2 books that left me a bit disappointed - The Hotel; Pamela Kelley and Still Life; Sarah Winman

 

The Hotel; Pamela Kelley

Piping Plover Books - 2021

The Hotel is a novel that takes place in Nantucket, a place and setting that is hard to beat.   In this story The Whitley Hotel is the most famous and luxurious hotel on the island and, it has been in the family for years. Set on white pristine beaches, the hotel and surrounding cottages are about to undergo a management change.  Cousin Andrea is out as general manager due to her abrasive personality and granddaughter Paula who had less of a presence because of her accounting role is now moving to the general manager position. In addition, grandfather Whitley has hired David as a consultant to aid in the transition.  There is also Nick, a chef and brother to Paula as well as Bella, a Hollywood superstar who is staying at the hotel somewhat discreetly.

The chapters alternate between the characters and what started out promising and had a picture perfect setting, the one-dimensional characters and under developed yet predicable story left me disappointing.  I found lots of irritating details like what an Etsy store is and what Lyme disease unnecessary and, I wished the author devote more time in plot line and character development.  The audio book was read by Leslie Howard who did a fine job but, overall this story itself was disappointing.

Rating - 2/5 stars

Still Life; Sarah Winman

G.P Putnam - 2021

Still Life was another book that had so much promise and although many readers seemed to love it, it just was a struggle for me. 

Still Life begins in Florence and spans the years 1944 - 1979.  At the heart of the story is a young British soldier and globe maker named Ulysses Temper and 64 year old Evelyn Skinner, an art teacher and historian and possible spy.  The two meet in the midst of war as Ulysses hides out in a wine cellar. He is a kind and gentle man who is easy to like and one people are quickly drawn to.  As the war ends and Ulysses returns home, we meet wife Peg, a marriage of convenience, as well as a quirky cast of characters including an Amazonian parrot name Claude who quotes Shakespeare. 

 I started with the audiobook which is read by the author, but, I found it very difficult given the author's heavy British accent and multiple characters (8+) to follow. I switched to the hardcover and although this was easier, the hefty novel overall still wasn't a great fit for me and I found myself skimming sections.  I felt some of the characters were very well written but, I think my biggest pet peeve was that there was quite a bit of dialogue and the author did not use quotation marks. Unfortunately, I guess I haven't had the best luck with this author as I see her novel Tin Man was not a winner for me either - review HERE.

Rating - 3/5 stars

Book Review - The Family; Naomi Krupitsky

The Family; Naomi Krupitsky

G.P. Putnam and Penguin Audio - 11/2021 - (9 hrs. 53 min.)

Narrator - Marin Ireland

Set in the late 1920s in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook,  The Family, tells the story of two best friends whose fathers, Joey and Carlos, were part of the Italian Mafia.  Sofia Colicchico and Antonia Russo were best friends from a very young age, their families even had Sunday dinners together. The girls knew their fathers worked together but what they did was a mystery.  When Antonia's father Carlos goes out one night and never returns, it is Joey who steps up and takes care of the fatherless Russo family.  As the girls grow, marry and become mothers their lives take a much different turn and fissures in their relationship begin to show but, they remain friends.  

What happens when someone wants out of the "family?"

I wasn't sure this book was going to be for me but, I found it to be a rather powerful coming of age story.  The husbands of Sofia and Antonia added much interest to the story as well (Antonia marries a Jew). I liked the time period: prohibition, the Great Depression and WWII.  I also enjoyed the background on how the Mafia and the protection aspect first came into play.  I  found some parts of the book to be a bit repetitive and I knew the ending would be somewhat shocking or surprising at the very least. I wasn't disappointed.  This book seems to have sequel potential as well.  The audio book was read by Marin Ireland who did an excellent job.  I think this debut is worth reading and was happy I tried it.

Rating - 4/5 stars

2 Book Reviews - The Guncle; Steven Rowley and The Newcomer; May Kay Andrews

I was looking for a couple of light summer reads and these (2) fit the bill. They weren't perfect but, they were fun and I was happy I tried them.

TITLE/AUTHOR: The Guncle; Steven Rowley

PUBLISHER:   G.P. Putnam

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / LBGTQ / Family

FORMAT: print / LENGTH: 324 pp

SOURCE:  Library

SETTING(s):  CT and CA

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  Gay uncle Patrick "The Guncle" steps up to care for his young niece and nephew just when his brother and the kids need him the most.

