The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

This is a novel about twin sisters, Rose and Fern. The author switches from a diary written by Rose to a narrative focused on Fern. We quickly realize that Fern is on the spectrum, and she sees Rose as "her person", the one individual who knows her best and she can trust. We also know that when they were young a boy drowned after Fern held him underwater. We slowly learn more about the details of this day as the story progresses.

The novel is described as a psychological thriller, although I don't know if there was much suspense in it. However, it's a good story with solid character development, and I enjoyed it. I won't give any more of the story away. -June

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

It's been a rough couple of weeks for us, BT. We've lost a close friend, and I've found myself feeling a little low even though we knew that this story would not have a happy ending. So to lift my mood, I've been trying to find books that don't bring me down even further. That's when I saw The Story of Arthur Truluv was available from the library. It gets great reviews and it's written by an author I've read before and enjoyed. Is it predictable? Yes. Is it sappy? Yes. Did it actually make me tear up a couple of times? Actually, it did. It is just a sweet story about an 85-year-old man who connects with an 18-year-old girl and how they find that they each fill a void in the other one's life. 

I feel that Elizabeth Berg does a great job of describing Arthur and his next door neighbor, Lucille, as she addresses our feelings and thoughts as we age. Her description of Lucille and a long ago boyfriend was extremely touching. (My only complaint is that she chose to write that Arthur enjoyed listening to music by Dinah Shore! Really? I know plenty of 80-somethings, and none of them would be caught dead listening to her!) I love how Arthur visits the grave of his dead wife every day and has lunch with her. And he gets to know all the other people in the cemetery as they "speak" with him.

So if you're looking for a lift - if you need a sweet story that is a quick read, try it. No Pulitzer Prize here, but just a nice read. I enjoyed it. -June

Chemistry Lesson by Bonnie Garmus

This was just what I needed to read after several more serious books. I've seen people refer to it as funny - and while the subject matter isn't humorous, the writing sometimes is quirky and fun. It's in some ways like a fairy tale with a magical ending.

Don't be put off by the cover. Elizabeth herself talks about how "pink for girls" is wrong, and yet the publishers gave the book a pink cover making it look like chick lit - which it is not - or a romance - also not.

It takes place in the 50's in the days when women in the workforce were always secretaries or assistants. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist. Most of the men in her world treat her with contempt (or worse!) as she tries to establish herself in her career. But then she meets Calvin. I won't say more, but I highly recommend this one. I think I read it all in two days. - June

 

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

This is a tough one to describe. I'm discussing it next week with my book club, and I hope that by talking about it with friends, I'll be able to understand it more fully. But it is a confusing read.... or in this case a confusing "listen" since I was able to check out the audio book and listened as I walked each day.

You know how some books jump from one time to another and one character to another? Well, this one does it like no other. The author goes forward in time, back a bit, into the future, way in the past, bouncing all over the place - and each time focusing on a different character. And yet, it eventually all makes sense. I often wished I'd had the benefit of the written book so that I could go back and re-read a section but with an audio book that is hard to do.

I read a review where someone wrote that this book is like a group of stories and not just one. And that is true - many storylines - and just when you think one has been left hanging and forgotten, it pops up again. Ponzi schemes, missing mothers, remote hotels, artists, shipping executives, all kinds of stories and characters.

So do I recommend it? Yes. But if you have been confused by some of the other ones I've mentioned recently, lay off the gummies while reading this one! -June

The Book of Lost Names by Lisa Wingate

The  Book of Lost Names should not be confused with The Book of Lost Friends or The Book of Lost Things. So  many things are lost apparently.

Like so many books, this one has parallel stories, and the author flips from one storyline to the other. The first is in the years following the Civil War when Hannie, a young black girl, is searching for her family that became separated when they were sold to different landowners. The second story takes place in the 1980's when Bennie, a somewhat inexperienced young woman, moves to a small town in Louisiana to teach middle school. As Bennie struggles to find something to capture the interest of her students, she starts to dive into the history of the town and learn about its past. With her students, she creates a project that bring up long buried secrets, and then her world and Hannie's world meet.

I enjoyed this book and especially liked the ending. There were a few times in the middle when I felt it dragged but it was worth it in the end. -June