Winter Book Reviews

Winter Book Reviews: Part 1

1.) Still Life by Louise Penny

This is the first book in the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I cannot even count how many times this series has been recommended to me via friends and podcasts and book blogs. People love it. I decided to give it a try even though mystery novels aren't one of my favorite genres. I had also been warned that the first couple of books were a little slow but that after those the series really picks up speed and becomes fantastic. Late autumn felt like the perfect time to read about a murder in the small village of Three Pines in Quebec.

From Goodreads:

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life - all except one…To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident - a hunter's arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?

This book was interesting. I didn't love it but I do want to keep reading the series. I found Three Pines and its quirky inhabitants to be somewhat charming. The mystery was engaging. I had narrowed my guess as to who the murderer was down to three people. I was thrilled that I didn't know exactly who killed Jane Neal although the murderer was one of my three guesses. Even with that I was still somewhat surprised with the twist at the end. Yay! I hate it when you figure out who did it early on and yet it also wasn't a book that jerks you around and makes you want to throw the book across the room like Gone Girl did. Yay again.

Still Life is not exactly crime fiction and not exactly a cozy mystery either. More like a well written literary mystery that is just a tad bit on the dull side. But I will listen to those whose opinions I trust and continue on with the series and hope for the best and for a bit more excitement as the series progresses.

My Rating: Okay

2.) The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

This was our book club pick for November. I love historical fiction. It is my very favorite genre so I was excited to get reading. Plus, it has been highly recommended to me over the years from many friends. I read most of it around Thanksgiving break and it was wonderful. Even better... the story is based on the real life Grimke sisters from South Carolina. Two women who should be better known and remembered.

From Goodreads:

Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Kidd’s sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other’s destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.  As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements.

I loved the alternating perspectives as the story is told from Sarah's perspective who is the daughter of a Southern slave owner and from Handful's perspective; a slave owned by Sarah's family. The contrast between their two lives was poignant and heartbreaking and yet there is a similarity in that both Sarah and Handful are desperate to be free from the bonds that chain them...some literal and some societal.

It's never easy for me to read stories about slavery. Going into the book I felt like I had an understanding of slavery and its atrocities but this book definitely gave me new insight and made me think in new ways about the injustice of slavery. I also learned more about the abolitionist movement. I've never read a book before about slavery that discussed how the fight for women's rights and abolitionism became entwined as women like the real life Sarah Grimke fought for equality for ALL human beings. I also never realized that you could be an abolitionist and still not believe in equality. This was very evident in the novel particularly in reading about the Quakers who believed that slavery was a sin and who were very outspoken about abolishing slavery and yet still practiced racism and segregation. This novel gave me a lot to think about. Our book club enjoyed the book and we had a great discussion.

My Rating: A powerful read.

3.) Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

I heard about this novel on a book podcast that I enjoy. It was recommended as a good psychological mystery. It sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the book. I ended up checking it out of the library three times before I finally got around to reading it.

From Goodreads:

On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the passengers disappear into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs--the painter--and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of a wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. The story of the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy glows at the heart of this novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

Once I finally got into the book, I started to enjoy it. It is an interesting story that is told in an interesting way. The author, Noah Hawley, is a TV and screen play writer and it shows in the way that he sets the scene and tells his story. I liked it. The premise was interesting too. A plane crash, survivors, mysterious circumstances, and an intriguing cast of characters. I liked Scott the complicated main character. I wish that the story would have stayed focused on him and those involved with the events following the crash like JJ, Eleanor, and Gus. You are introduced to the back stories of all of the passengers on the plane and how they came to be on that flight. You get their various points of view. At first I enjoyed the back stories of the passengers on the plane but then I got bored. Some of them were much too long and the plot got bogged down with too many details about characters that don't matter. The plot dragged and the story suffered for it. The crazy part was that the author skipped the back story of one of the main characters...Maggie...someone who actually does matter to the plot. Why? I kept waiting to get her point of view and sadly it never came.

This novel had a lot of promise but ultimately it was just a big build up that led to a big let down. I was left with a lot of questions and I'm not the only one. Readers discussing the book online were all left wondering about dropped plot points and inconsistencies. This book could have used tighter editing. I feel like the book would have been better if it would've stayed focused on relationships. I was super disappointed that with all of the scandals and situations swirling around the doomed passengers of the flight that the ending was so anticlimactic. Plus, I hated the crude language of the businessmen throughout the book. I am not easily offended but it was excessive. To end on a positive note...it was an interesting social commentary of the state of our media today and its abundant "fake news".

My Rating: A bit of a let down.

4.) Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

I remember watching a movie about Tom Sawyer as a child but the only thing that remained in my memory was something about white washing a fence, Becky Thatcher, and a scary cave. I was excited to read this book and reacquaint myself with Tom Sawyer and his adventures. This novel is the story of a wild and rebellious boy. He is sometimes more juvenile delinquent than mischievous free-spirit. It tells the story of the escapades of Tom and his friends who live in a small town on the Mississippi River in the 1800s.

From Goodreads:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is at once a comic and poignant story about the fears and fantasies of a boy's world, and a brilliant satire of the culture and institutions of the times. One of this beloved author's most widely read works, it is hailed as an American classic.

