The Lost and Found Bookshop

 

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

Bella Vista Chronicles #3

Fiction

2020 William Morrow

Finished on July 27, 2023

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

There is a book for everything . . . 

Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.

In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father. 

But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.

After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.

To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.

Books about books (or bookstores) are always a big draw for me. The Lost and Found Bookshop is part contemporary fiction and part romance, the latter of which I rarely ever read, but this one caught my eye. I didn't think I had read anything by Susan Wiggs, but glancing at her title list, I remembered that I had read one (Table for Five) many years ago. Like Table for Five, Wiggs' more recent novel is predictable with familiar romantic tropes (single parent; love triangle; grieving lover) although there are some surprises sprinkled in here and there. Who doesn't enjoy literary references that have you adding more titles to your TBR list? Throw in the bookstore setting and it's a perfect brain-candy choice for a hectic summer. My only complaint is that the end of the story felt rushed, with a couple of jarring inconsistencies to Natalie's character, but overall, a decent read for the genre. 

Looking Back - Good Harbor

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.

Good Harbor by Anita Diamant

Fiction

2001 Scribner

Finished on October 3, 2001

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Anita Diamant, whose rich portrayal of the biblical world of women illuminated her acclaimed international bestseller The Red Tent, now crafts a moving novel of contemporary female friendship.

Good Harbor is the long stretch of Cape Ann beach where two women friends walk and talk, sharing their personal histories and learning life's lessons from each other. Kathleen Levine, a longtime resident of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is maternal and steady, a devoted children's librarian, a convert to Judaism, and mother to two grown sons. When her serene life is thrown into turmoil by a diagnosis of breast cancer at fifty-nine, painful past secrets emerge and she desperately needs a friend. Forty-two-year-old Joyce Tabachnik is a sharp-witted freelance writer who is also at a fragile point in her life. She's come to Gloucester to follow her literary aspirations, but realizes that her husband and young daughter are becoming increasingly distant. Together, Kathleen and Joyce forge a once-in-a-lifetime bond and help each other to confront scars left by old emotional wounds.

My Original Thoughts (2001):

Not terribly deep (one dimensional male characters), but entertaining. Read it in two days. Fluff.

My Current Thoughts:

I still have a copy of this book, so I must have thought it worthy of someday re-reading. I was close to the young woman's age when I read the book in 2001, and I'm now a couple of years older than the other woman. I wonder if I'll relate more closely to Kathleen now that I'm in my early 60s. 

Looking Back - Bed & Breakfast

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.

 

Bed & Breakfast by Lois Battle

Fiction

1996 Viking

Finished on July 19, 2001

Rating: 4/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Ten years of family secrets, misunderstandings, and recriminations have kept the Tatternalls apart - until Josie, a military widow suddenly alerted to mortality when one of her best friends keels over during a bridge game, impulsively invites her three grown daughters home for the holidays at her gracious South Carolina bed-and-breakfast. Cam, Josie's eldest, is her father's daughter - headstrong, smart, fearless, and utterly hopeless when it comes to making peace with either her family or herself. Years ago, she acquired the cynical veneer born of living too long in New York City and watching her writerly dreams fade. Still reeling from a breakup with the man she loves, she heads south heartily skeptical of the comforts of home and hearth. For Cam, this will be a season of shocks and surprises. Lila, the poised and perfect stay-at-home mother of two, lives near Josie in Hilton Head and is experiencing the slow disintegration of her own essentially loveless marriage. She dreads the prospect of this family reunion - especially the return of her black sheep, brilliant older sister, Cam. Yet, astonishing even herself, this is the Christmas when Lila finally will rebel. Evie, the all-too-candid baby of the family, routinely shares her family's secrets in her advice column for a Savannah newspaper. But even Evie has never created a scene like the tableau she stages at this Christmas dinner - when she arrives on the arm of her latest love, a rich man old enough to be her father....

My Original Thoughts (2001):

Entertaining story about a family living in the South. Reminded me a little bit of the dysfunctional family in The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Somewhat predictable, yet still enjoyable. I will definitely read more by this author. Gentle fiction/fluff. Not very deep. 

My Current Thoughts:

Well, I never did read anything more by this author. I don't remember anything about the book, which isn't surprising given it was pretty fluffy.

