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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell

    March 22, 2023
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    O’Farrell is one of my favorite authors, in fact three of my all-time best are by her; The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Hamnet and the Marriage Portrait. So I was sure I would like this older novel of hers…her very first. Here is my book review The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell.

    O’Farrell is a master at character development. In this novel she creates some interesting characters in two parallel storylines across a fifty year time period. Of course you know these stories will interject at some point, but even when they do you will be taken aback. It is a story of three strong-willed women and their connection.

    The Women

    Lexie – wants so much more than the provincial life laid out for her in the country home of her parents post WWII. She plots her escape thanks to the love of her life Innes. But Innes has his own secrets that will, after his death, haunt Lexie forever.

    Margot – Innes daughter will do anything she can to ruin Lexie’s life. She is Lexie’s nemesis but as the story unfolds we realize that their connection will be greater than either could ever have imagined.

    Elina – present day a new mother struggling with her near death experience giving birth to her son, tries to navigate motherhood, while dealing with her husband Ted’s memory issues. Ted refuses to admit he is ill, and Ted’s parents – especially his mother – is secretive and aloof. What memories is she trying to suppress from Ted?

    The revelations will come to light in a painful way, but Elina will be the hero as she helps her husband grasp his new reality, recover from the shock and repair the fractured family through her never-ending love.

    The Hand That a First Held Mine

    Not her best work but a superb story nonetheless, in true O’Farrell fashion. I enjoyed the plot and the outcome. Thanks for reading my book review The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell.

    ****Four stars for The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell.

    See last week’s book review The Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

    March 8, 2023
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    This story of two friends spans thirty years. Thirty years that will bring Sam and Sadie, two childhood nerds, to wild success. But at what cost to each individually and their lifelong friendship? Here is my book review Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

    Sam and Sadie meet as young children in a hospital of all places. Sam is recovering from a horrific auto accident while Sadie spends hours at the hospital while her sister undergoes chemotherapy. But these two seemingly unlikely friends will find a very common bond in video games. And build a friendship around video games and gamers.

    Six years later Sadie is at MIT and Sam at Harvard. They will reconnect, again over the burgeoning video game design industry and their lives will never be the same. Both brilliant, competitive and driven, they set out to change the “gaming” industry right from their college apartment.

    This coming of age story may be difficult for readers not familiar with “gaming” – the multi-billion dollar industry that took hold of an entire generation. But at the core of this story, which sometimes feels a bit like a YA novel, is friendship. Love. Trust. Respect.

    The book is long (over 400 pages) and it dragged a bit for me. But overall I enjoyed it and learned a lot about the gaming industry too…something I knew little about.

    Reviews range wildly. I’m firmly in the middle. Three stars for Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

    Thank you for reading my book review Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

    See last weeks book review Becoming Duchess Goldblatt.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Becoming Duchess Goldblatt

    March 1, 2023
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    This book. So much fun, even though the character (author) deals with some dark times. One of my fav books in the last few months. Here is my book review Becoming Duchess Goldblatt.

    I kept seeing this book pop up but I wasn’t really paying attention because I was busy and traveling. I tossed it on my library waitlist assuming it was a novel about a 17th century Duchess. LOL Well you can’t judge a book by it’s cover as they say.

    This book is brilliant. Duchess Goldblatt is an anonymous Twitter character who gained a giant following for her uplifting yet hilarious posts about life’s ups and downs in this social media world.

    The still anonymous author and pseudonym, Duchess (or Your Grace as she prefers to be called) found solace in this fictional character during the most dark time of her real life. A divorce spirals her into depression. She loses friends and family and income. She is trying to hold on for the sake of her child, keep working and provide a suitable home environment. But her dismal existence makes her sad and lonely, and on one particular dark day (her birthday) with nowhere to go, the author creates Duchess.

    Today Duchess Goldblatt has 60K followers including multiple famous authors and musicians including Lyle Lovett who features heavily in the book.

    What a strange situation this author found herself in. Clearly hitting a note that many people out in Twitter land didn’t even know they needed. Her humor and “grace” not only brings light into the lives of her followers, but it lifts her out of her own depression, gives her purpose, and in essence becomes her memoir.

    I bit difficult to explain this one but I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. A great page-turning read.

    *****Five stars for Becoming Duchess Goldblatt

    Thanks for reading my book review Becoming Duchess Goldblatt.

    See last week’s Book Review To Paradise by Hanya Yanaghirarya

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

    February 22, 2023
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    This book. Mind boggling. Described by critics as both brilliant and confounding…for me I’m going with brilliant. It’s not for everyone, but I was astonished. Here is my book review To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara.

    If you are looking for an easy read…this is not it. This book is intense and sometimes horrific. But Yanagihara has a beautiful ability to develop characters that take your hand and bring you right into the story. Or stories in this case.

