Sprinkles From the Book Pile

Hi all. I hope you’ve had a good week. I’ve been busy with yard work and officiating a junior tennis tournament lately, so things have gone by in a whoosh. But now I’m back to chat about books. Last week’s post about my summer reading list drew great thoughts and input. I agree with those who said it’s a pretty ambitious list. I’m not sure I realized that many books I picked were over 400 pages. What was I thinking? Especially since I have Publishers Weekly reading to do too. But it will give me perhaps some focus and direction of what I want to read.

This week I have a slew of reviews to post since I haven’t in awhile. These are ones I read or listened to before my summer picks. Let me know if you know any of these, or have any thoughts about them.

Welcome Home, Stranger by Kate Christensen / Harper / 224 pages / 2023

3.5 stars. The protagonist of this novel divorced 53-year-old Rachel Calloway is a bit of a hard-nosed piece of work. Still she’s a bit sympathetic too when things start to fall apart. She’s worked like heck for decades as a science journalist to get where she is at her D.C. job … but when she’s called back to her hometown of Portland, Maine after her estranged mother dies, leaving her her townhouse, things begin to combust.

Rachel hasn’t returned home in 10 years, even while her mother, an attention-seeking alcoholic, was ill and dying. Her sister Celeste took care of her and holds resentments that she did all the work. Now as the two sisters reconnect with Rachel back in town … they find themselves mostly fighting rather than getting along. While there, Rachel must deal with old memories of her mother who she wasn’t close to; her hometown boyfriend who’s just been married; as well as her sister Celeste, her brother in law who’s turned alcoholic and their kids. Meanwhile her ex in D.C. is terminally ill and she’s being pushed out of her beloved job.

Independent Rachel, who seems to eschew her working-class digs, begins to feel a snowball effect upon her. Will she be able to pull it together and turn over a new leaf? There was some good writing in this, though I was at times at odds with the tempestuous characters and yet still I rooted for them to iron things out. This was my first novel by this author and another Maine novel whose setting I seem to be reading this year with other novels such as The Road to Dalton and Beyond That, the Sea.

The General and Julia by Jon Clinch / Atria / 272 pages / 2023

3.75 stars. I quite enjoyed the audio of this historical novel narrated by Gibson Frazier, which captures significant moments in the life of Ulysses S. Grant while he comes to write his memoirs at the end of his life in 1885. It took me awhile at the beginning to get accustomed to the narrative and the jumps it takes here and there in time (chapters seem a bit like vignettes). But as it went on I found it a fascinating look into the man whom the Confederacy surrendered to at Appomattox and who held the presidency twice. I learned quite a bit more about him than I knew before.

The prose is well done and it captures Grant’s mind-set, the times, and how his thoughts changed about slavery. It also tells about how he met his wife Julia (and later having a family of four kids), his meeting with Lee at Appomattox, his time as a St. Louis farmer at his farm Hardscrabble, his move to New York and his turn to business, his massive financial loss in a swindle, and his friendship with Mark Twain who helped Grant with his memoirs and offered to publish it.

Grant’s life was full of hard work, loss, and hardship. I had no idea he struggled so financially before the Civil War as a farmer, and later when he lost most of his money in an epic business scheme. I also didn’t know much about his friendship with Twain or his relations with slaves. Who knew he was such an interesting figure — pivotal yes, but also with such a variety of opposite aspects about him. I finished the novel wanting to know more about Grant. Should I read his memoirs, or the 1,100 page tome Grant by Ron Chernow? Ha. It could be a desert island book someday.

Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl / Milkweed / 248 pages / 2019

3.5 stars. The chapters altered between lyrical nature writing and poignant essays about her family. I liked both quite a bit, though they were often quite brief and I sort of wanted the essays to go on longer … or the book to be written as an ongoing memoir. Though it has aspects of that.

Renkl, a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, talks much about the cycle of life and death in nature and caring for her elderly parents and their sad passings, which were tough on her. The parts about her loving parents really spoke to me and I found them touching. The joys of nature and family resound in the book … as well as growing up in a rural spot in Alabama before they moved to the city.

