Of House and Heart

Oh, Mary Kay Andrews with your brightly colored, summer, southern covers and stories. When you pick up one of her books, you definitely know what to expect and it’s often like drinking a tall glass of sweet tea—refreshing, a little sweet, and perfect for gabbing with your girlfriends. I've definitely enjoyed some of her books more than others, but that’s a matter of personal preference and my relation to the central character.

In Ladies’ Night, a lifestyle blogger named Grace’s personal and professional worlds turn upside down when she finds her husband cheating with her assistant. A court-ordered spin through group therapy provides her a group of friends who have been through their own trials. In typical romance form, she also ends up meeting a heart-of-gold guy there who runs a family business, has a son, and proves to be the partner she needs in her new life. Getting revenge, uncovering corruption, adopting a pet, rehabilitating a house, and starting a new relationship are just some of the hijinx that ensue as Grace realigns her life in this fun read.

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Not Well-Suited

The Suitors by Cecile David-Weil sounded like a throwback to the Austen era, but unfortunately ended up being a bit of a stale read. I wasn't looking for something that would set the world on fire, but the basic setup of the book sounded like a decent bet. A luxurious family home that had to be put up for sale, a glamorous group of house guests, sisters pursuing well-off husbands to secure the estate—not unique tropes, but ones that usually lead to an enjoyable and potentially elitist read.

Sadly it all just fell flat for me and it took some effort to make it through. Neither of the sisters had truly redeeming qualities to help round them out and provide balance to the superficial world. Frankly, they just weren't that appealing. The book felt more like a downer than a bubbling glass of champagne. While failed relationships and money troubles are often part of the background, there was just nothing driving the story forward in any way and I found myself more annoyed by everyone in the book than interested in their endings. I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you have read it and did enjoy it, definitely let me know in the comments section—would love to hear a positive take on this as well!

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Get Lost in a Book(store)

Books about books; one of my favorite categories of fiction.  I don’t know what it is, but I cannot resist a story about books or bookstores, particularly when there is a secret hidden in the shelves or between the covers. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is a fun, modern romp through a mysterious bookstore as seen through the eyes of a young man who, while a little directionless in general, finds his place in the unusual realm of the unique store. With everything from tech solutions to obstacles that arise (via Google no less) to a secret society and a special set of books that only certain unusual characters can access, this is a fun story set in a colorful world grounded in books. Highly recommended for anyone who can’t spend enough time lost in books or bookstores.

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Come Fly With Me

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin is a fascinating fictional look into the lives of the golden family, the Lindberghs, and is a solid piece of historical fiction. I vaguely remember hearing bits about Charles Lindbergh in high school US History classes: flying across the channel, helping bring about commercial air travel, his involvement in America First, etc. His accomplishments anchor this story too, but it is told through his wife’s eyes and focuses on her personal and their family life as well.

They married young but the way Benjamin tells the story, it was Anne's resilience and dependability that strengthened the match initially, more so than romance.  She became his navigator in the air and on the ground, learning how to be his copilot (the only one he ever had) and navigate by the stars, charting courses for their Asian exploration and more, while also coordinating their family, house, and more. Through impossibly tough situations like the kidnapping and murder of their first child, being pursued by paparazzi, and Charles’s relationship with Nazi Germany, the author takes you deep into Anne's perspective, involving you in the highs and lows of their high-profile life together.

A fascinating story grounded in American history, it is an enlightening journey through a strong woman’s life, and while not a biography, I ended the book with a sense of who she was, what her family was like, and also the course of the country through these pivotal decades. 

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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

The Dinner by Herman Koch had been pretty steady on the best-seller’s list, so it made the cut of books for our summer adventure. I honestly wasn't entirely sure what to expect since the subject matter was hard to get a read on. The basic premise is that the story unfolds over the course of a dinner between two couples and that their children are somehow involved in something illegal. It turns out this is a very complex situation involving modern race relations, anchored by two well-off brothers, one of whom is a politician.

The twists and turns of navigating the modern world of over-exposure courtesy of technology and the issue of protecting children in cases of wrong-doing lie at the heart of this tale.  It frankly could have been ripped from the headlines: politics, money, race, blackmail, marital secrets and family drama all anchor this story in a realistic way. While the reader comes to know the full truth (or is given enough detail to feel like you've gotten the full story), the morality questions are not as clear even once the timeline has been pieced together. I appreciated this book as much for the issues it raised as the story it told, so if you are in the mood for something that will linger after you've finished, go ahead and crack the cover on The Dinner.

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