Book Chatter

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted a “whatnot” post. I’ve been a little tied up with my reading. Still trying to make-up for my slow-down after my surgery. I am catching up though! Catching up is good because ALL the books coming out this fall have me so excited! Like the new Cormac McCarthy set. The Passenger comes out in October with Stella Maris set to hit shelves in December. Do you enjoy his writing? His subject matter is very dark and heavy but I do enjoy his writing.

On a personal note, my son and his cat Root Beer have settled in nicely. She has a window that overlooks the apartment courtyard so she watches all the coming and going until he gets home. This apparently involves lots of dog sightings. I wonder if she misses The Otter Pup.

My daughter’s theatre job is going well. She loves it. They’ve already invited her back for winter break which is nice.

I never mentioned it but I saw the new Top Gun over Memorial Day weekend and it was really good. Say what you want about Cruise but he makes good movies. Makes me want to watch the original again. On another note, we have one more episode of Stranger Things, Season 4 and I have thoughts. Many, not good but I will hold judgement until I watch that last mega episode.

I am reading my book club pick for this month, The Swimmers. It’s very interesting. The writing is interesting in that there are many informal lists of things to set the stage and while reading, I could 100% relate to what she was sharing. It’s so short but is packed with meaning.

Have a good week! The weekend is nearly here. I’ve been gathering some recipes that stretch the dollar a bit. Inflation is a bit much right now. And with some areas in my region charging nearly $10 a gallon for gas, I find myself trying to cut back a little.

Oh, if you missed my summer list, check it out here!

Have a great week and tell me what you are reading!

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance
By Alison Espach
Henry Holt and Co., 9781250823144, May 2022, 352pp.

The Short of It:

This book met all my expectations and then some.

The Rest of It:

Sally adores her older sister Kathy. They are about as different as two sisters can be, and yet they managed to do quite well in their shared bedroom. Sure, they squabble but Sally looks up to Kathy because Kathy always knows the right thing to say or do. She is sophisticated without trying and yet when they are alone together, she shares all her insecurities with Sally, which makes Kathy flawed just like the rest of them.

One summer, as they while away their hours by the community pool, Kathy catches the eye of Billy. A good looking boy, working at the snack stand. After some missteps, the two fall hard for one another, which leaves Sally to observe her sister’s new found infatuation from afar. She can’t help but feel a little jealous because one, she wanted to spend the summer with Kathy and two, what would it be like to have a boyfriend like Billy? She wonders if she will ever have someone like him.

As the summer unfolds, Sally finds herself attached to Billy in a way that no one wants. Linked by tragedy, the two struggle to find a way to move on and let me tell you, it’s heartbreaking and poignant but in such a good way. Memory and what could have been, had me re-reading passages as I slowly turned the pages. These characters leap off the page and you feel for them.

I loved this book. I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked it up but it’s good and I didn’t want it to end. It will be on my fave list at the end of the year.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Chatting with friends about books and life…