Book Review: "The Delivery" by Gregg Hurwitz

“What if you could have something that knows everything about you, everything you want, and could get it for you? While staying totally under your control?”

File this under “careful what you wish for, you just might get it!” This was a bit creepy and compelling, one of Amazon’s First Reads for June.

Rebecca and Mark have been trying to get out from under the grief following a miscarriage. But with pressure mounting from Mark’s boss and the needs of Maddy, their neurodivergent daughter, neither feels like they have a handle on their lives. So when they’re offered an opportunity to purchase a solution developed by a technology company, they take the leap.

Several months later, they take delivery of “Mr. Man,” an AI companion who looks surprisingly human. Mr. Man was grown from their family’s DNA, and he can anticipate their every need. At first, it’s a complete pleasure: laundry is done, dishes are washed, meals are prepared…

But then, as tragedies start occurring, they realize that Mr. Man not only fulfills requests, but he also takes care of things they’ve only talked about in passing. In some cases, they haven’t even clearly said anything, but it appears Mr. Man’s job is to protect them. No matter what.

Gregg Hurwitz is one of my favorite thriller writers, but I realized that I’ve only read his Orphan X series. So to experience his writing in a different genre was definitely a pleasure. I know sometimes I wish I had some help, but I’m good without an AI companion! (Trigger warning: animal cruelty but you can skim over it.)

This will publish 7/1/2026.

Book Review: "Make Nice" by Ryan Effgen

I love dysfunctional families. (Fictional dysfunctional families.) There’s just so much fodder for drama and confrontation. Ryan Effgen’s debut novel takes one such family on vacation—what could go wrong? Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy!

The Pickford family is gathering at The Grand Hotel, a ritzy resort on an island in Lake Michigan. It’s been three months since their mother died, and their father has decided that they all should vacation together. No one is exactly sure why.

Viv is fairly sure her marriage is over, what with the recent discovery that her husband is gay. But she’s determined to pretend everything is fine, especially to her teenage daughter, Ash (don’t call her Ashley). Pete is a scientist, recently referred to as the nation’s foremost expert on gastropods.

And then there’s Corey, the black sheep of the family. Corey didn’t attend their mother’s funeral, and in fact, Pete and Viv didn’t even know their father invited him. But Corey isn’t the type of person to shrink under scrutiny—he almost seems to relish his role as family outcast. However, he’s ready to take control of his life—and he has five pounds of cocaine he plans to sell to the rich tourists, which should give him a good start.

Of course, you bring a family together, and there are always secrets to be revealed, old wounds to be reopened, and lots of emotions. Why did their father summon them to the island? Can peace and love be found amidst the fudge and ice cream shops and the horse-drawn carriages?

The book is billed as a cross between Sandwich and The Wedding People. There are certainly similarities but I didn’t feel as connected to the characters in this book as I did in those others. This was enjoyable but not necessarily unique in any way.

The book publishes 7/14.

Book Review: "Fruit Fly" by Josh Silver

“…always remember: gay is in. Go gay. It’s cool now. It sells. However—here is the gold dust—the perfect blend is gay AND sad. You nail that, you’re minted.”

This was an intense read but an utterly addictive one as well. Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Mallory wrote a bestseller 7 years ago and was lauded as an up-and-coming literary sensation. But after the buzz from her first book fades, she’s stuck with writer’s block and the very real fear that she’ll never be able to replicate or exceed her previous success.

When an internet search convinces her that one topic that guarantees literary success is a dark, gay story, she goes all in. She sets up an account on Grindr (using a picture of her husband) and immediately finds herself traveling down the rabbit hole of anonymous sexual conversations. She even gets invited to a party by a man she chats with.

Of course, she wonders if they’ll let her into the party, not being who she says she is. (Although she envisions becoming the center of attention, being called “Mother,” etc.) But as she arrives she witnesses a strange scene at the door: two men start roughing up a younger man who had brought them drugs. And then she watches another man beat him up. She can’t help but rescue him, and he lets her drop him off. When she gets home, her creativity flows in a way it hasn’t in some time.

Leo is the young man. He is caught in that vicious cycle of addiction and wanting to recover, and puts himself in danger as he tries to feed his addiction. Mallory wants to be involved in his story, because it’s fueling her book, but he doesn’t want her help. Who has the right to own and tell our stories? This book is dark at times but really fascinating.

