Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
292 pages

What’s it about?
This mystery highlights the dysfunction of the Lee family. The novel’s main character is 16-year-old Lydia.  Lydia mysteriously disappears in the middle of the night, and the family is left to wonder what happened?  Each family member questions if they knew Lydia at all?

What did it make me think about?
This novel explores family, race, grief and parenting among other difficult topics.   What do the expectations we place on our children lead to- success or pressure? 

Should I read it?
I have to say this was a good book but not a great one.  Ng is a talented writer but some parts were stronger than others.  The plot kept me engaged but I also got tired of the behavior of some of the characters.  Mood plays a large role in how much I enjoy a book and maybe I was just in the wrong mood.  Too many depressing novels in a row.  I think I am ready for a fun, light book!

Quote-
“But from Far away, with the heat and the noise of the party cocooning him, his perspective had shifted.  Everything that loomed so large close up- school, their parents, their lives- all you had to do was step away, and they shrank to nothing.  You could stop taking their phone calls, tear up their letters, pretend they’d never existed.  Start over as a new person with a new life.  Just a problem of geography, he thought, with the confidence of someone who had never yet tried to free himself of family.”

Question-
Who impacted Lydia the most?

If you liked this you should try-
Father of the Rain by Lily King
Faith by Jennifer Haigh
 

6 ½ stars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
225 pages

What’s it about?
The narrator of this novel is a privileged seventeen-year-old named Cadence Sinclair Eastman.   Most of the story takes place the summer Cady is fifteen.  Cady is on her annual summer trip to the family compound, located on an island near Martha’s Vineyard.   What happens that summer?  You will have to read to the very last chapter to know...

What did it make me think about?
As an adult reader I was pleasantly surprised at the cleverness in this book.  The book had some really insightful moments, but mainly it made me sit at the edge of my seat and wondering what happened.

Should I read it?
Yes.  It is intelligent and plot driven.  The one criticism of the book I have is that the supporting characters are not really complete.  If you think much about "the liars"  you will wonder what actually motivates them.  I doubt you will think too much about them though.  The plot will have ALL your attention.   If I had a teenager in the house, this is the kind of book that I would give them.  It will hook them in the first few chapters!   E. Lockhart obviously has some skills as a writer.

Quote-
“Welcome once again, to the beautiful Sinclair family. 
    We believe in outdoor exercise.  We believe that time heals. 
    We believe, although we will not say so explicitly, in prescription drugs and the cocktail hour.
    We do not discuss our problems in restaurants.  We do not believe in displays of distress.  Out upper lips are stiff, and it is possible people are curious about us because we do not show them our hearts. 
                  It is possible that we enjoy the way people are curious about us.

Question-
Did you see the twist in the story coming?

If you liked this try-
For adults-
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

8 stars

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
322 pages

What’s it about?
Isabelle McCallister is a 90-year-old white, widow living in East Texas.  Over time she has developed a close relationship with her black hairdresser;  a much younger, single mom named Dorrie.  Isabelle and Dorrie take a road trip together that will change them both.

What did it make me think about
What makes a friend?

Should I read it?
I found this book to be contrived at times and slightly simplistic.  However the characters were interesting and the story draws you in.  If you want a quick read that has some twists and turns, but ties all the loose threads up in the end, then this is the book for you.

Quote-
“It’s funny how sometimes you find a friend- in the likely places-and almost immediately, you can talk about anything.  But More often than not, after the initial blush, you find you really have nothing in common.  With others, you believe you’ll never be more than acquaintances.  You’re so different, after all.  But then this thing surprises you, sticking longer than you ever predicted, and you begin to rely on it and that relationship whittles down your walls, little by little, until you realize you that one person better than almost anyone.  You’re really and truly friends>”

Question-
Who benefits most from this relationship- Dorrie or Isabelle?

If you liked this try-
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

6 stars

 

The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob
498 pages

What’s it about?
The novel takes place over thirty years and tells the story of an Indian immigrant family living in Albuquerque. Through flashbacks we learn the history of the Eapen family.  The story takes place during different time periods ranging from the 1970’s through the 1990’s.   India, Seattle and Albuquerque are all featured in the book.  Although the family faces difficult challenges, the author’s sense of humor is seen throughout the book.  Mira Jacob has a light touch.

What did it make me think about?
It made me think about how universal family experiences are, no matter what your culture. 

Should I read it?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.   The last few books I read were so heavy it was nice to read something with both substance and humor.   The novel never seemed like it was taking itself too seriously.  

Quote-
“To live in the Eapens’ house was to acknowledge the sharpness of invisible borders, the separations that had divided it like two countries since 1983.  It had been years since Amina had seem her mother wade into the yellow light of her father’s porch, and as far as she knew, Thomas had never once crossed the gate into Kamala’s garden.”

