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Author: ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

About ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

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Published on 1 Comment on The Jetsetters
The Jetsetters Book Cover The Jetsetters
Amanda Eyre Ward
Fiction
Ballantine Books
2020
Hardcover
352
Purchased

"When seventy-year-old Charlotte Perkins submits a sexy essay to the "Become a Jetsetter" contest, she dreams of reuniting her estranged children: Lee, an almost-famous actress; Cord, a handsome Manhattan venture capitalist who can't seem to find a bride; and Regan, a harried mother who took it all wrong when Charlotte bought her a Weight Watchers gift certificate for her birthday. Charlotte yearns for the years when her children were young and she was a single mother who meant everything to them. When she wins the cruise, the family packs all their baggage--literal and figurative--and spends ten days traveling from sun-drenched Athens through glorious Rome to tapas-laden Barcelona on an over-the-top cruise ship, the Splendido Marveloso. As lovers new and old join the adventure, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the Perkins family is forced to confront the defining choices in their lives. Can four lost adults find the peace they've been seeking by reconciling their childhood aches and coming back to each other? In the vein of The Nest and The Vacationers, Ward has created a delicious and intelligent novel about the courage it takes to reveal our true selves, the pleasures and perils of family, and how we navigate the seas of adulthood to cruise--we can only hope--toward joy"--

My review:

If I'm being honest, I think my expectations for this book were set a little too high. I loved a previous novel by this author (The Same Sky) and was looking for more of the same. Sadly, while this kept me entertained while reading, its not going to leave much of a lasting impression. It's a typical family saga where the grown children all have secrets that come out when they embark on a cruise with their mother. None of the main characters were very likable, and sometimes this is done on purpose (think The Nest, which I adored!), but I think in the case of this book we were supposed to like them. My favorite character was actually the boyfriend of the son, and he has a very minor role. The thing that kept me interested and reading this book is that I have been on several cruises, and the descriptions of cruise life were fun to revisit. I also have been on a cruise where we stopped at many of the same ports as this family does. It was fun to pick out some of the landmarks talked about.

In summary, there is really nothing bad about this book, it's a light read that deals with some rather heavy topics (maybe that bothered me a bit as well?). I think if I had liked the characters more, I would have had a better experience, but that is such a subjective thing as not everyone reacts the same to various characters. It definitely was fun to relive the cruise experience!

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Published on 1 Comment on You and Me and Us
You and Me and Us Book Cover You and Me and Us
Alison Hammer
Fiction
HarperCollins
April 7, 2020
Advanced Reader Copy
432
Free from publisher

Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe.

Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.

But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.

As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance.

You and Me and Us is a beautifully written novel that examines the unexpected ways loss teaches us how to love.

My review:

This book seemed like three stories combined into one. First there was the working Mom angle, where the protagonist works super long hours to prove her worth to her company often at the expense of her family. Then there was the dying spouse story to tug at your heartstrings. Thirdly we have the problem teenager story and all that it entails. That pretty much sums this one up. It was a good read, fairly fast paced and flowed well. While I never really got that invested in the characters, they were well written and parts of the book did pull me into their orbit. Despite the part of the ending that you know is coming, I felt a decision from Alexis seemed a bit sudden, but it did provide some closure to the book.

A fairly light (despite the subject matter) read that kept me entertained while reading, but not one that will probably stick with me long term. Consider this one if you need a break from some heavier material.

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Published on 2 Comments on Little Wonders
Little Wonders Book Cover Little Wonders
Kate Rorick
Fiction
HarperCollins
March 17, 2020
Paperback
384
Free from publisher

Her mommy meltdown is seen around the world!

When Quinn Barrett’s son refuses to wear his hand-crafted costume to the Little Wonders Preschool Happy Halloween Parade and Dance Party she loses it -- complete with stomping, screaming, and costume-destruction galore. Not her best day. And caught on viral video. Yep, “Halloween Mom” is now internet famous.

The posting culprit: tattooed, blue-haired, west-coast transplant Daisy McGulch, out of place in the posh New England town and unable to blend with the other perfect mommies of Little Wonders Preschool.

While she couldn’t care less about organic snacks (paleo-preferred) or the winter quarters of the Little Wonders chickens, she’s not about to admit she’s the one who accidently brought Quinn’s worst moment to the entire world—she’d be kicked out of town!

But when Quinn and Daisy find themselves unlikely cohorts in the fight for Little Wonders Parents Association supremacy, they also discover they have more in common than they expected…but the internet is forever. Can Quinn live down her new reputation? And how far will Daisy go to keep the truth from coming to light?

