The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna

by Juliet Grames
Jan 20-Feb 9, 2020

There is nothing I like more than a sweeping saga that spans time and generations, and in this case, more than one hundred years. So much needs to be told. Perceptions of characters may change for better or for worse, and some may stay the same. It's a true testament to the author who can evoke such strong feelings for these fictional characters.

Immediately, Grames paints a picture of a staunch Catholic upbringing where tradition is everything. And yet, you can't help but laugh out loud.

"Assunta was shy of boys and had been successfully trained to channel that groin-tightening teenage energy into concentrating on Mother Mary’s virginity while reciting the rosary."

And while there were plenty of laughs – especially every time Stella's sister threw herself to the ground in hysterics – the brutally painful moments erased any of the humor. But for me, a successful book is one that can take my emotions on a roller coaster ride.

"Those who eat alone choke alone." ~CALABRESE PROVERB

A sign of a great book for me is when I think about getting back to it every minute of the day. I actually woke up early this morning anticipating the last few chapters. I also "accidentally" stayed up way too late on a school night as the time passed unnoticed over Stella's story.

"Without faith there are no miracles, just coincidences."

In the end it's about family, faith and tradition and what it takes to endure all these things successfully over the course of a lifetime.

* * * * *

Ask Again, Yes

by Mary Beth Keane
Dec 3-22, 2019

What a great way to (almost) end the year. I love a good family drama, especially one with such well drawn out characters, so this one surely satisfied. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming, storylines well crafted for future reference, and a comfortable ending.

“Then and now, I say yes.”

It's funny to me how the more I like a book, the shorter my reviews are. Ask Again, Yes is my sixth 4-star review of the year. Those that know me know that it takes a LOT to achieve a 5-star rating! But in a year that saw its share of far too many duds – nine 2-star reviews – I'm happy with the less-is-more review.

* * * * *

A Ladder to the Sky

by John Boyne
Sept 19-Oct 14, 2019

This book pulled a protagonist-fast-one on me. For whatever reason, I was ready to abandon it within the first 50 pages, mistaking its intention, when suddenly the pace picked up with no turning back. What at first appeared to be about an old German writer, Erich, changed dramatically in tone when the true lead, Maurice, took center stage.

Wow, what an utterly pathetic human being. I have never read a more dislikeable character, nor have I read such a skillful build-up and decline of a person. Just when I thought I couldn't like him any less, Maurice became even more despicable. Just when I thought, "oh no, he can't possibly," he did. Boyne was superb at bringing Maurice to life and creating a story that simultaneously could and couldn't ever really happen.

“... he was essentially talentless, nothing more than a good-looking hack, and that only charm and sycophancy could keep him in the game.”

The surprise appearance of Gore Vidal was clever and made me want to pick up a couple of his higher-praised works. The book constantly leaves the reader questioning the proverbial good vs. evil. Are Maurice's actions really that of a sociopath, or of cunning, calculated success? The fact that Maurice had absolutely zero self awareness answers that question with the former.

And then, out of nowhere, this:

“You’ve heard the wonderful news, I presume?” “No. Has Mr. Trump died?”

Ha! One could only imagine that world.

* * * * *

The Lost Vintage

by Ann Mah
July 22-August 25, 2019

The Lost Vintage wasn't on my radar until a friend recommended it. I am feeling very behind on my to-be-read list, and I try to stay with books released in the present year and not go too far back. But when I looked up the audiobook version and saw that it was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, I was all in. I also hadn't listened to an audiobook that wasn't somehow related to The All Souls World in a couple of years (they are amazing, look them up). They were how I knew about the fantastic voice of Maarleveld.

Anyway, what a great story. In times when Nazi-occupied France is a very popular genre, it's nice to get a little different perspective. And listening to it was a great refresher in French – for the most part, I still got it! The author's crave-worthy descriptions of Burgundy are enough to make me want to run out to the nearest wine store.

With a wine lesson, history lesson, and love story all mixed into one, Mah did a great job at keeping the story interesting, believable and not the least bit cheesy. It's always a good sign when I sit in my car in the garage to finish a chapter. Really an unexpected treat!

