A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler

 

Title:  A Forty Year Kiss

Author:  Nickolas Butler

Narrated by:  Richard Poe

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 46 minutes

Source:  Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library

What is your favorite second chance romance book or movie?

Forty years ago, Charlie and Vivian divorced after forty years of marriage, mostly due to Charlie’s alcoholism.  He has regretted this divorce and now finds himself retired and alone.  He returns to Wisconsin to look for Vivian.  Will these two find a second chance at romance after a lifetime has passed?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This novel has two triggers in it:  alcoholism and abortion.

·       I liked the western Wisconsin setting. 

·       This was a very slow-moving novel.  It was a second chance romance and also domestic fiction for genres.

·       It was the February pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  We meet next week, and I’ll see what the rest of the book club thought about this one.

·       I figured out a plot twist almost right away, but it did overall play out differently than expected.

·       I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator was good, but I did bump up my listening speed to 1.5 as the story was so slow moving.

·       I enjoyed getting to know Viv’s daughter, Melissa, and her grandkids.

·       The writing in this novel was inconsistent.  Charlies is made out as being a more caring and compassionate man, but he also makes statements like that from Viv’s picture on social media, he can tell she takes care of herself because she dyes her hair.  Then later he talks about how he doesn’t dye his hair.  I really hate this type of sexist talk on women’s looks and expecting more than you are willing to give yourself.

·       The alcoholism storyline was weird as they divorced because of Charlie’s alcoholism, and he is still an alcoholic all these years later.  It seemed unrealistic that he would just be able to drop it after all this time.

·       Abortion is a hard topic, and I did not enjoy this storyline at all.  I especially didn’t like the keeping of secrets.

·       The book is mostly made up of conversations and not much action.

·       I did like that the book featured a love story between two mature, retired people.

Overall, A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler was a slow moving second chance romance that didn’t quite resonate with me.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

 

Title:  The Wedding People

Author:  Alison Espach

Narrated by:  Helen Laser

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 13 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Libby.

What book have you recently read due to Instagram?  I kept seeing The Wedding People by Alison Espach on Instagram last year and I finally got around to reading it last month.

Phoebe Stone has arrived at the beautiful Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island.  The hotel has been taken over by “the wedding people,” and everyone has assumed that Phoebe is there for the wedding.  She is not, and she’s the only non-wedding person there.  Why is Phoebe visiting this hotel by herself?  What will the wedding people do with a stranger in their midst?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I thought it was interesting when Phoebe thought about that it was a gift that random strangers give you is that you can say anything you want to, and it doesn’t matter.

·       This was a Read with Jenna book selection.

·       The characters were great with surprising depth.  I loved the characters and they felt real.

·       This was a character driven story

·       Sometimes chance encounters can change our life.

·       It was an interesting side look into adjunct professor versus professors.  Adjuncts do all of the work of a professor, but for less pay and no benefits.  It’s a strange system.

·       Depression, infertility, divorce, cheating, death of a cat, and loss of friendship are all problems that Phoebe is dealing with.  The wedding people are also dealing with a lot of issues as well including the loss of father, wife, mother.

·       Lila (the bride) decides to prevent Phoebe’s suicide as it will ruin her wedding.

·       This was a weighty book, but funny at times.  I loved how Phoebe felt free to finally voices her feelings amongst these strangers.

·       I loved the setting.  Newport was just in The Gilded Age this summer as well.  I would love to visit.

 

Overall, The Wedding People by Alison Espach was a great character driven story that will be one of my top reads of the year.

 

Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

 

Title:  Counting Miracles

Author:  Nicholas Sparks

Narrated by:  Holter Graham, Nicholas Sparks

Publisher: Random House Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Libby.  Thank-you!

What has been a good book that you have read through a book club this year?

Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents and spent his life in the military and on pursuits afterwards that had him traveling around the world.  He has never settled down anywhere or had a long-term relationship.  He takes time out of his travels to care for his Grandma when she is dying.  She tells him his father’s name and where to locate him.  After her death, he travels to Asheboro, Northa Carolina to look for his Dad.  Through a series of events, he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mother.  They instantly connect, but can a man who has never settled down, settle down?  Will he find his father?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this book in August for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  We had a great discussion on the book.

