BOOK REVIEW: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

April 7, 2024April 2, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

Book Length: 248 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery, Horror

Goodreads’ Synopsis: A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong

Amanda and Clay head to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But with a late-night knock on the door, the spell is broken. Ruth and G. H., an older couple who claim to own the home, have arrived there in a panic. These strangers say that a sudden power outage has swept the city, and – with nowhere else to turn – they have come to the country in search of shelter.

But with the TV and internet down, and no phone service, the facts are unknowable. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple – and vice versa? What has happened back in New York? Is the holiday home, isolated from civilisation, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?

Read Start Date: February 18, 2024

Read Finish Date: March 31, 2024

My Review: I first learned about this novel when I watched the film adaptation on Netflix. The movie was eerie and strange, and I knew I just had to read the book.

The novel begins with Amanda and Clay, a middle-class white couple from Brooklyn, who take their teenage children on a trip to a luxurious rental home in a remote area in the Hamptons (Long Island, New York). However, their vacation takes a dramatic turn when the house’s owners, an older Black couple named Ruth and G. H., unexpectedly return, claiming that there is a blackout in New York City and that it’s not safe to stay there.

In their isolation–no one else around–the families can almost pretend everything is fine. Then a loud, strange noise cracks the windows. The television and cell phone services don’t work, and they are cut off from everything and everyone. If that wasn’t enough, hundreds of deer are migrating. A loud noise rends the air, shattering glass. There is no news. No one knows what is happening. Sprinkled in with this tense situation, the author provides snippets of information about what is occurring in the larger world, known only to the reader, which adds to the suspense.

The book is well written. Some characters are more developed than others, and the adults (especially Amanda and Clay) are each flawed in their own way. Amanda is a bit of a racist, while Clay is a bit of a weakling. They all seem to stick their head in the sand (which can get annoying in a crisis situation). The story moves slowly. Nothing really happens. The tension is drawn out and never comes to a head. This novel has no ending, leaving the reader to guess the fate of the characters.

While I enjoyed it overall, I admit that I was waiting for the more dramatic moments of the movie to take place in the book. They never occurred. Not that it changed my thoughts on the book overall, but a forewarning if you’re like me and have seen the movie already and are thinking of reading the book.

All the above being said, I think that this book would be a perfect choice for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers that explore human behavior under pressure and leave room for interpretation. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed read, this is not it. But for those who appreciate a slow-burning mystery with a focus on character dynamics, I would definitely recommend it.

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Quozl by Alan Dean Foster

March 23, 2024March 23, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / 3 Comments

Audiobook Length: 13 hours and 28 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Aliens

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Published Date: February 20, 2024

Goodreads’ Synopsis: Rabbitlike aliens from outer space colonize Earth during humankind’s Second World War in a delightfully funny and thought-provoking science fiction adventure.

The Quozl just need somewhere to call home. A gentle race of extraterrestrial rabbits, they have a propensity for reproduction that has left their home planet, Quozlene, dangerously overpopulated, and in their search for greener and less-crowded pastures, they have discovered the perfect place to start the third planet away from a healthy, warming sun. What they don’t realize is that this world they call Shiraz is already inhabited by a species of violent sentient creatures known as humans. But there’s no going back now. In the midst of the brutal and helpfully distracting global conflict the Shirazians call World War II, the colony ship lands undetected, and the space rabbits immediately go into hiding. But a secret like the Quozl can be concealed for only so long, especially when their numbers start to increase and certain rebellious members of the long-eared society decide the time is ripe to claim their place in a world they believe is rightfully theirs. One of the most admired and prolific authors in the science fiction arena, Alan Dean Foster will delight readers who hunger for something different with this funny, thoughtful, and wildly inventive novel of first contact and coexistence. Once you meet the Quozl, you will never forget them.

Read Start Date: March 7, 2024

Read Finish Date: March 16, 2024

My Review: I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The story centers around a race of rabbit-like aliens called the Quozl who are on a mission to find a new home planet. Their spaceship is a generation ship, meaning that the Quozl on board are descendants of the original colonists and have never set foot on a planet before.

The Quozl land on Earth during World War II and are shocked to discover that Earth is already inhabited by another intelligent species. The Quozl are a peaceful and docile race, and they are horrified by the violence and destruction they witness on Earth. They decide to keep their presence a secret and establish an underground colony. They are worried about what humans will do to them if they are discovered.

