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The Last September by Nina de Gramont (Audiobook Review)

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septemberBook Summary from Algonquin Books

“When I look back now, it hurtles toward us like a meteor. But at the time we were too wrapped up in our day-to-day life to see it. Charlie and I lived in a borrowed house by the ocean. Our daughter, Sarah, was fifteen months old. September had just arrived, emptying the beaches at the very moment they became most spectacular.”

Brett has been in love with Charlie ever since he took her skiing on a lovely Colorado night fourteen years ago. And now, living in a seaside cottage on Cape Cod with their young daughter, it looks as if they have settled into the life they desired. However, Brett and Charlie’s marriage has been tenuous for quite some time. When Charlie’s unstable younger brother plans to move in with them, the tension simmering under the surface of their marriage boils over.

But what happened to Charlie next was unfathomable. Charlie was the golden boy so charismatic that he charmed everyone who crossed his path; who never shied away from a challenge; who saw life as one big adventure; who could always rescue his troubled brother, no matter how unpredictable the situation.

So who is to blame for the tragic turn of events? And why does Brett feel responsible?

Set against the desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle that takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing the meaning of love and loyalty.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this selection from The She Reads Books of Fall. I listened to the audio which is narrated by Rebecca Mitchell and I found her tone and different voices and emotions of characters very easy to listen to. Coming in at 10 hours and 19 minutes she definitely captured the essence of the story for me and the hours flew by.

Brett loved Charlie from the moment she met him. He was the brother of her friend Eli and he seemed to have it all – confidence, good looks, and Brett fell hard for him. Eventually they marry and have a child but what seems as though it should be a perfect life does have its flaws. The biggest of those is actually Eli, mentally ill now, who continues to show up in their lives and cause chaos. When an unthinkable tragedy occurs Brett finds herself lost and struggling. Looking back over the past and trying to figure out who she can blame for the tragedy Brett is faced with also trying to find herself and a way to move on.

The Last September is a beautifully written, emotional novel. One definitely worth reading. Readers of women’s fiction or mysteries would likely be drawn to this story. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

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Source: Digital review copy received from the publisher for an honest review. Audiobook personal copy. No compensation was received.
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The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs by Matthew Dicks (Audiobook)

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In a Nutshell

A She Reads Books of Fall Selection…

Caroline Jacobs is a wife, mother, and a complete pushover … until one day she bursts out with a not so nice four letter word in the middle of a school meeting stunning everyone especially her husband and daughter.  This wonderful novel is about a woman trying to reinvent herself and her relationship with her teenage daughter by delving into her past.

Reflections

When Caroline finally speaks up it leaves her remembering all the times in her past that she didn’t.  The one incident that Caroline feels has impacted her life all the way to adulthood was when she was a teenager and she was humiliated and deserted by her so called best friend.  Now, more than twenty years later, Caroline feels the need to confront this friend and she decides to take her daughter along on the road trip.  While Caroline is trying to sort out her feelings and her past and figure out what the perfect comeback to her old friend should be her daughter is keeping busy at every turn showing her mother how it should be done or even slyly doing it behind her back.

Did I Fancy It or Not

I really enjoyed this audio (length 7 hrs, 17 mins) narrated by Cynthia Hopkins who does a fantastic job with both the characters and the story.  This book shows us how bullying has effects that last well into adulthood and many times shape who we are.  I also liked the mother/daughter aspect of this novel and how they were able to begin to build a new relationship together.  I think this is a perfect book club selection with lots to talk about.  Highly recommended!

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Source: Digital review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. Audiobook personal copy. No compensation was received.
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The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson (Audiobook)

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BooksellerThe Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson is a a She Reads Books of Spring selection and one I really enjoyed.  I have to say my initial attraction to the book was its cover.  I always find myself drawn to novels that picture books on them in some way.  I grabbed The Bookseller in audio from the library and I’m so glad I did.  It’s narrated by Kathe Mazur who I’ve listened to previously.  I really enjoy the tone of her voice and the different voices she uses for the characters.  All in all it makes for a great listening experience!

