Book of the Month: June 2018

 

Offered Books:

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri

Calypso by David Sedaris

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Selected:

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir

Others Purchased:

Calypso by David Sedaris

The Book of Essie follows the titular Essie Hicks, one of the stars of a reality TV show - Six for Hicks - that focuses on her conservative religious family.  She is their youngest child, and we open on her arranging for her mother to discover that she is pregnant - even though she has just turned 17 and is unmarried.  Her family works with the producers to arrange a wedding, and Essie manages to bring in her classmate, Roarke Richards, and a (formerly) conservative reporter by the name of Liberty Bell to try to free herself from her family's grip.

It's hard to read that premise and not flash to the not-so-long-ago reality shows 17 Kids and Counting and Jon & Kate Plus 8 and how the controversies associated with both.  In fact, a passing familiarity with both shows - or even a vague remembrance of either - probably helps the reader get into the 'reality' of the book's show.  It isn't necessary - Weir does an excellent job of making the book independent of the mentioned series - but it definitely deepens the appreciation of the world-building done throughout the novel.

The novel shifts between Essie's, Roarke's, and Liberty's point of view and how they navigate the situation - Essie trying to manipulate it to the best of her abilities to protect herself, Roarke's response to being suddenly and abruptly thrown into this spotlight as the groom to cover up Essie's pregnancy, and Liberty's interviews with Essie and her own former past as a conservative 'star.'  All three characters are well-rounded and believable, which is crucial given the heightened reality that the characters are placed in.

Weir also does a good job of interweaving their individual stories while driving the plot forward.  No section of the book feels wasted, and it moves at a brisk pace.  Not a single chapter feels inconsequential, which can happen very easily when bouncing between multiple characters.

All in all, this is a great novel, and I look forward to what Weir writes in the future.

4.5 out of 5

Calypso, by David Sedaris, is a series of essays where Sedaris reflects on his life and aging, set somewhat against the purchase of a vacation house - dubbed by him Sea Section - where he plans to spend time with his family.

I've seen many describe this as a darkly comic look at life for those growing older, but I'll be honest: while parts of this book are funny, overall it reads as much more melancholic to me.  There are parts that are actually quite painful to read, and I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone who reads to escape.

Sedaris does have a way with storytelling, and the novel isn't hard to get through (outside of the emotional toll it takes in parts).  While it is interesting to read about the ups and downs of his life with his family, he doesn't hold back - we get all of the ugly details in many parts.

I'll be honest, this is a well written book that I didn't really care for.  And given the personal nature of much that he talks about, I don't want to criticize it - for me it was just hard to read due to the subject matter.

While I wouldn't really recommend it, many others found it much more enjoyable than I did - so maybe chance this one if you are feeling brave.

2 out of 5

Author Links:

Meghan MacLean Weir

David Sedaris

Book of the Month: May 2018

 

Offered Books:

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

Still Lives by Maria Hummel

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Small Country by Gaël Faye

Selected:

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

Others Purchased:

None - yet

I didn't like this book.

It's been hard for me to write a review for it specifically because I don't like it.  It's not that what I have to say about it is hard to articulate, it's just that I struggle to find a way to write a negative review that is engaging - the novel is too boring to write a 'love to hate' type of review, but my problems with it are numerous enough that I can't do a short breakdown of everything wrong with it.  I can summarize it with the one word sentence I started this review with, but that's not much to go on if I am going to make these reviews a regular thing.  So really, this book isn't enjoyable AND it is causing me a minor existential crises.  Thanks, The Perfect Mother!

The book follows a group of women (and a single man) who have dubbed themselves The May Mothers - all have recently had children and met up online to discuss their experiences, which bled into them meeting in real life.  They decide to take a 'night off' for drinks and one of their members - Winnie, a former TV actress - gets home to discover that her baby is missing.

The focus shifts between the various May Mothers and the kidnapper - I have no idea if it being the kidnapper is supposed to be a secret/surprise, but there is no other character that a reader could possibly think it could be, so I won't consider that tidbit a spoiler - as the investigation proceeds and secrets are 'exposed.'

I use 'exposed' in quotes because... nothing ever really comes of the other May Mother's backstories?  Setting aside the fact that this group that randomly started gathering had multiple people of semi-fame and notoriety without any of them knowing about the others - and how that stretches one's ability to suspend belief - the reveals never feel impactful.  There doesn't appear to be any character growth from them and it doesn't affect the larger story, so why include these barely-interesting-to-who-cares backstories?

While there is one non-famous person in the group - who is probably the most realistic of the characters despite also being one of the more irritating - there is shockingly little reaction from her to the revelations of who she has been meeting with.

Plotwise, there are so many moments where characters behave in ways that are only meant to 'deepen the mystery' or to give chapters cliffhangers that it dilutes the entire narrative.  When every chapter ends in such a way, it becomes repetitive and tedious.  When none of the characters are interesting enough to warrant such moments, it makes finishing the novel outright work.

Even more frustrating, the climax of the book still happens suddenly, throwing the reader into it without proper buildup.  The reveal of the kidnapper has no impact other than a banal 'Oh, okay then,' reaction and all the false stakes throughout the book removes the chance for the reader to think there are any during this part.  So it ends not with a bang, nor even a whimper.  It just ends.  And there is no satisfaction in it.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

0.5 out of 5

Author Links:

Aimee Molloy