Brainy New Thriller

“Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.” ― Francesco Guicciardini

That’s right, Francesco. Never lose a chance to make friends—in life and in books. I’ve made some awesome friends this year, by way of new authors and new characters. I’m gonna hang onto James McBride. Without a doubt. Of course, Jacqueline Winspear is a keeper, so is Clare Pooley. John Boyne too. Angie Kim is my latest newfound friend and I’m thoroughly pleased with my find. Thanks to Ann Napolitano for shining a light on Kim via high praise: “I fell in love with the fascinating brilliant family at the center of this riveting book.” Jodi Picoult pitched in with, “I read this in a single day…a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”

Happiness Falls was riveting for sure. Angie Kim’s second novel revolves around a memorable family consisting of a Korean mother, a linguist who works full-time and who babies 14-year-old Eugene—her youngest son with a double diagnosis of Angelman syndrome and autism. Adam (an American) is a caring father. He finished up his career to stay at home and care for speechless Eugene. Adam vanishes one day on his morning hike with Eugene, and so the mystery begins. The twins, Mia and John, are beyond bright; they’re gifted. They work together to crack the disappearance (or is it a murder) case. Deeply analytical Mia narrates the story—she has the best shot as solving the mystery.  You’ll be engrossed. In the words of Charles Barkley, I gua-ran-tee it!

*Reader beware: Mia drops more than her fair share of f-bombs!

Posted by Tracy

R.E.A.D.

“B.E.A.C.H.: Best Escape Anyone Can Have.”

I’ve been promising myself a much-needed trip to a beach. Funny, I can’t seem to find my way to the sand and the sea. (Funny, not funny.) I need an escape right about now. Since I can’t seem to get to the shore’s edge, I decided the next best escape is a R.E.A.D.: Rewarding Escape Anyone (and Everyone) Deserves. It seemed fitting to choose a beach read, and while Emily Henry’s book by the same name came to mind, I went with Barbara Davis this time. (My girl Devron mentioned Davis when I saw her last.) So I downloaded The Echo of Old Books and dove in.

For me, it’s hard to resist a book about books. I appreciated rare book dealer Ashlyn Greer for obvious reasons. Thankfully, she let her superpower—the ability to feel the emotions of previous book owners by simply touching a book’s cover—be her guide. When she stumbles across two leather-bound, self-published books with the same look, her bookish spidey-senses get a pins-and-needles tingle. She uncovers a sad romance rolled into a decades-old mystery. Tired as I am, I did unravel the mysterious part of the novel before it was revealed. No bother. This is a beach read after all. I wouldn’t call The Echo of Old Books “the best escape anyone can have”—but with the sun, a light breeze, and the sound of the ocean as a paradisical backdrop, you’ll enjoy Barbara Davis’s latest. I especially relished the quotes from The Care and Feeding of Old Books at the start of Ashlyn’s chapters; let’s end with one of those: “Books are rib and spine, blood and ink, the stuff of dreams dreamed and lives lived. One page, one day, one journey at a time.”

Posted by Tracy

It’s Hard Bein’ In Charge

“Finding the good inside can often come from asking ourselves one simple question: ‘What is my most generous interpretation of what just happened?’”

“Being a parent is like folding a fitted sheet: no one really knows how to do it.” That line will preach. I currently have a four-year-old and a one-year-old, and I feel as if I’m taking one step forward and two steps backward…on the daily!

Enter Dr. Becky Kennedy. You may know her from her infamous Tik Toks and Instagrams about how to set healthy boundaries with your children. But did you know that she’s written a parenting book? With her lifetime of knowledge, Kennedy’s Good Inside focuses less on shaming parents and more on informing them about understanding children through connection. Her central premise revolves around the simple belief that all humans—children, parents, caregivers, any human out there—are good inside. That’s it! Simple and straightforward.

Dr. Kennedy’s book was both informative AND uplifting. The part I found most applicable was about building “Connection Capital,” a currency in which you earn your children’s time and trust. As parents, we are the biggest spenders of this capital because we are constantly asking them to do things that they don’t want to do—like leaving parties or playdates, stopping a behavior, transitioning to another activity, and other stuff they don’t enjoy. (It’s hard bein’ in charge.) Because parents spend so much of this currency with their children, they, in turn, must be the largest earners. I felt like that was a terrific metaphor to underscore the emotional work that parents have to put in with their children on the daily grind.

While Dr. Kennedy gave many options for building connection, I wish she would’ve broken it down like Nelly Furtado a little bit more and talked to me beyond just Sayin’ It Right. (A little shoutout to my Millennial readers right there.) Some concrete examples on how to set boundaries and deliver consequences would’ve been helpful for a novice parent like me. Four out of five stars for this book and some really solid parenting advice.

Posted by Michelle

Bruce Bogtrotter, Let’s Eat Cake!

