There Are No Grown-ups: A Midlife Coming-of-Age Story

Maturity. I expected to skim, but not complete, Pamela Druckerman’s book titled, There Are No Grown-ups: A Midlife Coming-of-Age Story. Once I settled into her lively writing, self-deprecating humor and overall cleverness, I laughed through to the end. In the midst of the humor, there’s an exploration of the meaning of maturity in contemporary life. Personally, I didn’t consider turning 40 to be as big a deal as Druckerman did, but when my older son turned 40, that caught my attention about maturity and mortality. I still laughed with Druckerman and her foibles. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase There Are No Grown-ups from amazon.com.

Little Sister

Unusual. I almost stopped reading Barbara Gowdy’s novel, Little Sister, because I became frustrated with sorting out reality from dreams. Gowdy’s fine writing kept me turning pages, and before long I came to enjoy this exploration of the deep bonds that attach us to those with whom we have the closest relationships. For readers patient with what can seem unusual, there are rewards to be discovered in this finely written novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Little Sister from amazon.com.

Us Against You

Survivors. Fredrik Backman returns to Beartown in his novel titled, Us Against You, and the ensemble cast from the previous novel set in this rural Hockey town in Sweden face new challenges. Events from the first novel led players to leave the Beartown team to skate for the team in the neighboring town of Hed. A new coach for Beartown changes the dynamics, and a politician knows just what it will take to feather his own nest. What Backman does so well in this novel and others is lead us to insights about people, from their good and bad behaviors. Packed with love, friendship and loyalty, this is a story of survival, for a town and for its people. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Us Against You from amazon.com.

The Fleur de Sel Murders

Scheme. The third installment in the Brittany Mystery Series by Jean-Luc Bannalec featuring Commissaire Dupin is titled, The Fleur de Sel Murders. The famous salt from Brittany features prominently in this novel, as Dupin continues to shed his Parisian perspective as he learns to love Bretons and their beautiful area. Dupin’s partner on a murder case is a Breton, Commissaire Rose, and she is a formidable and independent ally. This pair works fast and hard to get to the bottom of a scheme and to uncover the villains. Fans of crime fiction are those readers most likely to enjoy this novel. Readers will learn lots about salt from this novel and fans will look forward to the next novel in the series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Fleur de Sel Murders from amazon.com.

Upstate

Depth. Gobs of novels published every year explore family dynamics, and some of them provide depth, insight and understanding of our human predicament. James Wood introduces readers into an interesting family in his novel titled, Upstate. Protagonist Alan Querry leaves England to visit his daughter, Vanessa, in upstate New York. Alan’s younger daughter, Helen, a music executive, joins the visit. Wood presents deep insights into these characters and their relationships within a compact novel that wastes no words. While he doesn’t show off, he can make writing seem easy with his perfectly crafted sentences. He provides great contrasts between the UK and New York and explores depression and happiness with skill. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Upstate from amazon.com.

Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World

Will. Annie Lowrey gives any reader interested in public policy a readable overview of the subject of universal basic income in her book titled, Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World. Like the consumption tax, I think UBI could be a policy embraced by both Democrats and Republicans if presented effectively. Democrats will like the idea of providing a stable source of income for all, and Republicans will like the idea of eliminating all the government workers who administer multiple rule-based government assistance programs. My eyes opened a bit wider after reading this book and understanding Lowrey’s claim that implementing a UBI is a matter of will, not math. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Give People Money from amazon.com.

The Other Woman

Russia. The eighteenth novel in the series by Daniel Silva featuring Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is titled, The Other Woman. The role of the villain in this novel is played by Russia, as Gabriel is set up for the murder of a Russian intelligence officer. He brushes closer to death than he should in this fast-paced novel, and he uncovers a Russian mole to the embarrassment of some of his allies. Fans of spy fiction are those readers most likely to enjoy reading this novel and this series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Other Woman from amazon.com.