Book Review: "Boy from the North Country" by Sam Sussman

“…who you are will change, Evan. That’s what time does to all of us. You will face difficulty. You will need your own resilience. And you will need love. You’ve always been intelligent, but it’s your heart that makes you special. Just don’t forget that, all right? Don’t turn your back on that part of who you are.”

Evan longed to get away from his hometown in upstate New York. He went to college abroad and lived in several different countries. His mother summons him home rather urgently, telling him that she has cancer and needs to have surgery, so she’ll need his help.

Arriving home, he is awash in memories of growing up and spending time with his mother. For a good deal of his childhood and teenage years it was just the two of them, undertaking creative pursuits, enjoying the arts, and believing Evan could be anything he dreamed of. His mother had a few relationships during his childhood, but they always turned bad.

Growing up, people always commented on how much Evan resembled Bob Dylan. He found out that his mother knew Dylan in the 1970s, but she refused to divulge whether he was Evan’s biological father. As his mother undergoes chemotherapy, she shares with Evan the story of her life, her dreams and the challenges that haunted her. And she tells him the full story of her relationship with Dylan.

The book shifts between the present and moments in the past, both in Evan’s childhood and his mother’s life. It’s so beautifully written and it’s tinged with sadness, but the power of a mother’s love runs through the book. For those who have lost a parent or experienced a loved one dealing with terminal illness, the book may be triggering.

Book Review: "The Tuxedo Society" by Paul Rudnick

This was a fun romp of a book! Paul Rudnick definitely makes me laugh, and this book had some very funny (and some silly) moments. Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

Andrew is an aspiring actor in NYC, but he seems to do more aspiring than acting. To make ends meet, he works at a candle store, where no matter the season, the Christmas candles are always popular. But he dreams of something more.

His friend Brock invites him to a fancy dinner with an exclusive group he belongs to called the Tuxedo Society. It’s not just a group of attractive, gossipy people, as they appear to be. It’s actually a super-secret group which helps protect American democracy. And all of the members are queer.

The group’s leader, Reggie, is a former Navy SEAL who was dishonorably discharged for being gay. He trains Andrew to be a full member of the group, complete with James Bond-esque gadgets (bombs that look like protein bars, a yoga mat that doubles as an assault rifle), as they try to figure out who is behind the theft of some important artifacts.

Their mission finds Andrew in spots around the world, impersonating clergy, Olympic athletes, and a florist’s assistant. They come into contact with corrupt, closeted politicians, foreign criminal masterminds, and an evil televangelist.

There are lots of great banter and fun action scenes in the book. But honestly, what I loved the most was the appearance of a character who used to “author” a column for PREMIERE magazine, whom I absolutely loved. This would be a great movie!!

The book publishes 5/26.

Book Review: "Maybe It's Fate" by Heidi McLaughlin

Welcome to the emotional roller coaster. This was quite a ride! It’s one of those books that somehow can make you feel sad and happy, both separately and simultaneously.

“There wasn’t a time in my life when she hadn’t existed, and I wasn’t sure I could exist in a world where she didn’t.”

Miriam and Antonia have been friends since childhood. When Miriam got pregnant as a teenager and her parents cut her off, she moved in with Antonia’s family. They were ride or die like no one else.

When Miriam calls Antonia and says she needs help, Antonia drops everything to head to New Hampshire, where Miri lives with her children. Miri is dying, and while the thought of living without her best friend devastates Antonia, she knows she must be there to support Miri’s children—Cutter, her teenage son, and Nova, her eight-year-old daughter.

As Antonia and the kids try to process their grief, they have help from Weston, Cutter’s high school coach and a former professional baseball player. West is not only a father figure for Cutter, but he’s definitely a rock for Antonia as well. And he’s interested in much more than that.

The book is narrated by Antonia, Weston, and Cutter. It’s not quite as sad as I expected but it definitely might be triggering for some. There were several places where the plot could have gone into complete soap opera territory, and kudos to Heidi McLaughlin for steering clear of that.

The book will publish 4/1.

Book Review: "Celestial Lights" by Cecile Pin

“I was born the day Challenger fell out of the sky, and I was born blue. At least, that is what I was told.”

Oliver was a smart, quiet, English child. His life began at a tragic moment for the world, but he was a dreamer, inspired by the things we didn’t yet know. His intellectual curiosity led him to study engineering, then to a Royal Navy submarine, and finally to a career as an astronaut.

Throughout his life, Oliver had trouble expressing his feelings, and many people found him cold. But he did fiercely love his parents, his wife, and his young son, even if his actions didn’t always convey that fact.

