Those who read this blog know that it’s quite rare that I purchase a book. The library has saved me tens of thousands of dollars over the years. However, after all the hype Theo of Golden by Allen Levi is getting, I decided to splurge. And, boy, was it worth it. This is one of the best books of all time for me. I just adored it. You get right into the story and the mystery, the humanity, the characters, everything, make it a terrific read. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. I hate to even describe it because the beauty is in not knowing anything about it before you pick it up. Don’t read the rest if you want to go in blind, as I did. Amazon: “One spring morning, a stranger named Theo arrives in the small Southern city of Golden. He doesn’t explain much about where he came from or why he’s there—but when he visits the local coffeehouse, where pencil portraits of the people of Golden hang on the walls, he begins purchasing them, one at a time, and giving each portrait to the person depicted. In exchange, he asks only for the person’s story. And so portrait by portrait, person by person, secrets are revealed, regrets are shared, and ordinary lives are profoundly altered.”

August Lane by Regina Black has been on my TBR list for a while and was available right away from the library, so I grabbed it for a Spring Break read. Romance seems to be on the docket lately. It was a little too long, and a bit predictable, but fine overall. “A Southern small-town romance about the visibility of Black women’s voices in country music, perfect for fans of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter and The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. ‘The best romance I’ve read all year.’ —The New York Times A New York Times Notable Book Every Thursday night, former country music heartthrob Luke Randall has to sing ‘Another Love Song.’ God, he hates that song. But performing his lone hit at an interstate motel lounge is the only regular money he still has. Following another lackluster performance at the rock bottom of his career, Luke receives the opportunity of his dreams, opening for his childhood idol—90’s era Black country music star, JoJo Lane, who’s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But the concert is in Arcadia, Arkansas, the small hometown he swore he’d never see again. Going back means facing a painful past of abuse and neglect. It also means facing JoJo’s daughter, August Lane—the woman who wrote the lyrics he’s always claimed as his own. August also hates that song. But she hates Luke Randall even more. When he shows up ten years too late to apologize for his betrayal, she isn’t interested in making amends. Instead, she threatens to expose his lies unless he co-writes a new song with her and performs it at the concert, something she hopes will launch her out of her mother’s shadow and into a songwriting career of her own. Desperate to keep his secret, Luke agrees to put on the rogue performance, despite the risk of losing his shot at a new record deal. When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s soulful alto, neither can deny that the passionate bond they formed as teenagers is still there. As the concert nears, August will have to choose between an overdue public reckoning with the boy who betrayed her, or trusting the man he’s become to write a different love song.” (Amazon)

I have no idea how I ended up reading Six Little Words by Sally Page. It was a good story and I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn’t amazing. “Kate gave up her dreams of being a painter years ago. But six little words pinned to the bulletin board of her local café could change her path forever. ‘To be, or not to be’—printed on an orange card with no explanation—appears one morning. Each day, a new line from a different Shakespeare play is added, sparking curiosity throughout the café. Among the regulars is Bardy, a retired English teacher grappling with writer’s block. As Kate and Bardy follow this breadcrumb trail, they discover a local community group encouraging people to rediscover their own creative spark—and the long-lost courage to chase it. For Kate, their new group might just offer a second chance at happiness, if only Bardy can find the strength to share his story too …” (Amazon) I think it was a little too predictable for me. A good beach choice, however.

