Washington Black by Esi Edugyan was a great book. I think part of what I liked about it was that it was a book about a slave without being a book about slavery per se (while that was certainly a theme, Washington Black’s life was the more important thread). Washington Black, born a slave, becomes an assistant to his master’s brother and learns to read and draw scientific illustrations. His work takes him all over the world in search of different things. It’s a fast-paced read and is so well-written. I highly recommend you pick it up – I really enjoyed it.

Imagine my surprise upon I finishing The Possible World by Liese O’Holloran Schwarz, to discover the author’s acknowledgment of Phyllis Sidorsky, the Lower School librarian when I was at NCS. While I couldn’t discover Schwarz’s NCS connection through the internet, she was indeed, Class of ’81. Thank goodness I liked the book! The Possible World was just the kind of book I like – three separate stories that weave their way together until culmination at the end. One of the best parts of the story was the authenticity of the emergency room doctor (makes sense, since Schwarz is one herself). First, we learn the story of Ben, a five-year-old who has witnessed the brutal murder of his friends and his mother at a birthday party. Another thread focuses on Lucy, the doctor who has left her husband. Clare, the elderly woman telling her life story to a friend is the third. I would have loved more about Lucy and her relationship, but otherwise, this was a really good story that I thought about when I wasn’t reading it and wanted to get back to it so as to find out the resolution. To me, that’s the best kind of read.

Goodbye, Sweet Girl by Kelly Sundberg is the tragic story of the author’s marital abuse. You really have to steel yourself to read the story, one more in a long line of difficult and depressing reads. It was well-written, though, and heart-breaking – a good memoir.

I seem to be on a “crazy woman” depressing book kick of late. In Watching You by Lisa Jewell, there are all kinds of problems that culminate in the murder of one of the neighbors in Melville Heights. The story spins back in time leading up to the murder and everyone’s motives/history. I like psychological thrillers, but not murder mysteries, usually. But this was a good and interesting one. I blazed through it on a cold day in front of the fire and did want to finish to find out what happened. Deep? No, but certainly satisfying.

I am not sure where the recommendation for Looker by Laura Sims came from. It’s a spare novel with very large print, so only took about two hours to read. It was a depressing read, and I can’t say I loved it. It’s about a woman whose husband leaves her when they can’t get pregnant. Her life spirals out of control along with her obsession with her famous actress neighbor. The book was well-written, but it felt kind of like Girl on a Train with the descent into madness and no hope. So, while it didn’t take a lot of my time, I don’t think I can say it’s a great one to grab unless that’s the kind of book you favor. (And now, looking on Amazon for the cover image, I notice that it only has 3.5 stars there. I never choose those anymore, so I should have known…)

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb is not the typical kind of book I like. There was a legend, ghosts, and a requirement to suspend one’s disbelief. Not my usual cup of tea. However, I did enjoy this one after setting aside my skepticism. Is this an amazing read? No, but it was a good story and a nice diversion. Kate moves home to escape her failed marriage and falls into a story when I dead woman’s body washes up on the beach. It could be a Hallmark movie (Cue meme: “The plot of every Hallmark movie is about a career woman who is too busy for love but she has to move to a small town where a handsome local bachelor teaches her about the true meaning of the holiday. It starts snowing and they kiss. There is also a dog.”)

Ways to Hide in Winter by Sarah St. Vincent is a short, spare novel about a stranger who shows up in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvania and befriends lonely Kathleen who has her own mystery surrounding her. It was a quick read, and enjoyable, but not the best read I’ve had lately. While I liked it, I wouldn’t say rush out and grab it, but it isn’t a bad read to add to your TBR pile.

Sugar Run by Mesha Maren has been getting a lot of press lately. Frankly, I’m not sure why. It’s the story of Jodi, who has been released from prison after serving 18 years for murder. Alternating chapters tell the story leading up to the murder, and the story of her search for the murdered woman’s brother after she is released from jail. While I got more into it while I read, overall, this was certainly one I would have rather skipped. And, if I hadn’t had a dedicated snow day to read it, I might have abandoned ship.

While Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is not a new read, I have heard it’s a must read, so I thought I would add it to my TBR pile for 2019. And, boy am I glad I did. I was completely sucked in, and I don’t even like video games. In 2045, Wade Watts spends his days in virtual school and playing in the virtual OASIS world. He devotes his life to trying to solve the puzzle left by the creator of OASIS which would achieve an ultimate prize of millions of dollars. Along the way, he makes friends and dodges death. This is absolutely not the kind of book I would typically pick up, but I loved it. It was completely engrossing, creative, and fascinating. If you haven’t read it, I would grab it. You won’t be disappointed.

I started How to Walk Away by Katherine Center about a year ago when I was stranded somewhere with only the first chapter to read. I had read somewhere that it was a good summer choice and had downloaded an excerpt to my Kindle. All this time passed, however, without my finding the book at the library (and it has to be the most amazing book for me to purchase it!). However, earlier this week, the book was on the shelf at the library and I grabbed it. It was, indeed, a great summer read, but also a great cold-evening-in-front-of-the-fire read. In fact, I read the whole thing last night. There’s nothing deep here, but it’s reminiscent of Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You. Margaret has a seemingly perfect life – great boyfriend who is about to propose, a great prospective job, and everything seems to be headed into a great future for her. However, as her fiance proposes while piloting her in a private plane, the plane crashes, killing all of these dreams at once. The novel focuses on Margaret’s recovery in the hospital, her relationships with her family, her fiance, and her physical therapist. As much as I hate to say it since it’s a bit cheesy, it’s a great read and well worth picking up if you like a quick and satisfying beachy read.