The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

496 pages

Published July 2024 by Penguin Publishing Group

Publisher's Summary: 

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

My Thoughts: 

This is one of those books that's gotten so much buzz in the last few months that I'd almost convinced myself not to read it, knowing there was no way it could live up to that hype. But I'd read and loved Moore's Long Bright River in 2020 (a series adaptation of which is set to premiere March 13th on Peacock) and knew that she could write a book that would make me want to stay up late reading. So as soon as I thought I could manage a 500 page book, I checked it out. 

I tried to give my husband a quick summary of this once I was done and he felt it sounded like one of those movies where there is just too much going on, too many characters, too many terrible things happening. You know the kind of movies I'm taking about, the kind where the character's phone runs out of battery just as her car dies on a dark road with a killer somewhere on the loose nearby. And I get that. There are a lot of characters, the book bounces back and forth in time, there are a lot of relationships that play out different ways over time, there actually is a mass murder on the loose, and we're getting the narrative from a lot of different perspectives. Not many people could make it work. Liz Moore does. 

"A long novel that at first is hard to put down. By page 200, impossible." —Stephen King

I couldn't have said it better than Stephen King (well, of course I couldn't!). I got into work later than usual every day last week because I couldn't put this one day once I started reading it while I ate breakfast. The hubby had to pitch in to make dinners because once I sat down to read after work, I couldn't be bothered to cook. It all worked for me and the closer I got to the end, the more I could justify letting the wet laundry sit in the washer a few hours, the dirty carpet go unvacuumed. 

If there is a flaw at all, it's that some of the rich male characters are a little too stereotyped. But most of the characters in this book are so well developed, particularly most of the females (whose points of view are the ones we get most of). The area the story is set in comes alive: the woods, the camp, the danger of the area, the struggle of the locals once the only factory around shuts down. 

I'm pretty darn glad that this one is on my book club's list for 2025. I can't wait to discuss it with them, even if that is months from now. This one is going on my Best of 2025 list, where it will likely remain at the end of the year. 

The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

368 pages

Published September 2023 by Little, Brown and Company

Publisher's Summary: 

When Remy Wadia left India for the United States, he carried his resentment of his cold and inscrutable mother with him and has kept his distance from her. Years later, he returns to Bombay, planning to adopt a baby from a young pregnant girl—and to see his elderly mother again before it is too late. She is in the hospital, has stopped talking, and seems to have given up on life.

Struck with guilt for not realizing just how ill she had become, Remy devotes himself to helping her recover and return home. But one day in her apartment he comes upon an old photograph that demands explanation. As shocking family secrets surface, Remy finds himself reevaluating his entire childhood and his relationship to his parents, just as he is on the cusp of becoming a parent himself. Can Remy learn to forgive others for their human frailties, or is he too wedded to his sorrow and anger over his parents’ long-ago decisions?

Surprising, devastating, and ultimately a story of redemption and healing still possible between a mother and son, The Museum of Failures is a tour de force from one of our most elegant storytellers about the mixed bag of love and regret. It is also, above all, a much-needed reminder that forgiveness comes from empathy for others.

My Thoughts: 

This is the sixth of Umrigar's books that I've read; any new book she writes will automatically be added to the TBR list. Why? Because I can reliably count on her to write books that explore relationships - between parents and children, between spouses, between friends. Because she writes complex characters with empathy. Because she tackles complex social issues, particularly class and gender. And because she always teaches me more about the country of India and Indian culture. 

The Museum of Failures gave me all of those things. 

One reason Remy has spent so little time in India since going to the U.S. was the idea (initially introduced to him by his beloved father who urged him to get out of India) that, as a country, it is a museum of failures; failures that are all too obvious to Remy when he visits. The other reason is his relationship with his mother, who has always been cold and distant, even cruel at times. 

When he arrives in India to look into adoption (his American wife believes they should adopt a baby from India so that it looks more like one of them), he discovers that his mother has been admitted to the hospital and is very ill. The cousin he pays to look out for her doesn't appear to have been taking care of either his mother or her apartment. His frustration mounts when the young girl who was going to let Remy and his wife adopt her baby backs out and with the care his mother is receiving in the hospital. 

In dealing with all of these situations, and surrounded by old friends,Remy learns a lot about himself, his family, and his country. But there is a cost to be paid for what he learns when a long buried secret is revealed; now he must learn to forgive and understand. 

