The Godmother by Carrie Adams- This story was about a 30something woman at a crossroads. The title is referencing the about a dozen god children she has. Tessa, our narrator, is a wonderful godmother to numerous children of her friends. She is single and just back in her home after getting some time off work due to her ex boss stalking her and taking some time to travel (eat, pray, love style) to get back to herself. The book focuses on really looking at what she wants in life. Marriage, family, kids? I liked the exploration from a new standpoint and after a semi traumatic event. I liked the humor that Tessa brought to a subject that could be taken very seriously It was cool to be with her on her journey to decide/discover what really matters most in life for her as an individual. I got, and liked, the overall message from the author that we each choose our own way that is best for us as individuals.
Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes- This book was scary creepy good. The main character Catherine narrates from the present and takes us back to the past as a parallel to the present. Catherine in the present lives alone and at first seems very paranoid. As the book goes on and the past and present connect we see the reasons for this current state. Catherine dated a psychopath Lee for some time and had to escape from him (the parallel story line) and the terribly abusive relationship they had. Now far away she learns he has been released from prison and she knows he will come after her again. This book was terrifying and great. I loved the strength of Catherine's character. I liked the ending of the book too and think it really wrapped it up while also leaving the reader to think.
Daughter’s Keeper by Ayelet Waldman- I really like this author, but this was not my favorite book of her's. This is about a young 20 something Olivia and her mother Elaine. The woman live in California and are extreme opposites of each other. Olivia winds up arrested and having to move back in with Elaine to be released while waiting for her trial. During this waiting time Olivia also finds out she is pregnant and against Elaine's wishes decides to keep the baby even though the father is also in jail and his family is in Mexico. Both woman narrate and while I saw lots of potential I just couldn't like either character enough to like the story overall. The mom Elaine was not very motherly and the story for her was more or less her journey to figuring out what it meant to be a mom even though she had been one for some time. Olivia's story of figuring out who she is in the world as an adult, a daughter and an almost mother is interesting but just fell a little flat for me. Overall I felt like the concept was great but the novel took too many twists and turns away from the storyline.
Sometimes Mine by Martha Moody- Liked the first book I read by this author but since then I haven't connected as much to her novels. This one was about Genie a single middle age doctor with a teenage daughter. Genie has a relationship with a man she sees infrequently because he has a wife and kids. Their relationship changes when the man is diagnosed with a terminal illness and all parties have to confront their interactions and how they will move forward. I bought the concept but I just didn't see the growth in the characters I had wanted to see. Mostly the novel kept going back to the past and how the couple met or other things from the past. I appreciated the main character's journey to figuring out who she would be without this affair and also at the same time accepting her teenage daughter would be moving away to college shortly. I just didn't really get that invested in her as a character though to really sympathize with her journey.
The Cider House Rules by John Irving- I can't say enough good things about this book. I read my first book by this author last month and found this was a good second one. I had a vague idea on what this was about having seen clips from the movie made. This is the story of Homer Wells, an orphan coming up in an orphanage in St Cloud's Maine in the 1940s. We hear narration from the founder of the orphanage Dr Wilbur Larch, and later after we watch him grow up into a teenager from Homer. Homer is returned to the orphanage several times after possible adoption but never finds a suitable home and grows up in the orphanage. Homer becomes a doctor in training knowing how to perform abortions and births but not having the formal education or licensure to legally be doing these things. As a young adult Homer moves away from the orphanage following a young couple coming in together who he ends up in a love triangle with. This couple takes him to live on an apple orchard that one of their parents owns. Homer spends some years living in the cider house with the African American workers. During this time we hear also from several of the other orphans who are having their own journeys into the world. In the meantime Dr Larch's hope is Homer will return home and take over the orphanage/clinic so he can die in peace. This is a long book with so much packed in. We hear Dr Larch's story of becoming an abortionist, we hear about political debates, racial difficulties, the Vietnam War, and ultimately about an orphan finding his way. It was a great read.
All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner- Like this author, did not like this book. Maybe "like" is not even right word for it. I just didn't find it to be realistic at all. I felt indifferent to the main character, Allison. She's a mom to one, sometimes difficult, young daughter. The book opens with her at the pediatricians office taking an addiction quiz in a managing in the waiting room. We then follow Allison down the path of past stories that led her to her pill addiction, present day consequences, and on her path of recovery. Though I liked pieces of the story, as someone who works in addiction this book was not a realistic portrayal. The timing of everything was way of. I mean I get you only have so many pages, but then do a "one year later" or something. It felt too rushed for such an important topic.
China Dolls by Lisa See- Love this author and was excited to learn she had a new book out. This is the story of Ruby, Helen, and Grace. 3 women living in California in 1938. We hear narration from each character over the next few years of their lives. Grace is an American born Chinese woman escaping her abusive father. Helen is a Chinese woman from a well known family in China town. Ruby is a Japanese woman trying to pass as a Chinese woman during an anti Japanese climate due to the war. Each woman is keeping her own secrets. The three become friends while trying to become performers in a show in China town. We follow the girls through their joys and sorrows in a difficult historical time for their cultures. We also watch as their secrets unfold and their friendships are tested.
Nine Inches by Tom Perrotta- I like this author and enjoyed this book of several short stories of his. I enjoyed the way he developed the characters in each story. I think the common themes were typical of this author: relationships, sex, growing up, change, regret, etc. I didn't see a huge connect between the stories but I also didn't feel like the stories left me hanging as I usually do with short story books.
