1.) Beartown by Fredrik Backman
I love Fredrik Backman's books. I knew that this book (and series) is a little different from his other books so I didn't read it immediately. It's true. It is very different in tone but still definitely worth reading.
From Goodreads:
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys. Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
Beartown is a beautifully written literary novel that tackles some difficult topics. An awful incident takes place that shakes the structure of this small hockey town and tears it apart. This is definitely a darker and more dramatic Backman. He is known for his touching and emotional writing but this novel lacks his characteristic humor. This book was serious all the way through. It is a complex story that packs punch. It is intense, emotional, and yet incredibly compelling. I don't care about hockey but I cared about Beartown, its residents, and its hockey team.
Backman is one of my favorite contemporary authors because he does so many things well. He is an incredible writer and his writing is beautiful despite being spare. There aren't any flowery descriptions and tons of flowy dialogue. And yet...there is such beauty in the simplicity. Also...what a cast of characters! Backman is a master at character building. The characters of Maya, Benji, Amat, Peter, Kira, Ana, Bobo, Ramona, David, and Sune are such memorable characters. Each of the characters undergoes some kind of evolution and their perspectives change in the course of the novel. I also really enjoy the unique narrative structure that Backman uses in all of his books. He is a wonderful storyteller.
If you are a mood reader like me this is the perfect book to read in winter. There is such a strong sense of place and community. A dying hockey town in the cold snowy forests of Sweden. Super atmospheric.
Backman's books are always full of memorable quotes...so many! He really taps into the characters humanity whether it's a 15 year old girl or her 40 year old mother. So good!
“You never have the sort of friends you have when you’re fifteen..."
“The love a parent feels for a child is strange. There is a starting point to our love for everyone else, but not this person. This one we have always loved, we loved them before they even existed. No matter how well prepared they are, all moms and dads experience a moment of total shock, when the tidal wave of feelings first washed through them, knocking them off their feet. It's incomprehensible because there's nothing to compare it to. It's like trying to describe sand between your toes or snowflakes on your tongue to someone who's lived their whole life in a dark room. It sends the soul flying.”
“Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone.”
Fantastic!
Beartown is a thought-provoking novel that is about so much more than hockey. It tells a powerful story of community, friendship, loyalty, courage, and belonging. I look forward to reading the other two novels in the series.
My Rating: Good!
2.) The Cozy Life by Pia Edberg
Every winter I like to read a hygge book that will hopefully help me *get through* winter without hating it so much. So far... I still hate winter...but I do try to implement all of the things that this author discusses. This book is the perfect hygge primer. All of the basics are covered. Edberg discusses all kinds philosophies, ideas, tips, and even recipes. Nothing new from other hygge books but it was still a cozy quick and enjoyable winter read.
From Goodreads:
In today’s world, we’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next and are struggling with information overload. We’re more disconnected from ourselves and our loved ones than ever before. Rediscover the joy of the simple things through the Danish concept of Hygge in The Cozy Life. This book will inspire you to slow down and enjoy life’s cozy moments! Learn about the Danish cultural phenomenon of Hygge, and the secret to why Denmark is consistently rated the happiest country in the world. Embrace the little things and take simplicity and minimalism up a notch. Add Hygge into every aspect of your life with practical examples and tips.Say goodbye to the Winter Blues and live a healthier, centered life."
I will always love and promote the idea that simple pleasures are what make our lives feel richer and more enjoyable. Edberg thinks this too.
“Life can pass us by so quickly, and before we know it, it’s gone. All those small moments in between the big moments are just as important and precious. Feelings of connection, presence, simplicity, and joy are what enriches our lives at a deeper level.”
My Rating: A charming little book.
3.) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
This was my book club's pick for March 2023. I'd heard about this book for years but never felt compelled to pick it up. I'd read Amor Towles book Rules of Civility years ago and enjoyed it but it didn't make me want to read his whole catalogue. Plus the subject matter of A Gentleman in Moscow seemed heavy. But I kept hearing from trusted reading sources how amazing it was so I suggested it for my book club so that I would be *forced* to read it. I am THRILLED that I did! I loved this book! I want this book permanently on my bookshelf.
From Goodreads:
A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
This book was literary dessert and I ate it up! It was fantastic! I don't often read historical fiction set in Russia and especially during the Bolshevik revolution. But this richly written novel about a Russian aristocrat under house arrest in a luxury hotel for 3 decades grabbed my interest and didn't let go. This beautifully layered story spans the decades of 1922 to 1954. Our hero and main character Count Alexander Rostov watches history unfold through the guests that come through the luxurious Metropol Hotel.
