Wow. And an exhalation upon finishing this book. The House Girl was an incredible read, well worth hanging in at the beginning when it was WAY too slow. I almost gave up several times and then everything picked up and I could not stop reading. The intertwining of Lena and Josephine’s stories was powerful and perfect. I loved the research element and the way the past came together in the present. It left me wanting more – the ending was too abrupt. But, I can live with that because everything else about the middle and ending sections was so compelling. While there were parts of the book that bothered me, on the whole, I really enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it.

I loved The Circle from the first page. In fact, I read most of it over the weekend. The sense of foreboding which was in the background for me the whole time was very uncomfortable, and I think, for Eggers, intentional. I found myself so irritated by the ease in which Mae fell into the perils of life in The Circle, and kept going with it unquestioningly. But, despite all this, I couldn’t put the book down. Dave Eggers is great and if you are not familiar with his work, you must immediately grab A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. I also couldn’t put down Zeitoun. What an incredible story!

I chose Cartwheel next because it was such a departure from Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. I have to admit once I read that the story was loosely based on the Amanda Knox story I thought I wouldn’t like it, but as mysteries are wont to do, this one gripped me right away. I haven’t read much about Amanda Knox, except to know that she was originally found not guilty and then found guilty just recently. So, even though I was initially not interested, once I plunged into the book, I wanted to know what happened. It kept my interest and I cared enough to want to find out what happened. It even made me want to more about Amanda Knox and the cartwheel she did or didn’t do once in custody. A downfall of the story was that it lacked fully developed characters. I didn’t feel like I really got to know anyone well enough, even Lily herself. They were all too surface for me. It was a quick read, though, and not too deep, which sometimes is a treat.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore was suggested to me by a fellow book-obsessed friend. But, it was suggested with a caveat that it was unusual and that I might not like it. I have to say, though, by page 58, I was totally hooked. I liked the main character, I wanted to find out more, and I was captivated by the writing. I am so glad she suggested it to me. And, the more I have read about it, the more I have learned how much respect the author garnered with this novel. It was chosen one of the best 100 books of 2012 by the Sn Francisco Chronicle, was a NYT Editor’s Choice, and was on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller list and the NPR Fiction Bestseller List. The fact that the cover glows in the dark is pretty cool too. I am so glad I pulled it out of the stack ahead of some others. The long weekend and unexpected snow days have been very good to me!! You should run out to get this unusual and captivating book. You won’t be sorry that you did.

I was prompted to add Someone to the top of the “Must Read” stack on my bedside table by a lovely invitation from a friend and colleague to join her to hear Alice McDermott speak. I figured I had better have her newest one read. I loved Charming Billy and At Weddings and Wakes. It’s been a while (7 years) since Alice McDermott published a book, so this one comes highly anticipated. Someone was a lyrically written quiet book. It centers around Marie and her family and childhood. It spans her lifetime in brief moments. This is about an ordinary person leading an ordinary life. And, while it is quiet, it is so well-written, that it’s a joy to read. I liked this book very much and I can’t wait to hear McDermott speak next week!

The first chapter of Reconstructing Amelia is just the kind I like – it grabs you and makes you keep reading. The format, changing chapter by chapter from Facebook post to journal to texting makes the book move along very quickly. This was a fascinating story that I read in only a few days. The premise (in the first chapter, so I am not spoiling anything) is that Kate, Amelia’s busy single mother, rushes to Amelia’s private school because Amelia has been accused of cheating. By the time Kate arrives at the school, Amelia has jumped off the school. Or has she? And, the rest of the book traces back to how this all happened. It’s a great read with good suspense and surprises. Girls can be so horrifying to each other. And so can grown-ups. Pick it up – it’s worth reading.

Here’s another “Everyday I Write the Book” plug. Gayle Weiswasser’s blog in addition to being great, also often includes an online book club. She gets publishers to send out review copies and the group reads the book and then responds to Gayle’s blog post about the book. This time, the book was The Realm of Last Chances by Steve Yarbrough.  It was a quick read, but felt flat to me. Frankly, also, I am tired of reading books about people having affairs. There are so many other good topics to read about and this one is getting stale to me. I might have given up on this one, had I not been reading it for the book club. In addition, it didn’t take much time or effort to get through. Even the revelation at the end, though, didn’t make much of an impact on me. It’s too bad, but blah is the best descriptor I can give to this one.

I will confess that I am one of Wally Lamb’s biggest fans. I adored his first books and eagerly awaited his next…for years…and years. Admittedly, I read She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much is True in my 20s when life was decidedly different than it is now, but still. So, I was excited to see what We Are Water was going to bring. But, I heard from a friend who is an avid reader and Wally Lamb fan, that it wasn’t as good and that she was disappointed in it. So, it has sat on my Kindle for a while, getting buried by newer books.

It took until more than halfway through We Are Water for me to stop thinking I would abandon ship. I didn’t like the characters or the story and it was SO SLOW. But, through the back half, I started cruising and began to really enjoy the book much more. The pedophilia was hard to take – very hard to take – but, it was integral to everything that happened in the story. And, as everything played out, it all began to make sense. Still, though, I found the book to be not as enjoyable as I remember his earliest books to be. Perhaps if my expectations had not been so high, I would have been happier with it. It was a gripping story and I would recommend it. But if you really want to read a great Wally Lamb book, choose She’s Come Undone.

I had been steadily steaming through my “Want to Read” list until two days ago when the library notified me that a book I had put on hold was available. So, I took a pause to read a book I have had on my list for a few years, The Virgin Cure, by Ami McKay. What a treat. While the topic is depressing, it was a fascinating historical novel set in the late nineteenth century. What I loved most about this novel, I didn’t find out until the end – it was based on the author’s great-great-grandmother’s life. Moth (a crazy name for the unusual main character) rises from the dimmest of beginnings in this story – you are sure she will find a way to prevail. However, I could not have predicted how things would go for her. It was a quick read, easily consumed over the past two snow days and absolutely worth a read.