Mini Book Reviews: September 2024

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

September was a really busy month for me and finding time to read was a challenge! I always read before I go to bed, which helps settle my mind unless I'm reading a book that doesn't grab me. That was the case with a couple of books I read this month. I'll let you read my reviews and let you figure out which ones they were (hint: there are 2). 

I also had one DNF this month,. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often to me. I try to pick books that sound like something I'd like. My favorite genres are literary fiction and I like suspense/thrillers, as long as they aren't gory. But every once in a while, I select a book that sounds good but just isn't right for me. That was the case with Liars, which is a short novel about a marriage. A successful woman marries a man who loves her, but as her career takes off, the marriage starts to go downhill. I couldn't understand why such a successful, confident woman would stay in such a terrible marriage--and he is a horrible man--and  I guess that is the whole book in a nutshell. I made it about halfway through and finally gave up. It wasn't a bad book, in fact, the writing was incredible, but it was not something I wanted to keep reading.

I loved the author's previous book, The Most Fun We Ever Had, so I was really looking forward to Same As It Ever Was. And yes, the title is from the Talking Heads' song. This is the story of a middle-aged wife and mother of an adult son and a teenage girl, who is discontented with her life. We learn a lot about the main character, as the narrative alternates from the past to the present. If you've been through that period of life, there is a lot to relate to. Lombardo's writing is absolutely beautiful, but there was just too much of it. Big sentences, long paragraphs, rambling prose--a little tightening up of the narrative would have been great.

Phoebe's deeply depressed. After struggling with infertility, her husband leaves her for a colleague, who is pregnant. Her career is going nowhere. And her beloved cat has died. She makes a plan to die by suicide, booking the largest room at a luxury resort overlooking the ocean. When she arrives, she discovers that the entire place is booked for an extravagant wedding. The bride confronts Phoebe, first regarding her presence and then learning of her plans, and declares that she cannot have a death at her wedding. The two become unlikely friends, more so on Lila's part, as she becomes dependent on Phoebe for her support and guidance, asking her to participate in the wedding. Despite sounding depressing, The Wedding People is actually hopeful. it's also very funny. 

Fred is down on his luck, out of money, and soon-to-be homeless. He finds himself in a local park and in an unfortunate twist of fate, is mistaken for one of the nursing home residents who has disappeared. Resistant at first, he settles into his new identity. This heartwarming story was the perfect palate cleanser after some recent heavy reads. Fred is kind and good-humored, the complete opposite of the man he is pretending to be. He deftly navigates his situation, which at times made me laugh out loud. If you are looking for a pick-me-up, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is just the thing!

Heartbreaking and satisfying, Blue Sisters is the story of 3 sisters trying to move on with their lives while dealing with the loss of sister #4. Raised by an alcoholic father and a mother who enabled him and put him first predisposed these girls to maladaptive coping behaviors. The story takes place one year after the death of their sister and finds the girls grieving in very different and destructive ways. When their mother tells them she needs to sell the NYC apartment where they were raised, the girls' reunion doesn't go well. This was an engrossing book but it wasn't always an easy read--I had moments of groaning out loud when one of the characters sabotaged her recovery. The bond of sisters enduring childhood trauma will hit home for many readers; it may be a tough novel for some readers. 

I loved Laura Dave's last book, The Last Thing He Told Me, and was so excited to read this one. The Night We Lost Him tells the story of two siblings trying to figure out what happened the night their father mysteriously died. Set in the beautiful mountains outside of Santa Barbara overlooking the Pacific Coast, the author's descriptive writing took me there. You would think there would be some urgency to the story as the siblings do their investigation, but this book moved slowly. The narrative alternates between the present and the past life of their father, yet the conclusion was a complete surprise to me. Apparently, he had a secret life that no one knew about. But by the end, I was ready to be done.

What have you read lately that you loved? Do you DNF a book that you don't like or do you push through to the end? Did you guess which books put me to sleep, lol?

I'm linking up with Jenn and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics. I'm also excited to join Farrah for My Month is Booked!