Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

 Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner - 239 pages

In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. 

As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band--and meeting the man who would become her husband--her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

JOY by Danielle Steel

 

Joy   by Danielle Steel  240 pages

When she is only six years old, Allegra Dixon's party-loving mother leaves without so much as a goodbye. Her father, an emotionally distant military officer, is also unable--or unwilling--to care for her. Sent to live like a ghost in her grandparents' joyless home, Allegra finds her only solace through an escape into books. Attending boarding school, life finally takes a turn when she meets a dashing young West Point cadet named Shep Williams. Soon their friendship blossoms into something more, and they fall deeply in love. After college, Allegra has established herself as a book editor and Shep is rising through the ranks of the military. But then Shep suddenly receives a posting to Afghanistan, and they decide to marry before he goes. Between his deployments, they cling to their brief and fraught stolen moments together. Each time he leaves, Shep promises the separations will soon come to an end. But soon Allegra realizes that the horrors of war have begun to change her husband into a man she no longer recognizes. The trauma he has experienced proves to be too harrowing, and Allegra will find herself feeling utterly alone again just when she thought she'd finally found happiness.

Another Danielle Steel novel that I really liked, but did not like the ending.  I felt the sorrow that Allegra felt throughout the whole book and was happy when she found a new person to love.  But I did not like the ending...she loses again and finds a new love interest with 2 pages left, reallly??? Overall, a very good read.

Far From Home by Danielle Steel

 

Far From Home   by Danielle Steel  242  Pages

In July 1944, Arielle von Auspeck arrives at the glamorous Hotel Ritz in occupied Paris. Half French, half German, she is happy to be back in France, where her husband, Gregor, a retired colonel, will join her soon from Germany. Arielle and Gregor have thus far been able to hide their private opposition to Hitler. Then her world falls apart. She receives word that Gregor was part of Operation Valkyrie, a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in Poland, and has been shot as a traitor. Now, holding a French passport handed to her by another high-level collaborator, she is whisked away from Paris under cover of darkness for her own safety. As the Allies storm the beaches, she goes into hiding in a small village in Normandy under an assumed name, unable to contact her adult children. There, she forms a friendship with Sebastien Renaud, whose wife and daughter were deported in 1941, and who eventually reveals himself as a forger in the Resistance. As war wages on, Arielle and Sebastien work for the Resistance and hold out for the time when they can search for their loved ones.

A story of loss in World War ll times, but also one of finding family and love again. This is a book that I could not put down because I wanted to see how it ended, But about 2/3 of the way through I figured it all out. I really enjoy reading about World War ll as sad as that time period is, so it was a great book for me!

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

 

The Walk   by Richard Paul Evans 289 pages

What would you do if you lost everything--your job, your home, and the love of your life--all at the same time? When it happens to Seattle ad executive Alan Christoffersen, he's tempted by his darkest thoughts but then decides to take a walk, heading for the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share with him, will save his life.

This book had me intrigued at the beginning and I wasn't sure I would like it, but the more I read the more interested I became.  Losing everything affects different people in different ways.  I enjoyed this book.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg-395 pages

⭐✩✫✫✫

This is our next book for the Book to Movie Club chosen by our group. I have to be honest. I didn't like it very much. I finished it, of course, but it has borderline racist overtones. The African-American characters are very "stereotypical." Also, the timeline throughout the book is scattered and off. The stories are all over the place and it doesn't seem for most of the book to be a cohesive, coherent story. It reads mostly like a lonely old woman babbling to a younger woman at a nursing home about the "good old days." Mrs. Threadgoode (the old woman) and Evelyn Couch do strike up a friendship, but I just didn't get emotionally invested in the characters. Lastly, it seems like a creative writing class project and not a published novel. It seems the author was going for a folksy feel, but it didn't work for me. Overall, I would not recommend this book. However, maybe this will be a rare occasion when the movie is better than the book (it definitely was!). 

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, 582 p.

"Cyril Avery is not a real Avery or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. 

At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his three score years and ten, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more. 

