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Three Days in June
By Anne Tyler
Knopf, 9780593803486, February 11, 2025, 176 pp.

The Short of It:

Anne Tyler. Always a pleasure.

The Rest of It:

Gail Baines loses her job and then discovers that her bride-to-be daughter is in crisis mode. Something has happened to make her question her relationship. Because it’s the weekend of the wedding, Gail’s ex-husband Max is also in town and hits Gail up last minute for a place to crash, and he just happens to have a foster cat with him.

A wedding weekend filled with rehearsals and meals. The ex, well-liked but quirky and with a cat no less. Debbie. the bride-to-be, darting around busily as the wedding ensues. How can Gail rein this in? Can she? Is it even her place to do so?

Gail is a likable character. Not all that confident in her “mother-of-the-bride” status but she tries. She wants to do right by her daughter, and to remind her that if there are any doubts, that it’s okay to back out now. That it doesn’t matter that everyone has arrived for this thing. But then Gail is reminded of her own infidelity and how people can make mistakes and still be good people.

This is a whirlwind type of read. As a reader, you are invested in this story quickly and it’s tied up in much the same way, quickly. The writing is what earns stars here. Tyler’s characters always posses that quirky something-something that makes them interesting. I enjoyed it a lot. Almost felt it was too short.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Animal Farm
By George Orwell
Berkley, 9780452277502, June 1996, 128 pp.

The Short of It:

History repeats itself.

The Rest of It:

This is probably my third time reading Animal Farm. Why? I don’t know. I seem to be the kind of reader who chooses to read topical books as they relate to real world situations. I read about the plague during the COVID shutdowns. Why not read about tyranny while living through what we are living through now?

In the event that there is anyone reading this who hasn’t read Animal Farm, I will provide a brief synopsis.

A farm full of animals grow tired of the poor care and treatment they receive from their human farmer. They rise up in rebellion and run him off his land.

Leaders emerge. Mainly, Napoleon, a pig who rises up and resembles Stalin. Promises are made. The animals at first idolize him until he begins to draw a select few into his circle. Those select few begin to wield more power. Slowly.

Over time, the wonderful feelings they all shared at being equals and working toward a common goal dissipate and they are left questioning what the truth really is.

Lies. Promises. Propaganda. The changing of rules. Leaders telling you that you heard it wrong or didn’t understand it the first time.

Sound familiar? Orwell was ahead of his time. History repeats itself. Animal Farm is classified as satire. True. In my opinion it’s also a cautionary tale and in this current political climate, it hits right on the nose.

What happens to these animals, the well-meaning “do-ers” breaks my heart. Them being animals, does it soften the blow? Nope. Not one bit. We all want better lives. We want to be able to put food on the table. Raise families to know there is good out there. Call me what you want, but I am a Christian and THIS Christian chooses to love and not hate.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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