Grace is having a really bad day -a total meltdown after a bad year. Looking back on her life at 45 she feels loss - of her career, of her daughter and of her marriage. She used to be amazing but has felt lately like she is failing at everything. As she makes her way to her teenage daughter's birthday party with her gift of an amazing cake and an apology we see the day start to go as sideways as the icing on the cake. Every mother with a teenage daughter, every woman of a certain age who is looking back wanting the world to see them as they used to and every woman dealing with hormone swings and body changes will see something of themselves in this book. There are some very serious issues that are addressed here as well concerning her daughter's secret boyfriend and the loss of a young child and mental health issues. We are all in Grace's corner even when you can't possibly think her day can get any worse. I listened to the audiobook of this and the tension is spot on. 3 1/2 stars
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Stephanie has a gift or a curse- she can control space. She has been able to do this for as long as she can remember but once others learn of her ability it either amazes or frightens them. It is not easy for her to trust people but she makes a work friend and helps them by creating a hidden terrace that only is there when she comes over to visit. This gives the couple and their baby a wonderful escape from their tiny apartment but do they love Stephanie for her friendship or the terrace? Stephanie's story is told in four vignettes and I enjoyed all of them but have to admit I was a bit lost in the last one. All of the stories explore love, loss, longing for family and connectivity. It also makes us keenly aware of how much or little space we take up in life. A slim novel that asks a lot of heavy questions. 3 1/2 stars
A Korean-American family must deal with something no one wants to face - dad didn't come home from the park and his disabled son did emotionally overwrought. To make matters worse Eugene is autistic and also has a rare disorder that doesn't allow him to communicate at all. 20 year old twins Mia and John begin to unravel their dad's papers and computer to try to figure out what happened only to discover he was working on a secret project "The Happiness Quotient" trying to define happiness. Within the coded notes may be the truth but the truth may not be what they expect nor want. The police have damaging video from the park and Eugene's outburst tirade may be used to charge him with hurting his dad. The family must now work to clear Eugene and shine a light on this hidden side of their dad. A family drama caught up mystery as well as a look at the importance and variety of communication. I was fascinated by Eugene, both his condition and interactions with the family and was less interested in the side line project on happiness. Angie Kim shares much information on the Angelman Syndrome, autism and new ways of communicating that will interest a wide variety of readers. 4 1/2 stars If, or in this case when, we cut emissions to zero to halt the ever looming climate disasters what would that world look like? In this debut one possible future is explored. As part of the Great Transition everyone worked together to achieve zero emissions and a new society of cooperative help and awareness was born. Larch and his wife Kristina remember the world before Day Zero as they fell in love in a hospital after being injured fighting wildfires but this is the only world their teenage daughter Emi has ever known. While she is still concerned with getting her term project finished and trying to figure out her parents her world is shaken when a terrorist attack occurs and her mom, named a suspect is missing. Not knowing who to trust or what they will learn, they set out to find Kristina and get answers. This speculative story of our future focuses on a positive outcome to what will be a frightening reality of climate disasters to come while keeping us tethered to characters that we can all relate to. Scary and hopeful in equal measure this will appeal to science fiction readers as well as those who want a family drama with deep dives into the characters. It is a story that both young adult and adult audiences need to read now. 4 stars The saga of a small town in Pennsylvania where Eastern European Jews and Black Americans lived and worked together to prosper and fight back against discrimination as much as they could. The Heaven & Earth grocery store is owned by a generous Jewish woman named Chona and her enterprising husband Moshe. Moshe saw opportunity in the businesses he ran such as the music hall and Chona saw opportunity to help others at the store. Together with their neighbors they fought alongside each other against the evils of the world - be it the white town a few miles away who wanted distance, the Klan or evil in the form of someone they should have been able to trust. When Chona, Moshe and their friends Nate and Addie decide to help hide a young deaf and dumb boy it brings trouble to their doorstep that will change their lives forever. James McBride has a gift for warm and witty dialogue spiced with scenes that disgust and delight us in their humanity. This is a story that takes as long to tell as it should and puts him in the company of America's great storytellers. For readers of the character rich stories of Amor Towles, Ann Patchett and Jamie Ford and THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI. 4 1/2 stars
Ann Patchett is one of those writers whose characters and stories connect with people deeply. We are part of the conversation, sitting at the table listening to the story being told and feeling all the emotions that the others feel. This is a quiet story told by a mother to her three grown daughters about her first love during a season of summer stock theatre which changes the story they thought they knew. Even though it is told at a time of the pandemic lockdown when they are all hunkered down at the family orchards it matters little. A coming of age story we can all relate to and delight in how each daughter's appreciation and awe of their mother changes with a series of rippling reveals. Come pick cherries, swim at the lake and join in the poignant storytelling of a magnificent troubadour. 4 1/2 stars
A family-centric tale of a Dominican Republic/ American sisters and cousins some born with a gift. When Flor, who can forecast when a death will occur, tells the family she wants to hold a living wake the sisters fear the worst. Chapters are divided to share the female family members stories and explore family, traditions, motherhood and resilience. Flor's daughter is collecting stories as research for her project and these stories mirror the experiences of many immigrants who straddle two countries and two cultures. While some non-spanish speakers may have difficulty with the language the themes come through clearly - family, love and searching for happiness. 4 stars
Amber is a quiet teen involved in a one way love affair with the boy she is tutoring. Their hidden relationship goes out the window when on prom night Amber gives birth to his baby. Dubbed "The Prom Mom" she gets sent to juvie while Joe flees to Texas. Now Amber is back home trying to reconnect with the Baltimore she left all those years ago and also the boy who broke her heart. Joe is happily? married yet involved with someone else and also open to reconnecting with his old tutor. Like a cat playing with its food the mouse, Laura Lippman throws these two star-crossed people back into their lives and waits to see what will happen. And dear reader, it is plenty. Mind games, colorful pasts, justice and a wild ending are just some of the things readers can look forward to. 4 stars Happy book birthday to INSIDE THE WOLF by Amy Rowland
Rachel has returned home after a devastating year - her brother has died followed by both of her parents leaving her the last of the family and the farm. She leaves her disappointing past in New York for the tobacco farms of North Carolina and all her childhood mistakes come back to haunt her. As she tries to reconcile and find redemption for her part in the death of a friend another tragedy strikes. Guns play a part in all of it but she finds great resistance from the locals who don't want their right to bear arms taken away. Part of it is a necessity to protect themselves, part of it is their hunting heritage and an invasion of their privacy but those in control see little reason to change. Family, coming of age and redemption are all strong themes making this a story that will resonate with readers of DAVID COPPERHEAD and other stories of rural America. 3 1/2 stars Sara is a rape victim. While the trauma still haunts her eight years later there is one bright spot - her daughter Alana. Sara has protected Alana from knowing anything about her father (convicted of the rape and in prison) and his family. She must risk the secrets coming out when she heads home to spend the last few precious months with her dying father. She knows she can't keep her return a secret for long but is totally unprepared when she meets Jacob, her rapist's brother. Jacob has no love for his incarcerated brother but doesn't have any trouble putting two and two together when he meets Alana. She is a math savant and looks exactly like their dead sister. In Alana's best interest Jacob and Sara form an uneasy alliance. While you don't always get to choose who you fall in love with and the baggage they carry with them, you do get to choose if you can get past the past and forgive. Sara's dad communicates through poetry and it adds a beautiful element to the story. Family relationships, forgiveness and redemption are all strong themes here along with a plethora of classic poetry in this moving debut. I was so happy to see the list of poetry included. This will resonate with readers of complicated family relationships. 4 1/2 stars
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