Reported by Ambrea
This
week at Nevermore, our readers explored some new books—new to our book club,
that is—and even discovered some new favorites with The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Descent by Tim Johnston, and Forsyte
Saga by John Galsworthy.
Our
readers first dived into an audiobook copy of U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton.
Twenty years after the disappearance of a four-year-old girl, Kinsey
Millhone is asked to investigate the case by Michael Sutton. Sutton, a college dropout at twenty-seven,
may possibly be the only witness in a mystery that’s remained notoriously
unsolved for two decades—and Kinsey must help him dredge up a memory she’s not
even sure existed in the first place.
Bouncing back and forth in time, following both the original witness of
the case and Kinsey Millhone as she seeks to fit together pieces of the puzzle,
U is for Undertow is a
psychologically intricate thriller that received high praise from our Nevermore
reader. She said it was “absolutely incredible—I
love this kind of stuff!”
Next,
our readers explored a second novel by Justin Halpern called I Suck at Girls. Like Sh*t
My Dad Says, I Suck at Girls is
an uproariously funny narrative.
Chronicling his misadventures with the opposite sex—from first dates to
engagement parties, from high school to college and beyond—I Suck at Girls is a poignant memoir about the best and worst of
love. Our Nevermore reader absolutely
loved Halpern’s latest book. Both
light-hearted and funny, I Suck at Girls
was a comedic adventure of the very best kind—and, having listened to the
audiobook, she thought it was hilarious how the author managed to give a
different voice for every character.
One
of our readers also picked Ghosts of
Tsavo: Stalking the Mystery Lions of
East Africa by Philip Caputo. Set in
Tsavo River Kenya in 1898, Ghosts of
Tsavo explores the construction of the Uganda Railway through east
Africa—and the lions that brought construction to a grinding halt after killing
140 people. According to our reader,
Caputo’s book has the opportunity to spark an intriguing discussion—especially
after the debacle with Theo Bronkhorst, a big game hunter, and Cecil the
lion—but our reader found she just couldn’t become enthusiastic about
man-eating lions. She managed to read
135 pages, but she just “couldn’t go any farther.”
Our
readers also visited The Nightingale by
Kristin Hannah, which follows the intersecting lives of sisters Vianne and
Isabelle. Vianne, who must cope with her
husband’s departure for World War II, and Isabelle, a rebellious young woman
who falls in love—and, subsequently, joins the Resistance—are “separated by
years and experience, by ideals, passion, and circumstance, [but] each
embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom…” For our Nevermore reader, The Nightingale was an incredible
novel. Although she was initially
hesitant to begin Hannah’s novel, having read so many books based in the midst
of World War II, our reader was quickly hooked and begrudged having to do
anything other than read.
The Forsyte Saga
by John Galsworthy also made an appearance at our Nevermore meeting. Published in a series of three novels from
1906 to 1921, The Fosyte Saga
received recognition in 1932 when Galsworthy earned a Nobel Prize in literature
“for his distinguished art of narration which takes its highest for in [his
novel].” For the most part, Galsworthy’s
novel centers on Soames Forsyte—a successful solicitor who lives in London, and
a pillar of excellence in his Victorian community—and his wife, Irene. But beneath the happy façade of their
marriage, the Forsytes’ relationship is crumbling into a bitter feud within the
family. According to our Nevermore
reader, The Forsyte Saga was
excellent. Although she said it takes
some patience to read through the entire series, she said it’s a beautifully
written novel that’s well worth reading.
Last, our readers discussed Descent by Tim Johnston. Chronicling the disappearance of Caitlin Courtland and her family’s desperate search for answers, Descent is an emotional rollercoaster ride that tears the Courtlands’ apart before finally bringing them together again. Two of our Nevermore members have had the chance to read Johnston’s novel, and they have both given positive reviews: one reader said he was left speechless by this book, saying it was “very good, extremely good,” while another asserted it was by far the best book she’s read this year
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