The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

The Woman in the Window 
by A.J. Finn 

This one started off a little slow for me - I was comparing it immediately to The Girl on the Train with the voyeurism and alcohol usage. But trust me, once you get about half way in to this one, you will not be able to put it down.

Yes, there are some obvious and previous used-to-death plot points here. Hold out though because the second half is totally worth the ride. There were a few surprises I did not see coming to help balance out the obvious ones. Anna Fox is housebound and has been for 10 months following the break up of her marriage and a traumatic experience. She is also a doctor - a psychologist. Ironic.

The action happens over a three week period. I like how the author (who I will be following now, this is quite the debut!) separates the story into what happens each day between October 24 and November 15. The reader gets a feel for Anna's days, her schedule, her fear of outside and finally we learn why open spaces are debilitating for her. Meanwhile, she has it all worked out. Her therapist and her trainer come to her, as do her meals and her meds. Lots of meds.

So one day when she is spying on her neighbors, she witnesses something she shouldn't have. And she decides to tell, but no one believes the crazy lady who never leaves her house. Always in a bathrobe and hardly ever showered, Anna begins to doubt herself. How much wine did she have? Which meds did she take double of and which ones did she forget to take at all? So much becomes a blur. She finds some solace in helping other people on an online message board, which makes her feel useful. And she meets the new neighbors across the street, which only adds to her angst when she witnesses what she thinks is a murder.

Very well written, even if the subject is familiar. Anna's fascination with films, esp film noir, gives the author some fun with movie quotes and Anna's dry humor. I'd give this five stars but for the overused plot, but points for originality with the ending.

Origin by Dan Brown

Origin (Robert Langdon, #5) 

Not quite as good as his other symbol-filled books, but this one does give you pause more about where we are going rather than the Origin of where we came from. There is a lot of secrecy about these two questions, centering on a big announcement about what a scientist has discovered/predicted about the future of the human race. When you finally get to the big reveal, it is not as earth shattering as I expected, but much more plausible - which might even be scarier, really. I love Robert Langdon, and the introduction of Winston in this book was fun and, um, interesting. Set in Barcelona and including the Sagrada Familia basicila as an important location was a bonus. Forget where he's been (some nice references to Langdon's past adventures are sprinkled in), I have to wonder about where Langdon himself will show up next!!!

Note - pay close attention to the flap of this book - therein lies a code....... clever!!!

Hiddensee by Gregory Macguire

Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker 
by Gregory Maguire, Tbd (Reading) 

I had forgotten how dark Maguire's books can be. Wicked is NOT for children, my little pretties, and neither is this story.

I had thought this book would be more about the Nutcracker and Klara. But the main character here is the man who becomes Godfather/Uncle Drosselmeier. This is HIS backstory - unknown origin, bounced in a dreamlike state from small town to small town, finally becoming a toymaker with no family of his own. A love affair early on seems token and trite and contrived, but maybe that was just me. I found the writing to be stilted with a confusing sense of place (no bridging from one location or scene to another - a very strange stream of consciousness almost). And I was just not satisfied with the story at all.

Until.....the end.

Oh my Goodness what a beautiful way to end this book. It took me by surprise and made me think Oh wait, maybe I did like this book!!! There are definitely beautiful sentences throughout; Maguire wouldn't still be published if he couldn't write. But the whole plot line just seemed to plod along with no real meaning until the end. And even then, Maguire's dreamlike story leaves you wondering if you have questions or if you just didn't get it. Hmmmmm.

I wouldn't recommend this book to people who prefer just to read bestsellers. I am not even sure I would categorize this as fantasy. If you are a fan of Maguire's previous takes on fairy tales then give it a whirl. I would say this is not my favorite of his, but in the end, I liked it. Just didn't love it.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Not at all what I expected.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Backman's other novels.  A Man Called Ove had me laughing out loud and a bit teary throughout.  My Grandmother Told Me to Tell you She's Sorry was likewise a light, funny and great family read.

This one, not so much.

Definitely not light.  But definitely about family - the regular family unit and also the family built within a sports team, and in a Swedish town that is obsessed with their sport - hockey in this case.  Bear Town LIVES for hockey.  It is their only claim to fame, and they hold onto it with a vice like grip.  They are on their way to the finals, and they have to win.  The current manager of the team was their star player in his youth but is beginning to realize he has very little say in anything, the coaches are vying for the top spot with highly opposing coaching styles, and the boys (both young and old) will do anything - ANYTHING - to help the team succeed.  Even cover up a crime.

I was a little disturbed by this story.  There are a lot of dual relationships here - loved the description of the relationships between Peter and his wife Kira, between their daughter Maya and her bff Ana, Fatima and her son Amat, even between Kevin and his bff Benji.  But Peter was so weak, it was annoying.  His daughter was strong and probably my favorite character, but not enough time was spent on her.  Lots of time was spent on Benji and his secret (was that even really relevant to the story?  What was the main story??) It was hard to tell who was the main character but I think that was by design.  The main character was Bear Town itself.  Does the town survive a scandal of this nature?  Does the team?  Do the boys who witness it, know about it, cover it up, refuse to believe it?  And most of all, what is more important - a hockey team which provides jobs, direction and inspiration for this town, or justice??

This is not a book about hockey.  It is written in a bit of a disjointed style, switching perspectives and inner dialogue and scenes very quickly.  You may have more questions than answers here, but I can promise you time spent in well written, thought-provoking story with lots to talk about in a book club, for sure!!!

n the end, I actually liked it better than I thought I would.  The ending was brilliant. Jodi Picoult would be proud of this one.