The Stationery Shop - Marjan Kamali

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in Iran and the US from the 1950’s to present day, this book centers upon Roya, a teenager growing up in Tehran and its political turmoil. Roya finds sanctuary and love in the neighborhood stationery shop. But, as with life, all does not go as planned for anyone. The book revolves around the themes of love, family, and fate.

This book sounded interesting to me when I read about it on NetGalley. (Thanks, NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.) I don’t know that I’ve really every read anything set in Iran and know little of its history. Besides, the title has “Stationery Shop” as its name. How could I resist that?

The book did not disappoint. I was interested in Roya and invested in her story pretty much from the start. The flow of the writing, while at a slower pace, fit the narrative. I enjoyed learning about the culture of Roya and her family, how she adjusted in moving to the United States, and the keeping of her identity there. I was also a bit sad for her throughout as I thought on her life and potential regrets. All the characters were complex; even the ones I didn’t like, I liked the way they were written.

I’m glad to have read this book and plan to check out Marjan Kamali’s backlist for more.

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Printed Letter Bookshop - Katherine Reay

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes! This is Katherine Reay as I like her best. A book of friendship and love (in its various forms) and books!
Madeline inherits a bookshop from her estranged aunt, along with the loyal employees and customers. She intends to see the store turn a profit and then sell at the first opportunity. But life, of course, has other plans.
This book is told from three points of view: Madeline as well as the workers at her aunt’s shop, Claire and Judith. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and especially liked Claire’s chapters told in third person unlike the others in first person. The way the relationship between the three women developed was realistic.
I don’t think any of the side plot distracted from the main story. It developed at an even pace and kept me turning the pages.
And that book list at the back…Brilliant!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the advanced copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

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Almost Sisters - Joshilyn Jackson

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a book club pick.
Leia is a comic book artist, and soon to be single mother, when a family crisis calls her to Alabama and the home of her grandmother. There is a lot going on in Leia’s life, but there is a heck of a lot going on (and hidden) in the life of her family. None of the “secrets” were truly secret by the time I got to them. I think the author does a good job at having the reader draw conclusions that get you there. But I can enjoy a predictable book every now and then.
I enjoyed the characters for the most part. Some of them, like Leia’s sister Rachel, I found to be kind of flat. There was another character that I had issues with but won’t get into as it would be a plot spoiler.
The author’s use of “squirt” just about sent me over the edge. People were “squirting past” other people. They were “squirting away.” I don’t know. Maybe using “squirt” in those ways is a Southern thing (although I’ve spent some time in Tennessee and Alabama and never heard it). But it was like nails on a chalkboard for me.
All said, I liked the story. I liked the relationships and the interconnection of the characters. The idea of a “Second South” was interesting to me and no doubt true.
Worth the read.

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It Ends with Us - Colleen Hoover

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover


Holy Smokes! I loved, loved, LOVED the lessons and main character (and most of the side characters) in this book. However, I HATED all the graphic sex. And the profanity. If you’re like me, prepare to skip a lot of pages. I would love to recommend this book to everyone but don’t feel like I can recommend it to anyone. I'm not even sure how to rate it with stars. The writing and message and characters are a 5. But not being able to recommend it...
Lily didn’t have a great childhood. But she’s opening a whole new chapter in Boston, starting her own floral shop. A chance encounter with Ryle changes the course in both their lives. She’s head over heels. Then her first love reappears in her new life and things devolve from there.
Lily is one tough cookie. She opened up my mind and heart to things I thought I knew but didn’t fully understand until witnessed through her experiences. I was rooting for her throughout. There was one piece at the ending of her story that left me a bit disappointed. I didn’t need my loose ends tied up that neatly.
Ryle’s sister and Lily’s mom are both great women and characters in their own right.
It is hard to write a detailed review on this book as there are so many things that would be spoilers. I have a lot I would like to say though. The lack of review length doesn’t reflect a lack of thoughts on the book. I’m still thinking about it several weeks later.
This was a book club pick this month. Definitely a lot of fodder for discussion.

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Trigger Warnings: several.


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The Space Between Us - Thrity Umrigar

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story focuses on two women and their relationships - with each other, their husbands, their children, and, more subtly, the modern India at large. Bhima has worked for Sera for decades, providing for her own family's sustenance. It's an intimate and thought provoking look at their lives.