Count Rostov is unforgettable and has become one of my favorite literary characters. He was so vivid. His charm, intelligence, wit, and erudite observations of personalities and details had me cheering for him and completely won me over. I adored him. Nearly as likeable were the cast of other compelling characters. They were exceptional...Anna, Nina, Sophia, the Triumvirate...to name a few. The dialogue was sparkling with both wit and emotion. This story of love, friendship, and found family had me emotionally invested. Not to mention the Metropol Hotel which was its own character. Towles is beautifully descriptive; the sights, sounds, and smells. The hotel was charming with its secret keys, stairwells, and hidden rooms. The setting was atmospheric with a wonderful sense of place. The hotel was almost whimsical at times...like a Russian fairytale...enchanted from harm from the outside world. I loved it. It was fun to find out that this hotel actually exists.
I loved the themes woven into this illumination of a life...those of freedom, love, happiness, purpose, friendship, connection, savoring the small things, and finding joy in the present despite your circumstances. I loved how this honorable and distinguished gentleman learned and grew over the decades though the friendships he made. I found it incredibly insightful.
Amor Towles surprised me. He took subject matter that could have been heavy, sad, suffocating, and pessimistic and instead gave the readers a book full of optimism and joy in spite of very difficult circumstances. Despite being a good-sized book...nearly 500 pages...I didn't want my time with the Count to end. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Moscow and the Metropol Hotel.
My Rating: Unforgettable. A joy to read!
4.) What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
The author identifies 20 bad habits that hold us back from success. There is a lot of good information shared and most of it is simple common sense. Show gratitude, give credit where credit is due, don't be negative, don't pass the buck, don't cling to the past, listen to other people, don't withhold information, apologize etc. It's all so basic and yet these bad behaviors are rampant in the business world and in the world in general. We could all use some good reminders on better ways to communicate, how to use etiquette, and ways to behave better. All of those things factor into leadership whether you are talking about leadership in the corporate world, your family, or even church callings.
The author posits that bad behaviors more than work skills are what hold you back from becoming even more successful. The "what got you here...won't get you there" idea. Some of the highlights for me were having a "to-stop" list rather than a "to-do" list. Stop being negative...stop interrupting people...stop starting sentences with "no", "but", or "however" and to respond to all feedback...positive and negative...with "thank you."
The author doesn't necessarily say anything new or revolutionary. It's just good common sense. The 20 bad habits are great for identifying blind spots in our own behavior. I'm always for gaining insight into my behavior and how it affects those around me. There are definitely some useful takeaways that are good for personal and professional growth. The author does get a bit repetitive and self-promoting but overall the information is good.
My Rating: A good reminder of how important interpersonal skills are.
5.) Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life by Melanie Shankle.
Melanie Shankle is a favorite social media follow and podcaster of mine. I enjoy her humor and insights. Reading this book was like listening to a longer podcast but without the equally delightful Sophie Hudson with whom she co-podcasts with on the Big Boo Cast.
From Goodreads:
It’s been said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” The pressure of that can be staggering as we spend our days looking for that big thing that promises to take our breath away. Meanwhile, we lose sight of the small significance of fully living with every breath we take. Melanie Shankle, New York Times bestselling author and writer at The Big Mama Blog tackles these questions head on in her fourth book, Church of the Small Things. Easygoing and relatable, she speaks directly to the heart of women of all ages who are longing to find significance and meaning in the normal, sometimes mundane world of driving carpool to soccer practice, attending class on their college campus, cooking meals for their family, or taking care of a sick loved one. The million little pieces that make a life aren’t necessarily glamorous or far-reaching. But God uses some of the smallest, most ordinary acts of faithfulness—and sometimes they look a whole lot like packing lunch. Through humorous stories told in her signature style... Melanie helps women embrace what it means to live a simple, yet incredibly meaningful life, and how to find all the beauty and laughter that lies right beneath the surface of every moment.
One of the biggest lessons that I learned from my mom was to appreciate the simple things. My mom was big on simple pleasures and how it is the simple things in life that are actually are the big things. In this memoir the author shares different aspects of her life and the things that make life meaningful.
