November Read: Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

 

The cover of this novel was irresistible to me. Well, and the fact that it's Mary Kay Andrews. I knew I was in for a treat. 

I actually read this book way back in October when I had a very short window of opportunity to read it. It's a short novel; around 300 pages, so you can definitely read it in one day. 

Kerry Tolliver is reluctantly agreeing to join her brother in hauling the family mini-trailer to New York City from North Carolina for their annual Christmas tree pop up shop. It's something Kerry's father has been doing for years and years, but this time his ill health prevents him from going, and the operation definitely needs two people. Kerry arrives in New York City with the trailer, waiting on her brother, who is bringing all the trees from their tree farm. She runs into a problem immediately: someone is parked in their spot--the one spot they've always parked the trailer and set up shop. 

Patrick lives just down the street, and once he moves his car, sparks fly between him and Kerry. But she's only there for six weeks, or until all the trees are sold. Is it worth even getting to know him?

Meanwhile, it's brutally cold outside, and the trailer is cold and cramped. The days are long, sitting outside, taking turns with her brother. They operate late into the night. Sales are slow, especially when the competition shows up kitty-corner from their lot, selling inferior trees at cheap prices. If Kerry doesn't sell out of trees, their farm will be in danger. 

There are a lot of characters in this novel, and each one adds to the story in a way that makes it charming and cozy. Queenie is brother Murphy's dog, and she's a character all unto herself. There's the older gentlemen who Kerry meets who seems sad and alone, but doesn't want to share his story. There's the folks who run the Italian restaurant just down the street who welcome Kerry with open arms and plenty of hot soup. It's a charming slice of Manhattan, and I definitely got the holiday vibes. 

This was a great way to kick off my holiday reading (even if I did read it before Halloween!). There's a lot to be said for shorter holiday novels; you get a complete story but aren't overwhelmed with trying to read a huge book. In a busy time of the year, it's a great way to treat yourself in between shopping, baking, and decorating. 

I love Mary Kay Andrews and have been reading her novels for *gasp* decades. I am so thrilled she's turned to short holiday novels.

Rating: 5/6 for a delightful look at the Christmas tree industry; a sweet love story, and a slice of a New York Christmas. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio book. 

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November Read: Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

I Finally Read a Taylor Jenkins Reid Novel: Malibu Rising

 

To order from Amazon click here

  I'll admit sometimes I stubbornly refuse to read an author right out of the gate--mostly because there's so much praise about the novels that I have to take a step back and not rush to jump on the bandwagon. I don't want to read something just because everyone else is--I'd rather come around in my own time. 

So, I ordered Malibu Rising from BOTM and decided to give it whirl. I was looking to read something very different after reading my Christmas novels in December. This fit the bill!

Yeah, I loved it. I don't know if it was the setting: Malibu in the early 1980's; or the characters, or reading a novel set by the Pacific Ocean in the warm California sun. All of it combined to create a read that I simply couldn't put down. 

So, the Riva family: Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit. Children of singer Mick Riva (I kept picturing Dean Martin), who was a famous crooner in the 1950's, all the way up to the early 1980's. He had married their mother June before he hit it big, and left her after only a few years of marriage--but was never completely out of her life. Their mother became an alcoholic, and did her best to raise her children in Malibu when it was a sleepy beach community. 

Now the kids are all grown up: Nina is a famous model and surfer; Jay is a famous surfer competing for world titles; Hud is the photographer who keeps Jay in magazines. Kit is the youngest-an amazing surfer, but her talent hasn't been noticed by her siblings just yet. It's the day of their famous once a year party at Nina's malibu mansion. A party that started out small years ago, and now has reached epic proportions: only those who are in the know attend-famous people and hangers on. 

Leading up to the party, we learn about the Riva family history, and how all of the kids came to be in this spot at this certain time. The sacrifices Nina has made to  raise her siblings; the unhappiness they experienced growing up without a father present, and where they plan to go in life and love. 

I loved the setting, all of the siblings, and the back story of June and Mick Riva. I definitely felt myself back in the early 1980's, too. It's a character driven novel, but enough happens that you're never bored. Once the party kicks into gear, so much is happening all over the place you don't want to stop reading. 

So yeah, now I'm going to read another of Taylor Jenkin Reid's novels. She's definitely talented, and writes a darn good story. I don't think I would have been able to stick to this novel if I'd tried to read it before now, so I'm glad I waited and read it when I wanted to, and not because I felt I had to join the crowd. 

