1.) The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 8 by Beth Bower
From Goodreads:
The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian's. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.
What more can I say about this series? I adore it! I cannot get enough of these books or these characters. I started reading this series last year and breezed through it and then had to wait for the better part of a year for the next installment. It was horrible. I tried to delay gratification with this one and only lasted a month. It is so good! With each volume the characters become deeper and more complex. I love them all...they are dear friends... and each book reveals more of their hearts and backstory. This is a layered and slow burn series. It is taking a long time to get to the heart of the stories of these four friends and I'm not mad about it; more like enraptured. I couldn't put it down.
This beautiful and dreamy historical fiction is set in 1880s London and now a bit in the English countryside. Stonecrop! All the heart eyes. The story, the writing, and the characters are magical. The writing is beautiful, witty, and poignant. I adore this series. It has quickly become one of my very favorites of all time. My one complaint is that I wish these little volumes were longer. They are usually around 300 pages or less and I read them too fast! Now to wait...for another year...for Volume 9. Tragic. Also I am still and probably will forever be...Team Islington.
My Rating: Fabulous!!!
2.) Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shields
While recuperating from surgery and not feeling up to deep reading; this celebrity memoir/self-help book did the trick.
From Goodreads:
Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of that of being a 'woman of a certain age'. And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she's changing the narrative about women and ageing.
The subject matter of this book and demographic need to be discussed. Shields, now 59, discusses topics like womanhood, women's health, midlife, menopause, impossible beauty standards, parenting adult children, the empty nest, middle marriage, friendship, women over 40 in the workplace...all great topics to be explored. She offers encouragement to women over 40 who are beginning to navigate this time of life. Her musings are conversational, candid, and often humorous.
I liked the parts of the book where she talked about her celebrity status, family life, and motherhood the most. I wanted more memoir and less self-help. I wanted a bit more depth about her own life. Shields cites a lot of research and statistics to back up what she says which is all well and good but the studies and statistics got repetitive. I'm also a little concerned for her marriage. She never had anything glowing to say about her husband besides repeatedly stating that he was hot. There was some weird underlying tension (maybe a bit of contempt) whenever she wrote about him that was slightly uncomfortable to read. But for the most part the book was a good commentary on aging in our society.
My Rating: Okay.
3.) Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
From Goodreads:
Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children. From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?
This was a fun quick contemporary romance with great chemistry and very likable characters that I was totally rooting for. I loved the setting of Bath, England. I like my romance novels set in the UK. LOL. The writing and plot while at times humorous also had some depth to it similar to Emily Henry but less angsty. I loved that Anna is a 38 year old single mom who allows her kids to set her up on dates that she then writes about for her newspaper column. Anna is mature, relatable, and a good mother. There were also great secondary characters. The novel was flirty and swoony and also extremely heartwarming. I loved that it was steamy but with very little description! Nicely done. When I want to read another rom-com I will reach for more books by Sophie Cousens.
My Rating: Enjoyable.
4.) A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
From Goodreads:
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
This is the 3rd book in the ACOTR series and so far the best! What a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I liked this book the most so far because I am fully ensconced in this universe of the High Fae and am attached to the characters. The plot in this book has been the most exciting. It's more complex and less a fairytale retelling than the other two books. I really love the world of the Seven Courts with all of their unique kingdoms and characteristics and there is more of that in this book. There is also more strategy and political machinations which is fun. This is like a tamer Game of Thrones. There is a lot more action this time. There is always something adventurous going on. I love so many of the characters and there are some interesting new characters too. I still don't like Nesta and Elaine. I am looking forward to their characters becoming more interesting and likeable. Now Cassian, Azriel, and Lucien on the other hand...that's a different story. This was 700 pages of entertaining reading while recuperating from surgery. I read it quickly. It's hard to review book three in a series because it is all so spoiler-y but suffice it to say that I am moving on to Book 4. The last third of the book was a stay-up-all-night and don't-bug-me-while-I'm-reading book so that will move this book right up to five stars.
My Rating: A fun page-turning fantasy romance.
5.) Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
From Goodreads:
Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.
From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.
My mom and I were big Ina Garten fans back in the day when she came on the scene along with Martha Stewart. We had her cookbooks and loved to watch her Food Network shows. I've been making many of her recipes for years. I've always thought that Ina had such a warm and homey vibe. I loved seeing glimpses of her friends and her husband Jeffery on her show. I was interested to read more about her life. Plus I love a good memoir!
