This was one of those odd books that was not at all my kind of read for about 90 percent of the pages, and I adored the last 10 percent. I am a big supporter of DNF'ing (did not finish) books that I don't enjoy, but sometimes there's a mystery that I want to get to the bottom of and I just keep going. The mystery in Gravity is the Thing is indeed solved, and with a magnificent sucker punch ending that completely changed my thoughts on this novel in the final few pages. So, I'm having a bit of conundrum on my overall opinion...
First, here's what didn't work for me. The story is told in a dual timeline, present day with revealing glimpses to the past that slowly reveal how Abi came be a single mother. Normally I really love a dual timeline, yet the structure of the past timeline utilizes Abigail's yearly 'reflections' (her responses to each year of chapters she receives from The Guidebook) which are written in 'stream of consciousness' style. She learned this particular technique during a class she took with her long lost brother, so it makes sense to employ, yet it is all over the place and just didn't flow. The present day sections are not much improved, even setting aside the absurd plot device that brings her together with her current love interest. The storylines seem disjointed and I felt as if so much could have been eliminated to improve the pacing. Whole sections are dedicated to Abigail reading several different self-help books and applying their advice in her everyday life. These were cute asides, but had nothing to do with the plot or character development and felt tedious. I would have liked more development with her love interests, of which I didn't feel terribly invested.
What DID work for me, however, was the writing - there were some absolutely lovely and astute passages amid what felt like ramblings. And, the plot threads that Moriarty pulls together in the end to solve the mystery of Abigail's missing brother, are so well done. The reveal was so poignant and it just broke my heart. In the end, the absurdness of The Guidebook, and the gathering of characters who received the chapters, was needed to deliver said ending. I just think she could have drawn straighter lines to get there. Overall I wouldn't give this a hearty endorsement, because it took too much work to get to the resolution. I'd recommend this for readers who might enjoy stream of consciousness philosophical musings on self help.
Many thanks to Harper Books for a complimentary copy for review!
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It has been many years since I've read a Sedaris book, and how I missed him! I must admit that I did try Theft by Finding Diaries and ended up abandoning it, as if felt so scattered and, honestly, not that funny. Not the case with Calypso. This is peak Sedaris that had me breathless with laughter and heartache for the realities he faced about his family troubles. I can't recommend it enough, especially on audio - which should really be a requirement for all of his books.

Gothic novels are not usually my jam, but the buzz around The Doll Factory had me intrigued. I'm glad I gave it a chance, as I breezed through this oh so creepy and thrilling story.
Macneal's highly atmospheric Victorian era London leaps from the page, no question. But what I most appreciated about this novel was the richly layered characters, some becoming more empathetic and others becoming more and more sinister as the plot thickens. Silas is a villain that I won't soon forget, and felt reminiscent in many ways of Joe from Caroline Kepnes' You. But, unlike the aforementioned You, the object of obsession in The Doll Factory is given a complex personality. I felt a great deal of empathy for Iris, and the intricacies of her relationship with her sister, with Louis and with the requisite street urchin with a heart of gold, Albie - who also has a much more robust inner life than a typical Victorian scamp.
There is also a clear theme on feminism and the plight of an unmarried young woman that felt like a fresh take on historical fiction from this time period.
“she has been careful not to encourage men, but not to slight them either, always a little fearful of them. She is seen as an object to be gazed at or touched at leisure … something for which she should be grateful. She should appreciate the attentions of men more, but she should resist them too, subtly, in a way both to encourage and discourage, so as not to lead to doubts of her purity and goodness but not to make the men feel snubbed.”
This novel has a little something for everyone: multi dimensional characters, rich atmosphere, historical fiction, mystery, thrills, suspense, with a little horror thrown in (taxidermy description is not for the faint of heart). My only reservation would be for a reader that wants to be invested in romance. Yes there is a love story, but I did not feel invested in it, and I thought Iris could do better.
Many thanks to Atria books for the complimentary review copy!
