Book Review: "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke

Wow. I have seen so many mixed reviews of this book that I wasn’t sure if I was going to read it, but my curiosity got the best of me. This was utterly fascinating and really mind-bending!!

“And who was I? A flawless Christian woman. The manic pixie American dream girl of this nation’s deepest, darkest fantasies. The mother every woman wanted to be, and the wife every man wanted to come home to….My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.”

Natalie is one of those influencers you either love or hate. She and her husband Caleb live on a 500-acre farm in Idaho. Her husband is a cowboy, and their five children (with one more on the way) are photogenic and thriving in the traditional lifestyle they’re raising them in.

Of course, nothing is quite what it seems. Their rustic farmhouse cost millions to look that way; they have nannies to watch and educate the children; and the farm definitely doesn’t run itself. But her millions of followers eat it up—or they criticize her every move.

But there are cracks in this perfect façade. And then one morning, Natalie wakes up to find she’s in 1855. She’s living in the original version of her farmhouse, with a family that resembles her real one—but is also vastly different. Is this a dream? A hoax? A reality show?

I really had no idea how Caro Claire Burke would tie everything up. This book was very timely given the trad wife craze, and it was both insightful and emotional. What an incredible debut!

Book Review: "The Au Pair" by Teddy Wayne

I’m never quite sure which I like more: a popcorn thriller I can read quickly, or a thriller with lots of twists, that makes you say or think, “Wow!” This book definitely fell into the first category, although I kept hoping for at least a bit of the second.

Steven’s first novel was a huge success. He hoped his second book would be received even better, but it took a critical drubbing and barely anyone read it. He’s hoping his third book will help rebound his career.

When he married Lucy, he was the breadwinner. But she co-founded a company and they live an extremely comfortable life, thanks to her money. Steven is a stay-at-home dad, and Lucy pays him a stipend each month, while he tries to find a way out of his writer’s block.

In order for Steven to truly concentrate on his writing, they decide to hire an au pair. Astrid is from Norway. The children become enamored of her quite quickly—and Steven can’t take his eyes off her. When he learns she loved one of his books, he’s utterly flattered, and he falls head over heels for her. He tries fighting his attraction as long as he can, but his resistance is futile.

When the family takes a vacation to a house in the Catskills, Lucy is on edge most of the time. Astrid is there to care for the children, but Lucy feels left out. And when scandal results into a high-profile trial, no one’s lives will ever be the same.

This book definitely kept my attention the whole time—I read the whole thing very quickly. I felt that I had seen the whole story before, and while I hoped for surprises, the book was fairly predictable.

Book Review: "Almost Life" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I will admit that this book started slowly for me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep reading. But I persevered a little longer and was richly rewarded by this beautiful, emotional love story.

Erica and Laure met in 1978, on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris. Laure is French, a graduate student at the Sorbonne. She’s very cerebral and lives her life the way she wants, no matter what. Erica is enjoying the summer before returning to England to start university.

Both women feel a spark the moment they met. While Laure has had relationships with women before, the awakening of this desire surprises Erica. They fall quickly, knowing they only have the summer. Yet once they part, the longing, the emotions, the hurt all continue.

“It is the condition of the heartbroken to believe no one has felt as they have, ever in the history of the world.”

The book spans more than 30 years. It sees Laure and Erica together and apart, trying to wring everything from each encounter. It traces the strength of their love despite other lovers, marriages, and changes both personal and political. In addition to being a love story, this is a reflection on the changing culture and politics toward equality.

This book was a very emotional one for me. I was surprised at just how much it took hold of my heart. I love books that take place in Paris, as I could see the city in my mind’s eye. Don’t be put off by the slow start, as the story is so worth it.

Book Review: "Under the Falls" by Richard Russo

I read Richard Russo’s first novel, Mohawk, in 1987, about a year after it published. (No, I’m not interested in knowing that you weren’t born yet.) I’ve been reading his books ever since, so I’m thankful to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy of his upcoming book!

Growing up in Stone Mountain, New York was tough for Tyler. His father was an abusive drunk and all Tyler wanted to do was escape. He found solace and support from his best friend Curt and Curt’s girlfriend Freddi. But when he turned 18, Tyler left Stone Mountain without saying goodbye to anyone, and never planned to return home.

Eighteen years later, Tyler is the lead singer of a popular band called (of all things) Stone Mountain. He’s reluctantly agreed to perform in his hometown, headlining a benefit for his childhood friend Doc, who became a paraplegic in an accident when they were younger. Just heading up the mountain, Tyler is confronted by old memories and his guilt about leaving without saying goodbye.

It turns out that not everyone in town is a fan of Tyler’s. Some feel that he used the town and people’s lives as inspiration for his songs, and people wonder when the town is going to benefit. The concert ends in a bit of a riot, and Tyler is more than ready to flee again.

Curt is now the town’s police chief, and he’s so thrilled his best friend came back. But Curt’s wife, Freddi, is very angry at being left behind, and that anger manifests itself in a tragic way. Her anger increases until she knows she must make Tyler pay.

