Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
Liv suggests that they skip the traditional Christmas this year. Her cousin, and best friend, Nora recently lost her mother and is not looking forward to the holiday so Liv comes up with the novel solution of a cruise up and down the western coast of North and South America. So both families, each with two kids, book passage for a unique late year getaway.
Liv, Nora and an Argentinean couple are the only parents with children on board the ship so they naturally gravitate towards each other. At a port in Latin America the husbands go to meet one of their friends for a round of golf while the women and kids decide to take a tour ziplining through the jungle. On the way to the zipline course the van breaks down. Knowing that they will never make their trip the guide calls in for another van and takes the three adults and six kids down to a local beach to enjoy the waters. It’s a sheltered area at the mouth of a river so there is no worry of sharks and the guide has inner tubes and other beach toys to make the impromptu trip enjoyable. All seems idyllic. The kids are all having a great time, two mothers doze on the beach and the guide goes to look at birds with Nora. When Nora returns to the beach she sees the two adults asleep and the beach and waters are empty. It seems that the kids were pushed up the river by the incoming tide. When the adults, and the authorities, finally find the abandoned inner tubes on the river bank they also find a freshly dug grave on the nearby roadside inhabited by a dead man with a bullet in his head. The kids were obviously taken by the gravediggers, but where? Are the kids okay? Will their guilt stricken parents ever see them again?
This book could have been written like a thriller, but it is more of a character study. You know what is going on with the children as well as the parents throughout the entire ordeal but that doesn’t mean there isn’t suspense. Awful things happen, very awful things, but as a reader you aren’t left in the dark like the parents of the missing children. What hit home most for me was the utter lack of street smarts the American children possessed. The reactions of these children seemed real; as did those of the parents. My only issue with the book was how well all the American characters came out of this ordeal; you’ll have to read the book to understand what I mean...
Put your holds on this book now, it comes out next week on June 6th!
And Then You’re Dead: What Really Happens If You Get Swallowed by a Whale, Are Shot From a Cannon, or Go Barreling Over Niagara… is the actual title of this question and answer gem that goes into the physics, chemistry and biology of what would happen to your body if really strange things happen to it. You’re dead at the end of every scenario described, it’s just how you become dead that is interesting.
You learn LOTS of fascinating (and sometimes gross or shocking) facts in this book. For instance no one in the history of the world has died being sucked into a pit of quicksand. (You’d float and once you got to about your belly button you’d become neutrally buoyant so you wouldn’t sink any farther in.) If you have an issue with germs skip the chapter on Botulism H; it was the most disturbing part of the book. I was astounded by the things that people have survived like the pilot who was sucked out of a windshield that popped out of his plane because of a quick thinking co-pilot, and also those things not survived (in recent times) like a papercut.
If you have an affinity for weird factoids like I do this book will give you a few more to clutter up your brain.
Agents of Dreamland by Caitlin R. Kiernan
The Signalman is waiting in Winslow, Arizona for Immacolata Sexton to arrive. They each work for unnamed agencies and are coming together to exchange information. Members of a cult were found dead in a house near the Salton Sea and it is the manner of their deaths, and what it might foretell, that has these two agents on edge.
The X-Files meets chthonic lore in this darkly atmospheric novella. Chapters bop back in forth in time and things are never what they seem to be on the surface. If you need a quick shot of something off-kilter go for this one, I couldn’t put it down.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant has been working the same job, living in the same apartment, and basically following the same routine since she graduated from college ten years before. The Social Welfare people stop by twice a year and the occasional meter reader, but otherwise she lives a solitary existence and she’s completely fine with that. Until the day when she and her co-worker Raymond are walking home from work and come across Sammy, an elderly gentleman having a heart attack. The duo get help for Sammy and so begins the unlikely friendship between the three. It becomes apparent that Eleanor is not completely fine, but with Sammy and Raymond’s help she may just get there.
I thought this was going to be the story of a socially awkward woman breaking out of her shell. While that was part of it, this is actually the story of an emotionally damaged woman learning to like herself, other people, and begin actively participating in the world around her. You know something is really wrong in Eleanor’s world during her Wednesday evening phone calls with her mother, a woman who seems to be in a criminal asylum and hurtles abuse at her daughter with every word. But Eleanor is a survivor, and this is the story of a woman who lived through a horrific childhood coming to terms with her adult life free from abuse.
This is a trend I’m seeing lately, the story of what happens after. We eventually find out what happened to Eleanor as a child, and how she was coping (or not coping) in her adult life and how the power of friendship helps her actually become completely fine. Another refreshing thing about the book is the purely platonic friendship between Eleanor and Raymond; it was nice to see strong friendship between a man and a woman that doesn’t develop into a love story for a change.
