As busy as it was, the crossover from spring to summer made for some good reading. The best of the bunch this quarter was A Great Country, which was no surprise based on my reactions to her previous novels. What books have you loved recently?

The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood

Hood often writes about women supporting women, and how I could I resist a novel built around a book club? Protagonist Ava is reeling from a divorce when she joins the book club. The theme for the year is the book that has mattered most to each member, and each month’s selection becomes a tool for Ava rediscovering herself and dealing with internal demons. Her daughter’s addiction and misadventures in Europe are interwoven and become increasingly relevant toward the end.

Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge

I loved this book. It’s about growing up in the 1960’s, racial divisions, moral decisions, sports. The two girls are a bit older than I was in 1964, but their story is a different version of that other Mockingbird book (which also plays a role). It’s told mostly from the perspective of a white girl, and I understand that Black readers would not feel the same way about it as I do.

It All Comes Down to This by Terese Anne Fowler

Following the death of their mother, 3 adult daughters are left to untangle family secrets and sort out the rest of their lives. It’s a good family drama, but the sisters aren’t especially likable. Some of the plot lines deserved more attention, and some less. Not a bad read but not a favorite.

A Life Intercepted by Charles Martin

This is a story about love for family and football, built around vengeance and forgiveness. Matthew was a superstar quarterback in high school and college, on the edge of NFL greatness when his life was derailed by irrefutable accusations that landed him in prison. Now on parole, he wants only to be redeemed in the eyes of his wife. That journey makes for a good tale if you can power through the detailed football talk and metaphors.

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter

This book is many things: equal parts psycho-thriller, federal agent-procedural, family drama, ancient high-school drama, and small-town cult. It’s divided between a 40-year-old rape/murder case and a current case involving death threats to a federal judge (who happens to be the mother of the murder victim.) And it gets way more twisted and confusing. Ultimately, a decent story but not a favorite.

Random in Death by J.D. Robb

This author’s books are obviously popular because there are plenty of them. Just not my style. Heavy on police procedural details to the point of numbing, in a slightly futuristic society. (The futuristic part lends nothing to the story.) I skimmed through the second half just to see “whodunit”, but I’ll pass on any more of her work.

My Name is Barbra by Barbara Streisand

I’ve loved Barbra for a long time. I have 13 vinyl LPs, 1 VHS tape of “Yentl”, 10 CDs, and now this nearly-thousand-page book. This memoir covers relationships, challenges, wins and losses, which I enjoyed. However, the level of technical detail behind producing records or movies is over the top. The back and forth in time was tough to follow at times, as were the multitude of friends and associates.

Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

This is a convoluted family mystery, centered around a family in small town law enforcement. It was slow to start, and I had a hard time even caring about the years-old secrets buried in a lake. I pushed through, and the twist was good. I probably won’t follow this author.

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

A relatively short novel, this one delivers a powerful story of family, secrets, and crisis. The Shahs are a successful American-Pakistani family, tested by a situation that is socially, politically, and culturally relevant. This is Gowda’s fourth novel, and I highly recommend all of them. This one will stay with me.

Close to Home by Robert Dugoni

#5 in the Tracy Crosswhite detective series, and it’s still going strong. The character development helps drive this series, as Tracy faces a personal challenge and we see a new side to her colleague, Del. The mystery itself is unusual, addressing some serious narcotics issues while keeping the reader guessing. At least 5 more books to go in this series!

Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano

Napolitano’s novels Dear Edward and Hello, Beautiful became bestsellers, so this earlier novel was re-released in 2024. The story of a close family with tons of dysfunction across 3 generations is good but not as sharp as her later novels. It’s told through the eyes of 6 individuals, with lots of details. I didn’t care for the “visions” of some characters and that some storylines were left unresolved.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

After reading this, I’m glad her mom died, too. McCurdy’s memoir makes it clear, early on, that her mom was a narcissistic abuser who controlled every aspect of her life from childhood to young adulthood. Her journey of forced acting, anorexia, and bulimia is hard to read, but I suspect documenting it is therapeutic for her. That said, I wish she’d had a better editor.

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

This is one of Hepworth's earlier novels, but like others of hers I’ve read, it presents the story from at least two perspectives. This one also follows two timelines (which can get a bit confusing). Eve is the protagonist, a newly widowed single mother, trying to rebuild her life. Set in the eldercare home where she takes a job as cook, it’s a love story with a twist or two among an interesting cast of characters.

A Steep Price by Robert Dugoni

Book 6 in the Tracy Crosswhite detective series, and I’m still hooked on the solid combination of likeable characters and solid mysteries. This one has Seattle’s violent crimes A team split, with Tracy and Kins working one case and Faz and Del on another. It opens up Tracy’s journey as an expectant mother and provides new character development for partners Faz and Del. Good story twists and writing.

The Push by Ashley Audrain

Gutted. Absolutely gutted by this book that I could hardly put down. It’s hard to say I liked it, but it was compelling. Four generations of mothers and daughters gone wrong. The current generation is the primary focus, with a mother who was never really mothered herself and a daughter she just can’t bond with. A tragic accident that maybe wasn’t an accident. What an incredible debut novel.

The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah

This is a book of a young man and his final weeks in hospice care, with an overall message about forgiveness and kindness. Much of it is the protagonist speaking to an ex-girlfriend (who is not there but her whereabouts are later revealed). The hospice nurse is an angel on earth, just as I have experienced them in real life. It’s a lovely story.

Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

The author was a child growing up in south Atlanta in the early 1980’s, when 29 Black children there vanished and were murdered. Sadly, it’s a tragedy many have forgotten, which compelled Jones to tell the story, though as fiction. This was Jones’ first novel, re-released after the success of her bestselling An American Marriage. While fiction, the story is told from the often-overlooked viewpoint of 3 fifth graders touched by the murders in different ways. (Interestingly, one of the background classmates is named Tayari Jones.)

Florida by Lauren Groff

A collection of short stories, set in Florida, and many dealing with our humidity and wildlife issues. Think snakes. I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never read any of Groff’s novels, so this seemed like a good introduction to her work. Not all the stories spoke to me (the last was my favorite), but Groff uses language beautifully. I’ll give her novels a try.