The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page (not to be confused with The Story Keeper)

This is a nice little novel. It has some very fun characters and interesting plot lines. The book is all about Janice, a middle-aged woman living in Cambridge with a creepy husband named Mike. Janice is a cleaning woman, and she has a variety of clients who provide stories that Janice "keeps". She also rides the bus to work where she often listens to the stories of the other passengers. She has her own stories, of course, and these come out along the way. I'd recommend this book... while it's not the best book of 2023, it certainly held my interest and I wanted to know what happens to Janice and some of the other characters. Oh, and there's a cute terrier too! - June

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

This is a haunting book that takes place in World War I, something I am embarrassed to say I know so little about. The story starts in Vienna in 1914 when a young medical student enlists after the war breaks out. He is not fully trained as a doctor, but he is sent to a small hospital up in the mountains where he is expected to care for the wounded soldiers that continue to appear at his door. He is assisted by several orderlies and a nun who is a nurse. The first half of the book takes place in this hospital.

The second half has a different setting, mostly back in Vienna where the doctor now works in a hospital there. I don't want to give away any more.

The book contains a lot of medical terminology and doesn't hold back on describing the gruesomeness of war. It also is shocking the conditions that people endured during that time - lack of food, proper hygiene and medical supplies, lack of information regarding family members, etc. And get ready to pull up a map or two with all of the names of towns in Poland, Austria, Germany .... most of which I never even seen.

The writing is excellent! But if you aren't interested in reading a page describing the gaping wounds of a soldier or the way the ward smells after it's full of men who haven't bathed in weeks, then you can just skim those parts. But the story is worth it. - June

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

I'm not into video games, but my son is a big gamer. When I heard about this book and read all the positive reviews, I wondered if he'd like this novel, but I wanted to try it myself first to see what I thought. It's about two young friends, Sam and Sadie, who decide to put college on hold and create a game together. The book then follows their careers and their relationship as they start their own company and continue to create other games.

The characters are very well developed, and while they are certainly flawed, they are likeable. And the minor characters are also believable; in fact, Marx was my favorite. I enjoyed the book, and while I'm not sure my son will feel the same way, it's heading his way for Christmas. -June

Two Mediocre Reviews from BT

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday - started off like it but then meh....

The New Wilderness by Diane Cook - Yes and no - but mostly yes

from BT

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

As soon as I started listening to this book, I asked myself.... What are you thinking? Here I am, in a point in my life where friends are dying monthly (or sometimes weekly) and I choose to read about two friends, one of whom is dying! Do I really need to read about death and losing people we love? Well, as it turns out, I did need to read this book. It's a very well-written, thoughtful, hilarious, touching novel. 

Ash and Edie have been friends since childhood, and once the doctors say that Edie doesn't have much time left, Ash moves her to a hospice close to her home. (Edie has a young son who she wants to protect from this process and so her husband and son stay in New York while Edie moves to be near Ash.) As Edie gets closer to death, Ash does her best to support her while at the same time she makes questionable choices in her personal life. The many peripheral characters (other hospice patients, staff, other family members) all play a role in this drama and yet they manage to be endearing and funny.

I highly recommend this one - especially the audio version.

But note to the author.... did you really need to have one character names Jules and one named Jude? Couldn't you have thought of a more unique name so old people like me don't get them confused??

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

This beautiful novel has haunted my ever since I started reading it. The writing is amazing - and yet I found I had to keep putting it down, walk away, and think about it before moving on. The characters (and there are so many of them) are real to me. I wanted to get into my car, drive to Lee County, Virginia, scoop up all the hungry children and bring them home with me. Much has been written about this Pulitzer Prize winner, so I don't need to give a summary of the plot - which would take pages - but it is truly one of the best books I've ever read. I don't even want to start another book now. I just want to keep thinking about this one. - June 

Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

 Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland (unfortunate last name...not her fault)  A woman inherits a used book store and must fashion a way to sustain the little store through the pandemic.  She "invents" Book Prescription wherein customers write to her describing their situation/feelings/needs and she replies and recommends several books that might speak to their needs. So, you have a story with several interesting characters and a list of recommendations, some of which I have read, others I will add to my insanely long list.  It does jump character by character chapter by chapter, but you'll get used to that style.  Her bookshop is called Lost for Words. - Turd

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

A well-known artist kills her husband and then refuses to speak. This novel is about the psychotherapist who treats her and tries to uncover the mystery as to why she committed this violent act. 

I'll just say there are lots of twists to the plot and the ending is surprising. It's well written and, if you like this kind of fiction, I'd recommend it. For me, it was a nice change from some of the other books I've read recently. - June 

Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli

I wonder if I would have liked this book better if I had read it instead of listening to the audio book. Usually the narrators of audio books do wonderful work, but this one had the most annoying (fingernails on the blackboard) voice that I couldn't stand to listen to her. Oddly, some reviewers liked her voice, but there were definitely many like me who cringed every time she spoke in this whiney little baby voice. 

The story isn't great. Really - so many twists and turns and nothing really was logical. I only finished because I did have to find out who "did it".  Stay away. - June 

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Oh, BT. I know that you must have devoured this book with your love of giraffes! What a wonderful story and just so much fun to read. I admit I felt like "everything that could go wrong, did" but it was a great book and I highly recommend it. Feel free to add your comments. I know you have thoughts. - June

Remarkable Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

I wasn't sure how interested I was in reading a book about an octopus - but while there IS an octopus that plays a major role in the book, it isn't a book just about him. And this is a very fun read that I highly recommend. And if you can listen to it like I did, all the better.

Tova (a sweet 70-year-old widow) works at her local aquarium cleaning. This is where she meets Marcellus, the giant octopus. Cameron is a 30-something guy who can't hold a job and is generally messing up constantly. His mother abandoned him when he was 9 and he is trying to find his father. These two storylines merge for a very satisfying ending (even if it is a little predictable). 

And to top it off, it's well-written. Highly recommend. - June

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

This is not my usual kind of book. But I saw it somewhere listed as a great mystery, and that just sounded fun for a change. The story is well crafted, and there are numerous twists and turns, but by the end I was thinking, "Enough already! How does this end??"

Nina and her mother, Maggie, live in the same house they've lived in for many years. To say that they are both unstable is an understatement. People disappear. People die. And it takes most of the book to piece together this complex mother-daughter relationship. Definitely a page-turner, but I'm ready to move on.

- June