It publishes 8/4/2026.

Book Review: "The Midnight Train" by Matt Haig

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library was a profoundly moving book, and one of my favorite books of 2020. This book is in the same world but isn’t a sequel, so either can be read as a standalone.

“I think the trouble with life is we do things because we should. We act for outside eyes. I’m trying to live it the other way round. To do what feels right deep down even if it shouldn’t be.”

Wilbur is in his eighties when he dies. He was once a business tycoon, with bookstores all over the world. He was an adviser to prime ministers and sought after as a speaker and consultant. It was quite a journey from being raised poor in post-World War II England.

Moments after he dies, the Midnight Train comes to pick up his ghost. The Midnight Train can take you back to your past, giving you the chance to relive the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were.

Wilbur knows he was happiest on his honeymoon in Venice with his wife, Maggie, whom he loved since they were children. But as the train takes him through his life, he sees all of the moments he’s squandered, the things that were unsaid to loved ones, and the things that should never have been said or done. Can he help the Wilbur he sees in these memories change course without completely ruining the future?

I loved the concept of this book. I definitely found many moments that spoke to me and made me realize the importance of being a good person, saying the things I want to the people who matter. I didn’t find this book as emotional as The Midnight Library, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the book.

Book Review: "Patient, Female" by Julie Schumacher

I first discovered Julie Schumacher when I read her absolutely hilarious book Dear Committee Members. In that book (and a few others afterward) she created a pompous college professor adrift and amidst bureaucracy.

Her latest book is a short story collection, and it really demonstrated the depth of her talent. While one story made me laugh out loud and a few others had flashes of sly humor, most of the stories had more of an emotional pull.

In “Passengers,” an overprotective mother worries about her daughter after an incident at school. “Hospital Bridge” is the story of a middle-school student who, after being forced into volunteering at a nursing home, starts gambling on bridge games with the residents. “How My Light is Spent” follows an instructor at a community college and her short story writing class.

Some of my favorite stories in the collection were “Slow Learner,” which told of a woman’s fascination at the connection between her autistic son and her dying mother; “Your Better Self,” about a couple who get gifted a trip to a wellness spa by their late neighbor; “Syllabus,” a hilarious story written as a syllabus; “Spin,” in which four friends play a game with real-life implications; and the title story, in which a professional patient runs into someone she used to know.

As with most collections, not every story is a home run. But Schumacher creates such vivid characters, and I know I’ll have a few of these stories running through my mind for a while.

Book Review: "Look What You Made Me Do" by John Lanchester

Jack and Kate have been together more than 30 years, since meeting in college. They both have the roles they usually play in life, Jack is a successful architect prone to pontificating, Kate has various charitable and community projects she works on.

Phoebe is a screenwriter who doesn’t care who likes her and who doesn’t, at least personally. She has a difficult, narcissistic mother and a handsome, somewhat flaky partner, Tony.

Phoebe finally hits it big with Cheating, a television series that seems to hold the whole country in its thrall. But when Kate sees it, she recognizes details of her life and her relationship with Jack mirrored back at her. Even pet names he used to call her are used in the series.

Kate is distraught. Was Jack cheating on her? Was he treating his lover the exact same way he treated Kate, using the same seduction techniques, everything? She’s determined to figure out the truth behind the creation of the series.

The book flashes back and forth, tracing Kate and Phoebe’s lives. We see the history of Kate and Jack’s relationship, and we see the issues Phoebe has dealt with all her life, particularly with her mother. And we’re captivated by how both women react to what’s in front of them.

This was definitely a slow burn, but I found the book to be a captivating story of love, betrayal, survival, and even a little bit of revenge. I really enjoyed the way things unfolded and the little twists John Lanchester threw in along the way.

Book Review: "Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond" by Eve Plumb with Marcia Wilkie

The Brady Bunch has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Funnily enough, however, I’ve only seen the original show in reruns for 50 or so years. But there used to be a time where I could accurately name the episode within 20 seconds of it starting.

I’ve read lots of books about the series, including memoirs by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick. But Eve Plumb has always been a bit of an enigma to me, so I was excited to read her memoir.

She gets a bit of a bad rap because she didn’t do the ill-fated variety show back in the day. But the truth is, she loved doing the original series and feels grateful it’s still part of the cultural vernacular. And she and her five television “siblings” still text each other all the time.