* * * * *

The Paris Seamstress

By Natasha Lester
Mar23-29, 2019

Wow, I loved, loved, loved this book. So totally unexpected and just what I needed right now. Two separate love stories that were not the least bit schmaltzy, but truly powerful and heart-breaking. What I thought going in was going to be a story mainly focused in Paris during WWII, was instead about a dress designer fleeing Nazi invasion. And so much more.

Something really cool was that some of the characters actually existed. Lester took liberties with their pasts to incorporate them into the story and it worked out beautifully. None of the outcomes were overly-predictable or outrageous, just satisfying resolutions to the endurance of love. The character development was so complete that my feelings for each one was powerful. Overall just great.

* * * * *

Ohio

by Stephen Markley
Feb 18-Mar 10, 2019

I'm going to find it hard to put my review into words. So many thoughts and emotions swirling through my brain as I finished this book only an hour ago. I was nearly ready to give up on it after the prelude, but like a pas de deux, I continued to dance with my partner, this book, until the coda. I'm so glad I did. What a complex, challenging, heart-breaking book.

Complex: Attempting to keep all the characters straight and comprehending the political aspect of Bill's character. Challenging: I found myself looking up several words I had never heard of – verisimilitude, threnody, senescence – and yet there was not an ounce of pretension in the author's voice. Heart-breaking: At times, the graphic depictions of war, rape and self-mutilation were unbearable, but I realized that they were absolutely necessary.

As we all know, the way memory works is that the sweep of your life gets explicated by a handful of specific moments, and these totems then stand as narrative. You must invent the ligature that binds the rest.

And the draw was so familiar and comfortable, because, well, Ohio. Every mention of my happy places from Cleveland to Akron to South Bass Island, made me feel like home. While I'm not native to our great state, it's still my home.

“Johnny Appleseed. Ever heard of him? Ohioan.”

It seemed to take forever for me to finish, but I realize it was only short of three weeks. Worth every minute and with a payoff no reader could ever see coming. In an interview at the end of the book, Markley is quoted as saying,

"You just want those last forty pages to shock the shit out of you and yet feel totally inevitable in retrospect."

Absolutely. Poetically lovely, and absolutely relevant.

"And they were gone, these infinitesimal creatures, walking the surface of time, trying and failing to articulate the dreams of ages, born and wandering across the lonesome heavens."

* * * * *

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens
Feb 1-10, 2019

What a heartbreaking, yet somehow deeply satisfying book! At first a little hard to follow with the "slang" of North Carolina, I soon got a rhythm and was clinging to every word, every piece of poetry. This is a story about abandonment, isolation, racism and cruelty that had me in tears, but in the end turns rather triumphant.

"She feels the pulse of life, he thought, because there are no layers between her and her planet."

Although I was a little put off at first that it was turning into a murder mystery, the evolution made sense and the outcome was not the least bit predictable. Again, I feel like the more I like a book, the less I have to say about it. But this is one of the best I've read in a while, and definitely got me out of an early 2019 slump that was beginning to worry me. Highly recommend!

* * * * *

The Great Believers

by Rebecca Makkai
Nov 15-Dec 7, 2018

I have always been emotionally affected by the AIDS crisis. I was not worried about myself, but all the unfortunate souls who were blind-sided and wrecked by such a hideous disease. So, when in the first chapter the characters are at a funeral for a friend who lost his battle with AIDS, I was immediately in the trenches with them.

I liked how the chapters alternated between the 80s and early 90s to present day. I loved the way the present and past threaded together as the story developed. I have never to my recollection read a chapter twice, but I was so intensely moved when Yale was finally diagnosed, that I had to read it again to feel that raw emotion one more time. While of course I knew it was a matter of time before he too was infected, the author managed to organically and surprisingly weave it into the story. As Yale was thinking of all the things he would never get to do, all of the experiences he would miss out on:

"All the books he hadn't started."

And in present day, his best friend Fiona is in Paris trying to find her daughter. Fiona is a tough character. While you can't help but feel sorry for her, her life and history have made her selfish and untrusting. Rightly so. At 21 she experienced more deaths of friends than most do in a lifetime.

"Why couldn't you ever just go through life without tripping over some idiot's dick?"

I enjoyed the subplot of the art acquisition and how it still managed to tie all the characters together. It was actually a welcome distraction to the anguish I felt for these suffering men. Makkai succeeded in telling a poignant, relevant account of a disease that should never be underestimated.

