Finished
Garmus, Bonnie. Lessons in Chemistry, 2022.
Book 1 – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Published in 2022, it has been on my TBR for about that long. Honestly, the cover put me off. I know, I know. But, something about this particular book art trend just doesn’t do it for me.
However, after a few dozen recommendations, the clip of Brie Larson as the protagonist, Elizabeth Zott (excellent casting, I think), telling an audience member that she could, in fact, be an open heart surgeon (the story spans the late ‘50s, early ‘60s), and having nothing pressing during the last part of my winter break, I decided to give it a go.
This book read for me like The Help by Kathryn Stockett – I found it mostly dreadful as far as novels go while being utterly incapable of putting it down; I could not walk away from the story. Frustrating, hyperbolic, and plausible only in fiction, I was captivated by the characters. They lack complexity and nuance and are mostly improbable in the wild. However, although my eyes rolled, I continued to turn the page without an arm-twist. I never once considered not finishing it.
I probably won’t make time for the series; as lovely as Aja Naomi King is, choosing to age down the “we are saving each other neighbor” Harriet Slone an entire generation makes me nervous. I am glad I found a bit of downtime to check this off the list. I don’t know that I would recommend it, but I wouldn’t dissuade an interest either.
Lange, Tracey, We Are the Brennans (2021).
Book 2 – We Are the Brennans (2021) by Tracey Lange. An enjoyable beach read, the Brennans are an Irish pub-owning family in New York who move through one tragic event that changes everything. What could have been written as heavy family trauma is treated lightly in this fairly predictable journey.
The structure is interesting as the point of view shifts from character to character in each chapter. Often, this storytelling option can cause a bit of narrative whiplash and confusing busyness, but Lange’s consistent transitions create seamless moves that enhance rather than distract from the story; Lange’s choice in this area is probably my favorite characteristic of the book.
It occurred to me pretty early that if I thought about what was actually going on in this story for too long, I would have hated it. I don’t know that it would survive a contemplative read. So, I just took it for the story that it was and enjoyed all of it – especially Shane.
In Progress
DNF
DNF #1 – I get people love it, and that thrills me. I also DNF’d _The Glass Castles_ by Jeannette Walls years ago, so I suppose my taste in this particular area hasn’t changed.