If you’re looking for catty gossip about the show or its stars, you won’t find that here. This is a look not just at The Brady Bunch, but also her acting career before and after the show, her family life, and her personal life. Sure, she has some regrets, but she’s pretty happy with the course her life has taken.

This was a very nostalgic look back at acting in the 1960s and 1970s. I remember other programs she appeared in, and the public reactions at the time. Truthfully, I’m glad this was a largely positive book, because I can’t take too much scandal among the Bradys.

Book Review: "Summer Husband" by Amy Lorowitz

Thanks so much to She Writes Press for an advance copy of this book—it was lots of fun.

As I’ve mentioned (lots of times) before, I spent 10 years of my life at summer camp. I definitely have fantastic memories and still keep in touch with friends I made more than 40 years ago. I love reading books about camp, especially from the perspective of an adult.

Lori really wanted to send her two daughters to summer camp, in the hopes they’d become more independent and learn to take responsibility for things. Her husband thinks it’s unnecessary, and believes Lori is only doing this to have the summer “off.” When he isn’t interested in going on a romantic vacation with her, she decides to take a job at camp, too.

Having never been to camp, Lori has no idea what to expect. As a division leader, she oversees 48 campers and 12 counselors—the work is nonstop. There are so many rules and requirements, and she doesn’t know whom to trust, but she quickly befriends her coworkers.

She continually seems to run afoul of the camp’s owner, who becomes increasingly unhinged as the summer goes on. But luckily she met Teddy, the camp’s English soccer coach, and they become illicit smoking buddies at night. After a while, their friendship turns to attraction, and Lori can’t resist him. And that’s just one of the things that will surprise her this summer.

Amy Lorowitz did a terrific job capturing the feelings of being both a camper and a counselor. I definitely felt nostalgic for my camp days. This is a really good debut novel!!

Book Review: "The Fine Art of Lying" by Alexandra Andrews

Look, I know that thrillers in general are super popular. But a book having twists shouldn’t automatically classify it as a thriller. If there are real questions that keep you guessing, it’s more of a mystery or simply fiction. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

Although she moves in moneyed circles thanks to her wealthy husband, Clare sometimes feels like she doesn’t belong. She wasn’t raised among NYC’s elite like Jed was, and she knows her mother-in-law has never been impressed with her.

When she was young and growing up in upstate New York, it was art that brought her joy. She moved to the city after college, got a job at a museum, and started pursuing her doctorate. But then she met Jed, got married, gave birth to their daughter Sadie, and she put her work on hold.

But now that Sadie is in school, Clare is feeling restless and unmotivated. She can’t seem to make any progress on her dissertation but she wants to do something. The ultra-wealthy and connected wife of Jed’s boss introduces her to some influential figures in the art world, including Gabriel, a handsome dealer. Gabriel respects her knowledge and challenges her intellectually, but she can’t resist his charms, and they wind up having a tumultuous affair.

Suddenly living a double life, feeling guilty but not willing to give Gabriel up, takes its toll on Clare. And when she learns that he has a painting by the object of her dissertation in his apartment, she can’t miss that chance. But suddenly she finds herself in the midst of a brutal murder and a theft—and every clue points back to her.

I really liked the first half of the book more than the last half. The setup, the relationship, the murder—all of that was great, but the investigation and the “twists” kind of fell flat. I guess, as I said at the start of my review, I was expecting the book to be more thrilling. But it still was a captivating read.

Book Review: "Good Joy, Bad Joy" by Mikki Brammer

After reading Mikki Brammer’s wonderfully heartwarming book, I feel the need to give all of my friends hugs and tell them how important they are to me. So for those of you reading this review, consider yourself hugged and loved.

“Do we ever truly shed the lessons ingrained in us as kids or are they part of our beings forever? Is there still time for me to try out a different way of being in the world? I think I’d like to find out.”

Joy is 89 years old. Although she’s surprised at her longevity, and it’s been sad losing her husband and her friends, she still has a lot to live for. She loves her daughter Elizabeth and her grandson Finn, her young piano students, and her bountiful garden.

One of her biggest joys is her best friend Hazel. They’ve known each other since they were 8 years old, and while the paths they took in life were quite different, there is a fierce love between them. Hazel has always seemed larger than life, wearing brightly colored clothes and dyed red hair, and she has so much gusto for adventure.

