I’ve read a lot of great books this quarter; the blog photo does not do the list justice. Reader friends, I’m always open to suggestions, too. I’ve waited a long time for a new Wally Lamb book, so  I started there as soon as it came out.

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Heartbreak. Suffering. Forgiveness. Hope. I’ve been waiting for another Wally Lamb book, and this one delivers. Lamb’s readers know his hallmark style of plumbing the depths of his characters, their situations, and the ties interwoven among them. In this novel, Corby causes a horrific tragedy, for which he receives a prison sentence and can’t forgive himself, while his family is struggling with their own grief. Much of the book details his time in prison and the stages of grief, growth, hope, and disappointment he endures. The conclusion is powerful.

The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall

Interesting premise: an ordinary family in a well-to-do community is broken when the husband/father, a well-loved high school teacher, is accused of sexual impropriety with students. He’s denied bail and spends the next 8 months in jail, while the wife, adult son, and teen daughter deal with bullying and vandalism, shame, rage, and all the other emotions. A lot of focus is on the daughter, but each one’s relationships and lives are impacted. The ending was a bit surprising to me.

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I started and quit 2 novels here. I gave each several chapters to appeal to me, but alas. I usually love Michael Chabon’s work, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right mindset for Telegraph Avenue. I also tried The Punch by Noah Hawley, but it was too ethereal for my taste, plus I hated the characterizations of women. Onward.

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An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Wow. A young woman, struggling to make ends meet, joins an academic study on ethics and morality for $500. While the psychiatrist pays her extra to continue further into the study, it’s not really all it purports to be. Or is it? What is the psychiatrist’s end game? And how can Jess untangle herself? Perhaps the creepiest book ever. I could barely put it down.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

A sweet, funny, and wistful novel about being sandwiched between parents and adult kids. The storyteller, Rocky, is the sandwich, who also happens to be experiencing menopause. The family’s annual vacation at the beach reveals close bonds but also secrets and grief. The subject of abortion also plays an interesting role.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

First, this book was not at all what I expected; and honestly, I overlooked it until my friend Joan loaned it to me. However, I loved it. The character Monique is a writer, so I appreciated the whole concept of her writing Evelyn’s biography. Evelyn Hugo had several sides, and I sort of hated her but also loved the vulnerability I saw in her. The novel delivered surprises and some interesting perspectives to ponder. I’ll take a closer look at this author’s other books.

find me unafraid by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner

This book was an incredible non-fiction find at the used bookstore. The authors are a young Kenyan man, raised in horrific circumstances, and a young American woman of privilege who meet when she spends a college term abroad in his rough Kenyan community. Kennedy is a young man with a heart for community and a vision for a better world. Jessica is drawn to the vision, as the couple are drawn to one another. What they created over several years is simply amazing. Because the book is 10 years old, after finishing it, I checked out the organization website www.shofco.org. Again, incredible how their movement has grown across Kenya and the impact they have made.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara

One rumor that spreads through a small town reaps a whole lot of tension. Joanna is trying to make friends in her new town when she casually shares a comment she overheard at her son’s school. Rumor was that someone notorious who, as a child had killed a playmate, had been released and was living in their community with a new identity. The story spreads, things get ugly, and Joanna feels threatened for having shared the rumor. There’s a lot more to the story, but I couldn’t put this one down.

The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt

This is a quirky, clever short book, gifted by my friend Vanessa. I spent about an hour reading and rereading sections of it, just to enjoy the word usage. It was a nice break from news and other stressful reading.

What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan

**Trigger warning: suicide. In 2014, Madison Holleran, a freshman athlete at UPenn, died by suicide. A popular high school champion athlete, Maddy was highly recruited, but she suffered severe mental health challenges in the transition to college athletics. The book’s author is an ESPN journalist and former athlete with a personal understanding of those challenges. Fagan originally wrote an article about the case, Split Image, but the book expands the story by diving deeper into mental health among student athletes. Maddy’s family participated to help other families.

