'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library, Matt Haig (3.0)

I enjoyed this book, though it was easy to know what was going to happen as it is derivative of the classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’. A forlorn UK woman decides she wants to end her life. Instead she ends up at the Midnight Library that consists of a book of all her regrets and an infinity of books of her possible lives. She is invited to read the regrets and choose a book (aka life) where she made a different choice. Given all her regrets, she follows this path multiple times and the reader learns how her life could be given the different trajectories. 

'Last Train to Istanbul' by Ayse Kulin

Last Train to Istanbul, Ayse Kulin (3.0)

There are many books written about WWII, so I appreciate ones that cover new ground. This book, written by a famous Turkish writer, depicts a Turkish family during the early 40’s – some in occupied France and some in Turkey. I appreciated reading about how the Turkish diplomats worked to protect their citizens, regardless of religion, and how they tried to stay neutral with both England and Germany trying to pull them into the war. While I enjoyed the parts regarding history, I was less enthused with the characters and family aspect. I can’t exactly say why, may have been they didn’t reach me, the story did not feel new, or possibly something was lost in the translation.

'Chasing Cezanne' by Peter Mayle

Chasing Cezanne, Peter Mayle (3.0)

This is a good summer read which includes romance, travel and intrigue. Mayle is most known for ‘A Year in Provence’ and again brings the food and atmosphere of France to life. The main character is a photographer working for a magazine who stumbles on a possible art heist from the homes he is profiling. He partners with an art dealer to try to understand what is going on. Given this could involve serious criminals, I was surprised how often they stopped for dinner or took things casually. I also wasn’t crazy about some of the archaic attitudes towards women, but if you assume this is indicative of France in the 90’s, you can enjoy the food descriptions and the caper itself. 

'What the Wind Knows' by Amy Harmon

What the Wind Knows, Amy Harmon (4.0)

My only complaint with this book is that the 3 main characters are too perfect. They have absolutely no flaws. But if you just want to read a compelling love story set over time and history, it fulfills very well. I really enjoyed how the author wove the real history of Ireland and its complex relationship with England into the story. The fabricated characters were seamlessly involved with real characters and events. It was cleverly done so that the reader didn’t have to question what real vs fiction was. I also appreciated the complex relationships throughout. 

'Wrong Place, Wrong Time' by Gillian McAllister

Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Gillian McAllister (4.5)

Writing good time travel books must be very difficult. My definition of bad is that you have to suspend your imagination too much and the flow of details is interrupted by a mistake. I also find the ones that go over the same timeframe (ala ‘Groundhog Day’) tiresome. This book has none of those features. From the first chapter to the last, I was engaged in the story and anxious to see what happens next (or prior?). It starts with the main character watching her son come home one night. She sees him stab and kill a strange man outside their house. She wakes the next day to find she has woken up the day before all this has occured. As she tries to make sense of it, she continues to wake up farther in the past and learns more and more about her son and husband by reliving events with new eyes. In addition to an interesting plot, reviewing past events with different eyes was thought-provoking to me. 

'Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club' by J. Ryan Stradal

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, J. Ryan Stradal (3.0)

Those of us who grew up in the Midwest and spent vacations visiting our grandparents in the Northwoods of Minnesota or Wisconsin will find this book familiar. Supper Clubs are restaurant/bars that are family owned restaurants that often have Friday fish fries and their own concocted cocktail. This story follows a woman and her family who have owned such a Supper Club in northern Minnesota. The story is interesting, though darker than I expected. I most appreciated the ambiance created.

'The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery' by Adam Gropnik

The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery, Adam Gropnik (2.0)

The idea of learning about mastery and how those who have it attained it is appealing. Unfortunately, I found this book very hard to read as it wandered and did not seem to consistently focus on mastery. The author finished one section with claiming what we thought was mastery was not (magic) and summarized another that mastery is sometimes letting go (driving). It felt more like a handful of stories that the author wanted to include. The book was not long but read slowly. I read one sentence three times and still didn’t understand it.