At Two at Twenty-Seven, we love a pinch hitter. My sister Sharee’s been on a reading tear as of late; naturally, I’ve chatted with her about her good, better, best reads. She was kind enough to share her expert opinion with the whole lot of us. So if you’re wondering what to give your book-lovin’ mom in honor of her big day, look no further.
Good
(4 stars at best) I always love a good debut novel. When Tracy suggested Such a Fun Age, I was all in. This story covers the gamut: race, girl power, privilege, family, and more. I found myself cheering on Emira Tucker, the likeable main character who ends up on a collision course with her new employer. Reid’s story (with film/tv rights already acquired) will be a good beach read when we can finally hit the shores again.
Better
(4 stars) As a big fan of The Only Woman in the Room and an even bigger fan of Winston Churchill, I couldn’t wait to read Marie Benedict’s latest. Lady Churchill was intelligent, ambitious, and definitely ahead of her time. I was interested to learn about her many personal accomplishments (including saving Winston’s life when an angry woman tried to push him into an oncoming train), in addition to the unwavering support she always gave The Bulldog. Benedict’s account is historically accurate. But in my opinion, she may have given Clementine a little too much voice when it came to her husband’s successful leadership.
Best
(4.5 stars) “The hardest question we have to ask ourselves in this life is, ‘Who am I?’ Ideally, we answer it for ourselves, but be warned that others will strive to do it for you—so don’t let them.”
Alice Hale, a former New York City publicist, is trying to navigate her new life in suburbia. While struggling to fill her days alone in the old “fixer upper” her husband purchased, she comes across the previous homeowner’s cookbook—1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. Alice discovers remarkable parallels between Nellie and herself that cause her to question her marriage and who she really is. As Alice cooks her way through Nellie’s recipes, she uncovers clues to a dark and sinister side to Nellie’s marriage. While I haven’t tried any of the recipes included in the book, if they’re anywhere near as impressive as the “good wife quotes” at the beginning of Nellie’s chapters, they’ll be delicious!