What I Read Last Week: August 14 to 20

This week was full of five-star reads! I greatly enjoyed each of these books for very different reasons. Here’s what I read for the week of August 14, 2023:

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman – I started this one on audio but was so intrigued by protagonist Britt-Marie that I switched to the physical book halfway through, and I’m so glad I did. The audiobook didn’t capture the magic of this beautiful character arc, nor did it do the townspeople of Borg justice. Backman knows how to create characters who are humanely flawed and who you can see as part of everyday life. I loved meeting Britt-Marie, whose separation from her philandering husband leaves her stranded in a forgotten town and watching her unlikely journey to becoming a soccer coach and beloved member of the community. This book broke me and put me back together again.
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager – I am a verified Sager fan now. This is my fourth read by the popular thrills-and-chills author, and I loved it. Emma left Camp Nightingale 15 years ago with many secrets, and she paints her guilt and lies into every massive canvas of her successful artist career. Now, the camp is open again, and she’s been invited back as an instructor. She sees her return as an opportunity to atone for the lies she told as a teenager and a chance to possibly close the mystery of what happened to her three cabin mates who vanished in the night so long ago. This is a tense, atmospheric read with many unreliable characters, and the ending was perfect. A great read to close out the summer and start preparing for spooky season!
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson – If this debut novel is a sign of what’s to come, Jenny Jackson is a new auto-buy author for me. I love a family drama, just like Ms. Jackson’s character-driven story about uber-wealthy Stockton family in Brooklyn Heights’s fruit streets (Pineapple, Orange, and Cranberry). Told from the POVs of sisters Darley and Georgiana and their new sister-in-law, Pineapple Street examines family relationships, wealth, and class, all with witty banter, vivid descriptions, and poignant messages. Loved it!

Five Stars for Independence

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: A Five-Star Book Review

Today I’m happy to share my review of Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, a Book of the Month backlist book from my stacks. This is a gorgeous novel from the start, and it hit all the right notes for me. Here’s why.

Why I Loved Independence

Historical Fiction. As I’ve explained before, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read. A good book from this genre takes me into a specific period of history and teaches me something new while engaging me with the story. Independence did just that. Set in 1947 British India, the novel explores partition and the political climate of the day, and the impact of the conflict and resolution on three sisters. With an exploration of Hindi and Muslim religions and traditions, Ms. Divakaruni shows how similar yet different the cultures are, and how the partition divided not just India but families and friends. I learned so much as I read Independence, and I loved the interwoven histories throughout the book.
Family Saga. Another of my favorite types of story is complicated family relationships. Priya, Deepa, and Jamini are sisters who love each other but in complex ways. By telling each sister’s point of view, Ms. Divakaruni brings the family’s bonds and tensions to life. Youngest daughter Priya was my favorite character as she yearned to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a doctor, but each sister had redeeming qualities and I enjoyed all three stories, especially as the resolution revealed itself.

Independence is an excellent historical fiction read for those of you looking to learn more about India or who are in the mood for a book with complicated family relationships. I highly recommend it!

Celebration of Life with Steven Rowley

A Five-Star Book Review: The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

Steven Rowley has been an auto-buy author for me since I read The Guncle back in 2021. (If you haven’t read that glorious book, stop right now and get yourself a copy. You must meet GUP. Read my review here.) His characters are complicated and well-developed, his descriptions vivid, and his stories unique while touching at the same time. The Celebrants is no different, and here’s why I give Mr. Rowley’s newest novel a full five stars.

Five Stars for The Celebrants

The Story: The Celebrants captures the message that you should tell people how much they mean to you while they’re living, not at their gravesides. After losing one of their own to death by suicide in college, a group of five best friends starts a pact: each one may call the others together for a “living funeral” at their time of crisis to help reinforce the value of each other in their lives. I love this concept because it’s so important to tell people how important they are each day, rather than wait until they can’t hear you any longer.
The Dialogue: Mr. Rowley crystallized each living funeral and the flashbacks to each character’s time of need, and he did that with sharp dialogue and wit that showed each character’s personality and pain. I loved the banter and the monologues.
The Resolution: The Celebrants ends in a heartbreaking and life-affirming manner. I won’t spoil the ending, but I though the resolution of the group’s pact for living funerals was perfect.

Now I have to wait in anticipation for a new book from this favorite author. Bookish problems, right? Who are some of your auto-buy authors?