I think when I picked it up I didn’t realize it’d be short essays instead of a memoir, which isn’t my preferred reading format, but I liked her sensibilities and her honesty in thoughts about herself and her life. She is a keen observer of the natural world and the ties that bind family.

The Lost Americans by Christopher Bollen / Harper / 352 pages / 2023

3.2 stars. When a man named Eric working as a weapons technician for a defense firm in Egypt is found dead fallen from his balcony and it’s ruled a suicide, his sister Cate in New York begins poking around sure that her brother didn’t commit suicide. She flies to Cairo and enlists the friend of a friend — Omar — who’s hiding his life as a gay man from the oppressive regime. The two work together uncovering some leads about the nefarious firm Polestar, which offers a settlement of $4 mil to Eric’s parents back in Massachusetts.

Around and around the plot goes as Cate tries to make headway in finding out the truth about her brother’s death … trying to discover: what he was involved in and who he was associating with. Some of the threads are interesting in Egypt and others go round and round and I lost momentum caring too much about what was what. But then it gets dangerous for Cate and Omar and the ending was a bit of a surprise and a little shocking so it came to a head in a direct way. I listened to this on audio while I was weeding the yard.

King Nyx by Kirsten Bakis / Liveright / 320 pages / 2024

3 stars. I wanted to really like this one since I remember liking the author’s first novel Lives of the Monster Dogs long ago, but I could not stomach this one the same. Basically it’s about Anna Fort who in 1918 accompanies her husband Charles, a crypto-scientist, to an isolated island off northern New York state where Charles can finish his book at his benefactor’s island mansion. Soon we’re alerted that Anna has bouts of hysteria and had been in a sanitarium for awhile.

She was a maid when she met her husband and stands by her man since he helped her and is trying to earn a living with his book. But when they get to the island weird stuff begins to happen as they’re put in quarantine (since it’s the days of the Spanish flu), such as seeing foragers in the woods, having an oddly absent benefactor, and Anna’s being put under hypnosis by another guest who uses a machine. Then later dead bodies begin popping up.

It seemed a bit like goth on steroids … with life-size human dolls to boot. But did it really make any sense? Around and around it goes with its happenings and feminist themes. It wasn’t really for me — but it might be for you. Others on Goodreads liked it. I liked some of the Upstate New York locales it mentions such as Clayton and Alexandria Bay, where I’ve visited before. Otherwise I was ready to leave the island early on.

That’s all for now. What about you — do any of these ring a bell? And what are you reading these days?

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44 Responses to Sprinkles From the Book Pile

  1. Carmen says:

    Among your reads I think I would like The General and Julia best. And if you’re planning to spend a summer in a desert island you can always pack Chernow’s 1000+pages biography. 😉 I think that book is languishing in my kindle library, along with Hamilton. I thought I was reading at a slower pace than last year, but comparing this year’s reading track with last year’s I found out that I’m only one book behind, while most of the ARCs I’ve read this year have been 500 pages or more, with a recent one clocking in at 835 pages.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Carmen, whoa those ARCs you’re reading seem way too long. Is anything interesting? Did you get the Liz Moore one? I think you’ll pass your reading last year. I’m also one book down from April in which I couldn’t read anything. I’ve caught up a little bit. Out of these books here — I think The General and Julia was the best one. I guess I didn’t know much about Grant before this. If I were shipwrecked to an island or thrown in prison, maybe I could finish Chernow’s book … I didn’t realize you had both Chernow books on your Kindle. lol. That’s a lot of pages! Good luck with your long reads.

      • Carmen says:

        I read The Passionate Tudor, or Mary I: Queen of Sorrows, as it’s being published in the UK, which I liked a great deal; that was the whopping 835 pages ARC. Surprisingly, it was very easy to read. The final version of the book has 500+ pages. Thanks. I thought I was reading so slowly that I adjusted my projected total books to 30, which I thought was doable with asterisk, but you are right, maybe I can meet last year’s total after all. I’m not planning to read the Liz Moore one but Sarah’s Bookshelves recommended that one in one of her posts. I buy lots of biographies but they tend to be doorstoppers so then I don’t read them. Since I started blogging I stopped reading long books and now I’m starting to relax anytime I realize they are longer than the 400+ pages that used to be my tolerance level. The ArCs I have no control over. I think publishers are granting ARCs that are still undergoing editing, though they don’t show any obvious flaws that may be off putting, just longer than usual. The reason I bought Chernow’s bios was because I jumped on the Hamilton musical bandwagon, but my father, when he used to read in Kindle, gravitated towards that genre. He’s a history buff. 😉

