The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman

Today's review is of the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for March.  It was chosen by Board of education member Mrs. Libero.  I was really stoked to read this as it was described as a musical comedy.  The main characters are piano players, so we've decided to hold the meeting at a piano restaurant next week.  We are hopeful retired West Haven music teacher Mr. Vessichio will make a guest appearance.

I am sorry to say I really did not like the book.  

Two languishing piano players put aside their melancholy loves to compete on a reality show like American Idol.  I did not like either one of them: Prudence--once a child prodigy who wrote a famous jingle and lives off the royalties and Alexei--a socially inept recluse.  I found Prudence annoying, and although I empathize that she is truly depressed without proper treatment, I wanted to smack her senseless.  She was the epitome of first world problems.  Alexei blames all his problems on his parents way of raising him, when in reality he has no gumption anyway. 

Add in the HOST of minor characters the reader has to keep straight.  There are way too many extra characters and most of them are just as annoying.  The HOA president, the bum ex-husband, the former teacher...every one needed a back story that was a slog to get through.

So, yeah, a no from me.  The ending is happy. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.            

  

Daughter by Kate McLaughlin

This was recommended by another CT School Librarian.  The author is originally from Nova Scotia and now lives here. In addition, a good chunk of the story is set in NASCAR country--the areas around Charlotte and Raleigh.  Definite bonus points. 

Unfortunately, I didn't particularly care for the book.  It was very easy language, a quick Young Adult level read I finished in an afternoon.  But the plot was lacking.  This needed to be much longer and much more involved to be a fully fleshed out novel.  It read like the drafts of a Netflix or Prime series that was still in development.  

Scarlet is a typical teen in wealthy CT--upper middle class, white, attends private high school, smoked weed.  Single Mom is overprotective, but understandably as her husband/Scarlet's father took off when she was a baby and Mom has no other family left.

Except that is all a lie.  The FBI shows up and Scarlet learns she is "Baby Britney", the long lost daughter of a famous serial killer in North Carolina.  She has a ton of other family and her mother had a whole life she ran from to escape the media.  Scarlet/Britney's father is now dying of cancer and wants to see his daughter.  He promises to give up the names and locations of the rest of his victims in exchange.

Now, I thought at the beginning Scarlet would unearth some very important clue, or we'd learn the mother was actually the killer, or Scarlet herself would become a killer herself.  But, nothing happens.  There was no plot twist, no surprise, no...nothing.  It just was.  

Do not recommend.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.    

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

This is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for January, although we are not meeting until the first week of February.  It was chosen by Board of Education member Pat Libero.

What the heck did I just read....?!?!?!

I read this last night in one sitting.  The language is easy (my suspicion partly because it was written in Swedish then translated).  I texted Ms. Marcella from Carrigan and Ms. Corrado as I was reading because I am so confused!

The book begins with a suicide (a man jumps off a bridge).  A young boy witnesses this; it leads him on a path to become a police officer to help people.  I thought, OK, this is going to be very dark, moody, dramatic.

Fast forward to the present and a robber holds up a bank.  The boy, now a man and officer, responds to the crime, where the robber has broken into a real estate showing (the translation has it as "apartment" but a better term for us would be "condo").  

Here it suddenly turns into slapstick comedy.  It was like Wadsworth running down the hall with the candlestick.  There's an elderly smoker, a lesbian pregnant couple, an older real estate flipper and his wife, and an actor dressed as a giant rabbit.  What. Did. I. Just. Read.

As you can probably figure out, the now hostages develop the syndrome that they want to save/protect the robber.  And things end up in a nice bow with an awwwww.

I am still not sure what happened.  I'm looking forward to discussing this book.     

Cooking for the Culture by Toya Boudy

I have lately been obsessed with New Orleans and Creole food, history, and culture.  So naturally when I was looking for new cookbooks, this caught my eye.  Toya Boudy is a TV chef I've watched prior and love her recipes.  

This is similar to Home Is Where The Eggs Are, reviewed here recently, in that it is a hybrid cookbook and memoir.  Each recipe begins with an anecdote from Boudy's past and each section with family history.  Boudy is one of 3 sisters, the daughters of two hard working parents.  Because her parents worked, they were just above the monetary guidelines for assistance, meaning meals had to stretch, and her parents made almost everything from scratch. Boudy became pregnant in high school, which threw a wrench in her plans, but she did eventually complete her education and gave birth to her best friend.  Her eldest daughter became her biggest cheerleader, being present for all of her mom's success.     

These are amazing recipes, and I copied a bunch of them before adding this to our collection.  I am hoping someday to visit NOLA and try so many dishes!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.