I’ve been a reading fool.
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis. The two intertwined stories are set in 1913 and 1993, in New York City, specifically, the Fifth Avenue branch of the New York Public Library. In 1913, Jack Lyons is the superintendent of the library, where he and his family live in a 7-room suite. Laura, his wife, longs for a life passion and enrolls in journalism school. In 1993, Sadie Donovan works for the Berg Collection, a foundation under the auspices and housed within the Fifth Avenue branch of the library. One of the artifacts that Sadie will include in an upcoming exhibit is feminist author Laura Lyons' walking stick. Unwinding the strands of connection between the two timelines was an enjoyable read. I liked this book.
Deep Fried and Pickled by Paisley Ray
Freshman Rachel stumbles onto an art forgery operation, while navigating the culture shock of attending college in the south. It was cute.
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Evvie is unhappily married to a prominent physician who is loved by the whole town. On the day she plans to leave the marriage, her husband dies unexpectedly. She struggles with feeling guilty for not grieving his death as everyone else around her is. Her best friend talks her into letting a struggling baseball pitcher rent her extra room, thinking that the two might be able to help each other. It was good.
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
This book is about the differences and the similarities between two Indian women. One is upper class and the other is her house servant of more than twenty years. The two have weathered many storms. It was very good.
The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
This book is the sequel to The Space Between Us. Bhima, the servant, now finds herself unemployed. While she does finally find two cleaning jobs, for the first time in her life, she feels herself askew. An unexpected opportunity presents itself that shows her a different path. I really liked the first book, but this one was even better.
The Heart Echoes by Helena Von Zweigbergk
Set in Sweden, the bond between three sisters who have had many issues throughout the years is tested when one of them becomes ill. It was good.
The Book of Lost Names by Kristen Harmel
Set in France in World War II, this book is about a young Jewish woman who becomes an accomplished forger. With the help of a priest and another forger, she helps move hundreds of Jewish children to safety, but not without personal cost. It was very good.
The Storytellers Secret by Sejal Badani
I read this book in less than a day. Jaya, after suffering her third miscarriage and subsequently, a fractured marriage, finds herself utterly lost. While staying with her folks, her mother receives a letter telling her that her father in India is dying and requests to see her. The mother refuses but will not open up about her reasoning. Jaya decides to run from her own problems and heads to India to try to get some answers. It was very good.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
I read this book months ago and forgot to mention it. A security guard accuses Emira, who is black, of kidnapping the white toddler who is in her charge. This event sets up an examination of race and privilege throughout the rest of the book. It was a good reminder that not all racist events end in violence, but they are still wrong. It was good.
The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
The town executioner and a doctor race to solve the mystery of why children are being murdered before an innocent woman is burned as a witch. It was a good read. Interestingly, there really were executioners in Bavaria with the last name of Kuisl and the author is one of their descendants.
Me and Carlos by Tom Perrotta
Digger is not a big man on campus, but finally, he gets some recognition on the soccer field. Then comes Carlos, a new student from Honduras. Digger and Carlos become good friends. Carlos gets popular. Life gets messy. It was cute.
By the Book by Julia Sonneborn
I read this one earlier this year also, and forgot to mention it. An English professor is on track for tenure. Things are going well. She's working on a book and a promotion. She's dating a hot guy. Then, her ex-fiancée is appointed president of the college and her life gets a little ruffled. It was also cute.
MK out.
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