My review:

3.5 stars

Well this was just what I needed amidst the chaos of the outside world right now (and I say outside since I'm mostly inside!). Let me start off by saying that this book contains totally first world problems of the preschool variety. If that doesn't offend you, then this book is a hoot! It's been some time since I had to deal with the school sign-up sheets, the parent associations, and the school parties, but not long enough that I don't remember the constant need to fulfill some obligation. Of course in my day there wasn't social media around to capture those mommy melt-down moments, but we all know they existed! This had many laugh out loud moments, especially the edited newsletters included at the end of most chapters. And of course there were the been there, done that experiences. I found the characters and kids relatable, although not in a completely fleshed out way. The pacing was perfect, and the writing propelled the reader into that world. A satisfying ending was the cherry on top.

All in all, this was just pure enjoyment. Not quite plausible, not very literary, but just plain entertaining! If you are looking for a light, funny take on an elite preschool and its parents, definitely pick this one up.

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Published on 1 Comment on Writers and Lovers
Writers & Lovers Book Cover Writers & Lovers
Lily King
Fiction
2020
Grove Press
320
Purchased

Blindsided by her mother's sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she's been writing for six years. At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey's fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.

Writers & Lovers follows Casey--a smart and achingly vulnerable protagonist--in the last days of a long youth, a time when every element of her life comes to a crisis. Written with King's trademark humor, heart, and intelligence, Writers & Lovers is a transfixing novel that explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.

My review:

I admit that I did not read this author's highly acclaimed novel Euphoria. For some reason the plot of that one didn't grab me like this one did. A book about a struggling writer choosing between two men in her life sounded pretty interesting. And it was! I really enjoyed the character of Casey, even though she made a lot of choices that maybe I would not have. I liked reading about her days. The trials and tribulations of working at a restaurant, trying to write despite having writer's block, her lingering grief over losing her mother, her estranged father, and the two men who enter her life forcing her to look closely at where she wants her life to go? Despite all that sounding like a depressing read, there were lots of uplifting moments to this novel. The two little boys of one of her lovers, the process of selling a manuscript, the sights and smells of her everyday existence, all of these combine to really immerse you into Casey's world. Despite most of her friends moving on to humdrum lives, Casey is clinging to her artistic side and hoping to break the mold. This novel is definitely more character driven than plot driven, and the writing is lovely, both things I gravitate toward when picking up a book. The ending was quite satisfying, not necessarily the way I might have chosen, but I'm not Casey, and was still rooting for her however her life played out.

I really enjoyed this literary fiction book about a down on her luck woman and her rise above the set pattern of her life. I may even go back and take another look at Euphoria 🙂

Published on Leave a comment on If I Never Met You
If I Never Met You Book Cover If I Never Met You
Mhairi McFarlane
William Morrow Paperbacks
March 24, 2020
Paperback
400
Free from publisher

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend.

My review:

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that rom-coms are not really my go to genre. Especially those with the girl meets guy, hates on sight, then falls for him in the end.....ugh! However, that's not to say that I don't read them (especially after consuming books with heavy hitting themes), and occasionally find one that I like. Not love mind you, I haven't completely lost my mojo 🙂 This was one of those that I liked. Why you may ask? I felt awful for the main character and could see how she stumbled into the situation she found herself in. She was enjoyable, the office drama was fun, the writing was light and the pace moved along, and there was definitely growth of the characters. I loved that Laurie found a new independence and love for herself that she needed in order to fully move on from her failed relationship. The characters felt a bit more real to me than what I sometimes find in this genre. I wasn't a huge fan of the rushed ending, but the ending in these type of books is what always leaves me annoyed anyway, so don't mind my cynicism.

I recommend this as a light read to get your mind off all the heavy topics in our world today. This is pure escapism, but we all need a little dose of that once in a while right?

Published on Leave a comment on A Good Neighborhood
A Good Neighborhood Book Cover A Good Neighborhood
Therese Anne Fowler
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
February 4, 2020
Advanced Reader Copy
304
Publisher via BookExpo

In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son. Xavier is headed to college in the fall, and after years of single parenting, Valerie is facing the prospect of an empty nest. All is well until the Whitmans move in next door―an apparently traditional family with new money, ambition, and a secretly troubled teenaged daughter.

Thanks to his thriving local business, Brad Whitman is something of a celebrity around town, and he's made a small fortune on his customer service and charm, while his wife, Julia, escaped her trailer park upbringing for the security of marriage and homemaking. Their new house is more than she ever imagined for herself, and who wouldn't want to live in Oak Knoll? With little in common except a property line, these two very different families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie's yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers.