        • Susan says:

          Ahhh. That makes sense. & Chernow’s bios are major and seem great too. I have yet to read one.
          Great job on finishing the Tudor book. Wow. That’s impressive.* You likely are an expert now on Mary I. I think you will catch up on your reading goal & likely meet last year’s. I usually hesitate choosing books over 400 to 450 pages. But if I think they’re worth it — then I’ll do it. But I’m pretty slow with those. Cheers.

          • Carmen says:

            Maybe you can juggle one short, one really long, and that way you can handle door stoppers without really affecting your regular posting routine. Or the audiobooks can be as long as they need to be and stick with normal length for regular content, and whenever you finish the long one is one extra. Think about it.

        • Susan says:

          I think you’re right … I need to balance the long books with the short. I think I’m starting with Road to Dalton (on audio) and River East River West (in print) but both are among the shorter ones. Hmm. Then I’ll have to go long. I have The Demon of Unrest as an ebook ARC but have only started. We’ll see if I can juggle.

  2. tracybham says:

    I think I would be most interested in Welcome Home, Stranger and The General and Julia. It sounds like I could learn a lot from that last one. And both are a reasonable length. I do not want to read a 1000 page biography about anyone.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Tracy, ha you’re probably right … an 1,100 page biography would be hard to get through about anyone. One’s interest would likely wane along the way.
      I think the ones you picked were the best of this bunch of books.
      I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Happy reading.

  3. Haven’t read any of the books you reviewed. The General and Julia sounds like an interesting one to me, too. I’ve always wanted to read that Ron Chernow biography about Grant, but it’s over 1000 pages, which I find daunting. Maybe I’ll read this historical fiction novel about him instead. ;D

    • Susan says:

      Hi Lark, Yeah the Grant novel is a good alternative to reading the huge Chernow biography. And I think you might like it. Grant was certainly quite an interesting figure. I didn’t know much about him before. Have a great weekend.

  4. iliana says:

    I really like the sound of Late Migrations even though I rarely read essays. That’s too bad that King Nyx didn’t work out for you as it sounds interesting and I admit that cover is probably what would draw me in. Very striking!

    • Susan says:

      Hi Iliana, yeah I’m still a bit curious about Margaret Renkl’s latest book after Late Migrations called The Comfort of Crows, which apparently includes fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. Hmm, I might get to it later in the year. As for King Nyx – maybe I just wasn’t the right audience for it — but I think others might like it. It did get good comments on Goodreads from others so it might appeal to you. I liked the cover too! Have a great weekend.

  5. It sounds like the rain finally stopped so you could enjoy some outdoor time. King Nyx appeals to me, although I don’t know if I will rush to read it. I am sorry it wasn’t better for you. I really like the cover of Late Migrations. It’s not my usual read, but your review has piqued my interest. I really like the sound of The General and Julia. I will be checking that one out. I hope you are well, Susan! Have a great weekend.

    • Susan says:

      Hi LF, I think we’re going to hit 70 degrees today so hooray for sun.
      You still might like King Nyx — I love the cover. It might just not have been in my wheelhouse so to speak. But others are liking it. And the General & Julia is pretty good historical fiction since you read that at times. Late Migrations has some interesting parts to it about her family & growing up in Alabama.
      Hope all is well in Calif and happy June!

  6. King Nyx sounds intriguing, but also kind of out there! Life-size human dolls? Too bad it didn’t work for you. The cover is amazing though. I love corvids!

    • Susan says:

      Hi Diana, thanks for stopping by. You might like King Nyx — maybe it just wasn’t for me but others are liking it. See what you think. I like the cover too. It made me want to read it. I’m not too sure about what the dolls were about but the King Nyx references a toy that the main character grew up speaking to in times of trouble and almost pray to. It held powers I think. Have a great weekend.

