Welcome back to The Book Thread. This is my monthly newsletter where we talk about books. March was a bit of a doozy for me after being super sick. I could barely get out of bed let alone read, but April I turned things around and I have been chomping at the bit to talk about these books!

There was a book that absolutely wrecked me (complimentary), one I can’t stop thinking about, and one that made me seriously question if I should ever trust online book reviews again.

And because I’m sending this out on Saturday instead of Sunday, I’m wishing all of you who celebrate Mother’s Day a chance to do exactly what you want, whatever that looks like. And sending a big hug to anyone that this day is hard for, I hope you treat yourself with extra love and care too.

As I mentioned, March was a doozy but I picked up steam in April and managed to finish 6 books. Let’s discuss.

This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: It feels like ages ago since I finished this book but I absolutely loved it. It’s a story about a family and their youngest son Claude, who at the age of 5, says he wants to be a girl. This story is about a family with a trans daughter and the lengths they’ll go to protect her, but at it’s core, it’s about how challenging it is to make decisions as a parent on behalf of our kids. The novel is filled with such rich characters and addresses the themes and topics with such nuance, it made for an incredibly thoughtful book club discussion. The author just released a new novel Enormous Wings that looks intriguing!

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout: This is the second book in the Lucy Barton (Amgash) series, picking up in Amgash, Illinois, Lucy Barton’s hometown, where she’s returning for a book tour. The novel reveals the hidden heartbreak and adversity that many of her characters overcome through a series of linked stories, but it never feels overly preachy. The way Elizabeth Strout creates imperfect and flawed characters but writes about them with such compassion is what makes her stories so compelling. Despite how different the characters are in this novel, they all have a deeply human desire for love, connection, and to be understood.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll: This historical fiction true crime novel was inspired by the real life serial killer Ted Bundy. The title was inspired by a judge who wished Bundy well at his sentencing calling him “a bright you man.” I think my favorite thing about this book was not just that it centered the victims and the survivors, but it showed the perpetrator for who he really was. The serial killer (who goes unnamed throughout the book and is referred to as “The Defendant”) isn’t the slick, handsome genius the media and the police make him out to be. The novel lays out how misogyny plays a role in the way victims are treated, and even blamed, while at the same time giving far too much credit to a killer who got away with so many crimes because of police incompetence. As someone who was not closely familiar with the story, it was incredibly eye opening to read it from this perspective. Highly recommend.

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout: This was hands down my favorite novel in the Lucy Barton series so far, which is weird because if someone described the premise of this book I can’t imagine having the faintest bit of interest. That’s just how good she is as a writer and storyteller. The story follows Lucy Barton (recently widowed) and her ex-husband William as they reconnect over a family secret and embark on a trip to Maine to uncover the truth. Lucy is the narrator in this novel, and her inner exploration of marriage, love, motherhood, grief, and class are so deeply human and beautiful. I really felt like this novel forced me to slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the simplicity of its style. It felt like a warm hug.

This book was a wild ride. It’s always a little hard to read a book with so much buzz and hype. It was definitely a page-turner, especially because I couldn’t fathom how the author was going to wrap it all up in the end. I finished it in a matter of days, but the ending felt like a bit of a let down and honestly kind of hard to believe. Some of the plot lines and character arcs didn’t feel fully fleshed out (apparently the book was a draft and the “plot was skeletal” when it was auctioned for film, and I think this influenced how it turned out in the end). I liked how Burke dissected the performance of womanhood and what it’s like to be a woman in America. There’s no “winning” under the patriarchy.

Was this a page turner? Yes. Am I still thinking about this book? Yes. Was I hoping for something different? A little bit, yes. I guess I’m wondering if the book would have turned out differently if Burke was given the chance to flesh it out and finalize it before Hollywood stepped in. Honestly I finished the book and still had so many questions. If anyone has read it, please share your thoughts!

Ok saving the best for last because this book absolutely destroyed me (complimentary). I tore through this book (over 400 pages) and was up WAY past my bedtime multiple nights in a row to finish it. The story follows AJ Graves, a girl from Massachusetts dreaming of becoming a writer for SNL, stuck working in a video rental store. Everything changes when in walks a new employee, Noah Drew, part of an acting family dynasty. They quickly form a deep connection, until one day Noah disappears, but not forever. The story follows the relationship and bond between AJ and Drew over a decade.

There was so much I loved about this book, from the characters, to the love story, to the intense yearning and early 2000s nostalgia. I’m afraid to share too much without giving away spoilers, all I can say is that this book will stick with me. It was a compulsive read filled with romance, heartbreak, family drama, yearning, soulmates and cosmic connection. I was so scared for how it would end, but it was as deeply satisfying as the rest of the story.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley: This book happened to be available on Libby so I gave it a shot and I’m so glad I did. It’s a murder mystery set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland during the glitzy wedding of Jules (a magazine publisher) and Will (a TV star). When the power goes out and someone turns up dead, the cast of characters are all revealed to have secrets, and hidden motives. It kept me guessing until the very end. This was particularly enjoyable as an audiobook.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi: Admittedly I kept hearing about this book but didn’t pay much attention to it (it’s a New York Times best-seller and has tons of 5 star reviews). It ended up being chosen for our book club (and while we haven’t discussed it yet) I have so many thoughts. Truthfully I loathed this book (and the audiobook version was so grating), to the point where I started to feel a little insane trying to finish it. I ended up getting about 75% of the way through and giving up because I just couldn’t take it anymore.

The description of the book makes no mention of the heavily Christian themes throughout, which is only one of the many issues I had with it overall. When describing it to a friend the best I could come up with was “a book about a privileged old rich guy with a God complex.” I’m actually eager for our book club discussion because there seems to be two camps emerging. One that finds the book inspiring, and the other finds it to be patronizing (at best). Clearly I’m in the latter.

I’ve only got a few books on my TBR list for May. If you have any recs please share. I’d love something that’s perfect for heading into the summer season.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while and when I saw it was available at the library I scooped it up. It’s about a teenage girl who disappears from summer camp in 1975, but she’s not just any girl, she’s the daughter of the very wealthy Van Laar family who owns the summer camp and employs many of the area residents. As a frantic search begins, family secrets are revealed and a mystery unfolds.

Good People by Patmeena Sabit: I saw this book on the new release shelf at the library so figured I’d give it a shot. The story is about a family of Afghan refugees in Virginia who embody the American dream, until it’s shattered when tragedy strikes and the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. Told in short stories from the perspectives of neighbors, friends, journalists, and others, one review called it “a story that unfolds like a binge-worthy true-crime podcast.” I’m only a few pages in but the story has already got me hooked.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout: The fourth novel in Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series follows Lucy and her ex-husband William to Maine where they are forced to navigate the Covid-19 lockdown together. I’ll be honest I kind of cringe at the idea of reading a book about that time period (I’d rather not think about it tbh!), but I’m determined to get through every book in this series, so I’m going to give a chance! Elizabeth Strout also has a new novel out this month, The Things We Never Say. I want to try and finish the Amgash series before I pick it up, if I can resist!

Have you read any of these books? What is on your TBR list? Let’s discuss!