Told from multiple points of view, A Good Neighborhood asks big questions about life in America today―What does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye?―as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending star-crossed love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.

My review:

Reading this book was like watching a car wreck. You knew it was going to break you, but you just couldn't look away! You know from the beginning of the book that something bad is going to happen in the fictional town of Oak Knoll NC, but that something will not be revealed until the end (may I suggest tissues). In a nutshell this book explores what happens to a good neighborhood when a pompous white guy destroys one of the houses to raise a McMansion. The destruction of a tree on his neighbor's property is just the tip of the iceberg for the problems that ensue. From racial and justice inequality, to purity vows, young love, and rags to riches complacency, this book packs a punch! Little by little pieces are revealed until the shattering conclusion that was predicted. The writing was skillful, the pacing was perfect, and the characters were very well formed. So well formed that I wanted to reach into the book and shake several of them and say "what are you doing?" I'm very thankful that there is an epilogue in this one, I don't know that my heart could have taken it if there wasn't.

Don't miss this one, it will most definitely be one of my top books of 2020!

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Published on 1 Comment on You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone Book Cover You Are Not Alone
Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen,
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
March 3, 2020
Hardcover
352
Purchased

You probably know someone like Shay Miller.
She wants to find love, but it eludes her.
She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end.
She wants to belong, but her life is so isolated.

You probably don’t know anyone like the Moore sisters.
They have an unbreakable circle of friends.
They live the most glamorous life.
They always get what they desire.

Shay thinks she wants their life.
But what they really want is hers.

My review:

Another twisty thriller from this great writing duo! Interestingly I've read both of these authors solo works, and while they are good reads, the combo of them together takes their books to the next level. I will say that their second book, An Anonymous Girl remains my favorite, but this one was still a page turner. I loved that the main character Shay was into statistics, and kept a notebook of random facts, some of which appear at the beginning of chapters. Some were really mind boggling! There were lots of women to keep track of in this one, which made it a bit confusing, but it all comes together in the end so don't get too mired in keeping them all straight. This is one of those books that I can't say too much without revealing spoilers, but it took me for quite the ride, and I had no idea what was happening (or why) throughout the whole thing! The only slight negative I will inject is that I thought Shay was a bit too naive and trusting to suddenly turn into a super sleuth. You know the saying "if it seems too good to be true?"......yeah, that was me yelling at Shay throughout the book!

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller that has so many twists you shouldn't even bother trying to figure out what is going on, this one is for you. Can't wait to see what these two think up next!

Published on Leave a comment on The Red Lotus
The Red Lotus Book Cover The Red Lotus
Chris Bohjalian
Fiction
Doubleday
2020
E-book
400
Publisher via NetGalley

The first time Alexis saw Austin, it was a Saturday night. Not in a bar, but in the emergency room where Alexis sutured a bullet wound in Austin's arm. Six months later, on the brink of falling in love, they travel to Vietnam on a bike tour so that Austin can show her his passion for cycling and he can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war. But as Alexis sips white wine and waits at the hotel for him to return from his solo ride, two men emerge from the tall grass and Austin vanishes into thin air. The only clue he leaves behind is a bright yellow energy gel dropped on the road.

As Alexis grapples with this bewildering loss, and deals with the FBI, Austin's prickly family, and her colleagues at the hospital, Alexis uncovers a series of strange lies that force her to wonder: Where did Austin go? Why did he really bring her to Vietnam? And how much danger has he left her in?

Set amidst the adrenaline-fueled world of the emergency room, The Red Lotus is a global thriller about those who dedicate their lives to saving people, and those who peddle death to the highest bidder.

My review:

I have been reading this author's work ever since one of his first novels (Midwives) was chosen by Oprah for her book club. Bohjalian lives in Vermont (where I was born and lived for 35 years), and this was a very big deal for our tiny state! I may have missed a couple of his 21 novels, but I've devoured most of them. The Red Lotus was no exception. What worked for me in this thriller? First of all, I used to work in a hospital lab, so he had me at the protagonist being an ER doctor. Second, without giving too much away, suffice it to say that today's pandemic has an eerie connection. Third, the creepy facts I learned about rats.....yes, rats! Lets just say I like them even less than I already did! As always, Bohjalian has a way with words and every story is very different from the ones before (pretty hard to do when on your 21st book!). I will say that you had to pay close attention in this one as there were a lot of characters to keep track of (especially who was on whose side). Despite this, I had a much easier time following this one than last year's book The Flight Attendant (I was so lost with the spy stuff I'm still not sure I ever figured it out by the end). Despite the fact that the ending may have been a bit rushed, I did feel it delivered a good conclusion. While I love that this author can write in many different genres, his last few books have been of the thriller type. I can only hope that at some point he will slip in a book like Midwives and Close Your Eyes Hold Hands, which are my two absolute favorite Bohjalian books!

