Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova

Way back in 2010, I read and wrote about Still Alice, a novel by Lisa Genova about a woman who has Alzheimer's Disease. I thought it was a fascinating book, well written, and very moving.

So I was excited to see that Ms. Genova had another book, and it had received decent reviews. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel it had the same kind of heart that Alice had. This is a novel about the O'Brien family. We meet Joe, the father, who is a Boston police officer. And we meet his family, a wife and 4 grown children. And like Alice in Still Alice, Joe is diagnosed with a disease - in this case, Huntington's Disease. Huntington's is a genetic, progressive disease that causes twitches, problems with balance and speech, and eventually leaves the individual bedridden until they die. Joe's mother had it too, and although HD wasn't diagnosed often then, he recognizes the signs and knows it is in his family.

Joe's children have a choice as to whether or not they wish to be tested to see if they have the HD gene. Some choose to take it and others do not. Daughter Katie agonizes over this decision, and this is one of my complaints about the book. Chapter after chapter deals with her indecision and the same back and forth arguments go through her mind to the point I wanted to scream out "Do it already!"

If you have an interest in Huntington's, I'd recommend it. Otherwise, just reread Still Alice. In an author interview, Ms. Genova said her next book will be about an ALS victim. Do I sense a pattern here? - June

Miller's Valley: A Novel by Anna Quindlen

Miller's Valley is a work for fiction but it's written as if it were a memoir and a delightful coming-of-age story. The narrator, Mimi Miller, describes her life, her farm, her friends, and her family as she grew up in Miller's Valley. There is certainly some family conflict and several secrets that will leave you wondering.

Anna Quindlen is an easy author to read. Her writing is clean and clear, and she creates characters you will love. Several online reviewers labelled this a quiet novel, and I suppose that's true. However, I found the plot to move easily as we watch the different characters and their changes and growth. Recommend. - June

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

Here's a funny story about this book. It was a Pulitzer Prize winner, and even though no one had read the book, my book club decided it must be good so we'd read it. The reviews were outstanding, and we determined that although it was a very long book, it would be worth it for us to tackle it. As I was reading along on my Kindle, I realized that I was eager to put it down and the percentage at the bottom just didn't seem to be moving. I was about 20% into the novel when I wrote to the rest of the club asking for motivation. I had read that the book improved in the second half of the book, and I was looking for assurance that it would. Several members replied that they had already given up, but the few who had persevered said it did indeed get better.

And it did! The novel takes place in North Korea, a country that is a mystery to most of us. While the author visited North Korea to research the book, he admits that because he had limited access there, the novel is definitely fiction. The society he created is frightening but probably has some truth in it. I won't (and can't) even begin to summarize this book with all the complex changes and characters. The author uses a number of techniques including writing entire chapters that are announcements made over a loudspeaker to the citizens of North Korea, and his chapters jump around in time.

I will say that this book was a challenge for me. I recommend it with lots of reservations. If you are squeamish at all, beware. There are some detailed graphic stories that made me literally push the book away. But if you are looking for something very different from other books you've read, you might like it. Obviously the judges for the Pulitzer did. - June

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

It is a fact: I love Anne Tyler! There's just something about her writing style that captivates me. Her books are primarily focused on families, and they pull you into the lives of characters and let you see the family members with all their warts and wrinkles. The reader KNOWS these characters and has people in their lives who are just like these people. There's the son who just doesn't fit into the family, the daughter who is the overachiever, the mother who just wants everyone to get along.

This is the story of the Whitshank family. We meet one generation but the author also shifts to the previous generation and back again. This might confuse some people, and it did cause me to have to pay attention to the growing cast of characters, but it all works. For those of you who like an exciting plot, you will be disappointed. But if you love to join into a family struggling to make it through good times and messy times, this is for you.

Some people have said that this is Anne Tyler's last book. I sincerely hope that this isn't true. I look forward to each and every one. While this one might not be her best, even an average book by Anne Tyler is for me better than most authors will ever write. Recommend. - June

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

The Nightingale was recommended to me by several friends. Each time, I listened to what they had to say but as soon as they said it was written by Kristen Hannah, I knew I wouldn't read it. I just associate her writing with romantic novels that just don't appeal to me. But then my book club selected this novel, and at the same time, said that this novel was different from her previous ones. And I believe it is.