Russo traditionally writes books about elderly men, their friendships and relationships, often in small New York towns. This book is a new genre—mystery—for him, and I didn’t think it worked. He’s still a beautiful writer, but I really never understood what caused Freddi to become so unhinged and do the things she did. And honestly, after a while, I just didn’t care. Oh, well.

The book will publish on 8/11.

Book Review: "Slasher Summer" by E.L. Chen

If you’re a fan of slasher films, particularly those from the 1980s, you’ll enjoy this action-packed, slightly campy tribute. But you might be surprised that this book deals with more than just fear and murder, but also trying to move past the mistakes and hurts of our youth.

Seven of them—Patrick, Jason, Tiffany, Freddy, Jen, Carrie, and Michael—were high school friends and members of the school’s Jumpscare Society. They were all particularly obsessed with the horror film Slasher, which became a cult classic.

Slasher was filmed in Cedar Lake, a nearby sleepy town. The cabin, where much of the film’s action takes place, is a tourist attraction, and each summer the town is overrun by fans. But Patrick has arranged for all of them to get together and stay at the cabin for a weekend. It’ll be the first time all of them have gotten together since friction tore apart their friendships before the end of senior year.

While there are definitely some grudges still being held, they’ve (mostly) vowed to have a good weekend. Of course, not long after their arrival, a shadowy figure is spotted in the woods. Freddy is sure he saw The Slasher (but he is perpetually stoned) and Tiffany thinks someone tried to drown her in Clear Lake.

Then a rainstorm hits and the power goes out. Cell coverage is very spotty, so they can’t call for help. And then an unwelcome guest arrives at the cabin. Is this just someone trying to enhance their weekend, or is The Slasher going to enact his revenge?

This book was definitely fun and a little frightening. There are a lot of POVs, and lots of secrets, but it all comes together around halfway through the book. E.L. Chen really did a great job with all of the slasher Easter eggs, including all of the characters’ names. It may skew a bit YA, but there definitely were some fun twists.

Book Review: "The Shampoo Effect" by Jenny Jackson

“Back in high school, when they all started drinking and going out, they became obsessed with ‘the shampoo effect.’ When they had a big night of partying and followed it with a beer the next morning, they could get drunk again in an instant, the way a second squirt of shampoo in the shower produced outsized suds….Fran thought about the shampoo effect at moments like this, and the way it applied to so many interpersonal dynamics—the way that in these old relationships nobody was ever really working from a clean slate, new feelings were built on old feelings.”

Caroline leaves her publishing job and her life in New York City to move to the beach town of Greenhead, Massachusetts. She’s won a prestigious fellowship and plans to work on her first novel.

Not long after arriving in Greenhead, she falls for Van, an environmentalist who has definite border collie energy. Van grew up in Greenhead and still socializes with all of his childhood friends. Caroline is brought into the circle, but feels like an outcast, given everyone’s shared memories.

Shortly after they start dating seriously, Van tells Caroline that Bailey, a friend he has slept with on and off since high school, is pregnant. The baby is his, but neither has romantic feelings for one another. This becomes another hoop Caroline must jump through with Van’s friends, who would rather see him be with Bailey and raise their child together.

Despite all his assurances to the contrary, Van can’t get enough of fatherhood and wants to be a huge part of his son’s life. So he breaks up with Caroline and soon moves in with Bailey. Caroline is so hurt by this that she writes a short story about this group of friends, changing names but revealing secrets and quirks they all don’t know about each other. This rocks the group to their core.

I enjoyed this story but the pacing felt a bit slow. I could predict how the book would conclude but it felt like it took a long time to get there. I do like the way Jenny Jackson writes, though!

Book Review: "Wedding Manner" by C.G. Macington

I stumbled onto this amazing little series a few months ago and now, with the third book it has (probably) come to an end. These characters that C.G. Macington created have climbed into my heart, and I hope it’s not the last time we see them.

Dr. Maxwell York, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Jude’s Hospital, was raised to be the heir to the York family legacy. He’s known as the “Ice King,” but the coldness people perceive is his need for order, for routine, for meticulousness. He’s always known he was different, but he’s amazed to discover just how different—and the lengths to which his mother went to hide this fact.

Max is engaged to be married to Dr. Jax O’Connell, the hospital’s Chief of Trauma. Jax is an adrenaline junkie; he’s never met chaos he hasn’t thrived in. He and Max are opposites, but he knows how to ensure Max isn’t overwhelmed or overstimulated.

Their impending wedding has brought out the ultimate worst in Max’s mother. She is determined that the wedding will put the York family in the best light possible, even if it is as far from the grooms’ desires as possible. Yet with the help of Max’s brother Preston and his boyfriend Luke, they’re determined to get their way, no matter what they must do to their mother.

The wedding is causing everything to fall apart, even the marriage of Max and Preston’s parents. But for the first time, the ulterior motive isn’t money or appearances. It’s love and happiness. For everyone.

This book was so wonderful and it made me sad that the series is ending. There are parts of the book that made me laugh and other parts that made me sad, made me think of how I would handle these issues if it were my family. Just a spectacular trilogy.