Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

This is the second book for this evening's Teachers and Friends Book Club meeting. If you didn't read my last review, we decided because Chicago, New York, and Rome (albeit Kentucky) feature, pizza was a good choice. So we are meeting at Lorenzo's. Of course when we planned this I didn't know my son would be receiving awards at the same place Monday and Wednesday. It's ok, their food is good.

Anyway. This is a romantic comedy, and apparently is part of a series. I had no issue understanding the plot having not read anything else from it. It was cheesy, silly, overly bubbly, and had plot holes bigger than the divot in the middle of Stevens Avenue. 

A small town Kentucky elementary school teacher leaves his job mid-year to get married and move to the big city. Few months later he decides BIG CITY LIFE is just not for him and he moves back. Instantly rehired to the dismay of his former grade partner who can't stand him. She's an aspiring smut author and it turns out Mr. Nice Guy Next Door is a famous mystery writer. In a series of unbelievable mockeries of rural country life, she accidentally sends her soft-core porn novel to their school principal, and he volunteers to steal said principal's laptop to erase the download. 

Now, I did chose "liked it" in the online poll we do. Because it's still better than some of the stuff we've read. But am I going out to buy the series? No. Nor would I recommend this except to the biggest fans of easy read beach rom coms. It was good enough to finish however. 

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

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

This is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for May. Due to ALL THE THINGS happening in May, we decided to instead meet in early June.  This story has a few bits in Chicago, but is mostly set in New York City, Queens specifically. Our second book for the June meeting will be set in Rome.  And by Rome I mean Kentucky. But, my brain heard Chicago, NYC, and Rome? Of course we need pizza! Oops. That meeting will be at our good friends' Lorenzo's. 

I was a little intimidated by the size of this novel.  It's big and thick.  But I do like historical fiction and/or narrative non-fiction.  If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you likely know my obsession with NYC in the late Gilded Age through the Progressive Era.  And of course with Coney Island.

I found many similarities in the historical aspects and themes in Clara and Mr. Tiffany that span literature set in this time period. Workers' Rights, especially those of women and immigrants, were headline dominating.  The poor but working class had enough of the opulence of their employers, and wanted fair compensation and safety protocols.  I was strongly reminded of Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things, which takes place around the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911.  Although set a bit earlier, Clara includes a host of strong female and immigrant characters, all with their own stories to tell, and they deserve we read them and know their names.  My favorite being boarding house mistress Merry. I will shillelagh you into next week! 

I do think one needs to have some background knowledge of the time period to fully understand this.  And probably have some idea what Tiffany lamps and windows looked like (not the modern version, the originals). Thankfully we love in a glorious time with The Google.  There are also several interviews with the author available in print and audio that help explain her trajectory in writing this. 

I'll be adding this to our collection, and it will be part of the first display come next school year.

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

 

Retreat by Krysten Ritter

This was the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for April, chosen by Our Daily Bakes owner Roberta.

There was not a lot of meat and potatoes to this book.  In fact, the first 2/3 or so were totally unnecessary. The last part could have been a short story and been just as effective.  That last part is what we debated, and debated hard, about!

Liz is a professional con artist.  She infiltrates high society events and befriends the wealthy then steals their jewelry, credit cards, fine clothing, etc. After an art gallery event, she is hired by a wealthy wife named Isabelle to oversee the final decorating of a villa in Mexico.  Isabelle and her husband Oliver are on a retreat the far east. 

Liz resembles Isabelle so much, the hoity-toity residents mistake her for her employer, and she decides to run with the con (this was a lot of fluff that wasn't needed). But she learns Oliver and Isabelle's marriage is on the rocks, and when Oliver's estranged brother shows up looking for him, things go awry very quickly. 

As this is a murder mystery, I don't want to spoil too much. If you can get through all the added details in the beginning, the end is worth reading. 

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

What in the World by Leanne Morgan

You've likely seen clips of comedian Leanne Morgan on social media.  The now 70s aged grandmother from Tennessee does stand up about motherhood, womanhood, aging, etc. Most of the clips I find, er, now found hilarious.  I wanted to see her live when her tour came to CT, but the dates didn't work out.  So naturally I pre-ordered her memoir.

I wish I hadn't.

I HATED this book.  And now I wouldn't spend a dime to see her live. 

