Nevermore: Friends Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, How to Kill Your Family, Wesley the Owl

 

Reported by Garry

 

Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry is a frank, darkly hilarious look at life by one of the stars of the most watched television series of the past 30 years. Born in Massachusetts and raised in Canada and Los Angeles, Matthew Perry was a nationally ranked teenaged tennis star before getting bit by the acting bug, and eventually found himself on the set of Friends – the blockbuster show that would define his acting career. Along the way, Perry became addicted to drugs – an addiction that he speaks about with candor in this memoir. Our reader said that Perry’s book was a real eye-opener, and that she now knows much more about the addiction process than she ever had previously.

 

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie. Grace is in jail for murder, and she has murdered people, just not the one of which she is accused. Grace discovered that her previously unknown millionaire father rejected her dying mother’s pleas for help, and vowed revenge against not only him, but every other member of his family, one by one – which she does. Gleefully. Our reader says that this book is both dark and very funny, and recommends it to anyone who has a dark sense of humor and likes books along the lines of Villanelle (the basis for the Killing Eve TV series) and My Sister, the Serial Killer.

 

Wesley The Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O’Brien is the heart-touching true story of Wesley, a barn owl and the human that raised him. Wesley was born with nerve damage to his wing and would never be able to survive in the wild. He was “adopted” by O’Brien, a trained biologist. The two spent an astonishing 19 years together, time which was documented by O’Brien with copious notes and photographs. Over the years, O’Brien got to know Wesley’s personality (he wouldn’t tolerate lies), his quirks (he also wouldn’t tolerate any of O’Brien’s would-be suitors), and how deeply intelligent and sensitive this bird of prey is.

 

Also mentioned:

 

Murder She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher (and various authors)

The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Life Travel and the People in Between by Mike Nixon

John Vance Journal

Whale Day: And Other Poems by Billy Collins

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo

Just As I Am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson

Lessons in Chemistry By Bonnie Garmus

My Dream of You by Nuala O’Faolain

Southernmost by Silas House

Tales from the Café: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Eat and Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being by Mary Beth Albright

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

 

Reviewed by Kristin

*Please note that this is not an instruction manual.

Grace Bernard’s father is a real jerk. He’s married, but not to Grace’s mother, Marie. He’s rich, but couldn’t be bothered to contribute financially or to take Grace in when Marie asked as she lay dying. Grace is a perfectly lovely person, but let’s just say that she doesn’t forgive. Or forget. She is ready to make her father rue the day that he rejected his mistress and daughter.

After Marie’s death, teenage Grace is taken in by the parents of a friend. They are do-gooders and fairly well-off, so caring for the poor little orphan just makes them feel better about themselves. They have no idea that she is plotting the misery and murder of her remaining biological relatives.

Grace begins her story while in a London jail for murder. However, not for one of the six murders she actually committed. She is rather indignant to have been blamed for the other death. But a claim of innocence stating “I wouldn’t have been nearly so careless if I wanted to murder her” is not likely to be taken well, so Grace didn’t bother saying it at all.

Grace is smart, organized, and probably a psychopath. She is a clever antihero who I find rather likeable, (as long as I remember that this is fiction and I’m not cheering on an actual person to make her father pay dearly for his heartlessness.) The end has a bit of a twist with another voice adding to Grace’s story. Not everything went according to plan. But, close enough.

Others have called this debut novel “compulsively readable” and I definitely agree. It’s darkly funny and an enjoyable ride. I look forward to more from Bella Mackie.