There's a lot going on in this book and a lot of introspection on Remy's part. Sometimes he felt like too much, too many complications in one place. And I have to admit that I wasn't wild about the ending, which just seemed a bit too tidy for me. But Umrigar's books are always satisfying reads. I love reading about this culture with all of its many facets. Here, Umrigar, as ever, makes readers see that you have to truly know someone and what they've been through in life to understand them. 

Life: It Goes On - March 2

Happy Sunday! Cold here today; but the sun is shining, so I'm trying to pretend it's warm outside. Heading out shortly to go visit friends so that illusion will be shattered shortly. 

Celebrating our girls this weekend - Miss H and Ms S share a birthday on March 1. This year I decided to have flowers delivered to both of them. Yesterday discovered that Miss H was out of town so not home to get her flower delivery. Then I got a call from the florist in Alaska saying that they didn't get any response when they knocked to delivery Ms S's flowers! Thought I'd managed to deliver flowers the only year that both deliveries were going to end up frozen on the front step! Fortunately, got Ms S's delivered and Miss H had a friend come and get hers before they froze so they will both get to enjoy them. Miss being able to do birthday celebrations around the dining room table like we used to do! 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Jennie Field's The Age of Desire and started Bill Clegg's Did You Ever Have A Family? Not to far into that one yet, so the jury's still out. The Age of Desire suffered from being too long and following in the footsteps of The Hunter, which was so well read and such a good book. 

Watched: A lot of college basketball, The Voice, and a whole lot of stuff that's unremarkable.

The Magic Candies

Read: Raced through The God of the Woods and loved it. Now I'm finishing Isola by Allegra Goodman. Then I'm on to Lian Dolen's latest, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding. 

Made: Mac 'n' cheese and beef and bean enchiladas. Been managing to make enough each time I cook to get a few meals out of each thing. 

Enjoyed: Went to dinner with friends and then saw the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. Think we all agreed that some of them were a little strange and none of them really wow'd us, but it was still a good night!

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Will be having family descend to celebrate my dad's 90th birthday toward the middle of next week, so this week will be about getting the house cleaned and food ordered for that. 

Thinking About: There are a few small projects that I want to get down in the next week so I'm pondering how to get those done. 

Feeling: Frustrated - we were so close to spring last week and now we're looking at snow in the forecast this week. I know, I know - it's only March, but ya girl was really loving not having to wear a coat. 

Looking forward to: Fingers crossed that this will be another quiet week. 

Question of the week: Are you watching the Oscars tonight? We're not going to get home in time to watch the red carpet, which I'll be sad to miss. Hopefully in time to watch some of the awards. 

Erasure by Percival Everett

Erasure by Percival Everett

Read by Sean Crisden

8 hours, 16 minutes

Published January 2001 by University Press

Publisher's Summary:

Thelonious "Monk" Ellison's writing career has bottomed out: his latest manuscript has been rejected by seventeen publishers, which stings all the more because his previous novels have been "critically acclaimed." He seethes on the sidelines of the literary establishment as he watches the meteoric success of We's Lives in Da Ghetto, a first novel by a woman who once visited "some relatives in Harlem for a couple of days." Meanwhile, Monk struggles with real family tragedies-his aged mother is fast succumbing to Alzheimer's, and he still grapples with the reverberations of his father's suicide seven years before.

In his rage and despair, Monk dashes off a novel meant to be an indictment of Juanita Mae Jenkins's bestseller. He doesn't intend for My Pafology to be published, let alone taken seriously, but it is-under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh-and soon it becomes the Next Big Thing. How Monk deals with the personal and professional fallout galvanizes this audacious, hysterical, and quietly devastating novel.

My Thoughts: 

In December 2023, almost a year before I became aware of Percival Everett, this book was made into the film American History, starring Jeffrey Wright. It's one of those movies that I had every intention of watching (and still do), but had no idea until I began looking for more books by Everett (after loving his James last year) that Everett was the author behind that movie. Movie I want to see? Author I'm newly admiring? Heck, yes. 

This was a rare experience for me. While I thought Crisden did a terrific job reading the book, I also felt like I would have enjoyed this one had I picked up a physical copy of the book. I think. Because there is a part of this book where we read the book that Monk ends up writing and it's probably much better experienced by listening to it. Still, I think I would have paid better attention, felt more attached to the characters. And as much as Monk annoyed me, with his snobbish attitudes about literature, I did want to care about him. 

