I loved Robin Sloan’s previous book, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and read lots of positive reviews of Sourdough. And, while Sourdough had an interesting premise and started off strong, it trailed off and lost my interest about 2/3 of the way through. Lois is a software engineer who only eats dinner from a neighborhood dive. When the restaurant-owning brothers take off, they leave Lois with their amazing sourdough starter. It changes her life. The story has an element of fantasy which I didn’t love and requires some suspension of disbelief, which I also didn’t like. Overall, it was disappointing, especially given my love of Sloane’s previous work.

If you, like me, loved Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes (reviewed here – one of my first), you should immediately grab the light we lost by Jill Santopolo. (And, by the way, if you haven’t read Me Before You, grab it immediately and first!) the light we lost grabbed me the moment I started reading, and I couldn’t put it down. In fact, it was one of those rare books that I thought about during the work day when I wasn’t able to keep reading it. Lucy meets Gabe senior year of college. They part ways and meet again a year later and start dating. When Gabe is assigned to the Middle East and decides his career takes precedence over everything else, they each form separate lives that intertwine over the next thirteen years. I don’t want to describe the plot any further and spoil the story. This was one of my favorite books of the year and one of the best I have read in a while. Is it deep? Is it life-changing? No. Just a good story that’s well-told. I highly recommend it and would be surprised if it doesn’t end up a movie as well.

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber was a disappointment. The story was meh, the characters were unlikeable and underdeveloped, and I kept wanting to abandon ship. I persevered because I had read some positive reviews (including 4.5 stars overall on Amazon), but it didn’t redeem itself. Amazon’s description, “Serial meets Ruth Ware’s In A Dark, Dark Wood in this inventive and twisty psychological thriller about a mega-hit podcast that reopens a murder case—and threatens to unravel the carefully constructed life of the victim’s daughter” certainly seems like something I would want to read, but unfortunately, it didn’t deliver. I’d give it a skip if I were you.

The Leavers, by Lisa Ko, was my book club’s selection for November. I read it quickly and enjoyed it a great deal. In short, it’s about identity, ethnicity, and family ties. One day, Deming’s mother, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, goes to work and never comes home. Deming, then eleven, is left upset and mystified. He is eventually adopted by a white family in upstate New York, and renamed Daniel Wilkinson. The story is told alternately from Deming and his mother’s perspective and takes place in New York City, upstate New York and China. I was really taken with the characters and their struggles and think this was a deep and thoughtful read.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop, by Veronica Henry, was a delightful little book, just perfect to curl up with on a cold, rainy day, or to enjoy on a sunlit summer beach. Nightingale Books is a wonderful little bookshop in a tiny English town. The owner, Emilia Nightingale, is having trouble keeping the shop open after her father’s death and the mountain of unpaid bills are discovered. We meet lots of characters from the town, and their stories are woven into the story of Emilia and the bookshop. I highly recommend you pick this one up to enjoy on a cold, fall day or put it on your list as a fun summer gem.

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld was a very quick read. And, while it was disturbing, it was a rather interesting story without much depth. Naomi is a “child finder”  private investigator. She is hired to find Madison Culver, a five-year-old who disappeared three years earlier in the Oregon woods. Naomi is uniquely qualified for these searches for children as she was once lost herself. The story moves back and forth from Naomi’s story to Madison’s. And, while I did read this one quickly, at the end, I was left unsatisfied.

What Happened by Hillary Clinton is a fascinating look at the election. It was well-written (though too long – the middle was skim-able) and surprisingly entertaining. This is not the kind of book that I usually gravitate toward, but I was really interested to understand the election and its aftermath from Hillary’s point of view. And, I very much enjoyed reading it, even though it, at its core, was a sad and disappointing reminder of reality.

The Address, by Fiona Davis, was wonderful! It’s just the kind of book I love – historical fiction, based in truth, with a time back-and-forth, and a dash of intrigue. Sara Smythe emigrates to America in 1884 to work at The Dakota in New York City. Her passage is paid for by The Dakota’s architect, Theodore Camden. 100 years later, Bailey Camden, fresh out of rehab, needs a place to live after being fired from her interior decorating job. Bailey’s grandfather was Theodore Camden’s ward. The apartment (owned by her cousin) where Bailey ends up living (and renovating) was Camden’s apartment, where he was killed by Sara Smythe. While this might seem confusing, it’s actually a well-woven and fascinating story. I now want to read Life at the Dakota: New York’s Most Unusual Address.

I’ve had The Diplomat’s Daughter by Karen Tanabe on my Kindle for a while and finally took it on. And, boy am I glad I did. It’s a World War II story from different perspectives. Three characters, two interred in the US, one fleeing from Germany, have intersecting lives. While the book was a bit long, it was enjoyable – all three stories were interesting and I liked the ending. I only wish it hadn’t left you hanging and had more content after the resolution.

I thoroughly enjoyed Raising America’s Zoo by Kara Arundel. It’s the story of her father-in-law and how he brought two gorillas to the National Zoo, transforming and elevating the zoo’s operations. Kara is a reporter and the book is written as a reporter would tell the story, which I liked – not too much extraneous information, crisp, and to the point. I knew none of the story and it made me want to know even more. This is a wonderful book to grab and a quick and interesting read.