1.) Tilt by Emma Pattee
From Goodreads:
Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk. Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.
I loved this book and was riveted until the VERY LAST PAGE and then I wanted to throw the book across the room. HARD! I was furious!! The premise was so good! The setting was so good! The plot was so good! I stayed up until 3am to finish it and then was so enraged with all the time (and sleep) that I wasted. I am so over this literary trend of leaving endings open. The book just ends. We don't know the fates of anyone. After all that we have been through with them. There is no resolution. No nothing. This is the second book like this that I have read this year. Another debut novel. Another great premise and another non-ending. Make a choice authors and end your story. This kind of writing drives away readers. Let me tell you how much I want to read another book by this author. Zero.
It is unfortunate because this survival story was propulsive and urgent. I was all in as Annie was trying to make her way to her husband. As she walks through the rubble of Portland and the terrible aftermath of a giant earthquake... she talks to her unborn child. All of her reminiscing and inner dialogue is directed to the baby she is carrying. I was so invested in the safety of baby Bean. Everything Annie sees...the destruction...the people...and the shape they are in is difficult and tragic reading. The aftermath details seemed realistic and horrifying. As Annie painstakingly makes her way across town, trying to get to her husband, she reflects on the past. Her life choices, the unexpected and devastating loss of her mother, her unhappy relationship with her husband, and her conflicting feelings about impending motherhood.
This book was so good all the way through until the end. I could feel the panic. I have been to this IKEA many times and traveled all over Portland. I was familiar with many of the areas that Annie went. That really added to the experience but the ending is unforgiveable.
My Rating: Infuriating.
2.) The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham
From Goodreads:
It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump – was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night. But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn – and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology – everyone has something to hide.
Elin Hilderbrand books are often hit or miss for me but I enjoyed this one. It is different from her usual fare. It's not set in Nantucket. It's not only about adult characters. This novel is set at a New England boarding school. We follow a large cast of students, teachers, and administrators over the course of a year at this prestigious and elite school. Very atmospheric. This was very much rich kids and adults behaving badly...full of scandals, secrets, and drama. I was pulled right in. I love a campus novel.
Elin Hilderbrand co-wrote this contemporary fiction novel with her daughter Shelby Cunningham who contributed some of her own experiences from attending boarding school. The third person POV definitely gives a Gossip Girl vibe. I thought it was a good mix of being character-driven AND plot-driven. This is the first book in a two book series so don't expect all of your questions to be answered but I will definitely read the second book when it comes out. This would be a good book to read in the fall if you enjoy a seasonal Academia read. I think this is my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book thus far.
My Rating: Enjoyable.
3.) The Secrets of Adulthood by Gretchen Rubin
From Goodreads:
Drawing from her long studies of happiness, and also from the challenges she’s faced herself, writer Gretchen Rubin has discovered the “Secrets of Adulthood” that can help us manage the complexities of life. To convey her conclusions, she turned to the aphorism—the ancient literary discipline that demands that a writer convey a large truth in a few words.
I'm a fan of Gretchen Rubin's Happier podcast and many of her books. This small book is a collection of aphorisms. It is exactly that...nothing more...nothing less. If a collection of aphorisms isn't your jam then this book isn't for you. I read it all at once but it would've been better to read an aphorism a day, mull it over, decide if I agree or disagree, rather than just blazing through a whole bunch of them. My favorite section was "Simple Secrets of Adulthood."
A few good aphorisms:
The forbidden pleasures of childhood often become the luxuries of adulthood.
If you're not sure how to have fun, ask yourself: "What did I do for fun when I was ten years old?"
Misadventures often make the best memories.
If you don't know what to do with yourself: go outside or go to sleep.
What can be done at any time is often done at no time.
If we can't be loving, we can be kind; if we can't be kind, we can be courteous; if we can't be courteous, we can be quiet.