  7. All the books are only in the 3 star range, that’s a bummer. I hope this month brings you books that you like better (I am assuming the highest is 5). I’ve read some pretty good books this past month and am hoping June is good too. I am about to start Tommy Orange’s new book Wandering Stars.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Helen, thanks. Yeah I think my summer reading list should have some high ratings. These books were of genres a bit all over the map. They had some good parts about them so I don’t really regret any. I’ll be interested to hear what you think Orange’s new book. I listened to his first one. After that ending I can only imagine. Enjoy your reading.

  8. stargazer says:

    It sounds like you’ve had mixed luck with the reading recently. Fingers crossed, you will find some favourites amongst the books on your ambitious summer TBR. I am currently trying to read some books from The Women’s Prize for Fiction, seeing that the winner will be announced soon. Let’s see if I can get some reviews up before then. Happy reading! 🙂

    • Susan says:

      Hi Stargazer, that’s a good idea to check out the Women’s Prize shortlist. I just went & checked to see which books those include … and I’m just now reading River East, River West … and I’ve wanted to read Enter Ghost. I wonder which book will win? Hmm. I look forward to see. I think my summer list will have some great reads – I’m hoping. I’ve just now started one on audio and one in print and I’m liking both. Good luck with your reading!

  9. Tina says:

    I haven’t read any of the books you mentioned but I was inspired to join the summer reading challenge at 746 Books. When I was making my list I noted the page numbers and i had quite a few fat ones. Kept some on the list – maybe I will be industrious.

    The tennis tournament officiating must have been fun and made the time fly!

    • Susan says:

      Hi Tina, yeah the tennis officiating is something I enjoy doing & seeing teenagers play & enjoy the sport, which I liked for so many years.
      I look forward to seeing your summer reading list. The long ones make it challenging. I didn’t realize I had several. Nonfiction history can take me forever. good luck with yours! Happy reading.

  10. I’m taking a writing class this summer and the instructor loves the work of Margaret Renkl. I’ve only read one collection of her essays so far, but I may look for more.

    I’ve added two more books to my summer reading list—Nicholas Nickleby, more than 800 pages, and Madame Bovary, in French. I may have overreached!

    • Susan says:

      Ha Deb. It sounds like you have taken on some doorstoppers for summer, whoa! And in French — that’s ambitious! I once saw the play of Nicholas Nickleby in L.A. that was going around — long ago now — was it a musical? Anyway it went on for most of the day and I fell asleep for hours and when I awoke it was still going on the same as when I left it. Ha.
      I might try Renkl’s latest book but it won’t be for awhile.
      Happy reading.

  11. Mae E Sander says:

    Great list. I hope you will really read these books and review them.
    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    • Susan says:

      Hi Mae, thanks. perhaps you are talking about my summer list below. I hope I get to read & review them too. I’m on the first two so far and have a long way to go. Did you make a list? I’ll stop by your site soon. Cheers.

  12. Lesley says:

    I haven’t looked at the page count for my book choices for the summer reading challenge, but there are a few in the stack that are quite slim. I agree that having a list helps with focus and direction. Now to finish my current read so I can dive into that list!

    Not only have I not read any of the books you reviewed, I haven’t heard of them or their authors! Late Migrations sounds appealing, and I see Ann Patchett has an endorsement on the cover. My only complaint about essays is that they can be repetitive, if drawn from previous columns. Still, I’m adding it to my list. Thanks!

    I’m about a third into the most recent installment to Susan Hill’s “Simon Serrailler” mystery series. Once I finish that, I’ll start The Latecomer, which I’m dying to read.

    Enjoy your warmer temps and sunshine! Rain here this weekend, but we helped clean up our cove yesterday in preparation of summer weather and happy hour Fridays down there. 🙂

    • Susan says:

      Hi Lesley, Sounds good that the cove was cleaned up. We had a nice weekend here and things are climbing into the 70s. I hope you enjoy the mystery series and let me know about The Latecomer. I’ve only read one of hers.
      I’m not sure if you will like Margaret Renkl but I’m curious about her latest one called The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year. She likes birds & critters. But I would’ve preferred this one be a memoir and not essays. Hmm. But it was a memoir in essays if that makes sense.
      Good luck starting your list. (me too).