This was a very cozy read. I read the actual book but I hear that the audiobook is very good as she narrates it herself. But even just reading her words, I could still hear her comforting voice in my head. I liked being able to see all of her pictures and recipes too. Despite this being a comfort read, it was still interesting and page-turning. The writing style is conversational which I liked. It was interesting to read about an older woman reflecting on her life, marriage, career, and lessons learned along the way. Ina has wisdom to impart.
There were a few parts that I particularly enjoyed and surprisingly none of them were about food. First, I was fascinated and also saddened to read about her challenging and difficult childhood and family dynamics. She suffered... not for lack of money... but for lack of love and affection. Her parents were cold, unloving, and at times abusive. I think she wrote about that in a very honest and vulnerable way.
Second, I enjoyed her deep dive into her marriage to Jeffery and their relationship. I was surprised to know that their marriage wasn't always as idyllic as it seems. She married young. He was older and had traditional views on gender roles and expectations. They even separated for a time. I thought it was interesting to read about how they overcame the societal norms of what a marriage in the 60s and 70s should look like. They are a surprisingly unconventional couple. Both of them had to recalibrate their expectations of marriage and one another. Ina's rejection of traditional roles and making her interests and career goals a priority was progressive for the time. So was not having children which sounded like a deliberate choice. They have also often lived apart for long periods of time...once even in two different countries... and would travel to visit one another and yet their marriage seems to have flourished. They have been married for almost 60 years.
Third, I thought Ina gave readers an interesting look at business ownership. I love reading about strong women in the workplace who also nurture and mentor those around them. Ina talks about many of the obstacles she faced as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. This was much more a business book than a food memoir which was unexpected.
What didn't work for me was Ina's lack of awareness and acknowledgement of her privilege. Ouch. It was glaring. She's lived an extremely fortunate life. Yes, she has an incredible work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit but it was her privilege that allowed her to make all of the choices that she made in her life. I think she should have addressed that but she didn't. That took this book down a notch for me. I also don't like my Ina cursing which is hypocritical...LOL...but it was a bit jarring.
This was enjoyable read. It's not a gossipy tell-all but Ina does share many interesting celebrity anecdotes. It was great to *travel* to Paris and experience the sights, sounds, and tastes through the pages of a book during a cold and snowy January in the PNW.
My Rating: Ina is charming and nostalgic and this book was an interesting look at her life and career.
6.) Leave it to PSmith by PG Wodehouse
From Goodreads:
Ronald Psmith (“the ‘p’ is silent, as in pshrimp”) is always willing to help a damsel in distress. So when he sees Eve Halliday without an umbrella during a downpour, he nobly offers her an umbrella, even though it’s one he picks out of the Drone Club’s umbrella rack. Psmith is so besotted with Eve that, when Lord Emsworth, her new boss, mistakes him for Ralston McTodd, a poet, Psmith pretends to be him so he can make his way to Blandings Castle and woo her. And so the farce begins: criminals disguised as poets with a plan to steal a priceless diamond necklace, a secretary who throws flower pots through windows, and a nighttime heist that ends in gunplay. How will everything be sorted out? Leave it to Psmith!
I read my first Wodehouse this fall and found it enjoyable but nothing extraordinary. I wasn't getting the Wodehouse hype. But now after reading my second Wodehouse and the second book in the Blandings Castle Series...I get it! I guess I had to get into the swing and flow of his writing style. In this second novel, also situated at the lavish country home of Lord Emsworth in the English countryside, we again encounter a cast of quirky relatives and house guests. This time I loved it!
This classic novel was written in 1924. This is rompy, campy British lit. Wodehouse's dialogue is snappy and full of dry wit and his prose is delightful! I loved the eccentric and charming character of PSmith who can talk himself out of any situation. This was a fun madcap farce and yet so cozy and descriptive. I loved being immersed in the world of Wodehouse. Onto Blandings Castle #3!
My Rating: Enjoyable!
7.) The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
This was my book club's pick for February 2025. This is a cozy character driven novel that definitely transported me to a seaside English hotel post-WWI.
From Goodreads:
It is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or—horror—a governess, she’s sent as a lady’s companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. Despite having only weeks to find a permanent home, Constance is swept up in the social whirl of Hazelbourne-on-Sea after she rescues the local baronet’s daughter, Poppy Wirrall, from a social faux pas. Poppy wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women, and runs a ladies’ motorcycle club (to which she plans to add flying lessons). She and her friends enthusiastically welcome Constance into their circle. And then there is Harris, Poppy’s recalcitrant but handsome brother—a fighter pilot recently wounded in battle—who warms in Constance’s presence. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked.
