Happy Fall, readers! The start of this season has been incredibly challenging to find time to read. Our family’s schedule has been busier than ever and carving out time for myself to sit with a book has not been easy. I’m hopeful in the coming weeks things will calm down just in time for some holiday reading and fun. This 10 stack is a mixed bag genre wise as well as hits/misses. I hope that you find something to connect to on this list and have been able to take some time to enjoy this beautiful season.
“The Paris Connection” by Lorraine Brown
Having just barely made their train to Amsterdam Hannah and Simon settle into their seats ready for their journey to Simon’s sister’s wedding. Coming off an amazing week in Venice Simon thought that taking the train would be a romantic way to celebrate Hannah’s approaching 30th birthday not aware of the troubles ahead for the couple. In the middle of the night unable to sleep Hannah went for a walk to a quieter cabin leaving a sleeping Simon and her luggage behind anticipating she would return before he even knew she was gone. But in those brief few hours Hannah was gone the train separated one half continuing on to Amsterdam and the other half towards Paris. Now Hannah is stranded in Paris without Simon, her luggage, ticket or money and must rely on the kindness of a stranger she quite literally runs into at the station. With the next train to Amsterdam hours away Leo is determined to show Hannah the city he loves and that she can live outside of the carefully arranged life she leads. I have always wanted to travel to the city of lights and reading “The Paris Connection” was almost like being there…briefly. The timeline of this story made it so you never really felt settled into the characters or got to connect with them on any level. In fact, the most enjoyable character is Paris itself. If you don’t mind a cliché rom-com “The Paris Connection” is a quick read for a weekend at home.
“The Hike” by Lucy Clarke
Four best friends from childhood set aside one week a year to meet up and vacation together. This year, it was Liz’s turn to choose the destination. Tired of their usual sunshine and cocktail infused beach trips she decided on a real adventure. Liz, Maggie, Helena and Jodi would hike and wild camp in the mountains of Norway. As the group sets off with heavy packs on their backs each woman is also carrying a burden of their own – Maggie anxious about being separated from her daughter for the first time, Jodi dealing with her struggles with addiction, Helena recently dealt life-changing news and Liz a marriage on the rocks. The women, each with different levels of preparedness walk their way through the wilderness towards their goal reaching the summit of Blafjell Mountain. But there are dangers lurking in the woods and Blafjell has claimed lives before. When hikers return to base camp reporting a body found, a search begins in the ravine and for a killer hiding somewhere out in the wild. I am so grateful to have been sent an advanced copy of “The Hike” by Putnam Books and NetGalley because I couldn’t put this one down. Each of the characters gives you love/hate vibes, the setting is pure anxiety inducing and I couldn’t wait to figure out what really happened out there on the mountain. Not a chance would I be found doing what these women were brave enough to attempt but I enjoyed Lucy Clarke taking me along on their adventure. Thriller/Mystery fans add this one to your TBR list.
“The Masterpiece” by Fiona Davis
Clara Darden is stepping out on her own determined to make a name for herself in the art world. Even after earning a teaching position at the art school at Grand Central Terminal as a woman in 1928 she still can’t shake the bias towards her skill as a female artist. Unwilling to stand on the sidelines, Clara forms a friendship with another artist challenging each other to new heights but it’s not only his eye Clara soon catches and a juggling act of emotions begins. Fast-forward to 1974 and the once glamorous Grand Central is in danger of being demolished much like the life of Virginia Clay. Newly divorced, Virginia finds herself behind the information desk at the Terminal working hard to establish a new life for her and her daughter. Virginia becomes passionate about restoring what once was the glory of Grand Central and while exploring discovers a long forgotten art school. A watercolor painting behind an old filing cabinet catches her eye and Virginia becomes invested in uncovering all she can about the artist who seemingly disappeared in 1931. If you have been following my reviews for some time you know that I am a huge Fiona Davis fan. I’ll read anything she writes and more often than not, it’s a knockout read for me. However, “The Masterpiece” may fall into the not category this time around. I don’t know if I just never found a connection with these characters or the subject matter didn’t hold my attention but I found this one a struggle to finish. However, in no way do I suggest skipping this title because as always Davis gives a masterclass in detail in the His Fic genre.
“Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar” by Cheryl Strayed
“For more than a decade, thousands of people have sought advice from Dear Sugar–the pseudonym of bestselling author Cheryl Strayed–first through her online column at The Rumpus, later through her hit podcast, Dear Sugars, and now through her popular Substack newsletter. Tiny Beautiful Things collects the best of Dear Sugar in one volume, bringing her wisdom to many more readers.” With the release of the new series by the same title I wanted to read this highly talked about book by Strayed before watching the adaptation. The advice sought by Sugar’s followers ranged from the extremely heavy to humorous, all handled with compassion, empathy and honesty. Though I found it hard to relate to most of the columns, a few did stand out with some nuggets of wisdom I’ll bring into my day to day life. Strayed’s advice comes more from her own experiences and storytelling than what may be offered by a professional which she readily admits to not be and sometimes can be long leaving some chapters hard to focus on. However, if you are a fan of Cheryl Strayed’s previous works, I’d recommend giving this one a try. If you’ve both read and watched “Tiny Beautiful Things”, which did you prefer?
