Into the Attic Darkly by Robin Cannon

You may know Robin Cannon.  She is a retired WHPS elementary level teacher and still resides here.  She reached out to our Teachers and Friends Book Club to read and discuss her book Into the Attic Darkly this month.  This is not a book I would have picked up, which is kinda the point of a book club--read and discuss what you might not've yourself.

This is a whodunit mystery, with some serious generational trauma thrown in.  Dan is a hot shot lawyer and Ellen is his social climbing wife.  They have two boys, Tom (who mostly narrates in first person, but sometimes it abruptly switches to 3rd) and Eddie, plus their nanny Dulcie.  Eddie is in need of mental help and is sent away after a violent outburst nearly ruins one of his parents' dinner parties.  Dan and Dulcie have an affair, which Tom discovers and documents via photos (using the camera Dulcie gave him...).  Dan is shot dead and Ellen dies of a heart attack (or poisoning...) on the same day.  Tom is blamed, but is innocent.

So first the title.  It's literal in that the two boys like to play in the spooky attic.  It's also figurative in that the dark attic is where Eddie, Tom, and Dulcie all seem to retreat mentally (and to an extent physically) when things go sour.  

Second, there are all kinds of abuse going on here that isn't easy to read.  No, these parents aren't beating their kids senseless or starving them or anything like that, but a license to breed argument would be supported with their words and behavior.  Why bother having children?  

Third, I didn't care for Dulcie.  I know she is only half the guilty parties in the affair, but.  I found her insincere and just...I don't even know, but I did not like her at all.

There are quite a few nods to the local area in the fictional town, the biggest being the Rivoli.  If you don't know what that means here in West Haven, Google it.

I'm interested to hear what my book club has to say and from the author.  I'll be adding this to our collection come next school year.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not reflect those of WHHS or WHPS. 

Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino

I am back from my trip to England.  I spent a long weekend with my sister and her family at Lakenheath AFB. 

This Disney villain series was highly recommended by several of my Disney obsessed friends.  They are billed as back stories and what happens after the movies, all intertwined in-universe style.  I had purchased the set for the WHHS Library, as the vendor reading level is on the younger side but with a range of interest age.  I've had trouble keeping them on the shelf because they are so popular.  Naturally I wanted to read one, so I chose Maleficent of Sleeping Beauty.

I hated it.  

I'm sorry, but this was terrible.  I'm actually sad to have read it, because I almost feel it's ruined the character for me.  

I do not see the allure.  The tale does not match what we know about the character (and I'm not buying the in-universe style: we know when the fairy tales are set, you can't change that).  The writing itself is definitely for 11-12 age, which means many of our lower-level readers can access it, but for me, I felt I was reading something way to simplistic for the subject.  

Back to the shelf this one goes, not the display.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not represent WHHS or WHPS. 

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Continuing my summer reading theme of books recommended by others, I am absolutely shook by this book.  I reviewed Hannah's novel The Four Winds during the Rona here, and I admit to being a bit skeptical as she seems overly wordy sometimes.  This was suggested by another client in my hair salon, and when I posted the picture our Board of Education Chair replied she loved it.

I did too.

It is slow to start.  Meredith is the heir to a very successful apple orchard, mother to two college age daughters (both attending highly selective universities) and married to her high school sweetheart Jeff (although their relationship is more friend than lover these days).  Her parents live nearby, and she visits her doting but ailing father Evan and exceptionally cold mother Anya regularly.  Nina is the younger wild child, currently a journalism photographer in Africa.  When Evan passes, Anya seemingly goes off the deep end.  Doctors think it's just grief, but Meredith thinks dementia is setting in.  Evan's final request is that Nina and Meredith convince Anya to tell a fairy tale story from long ago.

It isn't until Anya starts telling the fairy tale does the story really begin.  I was honestly getting annoyed with Meredith and Jeff's marital woes, and Nina's, I think, Australian, boyfriend.

But then, wow.  Anya tells a fairy tale that devolves rapidly into what her daughters realize is an autobiography of her youth in Stalin's Leningrad.  And their mother is NOT who they think she is.  I can tell you, as a mother, parts of this story had me sobbing.  Ugly crying.  And the plot twist at the end?  Shocking.

This is a definite recommend from me!

A reminder all opinions on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not represent those of WHHS or WHPS.           

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker

This was recommended to me (and donated to the WHHS Library by) a fellow client at my hair salon.  When I posted that picture of summer reading titles on my FB, many commented how much they liked it.

The premise is that a mom, dealing with guilt from a car accident that killed her youngest daughter, goes missing during a storm.  Her oldest daughter, a high school drop out alcoholic goes looking for her.  The story alternates between their viewpoints over two weeks until their timelines merge. 

I don't get the hype.  

First, there is a glaring error in the weather.  It doesn't go from hurricane to thirty below in one night.  Furthermore, it's not hitting thirty below in October in CT.  Second, the story is taking place in the southern Berkshires.  A hurricane, if it were to still be hurricane strength by the time it got there, would be devastating; life wouldn't be back to normal in less than a day.  Third, the book was published during the height of Covid, but only one little girl is wearing a mask? No one else is?

On top of that, I found the writing flat, the plot too convoluted, and the ending downright comedic rather than a drama climax.   

Yeah, no.  Won't be a recommendation from me.

A reminder that all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not represent those of WHHS or WHPS.  

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

This is the teachers and friends book club selection for May.  We are behind in meeting due to an injury and a family member's passing.  Our meeting is next week for this and our previous book The Weekend Retreat. 

This romantic comedy was chosen by Mrs. Tirollo over at Mackrille.

Eye roll, eye roll, eye roll with vomit, eye roll. Yeah, this was NOT my cup of tea.  Far-fetched, contrived, wishy-washy, bad childhood/crazy parent, cringe romance scene, set up for a trilogy.  Now, if you like rom-coms, especially ones that can be read in one beach day, then cool.  But blah for me.  

Emma and Justin are both seemingly cursed--the person they break up with finds their soulmate in the next person he or she dates.  They meet via Reddit DM and Emma drops everything to move to Minnesota to meet him.  Emma's mother is bonkers, her foster sister Maddy and her family are grounding, Justin is about to assume custody of his 3 younger siblings when his mother goes to prison for money laundering.  Way too convoluted and unbelievable.  Maybe for you, but for me?  Sorry, not sorry to dislike. 

However, that's kinda one point of a book club: be forced to read things you yourself probably wouldn't pick up, let alone finish.  Will I be reading books 2 and 3 in the series? No. 

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not represent those of my school or district. 

Summer Reading 2024

After a very long hiatus, I am going to start reviewing here again!  Here is my summer reading list:

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.