In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit."--Goodreads blurb

This character-driven story was a wonderful look into the lives of many interesting people. The "side characters" really helped make this book incredible and following him through his life was very emotional. 

 

The Sugarcreek Surprise by Wanda E. Brunstetter

 The Sugarcreek Surprise by Wanda E. Brunstetter - 499 pages

Welcome to Sugarcreek, Ohio, where the Amish schoolteacher has a determined admirer.

Tragically losing her parents as a child, Lisa Miller has grown up being afraid of loving and losing. She dedicates herself to teaching at an Amish schoolhouse and helping the grandparents who raised her, all the while avoiding the advances of newcomer Paul Herchberger. 

Paul enjoys antiques and meets Orley Troyer while looking for unique old milk bottles at yard sales. Orley and his wife offer prayers and advice as Paul tries to reach Lisa’s closed heart. But when secrets are revealed, will Lisa use them as an excuse to close herself off again?

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, 260 p.

"A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love."--Goodreads blurb

This little story was just the heart-warming thing I needed during the holiday season, and in one of my favorite settings--amongst books! Grumpy Fikry doesn't need anybody or anything. He is his own man after tragedy, but life has other plans. Of all the relationships in this book to love, I have a special place for the one between Fikrey and the Sheriff. I love a good friendship! The fast story was well worth the read. 
 

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior

 How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior - 333 pages

A curmudgeonly but charming old woman, her estranged grandson, and a colony of penguins proves it's never too late to be the person you want to be.

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit—and won’t take no for an answer. Shortly after arriving, she convinces the reluctant team to rescue an orphaned baby penguin. He becomes part of life at the base, and Veronica's closed heart starts to open. 

Her grandson, Patrick, comes to Antarctica to make one last attempt to get to know his grandmother. Together, Veronica, Patrick, and even the scientists learn what family, love, and connection are all about.

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers
32 pages

"There is a wonder and magic to childhood. We don't realize it at the time, of course...yet the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play. But what happens when that special someone who encourages such wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in a bottle and grow up...or we can find another special someone who understands the magic. And we can encourage them to see things in the stars, find joy among colors and laughter as they play."  --from the publisher

The book is better than the description, and lives up to the rave reviews. It is a beautiful, touching illustration of loss and rediscovering joy. I'll definitely be getting a copy for myself. I give it five out of five stars.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick - 331 pages

Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater vest, waters his fern, Frederica, and heads out to his garden.

But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam’s death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam’s possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he’s never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to Paris and as far as India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met—a journey that leads him to find hope, healing and self-discovery in the most unexpected places.

Sisters by Danielle Steel

Sisters by Danielle Steel - 341 pages

Four sisters, a Manhattan brownstone, and a tumultuous year of loss and courage are at the heart of Danielle Steel’s novel about a remarkable family, a stunning tragedy—and what happens when four very different young women come together under one very lively roof.

Candy–it’s the only name she needs—is blazing her way through Paris, New York, and Tokyo as fashion’s latest international supermodel…Her sister Tammy has a job producing the most successful hit show on TV, and a home she loves in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills. . . .In New York, oldest sister Sabrina is an ambitious young lawyer, while Annie is an American artist in Florence, living for her art. . . .

On one Fourth of July weekend, as they do every year, the four sisters come home to Connecticut for their family’s annual gathering. But before the holiday is over, tragedy strikes and their world is utterly changed.

Suddenly, four sisters who have been fervently pursuing success and their own lives—on opposite sides of the world—reunite to share one New York brownstone, to support each other and their father, and to pick up the pieces while one sister struggles to heal her shattered body and soul. Thus begins an unscripted chapter of their lives, as a bustling house is soon filled with eccentric dogs, laughter, tears, friends, men . . . and the kind of honesty and unconditional love only sisters can provide. But as the four women settle in, they are forced to confront the direction of their respective lives. As the year passes and another July Fourth approaches, a season of grief and change gives way to new beginnings—as a family comes together to share its blessings and a future filled with surprises and, ultimately, hope.

Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Faithful by Alice Hoffman - 349 pages

This is the story of a young woman who had a car accident with her best friend in the car.  Her best friend was put into a coma that she never came out of so the young woman carried guilt.  She was always trying to punish herself. 
The story is her journey to wellness.

All At Sea by Decca Aitkenhead

All At Sea by Decca Aitkenhead, 225pages

Decca Aitkenhead is one the United Kingdom's most popular journalists. All At Sea is the heartbreaking story of how she lost the love of her life, Tony, while on holiday in Jamaica.  Decca and Tony were partners in life who were raising two young sons.  On this particular holiday the eldest of their sons, Jake, had decided to go for a swim in the ocean without his life jacket.  What follows is every parents nightmare.  Both Tony and Decca noticed the undertow had taken him far out to sea.  Tony, not a strong swimmer, leapt to his son's rescue.  Decca saw Tony struggling pulling their son to shore, so she swam to take Jake from Tony and let some locals rescue Tony.  Unfortunately, Tony made it back to shore but was not able to be revived.  Tony saved his young son's life but could not save his own.  Decca writes a poignant story beginning with her first meeting with Tony and how she left her husband for Tony, a troubled man with dreadlocks who earned his livelihood by selling cocaine.  Tony lead a very sketchy life, even serving time in prison. Decca seemed to turn him around and get him on the right track after their sons were born. Unfortunately, they were never married and Decca was faced with life after Tony with no legal rights to his fortunes or properties.  Decca tells a heartfelt story of loss and survival with two young sons.

Planetfall - Emma Newman

Planetfall - Emma Newman - 336 pages

This book has everything: a messiah complex, a murder mystery, space hoarding, a womb city, and so many 3D printers it will blow your mind.  What really inspired me to plow through this one was the humility and realism of the main character's visceral struggle with mental illness superimposed over the origin story of a colonial society born of what could be termed a different species of the same animal.  Renata, our touchstone and narrator through the book, is buried twenty-two years into life on a colony built on the foundation of the holy vision of her best friend, now believed by the colonists to be communing with God in an alien city.  There are so many secrets swirling inside Ren about how they arrived and survived that it's slowly tearing her apart.

Something about this book feels genuine and naked and sharp when it comes to how Ren lives with the weight of her history at the foot of the God city.  She's brilliant, driven, empathetic, but broken, and her humanity hangs out everywhere as she and the mystery of the colony and a new visitor, the grandson of Ren's prophetic BFF, unravel.  I can't say the end of this book came a total surprise; maybe it was the path of least creative resistance to wind up where it wound up, but by the time I got there I didn't care.  The rest of the ride was such a glorious gut punch that the journey more than made up for it.

Blythewood by Carol Goodman

Blythewood by Carol Goodman, 489 pages

The world is full of shadows, darklings and faeries, but 16 year old Avaline Hall is just learning about that world. After her mother's death and the loss of her friends in a horrible factory fire, Avaline is whisked to a mental hospital because of her rantings about a man in an inverness cape and a boy who could fly. Discovered and rescued by her very wealthy grandmother, Avaline is taken to Blythewood - an unusual boarding school for girls - that her mother and grandmother attended. The secrets wrapped up in Blythewood are so dark, it's a wonder that Avaline discovers half of them by the end of the book. There is danger lurking around every corner and madness eating away at some. An ancient story of the seven daughters of a bellmaker are wrapped into the mystery that is Blythewood. Avaline must discover her hidden talents and quickly. She must also be able to decipher what is evil and what is not because at Blythewood, rarely is anything what it seems.

Eep! by Joke van Leeuwen

Eep! by Joke van Leeuwen, 149 pages

I was drawn to this because of the title and the cover art.  Warren is a bird watcher, who finds a stranger bird under a bush one day.  It has wings and likes to eat bugs, but everything else about it is like a little girl.  Warren and his wife Tina name her Beedy (she can't say Birdy) and grow to love her, but when she flies away without saying goodbye, the couple are distraught.  They embark on an adventure to find Beedy in order to properly say goodbye, which involves meeting others that Beedy has met and affected. I liked this- it was not a typical children's book, and I wasn't always sure about the direction it went, but it was not a bad chapter book.