·       I like how the story was of a mature romance between two people in their forties.

·       Jasper is an elderly man who lives alone in a cabin with his faithful dog, Arlo.  He has lived a sad life that mimics that of Job in the Bible.

·       The story was told through Tanner, Kaitlyn and Jaspers points of view.

·       I guessed the ending of this novel almost immediately, but I enjoyed the journey along the way.

·       The characters were very realistically written, including the teenagers.  Sparks writes good characters who seem true to life.

·       This was excellent on audiobook.

·       I like how the three main characters had to find where they belonged.

·       It was suspenseful at the end of the novel. I don’t want to ruin it with details – but it was excellent.

·       A mysterious white deer appears in the wood which brings out nefarious people.

·       Arlo the dog has his own moments of heroism.

·       I liked the references to faith and the Bible verses.

·       There was a great quote/section in the text about what marriage really means that stood out to myself and many of my fellow book club members.

Overall, Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks was a great story about family, faith, and finding yourself.

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

Title:  Beach House Rules

Author:  Kristy Woodson Harvey

Narrated by:  Cassandra Campbell, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Suehyla El-Attar Young

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 4 minutes

Source: Thank-you to @simonaudio for the review copy.

Do you like to visit the beach?  I love the beach, but I live on Lake Michigan so the beach to me is the Great Lakes rather than the ocean.  I am trying to finish up my summer beach reads this week.

Charlotte’s husband has been arrested for a white-collar crime.  She and her daughter Iris are locked out of their home during the investigation.  A kind woman from church, Alice, invites them to stay with her.  She lives in a B&B on the beach and has a community of mothers living with her.  Will Charlotte and Iris be able to move on?  What links all the mothers living in the “momune” together?  Is Charlotte’s husband guilty?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I liked the mystery woven throughout the story.  It was tied up perfectly at the end.

·       The story is told through the viewpoints of Charlotte, Iris, and Alice, which was interesting.

·       I liked the two different generational viewpoints of a mother and a teenage daughter.

·       @JuniperShoresSocialite has a snarky Instagram account which details all of the goings on of both the moms and the teenagers in the Juniper Shores community.  Who is running the account?

·       I enjoyed all the characters.

·       Alice is a widow with three husband who died in accidents.  Is she a black widow or can she move on with handsome Elliot?

·       The narration of this audiobook was great with three narrators.  It was enjoyable to listen to.

·       I also liked the second chances in this book for life and love.

·       This book was light and entertaining.

·       It was not spicy.

·       I loved the beautiful setting on the coast of North Carolina.

·       I loved the “momune” and women helping each other and their kids working through difficult times.  I always enjoy stories of found families.

Overall, Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey was a great story of second chances and found family.  It was a great summer beach read but is also a great read for any time of the year.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

 

Title:  Verity

Author:  Colleen Hover

Narrated by:  Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment and physical book from the Kewaunee Public Library.

What is your favorite novel with an unreliable narrator?

Lowen Ashley has been caring for her mother who was dying of cancer.  She put her career as an author on hold and now that her mother has passed away, she finds herself in financial ruin.  She is offered a job to finish the remaining books in a wildly successful series by Verity Crawford.  Verity has been in an accident and has also recently lost her two daughters.  Lowen goes to Verity’s home to go through her notes to make an outline to finish eh series.  While there, she discovers Verity’s shocking autobiography. She also finds herself attracted to Verity’s husband, Jeremy.  Is Verity all that she seems to be?  What will Lowen do with the information that she has?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the Page-turners Book Club selection for May at the Kewaunee Public Library.  Sadly, I had to miss the meeting due to a luncheon.  Happily, the luncheon was for my oldest son who won a scholarship.

·       The audiobook had great narrators, but I really didn’t like listening to an audiobook that was filled with constant F bombs.  That’s not how I talk in my everyday life, and I don’t really care to hear it.  There was also a LOT of sex scenes which were also awkward to listen to on an audiobook.

·       This was a hard book to read, there were scenes of violence against unborn children and babies.  It was really hard to imagine a mother that is obsessed with her husband and hates her own children.

