Looking Back - Step.Ball.Change

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Step.Ball.Change by Jeanne Ray

Fiction

2002

Finished on May 12, 2002

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Caroline and Tom are looking forward to retirement. He's been practicing law, she's been running a dance studio, and together they've raised four great kids. It's time to enjoy the fruits of their labor...Suddenly, though, their empty nest is filling up. Caroline's sister arrives with a load of luggage, a bad-tempered terrier, and a broken heart. A contractor finds cracks in the foundation, and sets up camp indefinitely. And their daughter Kay brings home her fiance, the richest boy in Raleigh--and plans a high-society wedding that could wipe out their savings. Filled with the warmth and wit that delighted readers of Julie and Romeo, this tale of a family caught in a whirlwind of change reminds us that life is what happens while we're making other plans--and that having loved ones along for the ride is the greatest blessing of all.

My Original Thoughts (2002):

A nice "fluff" read. Good for a gloomy weekend or an airplane flight. A couple of nice passages about love and marriage.

I leaned over and kissed him. I tried to make it count. A person had to be diligent about kissing. Kissing was the affirmation of the union, the secret handshake that identified its members. And even knowing how important it was, it was easy to let it slide altogether, and suddenly one day you wake up and realize that it has been weeks since you've kissed your husband while you've had your clothes on. Worse still were the kisses that became mere gestures of kissing, those hard little pecks like the kind you got from a great-aunt when you were five, kisses that weren't kisses at all but said instead, I used to kiss you and this is the symbol that now stands in its place. It was the difference between eating a great meal and looking at a picture of food in a magazine: One made you feel full and the other only reminded you that you were hungry.

and

Was I sure about love, that this was the person I would be eating my meals with and raising children with and making love to for so many years. I had no idea. I wanted to tell my daughter that I had been absolutely certain, but I think what I had been is absolutely lucky. I don't think that I knew Tom's middle name when I married him. It didn't matter. We had been full of a dreamy sort of romance then. Maybe we had excellent intuition about each other, but the real love came later. I think, probably, the real love always comes later.

My Current Thoughts:

I don't read much in the way of romance or fluff these days, but I might re-read this one since I still own a copy. 

Fun fact: Jeanne Ray is Anne Patchett's mother.

Keep Moving

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith

Nonfiction

2020

Finished on August 16, 2025

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

For fans of Anne Lamott and Cleo Wade, a collection of quotes and essays on facing life’s challenges with creativity, courage, and resilience.

When Maggie Smith, the award-winning author of the viral poem “Good Bones,” started writing daily Twitter posts in the wake of her divorce, they unexpectedly caught fire. In this deeply moving book of quotes and essays, Maggie writes about new beginnings as opportunities for transformation. Like kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken ceramics with gold, Keep Moving celebrates the beauty and strength on the other side of loss. This is a book for anyone who has gone through a difficult time and is wondering: What comes next?

Last winter I was introduced to Maggie Smith's writing when I encountered her outstanding memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful. I was so captivated with her writing that I immediately ordered a copy of Keep Moving, Smith's earlier book of essays and quotations. Rather than read it cover-to-cover in a few days, I decided to devote several months to the book, reading two or three pages at a time. It's a wonderful book for anyone dealing with loss, whether that be due to divorce or the death of a loved one.

Under the Influence

 

Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard

Fiction

2016

Finished on August 11, 2025

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

When Helen meets Swift and Ava Havilland at an art gallery opening, her life is at an all-time low. A DUI conviction caused her to lose her driver's license and custody of her eight-year-old son, Oliver. Now she sees Ollie on Saturdays, but he hasn't forgiven his mother for messing up their life. She's got a dead-end job and goes on occasional dates, but spends most evenings at AA meetings. The Havillands change all that.

Ava and Swift are wealthy, charismatic philanthropists who fill their home with valuable art, unlikely friends, and over-the-top parties. The Havillands quickly become the center of Helen's world, as she takes on jobs for them and joins their glamorous inner circle. Then Helen meets Elliot--a quiet, uncool accountant the Havillands dismiss as boring. Helen might be falling in love with him, but her new best friends disapprove--and cause Helen to distrust her own heart.

Most compelling, for Helen, is what her friendship with the Havillands has meant to her relationship with her son. Ollie looks up to the larger-than-life man who treats him like a second son. And Swift has promised Helen the services of a high-powered attorney to help her regain custody. But when tragedy strikes, Helen and Ollie must pay for the generosity of Helen's new friends. Or pay dearly if they refuse.

Oh, Helen. Why didn't you trust your gut? Why were you so blind to how your so-called friends were treating you. The writing was right there on the wall, but you chose to ignore the red flags. Sigh.