Looking Back - Summer Island

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.

Summer Island by Kristin Hannah

Fiction

2001 Crown 

Finished on June 22, 2001

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

The author of the cherished bestseller On Mystic Lake returns with a poignant, funny, luminous novel about a mother and daughter—the complex ties that bind them, the past that separates them, and the healing that comes with forgiveness.

Years ago, Nora Bridge walked out on her marriage and left her daughters behind. She has since become a famous radio talk-show host and newspaper columnist beloved for her moral advice. Her youngest daughter, Ruby, is a struggling comedienne who uses her famous mother as fuel for her bitter, cynical humor. When the tabloids unearth a scandalous secret from Nora's past, their estrangement suddenly becomes dramatic: Nora is injured in an accident and a glossy magazine offers Ruby a fortune to write a tell-all about her mother. Under false pretenses, Ruby returns home to take care of the woman she hasn't spoken to for almost a decade.

Nora insists they retreat to Summer Island in the San Juans, to the lovely old house on the water where Ruby grew up, a place filled with childhood memories of love and joy and belonging. There Ruby is also reunited with her first love and his brother. Once, the three of them had been best friends, inseparable. Until the summer that Nora had left and everyone's hearts had been broken. . . 

What began as an exposé evolves, as Ruby writes, into an exploration of her family's past. Nora is not the woman Ruby has hated all these years. Witty, wise, and vulnerable, she is desperate to reconcile with her daughter. As the magazine deadline draws near and Ruby finishes what has begun to seem to her an act of brutal betrayal, she is forced to grow up and at last to look at her mother—and herself—through the eyes of a woman. And she must, finally, allow herself to love.

Summer Island is a beautiful novel, funny, tender, sad, and ultimately triumphant.

My Original Thoughts (2001):

I almost gave up on this book early on. It started off too much like a Danielle Steel novel. But then something grabbed my interest and the story improved. I really enjoyed it for what it is--fluff, but not great literature. I even got choked up a few times! Good passages about love and faith. I may read more by Hannah.

My Current Thoughts:

It's interesting to see how this author's writing has evolved over the years. Her recent novels, which are more serious, revolving around historical themes, are a welcome departure from her early works of romance and fluff. I doubt I'll read this again, but the setting in the San Juans is appealing.

Book Lovers

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Fiction

2022 Penguin Random House Audio

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Finished on October 12, 2022

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Book Lovers is a light read, and I found it easy to listen to the audio in fits & spurts, which was perfect since I didn't get many opportunities while on our road trip. As I listened, I could easily envision Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks starring in a rom-com version film of this book. Nora and Charlie's bantering is very similar to the characters in You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. I haven't read anything else by Emily Henry and I kind of doubt I will. While not a bad novel, it was a bit too light and fluffy. 

Looking Back - Crazy For You

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.

Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie

Fiction

1999 St. Martin's Press

Finished June 17, 2001

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Quinn McKenzie has always lived what she calls a "beige" life. She's dating the world's nicest guy, she has a good job as a high school art teacher, she's surrounded by family and friends who rely on her, and she's bored to the point of insanity. But when Quinn decides to change her life by adopting a stray dog over everyone's objections, everything begins to spiral out of control. Now she's coping with dog-napping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy...for her.

My Original Thoughts (2001):

I didn't think I was going to like this book when I started it. I thought it was a typical "fluff" read with simplistic characters and predictable events. Ok, maybe it was "fluff," but I became engrossed nonetheless! Got choked up a couple of times and laughed out loud several times. I plan to read more by Crusie. Good airplane read. 

My Current Thoughts:

Well, I have yet to read anything else by Crusie and I don't think I will. Fluffy novels don't appeal to me at this point in my life. 

Looking Back - The Saving Graces

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.

The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney
Fiction
1999 HarperTorch
Finished in August 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Meet The Saving Graces, Four Of The Best Friends A Woman Can Ever Have.

For ten years, Emma, Rudy, Lee, and Isabel have shared a deep affection that has helped them deal with the ebb and flow of expectations and disappointments common to us all. Calling themselves the Saving Graces, the quartet is united by understanding, honesty, and acceptance -- a connection that has grown stronger as the years go by...