It's the story of two sisters in France who struggle through World War II and show their bravery in different ways. There are so many books out there about the war, and while this one described many of the same scenes I've read about before (Nazis rounding up the Jews, concentration camps, etc), it also told some new stories as well. And I have to say I liked the book and it kept my interest until the end.

My only complaint is the writing. While this might not be your typical romantic novel, there are some elements that are there. One of my fellow book club members said it best when she said that the author told us everything when sometimes it is better to just be able to interpret things from the writing. Perhaps the book also could use some better editing as there were things that were told to the reader multiple times. Right after I finished this book, I picked up my next book which is by Anne Tyler, and I was only a few pages into it when I said to myself "Now THIS is good writing". Such a welcome change.

So I recommend this one for the story - but not for the writing style. -June

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

This is probably the big summer hit for 2016. I've seen it being read in airports, in bookstores, and in book clubs. What is it about us that we love reading about dysfunctional families? Is it fun to look at them and realize that maybe our own families aren't so bad?

The Nest is about four siblings who know that when the youngest reaches 40, they will inherit money in a trust set up by their father. They call this inheritance The Nest. Leo, the bad boy brother, gets into some major trouble and some of The Nest goes to cover up his mistakes. The bulk of the book examines each of the siblings lives and how their hopes for their portion of The Nest are fading. They all are in need of the money but there are also other issues in their lives that they must cope with.

It's well written. The pace is good. And it's nice to see some of the characters develop and change throughout the novel. Recommend. - June

Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill

This is a tiny, utterly unique little novel. It could easily be read in a day or on a short plane ride. While it might put some people off with the short paragraphs that do not necessarily flow from one to the next, I loved it. They almost read like a series of tweets but they are thought-provoking and well written little pieces of wisdom. But wait.... there is actually a plot. It's the story of a marriage. I won't say more except to say try it. I do think you'll like it. - June

Euphoria by Lily King

What do you know about Margaret Mead? Here's what I knew before I read this book. She was an anthropologist who was born in the early 1900's. Here's what I know now. Just about the same thing. But I did enjoy the book!

Once again, I struggle with historical fiction. According to the book jacket, Euphoria is "Inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead..." which means maybe some of the story is true or maybe the author created the whole thing! The main character even has a different name. (Would that be for legal reasons?) As I read it, I decided to just read it as fiction, and when I switched to that mindset, I really enjoyed the book. The story follows three anthropologists in the 1930's in New Guinea; Nell, Fen (her husband), and Bankson. Their relationship with the tribes they visit and their relationships with each other are complex and very interesting. It's a subject that few novels are written about so it's a great topic to discover. I recommend this one and will bring it to you, BT. -June

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

It seems that we've had quite a few popular authors passing through my town lately, and in April, Helen MacDonald gave a talk at our local Audubon center. Since my book club was preparing to discuss her book, we went together as a group. I had not read the book at this point, but I enjoyed her personality and her enthusiasm for her story. But I do wonder if I hadn't seen her, if I might have liked the book more?

H is for Hawk is a memoir written in the year following Ms. MacDonald's father's death. To get through her grief, she decided to buy a hawk which is evidently legal in England. Her father taught her about falconry and birding, and she felt the training and structure would help her out of her depressed state. The writing is beautiful; the author is also a poet. Whole paragraphs are devoted to describing a tree or the look in the hawk's eyes. But I was troubled as I read it. I don't believe hawks should be pets. So that was my biggest problem with the book. But I also had a hard time visualizing this devastated young woman when the woman I had seen was bubbly and almost giddy with excitement. It just didn't fit and made the story less believable for me.

I kind of gave up after I was halfway into it and skimmed the rest. I took the book to a British lady who is a huge birder and I'll see what she thinks. -June

The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango

Remember Gone Girl? It certainly wasn't Pulitzer Prize material, but it was a page-turner and book that kept you guessing what would happen next. So I'll go out on a limb and say that if you liked Gone Girl, you will also like The Truth and Other Lies.

It's hard to say anything about the book without giving away one of it's many twists and turns. I'll just say it's about a famous author who has a wife and a girlfriend who is now pregnant with his child. We find all this out in the first few pages. People die. And people lie and betray one another. And you might just find yourself saying "Are you kidding me?" as you read (which is what I did often). I'll say no more. Recommended. -June

The Storied Life of A J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.

