There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

I probably wouldn't have picked this one up except that one of my trusted book-loving friends has declared it one of the best books she's ever read. It is a beautifully written novel about three people who live in different places at different times and how their lives are all woven together. They live near rivers, and water is a major theme throughout the book. There's a lot of sadness and violence but the story is compelling. I will confess some chapters felt like I was reading a textbook instead of a novel and I gave myself permission to skim some parts. But I also learned a lot about the Middle East throughout history. 

One of the major issues the book tackles is how museums in Europe and the US (and private citizens) have taken ancient artifacts from other countries to display them in their museums and homes. And how the people of the Middle East have lost these treasures. 

Highly recommend this one. - June

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Lordy Lordy! This is one of those books I would hesitate to recommend to many of my friends. However, it is a fascinating story and very well written. One of the constant debates in my former book club was if you can like a book if you dislike the main character. If you fall into the category of those who need to relate to the character, you probably won't like this novel. Isabel is not at all a likeable person. She's stuffy, cold, and judgmental. She lives alone in a big house and has no friends. Even her family doesn't like her much. 

The novel takes place in Amsterdam in the early 1960's. When Isabel's brother has to go out of town, he asks Isabel if his current girlfriend can stay with her. The rest of the book is all about their relationship. And I'll just say that it is very intense and very graphic. And at times a little shocking. But I do recommend the book - an interesting character study in a unique time and place. It's also recently won a number of awards. - June

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskins

Don't judge a book by its cover or its title! There are so many titles that include the word "library" or "librarian" or "bookstore". And there are also many book covers where a woman is shown from the back. In many cases, these novels are on the light side, appealing to those of us who love books, libraries and reading. When I saw this book and saw the high ratings, I was not prepared for this story.

Hana is a Bosnian war refugee who works in a library. She's known as the sweater lady because she deliberately wears drab sweaters and skirts to make herself invisible. One day a police officer comes to Hana at the library and informs her that her best friend has died and he is investigating her death. The rest of the book follows this investigation while also flashing back to the war in Bosnia and how Hana and her friend ended up in the US.

I realized when I finished this book that I'd read another book by this author just last year, The Life We Bury. Guess I'm now a fan!

I strongly recommend this one. - June

Still Life by Louise Penny

Once again, I'm the last to arrive at the party. Many of my friends love Louis Penny's books about the detective from Three Pines and they remind me to read the on a regular basis. I generally avoid series just because I get bored with the same basic plot in each book. But I'll admit this book was a fun audiobook. Since Still Life is the first one in the series, the characters and the town are all introduced. I feel I could now pick up any of the other books. I wasn't expecting the humor in this book - that was a nice surprise.

In this first book, Jane Neal has been found dead in the woods. Was it a hunting accident? Was it murder? The people in the town are all suspects and Chief Inspector Gamache figures it all out.

Glad I finally read one of Louise Penny's books. I've been told by a few friends that the first few books are the weakest and they get better as you read through the series.  I'll look for another - especially an audiobook. - June

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen

What a pleasant surprise!! I downloaded this novel because I was feeling I needed something light... something positive... maybe even something happy. (Have you read the news lately?) At first, I thought I'd made a bad choice, that this might actually be a bit fluffy. And while it certainly would classify as a little bit of chick lit, it also had a nice story and some wonderful characters. 

The book begins in the late 1930's in England when Ellie's husband of many years announces he's leaving her for a "girl" he's fallen in love with. Ellie pulls herself together and the book becomes one of those where the female lead is going to find herself and her best life. She decides to go to the coast of France and manages to pick up a few strays along the way. She settles into a tiny coastal town with an interesting cast of characters... and then the war hits. That's when the book is at its best.

At the beginning of the book, the author lists all of her books.... and why haven't I heard of her before! She's written about 60 books. Is that even possible?

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a nice little escape to France for a few days. Recommend this one. - June 

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

You already know I love Ann Patchett. Not only is she an amazing author, but she is also a very cool human. So when she announced her favorite book for 2025 was The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, I was all in! What Ann forgot to tell me is that the book is 688 pages! This would not keep me away if the book was riveting, but this one was not. Yes, it is extremely well written with sentences and paragraphs that are beautiful. However, the story and the characters just didn't grab me at all! When I looked at some of the reviews online, many said that the last half really dragged. Since I was dragging myself through the first half, I decided to give up. I hate to do it. Sorry, Ann. - June

 

The Names by Florence Knapp

So what if you had been named something other than the lovely name of Beverly Kathleen? Would you be a different person had you been named Bertha, Ruth, Matilda? My parents almost named me Valentine. Would I be different if they had?