He is tapped to command a mission to the moon Europa, to see if the conditions there could ultimately sustain human life. It would require 10 years’ time, and during most of it, there would be no communication with Earth. Oliver cannot turn down the opportunity, even though it means he won’t be present to watch his son grow up, and the decision could end his marriage.

During the mission, Oliver thinks about the life-changing importance of what they’re doing. But as he looks back on his life and his family, he can’t help but wonder if the sacrifices will be worth it.

This was a beautifully written and profoundly thought-provoking book. Oliver is a complex character and I’m not sure I had him figured out by the end of the book, but I know that this will live in my brain for a long while.

Book Review: "The Anniversary" by Alex Finlay

Given that Alex Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers, I definitely was looking forward to reading his upcoming book, The Anniversary. Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

In the early 1990s, the Midwest was on edge because of the May Day Killer, a serial killer who abducts a woman on May 1 of each year. Sometimes the women are murdered and sometimes the killer lets them go, telling them they’re the lucky ones. He has eluded capture and doesn’t leave any clues behind.

May 1, 1992 seems like just another day. Beautiful and popular Jules is planning to go to a concert with her friends. Her shy classmate, Quinn, is usually the butt of people’s jokes, but something about him intrigues her. That night, Jules is attacked by the May Day Killer but her life is spared. Quinn breaks up a fight and winds up injuring someone, so he gets sent to juvenile detention.

The next year, Quinn is released from juvenile detention on May 1, only to find that his mother was brutally murdered. Meanwhile, Jules is wracked with fear that the killer will come back for her, and also feels guilty that she survived.

Each year on May 1, Jules and Quinn interact with one another. Both are traumatized by events in their lives, and nothing seems to get easier. Neither will rest until the May Day Killer is caught and Quinn’s mother’s murder is solved. But they’ll have to shoulder many burdens if those things will happen.

Don’t go into this book expecting a straightforward thriller. It’s definitely thrilling in places, but at the same time, the book is an exploration of how we bear trauma, pain, guilt, and loss, and how little we know about those around us. I thought this was great!!

The book will publish 5/12.

Book Review: "I Love You Don't Die" by Jade Song

“It’s a privilege to love. To love is to build a life.”

Of course, it was the title of this book that drew me in. I found the book really thought-provoking (and a bit sad), so I’m glad I’m so impressionable!

Vicky is obsessed with death. She has been since she was young. Part of this obsession manifests itself as nightmares about those close to her meeting a tragic end. But she also lives in a 6th-floor walk up above a Chinese funeral parlor, and she decorates her apartment with zhizha, paper creations which are meant to be burned for the dead.

To top it off, she works for Onwards, a celebrity-founded startup which produces bespoke urns and tries to make death less difficult and mysterious for the living. Even though working for Onwards was her dream, she never feels particularly motivated to work, or do much of anything, really. Other than periodic trips to the office, the only person who can get her out of bed and into the world is her best friend, Jen.

Vicky is also desperate to be loved. She matches with a couple seeking a third, and Angela and Kevin provide comfort and love. But she forgets that the course of love—or friendship, for that matter—never runs smoothly. At the first sign of conflict or being driven to question her own motives, she’s quick to destroy rather than communicate. This leads to disastrous consequences and she wonders whether life is worth it.

This book may be a bit triggering for some. It’s part social commentary, part a story about searching for the things and people who make life worth living. Vicky isn’t the most sympathetic or likable character, but her feelings and questions are definitely familiar and powerful.

Book Review: "Served Him Right" by Lisa Unger

I do love it when a thriller or mystery keeps me guessing until the end! I’ve been seeing this one all over the place and I finally had to see what the buzz was about.

Ana is through with her ex, Paul. So through, in fact, that she and her friends are going to gather for an “ex-orcism,” where they all delete him off all of their social media and every other form of communication. In the middle of their girls’ brunch, the police show up. It seems that Paul has been found dead.

It’s not long before the police find out that Ana definitely had motive to murder Paul. But she swears she is innocent, and it appears that Paul had a long list of people who might’ve wished him harm. Yet when Ana’s best friend Iggy, who was also at the brunch, becomes seriously ill as a result of poison, everyone—including Ana’s older sister Vera—starts to suspect Ana.

It turns out, however, that lots of people are hiding secrets. As the police start closing in on Ana, she and Vera are both working on trying to clear her name. But their investigations put them both at risk, and stirs up tensions with a secret group of people with their own axes to grind.

There are a lot of characters who narrate the book, and the story shifts between Vera and Ana’s childhood and the present. I liked learning about natural methods of healing and enjoyed the book’s message about how much harder women have to work and how “perfect” they must be in order to succeed.