Rating: 5/6 for a novel that transports you to 1980's Malibu-the surfing, the beaches, the sun. All of the characters were well defined and each had a compelling story. Loved it!

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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I Finally Read a Taylor Jenkins Reid Novel: Malibu Rising

Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars by Samantha Verant

 

To purchase from Amazon click here

Ooh, I couldn't wait to dive into the sequel to The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux (click on the title to see my review from 2020). 

I would definitely recommend reading the first novel before grabbing this in order to just dive right into the world of Sophie and the magical Chateau de Champvert. 

Sophie has inherited the chateau from her grandmother, a celebrated chef who turned the chateau into a renowned place to stay and dine. Now Sophie is the Grand Chef and life looks to be pretty wonderful for her: she's rich, talented, beautiful, and happily engaged to her childhood sweetheart Remi. 

Sophie is unsettled, though. Having all of this handed to her has left her feeling overwhelmed and not worthy. She's also still determined to get her Michelin star. After all, she was blamed for her previous restaurant's loss of a Michelin star. That blame was misplaced, but it still cost her her reputation and career in New York City, causing her to flee to France. 

Remi is ready to get married, but Sophie is hesitant. Is the Chateau what she wants, or will it drag her down? Is her future in Paris? 

An accident causes Sophie to suffer from a bizarre injury that she has to keep quiet--it could cost the Chateau its reputation, and Sophie her career. Will she recover? How long can she keep it secret?

This novel is full of the wonderful characters introduced in the first novel. Relationships continue to evolve, amazing, mouth-watering foods are prepared, and the Chateau is an unforgettable place to spend time away. I love the support Sophie has at the Chateau, and how everyone becomes family, helping each other through tough times and celebrating the good times. 

The food--oh lord, the food. You have to read the book to appreciate the food. There are book club discussion questions in the back of the book, as well as recipes for a full French five course meal. It would be great fun to recreate these recipes for a book club!

Rating: 5/6 for a satisfying sequel to Sophie's original story. I hope there is more to Sophie and Remi's story, because two novels just aren't enough for me. If you want to get away, dream of delicious food, and just enjoy a good story, add this to your list. 

Available in paperback, audio, and ebook. 

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Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars by Samantha Verant

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia

 

Another book I've had on my bookshelf for a bit and finally put it on my list for February. Even then, it took me a lot of stops and starts to finally jump into this tale of two chicken shops, a generational feud, and a food wars show with a big prize that could change everything. 

Sisters Amanda and Mae are pretty different: Mae is a home organizing rising star in New York City; she's got a popular book out, and is in the running for a co-hosting job on a popular home show. She's all about being organized; everything in its place and a place for everything. This is a direct reaction to her childhood and her mother, Barbara. Amanda still lives in Merinac, Kansas. She helps run her late husband's restaurant-Frannie's. Amanda and Mae's mother, Barbara, runs Mimi's-also a chicken restaurant. 

Way back in the 1880's, Mimi and Frannie were two sisters running their own chicken shack. Then a feud erupted between the sisters, and Frannie set up her own chicken shack and the two restaurants have been competing with each other ever since. Amanda caused another ripple in the family feud when she fell in love with Frank, and married the "enemy". She's not been allowed back into Mimi's since her marriage. She works with her mother-in-law, Nancy, to run Frannie's, and to raise her two children. 

Amanda decides to apply to Food Wars, a popular show that pits two restaurants against each other, with a winning prize of $100,000.  To her surprise, within days, there's a camera crew and Sabrina, the host of the show in Merinac. Mae decides to come out from NYC to help-but of course her motive isn't pure. She hasn't been back for years, either. 

It's definitely not a cut and dried experience, as the two sisters fight over everything and the cameras are there to capture all the drama. Two very different personalities, both at a turning point in their lives, but not quite sure what to do about it. This novel is full of a cast of characters that all add to the hometown feel and keep the plot moving with all sorts of side stories. 

It really is a tale that is retold over and over-the sibling that stays in the same place all their life--did they make the right choice to stay? And the sibling that leaves as soon as they can for brighter lights and a new life--can they return home again? 

What starts out as a competition over who has the best chicken morphs into a much bigger, complicated family situation. At times I thought the story slowed down and I got lost in the weeds a bit. But I stuck with it, and it had a very satisfying ending. I'd actually like to see a follow up to this novel--I'm curious to see the characters and their lives a year later. It really would make a good TV movie!