This was an entertaining book. I enjoyed the interesting setting, premise, and time period. This coming-of-age story addressed the crossroads that the young people of this time period faced due to the heavy toll taken by the Spanish flu epidemic and the end of WWI. Changes occurred that were difficult to navigate in relationships and societal expectations. Women who had been doing their part to keep the country running during the war were sidelined when the men came home. Reentry to peace time life was difficult for all with its prejudices and different sense of propriety. It was interesting and frustrating to read about the women of that time period who were trying to establish their independence in the aftermath of war and the ways that WWI impacted different members of society.
The premise of a ladies motorcycling club was delightful! These women had been working as messengers, curriers, and providing taxi service during the war and were trying to continue to do the work they loved despite defying society's postwar expectations. Our main character, Constance, comes to this seaside hotel working as a ladies companion. It is there she meets this wonderful group of independent women. Constance yearns for independence as she is welcomed into this eccentric social circle. The motorcycle club ladies teach her about female empowerment, friendship, and perseverance as they take on the social injustices prevalent of the time such as racism, classism, and the treatment of veterans. Sadly we are still battling these social injustices even now.
There was a large cast of diverse characters and subplots. This is definitely a character-driven novel and most of the characters were well-drawn and interesting. I was rooting for so many of them. I particularly loved the characters of Poppy and Mrs. Fog. We get the POV of three characters: Constance, Harris, and Klaus. I wish that Poppy would have been the main character and that we would've gotten her POV. She was the most interesting in my opinion. I also wanted more of the ladies motorcycle club and their individual stories. I wanted more time with them and less with some of the other side characters and subplots. That is my main complaint with this book. There were too many subplots and side characters and the ones that we focused on weren't always the most interesting. I didn't need all the Percival and Rachel pages. Give me more Tilly and Iris. I didn't particularly need the Maharaja and would've liked more of Jock... who we were invested in... and I am still trying to figure out who Sam was and what was the point of his character. I wanted the plot to stay focused on the women of the motorcycling club and Poppy and her family. I kept waiting for Constance to become a Bad-A biker woman and for the whole plot to swing on something to do with the club. I didn't mind the Harris/pilot subplot but I'm not sure how it ended up taking over the story about the ladies motorcycle club.
The many side characters and subplots bogged down the pacing of the book and the plot began to wander. The book was a bit too long and needed some sharper editing. Too many things were happening in the story. It felt like the author didn't quite know what she wanted the book to be. She threw in so many unnecessary things and people. I also didn't love the ending but as my book club reminded me... the attitudes and behaviors that irritated me were pretty historically accurate of the time and people. The other downside was that I could NEVER remember the exact name of this book! That is problematic. It's a confusing mouthful. I was asked multiple times what book I was reading and could never name the the title correctly.
All that aside...I enjoyed my time in Hazelbourne-by-the-Sea. I learned more about Post-WWI which was interesting. This was a comfort read for me. It was transportive and richly descriptive historical fiction. I don't think we can ever have enough stories of the strength, courage, and perseverance of women.
My Rating: Mostly enjoyable.
8.) A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush
This is a poetry collection. I love poetry but very rarely read it and rarely from this century. This was such an enjoyable collection of very accessible poetry. The perfect book if you want to dip your toe into the genre!
From Goodreads:
The debut poetry collection from Lyndsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) is a humorous and joyful celebration of big feelings, tender truths, and hard-won wisdom, for fans of Maggie Smith, Kate Baer, and Kate Kennedy. At long last, a book of poetry for people who didn’t even know they liked poetry. And they’re in good company: author Lyndsay Rush didn’t know she liked it either. That is, until she embarked on an internet experiment under the Instagram username @MaryOliversDrunkCousin that turned into a body of work that struck a chord with women across the country; thanks to her signature wordplay, witticisms, and—against all odds—wisdom.
I read most of this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. The title of the next poem always had me so intrigued that I had to keep going. The poems are categorized into four sections by mood. You could easily read the book over a longer time by mood or read one poem a day or read it pretty much straight through like I did. It was humorous and quirky. Touching and irreverent. This was very accessible modern poetry and a good gateway book. The target audience is directed at millennial women but this Gen-Xer still enjoyed it.
My Rating: Yay poetry!
