Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons

Reviewed by Kristin

Summer may be almost over, but The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons is lingering in my mind.  Maddy, Rachel, Barbara and Melinda are the somewhat stereotypical doctor's wives who have been friends since medical school days.  Their tradition has been always to take a week in August for a beach vacation.  No husbands, no kids, just the women.

The problem with continuing the tradition is that Melinda was killed in a car accident a few years ago, and none of the other women have been able to bring themselves together to continue the beach tradition with such a vital character missing.  When Melinda's husband gets engaged to an extremely young woman who everyone calls Baby, the women are strongly encouraged to take advantage of Baby's family home on an isolated barrier island off the coast of South Carolina.

Maddy, Rachel and Barbara are all forty-ish with well established connections to each other and strong opinions on everyone around them.  Each of them is going through some major life problems and at first are reluctant to share their issues even with their dearest friends.  Of course, throwing a twenty-two year old into the mix may have something to do with the initial shakiness of their rapport on this trip.  At first, Baby is practically run over by the older women, but soon shows some backbone and maturity.

Now I have to admit that a girls beach vacation sounds like an appealing idea, although one that perhaps has been done previously in a book or two or twenty.  In fact, I reviewed All The Summer Girls by Meg Donohue earlier in the summer, and it was somewhat similar: title, plot, well—you get the idea.  Siddons' writing is so elegant that the business of reading was pleasurable, but there was just a little something missing.  At only 240 pages, the story felt somewhat half-hearted and underdeveloped.  I think part of the reason that the book is lingering in my mind is that there was so much potential for further character development and a longer story.

I have always enjoyed Anne Rivers Siddons as she evokes the very atmosphere of the South.  While this book was not one of her best, I would still recommend it for any reader willing to take it as it is: a short, poignant story of friends reunited after a tragedy, who find courage and strength in each other.

Everybody's a Critic: Found Reviews of Books, Part 2

Compiled by Kristin

As noted a few months ago, sometimes our lovely patrons leave little notes written inside the covers of books, telling what they liked, loved, or hated.  Most of our quick-reviewers have strong opinions, and often they clash with other readers.  Check here if you missed our earlier compilation.  So if you'd like a few quick opinions on a wide variety of books, read on!

 “I love Nora Roberts.  Her books are hot!”  --Loving Jack by Nora Roberts

“Good if you like a lot of shooting!” –Fool’s Coach by Richard S. Wheeler

“GOOD, GOOD, GOOD!:
          and
“Yes—very good.”
          and
“One of the Best!!”
          and
“I agree”
          and
“You all must be crazy!  What a dysfunctional family.  Her books are so depressing!!”
          and
“Good, but her opinion of Christian religion was a disappointment.”

     --Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons

 “Fairly good—but another stupid hero.” –The Holdout in the Diablos by Louis Trimble

Then there was the long-ago librarian who pasted blank paper in the front of novels so that readers might share their opinions.  Perhaps our current day patrons are simply continuing the tradition.

“Dear Patron:  After reading this book, please write one or two sentences giving your impressions of it.  These comments will help others decide if they want to borrow this volume.  Please keep comments short, so others may also participate.  Thank you.”

“This is a book I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.  It was boring.”

“Not as bad as all that—just slow moving.”

“Great if you like classic British mysteries.”

“This is an excellent book.”

“Excellent—she spends the needed time to develop her characters well so that we can THINK through the mystery.  An excellent read!”

“This is 2014, I have just read Ann Perry’s latest book.  I have read all her books, they get better every year.  I consider her the greatest Victorian Mystery writer.”

     --Resurrection Row by Anne Perry

“Fair.  I don’t like stupid heroes.”  --Shotgun Law by Nelson Nye

“Stupid betraying girl.  Too pushy and completely doesn’t know what she wants!”  --Daring Moves by Linda Lael Miller

“Great…Deep…Neato…Wow”

“Good book!”

“Hilarious”

“It stunk, NOT! Great book.”

“Excellent, excellent, excellent—too good for words.”

“Great!  Thought provoking!”

“Brilliant—hilarious—adorable”

“Wonderful, funny, thought provoking!”

“As always, C.S. Lewis is a wonderful read!”

“Amazing!  Thought provoking and troublesome.”

     --The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

What do you think?  Any opinions on any of these books?  Please feel free to leave comments here.

August Big Books

Summary by Jeanne

The summer book season is still going strong!  Here are some August highlights:

•    Debbie Macomber new series continues with Rose Harbor in Bloom, a spin-off from her popular Cedar Cove books

•    Kelley Armstrong, best known for her Otherworld novels, starts a new fantasy series with Omens. Olivia Taylor Jones has lived a papered life as the only child of wealthy parents, not knowing that she was adopted and her birth parents are serving life sentences for serial murders.  Now she’s out to uncover the truth about her family, which may include some supernatural connections.

•    J.A. Jance has Second Watch, a J.P. Beaumont mystery

•    Thomas Keneally, best known for Schindler’s List, returns with an engrossing story set in World War I.  Sisters Sally and Naomi are serving as nurses and facing horribly injured soldiers even as they struggle with personal traumas.  Reviewers say that once again Keneally has humanized a sweeping and complex historical event in The Daughters of Mars.

•    Readers who enjoyed Gap Creek by Robert Morgan will be glad to know that there’s a sequel, Road from Gap Creek, which continues the story of the Richards family as told by their youngest daughter, Annie.

•    James Patterson and David Ellis (Guilty Wives) re-team in Mistress, a standalone novel about a man with obsessive tendencies determined to find out who murdered the love of his life.  (Note that Ellis has a new book of his own out this month.)

•    And while it may not be a “Big Book,” I’m looking forward to Love Potion #10 by Betsy Woodman, which is the second in the Jana Bibi series. Jana is a Scotswoman by heritage who has lived in India for years.  I found it to be utterly charming.  My review of the first book is here.

More highly anticipated books:

Bowen, Rhys  Heirs and Graces  (Her Royal Spyness series)
Box, C. J.  The Highway (Cody Hoyt)
Cain, Chelsea Let Me Go (Archie and Gretchen)
Cook, Thomas Sandrine’s Case
Doiron, Paul  Massacre Pond (Mike Bowditch mystery)
Ellis, David  Last Alibi (Jason Kolarich)
Fairstein, Linda Death’s Angel (Alex Cooper)
Fisher, Suzanne Woods The Letters
Garwood, Julie  Hotshot (Buchanan-Renard)
Gregory, Philippa White Princess (The Cousins’ War series)
Hurwitz, Gregg  Tell No Lies
Jance, J.A.  Second Watch (Beaumont)
Kellerman, Faye  Beast (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus)
Penny, Louise  How the Light Gets In (Inspector Gamache)
Reichs, Kathy  Bones of the Past (Temperance Brennan)
Robards, Karen  Last Kiss Goodbye (Charlotte Stone)

Next August will have another long awaited book: Anne Rivers Siddons returns with Girls of August, the story of a group of friends who get together at the beach each August, starting when they are in their twenties and ending after one of the group dies.  Now they’ve reunited and are about to make some startling discoveries about each other—and themselves. (