“Love Me Do” by Lindsey Kelk
Having absolutely given up on love Phoebe boarded a plane leaving England and everything else behind for sunny California. A week with her sister is just what she needs to avoid thinking about her horrible ex and his impending marriage to someone else. But no sooner as she touches down in Los Angeles her sister is off on a business trip leaving Phoebe behind to entertain herself. Enter Ren, the extremely handsome bird-watching neighbor that Phoebe accidentally meets one afternoon and Bel, her sister’s personal trainer that instantly befriends Phoebe. Bel confides in Phoebe that she is destined to marry Ren one day…only problem is he doesn’t know she exists. Deciding that it’s better to help others find love than wallow in her own loneliness Phoebe takes on the role of matchmaker helping Bel draft love letters to Ren and dropping hints to him that they would just be perfect together. As her stay progresses Phoebe realizes she starts to feel lighter, happier and unfortunately all signs point to one thing. With only a few days left and her heart on the line Phoebe must decide if one week is long enough to fall in love with a city…and your neighbor. I love Lindsey Kelk’s quirky, funny sense of humor that gets imprinted in her characters in every book she writes. For me, this time around Myrna was the star of the show. (What I wouldn’t give to have been at that party!) If you are looking for a fun, light-hearted rom-com give “Love Me Do” a try and after deep dive into the rest of Kelk’s titles. You can thank me later.
“My Favorite Half-Night Stand” by Christina Lauren
The forever best friend, Millie Morris is used to being in the friend-zone. She couldn’t be happier doing life with her closest friends, her male co-workers at UC Santa Barbara, especially after the disaster her most recent dating experience was. But when the guys propose an experiment Millie can’t excuse herself from, she finds herself back in the dating game. The university’s black tie gala is approaching and the group decides to sign up for an online dating app to find their plus one’s for the event. Always one to keep the tough parts of life to herself, never wanting to really open up to anyone, Millie decides the best way to be open and honest is to create a profile using her middle name, Catherine, and a vague picture. The guys profiles are off to a great start thanks to bios written by Millie but everything goes off the rails when “Catherine” matches with one of the guys, her best friend Reid. Millie is sure he would realize it was her based on inside jokes she sends his way but Reid doesn’t catch on and soon Millie is stuck between her not-so-real life romance with Reid and falling for her very real best friend. Scared she might lose it all, Millie has to decide if she’s willing to peel back her layers and finally let someone see who she really is or possibly lose out on what might be forever. I love the writing duo of Christina Lauren and the stories they give us. Though this isn’t a new title (2018) I had yet to read “My Favorite Half-Night Stand” and I’m so glad I picked this up – also how great is this new cover? If you have yet to discover these amazing authors go check out their catalog of titles ASAP!
“The Second Chance Hotel” by Sierra Godfrey
Amelia didn’t regret throwing the mug at her ex-boyfriend’s head. What she did regret was that he also happened to be her co-worker and that mug was her favorite. Now out of a job and definitely single Amelia decides to act on impulse and heads straight for the airport. After three months away and many European countries crossed off her bucket list Amelia’s trip is at its conclusion. She promised her mother she wouldn’t come home without a visit to the tiny Greek island of her mom’s youth and a hotel she had such vivid memories of. The owner’s inspired Amelia’s parents to get married even if it turned out to be a horrible idea in the long run. The almost vacant hotel was just what she needed before re-entry back into reality. But after a wild celebration with the owner’s family and the only other guest in the hotel turned into a blurry night of bad choices Amelia now finds herself married and the co-owner of the hotel. Now Amelia is left holding the keys to a business that the island depends on when her only goal is to get back to the life she once knew or could this be the second chance at a life she never knew she needed? Author Sierra Godfrey has written the perfect book for escapists who dream of giving it all up and running away to a new life. Though predictable at times I found the story really enjoyable. The kind of rom-com we all need from time to time. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
“The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents” by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.
“In teenagers, powerful emotions come with the territory. And with so many of today’s teens contending with academic pressure, social media stress, worries about the future, and concerns about their own mental health, it’s easy for them—and their parents—to feel anxious and overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be that way.” “With clear, research-informed explanations alongside illuminating, real-life examples, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers gives parents the concrete, practical information they need to steady their teens through the bumpy yet transformational journey into adulthood.” As a mom of three teenagers I found this audiobook to be a comfort of sorts. The content and real-life scenarios explained throughout this book helped me realize that everyone is going through the same complicated conversations with their kids and are just as confused as to how to handle them. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a teen or soon to approach that age. I’ll be taking a second listen to this and taking notes.
“Again Again” by E. Lockhart
What if in a different timeline your life was playing out in a different way? In E. Lockhart’s “Again Again” that is what is the essential question and plot that attempts to play out. I say attempts because I truly have no idea what really happened in this book. I love a good time jump trope and thought this would be a good quick read. What I actually got was a confusing plot in a strangely formatted book. If the layout of the book had been set-up a little clearer, maybe the reader could understand the differences between timelines better and determine what was actually happening plot wise. I think I kept reading to see if there was ever any clarification as to what truly was Adelaide’s path. I have loved other E. Lockhart books that I’ve read in the past but “Again Again” and I just didn’t connect.
“The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World” by Jonathan Freedland
“In April 1944, Rudolf Vrba became the first Jew to break out of Auschwitz—one of only four who ever pulled off that near-impossible feat. He did it to reveal the truth of the death camp to the world—and to warn the last Jews of Europe what fate awaited them at the end of the railway line. Against all odds, he and his fellow escapee, Fred Wetzler, climbed mountains, crossed rivers and narrowly missed German bullets until they had smuggled out the first full account of Auschwitz the world had ever seen—a forensically detailed report that would eventually reach Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and the Pope.” Author Jonathan Freedland had me riveted with the story of Vrba’s life and the important turn his act of bravery had on the war. The well narrated audiobook had me engaged and invested the entire time. I cannot imagine the level of courage it must have taken to not only act but to survive what Vrba did. I highly recommend this book to all history fans.
Til next time,
The Booked Mama
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