Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

 

First of all, I gave this three stars on Goodreads, which means I liked it ok.  Not that I hated it.  If I hated it, I would not even be rating it (which I guess negates the whole star process if I never rate anything bad.....) 

This book is sad.  So sad, all the lost opportunities to show love and support and tell your truth.  We know from the get go that Lydia is dead (see one of the greatest first lines ever!!).  But we don't know how or why.  What we learn about Lydia and her family along the way of this brief but heartbreaking story is typical and devastating at the same time.  Themes of racism, bullying, parental transference, a frustrated housewife, an overlooked youngest child.... all come together to attempt to piece it all together.

But this puzzle is complicated, and some answers are never to be known.  I found it a struggle to get through this one.  Not much hope here and I worried all along about the long term affects on the kids mostly.  Still, I persisted.

And the last 10 pages made it worthwhile.  Beautiful introspective language and a tiny bit of hope if not redemption.  Those last ten pages were amazing, giving the reader a glimpse into what happens in future years.  I loved how the author did that.  Still, I did not really enjoy the read until the end, and then of course the title makes sense in more ways than one.  This probably would be a good book club selection because I do think there is a LOT to talk about, but if you are looking for a light entertaining read, I'd say this one is heavy and a bit gloomy, so just be aware.

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

In the interest of not giving TOO many five stars, this one is a solid four, four and a half. Which means I really liked it!!! (So much pressure with these stars, y'all.....) Reminiscent of a Lianne Moriarty but confined to one family.

My friend Kim (thanks for the lend!) stated it best when she told me, "If you like This is Us, you'll like this book." SO TRUE!! The author takes one year in the life of a family of six and then delves back in time in a zig zag to fill in the blanks for the reader. Four sisters with two parents who are madly truly deeply sickeningly in love survive secrets big and small, imagined and never dreamed of, unthinkable and totally relatable. Each sister has her own personality but I definitely felt Wendy, the oldest, was the most fleshed out, and the wildest yet most stable of the bunch, followed by her Irish twin Violet, whom I did not find very likable. Liza gets kind of lost in the middle, and Gracie, well, typical youngest child really - but I would read another book just about Gracie! And of course each sister has her own way of trying to emulate her parents' perfect pairing. It's a lot of stress!!!

Anyway, a great read, kept me interested even with all the plot twists and sisterly arguing and family love and OH THE DRAMA!!! But the drama is not overdone, even if you do wonder if any family has this much going on (they do, I assure you, you just don't hear about it on Facebook, duh). Each sister has her own "THING" going on, and the introduction of a new family member (or two) shakes things up big time. Past losses are revealed, current lies unearthed, and one huge health event later, we have ourselves a novel just waiting for the big screen. Different chapters focus on the backstories of the different sisters, but I could see the whole thing being told from Wendy's point of view, or maybe even from David's (the Dad). And the best part of all, the Title of the book is, well, the most fun I ever had with a title reveal. ;-)

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

 

(Please click the link to read the entire review if you are receiving this through an email.  Thanks!)

I know I said I would be better about giving so many five star reviews, but damn this was good, too!!!

Fascinating historical fiction about the woman who loved and was loved by C. S. Lewis.  Yes, THAT C. S. Lewis.  Joy Davidman was an American housewife, mother, author and poet who began a years long correspondence with Lewis after experiencing a similar conversion into Christianity.  They finally met, developed a deep friendship, and as her marriage to an abusive husband crumbles, she realizes she feels very deeply for Lewis as their conversations and letters continue.  He is a confirmed bachelor and is troubled by her eventual divorce and how that is viewed by the church.  Their relationship is beyond special, and moves slowly through all four types of love.

Callahan imagines Joy's thoughts, letters, conversations and life in such detail that this reader was not only thoroughly engrossed, but almost convinced she was reading an autobiography from beyond.  The use of first person here is magnificent - I felt as if Joy were my best friend in the world and telling me her life story.  Mission accomplished, fair researcher and author!!!!

And research galore is to be had here.  Through interviews with Joy's son and deep dives into just about everything written by and about Joy and Lewis, Callahan gives us a true gift.  This is a love story, yes, but it is really a story of a singular, strong, ahead of her time Woman who loved fiercely, spoke her mind, raised two boys, and followed her heart, all the while respecting and nurturing the man she loved, admired, and waited for.  Miracles abound even in tragedy, and paradox is truth.  The parallel story of religion and conversion and faith is not overdone here, but is of course an important part of their lives and stories.  How fascinating to have even an imagined glimpse into the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien, the mention of other famous authors of the time, and of the character that is the city of Oxford.  I borrowed this book, but may have to purchase my own copy, as well as dive into Lewis' and Joy's works.  I have only ever read the Chronicles of Narnia, but now feel the need to read more.  

If you love to read, if you appreciate the life of writers, if you want to be engrossed in a story of England and lore and love and friendship, this is the book for you. My book club loved it and we had one of our best ever discussions about this book, their story, and what Lewis' writings have meant to us.  I especially loved the reveal of how Lewis gave himself his nickname.  Well done Callahan, I feel like this is probably the work you were meant to share with your readers the most.  Very impressive.