Review: Musical Chairs (by Amy Poeppel)

My Rating:  5 stars

This was such a charming, delightful read!  I honestly can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book (years at least!).  From the story to the characters to the plot to the descriptive writing (and everything in between), there were so many things I adored about this book that I honestly don't know if I can do it justice even with a lengthy review.  Where do I even start?  Ok, perhaps with one of the elements that made this story so good:  the quirky, yet realistically drawn characters who, despite their flaws, turned out to be so endearing.  I love the fact that the two central characters in this story, Bridget and Will, have such a unique, special, long-standing relationship — one that transcends both friendship and romance and instead is akin to family, with a shared bond closer even than siblings.  To say that the family dynamics in this story are complicated is an understatement — I would say that "dysfunctional" is a better term to describe this family, albeit in a completely lovable and irresistibly charming way.  I adored nearly every character in here (both human and pet alike, lol, though of course, special shout-out to Ronaldo, the funniest parrot on the planet in my opinion).   Some would say that there were too many characters in the story and it was hard to keep track, but I was actually fine with it, as I appreciated the different perspectives that each character brought to the story.  In fact, I'm glad the author, Amy Poeppel, structured the story the way she did — basically allowing us to see the various events from each character's viewpoint while at the same time giving us insight into the characters' backgrounds.

The other thing I loved about this story was the humor.  Most people may prefer "deliberately funny," but I'm actually more of a fan of subtle humor — the kind that comes across so naturally that you don't even realize how hilarious it is until you find yourself suddenly laughing out loud (and getting sideways glances from people around you).  This kind of humor is extremely hard to pull off well, especially in written format where words always convey the intended emotion properly — yet Poeppel absolutely mastered it here!   I don't know how she did it, but she was able to make the story consistently funny in a thoughtful, respectful way, even while exploring some pretty heavy topics.  Again, not an easy feat by any means.  I talk about emotional resonance a lot in my reviews because this is a key component for me when it comes to reading.  How does the book make me feel?  What was the reading experience like?  These (among others) are the types of questions I ask myself after each book and the answers help me figure out what rating best aligns with my feelings.  One of the things that many of my 5 star reads have in common is that they move me to tears in some way (which isn't easy given that I can be quite the cynic when it comes to emotions).  With this book, while it didn't move me to tears exactly (though a few scenes were mighty darn close to doing so), it did move me to (constant) laughter, which is even harder in my opinion given the type of humor I prefer. 

I also like the fact that there was depth to the story and, like many of the best books out there, a meaningful message that was both thought-provoking and poignant.  My favorite scene is the toast that Edward Stratton (Bridget's father) gives at the wedding, which, aside from being one of the most best scenes I've ever read in a book, also perfectly captured the brilliance that Amy Poeppel was able to achieve with this story:  hilarious and heartfelt!   The brilliance wasn't just in the story though....the many nuances with the book's title – in reference to a website, the menagerie of characters and their various positions as they go through life, the throwback to the actual music component in the story, etc. – and the way it tied into the story in such a significant way, also added a fun dynamic to reading this book.

Obviously, I enjoyed this one tremendously and so of course would wholeheartedly recommend it!   If you want a smart, well-written, hilarious story with lots of heart that also features a wonderfully eclectic group of quirky but lovable characters, Musical Chairs is all that and then some.  Those who know me know that I'm a picky reader and usually very stingy with my 5 stars (case in point – out of the 38 books I've read so far this year, not including this one, I've only rated 2 of them 5 stars), but this book absolutely deserves it!  And yes, I have every intention of going back and reading Amy Poeppel's backlist, as I've been told her previous novels are great as well.

Received ARC from Emily Bestler / Atria Books via NetGalley

Review: The Jane Austen Society (by Natalie Jenner)

My Rating: 4 stars

 

Ever since reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time back in junior high (many many moons ago), I became a Jane Austen fan and never looked back.  Over the ensuing decades, I’ve of course read all the rest of Austen’s work and, like many fans, admire her more and more with each read/re-read.  Unlike other fans though, I’m not fond of retellings of Austen’s works, so I try to stay away from those as much as possible.  With that said, if a book is ABOUT Jane Austen or her works and not a retelling, then I will gladly read it without hesitation, doesn’t matter whether fiction or non-fiction.

Given my long-time admiration for Austen, I went into Natalie Jenner’s debut novel The Jane Austen Society with a high level of excitement and anticipation.  The premise of a fictional group of fans living in the small English village of Chawton (Austen’s final home) after the Second World War who are determined to preserve the legacy of their favorite author — what a dream premise for Austen fans!   As a work of historical fiction, the elements of time and place were especially well done, with Chawton and the Great House feeling so realistic, as a reader, I definitely felt transported.  I also found the characters quite charming, but what I loved especially was the fact that each character came from vastly different walks of life and, given their respective backgrounds, probably would not have been brought together if not for their love of Austen. Each character endures personal struggle of some sort and as they unite to form the Jane Austen Society, the bond that develops between the members helps each one open their eyes and work through their issues.

