The Hidden Palace

In college I read The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker and loved it. The book was even my inspiration for a big grad school project. So, when I heard that there was going to be a sequel, I instantly added it to my TBR. I downloaded The Hidden Palace audiobook for my Christmas road trip, and finished it on my morning walks to work.

Chava, Ahmad, and even Sophia are all back in this absolutely epic tale. The book is set in New York and Middle East in the early 1900s. The book does a great job weaving between all of their stories. I wanted to keep listening, knowing that eventually all of the characters would end up connecting – even though I was waiting for it, it happened in a way that surprised me a bit (in a good way!). I loved the characters and the story and was disappointed when it was over. I highly recommend reading both books in this series.

This Time Tomorrow

I was hyped for a new Emma Straub, and a friend was kind enough to let me borrow This Time Tomorrow over winter break. Alice is about to turn 40 and her life isn’t terrible, but isn’t what she really wants, either. She runs into her (rich, hot, successful) high school crush. Her dad is dying, and she isn’t in love with her job. When she wakes up the next morning, she is 16 again and she is reunited with her healthy father.

This didn’t feel like time travel books/movies I have read before (in a great way). This book really felt like a love letter to Alice’s father, and knowing that Straub’s father passed away this year made that all the sweeter. Straub nailed it again.

We Are the Brennans

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is a family drama about an Irish family who owns a successful local pub. Everyone is hanging on to some secrets that will impact the rest of the family if they come to light. But, as families do, they all know when someone is withholding information. It’s complicated and endearing. I really liked the family and the characters. The plot was great. Four stars for me.

Fates and Furies

I cannot even tell you how long Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff has been on my bookshelf. In the past year I have read so many books that people have loaned to me that I haven’t read much from my own shelves. In October I decided to start alternating between books on my own shelves and books I’m borrowing from other people. This was my first dip back into my bookshelf.

I went into this book completely blind. I didn’t even read the back cover – I just know it had such high praise a few years ago so I trusted it would be good. It did take me a little time to get into – I read it every morning before work while I had breakfast, but chose to watch TV instead of read at night – I just wasn’t in a rush to pick it back up. The story follows the two perspectives of a couple after they get married. It shows just how complicated their marriage is, even while it looks incredible from the outside. Thi was was three stars for me.

Cover Story

Someone loaned me Cover Story by Susan Rigetti and ooooooh boy was it good. It was very Inventing Anna and such a fun book. Lora get an internship at Elle magazine and meets Cat, an editor and heiress. The two become friends and Cat eventually hired Lora to work on a piece together, as Cat’s ghostwriter.

I loved the way this book was written – it was full of diary entries, emails, etc. and it worked really well for me. I loved how the book ended. I was begging for Lora to walk away from her friendship with Cat, but can see why she was so enamored with her. Highly recommend for those of us who like rich people problems and a little scam.

Severance

On my finish-my-BOTM-backlist quest, I finally read Severance by Ling Ma. I’ve also been on a pandemic-fiction mission (albeit accidental) since 2020. Candace is the character we follow as a new fever swipes the world. She is so hyper-focused on her career, it takes a long time before she recognizes what is happening around her. A scene where she’s still going to the office and climbing tons of stairs because the elevators are out really stuck in my mind. Eventually, Candace joins another group of survivors and heads from New York to a complex in Chicago. The book is well-written and full of images that will stick with me for a while. I gave this book four stars and would recommend it! There are a few things that make it different from some other pandemic novels, but it wasn’t something totally new, either.

The Family

I have seen The Family by Naomi Krupitsky recommended so many times! I finally got to it in my TBR. I liked this book. Solid three stars, but it didn’t rise above that for me. Antonia and Sofia grow up together, living right next to each other in New York. They are so different, but are best friends. Their fathers are both Italian immigrants who have become part of The Family, which the girls come to realize is the mob. The Family impacts every facet of their lives, even when they don’t realize. I loved the friendship between Antonia and Sofia – while they were best friends, their relationship wasn’t always perfect and would ebb and flow depending on what else was happening in their lives.

Ask Again, Yes

Continuing on my Book of the Month back list journey, I finally read Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. This book felt nostalgic to me. The book spans over three generations, starting with two fathers who are NYPD officers. They buy homes next to each other in the suburbs and have children. The story follows one child from each family – Peter and Kate after something horrific happens between the two families. This one has a lot of family drama, and explores how our reactions to tragedy can be just as challenging as the tragedy itself. This book made me remember growing up in the 90s – riding bikes around the neighborhood with friends until dark, not realizing how life wouldn’t always be that simple. It has some Little Fires Everywhere vibes.

Harlem Shuffle

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead was one of my most anticipated this year, so I knew I would pick it when it came up on BOTM. I have enjoyed Whitehead’s books and love how different they all are. I truly believe he is the greatest novelist of the moment.

This story centers on Ray, a furniture salesman in 1960s New York. Ray is working to support his family and planning to save for a nicer place. On occasion, his cousin drops off some jewelry or other items for Ray to unload. Through this Ray becomes heist-adjacent. We get to hear about some heists and crimes from others and see how their actions impact Ray. He is dragged into more than one sketchy situation thanks to his cousin. I have no complaints about this book – it was great to read and follow along with Ray’s attempts to make it and watch him struggle with the situations he’s put into.

One Last Stop

I (like everyone on the plant?) looooooved Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and couldn’t wait to get my hands on One Last Stop! 23-year-old August moves to New York to finish school and things just don’t get off to a great start…until she meets Jane, a punk-rock loving girl on the subway. However, things take another quick twist when August discovers that Jane is stuck on the subway from the 1970s. August jumps full-time into working to save Jane and to try and sort through some of her own issues.

I wish I didn’t have to say this, but I didn’t love it. I liked this book, but it was soooo long and just had some pieces I didn’t need. While everything came together in the end, I felt like some plot points could have been pulled out and used in another novel. I’ll of course read McQuiston again, but may need to reread Red, White & Royal Blue to remind me of all she’s capable of.