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Life is finite. We live . . . and then we die. There is no escaping this very human reality. We just don't think about it much. We don't want to think about it.  Until we have to.  Kate Bowler tells her story of facing death in  No Cure for Being Human: And Other Truths I Need to Hear . She begins with her colon cancer diagnosis in her mid-thirties, when her son is only a few months old, and the doctors tell her she is terminal. When they tell she has a small chance of survival, but survival just means an extra two years.  How does she make the most of this? How does she plan for the future, a future that probably doesn't include her? How does she fight for more?  This is Bowler's story of fighting for survival and thinking about what it means to be human, with all the joys . . . and disappointments. And Bowler is a fantastic storyteller who shares what she learns from facing death.  We all need to think about, at least some of the time, because not a one of us will liv

I read a lot of cozy mysteries. (Or cosy mysteries given that many of the books take place in the UK.) It's not surprising, I suppose, since I tend to gravitate toward the same kinds of TV shows. These mysteries aren't too stressful, they offer likeable characters, and because they come in series, it's easy to "make friends" with the characters as I spend so much time with them. Most of the time I rate them a 4 or maybe a 3. They're good, I enjoyed them, but this isn't GREAT writing. It's good. (Which is good.) The first installment of The Thursday Murder Club  was great. I picked it up quite a while back, and I just couldn't quite get into it. The point of view switched frequently. When we get Joyce's point of view, she is using first person. We see an omniscient narrator when we see Elizabeth, Donna, or Chris's point of view. (We also see the POV of a couple of criminals and some side characters.) I set the book aside thinking I would com

The Girls in the Attic by Marius Gabriel My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews I like the idea of a novel focused on internal transformation. After all, the United States has a history of racism, similar to the history of anti-Semitism. How do we change people's perspectives?  This book doesn't provide any insight into that question. The transformation of Nazi Colonel Max Wolf from anti-Semite and Hitler apologist to a compassionate human being who mourns his past and falls in love with Lola Rosenstein, a Jew hiding in his mother's attic, is a little simplistic and way too quick.  The characters are interesting but not really credible, and the story is filled with fantastical coincidences.  Even so, I can't say I didn't enjoy the story. I just didn't buy the premise.  The final scene, which follows the Lola after the death of her husband six decades later was particularly unbelievable.  I freely acknow

32 Candles: A Novel by Ernessa T. Carter My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews My daughter Kirsten and I were talking about books the other day, and I bemoaned the very bad books I had started and then set aside. What a waste of time.  I want to read things that engage me and make me think about different perspectives. She suggested that sometimes it's good to read something just for fun, and I agreed, but told her I at least wanted well written books. She suggested "32 Candles," and in the middle of our conversation, I bought the book. (I have issues with books and book purchases.) So a few things about this book.  First, when I finished the book, I immediately started missing the protagonist, Davidia Jones, born and raised in Glass, Mississippi, a transplant to Los Angeles. Her observations are sharp and humorous even when she describes tragic events.  Second, it is a fun read. Davidia Jones, writes in first p

Agatha Arch Is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair O'Keeffe My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Donovan Woods (and someone else) sings a song called " Iowa ." The first line of the song is "I am waiting for this book to get good."  And that's a really good way to start this review.  It's clear from the first page that Kristin Bair O'Keeffe's prose will be quick moving and humorous as we are introduced to Agatha Arch's reflections on finding her husband in flagrante in the shed. She goes berserk and takes and axe to the shed.  Her husband moves in with the dog walker and begins a new happily ever after, and Agatha's children begin living in both home.  Meanwhile, Agatha's life spirals.  And it is here that I completely lost interest.  This woman is berserk. Does she have any redeeming qualities besides her imagination? She is a stalker, filled with hatred, and seems to des

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner My rating: 4 of 5 stars A few years ago I read Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything, which I considered one of the best books I read that year. This isn't that good. But it is good enough that I wanted to read all of it. Honestly, I am finding more and more books that I just would rather skip. This book follows the story of a plus-size social influencer and her internal struggle accepting herself. It throws in the "mean girl" who made her life hell in private school, a little romance, a wedding (not hers), and a murder. Yeah. That's a lot of things, but Weiner does a nice job weaving these things together and keeping everything interesting. View all my reviews