When uncertain about how to proceed, make a choice that allows you to: choose the bigger life, step into the future, live in an atmosphere of growth, deepen or broaden your relationships, and put your values into the world.
My Rating: Enjoyable for what it is...a list of all kinds of aphorisms.
4.) Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
This is a super cute book! It's reminiscent of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I've been duped by all kinds of YA novels that claim to be as cute as those books; but this is the closest one I've found.
From Goodreads:
Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet. The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.
It was a such a fun quick read. I loved the nostalgic rom-com movie and pop culture references. I also loved the music playlist at the end of the book. I was transported back to my own teenage years...full of awkwardness and angst. I thought this book was adorable and I had fun reading it. I was rooting for both of the main characters...Liz and Wes. I happily handed this book over to my own teenage daughter.
My Rating: A very cute YA romance novel.
5.) Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown
This is the true story of Japanese American heroes in WWII. It's written by the same author who wrote The Boys in the Boat. It was my book club's pick for March 2026. Everyone liked it and we had a good discussion.
From Goodreads:
Facing the Mountain is an unforgettable chronicle of war-time America and the battlefields of Europe. Based on Daniel James Brown's extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, it portrays the kaleidoscopic journey of four Japanese-American families and their sons, who volunteered for 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany, and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible. But this is more than a war story. Brown also tells the story of these soldiers' parents, immigrants who were forced to shutter the businesses, surrender their homes, and submit to life in concentration camps on U.S. soil. Woven throughout is the chronicle of a brave young man, one of a cadre of patriotic resisters who stood up against their government in defense of their own rights. Whether fighting on battlefields or in courtrooms, these were Americans under unprecedented strain, doing what Americans do best--striving, resisting, pushing back, rising up, standing on principle, laying down their lives, and enduring.
This is an important and compelling account of Japanese Americans, their experiences, and incredible bravery during WWII. We follow the stories of three Japanese American soldiers and one conscientious objector. We are introduced to these men and their families. One of the men, Fred Shiosaki, was from Spokane which made his story even more compelling and interesting.
The racism, bigotry, discrimination, and shameful treatment of Japanese Americans due to wartime hysteria was absolutely heartbreaking. The FBI had the authority, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, to round up legal Japanese immigrants, Japanese American citizens, and anyone of Japanese ancestry, and relocate them to internment camps. In addition to that... their homes, businesses, and farms were appropriated and taken from them. It was a shameful chapter of US history.
The majority of this book is an account of the 442nd Regiment which was an all Japanese American Regiment and their heroic service to our country and their incredible bravery. The 442nd Regiment distinguished itself and was one of the most decorated regiments in the war. Their account is brutal. They were often called upon to do the impossible. Their valor in the face of extreme injustice and opposition was not only inspiring but played an integral part in the war effort.
My Rating: Heavy and inspiring. Should be required reading.
6.) The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
This book is SO GOOD! 5 BIG FAT STARS!! It is the best book that I've read so far this year and honestly one of the very best books I've read in several years. Read it! I highly recommend it.
From Goodreads:
After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and alliances. In the Hampshire countryside, 13-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents at the Captain Scott Home for Boys, where every day they must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which many of their friends have succumbed. The lucky ones who recover are allowed to move to Margate, a seaside resort of mythical proportions. In nearby Exeter, 13-year-old Nancy lives a secluded life with her parents, who dote on her but never let her leave the house. As the triplets' lives begin to intersect with Nancy’s, bringing to light a horrifying truth about their origins and their likely fate, the children must unite to escape – and survive.
I was instantly pulled into this slightly dystopian, alternate history, science fiction novel. I couldn't put it down. All I wanted to do was read. It's incredibly well-written and descriptive. The atmosphere and setting were so vivid and rich. I was absorbed... especially as the tension and unease began to build. This isn't a popcorn thriller. This is more of an eerie gothic mystery as the reader attempts to understand what is really happening at the Captain Scott Home for Boys in England that drips with 1970s nostalgia.
