The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood

   The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood.  2016, paperback by W.W. Norton and Company. Adult fiction


   This is one of the most intriguing books I have read all year. The main character, Ava, is mother to two young adults and joins a friend's book group. When she was a child, Ava's sister died, and not long ago, her mother seems to have killed herself. Ava is never the same. Her own daughter is supposed to be in Florence studying, but is really in Paris, on drugs and in big trouble. Ava's son, her former husband, the policeman who investigated her sister's death, and the book group all play key roles in helping Ava sort out her own life and her family. At the beginning, each person in the book group is to choose "the book that matters most" to discuss at a monthly meeting.  The choices are interesting, the discussions are lively, and what the books reveal about the members of the group fuel the plot of the story. Just when you think you have it all figured out, things change and then change again and readers will find themselves wondering at the talents of writer Ann Hood.

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan

                            


  Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan. Alfred A. Knopf, 2017. Adult fiction.


       A heartfelt story about an Irish Catholic family and their secrets and what means most to them. When sisters Nora and Theresa leave Ireland to come to America as young women, Nora is engaged. Years later, the two are estranged. One is married with children, the other is a nun in a cloistered abbey. The novel begins in 2009 with a tragic death and alternates with the backstory over the years since the late 1950's. The characters are believable. The twists keep readers going. Sullivan does a good job of showing the changing times and differences in cultures. The most important part of the book to take away is the ability to simply say, "I shouldn't have acted that way. Please forgive me."

Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales by Emily Jenkins

Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales by Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Roahn Daniel Eason.Candlewick Press, 2017. Children’s fiction/Story collection.

Emily Jenkins weaves new magic into seven old tales with these retellings of traditional fairy tales. Color illustrations separate the stories. Readers will recognize  Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Red Riding Hood, but some other stories may not be as familiar. Jenkins infuses all of these with humor and imaginative details that add to the characters, and new little spins that will charm new and old readers alike.

You'll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron

 

 You’ll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult fiction.

Creepy, atmospheric, and intriguing! When Lis was seven, her four-year-old sister disappeared. Her mother runs an ad every year on the anniversary of the child’s disappearance showing the girl’s also missing handmade doll. This year a young woman shows up who may have the doll. Lis and her daughter, Vanessa, are major characters who try to investigate the past. But, the mother and her best friend next door have spent their whole lives with secrets and hurts. The young woman with the doll and HER mother also are major characters. Set in South Carolina, the dangers are real and the events well plotted. This one will keep readers on the edge of their seats and up late reading!

Alex & Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz

Alex and Emma: A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2017. Historical fiction.  Young Adult.

If you loved Hamilton, The Musical, you will enjoy this tale of the youthful Schuyler sisters and their quests for love. The descriptions of dresses, food, houses, and other social aspects will satisfy many readers. The Will She?  Won’t She? give-and- take of the sisters and their beaus will appeal to teen girls, especially.  It is not clear exactly what is truth and what is fiction, but this may spur readers to do some research and determine the real facts for themselves.

(As of 2020, there are three titles in this series. Look for other titles in your library.)

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 20107. Adult fiction.

From 1938 to 1991, this well written historical novel basically follows the stories of three women: Marianne von Lingenfels, a wealthy woman whose husband is connected to a plot to kill Hitler himself; Benita, a beautiful and naïve young woman who marries one of Marianne’s best friends; and Ania and her sons who Marianne rescues from a shelter because she is the wife of a resister. At the ruins of the Bavarian castle of her husband’s family, Marianne works to provide food and safety for these women. Over the years, the three reveal their own secrets and work to stay alive and adapt to their pasts, presents, and futures.  

The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan

  

The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult fiction.

Inhabited by the Nazis in WWII, a small village in Normandy is the scene for survival and resistance by villagers. Emma, apprenticed to the local baker, is the center of a system working to keep people alive.  All of the characters she comes in contact with blend together to provide a riveting look at survival and creativity. As the story continues, some people die and Emma herself finds her elaborate network unravelling. Emma believes the Allies will never come, but by the day they land, readers will find it hard to put down this book. Beautifully written, exquisitely plotted, the novel is one of the best I’ve read the whole summer.