    Because this novel is essentially three stories…three stories that seemingly don’t connect, but keep reading. They will. The three stories are placed 100 years apart; 1893 in New York City, 1993 in Hawaii and 2093 in New York City.

    But none of these places will be familiar to the reader. An alternate New York City exists in this book. In 1893 it’s not in the United States, it exists in an alternative country after a revolution. It’s openly Lesbian/Gay friendly. Arranged marriages are common. History is rewritten through the bold yet quiet imagination of Yanagihara.

    In the second story we find ourselves in Hawaii in 1993. Unrest, global warming, and family legacy in the island nation finds the characters searching for meaning. But wait these characters all have the same names as 100 years ago. What exactly is going on here?

    And then boom. We are back in New York in the year 2093. This astonishing third story for me was gripping, and a bit too close to home. Pandemics, intense heat, unbreathable air, and a country in utter chaos. Here the characters are honest and emotional and so believable – even given the dystopian world they occupy.

    With all this angst and uncertainty can this story end happily? The overriding theme through-out is hope; hope for the survival of the planet, our human species, family, love and happiness.

    An extraordinary work, that may take some time to digest. But I give high praise to the imagination and beautiful story telling of Yanagihara. Thank you for reading my book review To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara.

    *****Five stars for To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara.

    Read last week’s book review The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

    February 15, 2023
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    A whodunit that mixes poverty, race and the high society of classical music in an intriguing mystery. Here is my book review The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.

    A poor black child from North Carolina, Ray has few options. Despite his apparent musical talent his mom wants him to drop out of school and get a job. She wants him to pay rent and work…and stop making all that noise with his beat up school loaned violin.

    But Ray’s grandmother sees something special in his talents, and when she bequeaths him an old beat up family violin he is thrilled. Helped along by a handful of people who see beyond his race to his exceptional talent, Ray soon discovers the beat up violin is a priceless Stradivarius.

    Ray’s life changes dramatically as he is recognized, more for the story of the unsuspecting Stradivarius, but also for his burgeoning talent. Then he is invited to the renowned Tchaikovsky Competition, and the media storm grows around Ray and his violin.

    But the unthinkable happens, the violin is stolen right from under his nose. Ray feels like one of his arms has been cut off. How will he get it back? How will he pay the ransom? Who would do such a thing? There are lots of suspects, friend and foe.

    Will Ray find the violin in time for the competition? You’ll need to read The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb to find out.

    ****Four stars for The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.

    Thank you for reading my book review The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.

    Read last week’s book review Delicious by Ruth Reichl

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach

    October 19, 2022
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    Sad but also enlightening Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance is dramatic narrative of one girls life following the sudden death of her older sister. Here is my book review Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach.

    It’s a parents nightmare, to lose a child. But it’s also a nightmare for a sibling. This is a story told in a unique voice, about the coping mechanisms, the grief, the guilt, and the hope of the people who loved Kathy.

    Kathy’s sister Sally survives the car accident that takes Kathy’s life. But the reality is it takes Sally’s life too…as the world will never be the same. Espach writes this novel in Sally’s voice, as she talks to her sister beyond the grave about everything and everyone and how Kathy’s death affects each one. Especially what it does to Sally’s parents, and the young man Billy who was driving the car.

    Sometimes funny, a bit quirky in the writing style, but believable and heartfelt. A tragedy that changes a sister, a family and a community forever.

    ****Four stars for Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach. Thank you for reading my book review Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach.

    See last week’s book review Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

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    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

    October 12, 2022
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    I loved this book. Super fun, inspirational and engaging. Even though I totally think they blew it on the cover…it looks like a YA novel. Don’t let the cover fool you. It is a wonderful grown up novel. Here is my book review Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

    Elizabeth Zott is an incredible chemist. She is smarter than everyone she works with. She is brilliant and could change the world. Except for the fact it is early 1960’s and she is a woman. Relegated to sexual harassment, stereotyping and zero opportunities. There are so few women in science.

    All the men Elizabeth works with ignore her or abuse her until she meets Calvin…a noble prize nominated, brilliant chemist who falls in love with her for her mind.

    They have a brief and amazing affair, but fate intervenes. Calvin’s sudden death will change the trajectory of Elizabeth’s life in hundreds of ways, most importantly through the birth of a daughter.

    The real story begins here…when Elizabeth finds both friend and foe due to her illegitimate daughter. Her career takes a sharp right hand turn, she becomes a famous TV celebrity and begins to unravel the complicated history of Calvin. And all of this as so many wonderfully developed and flawed characters in this novel come in and out of her life…including one amazing dog named 6:30.

    This was an amusing, entertaining and gratifying read. Easy and enjoyable. A must read. Thank you for reading my book review Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

    *****Five Stars for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

    See last week’s book review This is Happiness by Niall Williams

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