Patrick lives in Palm Springs, CA and once was a famous actor but his life hasn't been quite the same since someone he loved was killed by a drunk driver.  When his brother Greg, an attorney in CT loses his wife to cancer and he is struggling with his own personal crisis, he asks for  Patrick's help in caring for his two young children for a few months. The children: Maise 9, and Grant 6, love when they visit GUP (gay uncle Patrick) in Palm Springs but, living with him for several months will prove quite different for all of them.  Grant, the adorable and toothless. The 6 year-old speaks with a lisp and is super inquisitive adding much humor to the story as does, Patrick in the manner he deals with the (2) youngsters in his life.

The story is heartfelt, funny and a tad sad at times (not overly so(. It's a story of family and loss and about stepping up when others are hurting. I loved all the old-Hollywood references and all of the charming characters. Patricks relationship with his niece and nephew was special. I'm not surprised that this one has been optioned for a movie - very sweet.

I picked this one up from the library on a whim and was glad I did.

RATING - 4.5/5 stars

TITLE/AUTHOR: The Newcomer; Mary Kay Andres

PUBLISHER:   Macmillan Audio

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Family

FORMAT: audio download / LENGTH: 14 hours 30 min.

SOURCE:  Publisher/Library  / audio download

SETTING(s):  NYC and FL

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  One sister is dead and the other flees with her motherless 4 year old niece to Florida.

When Letty finds her sister Tanya dead in her expensive Manhattan townhouse, she heeds her sister's previous warnings that if anything were to happen to her Letty was to take her daughter Maya and flee as her ex-Evan is most likely the killer.  Letty then takes her sister's Mercedes, her to-go bag packed with $19,000 in cash and a motel clipping of a place in Florida called the Murmuring Surf Motel and heads off with Maya.  When she reaches her destination she finds a "no vacancy sign" on the run down motel.  She plays on the heartstrings of the kind owner Ava about her long drive and needing a place for her and Maya to sleep and although they are fully booked Ava agrees to help them out.  Soon Letty is working there in exchange for charging her room fees.  However, is The Murmuring Surf motel the safest place for Letty and Maya? Why did her sister have the clipping in her bag in the first place?

I felt there was a lot to like about this story, it is part mystery (Tanya had a dark past) yet overall a light summer read. I loved Letty and her relationship with Maya. I loved the run-down motel setting which was mostly inhabited by grouchy senior snowbirds who return year after year and think they set the rules, of course, they see Letty as "The Newcomer."  There is also Joe, who is Ava's daughter. He is a cop although he seems a bit unethical at times. He first gives Letty a difficult time but, before you know it there appears to be a budding romance which I felt seemed out of place.

Overall, I thought this story was entertaining with the unique cast of characters. I thought the author did a good job meshing Tanya's story with the present story as Letty tried to figure out what really happened to her sister and why.  My biggest complaint was that this story was way too long (14+ hours) on audio. A story this long is not what most would expect for a summer beach read. The audio was read by Kathleen McInerney who did a very good job.

RATING:  4/5

The audiobook was a free download provided by Macmillan Audio in exchange for my unbiased review.  Unfortunately, the download disappeared from my NetGalley shelf before I had a chance to listen to it but, I was able to download it from the library.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - All the Broken People; Leah Konen

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by  Socrates Book Reviews. 

Thanks to Yvonne for taking over FCFPTI.

All the Broken People; Leah Konen

G.P. Putnam 2020

"People have all sorts of ideas about what they'd do if it happened to them.

They'd tell their friends. They'd make that call. They'd leave.  They certainly wouldn't continue on like normal, banging out personal essays or temping at whatever online mag needed a freelance editor for the day.  They'd tell their family (assuming they still had family in their lives to tell), they'd keep themselves busy (pottery class! political campaigns! yoga!) They'd heal, and they'd move on, and they'd rebuild their lives.

That's what I'd always thought too."

Recently, this title caught my eye, I hope to start it soon. What do you think about the intro?

The Reckless Oath We Made; Bryn Greenwood

TITLE: The Reckless Oath We Made

AUTHOR:  Bryn Greenwood

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam

PUB. YEAR: 2019

SETTING: Kansas
FORMAT: print/library

RATING - 3.5/5

The Reckless Oath We Made is a memorable story with several dysfunctional characters to root for.

As the story opens we meet Zee; she's 26, 6' tall with bright red hair and a young woman in a lot pain due to a shattered hip. Her father was deadbeat dad and convicted of murder; he died in prison.  Her mother is a homebound, 600 lb hoarder. To pay the rent on the apartment Zee shares with her sister and nephew, she supplements her waitress income as an occasional drug mule for her boss.  Most recently she had to bring along her 6 year old nephew with her when her sister failed to come home from her prison volunteer work, only to find out she's been abducted in a prison escape.  Then there is Gentry, a young man on the spectrum, who wants to rescue Zee and be her knight in shining armor.  He's loyal, has a heart of gold and speaks in medieval tongue.