While I did enjoy the story and characters quite a bit overall, my biggest complaint is that the pacing was way too slow — I actually struggled with getting into the story until around the halfway mark.  One of the things that kept me going however, were the discussions about Austen and her novels that the various characters engage in, discussions which I found interesting to read.  Indeed, Natalie Jenner was able to weave her admiration and respect for Austen (and her works) into the story in a way that, as an Austen fan myself, made me proud.  

I would definitely recommend this book for fans of Jane Austen and/or her novels, as I feel that is the audience this was written for and would probably appreciate this story the most.   But then again, I’m speaking from the perspective of an Austen fan...I’d be curious to see if non-fans or those who’ve never read Austen would have the same opinion.

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via Edelweiss.

Review: The Color of Air (by Gail Tsukiyama)

My Rating:  5 stars

Gail Tsukiyama is an author I’ve been wanting to read for awhile.  I’ve had a copy of her most famous work, Women of the Silk, on my bookshelf for years, but unfortunately haven’t had the chance to read it yet.  Well, that might change now after reading her newest work The Color of Air, which I enjoyed to the point that I want to go back and explore her backlist while waiting impatiently for her next work.   

I love the way Tsukiyama writes — in a style that is quiet and gentle, yet the story still packs a punch.  With this book, Tsukiyama takes her time with the narrative — slowly, chapter by chapter, we learn about the Japanese-American family at the center of the narrative, but more than that, we also learn the stories of those around them, all members of the close-knit community in the town of Hilo, Hawaii.   Set against the historical context of the Mauna Loa volcano’s eruption in 1935, this event was woven beautifully into the story, with its juxtaposition against the return of the town’s beloved young doctor Daniel Abe and the secrets that slowly come to light, both within the family and in the community.  A sense of anticipation permeates the story — both in terms of the aftermath of the eruption (the question of the lava flow’s direction and what will happen to those in its path) as well as the revelation of long-held secrets within the family and the community —and we are left to wonder, as the story progresses, what the path forward will be for all the characters.   From a historical perspective, Tsukiyama also weaves into her narrative the lesser known history of Asian indentured servitude on Hawaii’s sugar plantations.  Uncle Koji’s story of how his family arrived in Hawaii from Japan as contracted immigrant workers on the plantations -- a stint that was only supposed to last 3 years but turned into a lifetime.  Related to this, there is also Razor’s story and what happened to him as one of the workers on the plantations, snippets of which are shared through Koji’s memories of his best friend, but also through Razor’s own “voice” at the end of some of the sections.   The way that the past and present blended together so seamlessly, this worked well from a narrative structure perspective.

Speaking of the characters, this was one of those rare instances where I loved the entire cast of characters, whether major or minor.  Each character was unforgettable and grew fonder to me with the progression of the story from one chapter to another and all the way through to the end.  Daniel, Koji, Samuel, Wilson and Mano, all were great characters, but the ones that left the biggest impression on me were the women in the story – Mariko, Nori, Mama Natua, Maile, Leia, the Hilo Aunties.  I was moved by the strong bond that they all shared – an unbreakable bond that continued to endure not only through all of life’s ups and downs, but also was strong enough to even transcend death.  One of the unique aspects of Tsukiyama’s storytelling is her ability to portray all her characters with such tenderness and compassion.  These are characters who endure a lot, plus there are the complicated family dynamics, the conflicts, the drama that inevitably follows, yet the underlying message of hope and resilience is so strong.   At its core, this is also an immigrant story, but one that is lovingly told as well as rooted in hope from the getgo. 

I enjoyed everything about this book, from the characters, the story, and of course, the incredibly atmospheric writing.  The lush descriptions of the island’s landscape, as well as its history and people, gave such a tremendous sense of time and place – to the point that the setting came alive almost as though it were a character itself.  Loved this one and definitely recommend it!

Received ARC from HarperCollins (HarperVia) via NetGalley.

Review: Tell Me Three Things (by Julie Buxbaum)

My Rating:  4 stars

I haven't been much of a YA reader for many years already — so long in fact that I can actually count the number of YA novels I've read over the past decade on one hand.  The reason I don't regularly read YA isn't because I have anything against the genre of course — rather, it has more to do with the fact that, after reaching a certain age and already having a certain amount of life experiences as well as insights under my belt, I sometimes find it hard to relate to the themes and characters often explored in books from the genre.  There are different reasons why I read and indeed, the way I experience a book each time will not be the same, however one thing that I look for each time I read is being able to connect to the story and/or the characters in some way.   Given everything that has been going on recently, both in the world and personally in my own life, that connection has become increasingly important in helping me better understand and make sense of things.  With all that said, one of the things I've noticed with my own reading experiences in recent years is that this connection to a story or characters or (in the case of non-fiction books) subject matter, more often than not, can happen unexpectedly – and sometimes without me even realizing it until afterwards when I'm sitting down to write a review and start reflecting on what I read.  This is exactly what happened with author Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things, her YA debut novel from 2016.  

