Book Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Women
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: February 6, 2024
Length: 480 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah’s The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

I’ll put it simply: Kristin Hannah’s new book is a stunner. In this dramatic story of a young woman’s experiences as a nurse during the Vietnam War and the wrenchingly difficult life she comes home to, we live through hell and then some with the sympathetic, compelling main character.

Frances McGrath is a child of privilege, a lovely young woman fresh out of nursing school, the daughter of a wealth family living on San Diego’s Coronado Island. She comes from a family of military heroes — her father even has a “hero wall” in his study, with framed photos of the generations of men who served their country. That’s right — men. It’s not until her beloved only brother ships out to begin his naval tour, after a fancy family party, that Frankie realizes that women can be heroes too. Feeling a bit lost without her big brother and wanting to share some of her father’s admiration, she joins the Army Nurse Corps — the only branch that will allow a nurse with so little real-world experience to head to Vietnam.

Frankie is in for many rude awakenings, starting with her parents’ reaction. It turns out, she’s misinterpreted everything. Military service is something to be proud of only in the case of sons, not daughters. Frankie is an embarrassment, nothing more.

Still, she excels at basic training, but finds herself completely out of her depth when she arrives in Vietnam, where she quickly realizes that her quiet hospital rounds back home did nothing to prepare her for the horrors of Vietnam’s reality. Fortunately, she’s taken under the wings of her two roommates, Barb and Ethel, women whose experience and guidance help Frankie survive her first few weeks of war. Eventually, Frankie rises to the occasion, becoming a skilled, brave, and compassionate surgical nurse.

Vietnam also provides Frankie with romantic entanglements, and suffice it to say that the outcome is as tragic as you’d expect in a war zone. Frankie’s time in-country comprises the first half or so of the book. It’s harrowing, tragic, upsetting, and yet, gorgeously written. It’s so visceral that we feel we’re there with Frankie, and she herself is given space to grow, feel, and experience everything around her. Readers will walk away feeling that they truly know this person.

Frankie’s return to the States is yet another awful shock. As we know from history, returning vets were spat at, reviled, and called baby killers. Frankie is emotionally drained, distraught, and has nowhere to turn. In low moments, when she seeks help at the VA and tries to join a veterans’ “rap” group, she’s turned away by male vets who inform her that, despite what she tries to tell them, there were no woman in Vietnam.

Her downward spiral is awful, compounded by some shady people in her life, but even with the love and support of her close friends, she’s mainly alone in a very, very dark place. Frankie’s experiences are heartbreaking. Even as we see her making terrible decisions and using very bad judgment, we can sympathize and understand how hopeless and out of place she feels.

It’s probably obvious that The Women is not an easy book to read, but it’s absolutely worth the emotional investment. The writing is fantastic, descriptive and personal while also plunging us headlong into the scenes of wartime hell — but what really elevates this book is the in-depth look into the heart and soul of such a fascinating and complex woman.

The Women is also quite informative, relaying the experiences of women serving in Vietnam in a way that doesn’t often get the spotlight. The author’s notes at the end are very helpful, as are the reference books and additional sources she lists. (In fact, one of the books she recommends is A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam, which I read many years ago, but am now tempted to read again.)

The book also brought back memories of the TV series China Beach, which I loved… and which (sadly) does not appear to be available to stream anywhere. Bring back China Beach!

But back to The Women: It’s a beautiful, sad, disturbing, powerful read. After finishing the book a few days ago, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Another don’t-miss book from a talented author — highly recommended.

27Jan2024

Audiobook Review: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Woman in Me
Author: Britney Spears
Narrator: Michelle Williams
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: October 24, 2023
Print length: 277 pages
Audio length: 5 hours, 31 minutes
Genre: Memoir
Source: Library
Rating:

The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.

The Woman in Me needs little introduction — I can’t imagine there’s anyone unaware of Britney Spears and her deeply personal memoir, published in the fall of 2023.

In her memoir, Britney takes us through her childhood memories, her early years as a performer, and her rise to pop stardom. But as she describes so clearly and powerfully, there was an obsession with her — her body, her behavior, her sexuality — that plagued her from the start of her massive popularity, objectifying her in ways that are shocking yet sadly not terribly surprising.

A young woman of huge talent, she was subjected to endless questions about inappropriate topics — are her breasts real? is she a virgin? what did she do to poor Justin? — from a very young age, and in a way that was never applied to the male stars associated with her. The paparazzi hounding is scary, and as she explains her experiences having two babies within a year of one another, then being pressure to perform when she was still in the throes of post-partum exhaustion, it’s easy to see that this is a woman who was pushed to the edge.

