The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

If you knew when you were going to die, would you change how you live your life? Four siblings visit a fortune teller when they are young and they all learn how much longer they will live. This beginning hooked me.

At this point, the book is divided into four sections, basically one for each sibling. The first section is about Simon who is the youngest of the four. He's gay and runs away to San Francisco in the early 80's just in time to be a part of the scene there and the advent of the AIDS epidemic. His story is, of course, tragic, but also the most interesting of the four. Things go downhill after that and each section of the book became less and less interesting to me. I admit by the time I got to the last sibling and her story, I skimmed over the details and just tried to figure out how all of this changed her life.

For a book that had a lot of promise to start, I was disappointed in how it progressed. - June

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson

Ever since I heard about this book at a holiday book talk, I've been anxious to read it. The author has obviously done extensive research on the subjects in the book. It takes place in the 1930's in rural Kentucky, and Cussy (the main character) is part of the Pack Horse women who deliver books and reading material to people who do not have access to libraries. I don't know that I've ever heard about this project, and I found this part of the book to be fascinating. 

Cussy is also a blue-skinned woman. Her color is due to a genetic blood issue that is described in the book. While I've heard of this, I didn't know much about it, and I also never realized that they suffered the same discrimination as blacks in the area.

Much of the book held my interest. Unfortunately, the author decided to add a lot of unnecessary romance and melodrama, especially at the end. I think I would have preferred a much different and less predictable ending for the book. Kind of recommend - but not wholeheartedly. - June

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

Oh, Olive. I've missed you. Reading this book was truly like reconnecting with an old friend. Olive, Again is the sequel to Strout's Olive Kitteridge, which was a wonderful book from a few years ago. Olive may not be the most fun-loving, joyful character, but she is so real! She lives in a small town in Maine, and this novel (like the previous one) includes chapters about several of the local townspeople who are a part of Olive's life. Of course, Olive is the main character in the book, but there are chapters where she is only a minor mention. 

I loved this book. Just loved it. It was one of those rare books that the further I read into it, the more I enjoyed it. Please read it, BT, if you haven't already.