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. 

Lives of the Saints -- Nancy Lemann

A dreamy poetic story of meandering emotions in New Orleans. I can understand why this is considered a cult-classic. Lemann's tale of "wastrel-youth" encompasses cynicism, death, lots of drinking, and tropical splendor. Louise and Claude may or may not be in love. The continual breakdowns that everyone experiences may be real psychological disturbances, or just an unbalance of the moment. A weirdly engrossing piece of work. 

I think Ann Tyler's review captures it well: "Think of Lives of the Saints as a long poem―a hysterically funny poem that is also beautifully written . . . Words are slung about recklessly, piled in staggering heaps, and what emerges from them is an almost hypnotic portrait of unforgettable people in a strange and magnificent city . . . Warming and endearing, brilliant." ―Anne Tyler, The New Republic.

Angel Down - Daniel Kraus

Things I don't normally read...horror novels, war novels, and books with no periods; but, since Angel Down won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, I dove in. Since there were no periods I decided to read it fast, which was a good decision. Reading at a fast clip, the brutal, violent war scenes were a little easier to handle. The story revolves around five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war. Bagger, the main character, is a gambler and con artist. The rest are all damaged, and war is making everything worse. I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. It kind of washed over me in a swirl of horror tinged with interest and maybe a tiny bit of hope. 

Whistler - Ann Patchett

There are so many things I love about Ann Patchett...she's incredibly smart, she love books and reading, she has influence in the world of ideas, and she owns an independent bookstore. This is the fifth Ann Patchett novel I've read, and I'd put Whistler in the middle of the pack. The characters are great. Daphne, who tells of her life at the age of 9, and Eddie, who was briefly her stepfather, are engaging, erudite and believable, much like Patchett herself. Patchett also has a firm grip on the relationship of siblings. Daphne and her sister Leda are tightknit and bound together. And, while Abigail, their mother, is somewhat off to the side, her influence is strongly felt. Still, they all seemed a little too sweet. They are good, loved and loving. Of course there is strife.  Eddie is the ex-stepfather. In the end Whistler kept me reading into the night, but I wish it had given me a little more to think about. 

The Left and the Lucky -- Willy Vlautin

Some may consider Willy Vlautin's The Left and the Lucky heartbreaking and bleak, but it is also compassionate, generous, and above all loving. 8 year old Russell, and his neighbor, the 40 something year old house painter Eddie, live in rainy and cold Portland Oregon. Russell's family is a disaster. Eddie is lonely, with a sad backstory. As their lives intertwine, their connection strengthens. Vlautin makes us ask what is a family and what is of value. I cried in the middle of this story, but not at the end. I loved Vlautin's last novel, The Horse, and I give The Left and the Lucky five stars too.