Another four books AND a radio program - reading badass! Summer is effectively over and currently on a two-week roadtrip to North Carolina & Virginia so I think the streak is likely over.
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis is a historical fictional novel that tackles women’s societal roles in 1913 and 1983. Sadie is the granddaughter of the Lyons who once lived in the New York Public Library (the lions from the title is a play on this and reference to the famed figures in front of the Library). Laura Lyons is a dutiful wife and mother who longs for so much more. Sadie doesn’t know much about Laura other than what she published - Laura mysteriously left her family and moved to London as a relative recluse. Their stories intersect when Sadie is a curator at the Library and books start to go missing; ironically the same thing occurred in 1913. A good, not great read.
Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen was super entertaining. The story toggles between Ava Wong and her one-time college roommate Winnie. Ava is being interrogated about her relationship with Winnie and how she got caught up in a Chinese counterfeit purse ring. Winnie is narrating her side of the story. Who to believe? Is one, the other or both just as fake as their bags? Good or bad, I did buy counterfeit bags 20 yrs ago - and may have done so recently but not intentionally, but it was nowhere near the scale two were operating on.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman was a BBC Radio show with an all-star cast (Benedict Cumberbatch, Natalie Dormer and James McAvoy to name a few). This fantasy story follows Richard and Door in London Below to determine who killed Door’s father and who has hired hunters to find them. Loved this - great escape and excellent narration.
The Guest by Emma Cline was on a lot of summer reading lists. It follows Alex, a young grifter, and her late summer escapades across Long Island. I really disliked it - total waste of time and I should have quit it but kept thinking it would get better. Spoiler: it didn’t, at least not for me.
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner is set with a backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Sophie is an Irish immigrant and “mail order” bride with a tragic past. She marries Martin, a widower who is supposedly a traveling insurance risk assessor, and grows to love his young daughter, Kat. One day before the earthquake Sophie receives a call from pregnant Belinda Bigelow and learns she may not really be married and Martin may not be who he says he is. The women’s lives are in danger as Martin may be responsible for murder, fraud and bigamy. The story follows Sophie’s quest for the truth - for her as well as for Kat. I loved the generosity of the women involved and the satisfying ending.
TBR List
- Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
- The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
- Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
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