I was immersed in this incredibly nuanced story. There is so much to unpack as the author explores: science, ethics, morality, societal complicity, nature vs nurture, and the value of human life. The characters are unforgettable and moving. I stayed up late into the night reading as the warm fairytale like story creeped toward sinister.
I don't want to say much more and don't read a bunch of reviews about this book. They give too much of the story away. Go into it blind and let Chidgey take you on her journey. Then find someone you can discuss the book with as soon as possible! This would be a great book club selection. There is so much to discuss. I absolutely loved this book. It is superb and I look forward to reading more of Chidgey's work.
My Rating: Addictive and elegant! A must read.
7.) Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley
From Goodreads:
Christine Brown Woolley had always dreamed of having a picture-perfect family—beautiful children, an adoring husband, and of course, a sisterhood of wives to share him with. Raised in Utah by practicing polygamists, Christine knew her life was less than normal, but that didn’t stop her from loving the full house of her childhood any less. Becoming Kody Brown’s third wife in 1994, Christine finally found the big, happy family she had hoped for. When TLC’s hit show Sister Wives premiered in 2010, Christine knew it was her chance to shine a light on the brighter side of polygamy—the helping hands, the lively discussions, and their unmatched devotion to each other. But the cameras also revealed a much darker truth. Now, in this candid tell-all, Christine shares for the first time the journey that led her away from the Mormon church and the bold path she is carving to live apart from all she has ever known. Moving, genuine, and insightful, this is a uniquely powerful tour de force of Christine’s journey toward and beyond her time in the spotlight as a sister wife.
I am actually shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. It was compelling and highly readable. Christine tells her story openly, honestly, and yet still respectfully. I think you could've watched all of the seasons of Sister Wives and still learn some new insights from this memoir. Christine verified things that fans had suspected for a long time and gave more context to situations on the show. I thought the behind-the-scenes look at their show, production, real family situations, and dynamics were quite interesting. I appreciated Christine's candor and vulnerability in sharing her story.
As I've always known...Kody is detestable. I thought I couldn't dislike him more. Oh but I can...and I do. I am so glad that Christine and Janelle are free of this man (and Meri too). It was interesting hearing Christine's side of their story and how she found her voice, strength, and independence. I hope that one day Janelle and even Meri will write about their experiences too. I wish them well.
This was a quick read. Christine writes in an easy conversational tone. I thought this would just be an *okay* memoir but surprisingly it turned out to be an interesting book.
My Rating: Surprisingly good.
8.) You Better Believe I'm Going to Talk About It by Lisa Rinna
From Goodreads:
In You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It, Lisa peels back the curtain on her rollercoaster career and her unapologetic approach to life, dishing on the highs, the lows, and the “did-she-really-just-say-that?” moments that made her a household name. Yes, she’s spilling all the tea from the soundstages of Days of Our Lives to the drama of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but she’s also opening up about what it means to grow older in an industry obsessed with youth, the lessons she’s learned about reinvention, parenting a daughter with a chronic illness, keeping her well-documented marriage alive and healthy, and being forced to grieve in public after the loss of her mother and beloved Beverly Hills fan favorite, Lois. Bold, brash, refreshingly honest, and told with her signature wit and candor, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It is the story of a woman who understands that you go the furthest by playing by your own rules. It’s the story of a woman who realizes aging is just a chance at a new chapter. It’s the story of a Hollywood icon who refuses to let the world script her story for her. And she’s owning every bit of it, baby!
This memoir was funny, cringy, and slightly horrifying. Rinna is Rinna so you know what you are getting. In this book of essays, she spills the tea, throws shade, and names names just like you know (and hope) she will. That's just who she is. This book is definitely not boring. It's written in a very casual and conversational tone. If you listen to the audiobook version...Lisa reads it herself.