This novel reminds me a bit of Sliding Doors, that wonderful movie from years ago where one small change was made and then the storyline splits. In The Names, a young mother is making a decision about what to name her newborn son. Should she name him Gordon after his father and grandfather? Or should she go rouge and name him Bear as her daughter wants? Or should she find a suitable name somewhere in the middle... Julian. We now follow three storylines and how the family moves through their lives as a result of the name given to the boy.

Great story - even if a little confusing sometimes as to what is going on when you jump back into an alternative timeline. But it's well written and certainly hold your interest. - Highly recommend. - June

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

Ignore the cover. It makes the book look like it's written for children. Or it reminds me of those Mitford books that were popular years ago and very sappy (and maybe religious?). The title is odd too but memorable and it makes sense once you've read the book.

Three characters: Violet, a young woman who makes a terrible mistake and serves time as a result. Harriet, a kind, intelligent woman in her 60's who volunteers at a prison to run a book club. And Frank, a widower who is magically connected to both of these women. There are lots of literary references that are fun, and there's an interesting storyline about training parrots. 

And it takes place in Portland, Maine! One of my favorite towns, and I could picture it all taking place there.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. -June

Heart the Lover by Lily King

This is another book that has been mentioned on several "best of" books for the year, but I'm reluctant to recommend it to you, dear BT. I liked another Lily King book a few years ago, and your comment on the blog was that you couldn't figure out why I enjoyed it so much. Well, you're welcome to skip this one but I will say that I finished Heart the Lover (worst title ever) in two days. Yes, it's a short book but the characters captured me from the start. I enjoy her books so maybe we will have to agree to disagree.

This novel is all about how we move past (or don't move past) previous love relationships. The main female character, who is called a multitude of nicknames by the other characters, meets two fellow English students and begins a romantic relationship with one of them. I won't tell you more, but the book eventually goes to Part II where it's 9 years later, and then eventually to Part III and 19 years later. OK, I'm struggling with how to describe this book without giving you all the secrets.

Anyway, I loved it. Good writing, good characters, interesting story line. The author clearly has an extensive knowledge of Classic Literature - yikes! The references are way beyond my English Major background! - June

Wild Dark Shore by Maureen McConaghy

Wow! I'd seen this novel on several "best of 2025" lists, and without having a clue what it was about, I put it on my TBR list and was excited to dive in. It's a page-turner for sure!! A woman is on a boat near Australia and washes up on a remote island. There's a family on the island where there once was a research center where people studied the wildlife, plants and environment. From there, we learn about the many secrets of both the family and the stranded woman. There are lots of twists along the way and the ending is pretty powerful.

Highly recommend this one! - June 

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Her fans just refer to her as TJR. And she has a ton of fans. This novel has been on many "best of" lists this year, and after reading it, I guess I'm a little surprised. It is well written and the book certainly held my interest, but the subject matter might not attract a large audience.

The book takes place in the 80's in the NASA Space Program. The group of incoming astronauts are all brilliant, talented, competitive people who form a close knit group as they await their chance to go on one of the space shuttles. The main character, Joan, also has a close relationship with her young niece who is being raised by Joan's sister and this becomes a major part of the book. Because it's the 80's, the role of women in space plays an important part in the book. 

Clearly the author had to do extensive research in writing this book. Much of the technical information about space flight was over my head but it's written in a way that is understandable.

Many fans of the book wrote about the ending and how they could hardly read it because they were sobbing so hard. Not me. I found the last 20 pages to be a bit manipulative, over dramatic, and drawn out. But still, overall, I recommend the book and I would definitely try another of her novels. - June

P.S. I'm deliberately leaving out a major theme of the book to avoid spoiling it for you. You'll understand when you read it.

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

Remember Beautiful Ruins? That was a classic and I know both us read it. Well, this is a newer book by Jess Walter, and though it isn't as wonderful, it's still a nice read. It's well written with interesting characters. And plenty of politics and religion - where the author clearly takes a stand (at least in my mind he does). 

Rhys Kinneck, a journalist, becomes unable to cope with the political climate and the way he sees the world changing and so moves to a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere to escape it all. After all, it is 2016 and I do believe there were some people around with some negative feelings about politics and politicians then. Anyway, two children appear on his doorstep after he's been there for 7 years. Turns out they are his grandchildren. His daughter has skipped town and a friend is bringing the children to him. This happens in the first few pages. The rest of the book dives into how he ended up separating himself from family and friends and his search for his daughter who is married to a religious far-right cult member. Intriguing, huh?

I recommend it. Unless you want to reread Beautiful Ruins instead. - June