• Woman with a Gun by Phillip Margolin – a photograph of a woman on a beach in a wedding dress holding a gun behind her back brings to light a tale of murder and deceit – interesting structural concept with a good story but rather flat characters, as well as some continuity and editing issues – read it for mystery book club where the general consensus was most members liked it while recognizing the flaws
This year I’m going to try a monthly post here and see how that goes.
1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon – for women’s book club – chosen from the local library’s “choose civility” reading list for adults [based on a county-wide civility campaign a few years ago] – a young man investigates the murder of his neighbor’s dog and ends up uncovering some information about his family – though it’s never explicitly stated, the young man exhibits traits of a person with autism such as an aversion to being touched and difficulty perceiving emotions in others - at times funny and other times heart-breaking but ultimately with a positive ending – generated good discussion – also fulfills Read Harder Challenge task of reading a book that’s frequently challenged in your country (for “profanity and atheism”)
2. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova – brujas in Brooklyn! (don’t call them witches) – Alejandra (aka Alex) has a powerful gift that she rejects rather dramatically and in the process banishes her entire family to another realm – to retrieve them she reluctantly enlists a mysterious young man as her guide, and hijinks ensue – a real page-turner with lots of action, some snarky dialogue, and a tiny bit of romance – first in a series but it can also stand on its own – fulfills C of the Litsy A-to-Z challenge
3. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – a cranky bookseller’s life is changed when someone leaves a small child in his store for him to look after – a bit precious at times but generally charming and entertaining – many quotable lines and laugh-out-loud moments – fulfills Z of the Litsy A to Z challenge as well as Read Harder Challenge task to read a book about books
4. The God Box: Sharing My Mother’s Gift of Faith, Love and Letting Go by Mary Lou Quinlan – the title pretty much says it all and that’s fine – a touching and thoughtful story that’s occasionally repetitive but never preachy – fulfills Q of the Litsy A to Z challenge
