speaking to a group in Montana about Pino, Sullivan first heard about the Martel’s experience no more than 200 yards away from the home that he originally listened to Pino’s story 11 years earlier. What are the odds, people? On a scale of 1 to Beneath the Scarlet Sky (5 lustrous stars in my opinion), I’d give The Last Green Valley a solid, shiny 4.5. I’m with the reviewer who gushed, “I hail Mark Sullivan for doing it again—taking very real, very human stories…and providing us with a work of historical fiction that we will not forget anytime soon.” That’s exactly right readers…count on it. All Hail Mark Sullivan!

Posted by Sharee

Hope and Heartbreak

“How unrecognizable America had made them, she was thinking, all of them.”

I don’t know the Vietnam War. Nothing more than what I was taught in school, and admittedly, that’s not much. What’s more, my understanding of refugees’ struggles and tumultuous life changes when fleeing their war-torn countries is fairly abysmal. Eric Nguyen’s debut novel, Things We Lost to the Water, has helped me understand the sobering process more.

Beginning in the 1970’s, Nguyen unravels a tale of Huong and her two boys—Tuan (age five) and Binh (a newborn baby)—who escape war-ravaged Vietnam for a calm and lazy New Orleans. Separated from her husband, Cong, during their escape, Huong sets up life in The Big Easy, hoping that Cong joins them soon. Huong soon realizes that he will not be joining them in America. Time teaches her that she and the boys need to move forward with their lives.

Throughout the story, we follow the three characters as they set up a new life in the United States. Huong develops her skills in various jobs and works her way from having nothing to buying her first (used) car as an American citizen. We see how immigration affects Tuan and his sense of identity and how he struggles to fit in his new home in America while holding on to his past. Finally, Binh (later renaming himself Ben) struggles to find any hold in his Vietnamese culture and attempts to forge his own path independent of his family. Set over the course of almost 30 years, Nguyen weaves together a story of hope and heartbreak that may be similar to real life refugees’ experience today.

This book is a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me. While the writing is a bit jerky and can be difficult to follow, I believe it may be on purpose—to mirror just how refugees feel in their new homes: life is a bit jumpy and change is hard to process. A stunning first novel, I thank Nguyen for sharing important insights into Vietnam that I left me with greater awareness and increased compassion. And we can all use more compassion right about now.

Posted by Michelle

Women of Cuba, We Hear Your Cries

“Who are we, weakness? No, we are force.” – Victor Hugo, as quoted in Of Women and Salt

Our most recent read is a book that received big time attention online. (We’re talking Vogue-big.) So big that The Los Angeles Times claims “Of Women and Salt” is “everything that American Dirt wasn’t.” If that doesn’t catch your attention, we don’t know what will. While our interest may have been piqued from the flashy online reviews, Gabriela Garcia now has our full and undivided attention.

Of Women and Salt follows two families in their quest for and struggles with immigration. We first meet Maria Isabel in Cuba in the 1800’s, where she prides herself on being the only female cigar roller in town. After falling in love with a rare literate male, she becomes enchanted by the words of Victor Hugo and his ideas of revolution. Maria Isabel’s commitment to overthrow the oppressive Cuban government and better her life sets off a chain of events through other women in her family that lead us to present-day Miami, where Carmen is struggling to help her daughter, Jeanette, stay clean and sober. Across the street from Jeanette’s house live Gloria and her daughter, Ana, illegal immigrants from El Salvador.  Jeanette watches one morning as Gloria is arrested by police for being an illegal immigrant. Ana comes home later that night to find her mother gone. Jeanette, recognizing what Gloria has done to protect her daughter, invites her to stay the night at her house.

What follows is a story of heartache, loss, and survival as we witness both family’s desperate search for a better life in the United States. Focusing solely on the stories of women, Garcia has crafted a narrative that will both break your heart and lift your spirits at the same time. (Did we mention she wrote part of this while developing her thesis in grad school, and that it’s loosely based on her family’s immigration story? You go, girl!). The feminist in us was proud to turn pages and rub shoulders with these remarkable women. 

P.S. Michelle read this book in a day – she was hooked! Sharee listened to the book and said it was a good listen, but a little hard to follow the dates and times—so pay close attention to the beginning of the chapters. Definitely 4.5 out of 5 bright stars for this debut novel.

Posted by Michelle and Sharee