The Burgess Brothers by Elizabeth Strout

It would be impossible for me to name my favorite book, but if I had to mention a few possibilities, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout would be one.  The writing and the creativity are just amazing.  So when I saw that she had written another novel, I knew I had to read it and promptly convinced my book club to add it to the schedule.  And boy, did I want to love it.  The writing is still superb, and Strout has a way of developing characters that makes them really come alive.  But this book is hard to read.  Not only did I not like any of these well-developed characters, but I found I almost didn't care about what happened to them. 


The story is about three siblings: Jim, a successful but pompous attorney who is downright cruel to his brother and sister; Susan, a mother who just doesn't seem to have a clue about much of anything and doesn't like anyone except her brother Jim; and Bob, the sibling who has been told he killed their father by rolling the car over him and now he must have a ruined life as a result.  The storyline is all about what happens when Susan's son, Zach, rolls a pig's head into a mosque. The family tries to pull together but their dysfunction makes it awkward and almost impossible.  If the ending was supposed to be satisfying..... well, I'm just not sure it was.  While it was nice to see Jim get what he deserved, I wasn't ready to forgive him and let him move on with his life.  I don't want to give too much away so I'll stop there.  But while I think this is another exceedingly well written book, I wouldn't recommend other to rush to read it.  -June

The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck

Finished "The Pecan Man" last night.  A 140 page powerhouse.  Oprah or some such would be nuts not to pick-up the options for a movie.

Get it, read it.  - Tillie  

On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry

Why haven't I heard of this author before now?  This book was recommended to me years ago, and so I added it to my Amazon Wish List only to forget all about it.  When I was able to download it from the library, I thought it might be an interesting vacation read.  Written from the point of view of an elderly woman, the story is of her life that started in Ireland and ended up in the Hamptons.  Her story is sad and tragic, but is so well written that I could hardly put it down.  The writing style is stream of consciousness which often is impossible to follow.  But Barry does a masterful job and I really will make an effort to read something else by him.  There are several major themes to the book - loss, war, friendship, and then more loss - and it's definitely worth a read.  -June

Bossypants by Tina Fey

The perfect audiobook for a long road trip!  What more can you ask for than to have Tina tell you the story of her life and career (as only she can) while you're driving along.  She's funny, honest, and so very refreshing.  I especially enjoyed her stories about working at SNL and 30 Rock.  Definitely recommend this one.  -June

This is a Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

A year or so ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Ann Patchett speak at a local independent bookstore.  At the time, she was promoting State of Wonder, and she entertained a large crowd with stories and a book reading.  She's the kind of speaker who really shows their personality, and her openness and honesty made us all  love her immediately. 


So when her new book, This is a Story of a Happy Marriage, was released, I knew I would have to read it.  But instead, I ended up listening to it and that is even better.  Ann Patchett reads her own book on the audiobook, and it was like listening to her talk to me for the hours I drove/walked/cleaned/whatever as I listened.  This is a book of some of her essays and articles written over years.  Some were for magazines or newspapers, and a few were written just for this book.  Don't let the title fool you; the book isn't just about marriage, although several of the articles do touch on her personal stories and her relationships.  All of them were fascinating, but I have to say my very favorite is the story about Clemson University and the speech she gave there when her book Truth and Beauty was used for their freshman required reading program.  But I think you'll love them all, and I highly recommend finding the audiobook if you can. - June

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robert Sloan

I saved this book for my vacation, and I couldn't wait to start it.  What booklover wouldn't love a book about a bookstore AND the cover said it was also a mystery.  So I loved it before I opened it up.  Yes, there is a mysterious kind of bookstore and there is a puzzle to solve, but the rest was a bit confusing and disappointing for me.  The main character, Clay, works the night shift at a bookstore in San Francisco where strange, quirky people come in to check out books that are written in code.  Clay uses all types of technology to eventually crack the code and figure out what's going on in the store and with the people involved.  Now I think I'm relatively tech-savvy, but some of the tech topics here were way beyond my understanding especially when's Clay's girlfriend (who works for Google) gets involved.  Did I like the book?  Kind of.  Would I recommend it?  Yes, to someone who is in their 20's and loves books.  I really think that's the target audience here and not old ladies like me.  - June

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I cry in movies, but rarely do I cry when reading a book.  But during several scenes in The Fault in Our Stars, I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.  And while it certainly is a sad story - what can be more tragic than children dying of cancer or anything for that matter - it also is a story about hope and love and making the most out of your life.  The narrator is Hazel, a 16-year-old girl who is fighting cancer.  She meets Augustus at a cancer support group, and they become friends and then become more than friends.  As a parent, the hardest parts for me to read were the interactions that Hazel has with her parents.  They love her desperately and yet they know what is going to happen.  Their helpless devotion to her is touching.  I believe this is considered Young Adult literature, but I think it would have to be a mature teen to read this.  I highly recommend it.  -June

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall

You know how sometimes you read a novel and a character is so real to you that he stays with you for days after you finish the book?  Well, Edgar is that character.  In fact, one of the wonderful things about this novel is that all of the characters are so real - not all likeable - but completely described.  Edgar is a young Native American boy who is an orphan.  For the first 15 years of his life, we see how he survives on his own surrounded by a cast of characters.  Despite having a mail truck roll on to his head and several other near-death experiences, he manages to keep going and keep moving.  He moves from his home with his alcoholic mother to the hospital after his accident.  From there he's sent to a school where he lives with a distant relative and then to a foster family.  The writing is fabulous.  (He also wrote The Lonely Polygamist!!)  I love the way he describes his characters.  Here is how he describes Nelson, another student in his school who torments Edgar.


"For one thing, Nelson was old; though he was in the sixth grade, Nelson was fifteen - an adult, any way you cut it.  His real distinguishing feature , however, was his size; he weighted easily over 300 pounds and was as wide as a love seat........ His head was half of a watermelon sitting on his shoulders, his fingers as thick and blunted as saltshakers, his feet so wide there wasn't a pair of shoes that would fit him; even in the midst of the coldest winter months, in ice and snow and mud, he wore flip-flops.  And Nelson was merry.  He had the look of a person prepared and willing to laugh at anything, and when he smiled his eyes would disappear into those creases of his face and his cheekbones would stand out like those on a drugstore Santa Clause."


Can't you just visualize him?  Love this kind of writing.  But the best part of the book is the ending.  And I never saw it coming.  So often, the ending to a book is disappointing or predictable.  Not this book.  Highly recommend it, and I'm sending it your way, BT.  -June