It’s 1962 and Kitty and her best friend Frieda own and run a bookshop.  Kitty loves running the store and after spending many years in a relationship that didn’t work out she has even somewhat come to accept her life as a single woman.  Her life is full enough with her loving parents, Frieda, her cat, the bookshop, and of course books.

But then … the dreams begin.  In her dreams it is 1963 and Kitty is Katharyn Anderson.  She finds herself very much in love with her husband Lars and is surprised she has three children as well.  It appears she lives a fairly affluent life in her dreams – one she has always hoped to have but it only exists when she’s asleep.  Yet even in a world seemingly perfect there can be struggles.

Kitty begins to crave this other world which is so different than the one she inhabits when she’s awake.  As time passes she finds the line between her dream world and her real world blurring.  She becomes more and more confused as she struggles to determine what is real and what is just her imagination.  Which world is the real one?  Ultimately can Kitty choose which life she wants and if she does what does she sacrifice in doing so?

I really enjoyed The Bookseller.  Even in audio it was a page turner for me.  I liked the characters and especially the storyline.  Alternate worlds always intrigue me.  It makes a person wish they could fall asleep and dream up an alternate – and hopefully better – world for themselves.  Highly recommended!

 

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Source: Library copy.
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The Daughter by Jane Shemilt

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daughterHow well do you know the people you love and live with? The Daughter by Jane Shemilt is a She Reads Books of Spring selection and it takes us deep into the dynamics of one family as they struggle to deal with their grief and with what ‘they thought they knew’.  It’s a psychological thriller that captured my attention from the very first page and I couldn’t wait to get back to it each time I had to put it down.  It is fantastic!

Jenny is a busy doctor who wants it all and she has it or so she thinks.  Her husband is a neurosurgeon and she ‘s a mother to three teens and she strives for perfection in all areas of her life.  She tries to balance it all and feels she’s been doing a great job at keeping on top of her kid’s and husband’s lives.  One thing she’s quite sure of despite noticing her daughter has been acting out of the ordinary lately is that she knows her daughter and that Naomi tells her everything.  They keep no secrets from each other…so she thought until the day that fifteen-year-old Naomi disappears.  Then the facade that Jenny has built around her life begins to crumble.

A nationwide search ensues but soon enough days, weeks, and months go by and while clues are being discovered they still haven’t conclusively found out what happened to Naomi.  Jenny is a wreck unable to work or function properly and as the time passes she begins to discover secrets.  Secrets Naomi was keeping, her sons are keeping, and then there is her husband Ted.  What kind of secrets is he hiding from her as well?  Jenny’s perfect world is no more.

With Jenny struggling to deal with her daughter’s disappearance and all the secrets coming to light around her she decides to go and live at her family’s cottage.  It is there that Jenny reflects on the past and begins to see the many areas of her life where she could have done things differently.  She realizes how absorbed she was in herself and what she wanted for everyone.  Absorbed to the point of not being present in her kid’s lives.  She realizes she really didn’t have a clue what had been going on in Naomi’s life as she works to uncover the days and months before Naomi’s disappearance.  The more she discovers the more she realizes that the Naomi she thought she knew is not the Naomi that has disappeared.

This novel bounces back and forth between when Naomi disappeared to the present a year later with Jenny at the cottage.  I liked this setup because it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was next.  As I was reading I kept guessing at what had happened and I did pretty good up until the ending where the author surprised me.  It really makes you wonder how well you really know those you love and it also has you questioning if you too are ‘present’ in your life.  If you enjoy psychological thrillers The Daughter is excellent.  I loved it and I hope to see more from this author in the future.  Highly recommended!

 

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Source: Copy received from the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.
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The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos

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preciousThe Precious One by Marisa de los Santos is one of the She Reads Books of Spring and I was so excited to see it was one of our selections because I adore her books.  She writes beautifully and her stories never fail to warm my heart and I know when I pick up one of her books I’m going to be fully immersed in another world that I will be sad to leave.  I listened to the audio version which is narrated by Abby Craden and Arielle DeLisle and they do an amazing job of capturing the spirit of this novel.  I’ve not listened to these two ladies before but I certainly will again as I found myself so captivated by their telling of this story.