Melanie Shankle is a great story-teller with a dry wit that I thoroughly enjoy. Her memoir is well-written and poignant. I loved the stories that she shared of her growing up in the 70s and 80s as well as parenting a teenage daughter and her hilarious reflections on marriage. I especially loved the section about both sets of grandparents. It was funny and touching. It especially hit home to me now that I am someone's grandma.
”I’ve always thought I would love to have one more day with them to ask about their hopes, their dreams, their heartbreaks and disappointments, but I think what I’ve realized as I’ve grown older is they probably didn’t think much about those things. Life, for the most part, just was what it was...good and bad. They lived their lives with a faithfulness and commitment to the small, important things we tend to overlook in the quest to do something grand with our lives, somehow missing the fact that the small things are ultimately the biggest things.”
A refreshing and quick read. Humor and spirituality all tied up together in a beautiful way. I enjoyed it!
My Rating: Good!
6.) Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
This is book #9 in The Outlander Series. I've being reading this series for 30 years. The first book came out in 1993 when I was in college. There was a wait of 7 years between the release of her last book and this one. This is pretty typical of her. I couldn't wait to read it and to be in the Outlander Universe again. I knew I would just love it...and then... I didn't.
From Goodreads:
It is 1779 and Claire and Jamie are at last reunited with their daughter, Brianna, her husband, Roger, and their children on Fraser’s Ridge. Having the family together is a dream the Frasers had thought impossible. Yet even in the North Carolina backcountry, the effects of war are being felt. Tensions in the Colonies are great and local feelings run hot enough to boil Hell’s teakettle. Jamie knows loyalties among his tenants are split and it won’t be long until the war is on his doorstep. Brianna and Roger have their own worry: that the dangers that provoked their escape from the twentieth century might catch up to them. Sometimes they question whether risking the perils of the 1700s—among them disease, starvation, and an impending war—was indeed the safer choice for their family. Not so far away, young William Ransom is still coming to terms with the discovery of his true father’s identity—and thus his own—and Lord John Grey has reconciliations to make, and dangers to meet . . . on his son’s behalf, and his own. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary War creeps ever closer to Fraser’s Ridge. And with the family finally together, Jamie and Claire have more at stake than ever before.
This is the most disappointing book in the series. Like I said, I have been reading this series for 30 years and did we get answers to some of mysteries and plot points that have been dragging on for this long? No, we did not. I finished reading this so incredibly frustrated with the book, the series, and with Diana Gabaldon herself. Having to wait so long between books and then this book was so weak was a huge disappointment. The fact that there was no real plot advancement made me want to throw this book against the wall. I was so disappointed. Even by the end of this over 900 page novel we still haven't addressed the cliff hangers from the last pages of the previous novel!! Are you kidding me?!
I did love that it felt like I was visiting with old beloved friends. I love the Outlander Universe and it felt good to be back. I loved how atmospheric the book is... I was right there on Fraser's Ridge churning butter with the best of them. Gabaldon's books are immersive. I give her that. I loved being back with Jamie and Claire and their family.
What I didn't love this go round was her writing. It was incredibly problematic although it pains me to say it. Diana Gabaldon has been a favorite author of mine for decades. This time her writing infuriated me. She says that she doesn't write linearly. She says that she likes to write little scenes and then string them together to form a novel. It didn't work with this book. It was too disjointed. The entire book was basically a collection of vignettes. Domestic scene...fade to black...another domestic scene...fade to black. There was no cohesiveness and unfortunately not much plot. Her writing was choppy.
There was too much time spent lazing about on Fraser's Ridge with Claire working in her garden and Jamie building the house or digging a privy. Like hundreds of pages. It was all nice and cozy but there was too much daily minutia. Move the plot along!! Then just as anything remotely interesting or exciting started to happen the scene faded to black and we moved on. When we did return to the characters that we were so invested in....their story had moved on too. Seriously?! The "We'll talk about it laters" and "That's a story for another time..." made me want to scream. No! We've been waiting decades for some of these conversations to occur. Talk about it now!! Who cares about the weather, what they are eating, or the dirty kitchen floor. Have this conversation NOW! Can we get to the good stuff?! When some of the long-awaited scenes and conversations finally did happen they were incredibly short and unfulfilling. Also so much happened off the page. Here's an idea...put the good stuff ON the page and leave the domestic chores OFF the page. We can imagine all that needs to be done on Fraser's Ridge but readers aren't here for a "how-to-homestead" in the 1700s. We are here for the characters and their relationships! Please show them to us.