Into the Water by Paul Hawkins
Jules Abbott never wanted to return to the small English town of Beckford; it holds too many bad memories for her. When her estranged sister’s body is found broken in the drowning pool she is forced to return and care for her teenaged niece Lena. Nel, Jules’s sister, was always obsessed with the drowning pool. It is a place that witches were tried and many women have committed suicide. Katie, Lena’s best friend whose body was found in the pool months before, and Nel, are considered just two more women who decided to end their lives in the spot. But Jules is sure that isn’t true. Nel always said if she wanted to kill herself she would never jump from the cliff because there would be a chance she could live. She would fill her pockets with rocks, just as Katie did months before. Nel also always said another thing about the spot, that is was a place to get rid of troublesome women.
I’ll admit it, I wasn’t a fan of The Girl on the Train. I didn’t understand why everyone loved that book so much. Now this book, this book I liked. The only thing good about getting laid low with a cold was being able to read this book in two days between my naps.
The characters, even the deceased, slowly start to share their secrets and you get to know these troublesome women. It’s a twisty turny tale and you’re not completely sure whodunnit, or why they did it, until the very, very end. If you need a good summer thriller be sure to pick this one up for your beach bag.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
Lisa Bellow is the queen bee of the 8th grade. She’s popular, has a boyfriend in high school, and a clique of beautiful friends. Her locker is right next to Meredith Oliver’s. Meredith is not popular, but she has close friends. She does well in school and has a happy home life. Until the day she decides to stop at the Deli Barn on her walk home from school to treat herself to a root beer. The Sandwich Farmer is creating sandwiches for Lisa when Meredith walks in; then the robber comes in wearing a ski mask. He waves a gun at the two girls and makes them lie on the floor while he takes the worker in the back demanding he open the (non-existent) safe. Moments later he comes out alone. He asks Lisa to get up and the two leave; Meredith is still on the floor and the worker is unconscious in the back room when the middle school custodian comes in the store to buy dinner. This isn’t the story of Lisa Bellow. This is Meredith’s story: how does a thirteen-year old cope with being the girl left behind?
A really good choice on audio; the narrator voices the characters well and you can hear the teen angst and emotion clearly. Meredith is suddenly the center of attention, she’s popular for an awful reason, and she’s trying to figure out how to cope with it all. Also, she’s trying to imagine what Lisa is going through. Is she alive? Is she dead? To help assuage her guilt for not running outside and getting the car’s license plate, or at the very least a description of the car, for just lying there on the linoleum for who knows how long, she makes up a fantasy life for her and Lisa where they are in this together instead of both being alone.
While I think it’s impossible to know what would go through someone’s head in similar circumstances I think the author makes a very believable guess at how Meredith could begin to live with the aftermath of that day.
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
Elle Burns has an eidetic memory, a trait that not only proves that a former slave can have superior intelligence but that serves the Loyal League well in her work as a spy for the abolitionist cause. Malcolm McCall is an attractive Scotsman who can charm anyone, a helpful asset in his work as a Pinkerton Detective gathering intelligence for the Union cause. When the two meet at the home of an important Southern senator’s mansion hoping to overhear information that will benefit the Union their roles couldn’t be more different. She is posing as a mute house slave to the Senator’s daughter, he is posing as a Rebel officer there to woo the Senator’s daughter. While sparks fly at their first meeting, Elle is not about to enter into a hopeless relationship, but their work for the Union keeps throwing them together. Will they both, and their love, survive this war?
It was really interesting to read a romance about the love story between a freedwoman and a white man. She is, understandably, wary of his advances and nervous about being seen with him, a situation he is unprepared for but over time begins to understand. These two care for each other, as evidenced by the very steamy scenes between the two, and you can only hope that love will truly conquer all once they settle in north of the Mason-Dixon line.
The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve
Grace is content in her life. She has two small children and a third on the way. She doesn’t have warm feelings towards her husband, but she is hoping things will get better; Gene is a very good provider and he cares for their children deeply. The best part of her life is her daily talks with her neighbor Rosie. But one day everything changes. Gene is off fighting the inland fires when Grace is awoken by her daughter’s screams and the smell of smoke. The fire has turned to the coast and is coming their way. Without a car, or even the ability to drive, Grace manages to get her children as well as Rosie and her children to the ocean where they huddle in the surf with wet blankets over their bodies hoping to survive the flames. They survive, but they awaken to a new world. Grace must try to find work, learn to drive, and take care of her family because Gene is missing in the fire, possibly dead, and she needs to provide for all of them now however she can.
Based on the true events of the fire that ravaged coastal Maine in 1947, this is a dark, bleak look at marriage during the time right after World War II when women were housewives and mothers unprepared to become the provider for the family. This book is Grace’s story, we get to know her and her motivations on every page. I have to admit I didn’t think the book would take as dark a turn as it did, but you’re still cheering for Grace and hoping that her new found confidence will see her through whatever life throws her way.
