Book Review: "Old Crimes: and Other Stories" by Jill McCorkle

This is my first story collection of 2024. I love reading short stories but I’ve become very particular about them. The ones that work best for me feel more like mini-novels, in the sense that they have well-developed characters and a plot that doesn’t leave me hanging.

With Jill McCorkle’s newest story collection, Old Crimes,” I needed a few stories before it hooked me. But once it did, I could see a number of the stories which would make great novels on their own.

Some of the stories in this collection deal with familiar, everyday situations—a woman and her mother fighting over differing points of view about religion and other hot-button issues; a group of women who meet regularly to lament about the man they all have in common; a woman dealing with growing older and reflecting on her difficult husband. But other stories are built on interesting concepts—a couple buys an antique confessional and it becomes much more than a piece of furniture; a man rents a small apartment above a gas station built in what used to be his grandparents’ house; a couple vacations with their adult children and deals with all of the drama accumulated through the years.

Not all of the characters in McCorkle’s stories are likable or even sympathetic, but many of the stories really resonated emotionally for me. There were familiar themes—growing older, feeling dissatisfied with your life, feeling alone, dealing with the decline or death of loved ones. It’s not a perfect collection, but it moved me.

Book Review: "First Lie Wins" by Ashley Elston

Wow, this was so good! Many of you know I'm not that big on thrillers, but I absolutely devoured this!

Evie Porter recently moved to a small Louisiana town and she has a handsome, devoted boyfriend, Ryan. She recently met (and was interrogated by) a number of his closest female friends, who want to know everything about her and her intentions toward their friend. How did they meet? Where is she from? What does she do for a living? Where is she currently living? The questions go on and on.

While Evie's interaction with Ryan's friends is somewhat unnerving, part of her understands their vigilance. But the fact is, Evie Porter doesn't really exist. This is an identity given to her by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. After she gets her identity and a location, she learns everything there is to know about "her" background and the town she is sent to. Then she gets her mark—in this case, it's Ryan—and then she awaits information on the job.

She doesn't know the true identity of Mr. Smith, and rarely knows who his clients are. And as she waits to find out what her assignment is, her feelings for Ryan are quickly intensifying and becoming real, and she starts to envision a different kind of life, and that's a problem. But given that her last job didn't wrap up the way it was supposed to, she's under significant scrutiny this time.

The one salvation she's always had is her real identity. It's always been a beacon for her, a fallback plan. So imagine her surprise when someone claiming to be that individual—her—comes to town and knows her background backwards and forwards. Is this a warning to Evie, or is it a more direct threat? She relishes a challenge, but it's going to take everything in her arsenal to find a way forward.

I loved this book. What's even more amazing to me is that this is Ashley Elston's adult debut—she's previously only written YA novels. (One of which, 10 Blind Dates, was absolutely adorable.) But the plotting, the twists, the tension in this book all were spot-on. Can't wait to see what she does next!

Book Review: "Heartstopper #5" by Alice Oseman

The sweetest graphic novel series is back! It seems like forever since we've had a dose of Nick and Charlie's young love (in print, at least), so I've been waiting for this installment for a while. And it's just as heartwarming as its predecessors.

Nick and Charlie have finally conquered their fears about saying "I love you" to one another, and now they're both starting to think about taking their relationship to the next level. Are their friends telling the truth when they say they've had sex, or are they embellishing the truth in order to seem cool? And are both Nick and Charlie ready, or is one more ready than the other? As they start to prepare for that special moment, they also need to convince their parents they're mature enough to spend the night at one of their houses.

At the same time, Nick is growing anxious about his future, as he needs to think about applying to university. He isn't even sure what he wants to do with his life, but he's thinking he should attend a nearby school so he won't be too far from his mom or Charlie. But taking a university tour with some friends, he realizes that maybe he should choose the school he likes the best, regardless of the distance. Will that be an issue for his relationship with Charlie?

Not a lot happens in this book, but I think its main purpose is to serve as a bridge to Book #6, which Alice Oseman has said will be the conclusion of the series. Even though it's not as fast-moving or exciting as some of the previous books, I still love all of these characters and find that the depiction of young love is truly heartwarming.

Book Review: "A Winter in New York" by Josie Silver

With A Winter in New York, Josie Silver has written another light, sweet romance that makes you long for swirling snow, flirty glances, and gelato. Lots of gelato.