Give us a story about characters that we know and love and are already invested in. Fergus! Masali! The amount of page time given to Fergus and his family was a travesty. Doesn't DG think we want to know what is happening with Fergus? That perhaps that would be a more interesting story than what we were actually given? We start off hot with that storyline and then it drops off the page. What about Dottie and Denny? Barely anything. What about the Beardsleys? We have been invested in them for many books and many years and they are only briefly mentioned and never show up even when it is crucial to the survival of Jamie (not to mention the Ridge) that they do. What?! Where are all the Ardsmuir men? Why all the annoying fisher folk and the even more irritating Crombies. Ugh. We don't need any more Crombies. Why in the world is Jamie fighting off red coats without the help of Roger and Ian (they were off running errands in other locations)...no one had Jamie's back even Fergus was elsewhere and so were the Beardsleys. This required a huge suspension of disbelief.
The Outlander Universe is replete with hundreds and hundreds of characters that are already difficult to keep track of. How about we focus on the characters that we know instead of wasting so many pages on new characters and storylines that then just get dropped or end abruptly ie Agnes, John Cinnamon, the Sachem, and the Cunninghams to name a few. DG isn't focusing on the characters that we already love and are invested in, not to mention, that we've been waiting years to find out what is happening with their storylines. She moves on to new characters and then...boom...they are off the page too. Why? Quit wasting our time. It feels manipulative.
Also give the characters that we love and are returning for...more. More plot...more characterization...flesh them out again. Only Claire and Jamie and maybe William had any real character development. Young Ian and Fergus are fantastic characters. Brianna is too as are John and Hal. Give them more plot and page time! And Roger...what has happened to him? I barely recognize him from earlier books. He has morphed into TV show Roger and is so boring. Give me Jamie and William, Bree and William, Lord John and William, Hal and Lord John, Fergus and Marsali, Young Ian and Rachel, and Jenny! Give me more time travelers and all that ensues. Even give me more Frank from the future. But don't give me new and uninteresting characters that don't really progress the plot while beloved characters molder in the background.
My favorite parts of the book and the parts that had better pacing were the storylines involving William and Lord John. Even though William just spent most of his time riding around looking for people... five different times. This book felt like a mash-up of a Lord John book and an Outlander book. DG hasn't added anything new to the Lord John series so it felt like she crammed some of it into this book. I am okay with it as I am a reader of both series but if you aren't a reader of the Lord John books do you really care about Hal and his children? Do non Lord John readers even know who most of the characters are that surround John and Hal?
Thank goodness for Outlander Wiki to remind me who the secondary and other tertiary characters are as they pop up and we are supposed to either be shocked (or care) about their appearance. Ezekiel Richardson, Sylvia Hardman, Manoke, Denys Randall-Isaacs, and Tom Byrd. As to the two potential villains... the one who we already knew well was more of a twist which was what made made him all the more terrifying as he flip-flopped and had the potential to really do damage to the Frasers. Of course his storyline petered out and the other new villain who I barely had any recollection of came to the forefront. His storyline was not exciting or scary. If I have to look you up to remind myself of who you are...your twist is rather lackluster as is your villainy.
How long is the American Revolution going to last in these books? Can we be done with it? In the early books there were jarring 20 year time jumps. Now we are just languishing in the American Revolution times for forever. On the other hand, suddenly someone is pregnant and we turn the page and the baby is born. The pacing in this book is uneven and horrible.
Even worse is that our favorite characters are rarely together and rarely interact. The family is not together for most of the book. They are all in different locations. The best part of these books are this family. Let's have them interact more okay? The best interactions were between William and Bree. Readers have been waiting a long time for this and also for the Roger, Bree, and Jenny meet up. But so little time was devoted to any of these scenarios. The payoff was so small. But then DG spends pages on the White Sow, the contents Claire's pie safe, multiple sermons, and Roger's ordination...yawn. It's ridiculous. It got tedious. I never thought in a million years that I would say that about an Outlander book but there it is. By the time this series eventually ends I might not even care. Sad.
The writing is truly the culprit. It's too scattered with too many loose ends and plot points. There is too little pay off for the decades invested reader. There needs to be more plot momentum and more excitement. The first three Outlander books used to make me gasp with surprise and I had to immediately find someone to discuss what was happening. This book had none of that. Can we stop wasting time (ie decades) and FINALLY get to the good stuff? Other reviewers said that this book felt self-indulgent. I one hundred percent agree. If book 10 doesn't knock our socks off it will be because DG has written this series into the ground.
