Bookreporter.com Bets On...

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

July 2018

Beatriz Williams is an author who I have been following for a while. Her latest book, THE SUMMER WIVES, which I think is her best yet, is an atmospherically rich story full of detail and brilliantly drawn characters. Here she explores another branch of the Schuyler family. It opens in late spring 1969 on a small island off the coast of New England, and the setting alone makes it a lovely summer read. In it, Miranda Schuyler is an actress who has come back to town to hide out and lick her wounds after fleeing a troubled marriage in London and a career on the skids. She heads back to Greyfriars, the palatial Fisher home, on Winthrop Island.

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The Widower's Notebook: A Memoir by Jonathan Santlofer

July 2018

Years ago, I met Jonathan Santlofer at a thriller writer event; I was a fan of his work, and he was a lot of fun to talk to. He has a quick wit and is the kind of person who can turn a casual evening into an adventure, which happened with him more than once. His latest work, THE WIDOWER'S NOTEBOOK, is not a thriller, but rather a memoir in which he looks at his first two years as a widower. In doing so, he draws back the curtain on every emotion and the days when he felt void of emotion. Readers will see the cloudy haze of grief that envelops him and how he emerges from that fog.

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The Lido by Libby Page

July 2018

THE LIDO by Libby Page is a complete joy of a book; just looking at its cover makes me smile. And I can think of so many friends who I’m sure will enjoy it.

In it, 86-year-old Rosemary Peterson has been swimming at The Lido in her hometown of Brixton since 1937. She’s already watched so much of the town change, and not in a good way, like the day she realized that the local library was closing forever. So when she learns that The Lido will be closing as a new condominium complex is coming into town, and that location will be their state-of-the-art, residents-only gym, she decides there has been enough change in the places she loves.

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When Life Gives You Lululemons (Audiobook) by Lauren Weisberger

June 2018

Audiobook listeners know that it’s all about the narrator. I was wildly impressed with Laura Benanti, who narrated Lauren Weisberger's WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS. Every character’s voice was distinct and completely captured their personalities and nuances, which made the listening experience all the more fun. I found myself laughing out loud so many times.

Lauren hit the same groove that worked so well in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. This time, the setting is Greenwich, Connecticut, and she captures the “I can one-up you” vibe of the town in pitch-perfect style.

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How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson

June 2018

For a while, I have been looking for a book that would make me laugh; it’s been a real challenge. I found that in HOW HARD CAN IT BE? by Allison Pearson. Many remember her protagonist, Kate Reddy, from I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT. Kate is now a stay-at-home mother who is eager to return to the workforce, but she is 49 and companies are not exactly opening their doors to her. Her children are teenagers who test her nerves, and her husband has left his job to plot a new career as a therapist, but he seems to be spending a lot more time on his high-end bike than he is plotting his future. Layer in aging parents, and Kate is at her wit’s end.

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Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

May 2018

To me, Paula McLain is a gold standard writer of historical fiction. THE PARIS WIFE, with its brilliant account of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson, brought readers a new look at the writer through the eyes of a woman he loved. Her latest book, LOVE AND RUIN, gives us another look at a wife of Hemingway as here she explores the life of his third wife, Martha Gellhorn.

Paula never thought she would write about Hemingway again, but as she shares, “I had a crazily vivid and powerful dream. I was fishing with Hemingway on his boat, the Pilar, and Martha Gellhorn was there, hand-feeding a marlin that had leapt from the sea. The next morning, still gripped by the dream and feeling it was some sort of sign,” she started researching Gellhorn, who she knew surprisingly little about. The more she read, the more she wanted to tell her story --- not just as the wife of Hemingway, but also for the brilliant writer she was in her own right. And that she does.

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Beauty in the Broken Places: A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience by Allison Pataki

May 2018

A couple of years ago, I was at a party for Allison Pataki’s historical novel, SISI. Though we had not met before, she was so warm and gracious, spending time with every person in the room. I thought to myself, She really has it all.

Someone mentioned that her life had had a twist the year before. When she was five months pregnant, she and her husband, Dave, had gone on a babymoon to Hawaii. They left from Chicago, planning a stop in Seattle on the way to see her brother-in-law. Shortly after they took off, Dave, who was just 30 years old at the time, asked her to look at his eye, as he could not see out of it. She looked and realized something was dreadfully wrong as his pupil had widened so much that she could not see the iris of his eye. Moments later, he was unconscious, she was seeking help from the flight crew, and not long afterwards they made an emergency landing in Fargo, ND, where he was diagnosed with a stroke.

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The Family Next Door (Audiobook) by Sally Hepworth

April 2018

I so enjoyed listening to Sally Hepworth’s latest novel, THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR, which is narrated by Barrie Kreinik. I am a huge fan of Sally’s writing and was lamenting that I had not read this book when our review came out a few weeks ago. Remember Wisteria Lane, the street featured on “Desperate Housewives,” where there always was some drama going on? Sally has a version of that town for you here.

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Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

March 2018

More than two decades ago, a friend told me that his dad had ALS. I still remember his abject sadness as he described how his father was losing functionality. Then, a couple of years ago, our friend, Peter, was diagnosed. He was living in Florida at the time, and my husband and I thought we would fly down to see him in April. It was a well-laid plan, but he passed away in March, stunning both of us. Also, a couple of years ago, I read UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE: My Year of Living with Joy, a memoir by Susan Spencer-Wendel, who had ALS and was determined to live every day. That, too, was a Bets On selection.

All this to say that when I read Lisa Genova’s latest novel, which looks at the world of ALS, I was not coming to the subject of this book as a novice. That said, I knew that in Lisa’s hands, it would be deftly crafted and addressed. And indeed it was.

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Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

March 2018

I both listened to and read SOMETIMES I LIE by Alice Feeney. The narrator, Stephanie Racine, is a very strong performer, and she had my attention from her opening lines. Here's the setup for the novel: "My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me. 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn't love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie." The storyline moves from present day (opening on Boxing Day, December 26th) to the weeks before Amber's accident. Also, entries from her childhood diary are sprinkled in here, giving the listener/reader even more to ponder. The pace is brisk; you do need to pay attention to the time frame if you are listening. The pieces of the story are very carefully woven together. I would love to know how Alice constructed the story.

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