“A little magic can take you a long way.”  Roald Dahl

Don’t think for one minute we’re going to let today melt into tomorrow without wishing Roald Dahl a Splendiferous Birthday! If anyone should’ve lived productively to the ripe age of 107, it’s Lofty. Angels above, please give that man some heavenly chocolate. And a yellow notepad with an HB pencil for the happy occasion. I beg you. Just now, I learned that old Roald had some of his favorite things buried with him—you know, like the Vikings. Any guesses as to his “grave goods”? He went with a fine burgundy wine, a few snooker cues, his HB pencils, and a power saw. (A power saw…that man!) Oh, and chocolate of course, from Charlie’s factory no doubt. How about a moment of silence for the giganticus author?

Speaking of giganticus authors, can we talk about one of Rae’s faves for a minute? In 2019, when Rachel recommended Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, she professed she was “well on her way to becoming a solid fan.” I think it’s safe to say her admiration for A.P. has fully grown. I know mine has. (I’m pretty sure the dog lovin’, prize-winning author, and independent bookstore owner is living our dream.) I really enjoyed Patchett’s latest: Tom Lake. The year is 2020. The setting is a tight-knit family’s cherry farm in gorgeous Northern Michigan. The protagonist is a modern-day mother who tells her three twenty-something daughters (home to pick cherries to sustain the farm and their family during COVID) about how she dated a movie star (in embryo) when she was their age. That probably doesn’t sound overly exciting. But we’re talking about Ann Patchett here—who can make the smallness of life look both beautiful and desirable. (I love her faith in human goodness.) She lassos nostalgia and infuses it into her relatable pages. If you’re in the mood for “a thoughtful, elegiac tale [that] celebrates the ordinary and anxieties of first love, family, and fateful choices,” this one’s for you.

P.S. Be sure to listen to this book—Meryl Streep’s performance was genius. It was, not surprisingly, a little [audible] magic!

Posted by Tracy

A Full Course of Literary Meal

“They call that a Good Lord Bird,” he said. “It’s so pretty that when man sees it, he says, ‘Good Lord.’”

I can no longer remember why I took my eye off James McBride and The Good Lord Bird. Forget about that gold sticker on the cover. And the fact that Ethan Hawke and Daveed Diggs star in Showtime’s Limited Series of the same name. The title should have been enough to capture my attention and hold onto it—long enough to pick up a copy and put it emphatically down on the growing tbr pile next to my bed. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why I took my eye of McBride.

I suppose William of Ockham has the best explanation for my wandering eye. The old friar/philosopher would say the simplest answer is usually the best one. The simplest answer is I get so d**n distracted when surrounded by so many good books. Despite my attention deficit, I’ve just righted a wrong. I finished McBride’s latest: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store—and I absolutely loved it. As in, this-will-be-one-of-the-best-books-I-read-all-year loved it.  

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is technically a murder mystery. That’s how the book begins, with a skeleton at the bottom of a well (40 years after the fact) in a place called Chicken Hill. Few would call Chicken Hill anything but ruinous. For me, it was a bit magical. Chicken Hill produced characters (some blacks, some jews) like Paper, Chona, Big Soap, Fatty, and Moshe. That was just the start of the literary magic. Chicken Hill provided me with a lovely community. Reviewer Jana Siciliano likely said it best: THEGS “is a full course of literary meal. The voices of the characters are so specific to each of them that readers feel as if they are meeting a brand-new, real-life person each time, and their quirks live well beyond these pages. Besides humor, there is actually an ending that celebrates unity, love and togetherness in a world where those things are no longer givens.”

Posted by Tracy

Dip Your Toe in the Water

“One always has riches when one has a book to read.”  —Jacqueline Winspear

Who am I to contend with the British puzzler who conjured up Maisie Dobbs? Personally, I feel filthy rich when I have a great book to read. Great as in “of an intensity considerably above the normal or average.” Thank goodness for writers like Jacqueline Winspear who think average is a failing formula. Why, oh why, have we not talked about Winspear before now? I’m baffled. Incredulous. In fact, I scrolled through the entire blog, from last week’s post down through the years—all the way back to August 19th, 2015—no Winspear. Shame is working overtime on my face. So, without further ado, it’s time for you to meet the British mystery writer whose “interested in how ordinary people have endured in extraordinary times, especially a time of war.”

If you love a series and a quirky character that rocketed out of an award-winning first novel, meet Winspear through the eyes of detective Maisie Dobbs. You’ll be glad you did. (Dobbs doesn’t have a cult following by accident.) If you prefer to dip your toe in the water, start with Winspear’s latest The White Lady. Not-Your-Average Jac creates a highly intelligent, unimpeachable character in Elinor White. This history-based mystery vacillates between the 20th century’s two world wars. Elinor’s life is forever changed by the 1st and she finds her country in need of her for the 2nd. But the real mystery takes place in 1947, when the wartime operative is trying to leave her turbulent life behind. She can’t seem to ditch her moral duty. And so she helps her vulnerable neighbors who happen to be tied, by blood, to one of the most powerful (and dangerous) criminals in London. Elinor’s help, in turn, unknots a haunting secret of her own.