If you liked this try-
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni


8 stars

Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
467 pages

What’s it about?
Pete Snow is a social worker working in rural Montana in 1980.   He struggles to help his less than likable clients; at the same time he struggles in his own personal life.   At times his emotional connection to his clients seems stronger than the connection to his own family.  Every character in this novel is deeply flawed, but the talented Smith Henderson also makes these same characters sympathetic.  This novel creates a picture of the rural West that is both interesting and deeply troubling.
What did it make me think about?
It made me think about our social welfare system.  The people falling through the cracks have complex issues.  The children suffer and then fall through the cracks themselves.  What is to be done?  Very thought provoking…
Should I read it?
I would recommend it.   The story takes a long time to set up.  However, I really liked the way the author created such fully drawn characters.  There are no “good guys” or “bad guys”.  Everyone in this novel is deeply flawed.  Sometimes I wished they were not so unlikable as it often left no one to root for.
Quote-
“Not knowing where she was.  Oh my God.  An untold sorrow.  He’s seen so much suffering, but he’d only suffered it secondarily.  To have it fresh and his own.   The scope of it.  He’d had no idea.  He’d known nothing.”
Question-
Do the flaws of the social welfare system, portrayed in this novel, fuel the anarchy that we now see in the Western United States?

If you liked this try-
An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

7 ½ stars
8/19/2014  In retrospect I should have rated this book higher. 

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
230 pages

What’s it about?
Through flashbacks we follow a young man’s journey through the Iraq war. 
What did it make me think about?
Oh my…  One of my favorite young men just joined the marines and another just finished two tours in Afghanistan.  This story hit too close to home to enjoy.  It made me think of all the men and women who have served in wars throughout history.   How much each one of those soldiers will come home with a story.  I will never be able to fully comprehend the experience of war.  This book helped me see that more clearly.
Should I read it?
Kevin Power’s is a poet.  His words are lyrical in a way that totally contrasts with the brutality of the war he is describing.  The pages turned so fast that I was finished with the book before I knew it.  It was difficult to read in that it was so troubling.  I would recommend it.
Quote-
“Nothing is more isolating than having a particular history.  At least that’s what I thought.  Now I know: All pain is the same.  Only the details are different.”
Question-
Is Choice an illusion?

If you liked this you might try-
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

7 stars

Ruby: A Novel by Cynthia Bond
352 pages

What’s it about?
This novel is about race, gender and love.  The story takes place in the deep south during the 1930’s.  A young black boy falls in love with a young black girl and he never forgets her. 
What did it make me think about?
This book took on the difficulties of both race and gender.  How incredibly difficult it must have been to be a woman- especially a black woman in the South in the 1930's.  The writing is incredible.
Should I read it?
It will break your heart but you should definitely read it!!!
Quote-
"When she got older and she began smelling like the wash she was taking in, Ruby saw it crush something inside her. For Maggie was meant to be the king of something. She was meant to puff out her chest and conquer worlds. But Ruby watched her join the army of black folks dragging off to Newton, their souls crumpled in their handkerchiefs until supper time. And while Maggie didn't droop her head as much as the rest, it still fell a bit to fit through the door of servitude."
Question-
What do you think sustains Ruby through all the years?

If you liked this book you might also like-
Beloved by Toni Morrison 
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 
Father of the Rain by Lily King 

9 1/2 STARS

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
308 pages

What’s it about?
This novel is a re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale set in the United States in the mid 1950's.  It explores thoughts on race and physical beauty.
What did it make me think about?
How much does what we look like dictate how others see us and in turn how we see ourselves?
Should I read it?
It is an unusual version of a familiar tale.  The writer takes lots of risks, and many are rewarding.  However at times it was a little uneven for me.  Exceptional in some places and scattered in others. I would recommend it because the author has such a unique vision. 
Quote-
"I may or may not have hated my own face sometimes. I may or may not have spent time thinking of ways to spoil it somehow. (Maybe that answers your question about being “beautiful.”) But I’m slowly coming around to the view that you can’t feel nauseated by the Whitmans and the Millers without feeling nauseated by the kind of world that’s rewarded them for adapting to it like this."

If you liked this book you might like-
elegies for the brokenhearted by Christie Hodgen 
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh 

8 STARS
 

The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker
496 pages

What’s it about?
The story is set in 1899 in New York City and revolves around the relationship between two mythical creatures.  It is a mix of fantasy and historical fiction.
What did it make me think about?
I found the fantasy aspect really interesting.   To combine the mystical characters and the city of New York in 1899 was quite a leap.  What an imagination the author has!
Should I read it?
Lots of people I know loved this book.  I enjoyed it but I found myself wishing I were finished so I could start a new book.  Could have been my mood….
Question-
What do you think- was it just my mood? 

If you liked this book you might like- 
The Tiger's Wife by Obreht, Téa 
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson


6 STARS