As a young girl Eustacia “Taisy” Cleary always yearned for her father’s love and attention but didn’t get it.  To top it off her father found himself a younger woman with whom he had a child.  When she, her mother, and her brother Marcus move away the kids lose touch with him and really aren’t interested at all in forming any kind of a relationship with him anymore.  Of course neither is he since he is much too busy with his daughter Willow, who Taisy and Marcus have dubbed ‘the precious one’.

Out of the blue Taisy’s father Wilson calls her and requests that she come for a visit.  Upon arriving she finds that he wants her to write his memoir but really he has other motives that come to light as the novel progresses.  Despite the relationship Taisy has had with her father she’s a girl who has only really loved three men in her life – her brother, her first love Ben, and her father and she finds that she can’t refuse him this.  Needless to say she’s nervous about meeting her half sister Willow who has been shaped in her father’s mold to perfection and not only that but he’s always openly loved this girl.  Something he didn’t have with Taisy.  When she meets Willow it is as awkward as expected and Willow seems so angry with her.  And jealous although Taisy can’t imagine why since it’s Willow who has always had their father’s undivided attention.  As the days pass Taisy begins to learn more about this father she thought she knew and also, although slowly, a budding relationship seems to be forming with her sister.

This novel is told in the alternating voices of Taisy and Willow and it’s so well done.  With Taisy we feel the strong woman that she is as she’s really had no choice but to be that way.  And still we feel her vulnerability as she meets Ben again after many, many years.  Then there is Willow who, having been so sheltered her whole life, is so very naive and unsuspecting of anything that could be evil and wrong.  She’s young and experiencing a real school for the first time in her life and she’s completely out of her depth.  Will she be able to survive the real world with so little preparation? Will she make friends?  Will she find love or something more sinister?

I absolutely loved this book and even more so the audio and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read women’s fiction.  The Precious One is a story of family, secrets,  and love.  It is a novel I won’t soon forget.

 

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Source: Personal audiobook copy.
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The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister (Audiobook)

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Magicians-LieThe Magician’s Lie is Greer Macallister’s debut novel and was chosen as a  She Reads Books of Winter selection and it is yet another fabulous book club choice.  The Magician’s Lie will take you on an adventure that captures your interest from the first page to the last.  I listened to the audiobook version which is narrated by Julia Whelan (who I adore) and Nick Podehl (who I haven’ t listened to before but would again).  It’s no secret that I love audiobooks that feature multiple narrators and this one is no exception.  Julia Whelan is a fabulous narrator she and Nick Podehl complement each other perfectly in telling this story.

The Amazing Arden is one of the first female magicians in 1905.  Of course this was a time when a female as a magician was unheard of but whether out of curiosity or the fact that her magic show was good people came to see her perform.  And perform she did.  Arden has loved to perform since her earliest memory.  As a young girl it was ballet but an injury put an end to that career.  When performing magic tricks or illusions as she liked to refer to them became an option Arden found she had a true talent for it and soon enough she became famous for her shows.

Arden is most known for her illusion of sawing a man in half on stage. This is the illusion she is performing the night that policeman Virgil Holt is attending the show.  When she uses an axe instead of a saw Virgil is curious but doesn’t worry too much about it thinking maybe it’s a new trick … until he hears that her husband has been found dead below the stage and even more alarming is that Arden is no where to be found.  She seems to have run off.  The question is why?  Is she guilty of murder?  Virgil is sure his luck is changing when he happens upon Arden running away.  This could make his career if he could bring in The Amazing Arden.  Of course he assumes she’s guilty.  Why else would she be running?

Arden begs Virgil to let her go and to further her cause she shares her story with him.  She tells him of her turbulent childhood and her struggles to get where she is in her career.  She tries hard to play on his sympathies and for his part Virgil is torn.  Does he believe her?  Or, being the illusionist that she is, is she just lying to him and he can’t tell the difference? And for us, the reader, that is the question as well – is she telling the truth or spinning a tale?  Read it and find out…

Highly recommended for historical fiction fans or for those who enjoy a good story.  I really enjoyed it and the audio production is great!

 

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Source: Digital review copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. Audiobook from personal library. No compensation was received.
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