Lost Roses

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked Kelly's first book, Lilac Girls, but I didn't love it. Somehow though the prequel description of Lost Roses captured my attention, and I fell again into the world of New York high society and the demise of Czarist Russia. I liked this book better than Lilac Girls - the story lines seemed more interesting and the characters' behavior less predictable. Motherhood has indeed changed my reading lens as I follow stories now and the ups and downs of Sophia's experiences with her son, Max, were intense to follow. As always, another book that takes place during the WWI era makes me wish I was still in a classroom teaching All Quiet on the Western Front. Once a teacher, always a teacher.

Lost Roses is probably a 3.5, but I rounded up because I was so captivated.

Happy reading and happy almost fall--

(Book 84 - 2019)

The Cruelest Month

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought I was hooked on Louise Penny after her first book, but this third one is even better. Perhaps not a full five star, but so captivating it earns the round up. I don't know how Penny manages to make a town where murders happy seem like a dream destination, but I'd book a ticket if it was real. Clever and introspective all the way through with added depth for our beloved Chief Inspector. Can't wait for the next one!

Happy reading and happy Three Pines dreaming--

ps. Her 15th installment to this series just came out this past week, so three down and twelve to go.

(Book 83 - 2019)

Save Me the Plums

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was perfectly delectable. Reichl is a gifted writer and her level of detail carries you right along through her memories. If we're honest, I didn't know she was the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. I just thought it was a foodie word choice in her title. Still there was no love lost learning about her experience in the food and magazine business. I appreciated her humanity as she talked about her husband and her son. I appreciated the context she provided as she detailed world events that were happening alongside her own experiences. I've always wanted to read one of her books and am so glad to have finally done it. Can't wait to read more and to perhaps try some of her recipes--

Happy reading and happy eating--

(Book 82 - 2019)

Warlight

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I stumbled on Warlight perusing library options because my holds weren't going to be available for a week or two. I liked the premise of post-WWII London and teenage kids being left behind while their parents move to Singapore for work. It was unconventional and Ondaatje's reputation is sound...but this book just wasn't great. The writing is well crafted, but the story delivery made events that should have been heart pounding feel like ordinary reflections on the past. The twists were underwhelming, and I just kept waiting for something to happen. Janet on NBC's The Good Place says, "Humans only live 80 years, and they spend so much of it just waiting for things to be over." Despite good writing, that's how Warlight felt. I just wanted it to be over.

Still as always, happy reading and happy Labor Day--

(Book 81 - 2019)

The Female Persuasion

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I started listening to this book because my other book holds weren't available yet through the library. I knew very little about it, and I think that was good because I might not have read it had I known more. It's a coming of age story. It's a love story. It's almost a hero's journey story. But all stories are in a very different fashion than most traditional versions. I didn't love it, but I cared to find out what happened to Greer and Corey.

I'm fascinated by the events and people that shape us most. So often we don't know when something or someone is going to change our trajectory. I had a college professor in my undergrad whose advice and example gave me permission to choose a career different than my parents wanted for. That career choice led me to people and experiences that profoundly shaped my life. Greer senses how important her mentor, Faith Frank, will be to her, but she can't articulate it or fully understand why. In the same sense, Corey's life experiences transform him in a way that young Corey never could have predicted and his fundamental shift feels authentic to how our society and younger "Millennial" are trending.

I wish I'd read this with a book club. It would make for great discussion.

Happy reading, and if possible, listening to this one. Rebecca Lowman is the narrator, and she is one of my very favorites.

(Book 79 - 2019)

Quidditch Through the Ages

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining and a bit silly. I may need to give the fringe Harry Potter texts a rest for a bit. Still enormously clever and surprising how detailed J.K. Rowling has been in creating her magical world.

Happy reading--

(Book 78 - 2019)

How to Walk Away

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book recommendations from people you don't usually talk books with can be tricky, and this book was a little over the top for me. "How to Walk Away" is formulaic and and a bit cheesy, but Anne Bogel said on her "What Should I Read Next?" podcast that Center likes for her characters to have happy endings. In a world where we need a few more romantic comedies and a few less dramas, I decided to stick with it. It didn't hurt that I pictured the main character, Maggie's Scottish physical therapist like Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Owen Hunt. I love Dr. Hunt, so that held my imagination along with surprise appearance my beloved Bruges made in the story. Actually now that I think about it, "How to Walk Away" is a lot like a Grey's episode - fraught with angst, love, disappointed hopes, random medical jargon, beautiful people, quirky best friends/siblings, and stolen moments.

Anyway - take it or leave it like that Halloween candy that's appearing in stores already. Sometimes it's not the greatest quality, but it really hits the spot.

Happy reading--

(Book 77 - 2019)

The Gown

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

England, historical fiction, the royals, Westminster Abbey, bits of WWII, improbable romance, exquisite details, mystery, triumph over tragedy...this book ticked so many of my boxes, and yet I'm having a hard time putting into words why I liked this book so much. The Gown touches on the ideas that we never fully know people's backstories, that being someone's friend can alter the course of their lives, and that tenacity alongside the little joys in life will ultimately win the day. I loved that this book was literally centered around Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth's wedding gown and the women who made it. Robson's details were so well crafted that I could visualize the workroom where the women sewed, the bridges as they walked to and from their various London destinations, and Westminster Abbey filled to the brim with guests all craning their necks for a glimpse of the infamous wedding gown. The book is so much more than sewing and a royal wedding, but I don't want to spoil any bit of it.

Happy reading and happy time traveling--

(Book 76 - 2019)

*Probably a 4 star read for a lot of other readers, but this was exactly my type of book.