I figured we'd get some insight into her life before comedy as a mom to 3, learn about her family, etc.  Which we do, and it's rather bleak.  In addition, what she makes as jokes on the stage (fighting over the thermostat, having another baby, moving for a spouse's job...) show her husband to be a jerk.  What I thought was exaggerated for the stage is actually under-portrayed.  He's a controlling and manipulative loser.  Once I had the money she does now, he'd be out on his behind.  He certainly wouldn't be driving a new truck, and he'd have zero say in how I spent my new found wealth.  Truth be told, I'd've ditched when I was poor.  Not worth it at all.  

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

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

ABSOLUTELY LOVED!

This is the Teachers and Friends' Book Club choice for March, chosen by retired English teacher Anne Pacelli.  I am so glad we read and discussed this book!

I do not believe the actor/director known as William Shakespeare wrote the works attributed to him.  I have longed believed the Oxfordian Theory, that Earl of Oxford Edward DeVere was the author, or at the very least, the lead author of a collective.  These works, at the time they were written, would have been treasonous, heretic, and downright dangerous to perform.

Picoult explores the possibility a woman was the author.  I had not heard Emilia Bassano as a candidate before, although some have suggested Mary Sidney Herbert or even the Queen herself.  After reading this, and the extensive author research notes, I believe Bassano has risen to a top prospective author. 

This is told in alternating viewpoints from Emilia and her descendant Melina Greene.  Greene is an aspiring playwright who fictitiously accuses a professor of an inappropriate relationship in a play, destroying her degree candidacy.  Later, she writes By Any Other Name, portraying her ancestor as one of the authors behind the Shakespearean works.  When Jasper Tolle, a newspaper critic who was present for her last embarrassment, is revealed to be behind the call for plays, Melina has her male (gay, black) roommate pretend to be "Mel" Greene.  It works, until Melina reveals the truth to Jasper, who in turn reveals this to his editor and again destroys Melina's career when it seems she, a suburban raised/straight/white woman, takes the credit away from Andre.

Emilia's life was not easy.  Sold by her musician family as a mistress to the wealthy Lord Chamberlain at just 13, she was free to read and write as she liked.  But a fling with the Earl of Southampton results in pregnancy, and she is sent back to family to be sold again to a violent abuser.  As an aside, there are theories the Earl of Southampton was either the illegitimate child of the Earl of Oxford or Queen Elizabeth or even their child together.  If you want to explore that side of the Oxfordian Theory, watch Anonymous. 

This is now my favorite Picoult book, and it is definitely going on my all-time favorites list overall.  I'll be adding this to our collection shortly!

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

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

This is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for February, chosen by former secretary Mary Lou.  It is most definitely not my cup of tea, but that's part of being in a book club!  This is most definitely happy ending romance.  Now, that being said, I actually found myself enjoying it!  It was a very easy read, finished in one day on our first snow day.  Nothing earth-shattering, nothing that required any semblance of brain power, a beach read in winter.

Jessica is a single Mom to seven year old Juno.  She's a freelance finance statistician, living in an apartment owned by her grandparents who live across the courtyard.  She's getting by, barely, but enough that she can buy coffee in an expensive shop every day with her best friend Felicity, a freelance romance writer.  There's a hot guy who comes in every morning at 8:30 who turns out to be a world renowned geneticist starting a matchmaking program using DNA. Jess and Fizzy give samples, and Jess matches almost perfectly with the tall, dark, and handsome doctor.

Again, beach read.  Some eye roll worthy "are we sure about this" scenes, some even bigger eye roll worthy romance scenes, and some really touching scenes between Dr. Pena and Jess's daughter and grandparents.  

I could not do this review without mentioning the cat. If you know Ms. Marcella at Carrigan, you've heard of JerkCat.  The cat in this book is JerkCat.  

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

Maid of Honor by C. Jagodzinski

This is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for January.  It was chosen by Board of Education member Ms. Libero, who is friends with the author, who is originally from Milford.  

Now this is NOT my cup of tea.  But that's the point of a book club, isn't it?  To read things one would not normally pick up, try something new, and discuss the merits of the literature.  

This is historical romance, set in Scotland in the late 1100s (if you couldn't guess, we're meeting at Duffy's later this month).  Lady Joan is set to marry Lord Robert Cunningham, when she runs away on the morning of the wedding to marry a pauper.  Her sister Elayne, who wanted to be a nun, must stand in per protocol.  Robert and Elayne eventually fall in love when Joan returns.  

Yes, definitely not something you'd read my review of here, but that does not mean I didn't like it.  It held my interest, and despite my annoyance at some of them, the characters were very well written.  I look forward to the author joining our meeting to talk about her process.

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