* * * * *

The Stars are Fire

by Anita Shreve
Aug 6-19, 2018

I kind of decided that I shouldn't insist on reading all of the books by the same author just because I loved one in particular. I always end up disappointed. I still remember reading and loving The Pilot's Wife and telling all my friends and family to read it immediately. That was 20 years ago! I do think I read a few other ones; Sea Glass and Testimony sound familiar, but I don't recall the plots. But for some reason, when I heard about Shreve's death and her last novel, I was compelled to pick it up. Glad I did.

As a fan of historical fiction, I seem to be drawn specifically to that of WWII. So when I chose this book, I didn't realize the fires in Maine in the late 40s were actually true, and I didn't pay attention to that "character" when I read the summary. To my surprise, these crazy fires made for an extremely interesting premise, with the tangle of marriage commitments and the expectations of wives during this era mixed in. At only 256 pages, Shreve was able to accomplish a lot with these characters and their circumstances. I tore through it and was pleasantly satisfied. And for once I really enjoyed a serendipitous ending. Sometimes it's just warranted.

* * * * *

Everything Here is Beautiful

by Mira T. Lee
July 8-Aug 5, 2018


If it's possible, this is a story of mental illness told in a beautiful, personal way. Beautiful because of the slow pace with a frantic undertone, and personal because the author succeeds in describing Lucia's illness in a way that actually makes sense. To Lucia, she is rational. To the reader, we see both sides – Lucia's, which explains away the demons – and Miranda's, which rationalizes the treatment of the illness.

“It seems silly, right? To be crying when everything's fine?
Well, why not, I figure, because if pain and tears were correlated, surely we would've all drowned by now.”

I need to stress the push and pull feeling of how the story is told. On one hand it's a gradual reveal, almost to the point of impatience (i.e., move it along). On the other, there's a sense of urgency to strike before more damage can be done. A good character-driven, family story is right up my alley, and for four, very different people, each one had a thoroughly-told narrative.

* * * * *

The Immortalists

by Chloe Benjamin
June 10-July 1, 2018

I'm quite behind on my reviews, so we'll keep this one short but sweet! I loved this book. Such a unique premise.

This was so much more than a story about "how would you live/change your life if you knew the date of your death." At first I feared that The Immortalists was going to lean too far toward hocus-pocus. But it became so much more than that. It was about the choices we make and the risks we take. Each of the four siblings had their own distinctive tale, and each one was interesting in its own way.

I liked the first two stories the best – Simon's and Klara's – because they were the most relatable. Daniel's story was a bit "of course" and I didn't enjoy the in-depth science explanations in Varya's chapters. But I found Varya's ending fairly unexpected and was glad that I didn't correctly predict it.

“She knows that stories have the power to change things: the past and the future, even the present.”

 Overall, extremely thought-provoking and poetic. 4 stars.

* * * * *

Paris in the Present Tense

by Mark Helprin
March 14-April 5, 2018

What a delightful book! I love all things France, and with that add incredibly intelligent dialogue, and I'm hooked.

Jules is a 74-year old man who has a LOT going on in his life. And now he's got to make sure his family is taken care of and that certain people get what's coming to them before he makes a graceful exit. While some parts tended to drag and get a little overdone, the rest was so good that it made up for the lag. It's been a while since I've read dialogue that can make me laugh out loud.

"He couldn't resist adding, in English, 'I'm having a whale time.'

 Arnaud, whose English was only elementary, thought that whatever the reference to a whale, it was very sophisticated. '...Why are you having fun like a whale?'"

Taken in context, this was very funny. Jules could literally outsmart anyone with his words. And yet, he was poetic and poignant too.

"Quite simply, and make of it what you will: music is the voice of God."

With all that happened throughout the book I worried that it might fall apart at the end. I held my breath and hoped for a satisfying conclusion. I got it. It was as though the gates of heaven opened up, the light shined brightly and the characters faded out.

* * * * *

Saints for All Occasions

by J. Courtney Sullivan 
Jan 4-28, 2018

What a lovely story. I adore family dramas, especially ones that span a few generations. Add to that a devout Irish Catholic family, and I'm hooked. I love how the story just kind of quietly unfolded into a completely believable narrative. And while the subject matter isn't exactly groundbreaking or original, I still think the author found a fresh way to tell it.