Britney is candid about her struggles and mental health crises, but it’s also clear that she was never incapacitated to the extent that a permanent conservatorship would have been justified. As The Woman in Me makes perfectly plain, the same people who controlled Britney because she was supposedly incapable of managing her health, body, and finances profited hugely from her during the thirteen years of conservatorship — and it’s amazing to think about the fact that throughout all these years (again, while she was supposedly incapacitated), she performed in sold-out Las Vegas shows and world tours, released new material and new albums, and and made millions of dollars.

Britney reads a short introduction to the audiobook (explaining that it’s all too painful for her to narrate fully); Michelle Williams narrates the book itself, and does a very good job of conveying Britney’s words — so much so that I often forgot that I wasn’t listening to Britney herself. This can be a tough listen. There’s a lot of raw honesty here, and the manipulation, abuse, sexism, and outright misogyny inflicted on Britney is awful to hear about, even while most of it isn’t new, considering how much media coverage (and gossip) the star has always generated.

The Woman in Me is a powerful, emotional book, and I applaud the author for sharing so much of herself. After years of being controlled — physically, emotionally, financially — it’s wonderful to see her taking back her own power and her own voice. All I can say is — I wish Britney Spears joy and health, whatever she decides to do next… and hope the world will someday finally realize how poisonous the media and paparazzi frenzy can become, especially for young women.

A final note: After finishing The Woman in Me, I watched the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears (available to stream via Hulu). The documentary was produced prior to the end of the conservatorship, and there’s a follow-up (Controlling Britney Spears) that I have not watched yet. It was interesting to watch, especially for the sake of seeing archival footage of some of the interviews, performances, and incidents that Britney describes in the book.

(Around the same time the NYT documentary was released, a Netflix documentary (Britney vs. Spears) was also released. This one has pretty harsh reviews and seems to be consider exploitative. I haven’t watched it, but I believe this is the documentary that Britney is upset by in her book, as it involves people she’d confided in spilling secrets and private correspondence, among other betrayals. (Again, I haven’t watched it, so I’m basing this on reviews and commentary by those who have). )

26Jan2024

Book Review: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: I Must Betray You
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: February 1, 2022
Length: 321 pages
Genre: Young adult / historical fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

A gut-wrenching, startling window into communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the number one New York Times best-selling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

I picked up I Must Betray You with some trepidation. Reading a YA historical novel set during the last days of the Ceaușescu regime would not typically have been a go-to choice for me, but because this is my book group’s pick for the month, I decided to commit and give it a try. I’m glad I did.

I Must Betray You is a stark, brutal story of repression, cruelty and suffering, as experienced by 17-year-old Cristian. Cristian is a smart, kind teen living in Bucharest, worn down by the daily suffering and deprivation of life under the Ceaușescus. There’s little food, unreliable water and electricity, and constant fear. Anyone and everyone could be an informer. There are no secrets; there is no safety.

As told through Cristian’s experiences, it’s a terrifying life, and even the small moments of friendship, family connection, and potential romance are weighted down by fear: Can he trust the person he’s speaking with? Who else is listening? Can he believe what he hears?

Cristian’s life falls apart when he’s forced into an informer role. If he complies, his ailing grandfather will be given medicine. If not? Well, as bad as things are for his family, they can get much worse.

Without giving too much away, I Must Betray You follows Cristian through the darkest of days and up through the revolution that overthrew the Ceaușescu regime in 1989. Cristian’s experiences are harsh, scary, and awful to read about, and given the ambiguousness of the book’s opening, it’s very much an open question throughout whether he’ll survive.

I appreciate the storytelling and sensitivity that the author brings to this harsh narrative. The chapters are very short and sharp, and as each ended, I wanted to know more. This is a hard book to put down once started.

For me, the collapse of communist regimes in the late 1980s is something that doesn’t feel like long-ago history, but even so, I really didn’t know much specifically about Romania and what the Romanian people suffered through on a daily basis. I Must Betray You is eye-opening. I can only wonder how this book is received by its target audience of contemporary teens — are they aware of this period of history, and do they connect with the characters and events?

I Must Betray You is powerful and clearly very well researched. Somehow, I can’t quite bring myself to give it 5-stars — possibly because it feels like there’s so much exposition throughout, occasionally at the expense of the characters’ development. Pieces of the outcome (again, trying to avoid giving away details) feel unlikely too me, perhaps a tad too optimistic about survival given the realities of what happened in Romania at the time.

Overall, I Must Betray is a compelling, intense read, and I’m glad I had the experience. I’ve only read one book by this author previously (Out of the Easy, which I didn’t completely love). I think I’d like to read more, although my impression is that her work tends to be about very dark subjects, so I’ll likely hold off for a bit.

If you have any interest in an in-depth look at this traumatic, terrible chapter of history, I recommend I Must Betray You.