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult- I'm so torn on this one. This is my favorite author and I love love love elephants. Usually this author puts out a book every March but this one didn't come out until October so I waited even longer for a new one from her. When I saw months ago what the newest story would be about I was incredibly excited. This story was about the unsolved murder/disappearance of a young girl's mother from an elephant sanctuary. We hear from several narrators including the girl in present day, her mother from the past sharing the story of falling in love with her father, and a former psychic/communicator with the dead. I love love loved all the great information about elephants in the book, but I think for anyone who doesn't love elephants the way I do it might have been overkill. I also liked the story but couldn't figure out where it was going and then when it started to come to a close I was very upset with the ending. Having stepped back for awhile and looking back at the ending I'm not as upset by it but I still feel like I was lied to throughout the book in some ways. I feel a little more now as though I understand why the author may have made some of the choices she made and why she choose to end the book the way she did. That being said though I had, maybe too, high expectations for this book that just did not get met.
Sometimes Mine by Martha Moody- Liked the first book I read by this author but since then I haven't connected as much to her novels. This one was about Genie a single middle age doctor with a teenage daughter. Genie has a relationship with a man she sees infrequently because he has a wife and kids. Their relationship changes when the man is diagnosed with a terminal illness and all parties have to confront their interactions and how they will move forward. I bought the concept but I just didn't see the growth in the characters I had wanted to see. Mostly the novel kept going back to the past and how the couple met or other things from the past. I appreciated the main character's journey to figuring out who she would be without this affair and also at the same time accepting her teenage daughter would be moving away to college shortly. I just didn't really get that invested in her as a character though to really sympathize with her journey.
The Cider House Rules by John Irving- I can't say enough good things about this book. I read my first book by this author last month and found this was a good second one. I had a vague idea on what this was about having seen clips from the movie made. This is the story of Homer Wells, an orphan coming up in an orphanage in St Cloud's Maine in the 1940s. We hear narration from the founder of the orphanage Dr Wilbur Larch, and later after we watch him grow up into a teenager from Homer. Homer is returned to the orphanage several times after possible adoption but never finds a suitable home and grows up in the orphanage. Homer becomes a doctor in training knowing how to perform abortions and births but not having the formal education or licensure to legally be doing these things. As a young adult Homer moves away from the orphanage following a young couple coming in together who he ends up in a love triangle with. This couple takes him to live on an apple orchard that one of their parents owns. Homer spends some years living in the cider house with the African American workers. During this time we hear also from several of the other orphans who are having their own journeys into the world. In the meantime Dr Larch's hope is Homer will return home and take over the orphanage/clinic so he can die in peace. This is a long book with so much packed in. We hear Dr Larch's story of becoming an abortionist, we hear about political debates, racial difficulties, the Vietnam War, and ultimately about an orphan finding his way. It was a great read.
All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner- Like this author, did not like this book. Maybe "like" is not even right word for it. I just didn't find it to be realistic at all. I felt indifferent to the main character, Allison. She's a mom to one, sometimes difficult, young daughter. The book opens with her at the pediatricians office taking an addiction quiz in a managing in the waiting room. We then follow Allison down the path of past stories that led her to her pill addiction, present day consequences, and on her path of recovery. Though I liked pieces of the story, as someone who works in addiction this book was not a realistic portrayal. The timing of everything was way of. I mean I get you only have so many pages, but then do a "one year later" or something. It felt too rushed for such an important topic.
China Dolls by Lisa See- Love this author and was excited to learn she had a new book out. This is the story of Ruby, Helen, and Grace. 3 women living in California in 1938. We hear narration from each character over the next few years of their lives. Grace is an American born Chinese woman escaping her abusive father. Helen is a Chinese woman from a well known family in China town. Ruby is a Japanese woman trying to pass as a Chinese woman during an anti Japanese climate due to the war. Each woman is keeping her own secrets. The three become friends while trying to become performers in a show in China town. We follow the girls through their joys and sorrows in a difficult historical time for their cultures. We also watch as their secrets unfold and their friendships are tested.
Nine Inches by Tom Perrotta- I like this author and enjoyed this book of several short stories of his. I enjoyed the way he developed the characters in each story. I think the common themes were typical of this author: relationships, sex, growing up, change, regret, etc. I didn't see a huge connect between the stories but I also didn't feel like the stories left me hanging as I usually do with short story books.
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult- I'm so torn on this one. This is my favorite author and I love love love elephants. Usually this author puts out a book every March but this one didn't come out until October so I waited even longer for a new one from her. When I saw months ago what the newest story would be about I was incredibly excited. This story was about the unsolved murder/disappearance of a young girl's mother from an elephant sanctuary. We hear from several narrators including the girl in present day, her mother from the past sharing the story of falling in love with her father, and a former psychic/communicator with the dead. I love love loved all the great information about elephants in the book, but I think for anyone who doesn't love elephants the way I do it might have been overkill. I also liked the story but couldn't figure out where it was going and then when it started to come to a close I was very upset with the ending. Having stepped back for awhile and looking back at the ending I'm not as upset by it but I still feel like I was lied to throughout the book in some ways. I feel a little more now as though I understand why the author may have made some of the choices she made and why she choose to end the book the way she did. That being said though I had, maybe too, high expectations for this book that just did not get met.
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