·       There was a gothic Jane Eyre type vibe to this book.  Verity is the “wife in the attic” while Lowen is the young new author working downstairs.

·       Positives about this book:

o   The story moved along, and I wanted to know what would happen.  It was an engaging plot.

o   It reminded me of a soap opera with lots of drama.

o   It had an open ending – what was the truth?

·       Negatives about this book:

o   Violence against children. I could hardly read it – I was horrified.

o   Graphic, constant sex scenes.

o   Cheating.

o   Repetitive and not well written.

o   There were a lot of plot holes, and the ending wasn’t plausible.

Overall, I didn’t really care for Verity by Colleen Hoover. This is my first Colleen Hoover novel and I’m not sure that I want to read more.  Are all of her other books like this?

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang

 

Title:  Julie Chan is Dead

Author:  Liann Zhang

Narrated by:  Yu-Li Alice Shen

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 39 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank-you!

Who is your favorite book villain and why?

Julie Chan’s parents died in an accident when she was a child.  A wealthy couple adopts her twin, Chloe, while their cruel aunt raises Julie.  Julie is struggling to make ends meet while her twin, Chloe, is a wealthy influencer.  They live estranged lives until Julie receives a mysterious call one day from Chloe.  She investigates and discovers Chloe dead in her apartment.  Instead of reporting Chloe’s death, she reports her own and takes over Chloe’s fabulous life.  Will the truth be discovered?  What is going on with the mysterious group of premier influencers that have invited her for a week long getaway on an island?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was a very unique story and audiobook, and it definitely caught my attention on a long drive for work.  Yu-Li Alice Shen was a great narrator and storyline was riveting.

·       I was surprised to learn that this was Liann Zhang’s debut novel.  It was a great debut!

·       The story grew very surreal when they were on the island.  The story was weird at times, but also enjoyable.

·       It was an interesting look into how seductive social media likes and validation are and how that can take over your life.

·       Roughly half of the book was a look into Julie taking over Chloe’s life and the other half was going to the island with the other premier influencers.

·       This was both a dark comedy and a thriller.

·       I came into this book knowing nothing about it and it took me by surprise.  The twists and turns in the story made for a wild ride.

·       I didn’t really like the character of Julie Chan at all, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to read about her and see where all the craziness went.  She was a good anti-hero.

·       The ending was open and intriguing. I’m still thinking about it.

·       This was on NPR Book of the Day this week with a nice interview with author Liann Zhang.  She was an Instagrammer and influencer herself in her teens.  It was interesting!

Overall, Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang was a unique enthralling dark comedy and thriller.  I recommend for someone who is looking for something new and different to read.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

 

Title:  Heartwood

Author:  Amity Gaige

Narrated by:  Justine Lupe, Alma Cuervo, Rebecca Lowman, Ali Andre Ali, Cary Hite, Helen Laser

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank-you!

What is a goal that you hope to accomplish in the next ten years?  I hope to get back to the Grand Canyon so that my kids can see it for the first time.

Valerie Gillis is forty-two years old and close to finishing her goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail when she goes missing in Maine.  Alone and lost, she writes her thoughts down for her mother.  Maine State Game Warden, Beverly, is leading the task force looking for her.  Lena is a seventy-six-year-old retired woman in Connecticut that is fascinated by the disappearance.  Will her armchair sleuthing help to find Valerie?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love, love, loved the full cast audiobook recording.  There were three main points of view:  Valerie, Beverly, and Lena.  I also loved the interviews/conversations that popped up throughout book with her hiking buddy, Santo.  The voice actor really brought Santo to life!  I loved his story of being a black, “fat” hiker on the Appalachian Trail.  I want a book just on Santo’s adventures.

·       I enjoyed the hiking aspects of the Appalachian Trail as well as the relationships between hikers on the trail. 

·       Valerie’s husband, Gregory, also follows along and meets Valerie at stops along the way to keep her supplied.  She decides during the hike that she no longer loves Gregory and lets him know. Did Gregory have anything to do with her disappearance?

·       Valerie’s trail nickname was Sparrow.  I thought the trail nicknames were interesting.

·       Valerie decided to go on this hike after being burned out as a nurse during the pandemic.