If you’ve read other books by Ruta Sepetys, please let me know your recommendations!

24Jan2024

Book Review: The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Guncle
Author: Steven Rowley
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: May 25, 2021
Length: 326 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.

So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.

After absolutely loving this author’s most recent novel, The Celebrants, I was eager to explore more. The Guncle, released in 2021, charmed me as soon as I saw the cover (I’m easily swayed by great covers!). I’m happy to report that The Guncle delivers in so many ways, and won my heart completely.

In The Guncle, our main character is Patrick O’Hara, a successful TV star (he’s won a Golden Globe!) now living a secluded life in his lovely (but lonely) Palm Springs home. In the four years since his sitcom ended, he’s stayed in the desert, avoiding anything close to real human interaction or connection.

As we learn, Patrick is a man so deeply mired in grief that’s he’s completely walled himself off from the possibility of truly caring — or getting hurt — again. Years earlier, his beloved was killed in a tragic car accident. Making things as painful as possible, Joe’s family refused to acknowledge Patrick’s relationship with their son, and banned him from Joe’ hospital room during his awful final days. Patrick has simply never recovered, and shields himself with quips, banter, fabulousness, martinis, and solitude.

As The Guncle opens, however, Patrick is forced back into the sticky world of human connection when his former best friend (who later became his sister-in-law) passes away after a battle with cancer. Not only does Patrick have to mourn Sarah’s loss, but he’s also confronted immediately with a huge demand: Sarah’s husband (Patrick’s brother) Greg informs Patrick that he’s signed himself into rehab, and that he wants Patrick to take his two children, Maisie and Grant, for the summer.

Patrick loves his niece and nephew, of course… but from a distance. He’s not a family man and has never even considered raising children. Yet within days, he finds himself back in Palm Springs with a 6- and 9-year-old, and with no clue what to do with them.

Silliness and hijinks ensue — everything from teaching them the fine art of brunch to creating cotton candy mustaches to adopting a dog, and we mustn’t overlook (and really, it would be impossible to overlook) the pink Christmas tree in the living room. And yet, there’s seriousness and sadness underneath it all: These children have just lost their mother and been separated from their father. They’re adrift, and it’s up to Patrick to anchor them, teach them how to live again, and show them a way forward through their grief.

But how can Patrick, a man who’s never fully dealt with his own heartbreaking loss, hope to help the children?

Seeing how Patrick evolves alongside the children is part of the beauty of The Guncle. Who would think, with such a cute and silly cover, that this would be a book of depth and emotion? After reading The Celebrants, I really shouldn’t have been surprised at how beautifully the author conveys the full range of emotions, denial, anger, and confusion that comes with terrible loss.

Despite the sadness that permeates so much of the book, The Guncle is also hilarious. Patrick is a trip, who never fails to delight with his quips and snide comments and blazing asides. I think every child could benefit from an Uncle Patrick — he doesn’t coddle and he doesn’t talk down; he may not always be the most age-appropriate, but at the end of the day, he’s supportive and loving and… well… just amazing.

I only have two minor quibbles when it comes to The Guncle: First, the timeline confused me (possibly more so because I listened to the audiobook, so it’s entirely possible that I might have missed soemthing early on). The book states that Patrick has been living his secluded life in Palm Springs for four years, so I’d assumed that this related to Joe’s death… but no, it’s clear later that Joe died twelve years earlier. The timeline for Patrick’s relationship with Joe, his TV career, Sarah and Greg’s marriage… all felt fairly jumbled to me, and I would have prefered greater clarity.

Second, I wish we’d gotten to see more of Patrick and Sarah’s frienship. There are flashback scenes throughout the book, but not enough to make me feel as if I truly understood or was invested in their chemistry and commitment to one another. For that matter, I would have liked a little more about how Sarah and Greg got together, and what the immediate impact was on her relationship with Patrick. We get a little of this, but I felt like I was missing the big picture.

Quibbles aside, I loved The Guncle. It’s piercingly funny, yet also heartbreaking and sweet and even hopeful. The characters are wonderful, the descriptions are vivid, and the depiction of Patrick and the children muddling through a summer together is unforgettable.

I’m delighted that a sequel is on its way! While The Guncle has a completely satisfying ending, I’m happy we’ll have the chance to spend even more time with Patrick, Maisie and Grant. The Guncle Abroad will be released in May 2024.

21Jan2024

Book Review: One Girl in All the World (In Every Generation, #2) by Kendare Blake

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: One Girl in All the World
Series: In Every Generation
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication date: January 31, 2023
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Young adult fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake takes us back to the demon capital of the world in this highly anticipated sequel to In Every Generation, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Frankie Rosenberg is coming to terms with the fact that she’s the newest slayer, but that doesn’t mean she has it all figured out just yet. She and her friends are still reeling from the deadly attack on the annual slayer retreat—and the new revelation that some slayers may still be alive. She’s got her own Scooby Gang, but sometimes feels more on the outside than ever. She throws herself into training with her mom, the great witch Willow, and her new Watcher, Spike, but they’ve got demons of their own to contend with (both of the real and metaphorical variety). Buffy made it look easy, but being a slayer is hard—and lonely.

