Books of July 2024

This was a month for super long books! I may not have read as many books as usual in the month of July, but I did read some excellent ones. I read 9 books, and got through 500 pages of another one that I quit reading halfway through. I've decided the world does not need 1000 page books. Period. 

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo.  This almost 500-page family drama by the author of "The Most Fun We Ever Had" has risen to the top of my list for Best Book of the Year. At the age of 57, Julia Ames finds herself living an improbably happy life. She has a long-term marriage to the most understanding husband, two grown children, and a prosperous life in the suburbs. As the book opens, Julia is at a gourmet grocery store buying food for her husband’s birthday party, when she runs into her former friend Helen Russo after more than 20 years of estrangement. They have an extremely uncomfortable conversation and we are left wondering what caused their friendship to come to a screeching halt. The book tells the story of Julia’s life from her troubled childhood, marriage, young motherhood, and the friendship that was both her lifeline and nearly the ruination of her marriage and family.
Julia is a complicated character, who has always felt she didn’t fit in and whose self-sabotaging choices jeopardize her marriage, her role as a mother, and her closest relationships. We follow Julia over the course of decades in this poignant story of second chances and the cast of characters who stand by and see her through her journey through life.
Lombardo creates an extremely realistic cast of characters and examines a life that seems all too real. This is an in-depth study of relationships, how they begin and sometimes end and what makes them last. This book and its characters deeply resonated with me and will stay with me for a long time. 5 stars

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. This literary mystery has received a lot of hype this summer, and I believe it is well-deserved. Be warned it is another long one at nearly 500 pages. It did fly by for me though! One morning in 1975 a camp counselor discovers one of the campers has gone missing. She’s not just any camper, she is the daughter of the owners of the camp itself, whose older brother also disappeared 16 years previously. The plot slowly unfolds and the lives of the main characters all intersect, ultimately coming together in a profound way. The characterizations in the book will delve into motherhood, gender roles, sexuality, and class. The author is extremely skilled and magically transports the reader to a different time and place. I had several ideas on how the book would end and was completely wrong! If you haven't read this author, please do. Everything I have ever read by her has been superb. 5 stars

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan. Ali Morris' life is a mess. She is a professional organizer whose own pantry is a disaster. She and her obnoxious husband are divorcing and she is learning to cope on her own as a single mom to three kids. She also has not worn pants with a zipper for longer than she can remember. This is a delightful romance by the author of "Nora Goes Off Script". I have enjoyed everything I have read by this author. If you want to escape into a feel-good story of a woman rediscovering herself, this could be for you. The romance part is sweet and not too spicy if you know what I mean. Plus, there are dogs who play a role in the story...4.5 stars


The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean. Detective Chelsea Calhoun lost her sister when she was a teenager and she has devoted the last twenty years to searching for her sister and other lost girls, including Ellie Black. Ellie disappeared two years ago and everyone is stunned when she reappears in the woods refusing to tell where she has been or what happened to her. The book is told in the dual perspectives of Chelsea and Ellie. The book is tense and gripping, but what I didn't love were several "eye-rolling" twists. 3.5 stars


A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson. It turns out this book was the third in a series featuring main character Lily Kintner. Previous books were "A Kind Worth Killing" and "A Kind Worth Saving". I hadn't realized it was a series, but it seems this book worked as a stand-alone for me. I think you can jump right in this series and it doesn't matter. The setup is that loner Martha has recently married Alan, a man who has remained a bit of a stranger to her. She had never thought she would marry so it was a surprise to her that he proposed and that she accepted. Alan has a job that requires a lot of travel, so he's not even around a good part of the time. They haven't been married long when Martha notices some odd things that lead her to suspect her husband may be a serial killer. She contacts her old friend Lily to help her get to the bottom of her suspicions. This was a fast-paced and twisty book that you mystery fans will love. 3.5 stars


Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell. This was another good one from prolific British author Lisa Jewell. The Fours family, Roan, a child psychologist, Cate, a physiotherapist, and their two kids are renting a house across the street from a very odd guy. Owen Pick has recently been suspended from his job for sexual misconduct and is living with his aunt. The Fours family finds him very creepy and their teenage daughter swears he followed her home from school one day. Meanwhile, Saffyre Maddox is a former patient of Roan Fours and has trouble adjusting to life without him when her therapy ends. She begins an unhealthy obsession with the Fours family and spends a lot of time lurking in the shadows following Roan. One night Saffyre disappears and the last person to see her is creepy neighbor Owen Pick. I'd classify this book as a slow-burn mystery and I enjoyed watching the story unfold. 4 stars


Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. This Australian author reliably comes out with a new thriller once a year. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have always been told how lucky they were to be fostered by Miss Fairchild at her home in the country. Little did people know that their life was far from idyllic. Miss Fairchild had rules, she was unpredictable and not to be crossed. The three girls grew close, closer even than sisters. Ultimately, they were able to get out from Miss Fairchild's "care", and grew into adults who hoped never to see her again. Then, bones are discovered under the farmhouse where they grew up, and the three girls (now women) are thrust back into their difficult childhood as witnesses, or are they suspects? This was a good mystery/thriller, but do be warned that there are scenes of child abuse that are unpleasant to read. Free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited 4 stars


All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. This was an epic thriller and love story that is getting tons of 5-star ratings. I should have loved it and went into it with very high hopes. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me. First of all, this book was way WAY too long. It had just over 600 pages and I think at least 200 of them could have been left out. It is described as a thriller/mystery but is rather a long drawn-out character study of the main character and those who love him. The story is told in over 250 short chapters (!!!), which I usually like, but this time they were so short they chopped up the flow of the story and messed up the book's pace. Also, many times, the chapter would end on a cliffhanger, but would not pick up that thread for one or more other chapters, which left this reader frustrated and confused. In my opinion, this novel could have been great, but instead is a bloated slog to get through. To top it off, the ending seemed rushed and confusing and tied up way too neatly. If you liked the author's previous book "We Begin at the End", you will probably enjoy this one too. I am definitely an outlier with my rating of 2.75 stars

Bear by Julia Phillips was not a hit for me. When I was a little girl, my family had a set of books from the 1930s called "The Bookhouse Books". These were six volumes of fairy tales, chapters from popular children's books, and poems. My sisters and I loved these books and poured over them, particularly if we were sick and had to stay home from school. One of my favorites was "Snow White and Rose Red" by the Brothers Grimm. Julia Phillip's book "Bear" was supposed to be a modern-day retelling of that story. I guess it was, but it failed on many levels. I really did not enjoy this book. Sisters Sam and Elena live on an island in the Pacific Northwest. They'd like to leave but financial difficulties prevent them from doing so. One night a bear comes to their door. One of the sisters is very afraid and the other sister becomes obsessed with it. In a character-driven novel, I expect to see some growth in the main character by the end of the book. Sam is rude, condescending, sarcastic, complaining, unhelpful, and unpleasant to everyone from the first page to the last. It got boring, frankly, and the reasons for her attitude, behavior, and motivation were never totally clear to me. The ending was dreadful and did not make any sense. This book was a complete miss for me.

Familiaris by David Wroblewski. This is the author who wrote the excellent book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" in 2008. I loved that book and had such high hopes for this one, supposedly a prequel to Edgar Sawtelle. This book is an Oprah pick for the summer and could have been great. At nearly 1000 pages long, this book was ridiculously ponderous. The story was about John and Mary Sawtelle's move out into the country to make a fresh start raising incredibly well-trained dogs that were ultimately used in WW2. The author kept digressing from the story into long-winded philosophical observations and non-sequiturs that had little to do with the main plot. Where were the editors? Too long, too slow. I gave up after 500 pages. Not for me at all. This wins the prize for biggest bookish disappointment in a long time.

Most of these books are fairly recently published. If you enjoy hardback copies, most of them are listed right now on Amazon for $20 or less, which is a great price.

Let me know if you have read any of these and if you agree with my reviews!

Comments

[mary]

Interesting list of books for sure! Thanks for sharing.

[Doris]

Love your book reviews and your beautiful quilts!

[Susan]

Thanks for the recommendation s- we enjoy the same books most of the time!

[Donna]

I always enjoy your book reviews although I don’t read nearly as fast as you. I will definitely read the first two books you recommended. Thanks again for turning me on to Amor Towles. I am currently reading his fourth book “Table for Two”.

[Carolyn McIntosh]

Always look forward to your book reviews! Thank you for another menu of varied genres to order up. So many books, so little time.

[Susie]

Grew up with Book house books as well. Still have them.

[Vickie]

I am working my way thru your podcast archive this week and really enjoying it. It reminds me very much of my family, we discuss books a lot.

I have a suggestion that comes from NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast.

They also, often, discuss a variety of titles in the same podcast. Like you, they introduce each piece with the title/author/date/etc. But at the end of that segment, they list the title again, every time.

They say something like - that was the 2010 documentary Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks now streaming on ESPN.

So listeners never have to rewind to know the title. It is very helpful.

Vickie

[Jan]

Another interesting group of book reviews. I commend you for saying you quit reading a book without feeling badly. Definitely a good example for anyone who just can't get into a book. Have a good weekend!