I had really been looking forward to this book, as I loved the author's previous book: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. There was a lot to like about this story as it covers so many aspects of today's society, but at times it felt a bit too quirky for me. The Middle English speak on the part of Gentry was really off-putting for me - a little went a long way. Overall, a heartfelt story but also a challenging read at times.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros; The Reckless Oath We Made; Bryn Greenwood

Each Tuesday, Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where readers post the opening paragraph(s) of a book that they are reading or plan to read. I loved this author's last book, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.

The Reckless Oath We Made; Bryn Greenwood

G.P. Putnam and Sons - 2019

Chapter 1

Zee

"People talk about having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.  I had a pair of imaginary bill collectors, so no matter which way I turned, there was somebody to remind me I needed money.  That's how I ended up on the train at four o'clock in the morning with my nephew and a hundred pounds of weed."

 What do you think about this intro - read more or pass?

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted; Robert Hillman

Each Tuesday, Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where  readers post the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book they are reading or that they plan to read.  Here's an except from a book I've been looking forward to. What do you think?

Bookshop of the Broken Hearted; Robert Hillman

G.P. Putnam - 2019

CHAPTER 1

"She didn't stay long as far as marriages go, just a year and ten months. Her note was brief, too:

I'm leaving, Don't know what to say,

Love  Trudy

And Tom Hope was left injured in a way that seemed certain to kill him."

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Banker's Wife; Christina Alger

On Tuesdays First Chapter, First Paragraph/Intros is hosted by Vickie/ I’d Rather Be at the Beach.  Readers are asked to share the first paragraph of a book they are reading or plans to read soon.  

The Banker's Wife; Christina Alger

G.P Putnam - 2018

Prologue

"At London RAF Northolt Airport, very few planes were cleared for takeoff.  The crosswinds were strong; the downpour of sleet reduced visibility to nil. There was only one runway at Northolt, and a congestion of private jets looking to use it. It was six a.m. The crowd of passengers in the waiting area was small but impatient.  Most were businessmen who had morning meetings in Paris, Luxembourg, Berlin.  Some were booked on flights chartered by their corporations; a few owned their jets outright.  These were not men who liked to wait.  A Russian named Popov was making a scene. He yelled alternately at the woman behind the front desk and someone on the other end of his phone.  Neither person was giving him the answer that he was looking for, so he toggled between them, the volume of his voice rising until he could be heard clear across the terminal.  His female companion, a bored, willowy blonde in a fox-fur coat and sneakers,stared at her phone. She seemed accustomed to his rages. Everyone else was looking at Popov. Papers were lowered; passengers turned to stare.  At six foot four and at least 280 pounds, Alexei Popov was hard to miss, particularly the he was angry."

What do you think?  I just started this one last night and like it so far.

Books Read - Week in Review - W/E - 2/11/2017

This past week was one for birthday celebrations for the hub and our first major snowstorm of the winter (it was reported that we got 13") but, fortunately, just about everything was canceled the night before and we could just stay in and enjoy the view. More snow scheduled for this weekend and another day next week -- Welcome to New England.

As some of you know we have (3) cats  (all adopted as kittens and - all senior snow. (2) are 14 years old  and (1) is 15.  We noticed that our sweet, petite Lily seemed thinner than she was at her December checkup. She was also constantly at the water fountain and turned her nose up to various food offerings (including tuna) for a few days. Off to the Vet we went yesterday where we learned she had lost 2 lbs since her December visit (she's only 5lbs now).  Not sure what is wrong with our Lily but awaiting lab reports -- please send positive vibes -- she's my lap cat by day and leg warmer by night.

UPDATE -- I'm happy to report that Lily started eating again yesterday (a lot too) The Vet called to say that her labwork was all normal (no thyroid or diabetes issues), so while this is all good news we all remain puzzled. Next step would be an ultrasound to see what might be going on, but, since she has been eating for a full 24 hours now, we decided to just watch her and hope it wasn't anything serious.  Thanks so much for all of your concern.

(pic taken 2/10/2017)

I finished (2) books this week: Excellent Women; Barbara Pym and The Impossible Fortress; Jason Rekulak (both different but liked each one).