"Mother Cecilia swore she felt her spirit each time she set foot in the abbey's vegetable garden, or when she went to the grave and placed flowers in springtime. And especially when, in the presence of some lost soul, she attempted to give her solace.
As many paths to God as people on earth."

Beautiful, thought-provoking paragraphs like that are abundant. Sullivan really succeeded in making the reader contemplate her own family dynamic and especially understand the power of prayer and forgiveness. The perfect example of life being too short to hold on to anger.

A great way to start the new year; I'm a little sad to leave these characters.

* * * * *

The Bell Jar

by Sylvia Plath
Dec. 26, 2017-Jan. 3, 2018

/ˈbel ,jär/
noun
1. a bell-shaped glass cover used for covering delicate objects or used in a laboratory, typically for enclosing samples.
      1.1 An environment in which someone is protected or cut off from the outside world. ‘let him stay in his bell jar of perfectionist concentration’ [with allusion to Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar (1963)]

With a little nudging from a friend, I decided at long last to read The Bell Jar, a book that has been on my list for years. Considering the book was first released 55 years ago, the plot was not a mystery, but I was completely shocked by how convincing Esther's downfall was. She describes her rapid descent in a beautifully sad way:

"trapped under a bell jar, stewing in her own sour air"

And in the brilliant writing, somehow I started to question my own sanity, even for a minute. Obviously, that minute has passed, but such is the power of Plath's words.

At times the book felt rushed, but I also think that was a purposeful tactic to further illustrate Esther's sickness. And in truth, I'm glad the book wasn't any longer because I was left emotionally exhausted. Purposely written without emotion, only commentary, it was initially difficult to empathize with Esther. But after that first shock treatment, my heart continually broke for her and her struggle. Nine years after The Bell Jar was published, Plath took her own life. It's a shame to have lost such a brilliant talent to such a horrible disease.

* * * * *

We Were the Lucky Ones

by Georgia Hunter
Dec 10-24, 2017

Lucky, indeed. What a shocking thing to say about a family surviving the Holocaust. But the Kurc family's survival is just that – hauntingly lucky. I admit I've been on a tear with WWII books of late, but the more I read, the more I want to learn. This book changes the narrative from what one would expect of the true story of Polish Jews and their fight for survival. The "lucky" part is because out of this rather large family – two parents, five children and their spouses, and a few grandchildren – every one of them survived. They consider themselves lucky even though they faced truly unbelievable hardships, from gulags to ghettos to imprisonment. The number of survivors versus those who perished in their home city of Radom is staggering. These are Hunter's ancestors and she did a beautiful job bringing their story to life.

* * * * *

Lilac Girls

by Martha Hall Kelly
July 29-Aug 20, 2017

It's been two weeks since I finished Lilac Girls and I still can't get it out of my mind. While most of the WWII books I've read are simply historical fiction, this one includes real people and historical figures to authenticate the horrific tale. I didn't realize this at first. I assumed that the experiments performed at Ravensbrück were factual, and that this was the single, female-only concentration camp, but it wasn't until I started to research these experiments that I learned that Gerta Oberheuser was, in fact, real. A real monster who convinced herself she just needed the work.

“It only hurts you to hold on to the hate.”

There isn't much more to be said about the horrors of Ravensbrück; at least from a book synopsis standpoint. But what intrigued me about this story was that the war only encompassed the first third of the book, the rest was the aftermath and how the survivors struggled every day to move on. I was fascinated by this perspective and appreciated this difference from all the other WWII novels I've read. I will say again, especially when people wonder how one can read books about such heinous events in history, that we need to continue to speak and learn about the past, lest it repeat itself.

* * * * *

Grace

by Natashia Deón
Feb 15-Mar 4, 2017

I seem to be drawn to books about slavery. But then again, it also seems to be a popular subject among contemporary authors. It must be my love of historical fiction though, because there is no "easy reading" when it comes to the life of a slave and what they had to endure. Literally fearing for their lives every single minute of every single day, plus those of their loved ones. Not to mention rape, beatings, torture; the list goes on. I don't remember how Grace came to be on my radar – maybe it was the 4.1 stars rating on Goodreads – but this beautifully written novel was well worth every minute.