I think the biggest takeaway I got from this novel was this: choices you make in your youth aren't permanent. You can stop, examine your life, and make changes-big changes-if you realize what you're doing doesn't make you happy. There is nothing wrong in starting over-in fact, it's often where you find your happy place and your best self. Sometimes you have to leave a place in order to return with a peaceful and grateful heart, and realize it's where you belong. It's also about recognizing that sometimes, you have to leave home for a bit to find yourself. 

Rating: 3/6 for a novel about family dynamics and history, living in a small town, sisters, and healing old wounds. There were some spots where the story got bogged down, but otherwise if you stick with it, you will enjoy the outcome. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

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The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Kicking off the new year with a dystopian teen novel about a future America where there is no disease, everyone has everything they need, and no one goes hungry.  Sounds great, right?

Well, everything has a price.  With medical advances and a system that has people who have accidents going to revival centers coming out good as new a few days later...it creates a whole lot of people living, and not so many dying.  So the world came up with scythes.  These are special people who are trained, and become for life, someone who goes out and "gleans" people.  Gleaning is another word for killing, murdering, finishing someone off.  When a scythe shows up at your door, your life is over.  Some scythes use statistics to decide who will die, others take a random approach.  Each scythe must glean approximately 250 people a year, which equals about 5 million people world wide.  Not nearly enough people as those who died from disease, accidents, and old age back in the day.  Scythes are respected and feared, and the rules the surround the world of the scythes are unbreakable.

Enter Citra and Rowan, two sixteen year olds who find themselves asked to become apprentices to Scythe Faraday.  Reluctant, both decide the immunity from gleaning granted to their families is worth the terrifying prospect of becoming a scythe.  Both Citra and Rowan are smart, capable teens who each have their own reasons for accepting Scythe Faraday's apprenticeship.  

But, there are dark forces within the scythe community, and they believe they should be able not only enjoy the gleanings they do, but have the limits imposed on all scythes lifted, so that they may glean however many people they wish, however they want.  Those forces won't stop at the underhanded ways they take to ensure the old guard disappears, and the new order of scythes take over.  Citra and Rowan stand in their way.  

I liked this novel.  It took me a bit to figure out what exactly the world was like for Citra and Rowan.  It's a world that we all think we want, but once we have it, probably won't like it.  With the threat of death pretty minimal, plenty of food, and no worries about growing old (people can reset themselves to a younger age--and even have more kids!) or not having enough money, well...life can get a bit boring, and even pointless.  What is there to strive for?  What is there to propel you forward, to try new things, work hard, or take a chance?  

Big themes are morality, mortality, the meaning of death, and sacrifice.  The Thunderhead, the thing of all knowledge, memory, and control of humanity is a fascinating idea and one that plays a good foil to the world of the Scythes.  When people finally pass on, their memories go directly to the Thunderhead, and are stored there, along with all of the rest of human history.  But where, exactly, do we go when we die?  What about the soul of each of us?  Lots of discussion opportunities here!  And, lucky us, this is the first in a series.  We get to find out what happens to Citra and Rowan and see if the scythe world and the Thunderhead remain separate or clash.  My interest is peaked enough that I will certainly want to read the next book in this series.  

Rating:  7/10 for a different dystopian teen novel, with big themes on quality of life, making the right choices, and what life means when the threat of harm is eliminated.  Citra and Rowan are solid characters and I look forward to seeing their adventures continue. Scythes do go about the business of gleaning, so there is a lot of death in this novel.  If you're super sensitive to that, you may not like it.  It's doesn't get overly descriptive, but people are gleaned via poison, knife, gunshot, and flamethrower.  You've been warned. 

Available in hardcover e-book, and audio. 

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Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Wedding Girl by Stacey Ballis

This is my first Stacey Ballis book, and I'm sure it won't be my last.  She is firmly under the "chick lit" moniker, but her character Sophie is a refreshing change of pace from the typical lovelorn heroine I've read in other chick lit novels.  I am a big fan of novels where women are faced with rebuilding a life whether it's due to a job loss, or a loss in their romantic life.  I want women to know, even if it's just by reading a novel, that we can continually remake ourselves, and find happiness and strength in moving past a rough patch in life.  