9.) Here Be Dragons by Melanie Shankle
From Goodreads:
In medieval times, uncharted waters were marked on maps as Here Be Dragons to signify that no one knew what dangers might lie ahead. Melanie Shankle quips that the years spent raising our teenage daughters could be labeled the same due to the uncertainties before us. Like a lot of moms, Melanie found herself in need of a parenting map when her teenage daughter, Caroline, entered her sophomore year of high school where she encountered relentless mean girls and brutal heartache. While trying to equip her daughter to deal with the toxic social dynamics of high school, Melanie was hit with the shame, criticism, and verbal abuse she had endured throughout her own life that was wrought by one particular mean girl—her own mother. Melanie hoped to raise her daughter to be a warrior, and she realized she couldn’t do that unless she became healthy enough to fight her own dragons. She invites you into her story as she explores her complex family dynamics, discovering what it takes for any of us to survive and ultimately thrive in spite of wounds that remain. This was the beginning of her journey of trusting God to help break generational cycles that had told the women in her family to find their value in everything but His love.
I loved this book! I've read several of Melanie's books, follow her on social media, and listen to her podcast with Sophie Hudson. This book was so good! It's my favorite Melanie Shankle book so far. The themes of this book are difficult: toxic family relationships, estrangement, and also the toxic social dynamics of high school aka mean girls. These aren't easy topics to discuss let alone write about. Melanie Shankle is very vulnerable as she writes about her own experience with her mother and about her daughter's experience in high school. The difficult and painful experiences that she relates are real and incredibly touching. She talks about the unspoken epidemic of bullying and harassment that nearly every girl will experience at some point from mean girls and how sometimes mean girls can be in our own families.
Having raised two daughters, and still in the process of raising one more who is currently a sophomore in high school, I appreciated someone tackling this subject matter in a real and helpful way. Being 15 is no joke. It is rough. Girls are mean. No one gets through school unscathed. Or life for that matter.
I loved Melanie's quote that we are raising warriors who can slay dragons not princesses who need rescuing. We need to teach our children to be accountable for their behaviors and to set boundaries when the behaviors of others puts them in harm's way. Our girls need to know that sometimes you have to stop allowing people to have access to you. Melanie wrote about her daughter's experience with her full permission and cooperation. I loved the wisdom and insight shared about learning to trust God and relying on Him to guide us through the difficult times in life.
In another part of the book Melanie talks about her own experience of the pain of growing up with a narcissistic mother. Her writing is so vulnerable, honest, and heartfelt. Melanie discusses her decision to break ties and walk away from that relationship. While I am so grateful that my relationship with my mother was positive and loving; families are complex, and this book resonated with me as someone who has also had to cut ties and walk away from some family members to leave behind toxic family dysfunction and generational trauma. While not everyone has a toxic parent...we may have those relationships with siblings or members of our extended family. I read this book in one sitting.
"Sometimes all you can do is come to terms with the truth of who people are, accept that you can't change them, and then move on...Sometimes true healing can't take place until you cut off the source of pain...Sometimes the only way to heal is to cut off a relationship that's become too diseased to ever be healthy."
"You can have forgiveness without reconciliation or restoration of the relationship."
"The key to letting God completely heal you is to fully grieve as you surrender the hope you had that things could be different and trust that He will redeem the things you have been through in ways you can't see at the time. He will truly give us beauty for the ashes of things in our lives that have burned down."
Melanie Shankle navigates heavy subject matter with love, humor, and grace...not bitterness nor resentment. This message is so important. I think there is so much shame around family estrangement especially in religious communities. It need not be. If family members are harmful to us and/or our children why are we allowing them to have access to us? What is that teaching our children? That we have to continually be around people who are doing damage to us? Walking away from those relationships may give us the ability to have some feelings of empathy and some vestiges of love for those who have hurt us while divesting them of the power to continually hurt or abuse us.
Melanie writes about heartache in such a relatable way. I know this book will help many people feel less alone. I appreciate the bravery that it took for Melanie to share her story and be so honest and raw about her relationship with her mother and to open up about her daughter Caroline's struggles with mean girls at school. It was heartbreaking to read both accounts. But ultimately their stories are encouraging and hopeful as she shares the importance of relying on God to guide and direct us. He will help us confront and overcome our struggles with His divine help and we will emerge stronger and more resilient.
My Rating: Hopeful and encouraging.
10.) Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
From Goodreads:
After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.
The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…
Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.
This book was pure fun! It would be a great fall read although I read it in February and still enjoyed it. The novel has a great setting and a great hook. I was captivated from the start. I love a Gothic mystery with alternating timelines. It's one of my very favorite genres. A gothic Victorian mansion on a tidal island off of Cornwall that is only accessible when the tide is out. Yes, please.