Despite his literary skill, it's not been a lucrative career; and with two siblings, a father, and a grandfather who are/were doctors, he's something of the black sheep of the family. Sister Lisa is a doctor at an abortion center and takes care of their aging mother until tragedy strikes. Monk's brother is an addict with a failing marriage (and an awakening to the fact that he's gay) and a busy career so he can't be counted on. Clearly Monk has to step up. 

Fortunately, that book he didn't mean to write has actually given him the fiscal comfort to be able to do that. The problem is that Monk hates the book, doesn't want to have anything more to do with it. But the public is eating it up and the critics love it. Stagg R. Leigh is in big demand and Monk has to decide how whether or not it's time to fess up and risk losing continuing income from the book, or to take on Leigh's persona and dig in. 

It's an excellent satire that I imagine has an even bigger impact on those who live that life, who understands the line that Monk is walking as he writes about something he actually knows nothing about. Is Monk empathetic to the plight of his characters or has he written an exploitative work? This one certainly gave me a lot to think about. I just wish I had read it, rather than listening to it. I think. 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

384 pages

Published July 2024 by Holt, Henry and Company, Inc. 

Publisher's Summary: 

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

My Thoughts: 

When the publisher says that Phoebe is at rock bottom, what they mean to say is that Phoebe has abruptly left her home and her job to travel to the Cornwall Inn to commit suicide. When she arrives, she discovers that the rest of the hotel has been taken over by a wedding party...and a bride who discovers Phoebe's plan and insists that Phoebe cannot do what she's come to do. Not because Lila is empathetic and longs to save a life. Nope, it's because Lila absolutely cannot abide the idea of having her wedding week ruined by such a thing. 

That's a hell of a way to start a book and I couldn't imagine where things were going to go from there. And I would really, really love to tell you what happens next. I raced through the book as Espach introduced us to the various wedding people, including bride Lila and groom Gary and as she looked back at what had brought Phoebe to this low point in her life. As I met most of the wedding people, my first instinct was that these characters were stereotypes, but none of them ended up that way; each of them got enough background and room in the book to show us who they really are. 

The Wedding People runs the gamut of emotions - from the tough beginning to humor, from sadness to frustration. It's more complex than it appears, but moves along a quick enough pace to keep things light. The ending could have been cliche. Did Espach lay out where things were going? Yes, but when it came time to conclude the book, it happened in a very realistic and more believable way. For me, this one was well worth the hype. 

Life: It Goes On - February 23

Happy sunny Sunday from Omaha, where it's finally warming up! What a weird week it's been. Monday we had snow that made getting around a mess, then more snow early Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Top that with temps that didn't get out of single digits for more than a week. We huddled down and hardly left the house (except to go to work - why didn't I just work from home?!). 

Then Friday my dad was sent to the emergency room where he spent about five hours. Sent home only to end up back in the ER when the staff where he lives couldn't waken him. Concerns then led them to transfer him to another hospital where he remains today. Needless to say, we've spent a lot of our past couple of days at hospitals and I'm about to head back to the hospital shortly. The good news is that he's doing much better and may get to go home as soon as this afternoon.  

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished The Hunter by Tana French and started The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields. Unfortunately for The Age of Desire, it's following up on what will probably be one of my favorite audiobooks of 2025 so I'm not sure I'm giving it a fair shake so far. 

Watched: The Voice, some basketball, but otherwise a lot of nonsense. Well, at least nonsense in my opinion but that has pushed me to read more than watch a lot of television, which is a good thing. 

Read: The Wizard of Oz for book club and then I started Liz Moore's The God of the Woods and Allegra Goodman's Isola. Both The God of the Woods and Isola have been getting big buzz, the first being a book Barack Obama is lauding and the second being a book that Reese Witherspoon has chosen for her book club to read. So far I'm enjoying both and hope to finish both by the end of the week. 

Made: Homemade mac and cheese, pizza, pork chops with Thai rice. I'm pretty excited to have received my first order from Rancho Gorda late last week and I'm looking forward to making beans this week. Can't decide which of these to start with. Go safe with pinto or try something we've never had before. Have you ever had Christmas lima beans or cranberry beans?

Enjoyed: In a week where we did very little, I've had to find my enjoyment in the small things. Curling up in "my" chair with a good book, comfort food, burrowing into a toasty warm bed. Miss H was also in town for a convention so we saw a little of her as she came and went, although she kept very late hours so we didn't see a lot of her. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Having lost a chunk of the weekend, a part of this week will be playing catch up, including hanging the new towel rack in our bathroom that was supposed to get done yesterday so that I can finally put that room back together. 