The Girl with All the Gifts (Thought-Provoking Horror Film)
Melanie seems to be a normal child. She attends classes every morning and tries her best, wanting to impress her teacher. But Melanie is not a normal child. She lives in an underground military bunker and is transported to class each morning restrained in a wheelchair. Melanie is infected with the fungus that changed most of the adult population into hungries (read: zombies) but she and her classmates have retained the ability to learn, and unfortunately also the desire for living meat. The doctors feel that Melanie’s brain is key to the development of an anti-fungal and plan on removing her brain tissue that morning. Of course that is the day the fences fail and the base is overrun with the infected. Melanie and a few humans survive and manage to escape, will they be able to reach another base? Is Melanie the key to the survival of humanity? Or is she the reasons for humanity’s demise?
I enjoy twists on the typical zombie movie and this was a heck of a twist. Based on the book with the same name that I’ve been meaning to read it is a great edge of your seat horror film. But you’re not waiting for the next scare or scream, you’re waiting for answers. How things are going to unfold. If humanity is going to survive this. Melanie, the character and the actress, is amazing. She can be scary, funny, a monster and a typical little girl all in a matter of seconds. Even with blood all over her face you can forget that she isn’t one of us. And like most of the movies I like it’s got a great gut punch of an ending.
Delicious! by Ruth Reichl
Billie Breslin drops out of school and moves across the country to New York City to find her way in the world of culinary journalism. She manages to snag a great position at Delicious! an iconic foodie magazine housed in a Federalist mansion mere months before it is cancelled by the corporate owners. She is kept on as the sole employee to fulfill the Delicious! Guarantee -- the magazine will refund money spent on ingredients for any recipes that don’t work out quite right. While exploring the mansion and its library she comes upon a secret room and cryptic card catalog. Following clues she uncovers the letters of Lulu, aged 12, to the legendary James Beard, a correspondence initially started in the quest for tips to make good tasting meals during the rationing of World War II and later developing into a friendship. Throw in family drama, artisanal cheeses and hole in the wall restaurants and you have the recipe for a fun read.
Do not read this book if you are hungry. You will end up at a market spending your paycheck on interesting cheeses. I just talked about this book with my book discussion group and we all had one complaint -- everything fits together too neatly, too conveniently, wrapped with a big white bow. You see the resolution to subplots a mile away and know as soon as he walks onto the page who Billie’s love interest will be in a few chapters. That said, if you go into this one knowing it’s a romance, following the rules of a romance novel, you’ll find a lot to like here. I’ve been reading some dark and serious books and this one was a nice yummy fluffy confection that hit the spot.
The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
Leah Stevens is starting over. She reluctantly quits her job with a prominent Boston newspaper, leaving her love of journalism behind, to become a teacher in rural Western Pennsylvania. She didn’t plan on ending up in bear country but when she bumps into Emmy again, her roommate for a brief period after college, she follows along; both young women looking for a new start. Leah isn’t exactly enjoying her new life, but she enjoys being with Emmy again. A few months after the move a young woman, who looks disturbingly like Leah, is found near death at the side of a lake close to their rental home and Emmy goes missing. As Leah’s digs into her friend’s past she doesn’t find many answers, just more and more questions. Who is Emmy Gray?
I really enjoyed the author’s first adult thriller, All the Missing Girls, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. Since the author’s last book was written backwards I knew this was going to be a tough act to follow. It’s a good thriller, but I can’t help but compare it to her first book and find it slightly lacking.
A good summertime read that makes you question how well you know your friends. (Hint: make sure all your friends have at least one utility or mortgage/lease in their name. It’s a good place to start towards thinking they are who they claim!) Enjoyable on audiobook.
The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan
Life in Chilbury changes dramatically with the start of World War II. Suddenly all the men in the village are away at war and the dread that fell during the previous war revisits Chilbury. Without men the choir is disbanded but through the efforts of a spunky newcomer to town, and the ladies of Chilbury themselves, a new choir of female voices is formed. Some complain that it’s wrong, that it’s never been done, but what during these turbulent times is that way it has always been?
This is a book about women coming together and redefining themselves during turbulent times. Told entirely in letters at first glance it may remind readers of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society but only at a glance. This book is a lot deeper; the war hits Chilbury and the town feels loss deeply. There are also spies, slighted love, conspiracies, and romance. It’s war, so naturally the book takes some dark turns; it’s a small town, so of course there are nefarious things going on in the shadows; but all’s well that ends well, in case you wanted to know.
This is one that you should listen to rather than read. Each letter writer is voiced by a different reader, an experience that really helped immerse me in the story and form pictures in my head of each character. And it’s available on Playaway so pop in a pair of headphones and get out in the sunshine (when it returns) and listen to the ladies of Chilbury tell you their stories.
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
The sequel to Sleeping Giants finally arrived! I’ve been waiting a year and I wasn’t disappointed. I actually screamed aloud “Wait! What? NOOO!” at one point as well as laughed and gasped on numerous occasions. This was a great book, but it is a sequel -- you’ll need to read the first to enjoy the second. What I loved most about this book was my utter inability to see what’s going to happen next.
If you enjoy a book that makes you think; a book that makes you angry and flummoxed; a book that makes you smile; a book told non-traditionally in interviews, diary entries and transcripts; a book that makes the impossible seem real; a book that takes the phrase what-if and runs a million miles with it, please give this series a chance.