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This novel delves into timely and important subjects with great heart. Lefteri spent several years working in Greece as a UNICEF volunteer, helping refugees from Syria and Afghanistan. Her empathy and passion for their cause is more than evident in her writing, which essentially felt like an amalgamous character study of those she most certainly encountered in her work. Perhaps that's where I felt a little disconnected from this book, as it was hard for me to feel an urgency to pick it up without a good deal of narrative drive. The book begins where Nuri and Aftra end up, so there isn't a question if they will make it to their ultimate destination. There is also a sort of plot twist that is not at all a surprise, and I'm not sure if it was meant to be, or if it was to illustrate the state of Nuri's PTSD. The illustrative imagery and symbolism of the bees, flight, and our dream life versus reality was lovely, as was the push and pull of husband and wife finding their way back to each other after immense loss.
"I realize I have forgotten to love her. Here is her body, here are the lines on her face, here is the feel of her skin, here is the wound across her cheek that leads into her, like a road, all the way to her heart. These are the roads we take."
In the end I would say that stories of refugees are something we could use more of, not less, and I respect Lefteri for putting this work into the world. Increasing awareness, creating empathy for those that happen to be born into a different life, or a life that could just as easily become ours is so vital these days. I honestly think it would have been a more impactful read had it been written by someone of Syrian descent or had been a nonfiction account. Since I've already started looking for some recommendations, I think that this book had an impact on me, regardless. So far the recs I've seen are: The Newcomers by Helen Thorpe, We Crossed a Bridge and it Trembled by Wendy Pearlman, and The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar.
Thank you so much to the folks at Penguin Random House/Ballantine for a complimentary advance copy!
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I quite enjoyed How to Walk Away last summer by Katherine Center, and was excited to read her latest this summer! Things You Save in a Fire did not disappoint, it lived up to it's predecessor and in some ways exceeded my expectations.
From the first pages I was drawn in by Cassie's inner monologue, and the witty dialogue she dishes out with her fellow firefighters. She is immediately likeable as the hero of this story: fierce, strong, hard working, yet so very vulnerable. The reason she has to leave Texas goes beyond her ailing mother, and makes for a dramatic opening scene in the book which hints at something that has shaped her entire adult life. That the process of confronting her trauma didn't hinge entirely on a romance was absolutely refreshing. Though, I absolutely adored the sweet and slightly cheesy romance with the rookie! If you are looking for a sweet romance, you will be completely satisfied! And if you also enjoy complex family relationships, there is definitely something there, too. The journey of forgiveness and understanding with her mother, as well as a mysterious harasser within the fire department, was so compelling and thought provoking.
"Maybe you need to find something new to add to your life, instead of just clutching so hard to the past that you strangle it."
Upon reading the acknowledgements, I realized that Katherine Center's husband is a firefighter and thought that was pretty cool. She must've had the absolute straight scoop and it was certainly interesting to learn a little bit about what it might be like inside a fire station. Also, if you read How to Walk Away, you might recognize Cassie from the early part of the book!
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review!
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Pilcher's books are so reliably wonderful and heartwarming. I was a little dubious about starting a 900+ page book over the summer - it doesn't scream fast and breezy. But her writing and storytelling just flows so effortlessly and I breezed through this quintessential and epic coming of age story that spans the time before, during and after WWII. Judith Dunbar will go down as one of my all time favorite characters - a must read.
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Friends have been recommending Ruth Reichl's work for years, and now I am finally realizing how wonderful her writing is! Yes her descriptions of food were fantastic, but this one about her time at Gourmet magazine was particularly fascinating and juicy, learning about the publishing world.
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I was looking for something light and fun to read, but not necessarily beach-y since we were NOT having beachy weather at the time. Caraval fit the bill PERFECTLY. Even though it gets quite a bit cheesy in parts, I really enjoyed this fun, adventurous, atmospheric fantasy novel. FYI, it is definitely not in The Night Circus wheelhouse, as described by some. It felt reminiscent of reading The Selection series by Kiera Cass - not similar stories, but that addictive brain candy feeling - I will probably read the next two!
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This graphic novel was in my daughters library haul and I remembered hearing good things, so I gave it a read and thoroughly enjoyed it - as did my son and husband. At first I was a little confused, as it starts off as guidebook that gets cut off mid sentence and delves into the illustrated panels. Then I realized that each chapter begins with a little bit of what would be the Lumberjanes guidebook (very similar to any scouts guide) and goes into a hilarious corresponding story. I got a major Gravity Falls vibe from the stories, which is a good thing - fantastical and earthy, all in one. I also love that there are a few LGBTQ lead characters but that their stories are not driven by their sexual orientation, it’s just one part of their who they are. Bravo!
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