The Darker family is terribly dysfunctional and most of its members, if not all, are truly awful and have dark secrets they are hiding. In this book we get the POV of one of the three Darker daughters, Daisy. The family is gathering to celebrate the 80th birthday of their grandmother, a children's book author and illustrator, whose most successful book was named after her youngest granddaughter, Daisy Darker, hence the title.
My favorite character in the novel was actually the family house, Sea Glass. What a perfect name! I am a sucker for a named house that is basically a character in the novel. I loved all of Nana's clocks and her demand that all visitors clock in and out when they visit.
This isn't a thriller as it is sometimes described. I don't like scary but I do like creepy. This locked room mystery definitely had its creepy elements. It was a fun nod to Agatha Christie and also the movie Knives Out. I partially guessed the ending and felt kind of disappointed but then it twisted again. Some readers have described this book as jaw-dropping...not sure I would say that...but it was a fun read. I especially loved the setting and the 80s flashbacks! This was my first Alice Fenney novel and I am looking forward to reading more.
My Rating: Fun!
11.) Wildflower by Drew Barrymore
From Goodreads:
A portrait in stories of adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her early years. Lessons that led to the successful, happy, healthy place Drew Barrymore is in.
I usually enjoy a celebrity memoir or in this case book of essays. They are always a fairly quick and interesting read. This book had some interesting moments but not enough. Unfortunately quick it was not. It became a slog. It was not interesting enough to make me want to keep reading and not boring enough to DNF. It bogged down my reading and I got stuck behind this book.
As I said, this is a book of essays. A non-chronological collection of random stories and memories that Drew shares from her life. She has definitely lived an eccentric life. Her childhood growing up in West Hollywood was interesting. Her time as a child actress, especially on the movie ET, was interesting. Her friendship with Adam Sandler and their movie collabs were also interesting. But the rest...not so much. I got some insight into Drew's personal life and friendships. I felt badly for her lost childhood but the rest was surprisingly boring. I still like Drew but not her writing.
My Rating: Disappointing.
12.) Sandwich by Katherine Newman
This book has gotten so much buzz. I've heard rave reviews about it everywhere. I loved the premise of a wife and mother on vacation in Cape Cod with her husband, adult children, and her aging parents. As I fit the same demographic as the main character of the novel; I was excited to read it.
From Goodreads:
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too. This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers. It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
I am sad to say that this book was a giant disappointment. I did not like it. I especially did not like the main character, Rocky. She was vain and self-absorbed. I found her so unlikeable. Since this is a character driven novel and not a plot driven novel it made for a rough read. I also didn't enjoy her mini-me daughter Willa. She was also annoying. Willa and Rocky were always saying that they were "the worst" and they were.
This book held promise. Three generations of a family gathering for vacation in a cottage on Cape Cod. The push and pull of the generations. The stickiness of parenting adult children and the stress and sadness of watching parents age. The taking care of and letting go. Beautiful and brutal.
There were some poignant themes like motherhood, miscarriage, mental health, menopause, middle marriage, midlife, launching adult children, empty nesting, anticipatory grief, a mother reminiscing about her children's childhoods. There were some images from the book that really resonated with me too. Rocky comparing her daughter to a Matryoshka nesting doll with all of the smaller versions of her daughter inside the bigger version of her. That was a great description. Rocky looking at her grown children and marveling at how beautiful they are. Yep. Crying as you return home from vacation without them. Also yes. Listening and laughing to their "...style of childhood nostalgia [called] the catalogue of grievances” which are the "Remember the time Mom/Dad did... and this happened" and "Remember the time Mom/Dad told me...and this happened"...aka the ways you most likely screwed up as parents but also feeling grateful that they are laughing about it. Floating around in the water having deep talks... I've done this with my own mom and my daughters. In fact, my last one-on-one conversation with my mom before she passed away was doing this very thing at the lake although it was nothing like the conversation Willa and Rocky have in the novel. Thank goodness. I am very open talking with my children about most everything and so was my mother before me but Rocky and Willa and the way they communicated was TOO MUCH.
Rocky was too much. Willa was too much. The dialogue was too much. Cringy, crude, and crass. I was embarrassed for them. Having Rocky's kids relay to her all of the awful things that she would say when she was drunk and how often she seemed to be drunk was horrible. As was how she treated her long suffering husband who she did not deserve and the way that she interacted with her parents. It was all awful and took away from what could've been a much better novel. The plot drifted some weird directions and everything was only dealt with on a surface level. There were so many great themes that I felt need to be talked about...parenting adult children, menopause, aging parents, midlife, the empty nest...all of it. I just didn't care for the way it was done.
My Rating: I didn't like this book at all.