At first, the story follows a Quozl named Looks-at-Charts: A scout on the Quozl ship. He’s responsible for finding a suitable planet and plays a crucial role in the initial landing on Earth. In the second part, the story shifts to Looks-at-Charts’ extended relation, Runs-Red-Talking, who stumbles across a human child, and this simple interaction will start a chain of events that will forever change Quozl’s history.

What I liked most about the book was Foster’s detailed alien culture of the Quozl. Their social structure, communication, and motivations are interesting and well-explored. I also liked that they were giant rabbits, and in many respects, they had the same character traits as Earth rabbits, which was rather humorous.

The pacing could have been improved. Although the book kept my attention, the story sometimes moved slower than I would have liked. For example, the book spans many decades, with the main storyline happening in the present. The beginning world-building part was the aspect that dragged a bit, although it did build a good foundation for the main plotline.

Overall, Quozl is a charming and entertaining read that will leave you smiling. It’s a perfect pick-me-up for anyone who enjoys lighthearted sci-fi.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

BOOK REVIEW: Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia

March 3, 2024January 25, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

Audiobook Length: 17 hours and 7 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Nonfiction, Health, Science, Self-Help

Read Start Date: January 8, 2024

Read Finish Date: January 18, 2024

Goodreads’ Synopsis: Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.

For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of healthspan, or quality of life. Dr. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, one where we take action now, rather than waiting.

This is not “biohacking,” it’s science: a well-founded strategic and tactical approach to extending lifespan while also improving our physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Dr. Attia’s aim is less to tell you what to do and more to help you learn how to think about long-term health, in order to create the best plan for you as an individual. In Outlive, readers will discover:

• Why the cholesterol test at your annual physical doesn’t tell you enough about your actual risk of dying from a heart attack.
• That you may already suffer from an extremely common yet underdiagnosed liver condition that could be a precursor to the chronic diseases of aging.
• Why exercise is the most potent pro-longevity “drug”—and how to begin training for the “Centenarian Decathlon.”
• Why you should forget about diets, and focus instead on nutritional biochemistry, using technology and data to personalize your eating pattern.
• Why striving for physical health and longevity, but ignoring emotional health, could be the ultimate curse of all.

Aging and longevity are far more malleable than we think; our fate is not set in stone. With the right roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.

My Review: Modern medicine focuses on treating diseases after they appear, while longevity science aims to prevent them altogether. Attia argues that traditional medicine, often referred to as “Medicine 2.0,” is stuck in a reactive mode, waiting for diseases like heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and type 2 diabetes to manifest before intervening. This approach, he suggests, can prolong lifespan but often at the expense of healthspan, the quality of life during those additional years. By optimizing our lifestyle choices in four key areas – nutrition, exercise, sleep, and emotional health – we can significantly impact our health span and potentially lifespan. Attia calls this proactive approach “Medicine 3.0.”

The book delves deep into the science behind these areas, exploring cutting-edge research and presenting practical tools and techniques for optimizing each pillar. Key elements include nutrition, exercise, sleep, and emotional health. Attia advises establishing a personalized approach to longevity, encouraging readers to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and experiment to find what works best for their unique biology and circumstances. The book aims to empower individuals to take control of their health and chart a course toward a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

What I liked about the book was that it gave me ideas on how to improve my overall health. I even bought a copy for my mom to read. What I didn’t like about the book was all the medical jargon. Especially listening to it as an audiobook, I got lost in all the acronyms and scientific parlance. As someone with a family history of heart disease, I thought that this book gave important tips as to what to look out for and what tests to ask my doctor to perform.

I would recommend this book to individuals curious about the science behind aging and the latest research in longevity and/or those seeking personalized and evidence-based approaches to improve their diet, exercise routine, sleep quality, and emotional well-being.

BOOK REVIEW: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

February 18, 2024January 24, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

Book Length: 331 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

Read Start Date: October 2, 2023

Read Finish Date: January 5, 2024

Goodreads’ Synopsis: In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

My Review: I will be honest. The beginning of this book did not grip me, and it took me several months to finish it. I always put it down in favor of another book. Eventually, I made the goal to finish it and move on. I think the issue was that the beginning was like the background story- the events leading up to the day Jesse went missing. The “then,” if you will. It didn’t have the same heartfelt emotions that the rest of the book did.

