It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we've read the month prior. I had some good reads in July, although I didn't get to a classic. I have one on tap for August and to be honest reading Don Quixote in May should count as two. Linking with Jenn, Joanne, Marilyn, and Tanya today. If you'd like to add your titles or see what others are reading hop over to one of the blogs linked here.
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
"I've learned how big of a dream it is to have a small life."
This was definitely a favorite. A multi-generational family saga that explores themes of love, loss, addiction, and the enduring power of family ties. Various parts of the story are told by three different members of the Bright family spanning four decades. Each person's voice adds depth to what we already know. I loved the writing.
Lillian and Ryan fall in love, marry, and have a daughter they name Georgette (Jet). Their happiness is complicated by a number of issues, some born in the past and some present day. The characters are complex, richly drawn, and flawed. You are rooting for them all.
I don't want to spoil anyone's read, but this one definitely tugs at your heartstrings. Five stars for me.
"I didn't know happiness could feel so sad'
Heartwood by Amity Gage
The fictional story of 42-year old Valerie Gillis, a nurse who vanishes somewhere in Maine, while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Her disappearance triggers a wide-scale search operation led by Beverly Miller, a female lieutenant with the Maine Warden Service.
The narration is handled via excerpts from Valerie's journal, Beverly's perspective, and an additional character, 76-year old Lena Kucharski, a retired scientist who acts as armchair detective. Lena has a story of her own too. While I understand the use of Valerie's journal, I think there would have been a bit more mystery without that piece.
Is it just me or are there suddenly a slew of books about people disappearing in the woods?
In this instance I was expecting more intrigue, a thriller even, but that wasn't the case. The author uses the lost hiker as a means to explore the unexpected theme of motherhood. Valerie writes letters to her mother in her journal. Bev the warden has a mother who is dying and there are complicated feelings there. Lena has a daughter who doesn't speak to her.
Yes there's the search to find Valerie, but mothers and daughters and how they relate are at the heart of the story. Three stars for me.
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
I've been trying every month to read something that's been sitting on my Goodreads 'to be read' list for a long while and this one fit the bill.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a work of historical fiction that tells the story of Henry Lee, a Chinese-American boy, and Keiko Okabe, a Japanese-American girl, who form an unlikely friendship in Seattle during WW2.
The tale is told using a dual timeline and the format works well. We meet 50-something Henry in his present day life, a recent widower and father to a young adult son with whom he struggles to communicate. The story opens with Henry standing in front of the Panama Hotel which has been shuttered since the war, but has recently been purchased and is undergoing refurbishment. It's a spot that holds memories both bitter and sweet for him.
In the clean up process, suitcases and other items that belonged to Japanese Americans sent to internment camps during the war are discovered in the basement. The story alternates between the 1980s (present day) and Henry's experiences in the 1940s. I enjoyed both timelines.
I'll be honest and say that while I knew there were Japanese internment camps in the US during the war, I didn't know much more than that. A poignant, tender, well-told story. Loved it. Four stars for me.
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
This book y'all. It's intense and had me from the word go. It's original and I'm a fan of original. The author has done a lot of research into the geo-political climate of Africa in the 1960's and it's woven in to the story in a way that's engaging. It feels like a thriller and it is, but there's history on the pages too. This is not a keep you up at night with the covers pulled over your head kind of thriller.
Unless you've got an African Safari on the calendar, and then all bets are off.
It's 1964 and a popular actress (Katie Barstow) and her new husband (David Hill) decide to bring a group of their Hollywood friends to Tanzania to join them for the second leg of their honeymoon. For most of the group this will be a photo safari and the first few days start off gently enough. Things go awry pretty quickly and by awry I mean yikes!
This was a page turner for me. You should know going in there's some violence of both the two-legged and four-legged variety. Four stars for me.
Parent's Weekend by Alex Finlay
Five college students go missing during Parent's Weekend at a California university. All are pretty much a mess in some way, or at least they come from messy families. There are some cliches here which grate, but the plot grabs you.
There are a lot of people in this book and I found myself flipping back to the intro page often to re-check the helpful cast list. On the plus side, I really liked the lead FBI agent Sarah Keller with her nice kids and her smart, caring husband. She felt relatable, capable without being over the top, and also really likable.
I read this in a day with my toes in the sand. It was a good beach read and held my interest to the end. An easy read, maybe not memorable, but enjoyable nonetheless.
So what have you been reading? Send any new favorites my way!