But when Hazel tells Joy she has terminal cancer, Joy can’t fathom a world without her friend. And while she’s always done the right things in life, trying not to make any ripples, Joy is suddenly wanting to be different. She starts causing mischief, which leads to shoplifting, and suddenly she’s in the midst of a crime. While she loves the recklessness of “Bad Joy,” she knows this isn’t her real self.

I was both moved and amused by this book. Brammer did such a great job being true to her characters and keeping the story melodrama-free. (There were many places a lesser writer might have gone for big crises.) Joy is a memorable character, and I’m inspired to borrow some of her kindness for myself.

Book Review: "The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout

“In his study of history, he had learned about the leaders, and the various groups involved, but he had somehow missed this fact about every single person: that they held within themselves a vast, unknowable universe. And he understood that it could make a person lonely; people had to take and give to one another whatever they could. If it was not enough…Well, then it meant one just had to be a grownup.”

The power of Elizabeth Strout’s storytelling often catches me by surprise. At first glance, her books seem to be straightforward, yet when I’ve finished, I find myself marveling at the numerous moments which took my breath away. This was also the case with her newest book, The Things We Never Say.

Artie Dam is a high school history teacher. He loves his job and he loves his students, and they love him right back. He’s the kind of teacher that you look back on years later and you realize what a profound impact he’s had on your life. He always has a kind word for those in need.

But while Artie seems like an affable guy—a good husband, father, and friend—internally, he is struggling. As the 2024 presidential election looms, he’s becoming increasingly disheartened by the world around him. He feels lonely, even when he is surrounded by people. He thinks about taking his own life in a way that can’t be classified as suicide.

One day, his son shares a secret that has been kept from Artie for a number of years. He cannot believe it, and it turns his world upside down. How can life go on as usual? Should he pretend not to know anything about the secret, or should he confront the person responsible? This knowledge changes his perspective, not to mention his relationship with many people.

Strout always shows such incredible empathy to her characters amidst their struggles and idiosyncrasies. This is an emotional book but it’s never melodramatic. It’s a beautifully written gem that will linger in my mind.

Book Review: "Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block" by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Oh, what a fun and thought-provoking book this was! If there’s any justice, this will be adapted for television, because Ms. Mebel is a character who needs an audience!

Growing up in Indonesia, Mebel was raised to be the perfect trophy wife. She always looks impeccable, anticipates her husband’s every need, and knows how to be the ultimate hostess and guest. Imagine her surprise when at age 63, her husband Henk says he’s leaving her for Wendy, their much younger private chef.

Mebel is angry and devastated, and worried about how a divorce will affect her social standing. She is determined to win him back, but how? Her solution: go to culinary school and learn to make a fancy dish which will dazzle him.

She enrolls in culinary school in Paris (just down the street from the flagship Hermès store), but due to a clerical error, she finds she’s been accepted to the school’s branch in England. But not London—a small town outside of Oxford. She quickly realizes that culinary school isn’t something you decide to do on a whim, or half-heartedly, and she’s three times as old as many of her fellow students.

Little by little, Mebel’s outspokenness endears her to her classmates. But when her friend Gemma drops out of school without warning, Mebel is determined to find out why. In the process, she realizes she doesn’t have to let things happen to her or those she cares about—she has the power to change things.

Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books are always filled with memorable characters, and Mebel was no exception. Watching her growth, her vulnerability, and her empathy was really enjoyable. And boy, did the descriptions of food make me hungry!!

Book Review: "Somebody Worth Killing" by Jessica Payne

Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of this book! I found this to be a total page-turner and I couldn’t put it down. (I also couldn’t stop laughing, so…)

Nadia is a happily married mother of two living in San Antonio. She has an event planning business and a loving husband. Actually, she’s a hired assassin and psychopath who kills people who are evil and deserve to be killed. And no one suspects a thing!

“Some people enjoy hiking. Others, playing cards or knitting an afghan. They’ll tell you that it just does it for them, that something about it makes their life complete. Well, killing people does that for me.”

She’s never questioned the assignments she gets offered, but she worries she might be getting short shrift because she’s a mother and wife. So she asks for a bigger job, someone who is really worth killing. She follows her mark one day and gets a huge surprise: she’s been hired to kill her husband, Brian.

How is it possible that her mild-mannered management consultant husband is actually deserving to be murdered? Nadia can’t believe it, but the pressure to kill him increases each day. She can’t kill him until she finds out if he’s truly evil—but if she does, what will happen to her and her daughters?