I am going to give this book 2 stars because I do love the Outlander universe and characters but this was a filler book and it was a let down.
My Rating: Not great.
7.) Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
This was my book club's pick for May 2023. This book has been everywhere and much hyped. I loved that the main character was a female chemist from the 1950/60s who then becomes a cooking show host. Elizabeth Zott was definitely an interesting and remarkable protagonist.
I found this book to be unique. The premise of a woman ahead of her time that must fight the patriarchy of the scientific world to be taken seriously in her profession while enduring constant sexual harassment was a good reminder to the world of how things were and unfortunately often still are today. More books should be written that expose the limitations placed on women's ambitions by patriarchal systems and institutions. I love a book that is empowering for women. This book does that.
I loved Elizabeth's intelligence and her unintentional humor but this book is not quite the cheery romp that the cover might lead you to believe. There were darker and deeper issues explored like grief, suicide, sexual assault, and sexism.
I loved the cast of quirky supporting characters. Particularly Elizabeth's neighbor Harriet Sloane and TV producer Walter Pine. I also enjoyed the Reverend Wakely and Dr. Mason. The love story of Calvin and Elizabeth was not your average romance and I appreciated that.
There was some anti-religious commentary that felt soap-boxy. The main character is an atheist and the author seems to give her personal views as well. I think that you can be a scientist and religious. But I don't necessarily have to be in agreement with an author's personal views to enjoy the books they write.
There were some odd additions to the story that were a bit of a stretch of the imagination. Six-thirty the dog for one and his POV and also the uber intelligence of Mad caused me to have to suspend my disbelief. But, all in all, I found the book to be entertaining and also reflective with its deeper themes of misogyny, feminism, found family, love, and self-worth.
My Rating: A good book club pick.
8.) Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
From Goodreads:
Hannah, the now-elderly narrator, recounts the love she has for the land and for her community. She remembers each of her two husbands, and all places and community connections threatened by twentieth-century technologies.
I have heard so much about this book on the various book podcasts that I listen to. This is my first Wendell Berry book and it is part of his Port William series. Despite being a series of books about the fictionalized farming community of Port William, KY each book is a stand alone although all of the books are interconnected via the towns people. After reading Hannah Coulter I now want to read about the other residents of Port William. I think Jayber Crow will be my next Port William selection. Wendell Berry is a renowned author, essayist, and poet. I read that Port William, Kentucky is a fictionalized version of the town that he grew up in.
This book is unique. It is literary fiction but it reads almost like memoir. An older woman is telling the story of her life. This is a velvety read. Berry's writing is rich and poetic. His pace is slow and introspective. It's meant to be savored. Berry's portrait of a Kentucky farm wife draws you in as Hannah unravels the story of her life and its changing seasons. She shares her joys, worries, triumphs, and tragedies. Hannah feels like a real person who lived and breathed on a farm in Kentucky during the Depression, through WWII, and on into the 1990s. The novel covers sixty years of her life.
Berry's writing is beautiful. It is setting heavy. You definitely feel a sense of place and you feel like you are immersed into this close-knit farming community. While a quiet and character-driven novel, I was still drawn in to this story all about farming, family, love of the land, and the importance of community.
There are some memorable and touching passages. I particularly loved Hannah's reflections on parenting adult children. This isn't a subject that gets much coverage in novels and yet it is such a big and important part of life.
“To be the mother of a grown-up child means that you don’t have a child anymore, and that is sad. When the grown-up child leaves home, that is sadder. I wanted Margaret to go to college, but when she actually went away it broke my heart. Maybe if you had enough children you could get used to those departures, but, having only three, I never did. I felt them like amputations. Something I needed was missing. Sometimes, even now, when I come into this house and it sounds empty, before I think I will wonder, “Where are they?”
“I have this love for [him]. It was formed in me as he himself was formed. It has his shape, you might say. He fits it. He fits into it as he fits into his own clothes. He will always fit into it. When he gets out of the car and I meet him and hug him, there he is, him himself, something of my own forever, and my love goes all around him just as it did when he was a baby and a little boy and a young man grown.”
“Living without expectations is hard but, when you can do it, good. Living without hope is harder, and that is bad. You have got to have hope, and you mustn’t shirk it. Love, after all, “hopeth all things.” But maybe you must learn, and it is hard learning, not to hope out loud, especially for other people. You must not let your hope turn into expectation.”
