Beginning Middle End - Valeria Luiselli

Sometimes a novel is more about feeling then plot, and Beginning Middle End falls into that category. While it is story about a mother and daughter traveling in Italy, it is also a story of being between generations...a  grandmother. a mother and a daughter, each pulling strands of the novel together. While the mother, a recently divorced author, works to create a new life with her twelve year old daughter, her mother may be suffering from the start of Alzheimer's in California. An interesting aspect is the weaving in of other texts and literary references. The daughter is a voracious reader, and due to their travels she is reading ancient classics, like Pliny. I liked this book quite a bit, even though I never felt fully engaged. 

Switzy -- Emma Cline

David Hastings is a successful businessman who has Alzheimer’s disease. He has the means to professionally have assistance to end his life in Switzerland. As I read Swtizy, I kept thinking what an odd thing that must be to decide. David is somewhat of an empty soul, but his musings on family, work, and friendship contain just enough wisdom to be enlightening. Bits of songs and stories float through his thoughts. His companion, Cody, hovers, taking care of things in the background. David Hastings reminded me a little of my dad, who would never have made this decisions. Switzy is a book with a creepy premise, that is oddly moving and contemporary. After Switzy and The Guest (a story with another unusual premise), I wonder where Cline will go next. 

Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

Number two on the NY Times "50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century" list, Mystic River is an engrossing page-turner. The interwoven stories of Jimmy, the crook; Sean, the cop; and Dave, the damaged loser, are each devastating in their own way. As the pieces of the mysteries unfolded, I found myself thinking about who did what at all kinds of odd times. Having a book invade your regular day with questions says something about the power of the tale. Loaded with dialog and colorful neighborhood descriptions, Mystic River is a compelling read for those looking for a twisty mystery. 

Eradication -- Jonathan Miles

Jonathan Miles gives us a hint about his short novel Eradication by calling it "A Fable." Adi, a clarinet playing school teacher, has lost his son and his marriage. As he struggles with what this means, he accepts a job on the remote Pacific Island of Santa Flora to eradicate the goats that have taken over. Adi is unprepared physically and emotionally for what this assignment requires. Given a high-powered rifle Adi attempts to fulfill his commitment, but he is faced with confounding questions and surprising obstacles. Eradication is powerful, and kind of weird and funny. I truly wanted to know if Adi was able to save any part of his world. 

When All the Men Wore Hats -- Susan Cheever

For a John Cheever fan, Susan Cheever's exploration into her father's short stories is wonderful. The Cheever's lived in my hometown. Although I did not know them, the suburban landscape is also baked into my heart. Focusing on 6 stories and the Cheever's life in Westchester County, New York, Susan captures the pain of being his daughter, and the pride in having a brilliant author for her father. John Cheever was a complicated character in his own right, and the portrayals in the stories including in this biography/memoir/analysis all show his gift of bringing the unexpected to life. They are each a devastating jewel. If you love a good Cheever story and are looking for background, this work is for you. 

Contrapposto -- Dave Eggers

Contrapposto started out slow for me. But, it slowly became one of those books that snuck up on me until I spent an afternoon unable to put it down. At the core is the question of what really is art, which counterbalances the lives of the artists, curators, and families that inhabit the story. Cricket and Olivia have been friends since they were young. As their lives evolve Cricket floats through a world of art, coupled with an air of complacency; while Olivia gravitates to dealing...in art, in life, and in relationships. Dave Eggers is an artist as well an author, publisher, and generally interesting guy, and the novel has a few of his illustrations that definitely enhance the story. In the end, Contrapposto is about love and friendship, and how we can stay connected to someone through all the twists of our lives. It's a quietly moving read. 

Under the Falls - Richard Russo

I don't always read the acknowledgments for a book, but this one explained a lot. The novel started as a screenplay for a TV show, and that's how it reads. Although the characters were interesting, it was not what I expected from Richard Russo. Read it as a light, kind of mystery, and you'll enjoy it. If you think it will have the poignancy of Empire Falls, you'll be very disappointed. When music, drugs and old friends get mixed up together, things get complicated. 

Yesteryear - Caro Claire Burke

What an odd story...are we in the present or are we in the past? When a tradwife influencer lands in 1855 Idaho she is thrown for a loop, and so are we. Burke's debut novel is a swirl of social media, politics, and religion told through the story of Natalie, a lonely deranged striver. Throw in faith and family and you have an engrossing, but somewhat mixed-up story. Yesteryear will pull you in and keep you reading, but in the end, I didn't care too much about anybody.

John of John - Douglas Stuart

As the strands weave together in Douglas Stuart's story of family, isolation, guilt and beauty, I became swept up in Falabay, the Scottish island home of John, Cal and Innis. Stuart's prose is as lush and stark as the landscape. John of John encompasses a richly imagined world where the love of father and son, the love of one man for another, and the ways keeping the truth hidden impacts all those around you. Family, friends and neighbors swirl around the main characters, but it is love that binds them all together. 

The Reservation -- Rebecca Kauffman

A silly restaurant mystery that's kind of about missing steaks and a cancelled reservation. Diverting, but not much else. Kauffman did get some of the feel of a working restaurant, but the owner was totally unbelievable. A fast, non-taxing, ok read.