Iris has so many memories of her mother, from watching classic romantic comedies to enjoying homemade gelato from a secret recipe. Her mother used to talk about her magical time as a rock singer, which included a stint in New York City, but she gave up singing when Iris was born. So when she needed to escape after a bad relationship ended, she decided to restart her life in the Big Apple.

She finds a job as a chef at a noodle joint, and while it's not quite the gourmet job she dreamed of, she's able to find both a place to live (above the restaurant) and the owner of the restaurant, Bobby, becomes her best friend. When she's not working, she's more than content to stay home, watch her mother's favorite rom-coms, and eat gelato, but Bobby doesn't want her to languish indoors alone. One weekend he drags Iris to the famed San Gennaro Festival, and they stuff their faces with lots of Italian food. Walking through the festival, they come upon a family-owned gelato place, and for some reason, the store's logo seems tremendously familiar to Iris.

It turns out that the store appeared in one of Iris' mother's photos, accompanied by her mother's secret gelato recipe. When Iris visits the gelato store the next day, she meets Gio, the handsome member of the family who is running the store. He tells Iris that his uncle is the only one in the family who knows their gelato recipe, and since he is in the hospital recovering from a stroke, his memory is faulty and he cannot remember the recipe. Without it, the store may have to close.

When Iris tastes some of their last batch, she realizes that their secret gelato recipe is her secret gelato recipe—and the one in her mother's possessions. But she can't just tell Gio that his uncle actually shared the recipe with a stranger years ago, right? So she offers to help Gio and his family see if they can stumble on the recipe so they can get back to business. Through all of the attempts, Gio and Iris draw closer to one another, but what happens if his uncle regains his memory and exposes all the secrets that Iris has been keeping? Would they have any shot at a future together?

Once the plot starts to unfold, you can predict what will happen, and you won't be wrong. But the romantic vibes, the family dynamics, and the secrets on the verge of discovery kept me reading regardless of the predictability of the story. And I haven't stopped craving gelato since!

Book Review: "Mercury" by Amy Jo Burns

This was so good! As I've said numerous times before, I love stories about family relationships and dynamics, and Mercury definitely fit the bill.

Marley and her mother, Ruth, came to the small town of Mercury, Pennsylvania in 1990. Marley was 17, used to spending lots of time by herself while her mother works as a nurse, and it's always been the two of them against the world. But she's wanted to belong, wanted to be a part of something bigger.

Not long after her arrival in town, Marley encounters brothers Baylor and Waylon Joseph, when they get into a fight at the end of a baseball game. The young men are the sons of Mick, the blustering, egotistical owner of Joseph & Sons Roofing, and both are expected to follow in their father's footsteps, as is their younger brother, Shay. It's not long before Marley is drawn into their orbit, chosen by one brother but longed for by another.

Things change rapidly, and it's not long before she is a young wife and mother. But as the boys' own mother slowly starts to disappear from their lives, Marley steps up, taking charge of the family and helping with the business, even becoming somewhat of a surrogate mother to Shay. And at the same time, she becomes privvy to a set of secrets that could shake not only the Josephs, but the entire town of Mercury.

Years later, when the church attic is found to be home to a gruesome discovery, all of the Josephs get drawn into the web that exposes old wounds and threatens to destroy the entire family. Each must decide whether their relationships, the business, and the family itself are worth fighting for, and what the future holds.

While this is definitely a slow-burn story, I was hooked from the very start. Amy Jo Burns created layered characters that were so much more complex than I initially believed, and I really enjoyed her storytelling ability. There was a richness to this story that definitely will keep it in my mind for some time.

Book Review: "Last Call at the Local" by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

I've never been to Ireland, but it's definitely on my travel bucket list, and I tend to love reading books set there. But that's not the only reason I loved Sarah Grunder Ruiz's newest book, Last Call at the Local. I've definitely been a fan of her first two books, Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships and Luck and Last Resorts, so I had high hopes for this one—and it definitely delivered.

Much to the disappointment of her parents, Raine dropped out of medical school after 2+ years and headed to Europe to work as a traveling musician. The busking life gives Raine a freedom she's never had before, and she truly loves performing (although she doesn't have the courage to perform any of her original music). But at times, her ADHD gets the best of her, and when she spends the day in the Irish city of Cobh, she makes a crucial mistake that leaves her with very little money and unable to perform.