I'm just going to say it. More often than not Tom Sawyer...the character... really bugged me. He is often an annoying troublemaker and bad influence. I felt very sorry for poor Aunt Polly. Although when absolutely needed Tom comes through and does the right thing. He can even be heroic. But the best part of the book, in my opinion, is our introduction to Huckleberry Finn. The story is both entertaining and dark and suspenseful. There is a murder and Tom is a witness. Keep in mind that this book was written in 1870s and the language and racial stereotypes in the novel reflect that.

As Tom Sawyer's adventures unfold, Twain is witty and acerbic. The novel is wonderful satire. Twain takes his digs at religion, politics, law enforcement, education, and social etiquette. He often humorously interjects with his commentary. While I enjoyed the story I am much more looking forward to reading the follow up novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

My Rating: A Classic

6.) My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

This was my book club's pick for December. I had never heard of the book before. All that I knew was that it was written by the author of A Man Called Ove. (Which I still haven't read.) It sounded interesting and it was!

From Goodreads:

Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal. When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.


I really liked this strange and quirky book. It was funny and charming. I laughed out loud quite a few times. It was also touching and sweet. The plot is interwoven with fairy tales about the magical land of Almost-Awake that Elsa's grandmother tells her. I loved reading about how the two worlds intertwined. It was a beautiful and moving journey that Elsa goes on to find out the true history of the characters in the fairy tales. I loved how Elsa gradually learns the truth about those around her. She learns that all adults are flawed and yet most are inherently good.  I haven't read many books that were about the relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild. It was refreshing. As Elsa's journey comes full circle you realize that this is a story about connection and the importance of community.

The novel is beautifully written and there were several quotes that struck a chord with me:

“The whole house smells of Granny. There’s something quite special about a granny’s house. Even if ten or twenty or thirty years go by, you never forget how it smells.” 

"It's possible to love your grandmother for years and years without really knowing anything about her.”

“They laugh until no one can forget that this is what we leave behind when we go: the laughs.” 

“She goes silent. Ashamed of herself as mothers are when they realize they have passed that point in life when they want more from their daughters than their daughters want from them.” 

"Not all monsters look like monsters. There are some that carry their monstrosity inside."

This was a great and memorable book. I loved it and our book club loved it.  

My Rating: Quirky and wonderful.

7.) Sisters First by Jenna Hager and Barbara Bush

I am a fan of the Bush family. I have read nearly all of their memoirs and in doing so I have come to like and respect them. I enjoyed this inside look at this famous first family and political dynasty. I was fascinated reading their thoughts on their grandfather's presidency, their father's presidency, and different world events like war and 9/11. They have a very unique perspective. They don't sugar coat things either. Sometimes they agree with their father's political decisions and sometimes they don't. They aren't dyed in the wool conservatives either...if at all. They might not even be *gasp* republicans. One of them for sure voted for Hilary. Readers who *think* they know what the Bush twins are like would be very surprised. I certainly was after reading this book. But then again I have been pleasantly surprised after reading all of the Bush family memoirs.

From Goodreads:

Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush grew up in the public eye. As small children, they watched their grandfather become president; just twelve years later they stood by their father's side when he took the same oath. They spent their college years being trailed by the Secret Service and chased by the paparazzi, with every teenage mistake making national headlines. But the tabloids didn't tell the whole story of these two young women forging their own identities under extraordinary circumstances. In this book they take readers on a revealing, thoughtful, and deeply personal tour behind the scenes of their lives, with never-before-told stories about their family, their adventures, their loves and losses, and the special sisterly bond that fulfills them.

The book is basically a series of essays; each written by each of the sisters. They alternate telling their stories. My personal favorites were the ones written by Jenna. She is a little more fun and bubbly while Barbara is more cerebral and serious. It was an easy book to pick up and read here and there over the holidays.

The parts of the book that I enjoyed the most were the stories of the Bush family...extended and their own. The book is basically a story about a family who loves one another, their country, and always puts family first. The stories of Gampy (George H.W. Bush) are so sweet and the whole book is almost a love letter to him. He is absolutely beloved by his children and grandchildren...and wife. His letters and emails to his children and grandchildren are wonderful and inspiring! I would've loved to have gotten emails and letters like that from my grandparents growing up. In fact all the Bush family write lovely letters to one another and many were included in the book.

The stories of Ganny (Barbara Bush Sr.) are formidable. She is a force to be reckoned with and not to be messed with. As a granddaughter of a sharp-tongued and formidable grandmother myself who also put family first; I could appreciate her strong personality. She is not the cuddly, white-haired, pearl-wearing, cookie-baking, traditional grandma that she appears to be.

I also loved reading about the parenting style of Laura and George W. Bush.  Laura's quiet grace is admirable and both she and George's inability to be ruffled and shocked despite the antics of their teenage and young adult twins....who were quite a handful...was inspiring; especially as they were in the public eye.

But my very favorite stories are of President George W. Bush. He is hilarious and loving. I so enjoyed reading the stories about him as a father. Despite the media's characterization of him during his presidency he is intelligent, thoughtful, and super likable. I loved finding out that he is a voracious reader and that he and Karl Rove used to have reading contests to see who could read more books in a year.

Other fun things were finding out the inside scoop of what it is REALLY like to live in the White House (yes, definitely haunted) and to be protected 24/7 by the Secret Service. I was also especially touched to read about their family's experiences during 9/11 and its aftermath. I found this book to be insightful, honest, heart-warming, and humorous.


My Rating: A fun read with a unique perspective on the political world.