There were parts that were quite interesting. She gives a lot of inside information on what it is really like to be a Bravo Housewife and a lot of behind-the-scenes information. It sounds terrible, fake, and expensive. She answers all the questions that you want answered. Lisa also doesn't hold back and gives you her *honest* opinion about her co-stars. Yikes. She talks a bit about her time on Days of Our Lives which was intriguing to this long-time Days fan. I wish she would've talked more about that than RHOBH to be honest. I also enjoyed hearing how she got into acting, met Harry, and started their family. Learning about her oldest daughter's health struggle with PANDAS was saddening.
Lisa Rinna can be quite funny...unfortunately she is also quite petty. She is the definition of *mean girl* and her talking about how others were mean girls to her didn't ring true. She's an unreliable narrator. This grown woman is hell bent on defending and justifying her terrible behavior and treatment of others. She deflects and blames others for her own shortcomings. Despite her catch phrase of "own it" she takes zero accountability. Nothing is HER fault. It's the Karens, her ex-Bravo fans, her parents deaths, the haters...She's unapologetic. To be clear, her Bravo fans turned against her because she was absolutely despicable on RHOBH and her behavior was unacceptable regardless of what was or wasn't happening in her life.
If you want a quick Bravolebrity memoir with juicy gossip galore. This is the perfect book for you. It is propulsive and like I said...entertaining. Lisa can be amusing and charming when she wants to be. She is also dramatic, chaotic, and full of contradictions. Love her or hate her. She makes for good reality tv.
My Rating: Rinna is Rinna. You know what you are in for.
9.) Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze
From Goodreads:
Nate Bargatze used to be a genius. That is, until the summer after seventh grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and “my skull got, like, dented or something.” Before this accident, he dreamed of being “an electric engineer, or a doctor that does brain stuff, or a math teacher who teaches the hardest math on earth.” Afterwards, all he could do was stand-up comedy.* But the “brain stuff” industry’s loss is everyone else’s gain because Nate went on to become one of today’s top-grossing comedians, breaking both attendance and streaming records. In his highly anticipated first book, Nate talks about life as a non-genius. From stories about his first car (named Old Blue, a clunky Mazda with a tennis ball stick shift) and his travels as a Southerner (Northerners like to ask if he believes in dinosaurs), to tales of his first apartment where he was almost devoured by rats and his many debates with his wife over his chores, his diet, and even his definition of “shopping.” He also reflects on such heady topics as his irrational passion for Vandy football and the mysterious origins of sushi (how can a California roll come from old-time Japan?).
I love Nate Bargatze's stand up comedy. He is hilarious. This book is definitely more of a humorous memoir rather than a book of his stand up comedy. That didn't appeal to some readers but I enjoyed his storytelling. His life was interesting to me and I liked learning more about his upbringing and family. His stories made me smile. Bargatze narrates the audiobook and I recommend that format. I love his dead pan delivery, observational humor, and there is nothing better than a good ol' Southern storyteller!
My Rating: Good!
10.) Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
I had such high hopes for this book! Look at that gorgeous cover! It sounded so fun. The behind-the-scenes story of a perfect Ozzie and Harriet type TV family where the lines get blurred as to who they are in real life versus who they play on TV.
From Goodreads:
For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out. When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?
This historical fiction novel is set in 1960s LA. The setting was so vivid and evocative! Los Angeles...the entertainment industry...TV studio lots. I loved it! In this novel, the Newmans are a real life family who also portray a family on TV. They are beloved by their fans but their long-running TV show is on the verge of cancellation due to the shifting values of 1960s America. Their ratings are down because the Newmans haven't evolved with the times and the public sees them as a bit out of touch. The Ozzie and Harriet type shows are becoming irrelevant as more women are entering the workforce. Jennifer Niven explores the gap between public image and private reality; a topic still quite relevant in today's social media influencer world. The Newmans aren't a perfect family. They each have their own secrets, disappointments, and challenges.
