We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

I'm struggling with what to say about this one. It's received lots of hype and positive reviews, and I did find myself compelled to finish it and figure out who actually committed the murder. But the story is pretty confusing and convoluted. And the writing was sometimes beautiful but also sometimes in need of editing. 

Thirteen-year-old Duchess and her little brother, Robin, are at the center of the book. Their mother, Star, is a good person but has a problem with alcohol. So Duchess steps up and takes care of her brother. This is the beginning. From here, people die - in fact, multiple people end up dying. I give up. I'm not even going to try to describe this plot. 

Recommend this one .... maybe. June

Call your Daughter Home by Deb Spera

 I can't remember where I heard about this book but someone (maybe you?) recommended it. It's being compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, and I think I might actually prefer this novel. It takes place in South Carolina around 1918-1920, and it focuses on three women: Gertrude, Annie, and Retta. The book jumps from the point of view of each woman as it follows them and their families through a summer. It is well-written and a very good read. Highly recommend. - June

Father of the Rain by Lily King

I won't recommend this to you, dear BT, because the last book I recommended by Lily King you didn't care for. And that one (Writers and Lovers) was better than this one. 

But this one hit close to home for me. It's the story of Daley who struggles throughout her life with her relationship with her alcoholic father. The book is divided into three sections: when Daley is about 9 and her parents divorce because of her father's drinking, when Daley is in her early 20's and ready to start her career that she puts on hold because of her father, and when she is probably in her late 30's. 

I won't say that my alcoholic parents were like Daley's father, but there were enough specific details given that reminded me of times in my childhood. And I continue to like the way Lily King writes. So I liked it. But I still won't recommend it to you. - June

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

I saw this book mentioned on several lists including Barack Obama's favorite reads. This is my first novel by Liz Moore, and I'd definitely read more from her. The writing is clean and easy to read (such an relief after attempting to read Jonathan Franzen's latest), and she tackled a tough subject with compassion.

Long Bright River takes place in Philadelphia where Mickey is a policewoman who patrols the Kensington area. This part of town is struggling with drugs and crime, and she knows the community well. Mickey has a younger sister who has been her companion through a difficult childhood, but now Kacey is missing. And she has been an addict for many years.

This is a departure from many of the books I've read recently, but I did think it was interesting and worth the time to read. After watching Dopesick - and now this book - I've learned a lot about the opioid epidemic. And none of it is pretty. - June

Chances Are by Richard Russo

I've attended many author talks, but I've never had the chance to hear Richard Russo speak. And I'd love to have that opportunity. I love the way he writes with that little touch of humor and his amazing way of developing his characters. I imagine hearing him speak would be very entertaining. This is probably the 5th book of his I've read, and while it isn't my favorite, it still is a great novel.

The story is about 3 men who were friends in college and graduated in 1971! (Sound familiar?) They attended a small liberal arts college where they were on a scholarship so earned money working in the kitchen of a sorority house. A major event during their college years was when they gathered around the tv at the Theta house and watched the lottery draft drawing. (Again, sound familiar?) The story moves forward to when they meet at a seaside home of one of the men when they are in their late 60's. It's a story of friendship, secrets, and nostalgia. Some of the reviewers complained about his long-winded descriptions, and yes, they are there. But much of this prose is the kind you want to re-read for how well constructed it is. I do recommend it but I also highly recommend most of his other books too. - June

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

This is a tough one to write about. I absolutely love A Gentleman in Moscow, and when the author came to town, I went with friends to hear his most excellent talk. I was very excited to read The Lincoln Highway.

Amor Towles is a fabulous writer. There is no question about that. He develops his characters in such a way that you know everything about them and either adore them or hate them. In this novel, there are a large cast of characters, and perhaps this is the part that I didn't love as much as others have. The major characters appear to be Emmett and his little brother, Billy. They have a close relationship and interesting traits, and you immediately fall in love with them both. But then we meet Duchess, Wooley, Sally, and all of the people they meet along the way on their grand adventure. Chapters are divided up by these characters so you read different perspectives in each one. It can get a little confusing.... but again, the writing is just so beautiful!!!

After reading about 1/3 of the novel, I put it down and didn't want to continue. Everything that could possibly go wrong for our buddies, Emmett and Billy, goes wrong. Everyone seems out to keep them from what they want to do. And I just didn't want anything else to happen to them - so I stopped. But a friend pushed me on, so I read to the end. And it's quite an ending!

I do recommend this book. How could I not when it's written so well? But I guess I was just hoping for a little more. - June

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

Several years ago, a good friend and I went to our local independent bookstore to hear Ann Patchett discuss her latest book. I remember that we both felt that we could have taken her home and enjoyed spending a week or so just getting to know her. She was utterly delightful, natural, and warm. And she is one amazing writer too.

