My list of recommendations is shorter than usual this month, but only because I read/listened to some truly fabulous but weighty books. The four books below—the first two I’m ashamed I took so long to start reading—filled me with awe, admiration, terror, and (thank you, K.J. Charles!) heart-warming laughter.
I’ll start with terror. Louise Penny’s most recent Inspecter Gamache book, THE BLACK WOLF, is an amazingly timely and frightening tale, delivered with the author’s habitual and delectable charm. Conversations (often conducted in a dark, mist-enshrouded, and mostly abandoned church) about a possible impending international Armageddon are accompanied by warm croissants and hot chocolate (and yes, they’re sometimes consumed in the church). Former adversaries are forced to work together, and alliances are made, broken, and remade while the clock ticks down towards disaster. Through it all, Gamache, his wife Reine-Marie, their family, and the eclectic inhabitants of Three Pines, Québec put love of country and peace before personal concerns while praying that the chess moves they’re attempting will prove wilier than their opponents’. This is the 20th book in Ms. Penny’s best-selling series, but I think even a first-time reader will come to love the characters, understand the dread, and hold her breath in hopes of a desperately consequential resolution.
From dread in Québec, I moved to amazed wonder, anxiety, and breath-stopping fascination in Houston as I got to know Joan and Vanessa, the main characters we first meet as “ASCANs” (astronaut candidates) in the early 80s in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ATMOSPHERE. Subtitled, “A Love Story,” the book is, indeed, a deeply passionate love story, but it encompasses far more than love between two people. The author skillfully pulls the reader into a world where dedication to a challenge, a goal, and to one’s equally committed colleagues all working on the shuttle program supersedes personal wants or needs. I’m in the habit of listening to audiobooks during my thrice weekly amateur and plodding runs, but I had to slow to a half-blinded walk as I neared the end of this book, since breathing became impossible as tears streamed down my face. If you have ATMOSTPHERE buried in your to-be-read pile the way I did, find it now and move it to the top. You’ll thank me, even as you, too, lose sleep and the ability to breathe.
In a lighter vein, HOW TO FAKE IT IN SOCIETY, by K.J. Charles, is an amusing and entertaining romp about a would-be swindler who has enormous difficulties maintaining his devious resolve. Titus Pilcrow has unexpectedly inherited a fortune that the Comte de Valois de la Motte (aka Nicolas) believes should be his, so the comte endeavors post-haste to set things right. Alas, Titus needs sartorial guidance, which Nicolas, is uniquely qualified to provide. And of course, Titus is physically inept (except for his skill at mixing paint colors), so when bullies call, Nicolas has no choice but to step up and protect him. It’s delightful watching a villain struggle to remain villainous, especially while falling in love, and I adored every minute of HOW TO FAKE IT IN SOCIETY.
Finally, Mother’s Day has come and gone, but each and every one of us can relate to the concept of motherhood, even if we haven’t ourselves pushed out a bowling ball. Positive attributes that spring to mind include kindness, attentiveness, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. A FOUNDING MOTHER, A NOVEL OF ABIGAIL ADAMS, by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, is an engrossing and masterful depiction of a mother who manifested all those qualities, not only to the six children she bore (four of whom she lived to bury—and the writers’ superb skills have us weeping with her over every death), but to the fledging nation for which she and her husband, John Adams, and later her son, John Quincy Adams, fought so valiantly. Most of us are vaguely aware that John and Abigail corresponded regularly during their frequent geographical separations. This magnificent book brings their love story to life and shows us a woman who struggled 250 years ago with many of the same issues mothers face today—most basically, “Is what I’m choosing to do right now going to help or hinder my child’s development?” Rich historical details enliven every page, most of them lifted from Abigail’s copious correspondence with John, her sisters, her business partners (she was a savvy businesswoman in her own right), and even Thomas Jefferson. Treat yourself and every thinking woman you know to this terrific book. And spoiler alert: I cried at the end of this one, too.
Then for a quick escape to a world where soaring jetés and musical crescendos must battle for supremacy against a murderer intent on wreaking chaos, check out my SECOND ACT. You’ll be tu-tu thankful you did!
Meg's friends during her high school years all expected her romance novels to hit the shelves decades ago, but she foolishly allowed "serious pursuits" to get in her way. Now that her beloved children can feed, clothe, and most importantly, support themselves, she's free to turn her attention to her first passion - putting words to paper that capture your attention and make your heart sing in quiet joy. Her stories tell most frequently of second chances--in life, love, and sometimes even at rediscovering a soul-mate from a previous life.
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