This family drama is a good retrospective view of what it was like to be a woman, wife, and mother in the 1960s and all the challenges and frustrations that came along with it. The book also addresses other social issues of the time like family dynamics, middle marriage, feminism, gender roles, free love, sexism, homophobia, and racism. Unfortunately most of these issues only got surface level attention.
I was wanting more of a frothy fun nostalgic Nick-at-Night-with-some-drama novel about a family growing up in the public eye while also navigating changing times. This wasn't exactly that. The book could've used more plot and direction. It was too slow and heavy-handed. While I was intrigued by the concept and premise of the novel...the execution fell a bit flat. Still it was fun to see Dinah come into her own as a newly liberated woman and watch the men in her life try to come to terms with it! I enjoyed the female empowerment part of the story. Although the irony (that no one ever mentions) is that Dinah IS a working woman. She is a successful employed actress! Unfortunately this book just wasn't as memorable as it could be. I wanted more of the Newman family and their interactions (that is where this novel shined) and less of the side characters. I got a little bogged down reading. It could be slow and dull in parts but once I got reading I usually found it to be fairly entertaining.
My Rating: Okay.
11.) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This was my book club's pick for April 2026. I've read it before. The first time I read it, it was too bleak. I had to DNF it. It never stops being bleak but now I can see beauty in the haunting bleakness.
From Goodreads:
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.
This novel follows a father and son as they make their way along a road heading south in a vague post-apocalyptic world. We don't know what has happened only that it is bad. Society has completely collapsed. Not many people are left alive. We meet the nameless father and son in what feels like the middle of their journey. It's their survival story. Their search for safety. They are trying to survive day-to-day in a burned and ash-covered world. The details are sparse. There is an intentional lack of description. The prose is sparse.
Life is hard and dark. The relationship of the father and son is the only bit of light in the novel. I read on pins and needles concerned for their safety even though I knew almost nothing about them. The father is trying to raise his son to be a morally good person in a world where that is now a disadvantage and dangerous. It is now everyone for themselves. Protecting his son is his entire purpose. The son is anxious to know if they are the "good guys." There is profound love and tenderness between this parent and child and yet the entire story from cover-to-cover emits a constant sense of dread.
The story is brutal and intense especially if you are a parent. It is also compelling and unique. It is unlike any other post-apocalyptic novel that I have read. Even stylistically the structure is uncommon and that somehow adds to the bleak desperate feeling of the story. This isn't an easy read but it is a worthwhile one.
My Rating: Brutal.
12.) Never Enough: When Achievement Becomes Toxic and What We Can Do About It by Jennifer Breheny Wallace
From Goodreads:
In the ever more competitive race to secure the best possible future, today’s students face unprecedented pressure to succeed. They jam-pack their schedules with AP classes, fill every waking hour with resume-padding activities, and even sabotage relationships with friends to “get ahead.” Family incomes and schedules are stretched to the breaking point by tutoring fees and athletic schedules. Yet this drive to optimize performance has only resulted in skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and even self-harm in America’s highest achieving schools. Parents, educators, and community leaders are facing the same how can we teach our kids to strive towards excellence without crushing them? In Never Enough, award-winning reporter Jennifer Breheny Wallace investigates the deep roots of toxic achievement culture, and finds out what we must do to fight back. Drawing on interviews with families, educators, and an original survey of nearly 6,000 parents, she exposes how the pressure to perform is not a matter of parental choice but baked in to our larger society and spurred by increasing income inequality and dwindling opportunities. As a result, children are increasingly absorbing the message that they have no value outside of their accomplishments, a message that is reinforced by the media and greater culture at large...Packed with memorable stories and offering a powerful toolkit for positive change, Never Enough offers an urgent, humane view of the crisis plaguing today’s teens and a practical framework for how to help.
This was such a good book. Kids today are under extreme pressure to achieve...not only academically but in sports, music, dance, clubs, volunteering, church responsibilities, and all kinds of other extracurricular activities. Toxic achievement culture is real and the toll it takes on teen mental health is also real.