The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle

**Trigger warning: child sexual abuse. This 2006 novel mentioned trauma, but the intensity of this trauma caught me off guard. A widowed single mom becomes foster mom to a neighbor child, when the boy’s horrific personal situation comes to light. There are many interwoven threads and a great deal of guilt and therapy. Everyone learns and strives to heal. It’s also a well-written novel, with such lines as one describing a hospital breakfast of oatmeal, as “It crawled down his throat, thick and dry as art-class clay.”

The Art of Power by Nancy Pelosi

Yes, it’s politics (and who needs more of that) but it’s an inside look by a woman who understands power and grabbed hold. Pelosi shares her story through several presidents and history-making events. I’ll admit to skipping over some of the less-interesting-to-me sections, but her work on the Affordable Care Act and her description of the events of January 6 were fascinating. Of course, I also appreciate her legacy as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

At least I was warned before starting this one; it has many tear points in its 400 pages. More importantly, this novel uplifts, reminding readers of the simple pleasures of kindness. Throughout the storyline of Theo’s generosity in the small town of Golden, GA, questions remain about who this elderly gentleman is and why he has come, though his friendly demeanor makes him a beloved new neighbor. The conclusion is worthy of the tears.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

Margaret, new to a suburban community outside Washington D.C, invites a few women to join a book club. These four housewives bond over Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique and dub themselves “the Bettys.” Their friendship supports them through marital and maternal challenges, as well as the dreams they confess to one another. Each has different circumstances and different growth arcs. So much has changed since that time, but so much is still at risk for women.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

I saw so many great reviews of this book, I had to grab it. And it truly was all those things: riveting, powerful, shattering. It’s as much crime thriller as literary fiction, with more twists and entanglements than I could count. Overall, I enjoyed it, but parts seemed disjointed in terms of time frames, plus there were lots of names and evidence to keep track of.

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

I’ve seen some of Robbins’ interviews and social media, so I knew I wanted to read her book. It’s a pretty quick read, with a lot of repetition to instill the teaching. Let Them is a great concept and one that might have helped me more at a younger age. (At 65, I’m all about “letting them.”) What I really appreciated is the Let Me side of the equation.

The Comeback by Ella Berman

**Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, addiction, suicidal ideation. So this is a “Me Too” story, envisioned before the Me Too movement. And the protagonist was a child actress, away from her family under the tutelage of a powerful man. In time, she breaks away but silently suffers through addiction, a broken marriage, family estrangement, and unspeakable pain. She eventually regains her personal agency, but she is forever changed.

Long Island by Colm Toibin

Set in a small Irish town, this is a beautifully-written novel about community, relationships, and long- lost love. Eilish, who now lives in Long Island, NY, returns to her mother’s home after learning of her husband’s infidelity and his plans to raise the baby he has sired. Nancy, after years of grieving her husband’s death, has built a comfortable, but secret, relationship with pub owner Jim. Eilish and Jim had long ago had a brief but passionate affair. What happens over this eventful summer?

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is the most vulnerable, raw memoir and love story I’ve ever read. Enough said. I’ve seen criticisms online, and I urge everyone to read the whole story, within the context, before judging. Also, she makes it clear that she knows her public profile might suffer from her honesty.

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

Not my favorite of Cunningham’s books, as it ventures down too many esoteric side roads before getting to the heart of the story. The story: a middle-aged couple are facing new professional challenges in the art world, when the wife’s much younger brother, an addict, appears. The husband is attracted to the young man and ponders the consequences of pursuing it.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

This book was a bit more complex than I expected, in a good way. It’s less of a romance and more of a “finding oneself and being true to that self” story, built around an extravagant wedding week. The protagonist (not the bride) Phoebe is going through a dark period following her divorce when she goes to a landmark hotel and inadvertently meets the wedding people. A lot of self-discovery happens and not just for Phoebe.