Okay.  I'm off my soapbox!  You've got to feel bad for Sophie:  it's her wedding day, she's spent $70,000 on her wedding, and her fiancee never shows to the wedding.  He doesn't even send her a note.  Instead, guests at Sophie's wedding see on social media that he has eloped to an island paradise with a thin, moneyed woman that is the opposite of Sophie.  Crushed, but being brave, Sophie instead invites everyone to enjoy the food, the band, and the venue.  Sophie throws herself into her party, and unfortunately, pictures flood social media, and she's humiliated.  Sophie is a well-know pastry chef in Chicago, and her plans to open a restaurant with her ex-fiancee were big news, and her humiliation is complete.  

Months later, Sophie has lost her job, sold her condo, and is living with her lively grandmother Bubbles.  She's in debt up to her eyeballs, and burned a few bridges professionally with her bad attitude.  Seeing a sign in the local neighborhood bakery, she starts working part-time, with an eye to getting back into the pastry world in Chicago.  But life, of course, has a way of throwing curve balls, and Sophie is about to get a few tossed her way.  

There is a lot of plot going on in this book.  There is Sophie's relationship with Bubbles, her relationship with her parents, who have been together for 40 years of unwed bliss, her budding career at the local bakery (which is threatened by a new entry into the neighborhood), and there is the annoying son of the owner--Mark, who wonders why Sophie is even bothering to save the bakery.  I found Sophie refreshing because she isn't a size 8, she enjoys food with no feelings of guilt, and instead of jumping into a big job and career change right away, she takes the time to sift through her feelings to decide where she wants to go next with her serious pastry skills.  And most of all, I love the family dynamics between Sophie, Bubbles, and her parents.  Chicago is a big part of this novel, and I always have a soft spot for the city in which my family made home for three generations.   

There's much more going on in Sophie's life, and you'll get the title pretty quickly.  I did feel there was almost too much going on in the plot and in Sophie's life.  I was exhausted!  And it seemed that the end was pretty quick, after many pages of Sophie's life moving a bit slowly.  I would have liked an epilogue.  

Thank you to Penguin-Random House for an advanced copy to review.  

Rating:  7/10 for an enjoyable novel about restarting life, being resourceful, enjoying food and loving the people in our lives.  

This book will be available May 3rd in paperback and e-book format.  

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Wedding Girl by Stacey Ballis

A Tale of Gardening Madness: Backyard by Norman Draper

I think this is the third day of below 0 temperatures in Cedar Rapids.  All I know is the wind is blowing, it's snowing again, and our current temperature is 9 degrees (with windchill -11).  This immediately turns my head towards gardening, sunny skies, and lush landscapes.  

Backyard is a hilarious tale of a gardening competition that sets neighbor against neighbor in a bid to have the best garden in Livia.  The characters are all a hoot:  Dr. Phyllis Sproot, a self-proclaimed expert on gardening (who gets her PhD from a six-week mail-order course in horticulture), Marta Poppendauber, who has a garden that is a beautiful mess (and drives Dr. Sproot nuts), and George and Nan Fremont, who spend all of their time working in their glorious backyard garden, or sitting on their deck sipping gin and tonics and staring at their glorious backyard garden.  These characters are such fun in their dysfunction.  And we all know people like this, too. 

I was laughing out loud at the hijinks that happen in Livia as the day of judging draws near  and the competition escalates.  Dr. Sproot guilts Marta into spying on the Fremonts and engaging in secret forays to destroy their garden, little by little.  I'll leave you to discover just how comical Marta is--let's just say she's no Jane Bond.  And best of all, the Fremonts are completely oblivious to Dr. Sproot's machinations.  

So who wins the competition?  Is Dr. Sproot's sure-fire garden combination of yucca-coreopsis-salvia-hollyhock destined to be the winner?  Or will Marta's English countryside garden take the top spot?  Or do the Fremonts win the big pot?  

This really is a fun book to read.  Anyone who loves to garden will completely understand this book.  Anyone who wants a good laugh will enjoy this book.  And anyone stuck under a blanket of snow will certainly read this book and immediately start perusing the seed catalogs and planning their garden. It's a lighthearted look at people's obsessions and just how far we will go to be number one.  Sit back, enjoy and dream of summer.  

Rating:  7/10 for a very funny look at gardening and competition.  The characters are a stitch!  

Available in paperback and e-book. 

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A Tale of Gardening Madness: Backyard by Norman Draper