But Frankie doesn’t have time to wander through Sunnydale Cemetery singing about her new responsibilities. With news of Buffy’s possible demise, Demons are making their way back to Sunnydale in droves, called by a Hellmouth that is starting to reawaken. And then an oracle brings news of a new Evil brewing…something called The Darkness. Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie?

With a satisfying blend of fresh and familiar, humor and (stakes through the) heart, One Girl In All The World is a breathtaking continuation of the series that Booklist calls “a worthy successor to the Slayer stories” (Starred Review on In Every Generation).

One Girl in All the World is book two in a trilogy — and I’m happy to say that this second book neatly avoids the middle book doldrums, instead raising the stakes (ha!) and providing a fast-paced plot that also includes terrific character moments and plenty of Buffy-esque quips.

One Girl picks up shortly after the events of In Every Generation. Frankie (Willow’s teen daughter) is now more settled into her new role as a slayer, with her very own band of Scoobies to accompany her on patrol and into and out of assorted shenanigans. Although they defeated the Big Bad of the moment in book 1, more badness is on the way.

Specifically, something is calling demons back to the Sunnydale Hellmouth, especially its “greatest hits” — demons who’ve battled there before, back in Buffy’s day, seem especially drawn to the town. Frankie’s nightly patrol battles are escalating, and some disturbingly familiar demons raise all sorts of havoc.

One Girl continues the through-line of the missing Slayers. An explosion at a Slayer gathering apparently killed all Slayers, resulting in Frankie being called, but in One Girl, we learn that many survived, but ended up in alternate dimensions. The Scoobies are desperate to find Buffy, Faith, Andrew, and the rest, but also have to contend with a new threat from a decidedly unexpected direction.

Plus, there’s high school drama involving relationships, friendships, identity, parents, and sneaking out after curfew. The danger is real, but so is the cuteness.

What elevates these books above more standard high school supernatural fare are the character moments. We get to spend time with the younger generation — Frankie and friends — but also get plenty of Willow, Oz, and (be still, my heart) Spike.

Spike walked through the streets of New Sunnydale, carrying a box of cinnamon shortbread. Thursday night. Poetry club meeting. His turn to bring the cookies.

As Frankie’s Watcher, playing the part of school librarian, Spike wears a face glamoured to make him appear in his 40s plus lots of tweed (even though we know his black t-shirts and leather duster are close at hand whenever he needs them).

After all, he was still the Big Bad, still able to beat down the worst of whatever the Hellmouth threw at him. And to prove it, that night he’d traded the tweed for a pair of jeans and a black sweater. Let these poetry ladies get a taste of who they were really dealing with. Someone dangerous. Someone damaged. Someone who had killed, and would kill still more, and would never get the blood off his hands.

But then again, maybe he would, if he put in enough hours teaching the kiddies how to use reference databases and the importance of proper shelving.

There are lots of terrific callbacks to Buffy incidents, characters, and baddies, as well as sweeter moments when we’re reminded of how important Buffy’s circle of friends and family always were.

Having an all-powerful witch as a mother offers some benefits to Frankie, and she certainly doesn’t have to hide her Slayer duties — but conflicts do naturally arise. Can you even ground a Slayer? Who’s going to go out and slay if Frankie is grounded?

“Grounded!” Willow declared. “So, so grounded.” And to drive home the point, she snapped her fingers, and Frankie’s door slammed shut on its own. “So that’ll put marzipan in your pie plate, bingo!” Willow shouted from the other side.

“Mom,” Frankie growled. “I still don’t know what that means!”

“Neither. Did. She,” Willow said mystifyingly, and Frankie heard her footsteps walk away down the hall.

Willow gets a bit more action in this second book than in the first, and I felt as though more of the “real” Willow came through this time around. Spike is, of course, glorious and wonderful to be around at all times, and it’s especially delightful to see him deal with being perceived as an “old” librarian when he still feels like a 20-something rebel bad boy.

I think I actually enjoyed One Girl in All the World even more than In Every Generation (which I liked a lot). The 3rd and final book in the trilogy, Against the Darkness, will be released in April, and I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up.

This trilogy is a great treat for Buffy fans. If you miss hanging out with Slayers, Scoobies, and assorted demons, check out these books!

