Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan.
The Society of Unknowable Objects - a secret society of magical things
Heartwood by Amity Gaige - mystery, woman lost on the Appalachian trail
A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper
The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney - a woman and her precocious 9 yo move into a senior apartment building. Very only murders in the building, but cute nonetheless
I did not like The Children by Melissa Albert at all.
A reader of fine lit I am not. I gravitate towards well-written genre fiction as a rule, usually with a good Pub Weekly or NYT (Sarah Weinman) review.
I am reading “The Leavers,” by Lisa Ko. About a Chinese American kid whose mother disappears from the Bronx one day (ICE? not sure, haven’t gotten there yet) and eventually is adopted by a white academic couple in upstate NY. Really good!
Someone mentioned “cozy fantasy” above. That’s my opening to plug a new book by a distant cousin. She’s the only writer I personally know who got a real contract from a major publisher. The book is “The Geomagician” based on a real life woman who was one of the first paleontologists. Dinosaurs, alternative history, theology, romance, class conflict, sexism, magic. The book may have too much going on, but I enjoyed the characters and the overall story arc and will read the next one.
Enjoying “Wreck” by Katherine Newman, who wrote “Sandwich.” Funny and poignant, easy read. Before that I read “This is not about Us” by Allegra Goodman and emailed her about how much I liked it. She wrote back that she wrote that along with “Sam” and “Isola” all at the same time! Caught up on the last two books by Elizabeth Strout: “The Things We Never Say” and “Tell Me Everything.” I am at the age to really appreciate her characters and love her writing.
I just finished Land by Maggie O’Farrell. I had mixed feelings about it. Her prose is beautiful but at the same time takes a lot of effort to get through! I started reading the novel on my Kindle, but it was really taking me a long time to get into the story. I found myself falling asleep on it and eventually set it aside b/c I went to the beach and wanted an immersive, easy read. I forgot I had the audiobook on hold, so when that came in, I tried again. It still took a while to engage me, and I confess to some mind wandering at times while listening, but I stuck with it. The second half was much better. I’m not sure that I could say I enjoyed it, but she is a talented writer. It certainly won’t appeal to a wide audience given its subject matter and length.
I’m currently reading Yesteryear, a much easier read though controversial on social media.
I’m listening to the pick for my book club, Best Offer Wins. Not a book I would normally read! I might have to switch to the written version b/c the narration is annoying. Not b/c the narrator is bad necessarily, but just has that “upspeaking” common in younger generations that drives me crazy. Definitely chick lit genre, not something really book club worthy.
I read Best Offer Wins recently. I liked the ending although I got a little annoyed at some parts of the book.
Has anyone read any Ava Glass? I’m thinking also falls in the easy read category rather than “literary”. I’m about halfway through The Hiding Season and enjoying it more than I expected; it sounds like most of her other novels are spy novels, I may try one in due course. (I love good spy novels and hate bad ones.)
I enjoyed Ghost Town - and I am mixed on his stuff - I don’t like them all. It was from my time taking place in my part of the world - so I really related.
I have read everything Elizabeth Strout has written, starting with Amy and Isabelle more than 25 years ago when I was in my mid-20s. She is among my favorite writers. Can’t wait to read her new one.
The Lucy Barton collection is wonderful. I’m a partial to Olive Kitteridge as a character. And it’s so fun when they come together in Tell Me Everything.
I am in the city this summer and when I walk in the library, immediately facing me, is a big table with many “NY Times best” books. I haven’t had to join a queue for months. It’s like a candy store!
Two of friends do not enjoy Elizabeth Strout. I don’t get it! I have also read all of them.
@compmom - the library near my former house had something like that. There were very popular books that could be borrowed for 7 days only I’m a fast reader so it was perfect for me.
I did finish Best Offer Wins yesterday and agree, not my kind of book either. I just found all the actions of the main character far fetched and just couldn’t suspend disbelief that much. At least it was a short/quick read so I was able to finish it for my book club. I probably won’t have much to contribute as I didn’t find much about it to be all that “discussion worthy.”
I just got invited to this book club this year - it’s mostly neighbors and some women they know from adjacent neighborhoods. I like it for the social aspect and they have chosen some good books, but I’m an avid reader and most books they choose I’ve already read. Our next book is one I read last year so I’ll have to skim it to remind myself enough about it to discuss it!
I’m hosting in September and need to find a book. I don’t want anything super popular now b/c many of us get our books from Libby/library so it can’t have a long wait list.