Under the Influence is the proverbial train wreck. I could see where Maynard was leading her readers, and I distrusted Ava and Swift from the get-go, but I couldn't stop reading despite my impatience with the sluggish plotting. Thankfully, it's a quick read, and somewhat satisfying, but the heavy foreshadowing dragged on far too long before the finale. Unlikeable characters in an unrealistic situation. This is one to borrow from the library. 

How the Light Gets In (3.5/5)

The Bird Hotel (4.5/5)

Count the Ways (5/5)

After Her (4/5)

Where Love Goes (4/5)

Labor Day (4.5/5)

The Usual Rules (5/5)

My Lover's Lover

 

My Lover's Lover by Maggie O'Farrell

Fiction

2002

Finished on August 5, 2025

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage Portrait and Hamnet comes an intense, unnerving and passionate story of betrayal, loss and love, with all the frisson and psychological intensity of Rebecca.

When Lily moves into new boyfriend Marcus's apartment and plunges headlong into their relationship, she must contend with an intangible, hostile presence—Marcus’s ex-girlfriend, Sinead. As Lily and Marcus become more deeply involved, Lily becomes obsessed with Sinead's fate and thinks she sees her everywhere. She must question not only her sanity, but whether the man she loves is someone she can, or should, be with at all.

I have now read seven of Maggie O'Farrell's novels, and while My Lover's Lover may not be my favorite, I certainly enjoyed reading it. The plot wasn't as confusing as those in some of her other novels, which tend to have alternating timelines with multiple points of view. This one did have flashbacks, but it was easy to keep track of the characters and their individual stories. That is not always the case with O'Farrell's books.

My Lover's Lover has creepy elements that gave it a ghost story feel, and it also brought to mind the obsessive and calculating nature of The Talented Mr. Ripley. It's not one I'll read again, but I did enjoy it, and find myself thinking about the characters. It would make a good movie!

The Trap

 

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard

Mystery

Narrated by John Keating and Alana Kerr Collins

2023

Finished on August 4, 2025

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the nineties, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

One year ago, Lucy's sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy's life into a waking nightmare. So, she's going to take matters into her own hands. 

Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open -- and destroy her chances of ever joining the force. A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He's going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon, she'll realize: what you don't know can hurt you...

Nonlinear timelines and misdirection kept me guessing, and even shaking my head in disbelief, as the final pages drew near. This was my first read of Catherine Ryan Howard's thrillers, and it won't be my last. I enjoyed the audio narration, although the nameless abductor was creepy to listen to as he shared details of his process with one of the victims. It's been years since I've read anything by Mo Hayder, but there is something about The Trap that brought her Jack Caffery thrillers (Birdman, The Treatment, and Gone) to mind. Thankfully, this book didn't give me nightmares! 

Catherine Ryan Howard is an award-winning, no. 1 bestselling thriller writer from Cork, Ireland.

Her work has been shortlisted for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Novel, the UK Crime Writers Association John Creasey/New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Awards, and the An Post Irish Crime Fiction Book of the Year multiple times. Her novels have been included in the New York Times Best Thrillers of the Year, the Washington Post’s Best Mysteries and Thrillers of the Year and the Sunday Times Best Thrillers of the Year. She is published in 20 languages and a number of her titles have been optioned for screen.

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Month in Summary - July 2025

 

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

July 2025

Another page flipped on the calendar and summer is winding down. For many, it's been a long hot summer and I'm hearing that you're eager for cooler temps and fall activities. Here on the Oregon coast, we're just entering our nicest time of the year. The chilly, overcast days aren't nearly as frequent as in June and July, and the temps are climbing into the mid-60s. We typically travel in September, which everyone says is the best month of the year, but I'm hoping August will prove to be just as lovely.

My reading felt a bit off in July, mainly due to two lackluster novels, one of which was far too long. The two books I read in print were over 400 pages, and the two audios were between 8 and 10 hours. I spent two weeks reading The Frozen River, and while I enjoyed it, I began to get impatient, eager to make more headway on my Summer Reading challenge. My reading has also suffered due to my new interest in watching a couple of episodes of The Handmaid's Tale each night. I also used to read for about an hour in the afternoon before fixing dinner, but my new obsession interest in American Mah Jong has me playing several games on my computer. 

 

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard (3.5/5)

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (2/5)

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (4/5)

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (4.5/5)

Movies & TV Series:

Missing - An ok show, but I've already forgotten the plot. 

Place of Execution - Another decent show, but not at all memorable.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 - I read Jane Harper's book in 2018 and thought it was decent, but the series wasn't as good.