This was a twisty, cat-and-mouse thriller that ratchets up the tension little by little. I honestly had no idea how things would get tied up—and I didn’t know what I wanted to happen. But this was a great read.

The book publishes 6/16.

Book Review: "The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances" by Glenn Dixon

Are you the kind of person who says “thank you” to Alexa or Siri? Do you worry that one of these devices will spill all your secrets one day? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you may enjoy The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances.

⁣ ⁣ Harold and Edie are an elderly couple who live in a smart house, where all of the devices watch over them. A young yet technologically advanced Roomba feels comfort in various things that happen in the house, from Edie playing the piano to Harold reading To Kill A Mockingbird to his ailing wife.⁣

⁣ Inspired by the courage of one of the characters, the Roomba names herself Scout. She seems to feel things in a more visceral way than her older appliance counterparts, and they think she’s a bit foolish and naïve.⁣

Edie dies, leaving Harold alone in the house. The all-powerful Grid, which operates all of the smart devices in the world and monitors homes, decides the house is too big for one person, and makes plans to move Harold to a facility. His estranged daughter, Kate, returns home and has a debt to be paid to the Grid, so she is expected to pack Harold up.⁣

⁣ But Scout doesn’t think this is fair, and she tries to rally her fellow smart appliances to help Harold keep his house. Yet most of the appliances are frightened of the Grid, and of being turned off for good. So it’s up to Scout, with help from Kate and Adrian, one of Edie’s former piano students, to try and figure out how to defeat the Grid.⁣

⁣ I was really fascinated by this concept and impressed by the world-building Glenn Dixon did. This book definitely had a creepy vibe (more menace than horror) but there are lots of emotions at play, too! I want a Roomba to talk to!

Book Review: "The Burning Side" by Sarah Damoff

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff was my second-favorite book of 2025. Having gotten the chance to read her upcoming book (thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy), I can unequivocally say it will be very high on my year-end list this year!

“Suffering is easy to imagine. It’s our responses that take us by surprise. The ways trials edit who we are.”

In the middle of the night, April and Leo awake to find their house filled with smoke. They get their two young children to safety and then watch powerlessly as fire rages. They head to April’s childhood home in Dallas, where her parents can provide comfort and a place to stay.

At this point, only April and Leo know that their relationship was damaged even before the fire wrecked havoc. But while they hold off on talks of divorce for a bit, the tension between them isn’t lost on April’s parents or her family. And their issues aren’t the only secrets being kept in the house—Billy, April’s father, has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.

The story alternates between present and past. It traces the path of Leo and April’s relationship from the beginning and how things came to where they are now. It also focuses on Billy and Deb, April’s mother, and how their relationship transformed over the years. The book is narrated by April, Leo, and Deb.

This is a powerful and emotional story of love, anger, uncertainty, pain, and the scars we carry with us. I was fully immersed by the story of these people and found myself being touched by the issues they confronted. Damoff is such an amazing writer and it’s hard to believe this is only her second book.

It will publish on 5/19.

Book Review: "My Dear You: Stories" by Rachel Khong

I was so excited to read Rachel Khong’s brand-new story collection. I really enjoyed her previous books, Goodbye, Vitamin and Real Americans, and couldn’t wait to see how her voice would work in a variety of stories.

This was a really intriguing collection. Many of the stories dealt with unique, almost futuristic topics, but also many dealt with relationships, love, marriage, dating, and family.

Of the 10 stories in the book, here are a few of my favorites. In the title story, a young woman dies on her honeymoon and goes to heaven, only to find her memories of her life start to disappear. “The Freshening” envisions a world where the U.S. government creates an injection which turns everyone a person sees into the same race, sex, and ethnicity.

“The Family O” is about a group of Asian women who have all dated the same man they met on a dating app, and he apparently fetishizes them. In “Tapetum Lucidum,” a woman and her husband adopt a cat who somehow conjures up the ghosts of their exes. And in “Serene,” a woman befriends a sex doll she hopes to sell in order to get breast implants.

Khong is such a talented writer. These stories evoked a range of emotions and were very thought-provoking. Some definitely packed a punch, and I’ll be thinking about them for a long while.