This was the book choice for the club I am currently leading. And it definitely gave us a lot of discussion points. Reading it was really a cycle of hope and despair. The ways the lives intertwined was intriguing to me. I am looking forward to the second book coming out June 2018

Trigger warnings: abuse

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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was not at all what I expected. And I adored it. However, it's a 4 start instead of 5 as it took me until halfway through the book to begin adoring it.

Eleanor is different. She suffers through the workweek, more than competent at her job, only to drink her way through the weekend so she can get back to what she knows. She is unskilled and awkward in social settings and even in the office. But then Eleanor meets Raymond, the new guy working IT at the office. As a result, she begins to shift out of her isolation. It's a beautiful and messy transition.

First of all, I have to say this book is full of amazingly deep thoughts and quotes to pull out and ponder. About love. About loneliness. About what it takes to be accepted in today's society. About judgment and assumptions and opening oneself to others. Profound.

Gail Honeyman's insight into humanity is keen. She has created a character in Eleanor that I didn't particularly like for the first part of the book. She was judgmental and odd. But then a shift happened. The more I learned of her story, the more I understood her quirks. The more I understood, the more sympathetic I could be. I was rooting for her 100% by the end (the end which I loved, by the way). I think that alone speaks to the fact that we need to take to the time to connect and listen to each other's stories.

Raymond, with his own awkwardness, was probably my favorite character. He really saw people for who they were. That was powerful.

There is some language, drinking (the vodka every weekend for sure), and some racy discussion. None of it was out of character nor was it much.

I'm already stalking Gail Honeyman's internet presence to see when her next book will be released.

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The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you would like to read more of my reviews, visit https://mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com/ .

This is not The Nightingale but is an amazing story in it's own right.

A coming of age novel set in the 70's and 80's Alaskan frontier. This is a hard book to review without giving a lot of it away.

I adored and was rooting for Leni throughout. At one point I had to set down the book to make dinner - muttering about a choice she had just made the whole time. I thought about the characters and story in between my reading of it. I was invested.

It's amazing to me how the Kristin Hannah was able to make Alaska itself a central character in the novel. Beautiful. Untamed.

The plot explores complicated themes in a multifaceted way.

It was wonderfully written. My only complaint is a situation towards then end that was handled to easily for the depth of the rest of the book.

I don't want to spoil any of it. Just read it.

Trigger warnings: violence, some language, alcoholism, PTSD

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The Best of Us - Sarah Pekkanen

The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen

Genre:  Women’s Fiction

Pages:  335

Publishing Date:  January 1, 2013



Synopsis from Goodreads:

Following a once-in-a-lifetime invitation, a group of old college friends leap at the chance to bring their husbands for a week’s vacation at a private villa in Jamaica to celebrate a former classmates' thirty-fifth birthday.
All four women are desperate for a break and this seems like a perfect opportunity. Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie needs to escape from the shattering news about an illness that runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her husband an unforgettable birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks that have already formed in their new marriage.
The week begins idyllically, filled with languorous days and late nights of drinking and laughter. But as a hurricane approaches the island, turmoil builds, forcing each woman to re-evaluate everything she’s known about the others—and herself.


My Thoughts:
My book club book for November. 

I had read a previous book by Pekkanen (The Best of Me) that I recall enjoying.  So I was looking forward to this read, and the story certainly was engaging. 

This is a book of friendships and secrets and love.  While these friends are away on a dream vacation, both the best and the worst are revealed.  None of the secrets were especially shattering, most were predictable.  Still, the characters were engaging even though there wasn’t a lot of character change through the book.  I related to Tina and her life, although I only have two young kiddos at home. I can understand the all-demanding nature of being at home with them.  So it was nice to see her get a break. 

I will say that Savannah as a character completely annoyed me.  I could have done entirely without her and her drama.  And the fact that her actions never had consequences…annoying as well.

I liked most of the story although there was a scene or two towards the end that I felt was over the top and impractical.  But I definitely kept turning the pages throughout to confirm where it was all going. 

There was a lot of drinking, some swearing, and some sexual innuendo.  All of those things knock the book down a star in my estimation.

However, the characters and fantasy plot made for a fun read overall.