“Our kids are absorbing the idea that their worth is contingent on their performance—their GPA, the number of social media followers they have, their college brands—not for who they are deep at their core. They feel they only matter to the adults in their lives, their peers, the larger community, if they are successful.”
“It’s not only that there are more areas in which a child needs to be “exceptional”; it’s also that the bar for what is “exceptional” keeps rising, offering our kids more and more ways to feel like they are not enough. Children absorb constant messages from our achievement culture that they need to be thin, rich, smart, beautiful, athletic, and talented to be worthy of likes, love, and attention. Like dutiful soldiers, our kids comply with these crazy demands. Over time, they internalize them.”
I found this book very readable and informative. As the mother of four, three of whom are grown, and one a junior in high school; I wish I would've read this book years earlier. So while my children weren't headed for the Ivy League...they still felt incredible pressure to achieve. I think it is very rampant in my religious culture.
Parents and educators need to help kids widen their definition of success from just personal achievement. The mental load of perfectionism wears kids down. Children need to be valued for who they are and not for what they achieve. Self-worth needs to be untangled from achievement and success needs to be redefined. "Success is finding meaning in life."
The author explores the concept of "mattering." We need to give kids a sense of mattering. “Beneath the illusion of scarcity, beneath the fear and anxiety and envy and status seeking, we are all starving for the same basic human needs: to feel valued, to belong, to be known and loved for who we are at our core.” That is the key to combating toxic achievement culture...knowing you matter to your family, friends, school, and community. Serving others in your community and contributing to your household and family are also important to mattering.
There were a lot of practical tips for parents and educators to help children set healthy limits and achieve more balance in their lives. "The difference between a 91% and 99% is a life." It's not just academics but things like expensive all-consuming travel sports teams add to the toxic achievement culture and are taking a toll on our children's mental health. Kids are missing out on holidays and extended family gatherings, friends, activities, after school jobs, and a life.
"The antidote for burnout isn't powering off...It's reengaging with the world around us."
"Resilience rests on relationships."
I think this would be a great book club selection. So much to discuss.
My Rating: Excellent.
13.) Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
From Goodreads:
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the Republican equivalent of a Kennedy? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it. Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and hand wash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a brutal reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.
I didn't like it. What a bummer. A social media influencer selling an aesthetic by cosplaying the perfect farm life. In real life social media accounts like this are both fascinating and horrifying. So a novel about how one of these influencers suddenly finds herself in the 1800s living the historical life that she has been purporting online sounded intriguing. Unfortunately it wasn't.
I did not enjoy any of the characters except for the children. All the adults were caricatures and morally bankrupt. The protagonist Natalie was especially awful. She is smug, cynical, and rage-filled. She had zero empathy for anyone. She was awful from the first page to the last page.
This novel is marketed as sharp social satire about influencer culture, religion, conservative politics, and feminism with some readers even calling it darkly funny. I didn't think it was funny in any way...more disturbing and unhinged. It was too harsh and sharp for me especially knowing how the novel ends. I'd call it sad and tragic.
Interesting themes were discussed....tradwives, social media, validation, perfect families, religious obsession, politics, and misogyny. The storyline could've handled these topics better. They should be discussed and debated.
The vague religion of Natalie weakened the plot. We don't know anything about what she actually believes and what was supposedly driving her. Natalie doesn't even appear to be a practicing Christian. She doesn't go to church (after college) or have any interest in organized religion. She doesn't read the Bible in fact she often misquotes it. She thinks that all the Christians she knows are dumber than her. Being the figure head of a movement doesn't actually mean that you are one of its followers. That is the case for Natalie. She is selling a fantasy and it starts an unhinged spiral.
There were also some pacing issues in the middle. I kept waiting for it to get good. The ending was controversial and unexpected. I didn't hate it...it was on par with the rest of the novel. Although I would've liked more of a redemption arc. I also didn't love that it is loosely based on Ballerina Farms. I follow Hannah and while I do see things that are problematic...she is a far cry from Natalie. Although Hannah's creepy husband Daniel is a dead ringer for Natalie's creepy husband Caleb. All in all...this novel wasn't what I expected.