Book Review: "Lift Me Up" by Milly Johnson

For years, Tam did nearly everything to hold it all together at YorkMart, the grocery company where she worked. Most of her efforts went unseen or someone else took the credit, but better she stay out of the spotlight, right? Yet when her boss leaves she is temporarily promoted to the top spot, finally giving her the chance to prove herself.

She envisions the company’s board being so impressed that they offer her the job permanently. Instead, they bring in an outside expert named Jack, sending Tam back into her old role. She hears rumors that he’ll be bringing his own people in, and when Jack requests her presence at an important meeting with the board, she figures she’ll be given her farewell.

She winds up in the elevator with Jack. Somewhere between floors 13 and 14, the elevator gets stuck. Tam starts to panic, envisioning all the ways she will meet her end. To calm her down, Jack talks to her and gets her to let down her guard a bit. She figures that if he’s going to let her go anyway, does it matter what she says, if he asks for her advice?

But the thing is, Jack knows all the work she’s put in. He thinks she should have been hired permanently too. He thinks she’s exceptional. Which is something no one has ever told her—not her family, not her fiancé, no one. She’s just made herself smaller and smaller and taken the criticism or indifference.

In the acknowledgments of the book, Milly Johnson says that she often writes “…about women who are due a renaissance because there are too many who do not value themselves for all they do for others, for the wonderful selfless people they are.”

This book really captures that spirit, although Tam must endure a lot of criticism and indifference before she can see her worth. Is it really a choice between being vibrant and seen or nearly invisible and irrelevant?

This story will publish 5/1.

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: "Life: A Love Story" by Elizabeth Berg

I would give this book 500 stars if I could! If I were to describe the kind of book that fills my heart, it would be this absolutely beautiful one.

“‘I think it means you can never really get to the bottom of knowing a person,’ Teresa says. ‘There’s so much inside each of us. But you can get a strong sense of certain fundamental qualities. You can come to a point of knowing enough.’”

Flo is 92 years old and she doesn’t have much longer to live. She plans to leave her house and all of its contents to her friend Ruthie. Flo and her late husband lived next door to Ruthie and her family when she was a child, and they doted on her like she was their own. When Ruthie became an adult, she and Flo became close friends.

Flo writes Ruthie a letter explaining the meaning of various possessions—why she keeps a rubber band in a box tied with a ribbon, where a single coffee mug came from and what it meant, etc. In the letter, she shares simple and extraordinary moments in her life and her marriage. She also gives Ruthie advice about love, loss, friendship, and generosity.

I found Flo to be an utterly unforgettable character, and I’m taking some of her advice to heart. This book was profoundly thought-provoking and immensely moving. Elizabeth Berg’s prose is gorgeous and paints indelible pictures in my mind.

“Terrence told her once about a language where there is no word for ‘hello.’ Rather, people greet each other by saying, ‘You are here.’ And the response is ‘Yes, I am.’”

Book Review: "Bloom" by Robbie Couch

Robbie Couch has been one of my auto-buy authors since I fell in love with his debut, The Sky Blues, several years ago. His previous books have all been YA, so I was excited to read his first adult novel. And it was full of as much heart as his earlier books.

Morris is grieving the sudden death of his husband, Fred. He and his cat mostly stay in the house, as Fred was always the social butterfly of the couple. Morris has lost his passion for everything, and doesn’t want to get together with his former teacher colleagues or anyone.

Fred had had a green thumb, and cares for numerous plants both inside and outside the house. But Morris can’t care for them, and gave most of them away to a science teacher friend. The three remaining plants are dying, much to their chagrin. One plant, Jade, knows her end is nearing but wants to find a way to save herself and her plant friends.

Meanwhile, Morris’ stepdaughter (and former student), Sloan, has been struggling with her father’s death. She’s excited to marry her boyfriend but can’t stand how her mother keeps forcing them to make choices they don’t want. And she’s tired of her mother’s anger toward her father and Morris.

Sloan decides to get to know Morris better, a decision that could rattle her family, as Morris is considered “the enemy.” But Sloan likes seeing her father through Morris’ eyes, and the more she thinks about it, the more she wants him in her life. How will this sit with her mother?

I found this book to be all kinds of adorable and a bit emotional, too. It’s a beautiful reflection on how grief impacts each of us differently, and how harmful it can be not to tell someone when they’re hurting you, or you’re afraid of hurting them. I found myself smiling so many times while reading this!