Though these sisters of the heart and soul have seen it all, talked through it all, Emma, Rudy, Lee, and Isabel will not be prepared for a crisis of astounding proportions that will put their love and courage to the ultimate test.

My Original Thoughts (1999):

Wonderful! I love it. I tried to read it earlier this summer but couldn't get interested. I gave it another try and I'm so glad I did. I loved all four women. Each had strengths and weaknesses, but they were so good to each other. I love books about women's friendships. I could see myself in each of them. I'd like to read more by Gaffney.

Second Reading (2001):

Just as wonderful as the first time I read it! Wonderful story about four friends. Reminiscent of Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg.

My Current Thoughts (2020):

I still have a copy of this book, so maybe I'll give it another read. I wonder if I'll find it too fluffy at this point in my life. I sure was reading a lot of books about women's friendships back in the late 90s. 

Updated Thoughts (2022):

I tried to read this again (didn't realize it would be for the 3rd time), but I was bored after just a few pages and called it quits. It must have spoken to my younger self in 1999 & 2001.

"This ode to the friendships between women could easily become the northern version of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." ~ Booklist

Looking Back - Angel Falls

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.

Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah

Fiction

2000 Crown Publishers

Finished on June 16, 2000

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell him not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at her bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife’s secret past: a hidden first marriage to movie star Julian True.

Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah’s most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Pure fluff! Reminded me of Danielle Steel's books. Overly sentimental and predictable. I asked myself several times why I was wasting my time. Blah. 

My Current Thoughts:

Why didn't I toss this across the room and stop reading?! You couldn't pay me to read it now.

Looking Back - The Kind of Love That Saves You

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.

The Kind of Love That Saves You by Amy Yurk

Fiction

2000 Bantam

Finished on May 16, 2000

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Every now and then a gifted new writer bursts on the scene blessed with rare wisdom, dazzling eloquence, and a deep understanding of what it means to be human, to be alive. Amy Yurk is just such a writer, establishing herself with her enthralling debut novel, a tale of loss, friendship, and the resilience of a woman's heart....

Sarah Strickland and her best friend, Calista, have been like sisters since the first day of kindergarten, sharing good times and weathering crises for more than twenty years. Together they've navigated the terrain of school, friendship, romances, breakups, love, and marriage. Six months after Sarah's marriage to Gavin Strickland, Calista wed Gavin's best friend. Now, holding Calista and Mike's bright and boisterous eighteen-month-old, Sarah longs to follow her friend into the sometimes rocky, sometimes breathtakingly beautiful realm of motherhood.

But in one shattering second the world changes, and the landscape Sarah enters is one she could not have envisioned. And it is one Calista cannot fully comprehend. Now the growing distance between the two women threatens to deepen the devastating sense of loss Sarah already feels. Calista tries valiantly to be her guide through this dark emotional territory, tries to hurry her over the roughest places, but her attempts to help only alienate the friend she loves.

Suddenly, miraculously, someone walks into Sarah's life who understands every twist of the long, heartbreaking path life has set her on. Someone who is capable of guiding her through and showing her that there is a life beyond the pain she feels. But Sarah cannot begin to know if this new friendship, so desperately needed, will provide the healing bond between her and Calista...or become the wedge that will tear them apart forever.

A celebration of life, hope, and the healing power of love, The Kind of Love That Saves You is an electrifying debut, an unforgettable story that will make you smile through your tears...and treasure the loved ones in your own life even more.

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Pure fluff -- and not even good fluff. Story of a woman who writes to her unborn child about her marriage, losses and friendships. Pure sap. A very quick, mindless read. Wouldn't recommend it.

My Current Thoughts:

I probably read this before I gave myself permission to quit on books that weren't enjoyable. 

Looking Back - Out of the Blue

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.

Out of the Blue by Sally Mandel

Fiction

2000 Ballantine Books

Read in April 2000

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

At once heart-wrenching and funny, poignant and provocative, here is a rare novel about finding the courage to take a remarkable leap of faith. Smart, funny Anna Bolles, a born athlete and a dynamic teacher, figures God decided to have the last laugh when her life was tragically and irrevocably changed five years ago. Since then she has kept herself firmly grounded in the present with the door marked "future" shut. 

