Several months ago, I started being more intentional about going through my list of recos from friends and putting books on hold at the library. Many of them had months-long waiting lists. It’s really paying off now. Seems like just as I get towards the end of one book, I receive the notice that another is ready. It’s glorious. Regular little gifts to myself from my past self and from the library. Yay! I think all of the books this month are from the holds list, possibly why the quality is really high. (Yes, I started out with one I didn’t end up loving – or even liking – but it was well-written.)
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. This might be a generation gap talking here, I don’t know. Or maybe the people raving about this novel are way more generous and patient than me. But I just could not care about the stilted, emotionally constipated, spoiled brat of a main character – even if her name is Frances. The premise was promising: two young women, formerly girlfriends, now just girl friends, become emotionally and romantically entwined with a married couple more than a decade older than them. Could be interesting, right? It was so tedious. Just ugh.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Another novel getting lots of raves and, in this case, I fully understand why. Absolutely lovely. I thought based strictly on the title, it was going to be an opposites–attract–repel–attract-type rom com. Several pages in, I still thought that was where it was basically going. Highly enjoyable. Then something dramatic happens that I did not see coming (no spoilers here) and the main story arc begins. Wonderful.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. The writing is like a cross between Stephen King, Christopher Moore and Flannery O' Connor. Do not – and I mean DO NOT – read if you have any kind of pre-existing fear of dolls or puppets. You've been warned. Other than that, it's an absolute blast.
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. This book was a genuine treat to stumble onto. Libby the library app served it up, and it turns out Libby has great taste for me. So much fun, and while the plot is completely outlandish and the characterization delightfully (purposefully) over the top, I was transported into a different society. The novel follows Geeta, a woman believed to have killed her husband, making her an outcast in her small, old-fashioned, extremely hierarchical Indian village. She sees more benefits than drawbacks in her dangerous reputation because it means people leave her alone – until one of the women in her microloan group comes to her for husband-murdering advice. It’s the start of the absolute manic gong show of events in the novel and the start of a new lease on life for Geeta.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. I’ve read a couple of books by this author before, and they are reliably enjoyable. Well-written with characters that are easy to fall in love with, perfect for a nicely spicy modern romance. This one was really formulaic in following the “fake couple that falls in love” trope, but in a self-aware way. In fact, the main character’s best friend says to call her when they get to the part where there’s only one bed available for the two of them. Then it actually happens. I have a high tolerance for genre formula when it feels like the author respects their audience, and that’s the case here. It’s fun.
The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay. This novel’s main character is the now-grown son of a criminal-turned-witness who disappeared into the Witness Protection Program years earlier. So when the struggling novelist son is tapped to write fake back-stories for that same program, it seems like one heck of a coincidence. Or is it? Crisp writing, likeable characters, lots of twists and turns and action – so even if you figure some of it out before the end, you’ll have a great ride. Another banger by Mr. Barclay!
Unraveling: What I Learned About Life From Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater by Peggy Orenstein. The subtitle says it all really, but what it doesn’t tell you is that if you just happen to be a knitter, a woman sneaking up on fifty whose kids are literally in the middle of leaving the nest, and are just trying to understand where the time went, what it all means, and what’s next (me, I’m talking about me), this’ll really hit home. In a good way.
I Only Read Murder by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson. If you recognize the authors’ names, you’ll know to anticipate the ridiculous, hilarious, and utterly charming story that unfolds. Miranda Abbott is a has-been TV star, so far past her prime that she’s not even welcome on a reality show for Hollywood has-beens. Then she makes her way to Happy Rock, a picture-perfect West Coast town straight out of an Andy Griffith fever dream where she ends up in the middle of a little theatre production – and murder. So much fun.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