An excellent thriller with a large cast of characters, set partially in Vietnam, with lots of medical stuff thrown in for junkies like me. Definitely put it on your spring reading list.

Published on Leave a comment on The Girl with the Louding Voice
The Girl with the Louding Voice Book Cover The Girl with the Louding Voice
Abi Daré
Fiction
Dutton
February 4, 2020
Hardcover/Audio
384
Purchased

A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future.

Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. This, her mother has told her, is the only way to get a “louding voice”—the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future. But instead, Adunni's father sells her to be the third wife of a local man who is eager for her to bear him a son and heir.

When Adunni runs away to the city, hoping to make a better life, she finds that the only other option before her is servitude to a wealthy family. As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless slave, Adunni is told, by words and deeds, that she is nothing.

But while misfortunes might muffle her voice for a time, they cannot mute it. And when she realizes that she must stand up not only for herself, but for other girls, for the ones who came before her and were lost, and for the next girls, who will inevitably follow; she finds the resolve to speak, however she can—in a whisper, in song, in broken English—until she is heard.

My review:

What an extraordinary book! Adunni is a character who I will never forget! I don't feel the need to go into a lot of the plot, it's well documented in the book synopsis above. The characters were so well formed (especially Adunni). I will admit that if I had read this one instead of listening on audio, it might have taken a bit of time to get over the vernacular (told in Adunni's voice), but the audio narration was superb! Even though a lot of this book is depressing, there is always a current of hope running through it, and you find yourself cheering for Adunni like she was your own daughter! I also can't write this review and not give a shout out to Tia, who we all need in our lives.

I'm purposefully being vague in this review, but please know that it's because I think this is a book that you need to go into rather blind, it will definitely enhance your experience! I'm so impressed that this is a debut novel, I can't wait to see what else comes from this talented author!

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Published on 2 Comments on The Operator
The Operator Book Cover The Operator
Gretchen Berg
Fiction
HarperCollins
March 10, 2020
Hardcover
352
Free from publisher

Nobody knows the people of Wooster, Ohio, better than switchboard operator Vivian Dalton, and she’d be the first to tell you that. She calls it intuition. Her teenage daughter, Charlotte, calls it eavesdropping.

Vivian and the other women who work at Bell on East Liberty Street connect lines and lives. They aren’t supposed to listen in on conversations, but they do, and they all have opinions on what they hear... especially Vivian. She knows that Mrs. Butler’s ungrateful daughter, Maxine, still hasn’t thanked her mother for the quilt she made, and that Ginny Frazier turned down yet another invitation to go to the A&W with Clyde Walsh.

Then, one cold December night, Vivian listens in on a call between that snob Betty Miller and someone whose voice she can’t quite place and hears something shocking. Betty Miller’s mystery friend has news that, if true, will shatter Vivian’s tidy life in Wooster, humiliating her and making her the laughingstock of the town.

Vivian may be mortified, but she isn’t going to take this lying down. She’s going to get to the bottom of that rumor—get into it, get under it, poke around in the corners. Find every last bit. Vivian wants the truth, no matter how painful it may be.

But as Vivian is about to be reminded, in a small town like Wooster, one secret usually leads to another.

My review:

4.5 stars

What a delightful read, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent with this book! I'm not going to rave about any gorgeous literary prose, but I am going to rave about the way the author sucks you into the lives of the people in this small town in the 1950's.

Small aside......This was one of my most anticipated books of the spring. My aunt worked as a telephone operator during the same time period of this book (and for her whole career!). I remember as a kid when she would talk about how they weren't supposed to listen in to conversations, but occasionally would hear the beginnings of some interesting stuff!

And so we have Vivian, who overhears something devastating to her and her family! She grapples not only with whether to cover it up, but also who was the bearer of the information and how did they get it? What I loved about the book was not only did we follow Vivian on her quest for the truth, but there were several other stories about the townspeople going on at the same time. This made the pacing of the story perfect as it weaves in and out of people's lives. As serious as some of the subject matter was, there was also humor interjected (I will never forget the "four flushers"!)

Packed with small town life in the 50's, with great characters, and ultimately a story of forgiveness, I got everything I was looking for. Don't miss this one!