The Residence - Silly, although I did enjoy the main character. 

The Handmaid's Tale (Season 2) - I've watched two seasons and will continue despite the unsettling themes about women's rights that feel far too prescient in today's world. 

Visitors:

My aunt and uncle (Alison & Brian) came up from Manhattan Beach for a few days. We had a wonderful visit with them!

Hiking:

Molly and I hiked Cascade Head for the second year in a row. It was a beautiful, sunny day!

New Obsession:

As mentioned above, I've started play American Mah Jong with a friend in my neighborhood. In addition to our face-to-face games, I've started playing online, which is a great way to improve my skills. I love it!

New Car!

Yes, we bought a new car. We traded in the Miata, which after owning for less than two years proved to be somewhat impractical. It looked cute, especially with the top down, but it wasn't very comfortable for either of us. We started looking at Subarus and I fell in love with the Outback Limited. It has more bells & whistles than my 2010 Forester (which we sold to some good friends before moving to Oregon), and I think it will be a better fit for us than the Miata.

Lastly, we received our second tsunami alert since moving to the Oregon coast in 2017. Thankfully, nothing came of the advisory. Phew!

Hope you're all enjoying your summer! Happy reading!

So Far Gone

 

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

Fiction

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

2025

Finished on July 27, 2025

Rating: (4.5/5 Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A reclusive journalist is suddenly thrown into a wild, suspenseful journey to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren.

A few weeks after the 2016 election, at Thanksgiving with his daughter and her belligerent new husband, Rhys Kinnick finally snapped. After an escalating fight about politics, he hauled off and punched the jerk. Immediately horrified by what he'd done, by the state of the world around him, and by his own spiraling mental health, Rhys chucked his smartphone out the car window and fled for a remote cabin in the woods of the Pacific Northwest.

Seven years later, when his grandchildren show up on his doorstep, Rhys barely recognizes them. Their mother has disappeared, and they need a safer place to stay than with their father, who has taken up with a Christian Nationalist militia. So what if Rhys’s cabin has no electricity or indoor plumbing, and the raccoons help themselves to the monthly grocery haul? He'll do whatever he needs to for these sweet kids.

But when the militia members show up and kidnap the children, Rhys realizes he'll have to re-enter the broken world. With the help of a bipolar retired detective and his caustic ex-girlfriend, Rhys reluctantly heads off on a madcap journey through the rubble of the life he left behind.

Susan, over at The Cue Card, mentioned this novel at the beginning of July, and it's one that was offered up for influencers on Libro.fm, so I quickly downloaded the audiobook. I was not disappointed. Like Susan, this was my first read by Jess Walters, and it won't be my last. I enjoyed the audio quite well, and Edoardo Ballerini does a great job with the narration. It's a difficult book to categorize, as it's partly a mystery and partly political commentary, with a madcap rescue by Rhys (who I envisioned as Christopher Lloyd) and his pals. There is violence, which when heard rather than read felt pretty intense, and I found myself cringing in response to some of the details. The novel felt like a mash-up of a Cormac O'Conner mystery (William Kent Krueger) and Kevin Wilson's hilarious Nothing to See Here. Check out Susan's spoiler-free review here, which goes into more depth about the plot. She shares the following quote, which I would have marked had I read the print edition:

As a journalist. As an American, as a rationalist, Kinnick had come to terms with the fact that 20 percent of his countrymen were greedy assholes. But then in 2016, the greedy assholes joined with the idiot assholes and the paranoid assholes in what turned out to be an unbeatable constituency. Kinnick realizing that the asshole ceiling was much higher than he’d thought, perhaps half the country. Whatever the number, it was more than he could bear. Especially when they were in his own family.

At some point, you look around, and think, I don’t belong here anymore. I don’t want to have anything to do with any of this.

Don't let the politics scare you off. So Far Gone had me laughing more than grumbling, and the raccoon scene is worth the price of the book alone! Great dialogue, well-drawn characters, excellent pacing, combined with the Pacific Northwest setting made for an entertaining listen. And as luck would have it, I actually have another novel (Beautiful Ruins) by Jess Walters on my TBR shelf. I'm looking forward to finally giving that one a read!

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Frozen River

 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Fiction

2023

Finished on July 27, 2025

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

This is my first read by Ariel Lawhon, and I'm beginning to think that maybe I shouldn't have given up on her earlier novel, I Was Anastasia. While it took me two weeks to read The Frozen River, I really enjoyed the story and Lawhon's writing. The birthing details are not for the squeamish, and one delivery reminded me of my daughter's birth, which wound up an emergency C-section. The novel would make for a great book club discussion, and I'd love to see a limited TV series, as well. I'm looking forward to trying more by Ariel Lawhon and will most likely try Code Name Helene.