·       I enjoyed the guitar music at the end of the audiobook.

·       Over the course of the book, I grew to love Valerie, Beverly, and Lena as well-rounded characters.   I like how the book looked to the future to where their lives went after this mystery.

·       The pacing of this book was slow at times, it’s not a fast-running thriller, but I was intrigued and wanted to know why Valerie was lost and whether she would be found.

·       This is a Read with Jenna Book.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige was an intriguing contemporary suspense audiobook set in nature with well rounded characters.  The audiobook with the full cast was a great experience.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski

 

Title:  The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County

Author:  Claire Swinarski

Narrated by:  Alexander Cendese, Alexandra Hunter, Ann Richardson

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 53 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment and physical book from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Ebook from NetGalley

What is your favorite book set near where you live?  I would have to say Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder as my favorite book set in Wisconsin, but I loved the local setting and flare of The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County which was set in a fictional community in Wisconsin.

Esther Larson is known for her good cooking as part of the “funeral ladies” in her local church and community.  After falling for an internet scam, she is in danger of losing her home.  Her granddaughter, Iris, decides a great way for Esther to raise money and be able to keep her home would be to put together a cookbook with all their local recipes. 

Cooper has come to Ellerie with his celebrity chef father and half sister for the funeral of his beloved stepmother.  Cooper is suffering from PTSD from being a first responder at a tragedy.  As he gets to know Iris and the community, will Cooper get a second chance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this novel at the start of April as part of the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  The general consensus of our book club was that we enjoyed this novel.  The Wisconsin setting and characters were very relatable.

·       I listened to the audiobook from the recommendation of my friend Carol (the head librarian and leader of our book club).  It was delightful listening to the fun accents of the ladies, although we thought their accents seemed more from Minnesota than Wisconsin.  Cooper, Esther, and Iris are all narrators of different sections of this novel, and they all had their own narrator in the audiobook which worked quite well.

·       Cooper’s PTSD was difficult for everyone to deal with.  It brought about a wonderful heart to heart conversation in the novel between Esther and Iris.  Esther confesses that her husband, Iris’s grandpa, had suffered from PTSD after the war and it made their marriage difficult.

·       I enjoyed the details of family, life, love, and small-town living.  This was a very relatable story.

·       It was funny that the church ladies were mostly Catholic and Lutheran, which is very typical of small-town Wisconsin.

·       I liked that the book hit on difficult topics such as PTSD, internet scammers, alcoholism, family dysfunction, etc., but also how family and friends can pull together to help each other through their difficult times.

Overall, The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski was a good book with a great midwestern flair, characters, and charm.  It was especially delightful to listen to on audiobook.

Tilt by Emma Pattee

 

Title:  Tilt

Author:  Emma Pattee

Narrated by:  Ariel Blake

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 54 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank-you!

Do you like to read disaster novels or watch disaster movies?  If so, do you have a favorite?

Annie is nine months pregnant and has just started her maternity leave.  She decides she needs to get everything set for her baby and travels to Ikea to purchase a crib.  While there, a massive earthquake hits Portland.  Unable to reach her husband and with the city in full chaos, Annie starts her journey to find her husband and to return home.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Annie experiences both the best and worst of humanity during her voyage.

·       The novel flashes back through time to give Annie’s backstory as well as her romance and relationship problems with her husband.

·       As the story continued, I became invested in Annie’s story, and I really wanted her to make it home.

·       I am not sure about the ending of this novel.  There were a lot of loose ends not tied up, but I do keep thinking about this story.

·       Ariel Blake, the narrator of this audiobook, had a great performance and the audiobook kept me invested on some long drives.  The only thing I didn’t like was the cringey baby music as the beginning and end of the audiobook.

·       NPR Book of the Day had a great segment on this novel.

·       Emma Pattee is a debut author. With such a great first novel, I’m interested to see what she writes next.

·       Annie’s thoughts were raw and honest.  They were funny at times, but also sad.  She is unlikeable at times, but also very relatable.  She is all of us.

·       This novel was a good depiction of motherhood and survival.

Overall, Tilt by Emma Pattee was an interesting disaster and survival story and a perfect audiobook to keep your attention on long drives.