Thinking About: Dealing with elderly parents is not for the faint of heart and I certainly didn't understand that until I was in it. It's tough to get the call that we got on Friday, thinking that this might be it, even when you understand that your parent is ready. 

Feeling: My mood is so much better today now that we're getting both sunshine and warmth. If I were able to stay home today, I think I'd be motivated to get a lot done. 

Looking forward to: Book club was postponed due to the cold last week, so I'm looking forward to that this week. 

Question of the week: Who else is already planning their gardens? Have you started seeds? And what about all of the buzz to get rid of Daylight Savings Time - are you for or against that idea? You all know how much I love my long sunny evenings so you know where I stand on that issue! 

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

173 pages

Published 1900 

Summary: 

It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their home by a cyclone. Upon her arrival in the magical world of Oz, she learns she cannot return home until she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West.

My Thoughts: 

I picked The Wizard of Oz as my book club's 2025 classic book because of all of the hype about Wicked, which is, of course, based on the book of the same name by Gregory Macguire and serves as something of a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. I used to read an abridged edition of the book to my daughter when she was growing up (it was one of her favorite books), but it's been a very long time since I read the full story (probably around the time I was 9, after having watched the movie on television one evening. Between the abridged version, the decades since I'd read the original, and the movie adaptation, I'd forgotten a lot about this book. 

Number one, they were silver slippers, not ruby. They never saw the Wicked Witch of the West until they were taken to her castle. Glinda didn't appear until the end of the book. And there was almost no buildup before the tornado - no farm hands, no Professor Marvel, and no Almira Gulch and her threats against Toto. But there were a lot more adventures on the way to the Emerald City, including a journey through a land entirely made of china, great ravines and rivers to cross, and new enemies and friends along the way. 

But I was delighted to find that much of the dialogue in the movie came straight from the book, particularly when the friends were with the Wizard. I found myself wishing that I'd found a copy of the full book to read to my daughter instead of the abridged edition. 

Something I hadn't realized when I'd read the book so very long ago was that, while it was written to appeal to children, it was heavily political. The silver slippers, for example, were a metaphor for the silver standard which was being replaced by the gold standard (the fiduciary backing metal); the yellow brick road symbolizes the dangerous path the gold standard placed the United States upon. The green of the Emerald City represented the color of paper money. The Emerald City itself represents Washington D.c. Each of the characters, from Dorothy to the Wicked Witches represents a class of people (or, in the case of the Cowardly Lion, one specific three-time presidential candidate from Nebraska, William Jennings Bryan). 

I learned all of this after having finished the book then wished I had time to reread it before my book club meeting, knowing what I know now. If you ever find yourself contemplating a reread of this classic, I highly recommend learning more before you go into it - it will give the book so much more depth. I did enjoy it without that knowledge, but I would have enjoyed it more had I learned more first. 

Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillen Smith

Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff

By Myquillen Smith

Read by Lisa Wright

3 hours, 50 minutes

Published October 2018 by Zondervan

Publisher's Summary: 

Writing for the hands-on woman who'd rather move her own furniture than hire a designer, Myquillyn Smith—author of the The Nesting Place—helps you think through every room in your house, one purposeful design decision at a time. With people, priorities, and purpose in mind, you can create a warm, inviting, and timeless home that transcends the latest trends and centers around your personal style.

You'll have the tools to create a home you're proud of in a way that honors your unique priorities, budget, and taste. And best of all, you can completely transform your home starting with furniture and décor that you already have!

In Cozy Minimalist Home, Smith helps you:

• Recognize your role as the curator of your home who makes smart, style-impacting design choices
• Know what to focus on and what not to worry about
• Discover the real secret to finding your unique style
• Find a sofa you won't hate tomorrow
• Deconstruct each room and re-create it step by step
• Create a pretty home with more style and less stuff
• Make your home look the way you've always hoped so you can use it the way you've always dreamed 
• Fall in love with the space you've created

Discover how creating a cozy minimalist home goes beyond pretty and sets the stage for the true connection, relationship, and rest that you deserve.

My Thoughts: 

Confession: I actually own this book in print (and, in my defense, I have actually read it), but I choose to listen to it to complement the work I've been doing around the house with the Cozy Minimalist community this year. I could have pulled it off of the shelf; but, at the time, I felt more confident that I'd get through it this way. Lesson I learned: a lot of what Smith has to say comes across just fine in an audiobook, but I missed the visual part of a book like this. 