Anna's days are filled with the vibrancy of summer in New York City where she takes joy in the details, the sensual assault of an air-conditioned museum and a perfectly baked muffin. She relishes her role as an observer to the dramas played out around her--from the adolescent courtships of her private school students to the turbulent love affairs of friends and colleagues. Yet Anna never dares to open her heart, except to the father who has drifted from her and the mother who sustains her, until the one thing she didn't think could happen becomes a twist of fate that may just set her free. Until Joe Malone.

Joe Malone, pilot, businessman, amateur photographer, is a man who has everything except happiness. Though he's notorious for his short attention span, he sees in Anna a world of possibilities. Maybe Joe, a man who has only been skimming the surface of life, has finally found a perfect place to land. He thinks he wants a life with Anna no matter what and seems willing to risk everything to be with her. But can he trust himself enough to give their deepest dreams the chance to flourish?

Through laughter and tears, from the depths of heartbreak to the pinnacle of joy, Sally Mandel never fails to remind readers of the things that matter most in life. Now she has written her most dazzling novel yet--a very special story about two unique people whose love comes from seemingly out of the blue.

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Great fluff! I couldn't put it down. Romance. Humorous. Didn't cry, but got choked up. Not great literature, but entertaining. A perfect beach read. Engrossing, yet light. This author is one that I'll keep my eye on. She's written four other books, but they're all out of print.

My Current Thoughts: 

This isn't the sort of book I'd read now, but I obviously enjoyed it quite a lot 20 years ago. Did I go on to read more by Mandel? Nope.

Looking Back - Dancing at the Harvest Moon

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. 

Dancing at the Harvest Moon by K.C. McKinnon

Fiction

1999 Fawcett (first published in 1997)

Read in March 2000

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In Dancing at the Harvest Moon, a story of first love rekindled, 46-year-old Maggie McIntyre has just lost her husband to another woman and sees no reason to remain in Kansas City. She decides to return to The Harvest Moon, the dance hall where she worked in college. So we go there with her, back to the beautiful Canadian town on Little Bear Lake, where Maggie faces all of those juicy yet unanswered questions: Will true love find her? Will Rob, her first love, finally forgive her? Is she prepared to face the demons that have for so long kept real passion at bay?

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Good, quick read, but nothing great. Somewhat predictable romance with a very thin plot.

My Current Thoughts:

Blech. Why did I read this?? 

Looking Back - Cloud Nine

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. 

Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice

Fiction

2000 Bantam (first published in 1999)

Read in January 2000

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

What would you do with a second chance at life?

Sarah Talbot thought she’d never see another birthday. But against all odds, she beat the illness that could have killed her, reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine, and vowed to make the most of a fresh start that few are given. With Thanksgiving approaching, Sarah charters a small plane to take her to Elk Island, a remote spot off the rugged Maine coast where she spent some of her happiest days and where she hopes to reunite with the two most important people in her life. She arrives on the island with pilot Will Burke, a kindred spirit with whom Sarah forges a bond that will give them the courage to confront the past and have faith in the future…no matter how uncertain.

Once Sarah thought happy endings occurred only in books; now she believes they can happen for anyone. And as she and Will grow closer, and something unexpectedly real blossoms between them, she has him believing it, too. But is believing it enough? Is even love enough? Can real life be lived on cloud nine? In this stunning novel, New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice tells a story you will cherish, peopled with indelible characters whose challenges are your own.

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Fluff. Romance, not literature. Not bad, though. It held my interest. Sad story, yet somewhat flat and predictable. 

My Current Thoughts:

This is not my sort of book and I wonder what prompted me to pick it up. I'm pretty sure I haven't read anything else by this author.

The Confession Club

The Confession Club (Mason #3) by Elizabeth Berg
Fiction
2019 Random House
Finished on July 14, 2020
Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

In a captivating novel from the bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv, a group of women in Mason, Missouri discover that best friends are made by sharing secrets.

It all started as a supper club, a group gathering monthly to share homemade dinners, until the night one woman made a startling revelation. After that, the "Confession Club" decided to meet weekly to feast not only on dinner, but on admissions of misdeeds, embarrassments, and insecurities.