Once I hit a certain point (the “present,”) however, I plowed through the book in a matter of days. I was gripped by the emotion and the struggle to choose. Although, I have to admit that I was rooting for Sam. He seemed sincere and like a really nice guy. He was always putting Emma first. Jesse, on the other hand, was kind of a jerk. He was pushy and, at times, selfish, but he was Emma’s first love, the one she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. And for some reason, she didn’t seem to share my view of Jesse.

Emma loved them both in different ways. While she might have had two true loves, she could only be with one of them. Someone was going to get hurt. Who would it be?

I would recommend this book. And don’t give up at the beginning if you are also feeling it drag a little bit. If you push through to the end, you won’t be disappointed!

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Automated Daydreaming by William Pauley III

February 12, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / 1 Comment

Audiobook Length: 5 hours and 53 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Bizarro Fiction

Publisher: Doom Fiction

Published Date: November 14 ,2021

Goodreads’ Synopsis: This is a cycle. Unalleviated, its components are connected by electricity and fed through the rage of lightning. Insect and road monsters scour the desert. Bodies morph into new constructions, only partially human and searching for conclusion. Tongues entwine in an embrace of benthos, while mermaids and jellyfish glow in tandem. The moon is waiting. Dream.

Read Start Date: February 8, 2024

Read Finish Date: February 11, 2024

My Review: I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Usually, I love Pauley’s books, and I have read nearly everything he has written. While I usually give Pauley’s books 5 stars, this one didn’t land as nicely as the others. Honestly, I think I was too triggered by this book. For example, there was one particularly graphic scene of rape with a truly “bizarro fiction” twist. It was too much. The writing was so vivid, and it was so disgusting that it literally turned my stomach.

The above being said, I am still giving this book 4 stars. Pauley is a master at description. It is what I love about his writing. Connor Brannigan returns as the narrator; his performance was as great as usual. Bricker Cablejuice (great character name) is immortal, and he is forced to live the lives of 5 other people through “automated daydreaming.” It was a little confusing how the lives intertwined as Cablejuice “switched between channels.” Each of the lives was very interesting and unique.

If you’re looking for a light and fluffy read, this is not the book for you. But if you’re interested in a dark, weird, vivid, and imaginative story, then Automated Daydreaming is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for some disturbing content.

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Chaos in Color: A Memoir of Childhood Trauma and Forgiveness by R. Layla Salek, PhD

February 9, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / 1 Comment

Audiobook Length: 11 hours and 5 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

Publisher: River Grove Books

Published Date: September 19, 2023

Goodreads’ Synopsis: From a young age, Layla Salek has experienced some people as colors—her mother brown, her father green, her husband rainbow. As she notes, sometimes, when words fail, colors speak.

Chaos in Color is the captivating story of Layla’s journey from childhood to adulthood with a mother who suffered from untreated bipolar disorder. Each chapter paints a vivid, heartbreaking picture of the abuse, neglect, and trauma that she experienced as she grew up at the mercy of her mother’s bipolar swings, an incompetent mental health system, and the strangers with whom she was often left. But dissipating those times of darkness were moments of love, joy, and happiness that she felt while being cared for by others in her life. These moments inspired her to start her own family, complete a doctorate in psychology, and work with children with mental illness and severe behavior disorders.

Layla’s story traces how personal and familial trauma is carried into adulthood and how it can be released through forgiveness. This honest, provocative memoir offers a relatable account for others who have experienced similar trauma, as well as hope for healing and a future full of light.

Read Start Date: January 30, 2024

Read Finish Date: February 5, 2024

My Review: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book chronicles Salek’s journey from childhood to adulthood, growing up with a mother who suffered from untreated bipolar disorder. Through vivid and emotional prose, Salek paints a picture of the abuse, neglect, and trauma she endured, but also her resilience and, ultimately, her path toward forgiveness.

I really liked this book. It was honest and raw, and it did not sugarcoat anything. The author was unapologetic in telling her trauma story, which is really brave. I could not help thinking of my young daughter as I read this book. I cannot imagine EVER treating my daughter like Salek’s mother treated Salek. It just plain broke my heart.

