It's the most wonderful time of the year. Unless of course it's not ... I love Christmas but am keenly aware that for some it is a very difficult season. If you're reading this, I hope you have the love and support you need regardless of your current "spirit".
I started reading Violeta by Isabel Allende and Frances Riddle but just couldn't slog through it. I gave it about 4-5 hours then decided life's too short to read bland books. I loved Allende's The Japanese Lover (10/10) and liked Long Petal (7/10) so this was super disappointing.
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was right up my alley. Avery Chambers is the anti-therapist. She's developed an unorthodox method for helping people overcome their issues in 10 sessions and she gets all up in their business to accomplish this. Enter the Bishop's, the "golden couple" who ostensibly need Avery's help to get past Marissa Bishop's infidelity. The story follows the couple's sessions, Avery's inner dialogue and backstory as well as Marissa's backstory. Nuanced and juicy with great characters and surprising twists. Definitely in the year's top 10!
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson is about three women - Georgiana, the spoiled younger sister living off her trust fund; Darley, the older sister who didn't sign a prenup and is madly in love with her husband; Sasha, married to Georgiana and Darley's brother Cord and definitely not part of the 1%. The Stockton's are old money rich and the siblings' parents, especially mother Tilda are used to things being a certain way. The Stockton's are very close (though as the story unfolds, they don't really know each other) and Sasha very much feels like an outsider. All three women face their own challenges in their journeys to discover who they are and what wealth means to them. Very good, explored progressive ideas without getting too deep or preachy. I loved this excerpt from Sasha when describing her family as compared to her husband's ~
"Her own family was a restaurant booth - you could always scoot over and make space for one more. Cord's family was a table with chairs and those chairs were bolted to the floor."
I loaded up with Audible's recent 50% off sale so my TBR list has gotten VERY long.
- Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
- Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
- Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami
- Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
- The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
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