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I am a cozy minimalist. I love the homes that have layers and layers of things that tell a story, where you can really learn who someone is by the things they choose to display in their homes. My heart is drawn to that. But my brain knows two things about me that stop my heart from having it's way: 1) I know I'm not going to dust all of that stuff regularly and I HATE knowing my house is dusty; and 2) my mood is much better if my brain is not overwhelmed by stuff. Maybe that makes me a super cozy minimalist? Someone who needs more cozy than the regular cozy minimalist, but who also doesn't want to have as much stuff as she does now? 

So I'm refreshing myself with the idea of cozy minimalism - having just the right amount of "stuff" to make your home work for you, feel comfortable, and look lovely; but doing it in a way that's very intentional so that everything works together. Smith is very adamant that when you're working on redecorating a room, you do it in the right order and make very deliberate choices. About room arrangement. About the size of rugs and decorative pieces. And about NOT choosing a paint color until AFTER you've decided on your big pieces of furniture and rugs. Why? Because there are thousands of paint colors to choose from and it's going to be easier to match your paint to the other things you've chosen, rather than trying to find a rug to match the color you've painted on the walls.  

Smith (or Nester, as she's known to those who follow her teachings) uses her own homes to teach her community these lessons. It's a style that's all her own, and it wouldn't be for me. But I recognize that by using her techniques, she's made a room that is lovely, cozy, and works for her family. And I'm confident that those same techniques will work for any of us. 

Life: It Goes On - February 16

Happy Sunday! Well, I let that week get away from me - I had books to review and just didn't get around to it. May end up doing mini-reviews before I forget what I've read. Because, people, I've been reading! And by reading, I mean actually picking up a books and turning the pages, not just listening to books as I drive. 

It's truly been winter here this week and we have at least another week of it to "look forward to." We got snow on Wednesday, sleet on Friday, more snow on Saturday AND today it's stupid cold. As you know, I'm not a fan; but maybe just wanting to hide inside and curl up actually be put me in the mood to read. It's so cold that, because the windows I'm usually looking out of when I type this are on the north side of the house, I haven't even opened the blinds today. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Erasure by Percival Everett and started The Hunter by Tana French. 

Watched: The Voice, the Super Bowl (spectacularly un-super), a couple of episodes of Only Murders In The Building, and Emilia Perez on Netflix. It's a movie that refuses to be put in any one genre, has some terrific acting, and tackles some big themes. 

Read: I finished Alison Espach's The Wedding People and started L. Frank Baum's beloved The Wizard of Oz, which is my book club's classic book for this year.

Made: Hamburger soup, steaks and baked potatoes for Valentine's Day, and right now I'm cooking some rice pudding and I'm about to start a loaf of Outback bread. I planned to make some sourdough bread but cannot get my starter to reactivate. Too cold in my house, I think. 

Enjoyed: My nephew and his wife were in Nebraska this weekend, visiting all of their grandparents, and we got to join them for lunch and drinks yesterday, along with Mini-me and Miss C. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: There's not a lot on the calendar this week, although Miss H will be staying with us this weekend while she's in town for a convention. I'm behind on my Go Simplified calendar for February so I'll probably try to catch up with that. The Big Guy will be so cranky as he watches me get rid of more and more! 

Thinking About: I've been trying to avoid the news while also staying informed, which means that I'm still constantly thinking about politics and what's happening in our country. 

Feeling: Unmotivated. After I quieted our bathroom almost two weeks ago, I decided I wanted to paint before I put everything back. But I have yet to get to that, which means there's a big painting I brought up for that room that's living in the bathtub, a basket of towels in our closet, and a towel rack leaning against the wall. Must. Paint. Today. 

Looking forward to: Book club on Tuesday, even if it does mean going out in the cold again. 

Question of the week: What are your favorite soups to make? I'm all about having a pot of soup simmering on the stove all day on these cold days! 

Life: It Goes On - February 9

Happy Sunday! I'm finally sitting down to the computer after returning home midafternoon from a trip to K.C. exhausted. Splurged on a really nice hotel while we were there (and it really is a lovely place), but the bed was so uncomfortable for a woman with a bad back. It was really the only low point of an otherwise great weekend. 

I've gotten bored watching the Super Bowl, which is something you'll rarely hear me say, even when I don't care who wins the game. You know how much I love football and I usually watch to the bitter end, savoring every last minute of the last game of the season. Did you watch and did you care who won? 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: Myquillen Smith's Cozy Minimalist Home and Percival Everett's Erasure. I'm afraid that one's going to expire before I get it finished, though. Next up is Tana French's The Hunter. 