The one aspect of the story that I was not so enamored with was the relationship to the colors. Salek possesses the unique ability to see people in colors, each representing their aura and experiences. However, I found that this ability was not fleshed out well in the book. Salek refers to each person by their color on multiple occasions, but she doesn’t really explain what each color means to the reader. For example, her mother was either “brown” or “black.” While intuitively, I can assume that “black” is negative, I have no idea what a brown aura means. A friend of hers is “purple.” You can pull from the story that purple is good, but the exact meaning is never explained. This is true of all the main players in the book given colors.

Chaos in Color is not an easy read. As I mentioned above, it dives headfirst into the harrowing reality of childhood trauma, weaving a narrative that confronts abuse, neglect, and resilience with unflinching honesty. This is a crucial strength – the book doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths, making it a powerful testament to the author’s journey.

However, this raw portrayal comes with triggers. Descriptions of emotional and physical abuse may stir difficult emotions, and the overall weight of the story can be emotionally draining. Despite the heavy subject matter, the book portrays hope and the human spirit’s ability to persevere. Salek’s courage in sharing her story and ultimately finding forgiveness is truly inspiring. I would definitely recommend it for readers who can handle the emotional toll.

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Doc Doc Zeus by Thomas Keech

February 2, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / 1 Comment

Audiobook Length: 9 hours and 45 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, General Adult Fiction

Publisher: Real Nice Books

Published Date: August 1, 2017

Goodreads’ Synopsis: Still mourning the baby she gave away a year before – and feeling rejected by the same church people who had so cheerfully arranged that adoption – sixteen-year-old Diane seems to find a supportive friend in her gynecologist, Dr. Zeus. Diane is intelligent and bold but often leaps before she looks, and now she questions why he has to examine her so often, and why he prescribes her so many drugs. The state medical board also has suspicions about Dr. Zeus, but the official inquiry inches forward very slowly as its new investigator stumbles over his own hang-ups.

Read Start Date: January 27, 2024

Read Finish Date: January 30, 2024

My Review: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book is told from the POV of 3 separate characters. The first POV is 16-year-old Diane. She is grieving the baby she gave away when she was 14 years old. The second POV is Dr. Zeus, Diane’s depraved doctor and all-around pervert. The third POV is Frank, a rookie medical board investigator who stumbles across an old case about Dr. Zeus that never went anywhere. When a new complaint (about Diane) comes in from an anonymous source, the Board starts to investigate in earnest.

This book reads a little bit like narrative non-fiction. It was so plausible (even though disturbing and horrible) that, at times, I forgot I was reading a fiction book.

I thought the characters were well-developed and realistic, even if not likable. I was rooting for Frank to take down the deplorable Dr. Zeus (whom, of course, I hated), and I was at times aggravated at the choices Diane made. I had to keep reminding myself that she was only a teenager, and so was thinking with a teenage brain. She didn’t see anything wrong with a 16-year-old dating her 43-year-old doctor, even though every adult immediately realized this was statutory rape and a betrayal of trust. I became really invested in the outcome of the story and was eager to find out whether everything worked out okay.

I would definitely recommend this book; however, I would caution anyone who is sensitive to such stories, especially those who are sensitive about issues of statutory rape, abuse of minors, or other similar triggers.

BOOK REVIEW: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

January 7, 2024January 6, 2024 / E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

Audiobook Length: 15 hours and 20 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Read Start Date: November 22, 2023

Read Finish Date: December 3, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

My Review: Elsa is intelligent, brave, resilient and independent. These are all traits that any woman in 2024 would desire. Would be applauded for. However, Elsa lives in the 1920s, where such traits are worthless. Even worse, she is tall and “handsome” rather than beautiful, all but requiring that she live as a spinster. Her parents have always told her that no man would ever love her. Maybe this is why, when the roguishly handsome son of a neighboring Italian farmer shows an interest, Elsa throws caution to the wind and starts a forbidden love affair with him. Losing her virginity in the back of Raef’s truck, Elsa and Raef continue seeing each other despite their age gap and his impending move to college and engagement in a sort of arranged marriage. When she becomes pregnant, she is disowned by her parents and moves in with Raef’s family. They are married in a quickie wedding without much fanfare. Elsa’s journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She is forced to make agonizing choices that test her courage and faith, yet she never loses sight of her love for her children and her deep connection to the land.