  13. If I’m honest none of these appeal particularly, but then I’m in a bit of a slump.

    Wishing you a great reading week

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Shelleyrae. It’s okay none of these was really a complete home run for me but the Grant book (historical fiction) was probably the best. I hope you get out of your slump. Have a great week too.

  14. Look at that beautiful view! So green! Yes, I can see why you’d need to narrow down your options for summer reading if a lot are over 400 pages. That takes a time commitment. I want to visit Portland, Maine at some point and even thought the characters sound prickly, Welcome Home, Stranger sounds like something I might enjoy.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Rachel, I think you might like the Welcome Home Stranger novel. And the setting of Maine is good too. The lead character is a strong willed person!
      It’s very green here now. Lovely out. We will see if we can hold off a brown dry summer. I’m just starting in on my list so we will see how it goes. Do you have a list this summer? I will stop by your site soon. Have a great week.

  15. Sam Sattler says:

    I’m a big fan of Jon Clinch’s novels, especially how different his character choices are from book to book, but I didn’t know about this one…too many books to keep up with…so it’s one I’ll be taking a long, hard look at for sure. Some of the others have eye-catching covers but from what you’ve said about them, that might be the best part.

    I hadn’t especially noticed before, but you are really a strict grader when it comes to ratings. I like your quarter-point increments because that’s the only way to really differentiate a lot of books that fall somewhere between three and four star values. Not all three star books are of the same quality, obviously, and that really helps.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Sam, yeah I knew you were a Jon Clinch fan and I’m really glad I read this one. He did a pretty amazing job getting into the shoes of Grant and I learned quite a bit about the man. It started a bit slowly for me while I got my bearings of the story and jumping narrative but then later I was hooked. I think you should get this novel. I think you’d like it. What a figure in history Grant was.
      Perhaps I was a bit too strict on rating this novel and should just give it a full 4.0 stars on Goodreads. Most all of my ratings are either 3 or 4 so I try to figure a way that it will mean a bit more than that. So I mark all these incremental points which are probably silly. Rating books is tough at times; I usually go with a gut reaction & my thoughts. I dont think Goodreads is often fair to the authors who must have thick skins. I’m sure for all Clinch’s research & work he deserves at least a 4. Cheers. Have a great week.

  16. All your books are new to me. I hope you enjoy them. Have a great week!

    • Susan says:

      Hi Cindy, thanks all is well. I read & reviewed these books – I gave them mostly 3.5 ratings. Moving on now. Hope your week is nice.

  17. Ti says:

    Welcome Home, Stranger sounds like something I’d enjoy. I am off to find your summer reading post. Curious to see the list.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Ti, I think you would like Welcome Home Stranger. The lead character is strong … maybe strong willed too. Oh the List … I need to go on it big time. Hope your week is going well.

  18. Dorothy A. Borders says:

    I enjoy Renkl’s writing and I’ll definitely be checking out her new book. Thanks for the heads up.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Dorothy, Yeah Renkl’s latest book The Comfort of Crows came out in Oct. last year and this book Late Migrations was her first book which came out in 2019. I might eventually read the Crows one. I agree she has a good sensibility about her and she loves animals and nature. I pick up tidbits from her essays. Happy reading!

  19. Constance says:

    I have not read any of these but am enjoying Becoming Madam Secretary about Frances Perkins. I knew very little about her but am wondering how much of this book is made up. I was tempted to skip to the author’s note at the end but so far have resisted!

    I was persuaded by your list to join the 20 Books of Summer and included Long Island but was careful to include some short books too!

    • Susan says:

      Hi Constance, sorry I missed seeing your comment before, but Yay for joining in on the Books of Summer. I will have to check out your list. You’re right that my list has too many long ones! Yikes. I should have been aware of that. Right now I’m going too slowly on the list, figures. We all need to account for other summer activities.
      I’m curious about Madam Secretary … and I will look for your review. I often love the historical novels and I don’t know about Perkins either. Happy reading.

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