The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells (2013) by Andrew Sean Greer was a lovely, quick read about how our choices can change us.

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

The Winter People (2014) by Jennifer McMahon is a wonderful book filled with excitement, mystery, troubling pasts, anticipation, and just enough of the supernatural (I won't say what kind -- that would give things away) to keep it interesting.

Flipping back and forth between the past and the present, I liked the connection that created, with the story weaving the two time periods together very effectively. The "New England" feel of both the setting and the story was very appealing and familiar to me as a life-long (and proud) New Englander myself.

Though the book has supernatural elements, the story was really more about loss and the relationships between mothers and daughters, both with good and especially with not-so-good associations, so don't let the idea of the supernatural turn you off if that's not normally your 'thing'. This is an excellent book to read in poor weather in a cozy chair with a hot drink. A perfect winter book (as the title implies)!

“I think people see what they want to see... But think about it: if you'd lost someone you love, wouldn't you give almost anything to have the chance to see them again?” 

Keep reading! Beth

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

Here are the words that came to me as I read Mr. Splitfoot (2016) by Samantha Hunt:

dysfunction
chaos
suspense
sadness
fear
confusion 

A strange book, about which I was unsure for most of the time I was reading. Even more than half-way through, I was wondering why I was actually still reading it, especially as there was not nearly as much fantasy as the front flap description implied. But the story kept me going; I wasn't necessarily loving or even enjoying the book, but I really wanted to know what happened next.

Then twist ending made it worth it -- not only was it surprising, but it also resolved everything pretty neatly (which I always appreciate). A few things still left unsaid maybe, but anything not specifically explained was at least suggested -- good enough for me.

After I finished reading, this was one of those books that I had to just sit and think about for a few minutes, especially regarding people's general goodness (or lack thereof). The story really turned an unpleasant mirror on a sub-set of our culture most people try to ignore / forget about. Overall, this was a very interesting book that really made me think, and I was glad to have read it.

“Why do the living assume the dead know better than we do? Like they gained some knowledge by dying, but why wouldn't they just be the same confused people they were before they died?”

Keep reading! Beth

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life (2015) by Ruth Reichl is part memoir, part cookbook -- very similar to many of Nigel Slater's books (all of which I love) -- filled with both stories and recipes.

Following the year after the closure of Gourmet magazine in 2009 (RIP), and using her tweets from that time as the foundation of the story, it was a nice glimpse into what she went through following the abrupt closure of the magazine, and then later through the process of writing this book, and the beginnings of becoming a fiction author.

I liked that she didn't play up the 'sappy' quality of some of her tweets, and seemed to be pretty honest about what she went through and how she felt. I empathized with how personally she took the closure of the magazine as its Editor, and how responsible she felt for not only the readers of the magazine but also the dozens of employees put out of a job so suddenly by its sudden and totally unexpected closure.

And the recipes themselves looked wonderful. Some were complex and involved, but many were simple meals cooked to comfort herself and/or provide for her family. I love these kinds of cookbooks that give insight into not only what the recipe is about, but also the process of coming up with the idea as much as making it. That's the kind of thing that really inspires me!

"Sleepy gray afternoon. Storm blows in: pounding rain. Pasta sizzled in oil. Chile-sparked. Tang of bottarga. Splash of lemon. Awake!" (p. 266)

Keep reading! Beth