Grace was told from two perspectives: Naomi's life before her daughter's birth and Josey's life after her mother's death. This is no secret ... the first chapter reveals Naomi's murder. The two stories are told in parallel with more and more secrets revealed as the chapters flow from Naomi's "flashes" (the times before her death) to Josey's mental and physical struggles through the Civil War and the emancipation. The unique perspective of Naomi's spirit watching over her daughter was skillfully told and in no way portrayed as a cheesy ghost story (although some reviews I read disagree).

“It’s been said that justice is getting what you deserve. And mercy is not getting the bad you deserve. Grace is getting a good thing, even when you don’t deserve it.”

The conclusion was by no means neat and tidy, but in the end Naomi found a bit of peace.

* * * * *

Commonwealth

by Ann Patchett
Nov 1-20, 2016

Ann Patchett is truly one of my favorite authors. Her first fiction release in five years, Commonwealth did not disappoint. I savored every word. Stories that span decades are the kind I really sink my teeth into. I love being fully invested in the characters, their lives. It's a commitment for 300-plus pages that I crave. And Patchett's words invite you in from page one.

Commonwealth takes chronological leaps from past to present to the near past and back again. Some people complain about this, but for me it's a challenge that I accept. I like to be kept on my toes and pay attention to every word. If every novel was written linearly, what a boring world this would be!

From what I've read, Franny, the main character, is fashioned around Patchett's own life. Write what you know. My favorite scenes were of the six step-siblings getting into all kinds of trouble as children in Virginia. In a way it reminded me of my own childhood in the 70s – the never-ending, hazy days and the mischief. Although I can happily say that my childhood never involved drugs and guns! The scenes that introduce the crux of the novel's title happened rather quickly and could have easily been overlooked. But I think this is part of the author's style; quick glimpses into scenes that will unknowingly change your life forever.

“All the stories go with you, Franny thought, closing her eyes. All the things I didn’t listen to, won’t remember, never got right, wasn’t around for."

I'm in love with this formula.

* * * * *

A Little Life

by Hanya Yanagihara
Mar 6-May 15, 2016

Brutal. Positively brutal. I've been ruminating on this monster of a book for two weeks now wondering what to say about it. As I was reading it over the course of two very long months, I would tell people, "It's hard to say I'm enjoying it because it's so brutal. And just when you think it can't get any worse, it does." I was compelled into giving up completely, but I told myself to keep plowing through just to see how it ends – because truly, how could it get any worse than it already was? Only it did.

I found myself needing to take a day or two (or three) off from reading A Little Life because sometimes it was more than I could take. At times I would audibly gasp, or cringe or scream out loud at the sentences before me. To that note, I found that the trials Jude, the lead character, had to face were beginning to become eye-rolling and unbelievable. Could one person really endure that much abuse and suffering?

The general plot is of four college friends and their loyalty to each other. The book starts out with each of the four in equal measure, but soon shifts to Jude becoming the main voice. As they age their friendships are tried, their feelings for one another change, but ultimately their bond is strong. When Jude and Willem became a couple, I again wondered how much more the author could pack into one book. I'm not sure that relationship felt real enough for me.

“But what was happiness but an extravagance, an impossible state to maintain, partly because it was so difficult to articulate?”

I know I said that Delicious Foods was difficult to manage. A Little Life tops that by about a million. Although I'm not sure it really needed to be 700+ pages. The author tended to ramble a little too long at certain points where I didn't think the extra sentences added to the overall experience. Regardless, this is one I'm not soon to forget.

* * * * *

A Fall of Marigolds

by Susan Meissner
Dec 22, 2015-Jan 2, 2016

Everything happens for a reason. Love is meant to be given to another. Grief lives in an in-between place. While this may sound incredibly sappy, and so not the subject matter I am typically drawn to, A Fall of Marigolds enchanted me from chapter one.

A scarf entwines two women who live a century apart. Both survived horrific tragedies – Clara, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and Taryn, 9/11. Trying to cope in the aftermath of each, both women must find the will to move on.

I definitely enjoyed Clara's story – a nurse on Ellis Island – more than Taryn's. I think the storytelling was better, but I also think that it was easier to remove myself from events that happened 100 years ago than it was for September 11. Taryn's story was beautiful, but incredibly difficult to read, if also a little under-developed.

It's that time of year. Hibernation season. This is the perfect book to get cozy with.

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