Winspear goes well beyond the bounds of average in The White Lady. I love her timely underlying theme that men always underestimate women. Which gives us an advantage. I’ll defer now to Rae’s very own Louise Penny: “The White Lady is a triumph of storytelling. Rarely have I been swept up into a novel, into the lives of the main characters, so quickly and thoroughly. Winspear creates in Elinor White a complex, endearing, achingly flawed hero. This is both fast-paced and thoughtful, bold and nuanced, a thriller that is thrillingly human. I loved it.”

Posted by Tracy

Love Out Loud

“I think the most important thing a woman can have—next to talent, of course—is her hairdresser. “ —Joan Crawford

Look at Joan go. I’ve gotta say, I couldn’t love my stylist more. The woman is a genius with a pair of scissors, not to mention tint and a brush. Devron’s one part therapist, one part hilarious, one part philosopher, one part confidant, and I can’t keep track of how many parts love out loud. She’s lovely. Will it surprise anyone that we chat about books every time I’m in the chair. Sometimes we text about our latest favorite. When Devron said I had to read Mad Honey, I took her seriously. Then I saw Jodi Picoult’s name on the cover and thought to myself, I don’t think I can do it.

The book snob in me nearly won out. But I trust my girl with this head of hair and recommendations with a bang. Mad Honey openly tackles topics surrounding gender, identity, abuse, and love. The story weaves between Olivia, a beekeeper who ditched her abusive husband to save her son from a similar fate, and Lily, a troubled teen who struggles in high school and falls prey to suffocating judgment. How do these women’s stories braid together? Olivia’s son, Asher, falls in love with Lily. In their small New Hampshire town, a murder and a court case ensued. You’ll waffle over whodunnit. Picoult and Finney Boylan co-authored some suspenseful moments. More importantly, they provide a primer on hot and trending issues. I have to give the girls credit: their collaboration was filled with interesting facts. I learned some good stuff and some important stuff too. Shout out to my girl, Devron, who’s clearly cut out for this recommending biz.

Posted by Tracy

The Sunday Scaries

“If we don’t go mad once in a while, there’s no hope.” —Rachel Joyce

Anyone else got a case of the Sunday Scaries? How is Monday only a few short hours away? I’m here to say that three is not the magic number if it marks how many jobs you currently have. Summer term is kickin’ my fanny. But not nearly as much as National Chemical. (The essay consulting gig is just fine.) I’m bound to go mad. Let’s just hope it’s a once-in-a-while affair.

Of course, three is the magic number where Rachel Joyce and Harold Fry are concerned.  I have no good reasons for just now reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a decade after it was published. How did the slow-but-steady walkin’ Brit land at the top of my tbr pile? The answer’s pretty simple: I miss Marge and Enid. No surprise there. I do have a surprise however—like Harold, I just kept going. I went on to read The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy and Maureen: A Harold Fry Novel.  

My Favorite of the Three

I’m so glad I met Harold. He is memorable in the same way Ove is, but he’s no curmudgeon. He’s 65, retired, and a bit listless where life is concerned. When he receives a letter from a former co-worker and old friend, Queenie Hennessy, who writes from her hospice bed to say goodbye, he writes a quick reply. He walks to drop it in the post box. He passes one box, then another. Harold decides to keep walking. Maybe Queenie will live if she knows he’s on his way. While Harold walks the length of England he learns to live again. I’m with the reviewer who said, “A gentle and genteel charmer, brimming with British quirkiness yet quietly haunting in its poignant and wise examination of love and devotion.

Different Angles

The companion novel to Joyce’s bestselling Man Booker Prize finalist revolves around Queenie’s point of view. Even though she’s bedridden, Queenie takes us on a journey of her own. It’s true, “The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy underscores the resilience of the human spirit, beautifully illuminating the small yet pivotal moments that change a person’s life.” Joyce is too good. Her prose is excellent, and her insights are even better. I love an author that makes me think and feel deeply. I love that her novels are laced with hope.

Lovely Closure

The finale of the Harold Fry trilogy is short and redemptive. It’s Maureen’s turn to speak. Who is Maureen you ask? If you know Harold, you know his wife, Maureen. She also takes a journey up North, to Queenie’s beach home in Embleton Bay, where she comes to terms with her past. Understanding isn’t always easy to come by. Maureen “is a quiet miracle of a book.” And Rachel Joyce, like our girl Rae, is an absolute keeper.

Posted by Tracy