December Reads

 I read 6 books in December...... the majority of them being in the lazy days I've recently had off!

The Northern Reach, by: W.S. Winslow

I received this ARC from Flatiron Books (thank you), it comes out March 2, 2021. I love learning about places I don't know much about, and Maine is really interesting to me. After the loss of her son at sea, Edith launches into memories of her family as well as 2 other families that intertwine over decades. Every chapter focused on a different story, and while interesting on their own, it was hard to keep everything straight. On this one, dare I say good idea but not executed in the best way?

The Blinds, by: Adam Sternbergh

My friend who loves dystopian books as much as I do gave me this copy a while ago. The Blinds is an experimental city in rural Texas, where criminals or witnesses have been selected to go to be safe. Their memories are erased, so none of them know what they did in their past. Things have been going well for 8 years, but as residents start turning up dead, suspicions arise. Outside authorities come in to investigate, but can they be trusted? This was good, but different (i.e. not fully dystopian) as the world around this compound was still normal. It makes you think about the idea of smaller communities that live outside of the norm and how they can be successful, but for how long?

The Dutch House, by: Ann Patchett

I got this copy in a book swap and was really anxious to read it. The main characters are a brother and sister, whose father bought The Dutch House as a surprise for their mother. She could never get used to the extravagance though, and ended up leaving when the kids were too young to understand. Their father remarried a woman who had 2 kids of her own - and who was obsessed with The Dutch House. When the dad passed away unexpectedly, she was quick to boot his biological kids out of the house. They spent the majority of their adulthood haunted by the house, and wondering why their mom left. Through maintained relationships with beloved nannies and friends, they eventually reconcile their past and the hold the house has over them. For as much hype I had about this book, it fell flat for me. It was one of those that I felt compelled to finish to see if anything happened, but couldn't wait for it to be done so I could move on.

Leave the World Behind, by: Rumaan Alam

I rediscovered a used book store near my office, so I got this there. A family rents a house on Long Island for their vacation. Not long into their stay, the owners of the home show up from the city, stating there is a black out there and they have no where to go. There is no way to assess what is going on, as cell and TV signals are not working (even though electricity at the rental house is still on). A series of odd noises and physical ailments start to affect some of them. I disliked that there was no answer or ending to this book, which I guess is part of the suspense and/or leaving the reader to decide what happened. But also, I did not care for this authors style of writing very much. Another one I saw through until the end to see what happened, but fell flat.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, by: Bryn Greenwood

I also picked this up at the used bookstore. Wow, I could not put this down! An unlikely love story that is best described by the book jacket:

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love

 

The Au Pair, by: Emma Rous

I received this copy from the publisher a few years ago, and just now read it. I really enjoyed it, so I would say the last 2 books of the month were my favorites and it was nice to end the year on a good note!

Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother, Danny, were born in the middle of summer at their family's estate on the Norfolk coast. Within hours of their birth, their mother threw herself from the cliffs, the au pair fled, and the village thrilled with whispers of dark cloaks, changelings, and the aloof couple who drew a young nanny into their inner circle. Now an adult, Seraphine mourns the recent death of her father. While going through his belongings, she uncovers a family photograph that raises dangerous questions. It was taken on the day the twins were born, and in the photo, their mother, surrounded by her husband and her young son, is smiling serenely and holding just one baby. Who is the child, and what really happened that day?