Readers love to read books about bookstores and booksellers. I love bookstores, and can easily spend hours in one - just browsing the shelves, picking up novels and reading the jackets, looking at the selections that the booksellers recommend. I confess many of my books come from the library or online, but I do try to buy some books from our local bookstore. So what could be better than a book about a bookstore? 

A J Fikry owns a bookstore on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. He gets most of his customers during the summer in the tourist season. He's a bit grumpy and opinionated, but somehow lovable. And then one day he finds something in his store that will change his life forever. 

I loved all the literary references in the book; it was fun to hear the fictional Fikry give his opinions of fictional works that I've read! This is a quick, fun read that will make you want to travel to this imaginary island, pull up a seat and spend the day in this bookshop.  Recommend. - June

My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff

I remember reading Franny and Zooey when I was in high school. I can still picture the white cover of the paperback and how grownup I felt that I was reading this very adult book. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything about the story itself, but at the time, I loved it.

So it was fun to read this memoir about a young woman who worked in the New York office that represented J. D. Salinger in the 90's. For me, the best parts of her story were those where Salinger was involved: the times he called on the phone or the time he appeared in her office. Unfortunately, the author had to stretch it out to make a book and so we also have to learn about her boyfriend and his writing struggles and her girlfriends who were so forgettable that I kept mixing them up. Basically, this would have made a nice essay - and in fact, I believe that is how the story started. And then someone suggested she make a book and there you are.... a nice story with a lot of extra stuff wrapped around it. But if you're a Salinger fan, or even if you love to hear about authors and the book world, it's an interesting read. - June

Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston

I blame Netflix. I just haven't been reading as much lately, and I know it's because I'm binge-watching Nurse Jackie and House of Cards and more. My Kindle is loaded with books I want to read but I'm addicted to tv shows! But I'm making a turn and I think I'm headed back to normal again soon.

I just finished (slogged through) Remember Me Like This. It's a well-written, interesting story. But boy, it is so hard to read because it is truly every parent's nightmare. The book opens when Justin has returned home after he being kidnapped by a man and living with him for four years. We never learn much about what happened during that time, but instead we get inside the head and heart of the mother, father, younger brother, and grandfather. On the outside, this family should be thrilled that their son has returned to them; however, they are all living with fear and anxiety for various reasons including the fact that the kidnapper is out on bail. The writing is excellent in most parts but in some parts way too wordy. So would I recommend that book? Yes, I suppose but it is so painful to read. I often had to put it down until I finally hit the last quarter and then powered through it.  - June

The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo

At the end of this funny, quick-reading novel, the author has written an article about her favorite books. The first author she mentions is Richard Russo, one of my top five favorites. Russo has a formula for most of his books and it works. He has a main character who is flawed but somehow lovable, and then he surrounds him/her with a cast of quirky, eccentric, memorable characters. And all the dialogue is clever and sometimes snarky but very fun to read.

Melissa DeCarlo did her best to follow this formula, and it worked for her. And considering this is her first novel, she did it well. She created Mattie who is a 30-year-old woman whose life is a mess. She's broke, unemployed, pregnant, and living with a jerk. We follow her to some tiny Oklahoma town where she has gone in hopes of collecting her grandmother's estate after her death. While she's there, she tries to solve several mysteries about her mother and her grandmother, and along the way, she's joined by some of the locals who provide hints and help to get to the answers.

This would be the perfect stuck-in-an-airplane-for-5-hours book (the author creates words like this so I guess I can too) because it's fun to read and yet there is a sweetness to it too. I did think the ending was a bit contrived (but certainly not predictable) and almost hard to comprehend. But still recommended. -June

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

When I was in the 6th grade, I read a book by Beverly Clearly called Jean and Johnny. I loved it. It was the first book I had read that was about a girl in my generation, a teenage girl who was experiencing her first taste of young love. All the books I'd read up to that point were about historical characters (Little House in the Prairie or my beloved Betsy and Tacy series) or characters I loved but couldn't really relate to (good old Nancy Drew). But this girl was me and even the name was right. It was all so innocent; probably the only worry in Jean's mind was how to ask Johnny to the dance.

