What book will I start in October? I haven’t decided yet, but for now, here are the last quarter’s selections and a few thoughts.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

She wasn’t kidding about being dark. It didn’t really appeal to me, but after getting so much buzz, I took a chance when I saw it on clearance. Truly disturbing to read about a teacher seducing and manipulating an immature teenage girl. Her thought processes and young adult years were sad. He was just disgusting. Did I like it? Not really because this isn’t a book to *like*. It’s a subject worth addressing though.

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

I tried. I read half of the book and realized I didn’t really care about any of the characters. The premise was promising, with issues of ethnic/class disparities and a touch of Romeo and Juliet. However, the jumps in time each chapter were distracting. I gave up.

Broken by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson is a lot. Extra. Writer, comic, human. This book is her own story – of depression, anxiety, and chronic illness – and those were the chapters I found most moving and real. Her descriptions of painful joints on rainy days and one more autoimmune disorder on top of the others resonated with me. However, much of the book is funny stories about her daily life, filled with hyperbole and mythical creatures and arguments with her husband; honestly, that part got old and redundant for me.

The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer

Four women entered adulthood with dreams, then became wives and mothers and put their own dreams aside. They are friends with varying degrees of closeness. As they enter mid-life, each reevaluates what has been gained and what was lost. Wolitzer delivers a solid novel of complicated relationships and authentic characters.

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

Did 17-year-old Olivia fall accidentally, or was someone else involved? Oh yeah -- Olivia was pregnant, and the state required she be kept alive to save the fetus.  Why did the police stop investigating? Lots of heartbreak in this one, but it’s a good mystery, told between flashback narratives from Olivia’s past 6 months and her mom’s present-day search for answers. Plenty of secrets are uncovered. Hospital scenes lack realism, but the ethics spark some good discussion points.

The Children’s Crusade by Ann Packer

This one is for those of us who enjoy stories of life as it unfolds and the reflections it unpacks. Sure, family drama but no dark mysteries or whodunit. The crusade of the title was an effort by the 4 children to get their mom interested in doing activities with them and their pediatrician father, instead of creating her art in solitude. Over 5 decades, the novel delves into the memories and present-day reflections of the family, uncovering the perceptions and truths of each.

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

No spoilers. I picked this book off a clearance shelf thinking it would be a light romance with a hint of mystery, something to read between heavier novels. And some of that happened. But the mystery? Just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist proved me wrong. (My daughter Rebecca referred to it as "masterful." Some redemption at the end, and this was quite a satisfying read.

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

Not for the faint of heart, and trigger warning for victims of rape. I’ve previously read Gay’s non-fiction, but this novel was as raw, terrifying, heartbreaking, and powerful as those. It’s the story of a young woman, kidnapped leaving her father’s estate in Haiti, and her survival for 13 days and ever after. Roxane Gay is a masterful writer, and this will stay with me.

The Brave by Nicholas Evans

When I read about the author’s death in August, it seemed only right to pluck this novel from my *to be read* pile. It’s a good story about mothers and sons, fathers and sons, and unspoken stories that haunt them. The novel bounces from young Tommy’s life with his mother to adult Tom and his estranged son Dan’s military troubles. Tom’s ex and her husband are integral to the story. We learn the secrets and tragedies that have shadowed their lives, as they learn to forgive themselves and each other.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

I'm not really a fan of *beach reads* or rom-coms in books, but this novel offers a bit more. It’s a story of choosing joy, even in the face of pain. The protagonists have self-written and self-limiting back stories that color their interactions, and these are not the usual fare. An interesting set of other characters help propel the novel to a fairly predictable and joyful end.

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

1,012 pages, book 6 in the Cormoran Strike series. That may be enough said. If you’ve read books 1-5, definitely read it. If not, walk on by. While the novels might be able to stand alone, the character development makes it worth reading them in order. I enjoyed it, as I have the entire series about these British detectives who are also likable, flawed characters.

The Every by Dave Eggers

This is the sequel to Eggers’ The Circle, and they really deserve to be read in order. No spoilers, but this not-so-futuristic look at society becoming more and more tech-dependent/invasive is eye-opening and terrifying. Think of all the ways we give up personal data and multiply it by extremes. Enough said. Read both books.