These Precious Days is a book of very personal essays by Ann (I feel I can call her by her first name since we are so close!). She writes about her family, her friends, her dog, her writing, her childhood..... just all of the things that make her so special. I told my friend that reading these essays is like getting a very long, introspective email from a friend who is a very good writer. So read this one. You will not be disappointed. - June

Oh William by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again are two of my favorite books. I was hoping that Oh William would be comparable. While I can't say Lucy Barton will stay with me like Olive has, I do think this is a fascinating book. Elizabeth Strout is a beautiful writer, and there are little snippets in here that make you want to underscore the text and write in the margins. But it is not a book for people who want a complicated plot or an exciting storyline. I have a friend who is reading this for her book club and I know she will hate it. She only likes plot-driven stories. She has no interest in the backstories of the characters; she just wants action.

Disclaimer: I didn't read Strout's other book about Lucy Barton. Should have probably read that first. This one is all about her relationship with her ex-husband, William. Let's just say it's complicated. There are musings about her childhood, her role as a mother, her mother-in-law, her recently deceased husband, and lots of little philosophical ramblings. But I enjoyed it and recommend it. - June

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

This is another book that I probably would not have even heard of or picked up if it wasn't selected by my book club to read. The story is about a young Nigerian girl who is sold into a marriage because her father needs the money. She's a smart young woman who desperately wants an education. The book is all about what happens to her, the people she meets along the way (some real nasty ones!), and her sense of hope despite what she endures. This is one of the few books that all the members of my club agreed was well worth the read. Highly recommend. - June

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

 I confess I'm not a huge fan of Jodi Picoult. I have friends who buy her books as soon as they are released (which seems like every other month) and they devour them. Over the years I've read one or two of her novels and just felt kind of meh. But I knew this one was about Covid and a friend said it was wonderful and the library had a copy for me to download, so I gave it a try.

Jodi does her research. In fact, at the end of this novel is a note from her telling how she virtually wrote this entire book without leaving her house and did her extensive research online. One of my complaints about her writing is that she has so many facts and so much information that she feels she needs to write it ALL into the novel.... which makes the reading kind of awkward. 

I knew there was a big twist and so as I read, I was waiting for it. In the first half of the book, everything seemed very predictable so I spent most of my time trying to figure out when this twist would come. And when it did..... well, I just didn't see that coming. 

So did I love it and will I now join my friends in reading everything Jodi writes? Probably not, but I do think she did a good job with the second half of this book and made it an interesting read. - June

The Sentence by Louise Eldrich

As I read The Sentence, there were moments when I thought, "this book is brilliant". And then other times I wondered where in the world it was going. Is it possible that the author set out to write a certain plot line, and then at some point, COVID hit and so she just wrote that into the novel? And then George Floyd was killed, and since the setting of the novel is Minneapolis, she just included the protests in it too? And at some point, did the plot line shift?

It doesn't matter. I love the way this author writes. There are funny little thoughts that Tookie has, and you will love her for them. And she writes in a bookstore, so she has lots of recommendations for future reading. (Side note - Louise Eldrich owns a bookstore in Minneapolis.) The bookstore has a ghost which is also part of the story. There are just lots of moving parts in this novel, but it works and I loved it. - June

The Personal Librarian by Victoria Murray & Marie Benedict

What a story!!! This is historical fiction, and it portrays the story of Belle DeCosta Green, the woman who was the personal librarian for J. P. Morgan. She was responsible for helping him in acquiring and organizing his collection for the Morgan Library in NYC. Of course, a woman in this role was highly unusual at the time, but the real surprise is that she was Black and passed as a white woman! I had never heard of Green before, so her life and story were all new to me. Several people questioned Belle's background, and after looking at her photos, I can see why. But apparently she pulled off passing as white throughout her entire life.

This could have been a phenomenal book. It just needed a better author and editor. Unfortunately, her story is told by people who were knowledgeable and well-researched, but wrote in a manner that was often repetitive and overly dramatic. I usually understand something if I'm told once. Sometimes it's good to hear it again because I'm old and forgetful. But I'm insulted when it's repeated over and over.

I've also discovered that I struggle with historical fiction in general. Detailed conversations between J.P. Morgan and Belle....... did they happen? Maybe? The book references a "longing" they had for one another that they both chose to deny. She was 20-something, and he was in his 50's, fat and married, and (after looking at his photos) unattractive. Hard to imagine. So much of the "fiction" part of a book like this is simply the authors' imagination.

One part of her story that can be documented is her affair with Bernard Berenson, a fellow art-lover who was married and lived in Italy. She wrote him hundreds of letter during their relationship that spanned decades. She destroyed all of her personal papers before she died, but Berenson saved hers. Currently, the Morgan Library is working to transcribe all of her letters and make them available to the public. 

There is another book about Green that is more biographical and might be more fact-based. I'd recommend that one instead. - June