She can't believe that her only option is to call her parents and ask for the money to fly home to Boston. The thought of having to return home and face her parents' disapproval has her on the verge of depression, but she knows she has no choice. She takes refuge in a pub, The Local, where she she figures she'll spend her last few dollars on a pint of Guinness and prepare herself. And then she finds herself flirting with handsome, tattooed Jack, who seems to be a regular at the pub.

Raine can't help but enjoy talking to Jack, even though her mind keeps wandering back to the mess she's in. But when he asks what she thinks of the pub, she is a little too honest. And then she finds out he owns the pub with his brother. But Jack isn't insulted by her comments, he's inspired—and he offers her a job as an entertainment coordinator, so she can help turn her vision for the pub into reality.

Ever since he inherited the pub from his father, Jack has wanted to make it different than the one he grew up in. However, he struggles with OCD, including intrusive thoughts which often paralyze him, so making progress has been difficult. But if Raine can stick around, maybe she can make change happen. And it doesn't hurt that he's really attracted to her.

Can both Jack and Raine keep control of their minds in order to turn The Local into the pub of their dreams? And will their hearts behave? This book is charming, funny, and emotional, and it really captures the struggles of living with ADHD and OCD. If you've read Ruiz's previous books, you'll see some familiar characters, but this could easily be read as a stand-alone.

The Best Books I Read in 2023...

Happy New Year! Here's wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2024, full of joy, laughter, and lots of great books.

This past year was a tough one for me. As some of you may know, over the summer I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Luckily it was caught early and we're enthusiastic that it won't recur, but I did have surgery in late October to remove part of one kidney. All this to say, this wasn't a typical year for me where reading was concerned. I didn't do a great job of recording (or reviewing) what I read, so I don't have an exact count of how many books I did read in 2023—I'd say it's around 200, but we'll never know. LOL

This year I put together a list of my 20 favorites with an additional 10 books which were too good not to mention.

As always, I'd love your thoughts on what you loved reading this year!

The Top 20

1. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: One of my favorite authors at the top of her game. This is such a gorgeously told story of family, love, memory, motherhood, and recognizing that happiness can come from a path other than the one you dreamed of. It's a quiet but utterly beautiful book.

2. Shark Heart by Emily Habeck: Lewis and Wren fall in love and get married. Not long after, Lewis learns he has a rare mutation which will turn him (rapidly) into a great white shark. As crazy as this sounds, this book is an unforgettable, powerfully emotional look at love, loss, and creating a meaningful life.

3. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston: The author of one of my top three favorite books of 2022 makes the top three again! If you’re not a fan of magical realism and weird time loop-ish storylines, you may not enjoy this. But this left me a puddle of emotions.

4. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez: Another home run from Jimenez, who deftly meshes romance, quirky characters, and more serious topics (this one deals with social anxiety) into a book that made me smile and cry, sometimes simultaneously.

5. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane: A tense (and intense), sometimes sad, and tremendously thought-provoking book set in Boston in the summer of 1974, in the midst of the forced desegregation of schools. This one will make one heck of a movie.

6. Search by Michelle Huneven: This is a quietly compelling and dramatic story of a church searching for its new minister. (Plus recipes!!) It’s gorgeously written, a fantastic study of human dynamics, and I found the conversations about theology and philosophy to be fascinating and never heavy-handed.

7. In Memoriam by Alice Winn: Two young men, close friends at an English boarding school at the start of World War I, deal with their attraction to one another and the horrors of war, as Henry, who is part German, feels the need to enlist, but wants Sidney to stay safe. This feels like a more emotional E.M. Forster classic.

8. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters: A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family, and remain unsolved for nearly 50 years. It's such a beautiful book and unbelievably, it's a debut.

9. Glitterland by Alexis Hall: How do you convince yourself that you’re worthy of love? Hall delivers a powerful story of love, heartbreak, and emotional turmoil, which had some incredible moments of beauty.

10. We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian: I feel like this book made my heart grow two sizes larger. It was full of self-discovery, romance, tension, and a good dash of history. I couldn’t get enough of these characters!!