When Iris Winters and Maddy Harris are invited to the club, they find that it's just what each of them needs. Iris hasn't yet told anyone about the unlikely man who has captured her attention, and Maddy has come back home to escape a problem too big for her to confront.

The Confession Club is a heartwarming and illuminating book about women, friendship, and how sharing the secrets we're afraid of revealing can actually bring us closer.

Ugh. This was such a disappointing read. I've read the previous novels in this trilogy and while I enjoyed The Story of Arthur Truluv and loved Night of Miracles, this final installment was pretty much a waste of time.The dialogue between the women during their club meetings was ridiculous and at times a few members sounded less like adults and more like preteens. Even the premise of the club felt juvenile and most of these secondary characters were flat and indistinguishable. I only continued reading in order to learn more about the developing friendship between Iris and her new friend, but I would have been better off calling it quits when I first realized I was bored and annoyed with Berg's saccharine prose.

Looking Back - The Book Club

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.

The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe
Fiction
1999 Mira Books
Read in August 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

On the surface, it is a monthly book club. But for five women, it is so much more. For Eve Porter, whose husband's sudden death cheats her of every security she had planned on, the club is a place of sanctuary. For Annie Blake, a brilliant attorney intent on starting a family late in life, it is the chance to finally let down her guard and dream of other possibilities. For Doris Bridges, it is her support group as she acknowledges her dying marriage and finds the ultimate freedom in her husband's betrayal. For Gabriella Rivera, the "perfect" wife, mother and friend who offers support to everyone but is afraid to ask for it herself, it is a sense of community. And for Midge Kirsch, an artist who has always lived her life against the grain, it is a haven of acceptance.

They are five women from different walks of life, embracing the challenge of change. And as they share their hopes and fears and triumphs, they will hold fast to the true magic of the book club friendship.

My Original Thoughts (1999):

Very enjoyable! Another book about women and friendship. Five woman who have known each other for 15 years belong to a book group. Each has her own problems in life, yet their friendship helps them through the rough spots. A lovely retreat to one of the member's cabins in the woods reminded me of On Golden Pond. A very entertaining "fluff" read. Better than The Five Fortunes by Beth Gutcheon and just as good as The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney. Two thumbs up!

My Current Thoughts:

I only have a vague recollection of this book, but I must not have thought it was worth re-reading since I no longer own a copy.

The Sight of You

The Sight of You by Holly Miller
Fiction
2020 G.P. Putnam's Sons
Finished on April 15, 2020
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

The Light We Lost meets How to Walk Away in this romantic and page-turning American debut that poses a heartbreaking question: Would you choose love, if you knew how it would end?

Joel has sworn off falling in love. But when he meets Callie, he can't help being drawn to her. In Callie, he sees a second chance at life. And in Joel, Callie discovers the kind of love she'd always hoped was real. They challenge one another to take chances, to laugh, and to trust that no matter how hard each falls, the other will be there to catch them.

But Joel has a secret. He dreams about the people he loves, and these dreams always come true. One night, Joel has the dream of Callie he's feared the most, and each must decide: Can Callie stay, knowing her fate? And if her days must be numbered, is there a life she is meant to live?

Told in Joel and Callie's voices, The Sight of You is a sweeping, romantic, and unforgettable American debut, about the bravery it takes to love, especially when we think we know how the story will end.

I'm not usually one for romances (ok, I admit I did love Me Before You...), but apparently I read a blurb on Shelf Awareness for this book that piqued my interest enough to enter for a chance to win an ARC. The book arrived during the beginning of my reading slump, so I decided to give it a try since it sounded like a fairly light read. Told in alternating voices of the two main characters, it's an easy book to pick up and put back down between COVID-19 news updates. I enjoyed the beginning and ending of the story, but the middle got bogged down and felt too predictable for my liking. I almost quit, but decided to push through. Nonetheless, it took me two weeks to get through what should have been a two-day read. A good beach read, but nothing special and certainly not one I'll remember in a year.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

In Five Years

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Fiction
2020 Simon & Schuster Audio
Read by Megan Hilty
Finished on March 24, 2020
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Where do you see yourself in five years?

When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.

But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.

After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.

That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.

Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

I started listening to In Five Years a couple of days after I finished Oona Out of Order. As soon as Dannie awakens five years into the future, my first thought was, "Really? Another time travel story?" I wasn't sure I was interested in reading another book with such similar themes, but continued listening and was pleased that Searles' novel wasn't another time travel story. I was quickly drawn in and would have finished much more quickly, had the world not been turned upside down by the global pandemic. I found myself spending more time on the computer and not a lot of time listening to my audiobook. I eventually made more time to listen (in order to drown out the constant worry buzzing in my brain) and, for the most part, wound up enjoying the book. It's a bit light and fluffy (and not quite as thought-provoking as Oona Out of Order), so if you're looking for an escape from the constant barrage of headline news and tweets, In Five Years may be just the ticket.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Looking Back - Until the Real Thing Comes Along

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.

Until the Real Thing Comes Along by Elizabeth Berg
Fiction
1999 Random House
Read in July 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Patty Murphy is facing that pivotal point in a woman's life when her biological clock ticks as insistently as a beating heart. Will she find Mr. Right and start a family? But Patty is in love--with a man who is not only attractive and financially sound, but sensitive and warmhearted. There's just one small problem: He is also gay.

Against her better judgment, and pleas from family and friends, Patty refuses to give up on Ethan. Every man she dates ultimately leaves her aching for the gentle comfort and intimacy she shares with him. But even as she throws eligible bachelors to the wayside to spend yet another platonic night with Ethan, Patty longs more and more for the consolation of loving and being loved. In the meantime she must content herself with waiting--until the real thing comes along. . . .

My Original Thoughts (1999):

Another gem by Berg! I read it in two evenings, which is rare for me these days. Simplistic and predictable, but still enjoyable. A "fluff" beach read. I'll be anxiously awaiting her next book. 

My Current Thoughts:

I no longer have a copy of this one, which is fine since it doesn't really appeal to me for a re-read at this point in my life.

Looking Back - Five Fortunes

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.

Five Fortunes by Beth Gutcheon
Fiction
1998 Cliff Street Books
Read in June 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Witty, wise, and hope-filled, Five Fortunes is a large-hearted tale of five vivid and unforgettable women who know where they've been but have no idea where they're going. A lively octogenarian, a private investigator, a mother and daughter with an unresolved past, and a recently widowed politician's wife share little else except a thirst for new dreams, but after a week at the luxurious health spa known as "Fat Chance" their lives will be intertwined in ways they couldn't have imagined. At a place where doctors, lawyers, spoiled housewives, movie stars, and captains of industry are stripped of the social markers that keep them from really seeing one another, unexpected friendships emerge, reminding us of the close links between the rich and the poor, fortune and misfortune, and the magic of chance.

My Original Notes (1999):

Wonderful book. Reminded me a little bit of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I was disappointed with the ending, which fell flat with lots of loose ends. Overall a very good "fluff" read. Not great literature, but fun.

My Current Thoughts:

I read this back when books that centered around women's friendships were very popular. I remember how much I loved this one, but I wonder if it would still appeal to me now. I own a copy, so it may wind up on my re-read stack this summer.

Looking Back - Message in a Bottle

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.

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
Fiction
1999 Grand Central Publishing (first published in 1998)
Read in April 1999
Rating: 1/5 (Poor)

Publisher's Blurb:

Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Osborne, divorced and the mother of a twelve-year-old son, discovers it during a seaside vacation from her job as a Boston newspaper columnist. Inside is a letter that opens with, "My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together...." For Garrett, the message is the only way he knows to express his undying love for a woman he has lost. For Theresa, wary of romance since her husband shattered her trust, the message raises questions that intrigue her. Challenged by the mystery, and driven to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Brought together either by chance or something more powerful, Theresa and Garrett's lives come together in a tale that resonates with our deepest hopes for finding everlasting love. Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity, Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love. For those who cherished The Notebook and readers waiting to discover the magic of Nicholas Sparks's storytelling, here is an achingly lovely novel of happenstance, desire, and the choices that matter most.

My Original Notes (1999):

Fluff. Pretty much a no-brainer and almost an entire waste of time. Simplistic and amateurish sentence structure, bordering on boring. Predictable. Why did I bother?? And everyone said the book was better than the movie. I certainly won't see it now.

My Current Thoughts:

Blech.