You Are Here by Karen Lin-Greenberg has been on my TBR list for a long time. It was available on Amazon for $1.99 and I bought it. Boy am I glad I did. This was a wonderful read that I really enjoyed. Amazon: “The inhabitants of a small town have long found that their lives intersect at one focal point: the local shopping mall. But business is down, stores are closing, and as the institution breathes its last gasp, the people inside it dream of something different, something more. In its pages, You Are Here brings this diverse group of characters vividly to life–flawed, real, lovable strangers who are wonderful company and prove unforgettable even after the last store has closed.The only hair stylist at Sunshine Clips secretly watches YouTube primers on how to draw and paint, just as her awkward young son covertly studies new illusions for his magic act. His friend and magician’s assistant, a high school cashier in the food court, has attracted the unwanted attention of a strange boy at school. She tells no one except the mall’s chain bookstore manager, a failed academic living in the tiny house he built in his mother-in-law’s backyard. His family is watched over by the judgmental old woman next door, whose weekly trips to Sunshine Clips hide a complicated and emotional history and will spark the moment when everything changes for them all.Exploring how the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are inextricably bound to the places we call home, You Are Here is a keenly perceptive and deeply humane portrait of a community in transition, ultimately illuminating the magical connections that can bloom from the ordinary wonder of our everyday lives.” I highly recommend this read. The characters are wonderful and the story is great.

The Mad Wife by Meaghan Church was recommended by Gayle Weiswasser of Everyday I Write the Book and was available from the library on audiobook, which was excellent timing as I was embarking on a road trip. “Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu’s carefully crafted life begins to unravel. When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman’s constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew—and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept?” (Amazon) This was a good listen and I think it would have been a good read too. The characters were well-developed and the story was compelling. Recommend!

I do love John Boyne and The Elements, as have many of his other choices (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, All the Broken Places) came highly recommended by someone whose opinion on books I really respect and agree with. Amazon: “In The Elements, acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne has created an epic saga that weaves together four interconnected narratives, each representing a different perspective on crime: the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator, and the victim. The narrative follows a mother on the run from her past, a young soccer star facing a trial, a successful surgeon grappling with childhood trauma, and a father on a transformative journey with his son. Each is somehow connected to the next, and as the story unfolds, their lives intersect in unimaginable ways. Boyne’s most ambitious work yet, The Elements is both an engrossing drama and a moving investigation of why and how we allow crime to occur. With masterful, spellbinding prose, he navigates this complex subject with extraordinary empathy and unflinching honesty. The story resonates on a deeply emotional level, challenging readers to confront their own conceptions of guilt and innocence at every step. Amid the wildly engrossing storytelling, the book ultimately asks: What would you do when faced with the unthinkable?” I enjoyed this read quite a bit, but it wasn’t as good as Boyne’s other novels. Something was missing for me, though I liked the way the stories wove together.

I got the Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden on the recommendation of Gayle Wieswasser. “It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be—led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season. Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house—a spoon, a knife, a bowl—Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation, leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva—nor the house in which they live—are what they seem. Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is “a brave and thrilling debut about facing up to the truth of history, and to one’s own desires” (The Guardian).” (Amazon) This was a good read, though it could have been a little shorter. I enjoyed the characters and the plot development as well as the resolution.

I have no idea how I was so lucky as to get a library copy of Kin by Tayari Jones a few days after Oprah picked it as her book this month. But, I did. “Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood but are fated to live starkly different lives. Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother’s death, Vernice leaves Honeysuckle at eighteen for Spelman College, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and discovers a world of affluence, manners, aspiration, and inequality. Annie, abandoned by her mother as a child and fixated on the idea of finding her and filling the bottomless hole left by her absence, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, culminating in a battle for her life.” (Amazon) I really enjoyed this story. The pages turned quickly and it was a well-told tale.

I almost didn’t write this review, as this book, as everyone seems to know, is actually just porn. Straight out. And, I listened to it, which might make it even worse. I needed to know what the hype was about and the library had it available. Amazon: “Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night. Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him – except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great. As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…” I will admit, I can see what all the hype is about, but prepare yourself. And, read it, don’t listen to it on your way to and from work.

I really loved Catherine Newman’s last book Sandwich and was eager to read her new one, Wreck. I actually listened to Wreck, which I think kept it more alive for me. Not much happens in the book, but I found so much of her writing to be funny, that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It definitely wasn’t as good as Sandwich, but it was worth a read. Amazon: “If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry—and relate.) Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who’s back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in. It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all. With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.” I would recommend the audiobook.