Hannah’s storytelling is immersive and evocative, transporting readers to the desolate landscapes of the Great Plains and the vibrant, hopeful communities that once thrived there. She skillfully captures the desperation and despair gripping the region while highlighting the moments of camaraderie and resilience that emerged amidst the hardship. However, to be honest, I found this book mostly depressing. This book might not be for you if you are not in a good headspace. Set it aside until you can handle reading how tragedy strikes characters you grow to love again and again.

Stats: Goodreads Choice Award: Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2021). As of January 6, 2024, this book has 4.3 stars on Goodreads.

BOOK REVIEW Netgalley: White Fuzz by William Pauley III

November 5, 2023 / E.A. Hoffmann / 3 Comments

Title: White Fuzz

Author: William Pauley III

Audiobook Length: 2 hours and 38 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Bizarro Fiction, Science Fiction, Novella

Read Start Date: October 9, 2023

Read Finish Date: October 10, 2023

No. of Book in the Series: 2

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: “White Fuzz is a weird sort of love story between two deeply disturbed individuals, each a product of their isolated environment. It’s not an easy read. It’s shocking, gross, and horrifying. Manages to check off every trigger! You’ve been warned.”

Franklin feels alone in life. One fateful night, he gets a curious text from a stranger, Lynda, another resident of his apartment building. She convinces him to come over, against his better judgment, and surprisingly the night seems to be going great, despite a little awkwardness.

However, it’s clear that Lynda is living with demons that are in desperate need of exercising, as everything inside her apartment seems to trigger some dark memory buried deep within her psyche. In hopes of helping her escape the prison that is her home, he invites her over to his place, but the problems only get worse, to the point he fears she won’t make it through the night.

Just when he feels the night has reached peak insanity, he discovers her madness is rubbing off on him…

My Review: White Fuzz is the second book in the series The Bedlam Bible. As with many Pauley novels, this one is short, weird and wonderful. Franklin receives a mysterious text message from a stranger. Turns out, she is a neighbor in the Eighth Block Tower, and he goes over to her place. As they initiate a sort of romantic entanglement, weird (and gross) things start to happen. And when I say gross, I mean the description the author gave of the encounters were so vivid that I literally felt stomach sick.

A fun little read to listen to. Just make sure to wait to eat anything until afterward!

Other Books in the Series (that I have read):

See my review of The Tower here.

See my review of Fight Tub here.

See my review of The Ballad of Old Joe Booth here.

See my review of The Astronaut Dream Book here.

BOOK REVIEW: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

October 22, 2023October 9, 2023 / E.A. Hoffmann / Leave a comment

Title: Tom Lake

Author: Ann Patchett

Audiobook Length: 11 hours and 22 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Read Start Date: September 16, 2023

Read Finish Date: September 23, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake.

As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

My Review: Tom Lake tells the story of Lara Novak, a woman who lives on a cherry orchard in Northern Michigan with her husband. Her three adult daughters return to the farm for the season. I believe that the present day events are set during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic is mentioned only in passing and doesn’t become an overarching theme of the novel. While picking cherries, the daughters ask Lara to tell them the story of Lara’s summer at Tom Lake during her early twenties, where, while participating in a summer stock theater company, she fell in love with a famous actor named Peter Duke. The daughters grew up watching Peter Duke in several favorite movies, and only recently learned that their mother had dated him in her youth.

The novel alternates between the present and the past, and the stories soon intertwine in a intricately woven story, where past actions / events, resonate with /dictate the present.

The storylines are character heavy, and not much happens other than the telling of their lives. In such books, I always find that it is vital that the book is written well, and that the lives of the characters are engaging enough to keep my interest. Both are true with Tom Lake. Patchett writes in beautiful prose, and her characters are relatable and loveable.

Stats: as of writing this post (October 9, 2023) Tom Lake has a 4.23 rating on Goodreads. My review of 4 stars is on par with the masses.

Recommended? Yes!

The Legal Alien

An American Lawyer Living Abroad

4 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Quozl by Alan Dean Foster

BOOK REVIEW: Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia

BOOK REVIEW: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Automated Daydreaming by William Pauley III

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Chaos in Color: A Memoir of Childhood Trauma and Forgiveness by R. Layla Salek, PhD

NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW: Doc Doc Zeus by Thomas Keech

BOOK REVIEW: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Other Books I have read by Kristin Hannah:

BOOK REVIEW Netgalley: White Fuzz by William Pauley III

Other Books in the Series (that I have read):

BOOK REVIEW: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett