Book Reviews February and March 2023

I read 21 books in February and March, but I am not going to review all of them here. I have picked my top 10 books, which were all 4 or 5 stars. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and let's settle in. Here is my rating system:

5 Stars: Loved it and highly recommend.
4 Stars: Really enjoyed it and recommend.
3 Stars: It was good.
2 Stars: Not for me right now.
1 Star: Nope.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is a ridiculously funny book that had me laughing out loud from the first chapter. Finlay is a frazzled single mom and author who is just trying to get by. She has a meeting at Panera with her agent and is overheard discussing the plot of her latest murder mystery. An eavesdropping nearby diner is convinced that Finlay must be a contract killer and offers her a ridiculous amount of money to kill her husband. All sorts of hilarious hijinx ensue and I loved it. Free on Amazon Prime/Unlimited right now. 4 stars

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. I hardly know where to begin describing this book. The structure is absolutely brilliant. The book begins with a description, almost a litany of the thoughts and actions of a group of people who regularly swim laps in a public pool. The sentences are in a stream-of-consciousness style with details rendered clearly, but the underlying emotion somehow comes through with a punch. When I say stream of consciousness, this book in no way resembles works such as James Joyce's Ulysses. It is always totally obvious what the author is talking about. The book moves away from the swimmers, into the life and mind of one of them, a woman named Alice who suffers from dementia. It is clear that Alice is the author's mother, and the depiction of Alice's confusion and the tragedy of her lost mind is a deeply affecting study of how dementia affects not just an individual, but a family. This short (192 pages) book is a masterpiece of writing. 5 stars

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. You probably have heard of this book because it has been hugely hyped and won many BEST OF 2022 book awards. This book has been very well described and reviewed by countless others, so I won't go into much detail. This book was....complicated. Plot summaries may say it "is about video games", but that isn't exactly right. The main characters do become hugely successful based on their creation of some video games. I know nothing of video games (and you don't have to either to enjoy the book), but I found the contrast between real life and video games fascinating. In life, we sure don't get the "do-overs" that gaming allows us, and I wonder how this mentality of always having a second chance affects the psyches of young people who play games obsessively. The relationship between the two main characters was very compelling. There are many types of love and who is to say that platonic love between colleagues/co-creators isn't as real/important as romantic love? The main characters' inability to communicate their feelings to one another and talk things out when they had conflicts certainly was a theme. Is this behavior typical of millennials? Obviously, this book has given me a lot to think about. Very well written and imaginative, but a bit longer than necessary. 4.5 stars

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. My husband and I have been enjoying the PBS tv series The Durrells of Corfu. So much so that when the four seasons ended, I made us start over and watch it all again! Highly recommend. Anyway, in real life, two of the Durrell children became famous writers. Lawrence Durrell for The Alexandria Quartet, and Gerry Durrell for his memoirs on his family's life on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next two in the series. If you love stories about animals and quirky families, you will eat this up. 5 stars.

The Storied Life of A.J. FIkry by Gabrielle Zevin was a delight. This is the first book by the author of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, reviewed above. A.J. FIkry is not happy. He lives alone above his bookstore and has no friends. To top it off, his bookstore is doing extremely poorly. Then, something is left in his bookstore that changes his life. If you love books about curmudgeons and found family, this is one of the best. I was hooked from the first page and think you will be too. Lots of literary references that book lovers will adore. 5 stars

Maame by Jessica George. Other reviewers are calling Maame a "coming of age" novel, which I don't totally agree with. To me, a coming-of-age novel is written from the perspective of a kid, somewhere between the ages of 8-15. Maame is 20 but has been sheltered by being assigned the role of primary caregiver to her father, who suffers from Parkinson's disease. She gets no help from her older brother and her absent mother. She is socially awkward and naive in the ways of the world, which does make her less mature than other young people her age. Maame yearns to branch out, get her own flat, meet and date men, and above all use her creativity productively and be recognized for it. I found the character of Maame to be quite endearing and found myself wanting to put my arm around her and have a good chat session. She often finds herself unsure in new situations and is constantly "Googling" them for advice on how to behave or react. After a life of keeping quiet when treated unfairly, she finally comes into her own. Watching her character develop was like watching one of those time-lapse clips of a flower coming into bloom. I really enjoyed this book and think Maame is one of my favorite and most memorable literary characters in a long time. The beautiful hardcover edition is only $17 right now. 4.5 stars

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell. Head's up, all you cozy mystery lovers out there.  The Golden Spoon is a novel that takes place on the set of a baking show reminiscent of The Great British Baking Show. Filming is about to take place on the estate of beloved show host Betsy Martin, and six contestants are ready to show the world their baking skills. Only of course everything goes wrong. There is sabotage on the set: salt substituted for sugar, refrigerators left ajar, oven temperatures changed... And then someone ends up dead. This was an entertaining mystery that will keep you guessing. 4 stars

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. Love a book about a dysfunctional family? That is Pineapple Street for sure. The book is from the point of view of three women in the wealthy old-money Stockton family. Delaney, the oldest daughter who gave up her inheritance; Sasha, the daughter-in-law who married into the family and is unjustly considered a gold-digger; and high-principled millennial daughter Georgiana, who wants to give the fortune away. It was fun to read about the uber-rich, and yet I found the characters relatable. Entertaining and mildly thought-provoking. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Someone Else's Shoes by JoJo Moyes. This beloved author has come out with a new novel that her fans will adore. If you haven't read her work, this might be a fun place to begin. Two women accidentally swap gym bags with serious consequences when they are literally forced to walk in one another's shoes. Glamourous Nisha comes home from the gym to find that her rich rotten husband has locked her out of their apartment and all she has are the clothes on her back, which unfortunately belong to unstylish Sam Kemp, who is now hobbling to work on Nisha's Christian Louboutins. This book focuses on female friendship. I really enjoyed the witty banter between the characters and how well drawn and realistically the various women in the book were portrayed. The book is fast-paced and I found myself rooting for the main characters and hoping they would get their acts together and triumph against all the adversity they were facing. Good storytelling. It was a fun romp to read. Hardback is only $16.49 right now. 4 stars

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. A wonderful family drama based very loosely on Little Women. I don't want to give much away, so my review is brief. The book is the story of the four Padavano sisters whose characters are beautifully drawn by the author. You will witness their love, the way they hurt each other, their connection to one another over time, and above all redemption. The book is extremely moving, so have a box of tissues handy.  This is the richest and most complex family saga I have read in ages. Hardback only $17. 5 stars.

Comments

[Susan]

Wow, so many good books. Thanks for sharing. I think we have similar taste in books. I’m reading ‘The Other Wife’ right now. Loving it!

[JackiesStitches]

Thank you for the book reviews! I had read a few of them and put a few more on hold at the library!

[Robin]

Thanks you for sharing your book reviews. I always logon to our library website and download any audiobooks available.

[Jan]

Awhile ago I started reading 'Finlay Donovan Is Killing It', but put it down about halfway through. Based on your review I'm going to get it out & start over--maybe I just wasn't in the mood? Thanks for taking the time to review the books you read each month!

[Ming]

Thanks for sharing. I picked up another few titles to add to my reading wish list. Last month, I read The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley and really enjoyed the twist and turns of this mystery.

[T Holzer]

You had a great run of books! Thanks for sharing...again!!

[Sharon]

Thanks for sharing all these wonderful books!! I've added several to my TBR list :-)

[Linda Kay]

This is a bit off-topic but when you mentioned the book by one of the Durrells, it reminded me of when I watched the series. The settings were so beautiful, and most of the local characters were interesting BUT I found the Durrells, themselves, unlikeable. I kept watching, thinking I would start to like them, to no avail. I guess it's just me!
I really appreciate your book reviews. Thanks.

[Julie Talbot]

Thank you so much for your book reviews! I always find a few that I would never have picked myself that I end up just loving after I read them.

[Anne Mc]

Your book posts are always appreciated! What a delight AJ Fikery is. I still remember that character years after reading that book. Many of your reviews have peeked my interest. Thanks