My Rating: Depressing and unhinged.
14.) James by Percival Everett
This is another much talked about novel and a multiple award winning one at that. It is a reimagining of Huckleberry Finn but from Jim's perspective, Huck's runaway slave companion, as they take their dangerous journey down the Mississippi.
From Goodreads:
When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.
I was glad that I had done a reread of Huckleberry Finn a few years ago. While not necessary it definitely enhanced my reading experience. I liked James immediately. I was hooked from the first sentence, "Those little bastards were hiding out there in the tall grass." (Tom Sawyer is the worst.) To the last sentence, "My names is James." So powerful.
In Everett's retelling Jim isn't exactly who he appears to be. He is a self-educated philosopher and avid reader who has taught other enslaved people to read and write. We experience everything that happens through Jim/James' eyes. I loved the in depth exploration of Jim/James and what he is thinking and feeling. It added such great nuance, complexity, and dimension. Slavery is a heavy topic. Everett doesn't sugar coat anything. The reader is forced to reckon with it. I felt all the emotions. The addition to this classic literary cannon of James speaking his own words was fantastic.
The adventurous journey that Huck and Jim take down the mighty Mississippi on a raft was harrowing, heartbreaking, and full of real consequences, as they encountered kindness and cruelty. It is the story of resilience and survival. Everett's writing was propulsive and creative. There were several interesting and unexpected twists. I thought this novel was smart and fresh as it explored the importance of freedom, identity, and even language. It is a great reimagining of a classic.
My Rating: Good!
15.) Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
5 BIG FAT STARS!!! This novel is definitely deserving of the attention that it has received. I LOVED it! That is saying something because I don't like fairytale reimagings or fantasy but I couldn't put this book down! I was immersed in this fairytale world and I loved every minute of it. This debut novel by Rachel Hochhauser turns the tale of Cinderella on its head. What if the story of Cinderella isn't what we thought it was?
From Goodreads:
A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic "evil" stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children. A widow twice-over, Etheldreda is now saddled with the care of her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, and a razor-taloned peregrine falcon. Her entire life has become a ruse, just like the manor hall they live grand and ornate on the exterior, but crumbling, brick by brick, inside. Fierce in the face of her misfortune, Ethel clings to her family’s respectability, the lifeboat that will float her daughters straight into the secure banks of marriage. When a royal ball offers the chance to secure the future she desperately desires, Etheldreda must risk her secrets, pride, and limited resources in pursuit of an invitation for her daughters—only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the heir of the kingdom unfolds with unnerving speed, she discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she’s sought for years and the wellbeing of the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.
I started this book wary. I basically read it for the beautiful cover. But wow...this book was fantastic! In Lady Tremaine we get the backstory of Cinderella's...or in this case Elin's... stepmother and how she and her daughters and stepdaughter came to be. Their story is set in a vivid gothic atmosphere of a crumbling manor house in dark woods that border royal lands. The writing is so lyrical and lush that it was its own kind of magic.
This is the story of a strong resilient woman who is trying to raise strong and resilient daughters. Is Etheldreda an evil stepmother or is she a tenacious mother in desperate circumstances making hard decisions and sacrifices for her daughters to give them a secure future? It is also an exploration of motherhood and complex mother/daughter relationships. It is fierce and feminist in the best possible ways. This is not a whimsical Cinderella retelling. There is depth, grit, grief, and pain. It was unputdownable.
I loved the redefining of a story that we think we know. The character development was incredible and rich in personality. The world building was vibrant, descriptive, and immersive. I liked that the novel leans more toward historical fiction rather than fantasy but there were still elements that felt dreamlike. There were some incredible twists and turns in the narrative along with surprising revelations. I can't wait to read future novels by this author!
My Rating: Spectacular!
