Bill loses his wife suddenly and their four children lose their mom. This is the story of the year after when they all go to pieces and find the glue to put the pieces back together. Ali is the oldest and only girl who must now somehow fill the huge gap her mother left behind. Her dad is floundering, her grandmother is not a help and even her mom's best friend can't solve everything. In true Anna Quindlen fashion the characters are real with all the pain, love and anger that comes with grief. She does not sugar coat that death is hard but there is always hope and a not perfect solution to getting up and getting through each day. An honest coming of age story of love, family and friendship. For readers of Ann Patchett, Amy Bloom and Laura Ziegler. 4 stars
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A downhome feast of Southern humor, small town antics and the messy side of falling in love. PJ comes home for her father's funeral but can't seem to make herself go back and finish her Phd program in Nashville. She takes a short-order cook job at the local Chickie Shak where she meets newcomer Boof, a singer songwriter who has left Nashville and come to town looking for her birth mom. A beauty pageant between all the Chickie Shak locations gets everyone riled up as well as the fight to repeal a strange tax and the budding romance between PJ and Boof keeps everything spicy.
Sweet romance, priceless Southern charm and more witty comebacks than you can highlight plus the loyalty of small towns make this a warm and finger licking debut perfect for fans of Fannie Flagg, J. Ryan Stradal and the humor of Helen Ellis. 3 1/2 stars Mari is a ghostwriter looking for her big break. When she auditions for the huge tell all memoir of a member of The Midnight Ramblers, one of the greatest rock bands, Mari feels like this could be it. Anke is hard to get to know, time is of the essence and she feels like something is being held back but she keeps pushing to get to the heart of the story. Something happens that pushes Mari from writing Anke's memoir and is instead pulled to Anke's ex husband also a member of The Midnight Ramblers. As Mari spends more time with the band she feels protective of them and their story while also trying to sort through a family situation at the same time. Burning the candle at both ends will either end her and her career or make her a legend. An in depth look at what could be any of the legendary bands of the seventies along with the in- fighting, jealousy, or complete loyalty plus the corrosive cost of fame. All the sex, drugs and rock & roll by an author who is well equipped as a ghostwriter and music critic herself. Readers of DAISY JONES & THE SIX and all those celebrity music memoirs will sing its praises - hits all the high notes for me. 4 stars
Rosie is hanging on by a slim financial thread her senior year at Yale. She will do anything to be the "have not" in her house of "have it all" friends and stay on the equestrian team and in the shadow of Cress and her financial king father. Annalise is added to the house capturing Rosie's attention and unseating Queen Bee Cress which leads to drama and disaster. Soon Rosie will see through the veneer and understand the reality of the world she so desperately wants to be a part of. Mean girls, class differences, privilege all play a part in this coming of age thriller. Prepare yourself for the mind games and twists that come together seamlessly. Readers of WHEN WE WERE BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL and the author's previous books will enjoy this one.
4 1/2 stars It is the summer of 1993 and Sam, Swami and their three young children have left it all behind to head to far northern Wisconsin to buy his uncle's white water rafting business. Swami is unconvinced that this is a great idea but agrees to last the summer. By the time they discover the emotional and financial toll this decision will have on the family and marriage it is too late. Sam's uncle Chip did not tell them of the land grab by a mining company nor the new rafting company down the road. Sam throws his heart into the business while Swami throws her brain into it but it is a toss up if either will succeed. Down to earth characters caught in a very real situation that fans of J. Ryan Stradal, Willy Vaughn and Ann Napolitano will latch onto with a side of outdoor adventure story. The showstopper is the relationship between the kids and Uncle Chip. 4 stars All the frustrations of trying to exist in two cultures are shared in this collection of short stories linked to one another. Three Palestinian/American families containing several generations find roadblocks they must overcome. This debut may be about Palestinian Americans but so many topics that are covered apply to many immigrant families and are relatable to almost all of us. Who hasn't dealt with uncomfortable family gatherings, grief, relatives acting badly at weddings, being taken advantage of because of your sex, class or race and social media nightmares. A timely look to understanding another culture as well as a chance to see how much we all have in common. This novel may be slim but it covers a lot of ground. 3 1/2 stars
At 4 years old Margaret and Agnes do everything together even on that fateful day when Margaret came home and Agnes didn't. Wracked with guilt, Margaret is made to feel even worse when her confession is denied and she is told that she imagined it and she was never there by her caustic mother. After Agnes's mother moves away she appears to Margaret as Poor Deer, a presence that constantly reminds Margaret of her part in the death and that she is at fault for anything bad that happens to those around her. There are many references to religion and sin as well as the verbal abuse Margaret suffers from her mother. When Margaret leaves home as a teen in search of a way to atone Poor Deer is right there with her. Grief and guilt hang over this poor child until she finds a way to do something right to make it right at last. Oshetsky has an unusual writing style and blends animals with people to create this fever dream and sad coming of age story. 4 stars
Daniel is an arrogant white man who has a thing for Asian women. He has screwed up every relationship he has ever had and feels no remorse except for Alma, the one that got away. One of the women he had an affair with and then dumped was Emi and her daughter Kyoko, now grown, is obsessed with making Daniel pay. Kyoko and her boyfriend concoct a scheme to kidnap Daniel and get her revenge. This is a story of a love of music and the misguided search for love as much as it is one of incredible rage and correcting racial stereotypes. Sadly, Daniel could be anyone and his fetish/obsession with "tiny little dolls" is a common problem. Katherine Min did not live to see this book published but she has given Asian women a voice and it is fierce. Readalikes would be IF I HAD YOUR FACE by Frances Cha or FIFTY WORDS FOR RAIN by Asha Lemmie. 3 1/2 stars
Marley is a loner until she is pulled into the embrace of the Josephs. They are a family made up of hard headed men and while they may be great at fixing roofs they all need help fixing their relationships with others and between themselves. Marley comes into the family with one brother but then falls in love and marries the middle brother and becomes a surrogate mom to the youngest. She quickly becomes frustrated with the way they handle the business, each other and her mother in laws indifference. At some point this all changes and she will become the sun they revolve around even the tyrannical head of the house. Every family has their secrets and every small town either works to unearth them or hides them right along with you. A quiet but piercing look at family and all those hard things that break you up while the people who are your glue keep you together. It may be 1990 in rural Pennsylvania but the emotional impact, deep characters and love rings true anywhere and anytime. Best read with a tissue box handy. Fans of Ann Patchett, J. Ryan Stradal and WE ARE THE BRENNANS will hold this close to their heart. 4 1/2 stars
A tale of loss, poetic justice and rebirth set on an island in Greece. Irini, along with her husband and young daughter live in paradise - an island with dense forest, pristine shorelines and abundant wildlife. Life is perfect until a wealthy developer sets fire to the island and lives are changed forever leaving Irini's husband and daughter badly burned. Later Irini comes across that developer hurt and makes the decision to leave him to die. No one in town would have second thoughts about her decision but guilt eats away at her. As her family slowly comes back to a second life so does the island and healing begins. This is a gut wrenching story of loss, grief and a deep connection to a place highlighted in poetic language casting no judgement yet showing the best and the worst of humanity.
Lefteri is very skilled at quiet stories of loss with deep characters and fans of THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO will find much to love in this book. 4 stars |
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