Young adult fiction and stories of teenage love have certainly changed since then. Eleanor & Park is a beautifully written book about two teens struggling with major personal and family issues who find each other and truly need each other. It's a quick read but also one I couldn't put down. I found myself worrying about the characters when I wasn't reading it so I ended up reading it until 2 AM last night to finish it.

Two warnings. The narrator shifts back and forth from one character to another, sometimes even in extremely small entries. I didn't mind this but I know it bothers some people. The other warning is that the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. There are still some unanswered questions at the end, although there is some hope given that at least resolves the big issues. In an interview I read with the author she hinted that she might not be done with these characters so perhaps a sequel is coming.

Oh, and I suppose I should give another warning. Because this book is considered young adult fiction and this book does contain profanity, it was banned in a couple of small-minded communities. Their loss. -June

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Sometimes as I read a book, I ask myself periodically, "Will I recommend this book to friends?" (mostly you, BT) And as I read this novel, the answer was "YES... YES..... YES!!!" It is funny and sweet and well-written - and the characters are wonderful. So YES, BT and anyone else who reads this. This is definitely one to get.

Ove is a grumpy old guy. He doesn't like change, and he believes in living by the rules. Every morning, he walks around his neighborhood checking to make sure that the cars are properly parked, the bikes are correctly stored, and the garage doors are all locked. And if someone breaks rules, he's not at all timid about letting them know. He drives a Saab, and he's always driven Saabs and can't understand why anyone would drive anything else. Generally, he things most people are idiots. He's definitely a curmudgeon.  But this is a feel-good kind of book, and by the end, we see the softer side of Ove.

Get it. Read it. Report back. - June

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson

If you're tired of Holocaust books, move on to the next review. Many of my friends are, and as soon as I mention a book such as this, they hold up their hands and say "stop".

The author in this novel has told a story inside of a story. The first story takes place in the present (or maybe the early 2000's) and is all about an elderly man named Ben who was originally from Poland. He believes that Elliott, a wealthy Chicago businessman, was once a Nazi who was raised by Ben's family before the war. Ben is out to prove to the world who Elliott really is and to recapture items that he feels were taken from his family. To do this, Ben is telling his story to Catherine, a smart attorney who has major self-esteem issues.

Ben's story is compelling. He talks about his family and all that they endured because of their faith. I wish that the entire book had just been Ben's story. The part of the novel that revolves around Catherine is not at all compelling and sometimes downright stupid. For example, as Catherine listens to Ben's story, she seems to be learning about the holocaust for the very first time and is shocked to hear about Jewish ghettos and death camps. And, of course, there has to be a predictable love interest for Catherine. Must everyone pair up to be a happy ending?

So do I recommend it? Maybe just read Ben's story and skip the story that frames it. This would involve a lot of page turning, but I'm sure you can manage.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Recently, I had to drive a lot over several days and really wanted to listen to a good audiobook. I'd heard things about this one, but didn't know much about the plot or the characters. So what a wonderful surprise this was. It is quirky, funny, and just plain lovely. I loved hearing the narrator read with the voices of the characters, but I suppose if I had "read" the book instead of "listened" to it, I could have supplied my own voices in my head.

Bea is a young teenager living in Seattle with her eccentric mother, Bernadette, and her father who works for Microsoft. The story is supposedly a satire and it certainly does portray the Seattle lifestyle pretty well. You will learn at the beginning that Bernadette disappears, but it isn't until you are maybe 2/3 of the way into it that she actually does. For most of the book, you learn about the relationships in Bea's family and in their community.

Loved it. Read it. -June

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Some books grab me right away; others take time to pull me. This book was the pulling kind. In fact, I almost put it down. But once I got 1/3 of the way in, I loved it.

This is the story of one summer in the life of a family living in rural Minnesota in 1961. The narrator is Frank, a young boy, who lives with his brother, sister, mother and father, who is a minister. There's also a group of fascinating, rich character such as Gus, his father's friend from the war, and Emil, his mother's former boyfriend who is now blind and disfigured. At the heart of the story is a mystery, and there are several people who have secrets that are slowly revealed. But for me, the best part of the book was the love between the Frank and his brother and between Frank and his father. Just a feel-good, well-written novel. Recommend it. - June