Berry's writing is tender and exquisite. I look forward to reading more of Wendell Berry's work and savoring the stories of the people of Port William.
My Rating: Excellent. This book is a gem.
9.) Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
This was my book club's pick for June 2023. Despite having heard a good amount of buzz about this book I had no idea what I was getting into. A talking octopus? I was skeptical. But this book was wonderful and I loved it! Despite my usual annoyance with anthropomorphism; Marcellus was the very best part of this book! I know! I'm shocked.
From Goodreads:
After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.
This debut book is wonderful! I laughed. I cried. I had all the feels. I loved the setting of Puget Sound. Our family has had the pleasure of seeing an octopus being returned to the sea and it is something that we have never forgotten! This story of loss, aging, loneliness, friendship, and found family was charming. I adored the POV of Marcellus the octopus. I love a good curmudgeon with a heart of gold even if it is a giant pacific octopus! I could have read a whole book about Marcellus and his machinations in the human world. His inner dialogue was hysterical! He is unforgettable and fantastic.
This book had a lively cast of characters even though I didn't love Cameron and his hot mess of a life at first but it paid off in the end. I wanted to hug Tova and I adored Scottish grocer Ethan. This literary fiction novel with a dash of magical realism stole my heart. I was so skeptical going into this book and probably would never have read it if it weren't for my book club. But Marcellus hooked me in and then the rest of the plot was gently propulsive and the ending was satisfying. There were even a couple of shout outs to Spokane, my hometown, although not in the most flattering light. Come on Shelby Van Pelt! Spokane is pretty great!
My Rating: Wonderful! I loved this surprising book about an unlikely friendship.
10.) The Life Council by Laura Tremaine
I am a regular listener of Laura Tremaine's podcast. I read and enjoyed her first book Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First so her second book The Life Council was an auto buy for me.
From Goodreads:
In The Life Council, Laura Tremaine--the writer and podcaster behind 10 Things to Tell You-- tells us what we've been hoping was true all along: making, keeping, and even releasing friends doesn't need to be as hard as we make it. This fun and practical guide gives .... every woman the help she needs to think about friendships in a new way and find true connection, freedom, and joy in her relationships.
This is a book about friendship. The author shares her friendship philosophies and the 10 friends that everyone should have on their life council. I quickly devoured this book. Laura Tremaine is famous for getting people to think about their lives on a deeper level.
In this part-friendship memoir and part-personal development book, she talks about the difficulties and complexities of making and maintaining friends as an adult. This is a topic that is all over the zeitgeist. Despite people being able to stay connected easier than ever before people feel lonelier than ever before. The gist is that making adult friendships can be complicated and that it takes work to stay connected. The book advocates appreciating all different types of friendship. Every friend doesn't have to meet every need we have and be our everything, and that there are different kinds of friendships that fulfill different needs. Every friendship doesn't have to fit the same mold. Sometimes our friends will only fill one specific role and that's okay.
Tremaine has an interesting perspective. She breaks down the Life Council framework into 10 friends that everyone should have over the course of a lifetime. (We don't need to have them all at the SAME time.) Her 10 friends include:
1.) The Old Friend
2.) The New Friend
3.) The Daily Duty Friend
4.) The Battle Buddy
5.) The Yes Friend
6.) The Business Bestie
7.) The Fellow Obsessive
8.) The Mentor
9.) The Password Protector
10.) The Empty Chair
(Sometimes one friend may fill multiple roles.)
I thought it was an interesting look into how someone views friendship and classifies their friends. The book is full of interesting personal stories. I appreciated the author's honesty and vulnerability about the mistakes that she has made and the friendship lessons that she has learned. I also really liked the supplemental material in the form of podcast episodes that she did with many of the people that she wrote about.
This book reminded me of all the wonderful friends that I have in my life and helped me look at those friendships with more purpose and intention. There were some tangible takeaways for me on how I can be a better friend and be better at extending friendship to those around me. I particularly liked the reminder that "friendship is a to-do list" and to "believe the best" and "just go." Friendships don't always happen effortlessly. We need to show up for our friends and make them a priority.
Reading The Life Council brought back memories of and gratitude for dear friends over the years...the ones who have come and gone... the ones who have stuck around... and the ones who are yet to be. Friendships are a gift!
I think this is an important topic. Research shows that friendships are crucial to our overall happiness and well-being. This is a good book for reflection. I think it would be a fantastic book club selection and discussion.
My Rating: Good!