A satisfying read. Recommend.

Looking Back - Durable Goods

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg

Katie Nash #1

Fiction
1993

Finished on May 10, 2002

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

"Sometimes life is so hard and then, bingo, it's like happiness is pushing at your back, waiting to come out your front..."

In the sweltering heat of a Southwestern summer, on a small army base in rural Texas, Katie waits impatiently for her life to change. These are uncertain times--a mix of pleasure and pain, of girlish confusion and adult discovery. Though battered by the recent death of her mother--and by a distant, abusive father driven to near madness by inner pain and rage--Katie's spirit remains miraculously strong. For she knows one day soon she'll be a woman. One day soon she'll understand.

My Original Thoughts (2002):

A quick, easy read. Berg's first novel. Not nearly as good as those that follow, but enjoyable the second time around. 

My Current Thoughts:

I've read close to two dozen books by Elizabeth Berg, and have over a dozen on my "keeper" shelf, but it's been a few years since I've read anything new. Whenever I write one of these "Looking Back" posts, I think about re-reading so many of my old favorites. I'd like to carve out time to read one each month, especially some of the shorter books like this one.

Below are links & ratings of all of Berg's books that I've read to date (2025):

Talk Before Sleep (4/5)

Range of Motion (4/5)

The Pull of the Moon (4/5) and (5/5)

Joy School (4/5)

What We Keep (4.5/5)

Until the Real Thing Comes Along (4/5)

Open House (5/5)

Ordinary Life (4.5/5)

Never Change (4.5/5)

True to Form (4/5)

Say When (4.5/5)

The Art of Mending (4/5)

A Year of Pleasures (5/5)

We Are All Welcome Here (3/5)

Dream When You're Feeling Blue (2.5/5)

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted (3.5/5)

Home Safe (4.5/5)

The Last Time I Saw You (2.5/5)

Once Upon a Time, There Was You (2.5/5)

The Story of Arthur Truluv (4/5)

Night of Miracles (5/5)

The Confession Club (2/5)

The Handmaid and the Carpenter (DNF)

The Poppy Fields

 

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Fiction

Narrated by Marin Ireland and several others

2025

Finished on July 16, 2025

Rating: 2/5 (OK)

Publisher's Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit The Measure comes a stunning speculative story of healing, self-discovery, forgiveness, and found friendship.

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects.

On a journey to this mystical destination are four very different strangers and one little dog: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. As they attempt to make their way from the Midwest all the way west to the Poppy Fields—where they hope to find Ellis, its brilliant, enigmatic founder—each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threaten to derail their voyage.

A high-concept speculative novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience, The Poppy Fields explores the path of grief and healing, a journey at once profoundly universal and unique to every person, posing the questions: How do we heal in the wake of great loss? And how far are we willing to go in order to be healed?

It's no surprise that as we grow older, we begin to lose our loved ones. In the past two decades I've had to say goodbye to my dad, stepdad, an uncle and an aunt, in addition to three cousins. Former neighbors have passed away, as well as a spouse or two of friends and coworkers. I am fortunate that none of my close friends, or siblings, have passed away, and my 92-year-old mother is still going strong! For the most part, these deaths weren't unexpected, although I'd be the first to say I'd love another decade with each and every one. However, the loss of my 24-year-old stepdaughter was the most shocking and heartbreaking death I have ever experienced. That grief was all-consuming, and not just for several weeks or months, but well over a year. (Truthfully, some say the second year is the worst year and "they" would be correct.) The sorrow my husband and I (and our younger daughter) experienced in those first few years is unimaginable. And it's not something one gets over, but rather learns to live with. 

As I listened to The Poppy Fields, I couldn't help but feel annoyed with the premise of the story. The author centers her narrative around the idea that an experimental method has been created in which a person who is grieving the loss of a loved one is able to visit the Poppy Fields in order to sleep (via a medically induced coma of sorts) through their grief. Some people stay for a month, others for up to eight weeks. The belief is that these individuals can return to their lives having moved on from their loss. Bah! This would be no different than drinking yourself into a blackout every day to numb the pain. Or curling up in a ball, sleeping all hours of the day, avoiding well-meaning friends and family. As much as we'd like a quick fix, the only way through a loss is to lean in and accept the hard truth. To do the difficult work. To embrace the sadness and loneliness. It's hard. Very hard. But it's the only way to heal, and learn to live a happy and productive life. 

I read Nikki Erlick's debut novel, The Measure, a couple of years ago and thought it was fine, but having read this recent release, I've come to the conclusion that her books are not for me. Her characters are flat, and the plots are predictable and lacking tension. Had I read the print edition rather than listening to the audio, this may have been a DNF for me.

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How the Light Gets In

 

How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard

Fiction

2024

Finished on July 7, 2025

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard comes the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her beloved novel Count the Ways —a complex story of three generations of a family and its remarkable, resilient, indomitable matriarch, Eleanor. 

**** Spoiler Alert - Do not read if you haven't read Count the Ways ****

Following the death of her former husband, Cam, fifty-seven-year-old Eleanor resides on the New Hampshire farm where they raised three children to care for their brain-injured son, Toby, now an adult. Toby’s older brother, Al, is married and living in Seattle with his wife; their sister, Ursula, lives in Vermont with her husband and two children. Although all appears stable, old resentments, anger, and bitterness simmer just beneath the surface. 

**** End of Spoiler ****

How the Light Gets In follows Eleanor and her family through fifteen years (2009 to 2024) as their story plays out against a uniquely American backdrop and the events that transform their world (climate change, the January 6th insurrection, school violence) and shape their lives (later-life love, parental alienation, steadfast friendship). With her trademark sensitivity and insight, Joyce Maynard paints an indelible portrait of characters both familiar and new making their way over rough, messy, and treacherous terrain to find their way to what is, for each, a place to call home.

I was really looking forward to reading How the Light Gets In, but sadly it didn't live up to my high expectations. Joyce Maynard's earlier novel, Count the Ways, made my 2023 Top Ten list and I was eager to revisit the follow-up story of Eleanor and her family. Since it had been over a year since I read the previous novel, I decided to give the final chapters in that book a quick re-read. I shouldn't have bothered. Maynard spends an excessive amount of time providing backstory details, not just in the opening chapters, but throughout the entire book. At 422 pages in length, I felt the novel could have used more editing to cut through the repetitious detail of past and present details of Eleanor's life. The first half of the story lacks tension, which made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the book. The references to historical events that I enjoyed reading about in Count the Ways were overdone here, as if Maynard had a checklist to complete, dropping incidents such as the Sandy Hook school shooting, the disappointing election in 2016, Covid and the negativity toward vaccines and Dr. Fauci, John Prine's death, as well as George Floyd's murder. I also felt the sudden mending of one relationship a bit far-fetched after so many years of estrangement. With all of these quibbles, it's a wonder I finished the book, but the second half was a little fresher with enough to keep me interested. And the musical references (Kris Kristofferson's Help Me Make It Through the Night, Warren Zevon's Keep Me In Your Heart, and John Prine's When I Get to Heaven) are always a treat when encountered in a novel. While this may be my least favorite of Joyce Maynard's, I've certainly read a lot of winners by her. Click on any of the links below to read my reviews:

The Bird Hotel (4.5/5)

Count the Ways (5/5)

After Her (4/5)

Where Love Goes (4/5)

Labor Day (4.5/5)

The Usual Rules (5/5)

Looking Back - Perfect Match

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Fiction

2002

Finished on May 7, 2002

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good!)

Publisher's Blurb:

Picoult brings to life a female prosecutor whose cherished family is shattered when she learns that her five-year-old son has been sexually abused.

What does it mean to be a good mother?

How far would you go in the name of love -- and justice?

In the course of her everyday work, career-driven assistant district attorney Nina Frost prosecutes child molesters and works determinedly to ensure that a legal system with too many loopholes keeps these criminals behind bars. But when her own five-year-old son, Nathaniel, is traumatized by a sexual assault, Nina and her husband, Caleb, a quiet and methodical stone mason, are shattered, ripped apart by an enraging sense of helplessness in the face of a futile justice system that Nina knows all too well. In a heartbeat, Nina's absolute truths and convictions are turned upside down, and she hurtles toward a plan to exact her own justice for her son -- no matter the consequence, whatever the sacrifice.

My Original Thoughts (2002):

I couldn't put it down! Picoult's books are not great works of literature, and rarely do I find a beautiful passage to mark, yet they're great reads. Always satisfying and very entertaining. The subject matter is always original to each book. They don't blend together and are very memorable. This one was about a prosecutor who faces the horrible knowledge that her five-year-old son has been sexually abused. What occurs in the chapters to follow is astonishing, but as a parent myself, I have no idea if I wouldn't react in a similar manner. A real page-turner. Great airplane book!

My Current Thoughts:

I remember that I enjoyed this one a lot, but the details of the story are long gone. Picoult is a favorite of mine and I think there's only one of her books that I didn't care for. I still have a few more to read, too, which is nice.