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.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I was not excited about reading this book.  The book flap did not excite me.  But my book club friend said it was really good, so I dove in.

The Book Flap Writer should be fired.  (And I should be hired. HA.)

What I thought from a review was going to be a politically charged story about cross racial adoption was actually a story of the complicated definition of motherhood.  And teenage rebellion.  And the secrets from your past that can break you.

There is a LOT going on in this book.  A mixed race teenage couple.  A single mom who won't name her daughter's father, especially to her daughter.  A Stepford Mom who always plays by the rules, much to the disgust of her youngest child.  Two teenage girls who are jealous of each others' lives, and each other's Mothers. A boy named Moody caught in the middle.  And a childless woman who would do anything for a baby.  The issues of teenage sex, abortion, adoption, friendships, first love, surrogates, and whether or not to stick your nose in (or your neck out) are all intermixed.  Whew, I'm exhausted.

The author does a fine job of melding all of this together seamlessly.  Her writing flows, even when she is skipping ahead to give the reader a clue as to the future path of a particular character or relationship.  I liked that.  The ending left me hanging and a bit heartbroken, but with a thread of hope.  And the title is both literal and figurative.  A really good read.

Matchup edited by Lee Child

Short stories are not usually my thing.  I like to get deep into a novel and wallow there for a while.

However, one must be open to new experiences, right?

I had a great time with this book and surprised even myself.  I was intrigued by the premise - matching up (see what I did there??) one male and one female "thriller" writer to create a story that includes the author's famous characters working together.  Now, my favorite Diana Gabaldon is not what is commonly referred to as a thriller writer, but her writing certainly can be thrilling!   Especially when she is writing with Steve Berry and his Cotton Malone manages to meet Jamie.  (And you know if Jamie Fraser is involved, this reader is on it.)  It was nice to be reaquainted with Harper Connelly, Jack Reacher and Bennie Rosato and introduced to Bravo Shaw, John Corey and Ali Reynolds.  The match of Jack Reacher and Temperance Brennan was literary gold, and the rapport between Lisa Scottoline's Bennie Rosato and Nelson DeMille's John Corey left me wanting more.  There was even a vampire story co-written by Anne Rice's son Christopher, and the vampire was not even his character!!!  (Nice nod to his mom in the story too!)  Clever winks at the super-fan or observant reader from each of these authors made this a really fun read.  I think the funniest pairing has to be Val McDermid and Peter James and their story Footloose - they obviously had fun with the foot puns.

Each story is introduced by editor Lee Child and explains how the pairing of authors was made and how they worked together.  Fascinating.  This is the second anthology produced by the International Thriller Writers (Faceoff was the first and matched all male authors) that paired two writers for each story; they have also published other short story anthologies whose proceeds support the ITW.  I love that this time they matched  male to female authors.  Maybe next time they will do all female!  I'm IN!!!!!!!


Authors:
Sandra Brown and CJ Box
Val McDermid and Peter James
Kathy Reichs and Lee Child
Diana Gabaldon and Steve Berry
Gayle Linds and David Morrell
Karin Slaughter and Michale Koryta
Charlaine Harris and Andrew Gross
Lisa Jackson and John Sandford
Lara Adrian and Christopher Rice
Lisa Scottoline and Nelson DeMille
J.A. Jance and Eric Van Lustbader

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan

 Great read!  The story of two sisters, one family and one -or maybe two - decisions that changed them all.  Told in alternating time lines, we learn of the youth and later lives of two Irish girls transported to Boston in the late fifties, one quiet but bossy older sister there to meet her pledged husband, who she doesn't love, and the other a flighty teenager who loves lipstick and dances and all things American.  The paths of their lives are not at all what they imagined when they arrived in America, but may well be exactly where they are meant to be.  The estrangement that comes as a result of one decision is heartbreaking, and the forced reunion is appropriately awkward and bittersweet.  The tragedy that results from the second decision is a bit more subtle but even more devastating in its result.  I love how the title here really does describe the book (you'll get it eventually!!).  I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but the story is beautifully done and the relationships are real.  Sisters, siblings, mothers and favorite sons, mothers and daughters - this is a story of relationships, secrets and belonging.  I was not a fan of The Engagements by this author, but after this one (thank you for the encouragement Sally!) I will forever give authors a second chance!!!!!