To be very honest, this is not a book that I probably would've picked up on my own – the main reason I chose to read it is because it is one of the recommended books in my book club's summer reading guide, plus friends who've read it seemed to enjoy it (also my library hold for the book happened to come through).   It turns out that I ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would.  Sure, the premise is simple, the plot is not tremendously exciting, and much of the story as well as the ending are super predictable – but that's fine because I wasn't expecting a complicated read and instead wanted something light and fun, which this book definitely delivered.  What worked for me the most with this book though were the characters, especially the main protagonist of the story, Jessie.  Even though I'm not a teenager and I finished school eons ago, I still absolutely connected with Jessie and the emotions she went through navigating the strange new environment she suddenly found herself in after moving across the country – new family, new house, new school, new friends etc.  Part of why I connected so strongly with Jessie though is because she reminded me so much of how I used to be in high school – bookish, quiet, solitary, not having many friends, not being much of a talker because I'm terrified of saying the wrong things and so would much rather "write" what I wanted to say than verbally say it, etc.  It felt nostalgic (and perhaps a bit surreal) to re-visit that period of my life through the eyes of a character whose personality hewed so closely to my own – an experience that doesn't come around often, that's for sure!

Overall, I found this to be a delightful read – funny, sweet, light-hearted, poignant and sentimental where it needed to be but not overly so.  Also, I loved the structure of the story, with the text messages between Jessie and "Somebody-Nobody" and also with her other friends interspersed so seamlessly throughout.  This type of structure can be risky depending on how it's done, yet Julie Buxbaum pulled it off so beautifully here.  It's been a long time since I've had so much fun reading a book, but more significantly, it provided a much-needed respite during this trying time.  Glad I got the chance to read this one and definitely recommended!

Review: What You Wish For (by Katherine Center)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

What You Wish For is the third book I've read by Katherine Center and while I enjoyed it well enough, my favorite book of hers so far is still Things You Save in a Fire from last year, which I felt was a much better written and more emotionally resonant story.  

This time around, the story revolves around Samantha Casey, a librarian at an elementary school on the island of Galveston, Texas.  Sam arrives at the quaint little school a few years ago after spending most of her life alone in California.  The school's founder Max and his wife Babette are beloved figures in the community and despite having a daughter of their own, they welcome Sam into their school as well as their home, becoming surrogate parents of sorts to her.  When Max dies unexpectedly, a man named Duncan Carpenter is brought in to replace him as principal of the school — it turns out Duncan is a former colleague of Sam's from her previous school, but not only that, she also had a huge crush on him back in the day.  The Duncan that Sam knew was sweet, funny, charismatic, and beloved by everyone (a personality very similar to Max), so despite her conflicted feelings, Sam tries to convince the faculty at the school that he is the right man for the job.  But she soon finds out how wrong she is, as the Duncan who shows up is stoic, stiff, completely devoid of humor, and super obsessed with school safety, almost to the point of paranoia.  When Duncan threatens to make significant changes to the school, Sam decides  to oppose him and, working together with the rest of the faculty, a plan is hatched to save the school.  At the same time, Sam finds out the truth of what happened to Duncan in the years that they lost contact — this revelation, along with a secret about her own self that she had been hiding, alter Sam's perspective in ways that she didn't anticipate.  

This is a romance, so of course the love story between the two main characters— in this case, Sam and Duncan — will undoubtedly be front and center.  Given the premise, I expected there to be a certain amount of predictability to the story, which is fine.  What felt different for me with this book compared to Center's previous ones is that there didn't seem to be as much emotional depth to the story this time around.  Yes, there were difficult subjects and issues the characters had to deal with, just like in the rest of her books, but I felt like much of it just scratched the surface instead of exploring more in depth.  Perhaps it is because of this that I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to the characters or to the story.  While I liked Sam as a character well enough, sometimes she did behave immaturely, which did annoy me a little bit.  In fact, with some of the scenes and dialogue, I kind of felt like there was a bit of a YA vibe to the story and the writing, which I wasn't expecting — though it (thankfully) didn't permeate the story, it did make the writing feel uneven in places.

Overall, this was a decent read — lighthearted, fun in certain places, a bit sappy in others.  I also found this one to be a bit dialogue-heavy during some of the more emotional scenes, which had the effect of taking me out of the moment at times — another reason why it was harder for me to establish an emotional connection to the story.  As I mentioned earlier, I like Katherine Center's previous novel better, but this was one I didn't regret reading.  And of course, I definitely don't mind reading more of her novels either!

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.