Four books again this month - on a roll!
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is by the same author who wrote Dear Edward. They have similar themes - finding oneself among tragedy and "family" being what and who you make of it, not just what you were born into. A very layered story of William, born in a family where he isn't seen or loved, but basketball becomes the touchstone for all his future relationships. He moves from Boston to Chicago for college and finds a place in the Padavano family of strong women and a warm and unmotivated father. All four sisters impact his life and he theirs profoundly. But nothing is a straight line. Not as good as Edward, but definitely satisfying.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is about identical twin sisters, Desiree and Stella, from a small town in Louisiana. All members of the town are light-skinned black, so light they could pass as white. The sisters move to New Orleans where Stella vanishes one day. Years later, Desiree returns to her hometown with her daughter, Jude, who is so dark it causes a stir. Eventually Jude ventures out on her own to California, where one night she sees a woman who looks exactly like her mother. It couldn't be, could it?! And this woman's daughter is definitely white. A tale of becoming comfortable in your own skin. Literally. This showed a lot of promise, but it never resolved the sisters' break up nor deep connection between the two families I longed for. It was so-so.
The Midnight Library Matt Haig was recommended by my bestie and will definitely be in my top 10 for the year (if not top 5). "The only way to live is to learn". Nora Seed is a woman who cannot catch a break - she's lost her mom, her main job, her side job, and her cat. What next?! Nora is stuck between worlds and in the Midnight Library she can check out lives unlived - try out who she would have been had she made different choices along the way. Who hasn't imagined "what if?". The audiobook narrator is actress Carey Mulligan and I could listen to her narrate a cereal box. A MUST read, especially anyone who feels that the world would be better off without them in it. A++
Well Met by Jen DeLuca is a bit trite and predictable. I thought I might need a palette cleanser, but it was a bit too soapy for me. It also turned rated R in a nanosecond - I'm not a prude, but it happened three-quarters of the way through and seemed unnecessary by that point. Likely a decent beach read.
TBR List
- The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
- Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen
- The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
- Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
- Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields
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