Watched: Some college basketball, some professional women's volleyball, and The Voice. 

Read: Thrity Umrigar's The Museum of Failure. Last night I started The Wedding People, by Alison Espach. 

Made: Creamy shrimp pasta with roasted tomatoes and spinach; the viral ditalini pasta recipe; and chipped beef on toast (one of the comfort foods we both grew up with). 

Enjoyed: To celebrate the Big Guy's milestone birthday, Mini-him, BG and I headed to K.C. for a celebratory weekend. Started with a brunch that Miss H made at her place (this is my girl who used to be a disaster in a kitchen!). Then we headed out - first stop was for coffee at The Roasterie, then on to Prospero's for some book shopping (all four of us left with at least one book), followed by chocolates at Christopher Elbow Chocolate, and then some record store shopping. Cleaned up for dinner at Third Street Social (delicious!) and then BG and I spent the night at The Raphael. This morning we met friends for brunch before heading home. It was a whirlwind but we had so much fun, so many laughs, and BG was completely surprised by it all.                                                                                                                                                        

This Week I’m:  

Planning: Last week's Cozy Minimalist community's room hushing was a bathroom. I did our primary bathroom (well, as much as I could without moving any of BG's things!); as has happened every time, this has resulted in me wanting to make some changes. This time I need to paint before I can make most of the changes I want to make. So that's up for this week first. 

Thinking About: How blessed I am. 

Feeling: So tired. 

Looking forward to: We do not go out to celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead we have a really good candlelit dinner at home and I pull out the china and the crystal. Haven't decided on the menu yet. 

Question of the week: The halftime show of the Super Bowl made me realize that while I am familiar with who Kendrick Lamar is, I don't know any of his music. That being the case, I have no opinion about the show. But, predictably, a lot of people who don't know his music did which brings to mind the old adage "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." There's no way to please everyone. If you got to make the decision about who should perform the halftime show, who would you choose? 

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

Read by Andy Arndt

8 hours, 56 minutes

Published January 2024 by Farrar, Straus, Giroux

Publisher's Summary: 

At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced, but she reaches for warmth and light. As a child, she recognizes that she is different: She possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of Earthlings. 

For years, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. Then, at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Is there a chance she is not alone?

Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland is a novel of startling originality about the fragility and resilience of life on our Earth and in our universe. It is a remarkable evocation of the feeling of being in exile at home, and it introduces a gentle, unforgettable alien for our times.

My Thoughts: 

One of the best parts of being part of a family of readers is that they make another great source of book recommendations. In this case, Beautyland was recommended to me by Mini-me. As much as I like to think of myself as reading somewhat diversely, Mini-me puts me to shame. They read everything manga, sci-fi, fantasy, nonfiction, literary fiction. Beautyland is billed as science fiction, what with Adina being an alien communicating with her home planet. But this book can't be so narrowly defined; it reads much more like literary fiction to me. 

Adina "activates" when she is four-years-old, at the moment her head hits the concrete after she is pushed by the father she won't see again until she is an adult. That night she "wakes up" in a classroom with otherworldly teachers who tell her that her mission is to find out if Earth is a planet where others from her planet can survive when their dying planet is no longer viable. When her mother brings home a fax machine from a neighbor's trash and puts it in Adina's room, Adina discovers that if she sends a fax, she will get a reply she believes is coming from her handlers. She begins regularly sending them her impressions of our planet, the humans who inhabit it, and her own life. 

"I require speech lessons and corrective lenses and most likely teeth braces. I am an expensive extra­terrestrial."

‘‘The ego of the human male is by far the most dangerous aspect of human society.’’ 

 ‘‘Death’s biggest surprise is that it does not end the conversation.’’ 

Her observations are often spot on, often touching, and frequently amusing. Often equally amusing are the responses she receives.  

Adina is young, but wise enough never to mention the nightly lessons she will have in the coming years or that fact that she is from another planet that can't be seen. Still others can plainly see that Adina is unusual. It's that very fact that makes her a character that will stay with me for a very long time. While almost all reviewers refer to this as a work of science-fiction, I'm still unsure. Was Adina an alien being or a woman whose brain was rewired by trauma that left her with a unique life experience and take on the world around her? Beautyland works either way, and maybe the fact that I was left wondering made it all that much more impressive.