17Jan2024

Book Review: Clover Hendry’s Day Off by Beth Morrey

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Clover Hendry’s Day Off
Author: Beth Morrey
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: January 30, 2024
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

A hilarious and empowering perimenopausal Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, about Clover Hendry, 46, and the day she decides to stop keeping the plates spinning, say F@#! it all, and finally get hers.

Today is not the day to mess with Clover Hendry.

Clover hasn’t said “No” a day in her life. Until today. Normally a woman who tips her hairdresser even when the cut is hideous, is endlessly patient with her horrendous mother, and says yes every time her boss asks her to work late—today, things are going to be very different. Because Clover is taking the day off. Today, she’s going to do and say whatever she likes, even if it means her whole life unravels.

What made Clover change her ways? Why doesn’t she care anymore? There’s more to this day than meets the eye.

Clover Hendry’s Day Off is a joyful, raging, galvanizing story about putting life on pause, pleasing yourself, and getting your own back. Whatever it takes. Because when Clover stops caring, she can start living.

Cute, upbeat writing elevates this story of a 40-something-year-old woman who decides to just… be different one day.

Clover Hendry works in television, has a loving husband and twin 16-year-olds, and has never not been nice, not a single day in her life. She brings donuts to work so her underlings will like her, and does their work for them so she’s not seen as asking too much. She never objects, never confronts, never makes a fuss. She takes up as little space as possible, and manages to move through her life.

After an unexpected email sends her reeling — and after taking a couple of expired Vicodin with a chaser of Benadryl — Clover decides that she just needs a day to herself. Most importantly, she also decides that she needs a day of not worrying about everyone else.

Chaos ensues. She breaks the rules at a private social club. She doesn’t meekly give in when a group of yoga moms want her space at the park. She acts out — strongly — when an old woman at a cafe makes homophobic comments. She provokes her (admittedly awful) mother into a truly outrageous public display. And that’s only some of what Clover gets up to on her day off.

There are some very funny observations about corporate life:

There are endless echelons of MDs and CEOs, CFOs and presidents and global heads and elusive chairmen of parent corporations above me, and what unites them is that they love meetings. They live for meetings. The more obscure the point of the meeting, the better. Utterly pointless is by far the best.

Yup.

We eventually learn what sets Clover off at the start of the day, and see her take her life back from the various fears and years of put-downs that have kept her so passive and accepting of whatever comes her way. I was happy to see that her husband is not one of the bad elements in her life, and neither are her kids. It’s refreshing to see someone standing up for herself who can also appreciate the good people who have her back.

Clover Hendry’s Day Off is amusing and a quick read, and while there were parts that made me want to cheer — I mean, yes, stick it to the patriarchy!! — Clover’s actions are so over the top and often just plain mean that I couldn’t really get behind a lot of it. Yes, she gets away with it all and manages to improve her life by the end of the day, but I didn’t actually find her day believable, especially with the lack of any real consequences for the ridiculous (nasty, illegal, disrespectful) things that she does.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read. It kept me entertained, and was easy to speed through. That’s not a rave review, I know — it was okay, not fabulous.

14Jan2024

Book Review: The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Parliament
Author: Aimee Pokwatka
Publisher: Tordotcom
Publication date: January 16, 2024
Length: 361 pages
Genre: Horror/fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

The Birds meets The Princess Bride in this tale of friendship, responsibility, and the primal force of nature.

“Murder owls are extreme,” Jude said. “What’s more extreme than murder owls?”

Madeleine Purdy is stuck in her home town library.

When tens of thousands of owls descend on the building, rending and tearing at anyone foolish enough to step outside, Mad is tasked with keeping her students safe, and distracted, while they seek a solution to their dilemma.

Perhaps they’ll find the inspiration they seek in her favorite childhood book, The Silent Queen….

With food and fresh water in low supply, the denizens of the library will have to find a way out, and soon, but the owls don’t seem to be in a hurry to leave…

The Parliament is a story of grief and missed opportunities, but also of courage and hope.

And of extremely sharp beaks.

Awww, look at the cute owl on the cover!

Kidding. That’s a murder owl. Not cute!

And ignore what the synopsis says about The Princess Bride — that might seem to indicate that this book is full of whimsy and silliness, and it’s nothing of the sort.

Let’s get back to the murder owls.

When Mad Purdy agrees to teach a kids’ chemistry workshop — making bath bombs — as a favor to her former best friend who works at the local library in their hometown, she has no idea what she’s in for. She’s already moved away to put distance between herself and the site of her worst memories, but in the name of friendship, agrees to do this one thing.

But that one thing, meant to just be one brief event, turns into days of waking nightmares, as the library is surrounded by millions of tiny owls. Maybe one on its own is cute. This swarm is far from it, as the trapped inhabitants learn after watching the owls descend on the first person to venture outside. It isn’t pretty.

Mad expected to be in and out in one hour, boundaries firmly in place. Instead, she’s thrust into the role of protector, keeping the kids physically and emotionally safe, or as safe as they can be, given that food, water, and medicine are running out, and the outside world seems to have no clue how to rescue them.

To keep the kids distracted, Mad begins to read to them from her favorite book, The Silent Queen — which seems to show up in the library just when needed. No one has ever heard of it before, but for Mad, it was a lifesaver through the worst days of trauma during her childhood. The story of a young queen who isolates herself in a tower, but finally has to step out of her safe zone to save her people, may seem a little on the nose, but it doesn’t feel heavy-handed. The story gives the kids something to focus on, and meanwhile starts forcing Mad out of her own inner fortress.

The Parliament can be terribly frightening, and while there are several scenes of gruesome attacks when a few people are foolish enough to venture outside, much of the horror is psychological. The people inside the library are trapped, cut off (there’s no wifi or cell service, thanks to the owl swarm), and utterly reliant on one another and whatever scraps of supplies they can scavenge. Meanwhile, the few attempts at solutions that come from outside the library seem doom to failure, and worse, put the people inside the library in even greater danger.

This book is fascinating, and the story-within-a-story approach (chapters of The Silent Queen alternate with chapters focusing on the library) keeps us on the edge of our seats with both pieces of the narrative. The Silent Queen reads like a fairy tale/fantasy quest, and it’s both lovely and dramatic. The main story, within the library itself, conveys all the terror and claustrophobia of being trapped with a bunch of strangers, with a clock ticking and no rescue on the way.

Mad herself survived a terrible incident at age eleven, and that’s impacted every aspect of her life ever since. She’s taught herself a thousand useless, random tricks and survival skills, but at the expense of allowing herself to connect with others or let anyone really know her. This may make her the perfect person for helping the children in the library, but she has to get past her own trauma before she can truly start connecting with them.

My only quibble with The Parliament, and it’s a minor one, is that there are too many adult characters in the library to keep track of. We have Mad and her best friend Farrah and her former friend and love interest Nash, but there are also librarians and a book group and some seniors and, well, they start blurring together. Ultimately, I was more interested in the kids as individuals than in the glimpses we get of the adults, and so I didn’t bother trying to keep most of them straight in my mind. Like I said, this is a pretty minor issue, and ultimately didn’t keep me from being totally engrossed in the book.

Overall, The Parliament is a fascinating read, and once I started, I just couldn’t stop. The main story and the fantasy story within it work together in complicated and surprising ways, and as the tension ratchets up, I was on the edge of my seat. The author does a terrific job of keeping the action intense and frightening, while also letting us inside the characters’ experiences and providing a look at the long-lasting effects of trauma and survivor’s guilt.

Highly recommended.

13Jan2024

Audiobook Review: Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Funny You Should Ask
Author: Elissa Sussman
Narrator: Kristen Sieh
Publisher: Dell
Publication date: April 12, 2022
Print length: 352 pages
Audio length: 7 hours 52 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Then. Twentysomething writer Chani Horowitz is stuck. While her former MFA classmates are nabbing book deals, she’s in the trenches writing puff pieces. Then she’s hired to write a profile of movie star Gabe Parker. The Gabe Parker–her forever celebrity crush, the object of her fantasies, the background photo on her phone–who’s also just been cast as the new James Bond. It’s terrifying and thrilling all at once… yet if she can keep her cool and nail the piece, it could be a huge win. Gabe will get good press, and her career will skyrocket. But what comes next proves to be life-changing in ways Chani never saw coming, as the interview turns into a whirlwind weekend that has the tabloids buzzing.

Now. Ten years later, after a brutal divorce and a heavy dose of therapy, Chani is back in Los Angeles, laser-focused on one thing: her work. But she’s still spent the better part of the last decade getting asked about her deeply personal Gabe Parker profile at every turn. No matter what new essay collection or viral editorial she’s promoting, it always comes back to Gabe. So when his PR team requests that they reunite for a second interview, she wants to say no. She wants to pretend that she’s forgotten about the time they spent together, years ago. But the truth is that those seventy-two hours are still crystal clear, etched in her memory. And so… she says yes.

Chani knows that facing Gabe again also means facing feelings she’s tried so hard to push away. Alternating between their first meeting and their reunion a decade later, this deliciously irresistible novel will have you hanging on until the last word.

A restless young journalist with big dreams interviews a Hollywood heartthrob–and, ten years later, it’s clear that their time together meant more than meets the eye in this sexy, engrossing adult debut novel.

I’ve never considered myself a fan of the celebrity romance trope… but here I am, absolutely devouring my second book by Elissa Sussman, and I gotta say — it’s working for me.

In Funny You Should Ask, author Chani Horowitz gets her big break at age 26 when she’s assigned an interview with movie star Gabe Parker. He’s just been named the next James Bond, kicking off a media frenzy of negativity, and his publicists are hoping that a positive profile will turn things around. Chani has been writing about the film industry, but hasn’t really hit her stride yet, so this is an unprecedented opportunity for her. One interview turns into a weekend of movie premieres and parties, and the article she writes catapults her into the spotlight and does wonders for Gabe’s career. Yet after the two part, real-life scandals crop up, and they go their separate ways.

Ten years later, despite her success as a published non-fiction writer, Chani has never quite shaken the gossip that’s surrounded her ever since the Gabe article. And for Gabe, the ten years have brought success as Bond, a viral public downfall, rehab, and now sobriety. As his first new movie in years is about to be released, his team asks Chani to do another interview — a chance to put Gabe back in the spotlight and give him an opportunity to show who he’s become. Chani agrees, with trepidation, but is not prepared for the deluge of feelings and memories that being with Gabe again sparks.

This book has so much to love! The “then” and “now” plotlines are interwoven skillfully, so that we only see the past events in little bits and pieces, leaving the big questions about what exactly happened and what might have gone wrong unresolved until close to the end of the book. What’s clear is that Chani and Gabe connect with one another right from the start, and while she is plagued by doubts about whether he sees her as just another fawning fan, it’s obvious to readers how much more is going on between them.

Gabe is portrayed with sensitivity. He’s a gorgeous Hollywood star, but we’re shown his vulnerable side, as well as his alcoholism and the downward spiral he falls into. Chani is flawed as well — funny and talented, but quick to jump to conclusions or read a situation incorrectly. It’s lovely to see them connect, and heartbreaking to see them misread one another, time and time again.

I really enjoyed the writing, and especially the dialogue. I mean, how can you not love a book that includes lines like this:

“I thought we’d established that I’ve read everything you’ve written.”

It’s one of the hottest things anyone has ever said to me.

The romance is, of course, central to the plot, but It’s Funny You Should Ask is also both moving and keenly interesting when focusing on Chani’s writing career, the obstacles she encounters, the negativity she encounters from people who should be her biggest supporters, and the self-doubt that plagues her no matter how well her essays and books are received.

The “then” and “now” narrative is also sprinkled throughout with excerpts from Chani’s articles and blog posts, movie reviews, gossip columns, and inside-Hollywood thought pieces. These help ground the story and show how public perceptions feed into Gabe and Chani’s personal situations.

The audiobook, narrated by Kristen Sieh, is bright and engaging. It’s a fun, upbeat listen, and the narrator’s expressiveness captures the characters’ dynamics and their inner lives very well.

I picked up It’s Funny You Should Ask after listening to the author’s more recent book, Once More With Feeling, just a few months ago. It’s safe to say that I’ll be back for whatever Elissa Sussman writes next.

10Jan2024

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
Author: Heather Fawcett
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Publication date: January 16, 2024
Length: 342 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

Emily Wilde is back! Last year’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries was a smash hit — it seemed like everyone was talking about it! Book #2 picks up relatively soon after the first book ended, with Emily and Wendell back in Cambridge, immersed in the world of scholarship and academic competition.

And while Emily is still herself, putting her studies above everything else, she now has Wendell to temper her scholarly obsessions. Her gorgeous Faerie king (and university colleague) is determine to keep Emily comfortable and do what he can to take care of her, even when she clearly doesn’t care much about being pampered. She does care about Wendell, though, and her qualms about accepting his marriage proposal have nothing to do with whether she loves him and everything to do with how dangerous she knows the Fae to be.

When Wendell’s life is threatened and Emily starts receiving mysterious visitations, they set off to the Alps to chase down a lead, hoping to finally locate Wendell’s missing door back to his own Faerie realm. Nothing is easy, though, and there are dangers galore… along with an interesting assortment of both adorable and hideous magical creatures.

This second book is a total delight, living up to the promise of the first and delivering a terrific mix of nerdy scholarship and enchanting magic. Emily is a wonderful main character, following her own path no matter where it takes her, never willing to compromise when a new discovery beckons. (Who knows, maybe she’ll even write a paper about it!)

The adventure is lots of fun, the writing is funny and fast-paced, and the overall atmosphere combines a throwback to Victorian times with a heaping dose of magical intrigue and dangers. I did feel that the climax and resolution of the quest came about almost too quickly, after a lengthy build-up, but I still felt satisfied and engaged when I got to the end, and will definitely be back for more.

The Emily Wilde books are oodles of fun, with terrific characters, a novel approach to storytelling, captivating magical worlds, and plenty of geeky delights. If you enjoy the fantasy genre, you’ll definitely want to check out these books.

7Jan2024

Audiobook Review: Get Lucky by Katherine Center

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Get Lucky
Author: Katherine Center
Narrator: Morgan Hallett
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: April 6, 2010
Print length: 288 pages
Audio length: 8 hours 13 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

How do you change your luck? Katherine Center’s marvelously entertaining and poignant new novel is about choosing to look for happiness—and maybe getting lucky enough to find it.

Sarah Harper isn’t sure if the stupid decisions she sometimes makes are good choices in disguise—or if they’re really just stupid. But either way, after forwarding an inappropriate email to her entire company, she suddenly finds herself out of a job.

So she goes home to Houston—and her sister, Mackie—for Thanksgiving. But before Sarah can share her troubles with her sister, she learns that Mackie has some woes of her own: After years of trying, Mackie’s given up on having a baby—and plans to sell on eBay the entire nursery she’s set up. Which gives Sarah a brilliant idea—an idea that could fix everyone’s problems. An idea that gives Sarah the chance to take care of her big sister for once—instead of the other way around.

But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. After a decade away, Sarah is forced to confront one ghost from her past after another: the father she’s lost touch with, the memories of her mother, the sweet guy she dumped horribly in high school. Soon everything that matters is on the line—and Sarah can only hope that by changing her life she has changed her luck, too.

After reading and loving Katherine Center’s five most recent novels plus one from her backlist, I decided to listen to another backlist book via audio when I stumbled across it on Hoopla. And while Get Lucky was a fun, engaging listen, it’s clear to see that this is an earlier work from an author whose books just keep getting better and better.

In Get Lucky, Houston-born Sarah is thriving at her New York ad agency. Well, okay, she got passed over for promotion in favorite of the less-qualified jerk she’d been dating… but still, her ideas have resulted in a huge campaign (more on this later) that’s getting loads of attention. Unfortunately, when an email from her sister has her spiraling in the middle of the night, she shares a link with the rest of the company (never hit Send on an all-staff email in the middle of the night!!) that’s deemed inappropriate, and she’s abruptly fired. By her jerky ex. Whose nickname is Mr. Dynamite, in case you’re wondering.

Getting fired right before Thanksgiving is not ideal, and things get worse for Sarah when she boards her flight back to Houston for the holiday and ends up seated next to her high school ex-boyfriend, who (a) has gotten incredibly hot and (b) has apparently never forgiven her for dumping him in a truly thoughtless and cruel manner (which she regrets, but of course, you can’t undo the past).

Arriving home, Sarah’s sister Mackie immediately informs her that she’s done with trying to have a baby. After yet another miscarriage related to endometriosis, Mackie is giving up on her dreams of becoming a mom. And Sarah — adrift, jobless, and without plans — has an idea. Her uterus is just fine, after all. Why not become Mackie and her husband’s gestational carrier? After a tiny pause to consider, Mackie and Clive are in, and in practically the blink of an eye, Sarah is living in Mackie’s nursery/guest room, and pregnant.

The book delves into Sarah and Mackie’s past, the death of their mother during their teen years, and how that’s affected (and continues to affect) their openness toward love, connection, and commitment. While their father continued to care for them after their loss, he was so befuddled by his own grief that his parenting was always distant and ineffectual, so the girls had to rely on one another for everything that mattered. As Sarah lives with Mackie and moves forward with the pregnancy, she also is confronted by the feelings from her past that bubble up, complicating an already complicated situation.

There’s also a love story, of sorts, which is more of a background plot thread than a front-and-center focus, which is why I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance. Sarah also deals with career choices, rebuilding a relationship with her father, and finding a new outlook on life thanks to the outrageous-but-awesome new woman in his life.

Get Lucky is enjoyable, but some elements feel especially dated or jarring, even though it was only published 13 years ago. The ad campaign launch that kicks off the story is truly atrocious — it’s a campaign for a new line of bras, and the tagline is “boob ’em”… and I won’t even go into all the ways this plays out and how awful it sounds. Later, there’s an extended plot element revolving around Sarah’s involvement with the young woman who was the ad campaign’s bra model — all of which feels unnecessary and distracting, and does nothing to move the plot forward.

Overall, I’m not sure that the story truly holds together. There are a lot of random plotlines, and Sarah’s journey sort of meanders through them all. That said, there’s also plenty of humor, some very funny dialogue, and sneaky little moments that are suddenly quite emotional and pack a punch.

Morgan Hallett’s narration is quite good, capturing Sarah’s inner voice, the zaniness of some of the side characters, and the array of voices and situations. I found this a light, entertaining listen that didn’t demand a whole lot of attention, which was perfect for my life this week.

If you’re a Katherine Center fan, or simply enjoy a sister-centric story, it’s worth checking out this backlist title.