Just Two Nice Novels

Keeping it simple for YWR

My sweetheart likes to affectionately reminisce that his grandmother, who sounded très stylish and plucky, would drink something labeled “Good Ordinary Claret.” I assume this means that maybe it’s not the best claret ever crafted, but it definitely does the trick, goes down smoothly, and you enjoy the glass (or two, Nana, live your best life!) A great everyday experience, right?

Which brings us to today’s selections, which are simply two good little novels. I enjoyed reading both. They were unexpectedly moving. I thought about the messages. At least one was sharper and more lyrical than the cover would suggest. I’ve recommended them both with enthusiasm!

Will they radically reshape your world view? Will they make any end of year lists at all? Will your skin be clearer and your taxes reduced by reading them? No! But most books don’t do that, and if we’re lucky, on balance our reads fall more into the, “yes, that was time well spent” category than not. So if you’re looking for something to read, you could do quite a bit worse than both of these novels. Give them a consideration!

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My friend Jeanne gifted me Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, which I promptly … put on a shelf and didn’t read for a year. I don’t know why! Something about the title and cover made me think it would be just some forgettable little trifle (not that I’m above that), but I made the proverbial mistake of book, cover judging, etc.

The entire plot is in the title - on New Year’s Eve, 1984, 85-year-old Lillian Boxfish dons her mink coat and walks 10 miles through Manhattan. We reminisce on her life in the city as an adwoman in the 1930s all the way through the AIDS epidemic. It’s a series of little vignettes so there’s not much conflict, per se - what you get is a poignant, intelligent, heartfelt but not sappy look back on a life and the city with which it is intertwined. Witty and fun but with a bracing core. More literary in its writing and references than I expected based on nothing but my curious assumptions.

Surprisingly, this is one of, if not THE, best novels I’ve read this year, which while meaning no disrespect, probably says more about this year’s releases and my choices therein. But bottom line - I really enjoyed this. If you just want a nice novel and the summary appeals, check it out!

The lambs don’t lie - this was, on the whole, more charming than heartbreaking. See what the Gentle Lambs mean here.

Once again, the cover and descriptions thereon (“sparking!” “you’ll fall in love!”) do not, in my opinion, fully capture the experience of Maame, the debut novel from Jessica George.

This is a classic “twentysomething finds her way” novel, but there’s enough fresh appeal to make it worthwhile. Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who has Parkinson’s, with a brother who doesn’t help enough, a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana, and a challenging job where she’s the only Black person in every meeting. She’s caught between what she sees as her role and responsibilities and the life she wants to forge for herself.

This could have been “just” about Maddie forging her path in career and relationships, and there is that, but there’s also a deep throughline about what we owe each other. About how our obligations can simultaneously weigh us down and shape us. I thought it was a pretty good read.

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I Read It So You Don’t Have To

I didn’t dislike On All Fronts but I didn’t think it fully came together, either. War reporter Clarissa Ward obviously has story after remarkable story of intrepid reportage, of unimaginable destruction, and of humanity and warmth in the face of indescribable horrors.

I just felt like I wasn’t sure what she was trying to do with this book. Was it an indictment of foreign policy? Was it about how one-to-one humanity flourishes, again and again, in the face of conflict? Was it a memoir about how she personally evolved as a journalist, as a woman, as a person? There was all and none of this, plus far too many passages where she’d give a clunky end-of-chapter summary about how a convivial meal reminded her of the family she’d never had or something, out of nowhere.

She is obviously extremely smart, courageous, and very pretty. I’d put a bunch of photos of myself on the cover too, if I had her cheekbones. Anyway. You can read it or not. I’ve said my piece.

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Good Ordinary Closing Remarks

Three, two, one, say them with me now:

1. All links go to Bookshop.org! Why? Because they support indie bookstores, which are at the top of my list of “things I like” alongside white chocolate and cancelled plans.

2. Don’t forget to peruse the archive for a book that you might love. Someday I’ll make a real searchable index, or an AI bot or something, but until then, lose yourself in the virtual stacks. There’s a lot to love in there.

3. Come back next week for who knows what genre or suggestion, and please bring a friend! Reading is more fun when we do it together.

4. Lastly, apropos of virtually nothing in a book newsletter - on Monday, I’m spending the day volunteering in prison with Defy Ventures. We’re working to reduce mass incarceration and recidivism through entrepreneurship among incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth. If you are a hiring manager and interested in Fair Chance hiring, if you’re looking for a meaningful team offsite, or if you just want the best, most memorable and human day of your year, check it out (or message me for more information.) K back to books byyyyyeeeeee