 Excellent Women; Barbara Pym
(1952 - Penguin and Blackstone Audio) 

(My Thoughts) Excellent Women is one of those books that has been on my shelf for a while. I heard the audio, read by Jayne Entwistle, was fantastic so I borrowed the Playaway from the library -- what a terrific narration.  Excellent Woman was a wonderful comedy of manners set in 1950s England. Thirty-one year old Mildred Lathery is a sweet, likable and self described spinster.  She's a clergyman's daughter, her parents are deceased, she is smart but, one of those women "an excellent woman" that is respected but often passed over when it comes to romance. When a new couple moves into her building, she gets wrapped up in their lives and begins to realize there may be something more to life than church raffles and charity work.  

This novel is not action packed and doesn't require deep thought but, I loved the keen observations a wry humor. I highly recommend this one, a real treat. (4.5/5 stars)

The Impossible Fortress; Jason Rekulak

Simon & Schuster - 2017

(My Thoughts) - The Impossible Fortress was a fun coming of age story set in 1987. Billy Marvin and friends Alf and Clark are (3) typical 14 year-old boys who have just learned that Vanna White's nude photos are the highlight of the current issue of Playboy. The boys are determined to do whatever it takes to get copies of this magazine even though they are  too young to purchase it on their own. Sal Zelinsky owns the corner store that stocks this magazine. Sal's daughter Mary is a bright, young, overweight girl who loves computers and designing video games. Billy Marvin loves computers as well and thinks that if he begins to hang out with Mary he might somehow get closer to the coveted Vanna issue of Playboy as well. Unfortunately, Billy never anticipates what happens next. 

This is a well-written coming of age story. I enjoyed all the references to the 1980's - songs, the early Commodore 64 computer and all the crazy antics, boys being boys will do.  A story about moms, sons, teen friendship and raging hormones,  made for a fun read. (4/5 stars)

Next Up

• Setting Free the Kites; Alex George - G.P. Putnam & Sons (2017)

Have a Great Weekend All

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Setting Free the Kites; Alex George

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph or two, from a book I'm reading or will be reading soon.  (I LOVED this author's last book, The Good American.)

Setting Free the Kites; Alex George

Putnam - 2017

PROLOGUE

Haverford, Maine

2016

"Nathan Tilly gave me the story I'm going to tell, but it was the old paper mill that set my memories free.

I read the report in the Haverford Gazette the previous week.  The mill had not been operational for more than fifty years, but now the land has been sold to a supermarket chain, and the old building is to be razed to make way for a customer parking lot.  The news has prompted vigorous local debate.  Some are angry that the city council has allowed part of our municipal heritage to be sold off.  Others are excited at the prospect of rest bagels. Such is progress

For myself, I'm sorry to see the old place go.  I want to pay my last respects, watch the thing go down."

Based on this intro, would you read more or pass on this book?

Feel free to join in by posting your own First Chapter First Paragraph Intro and linking below.

They Left Us Everything; Plum Johnson

They Left Us Everything; Plum Johnson

(a memoir)

G.P. Putnam  & Sons 2016

They Left Us Everything was such an enjoyable memoir. It's the kind of story that anyone dealing with eldercare issues should be able to relate to.

When Plum Johnson's 93 year old mother died, she took on the task of cleaning out the 23 room house her parents had raised the family in since 1950. Located in Toronto Canada on the shores of Lake Ontario, the location more than the house in its current state made it prime real estate property.

Plum was the oldest child, in her early 60's at the time of her mothers death. She had three younger brothers. For 20 years she had been caregiver to her parents, first to her father with dementia and after his death, to her demanding mother who lived 40 minutes away.

As Plum begins the task of cleaning out her parents home, each nook and cranny she shifts through, unearths memories and things about her parents she never knew. She sorts through personal letters and childhood memories which stir much emotion.

I loved this story from the family dynamics to how what she thought what would be a 6 week project took her16 months to complete  An intimate look at the mother/daughter relationship, a journey on life and loss, and definitely a story that will make you appreciate the time spent with family while you have the chance.

4.5/5 stars

(review copy)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - They Left Us Everything: a memoir; Plum Johnson

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon. (I love a good memoir and think this one will hit the spot, I'm enjoying the writing style).

They Left Us Everything: A Memoir; Plum Johnson

G.P. Putnam & Sons - 2016

Never Mind the Dog

"The night before I turn sixty-three, I'm looking in the mirror, pulling my sagging jawline up to my ears, listening to voice mails on speakerphone. Three are from Mum:

'Happy birthday m'darlin!'

Promise you'll drive out first thing tomorrow!

Damn this machine! Call me!'

Mum is ninety-three, and these are her messages just since dinner.  Nineteen years, one month, and twenty-six days of eldercare have brought me to my knees.  But first thing next morning, I crawl to my car, hack at the ice on my windshield, and slump into the front seat with the heater cranked up."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?