Eddie Flynn might be one of my favorite fictional characters. I love watching him operate, especially in court! While this wasn’t my very favorite of the Flynn novels, I really enjoyed watching Flynn in action and I loved how the twists kept coming as they always do in his novels. Just when you think you figured it all out, Cavanagh makes sure you continue to pay attention!
with gratitude to netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review
Maynard is such a wonderful storyteller. This is the story of Frances, fourteen, who gets to spend the summer in a lakefront home in Maine as a mother’s helper. A world that is usually completely inaccessible to her, one full of country clubs, tennis tutors and more. This life seems magical to Frances who falls in love with so much of it and doesn’t want the days to end. Until she realizes things are maybe not exactly as they seem and that maybe all that glitters is not, in fact, gold.
The secrets start unraveling, her dreams of what this life is get shattered again and again as she gets embedded into the lives of the family she’s staying with. This story brims with so much life. Frances’ own coming of age story juxtaposed with the marriage and personal traumas of the Regina and Forrest and the lives of the two kids they have creates this layered and textured story of how complex each of our lives are and how nothing is really what it seems.
The audio version of this story was truly excellent, transporting you into the mind of Frances as she learns to navigate so much in one short summer.
with gratitude to netgalley and Brilliance Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so unusual, I am still thinking about it. Nothing happens, it’s a book of ideas. Of perspective. Of how we see each other and how we judge each other and how we don’t understand each other. It’s about intellectualism, about motherhood, about marriage, about being a woman. and so much more.
I enjoy Jackson’s novels and this one delivers a funny and smart story about Caroline who is away on a writing retreat and meets Van and falls in love. She is then embedded into their long-existing friend group. But Van’s on again and off again ex Bailey finds out that she’s pregnant and she’s keeping the baby…things take a bit of a complicated turn from there. Good story, well told.
I’m so grateful for the longer days of summer, having long days of sunshine is nothing to take for granted. One of the most magical parts of California. I haven’t really established a nighttime routine yet, but I have been doing daily yoga and cream so I’m making progress even if it’s my own way. I haven’t begun the reclaim list yet. I have to find a practical way to do that, I’ll think through it.
Progress on the big five:
Y: i found someone to prune one tree and replace the other. waiting for them. I will research planting in the meantime.
G: Got the unit moved! Haven’t done the last bits.
S: Done with appointment four, the rest coming later this month.
Sa: nothing yet 🙂
D: woohoo got the car serviced and washed my car!
Three Medium goals:
I will look into launching quests this coming week maybe?
I started the MBSR book, week one down.
made a lot of progress on my endless list of chores:
get car serviced
get tree pruned
figure out downstairs plan
ultrasound
decorate office
decorate yard tent
decorate garage
flush water heater
return g items
also: bought new glasses!
also: booked V tix
Start: Started and wow hard so far!
Stop: doing a good job so far!
Continue: meh no visual nottaking yet so far.
Brave: have not started this one yet.
Really productive start to the month. Somewhat helped by the short week, let’s see how I do this coming week! Here’s to another good week. Paying attention. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.
3.5 stars. I liked the way this story was told from the perspective of others’ views of the couple. But that also made the depth limited because we didn’t get to see their inner worlds at all. It was lovely nonetheless.
