As I was looking over the books to include in this round of reviews, I noticed that each one centers around a female character. They are a self-destructive divorcée, a soldier’s wife, a devastated daughter, an unapologetic essayist, an art forger, and an unwitting mother of an immortal cell line. Pick one, pick them all – each book is worth your time.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (audio)
I’ve heard this novel compared to Gone Girl, and I suppose I see a few similarities. Both have a female main character who is not particularly likable, with not many redeeming qualities. Both involve deception and intrigue. But The Girl on the Train is really the story of three different women and the men who love (or are loved) by them.
Rachel is a divorced alcoholic who rides the train back and forth to London everyday in order to keep up the ruse of going to a job from which she was fired. She watches a couple on their back porch every day as the train passes their home, and invents the perfect life for the pair. One morning, the wife is on the porch embracing another man, and Rachel is devastated. Soon after, the wife disappears. Was Rachel involved? Does she know something that she has forgotten in a drunken blackout? Throw in Rachel’s ex, his mistress-turned-wife, and you have a whodunit with multiple love triangles that will keep you guessing.
I actually figured out the plot twists earlier than I usually do, but not too soon to make the novel predictable. The audio book is narrated by the three women who alternate the first person storytelling (Rachel, the wife on the porch, and the ex’s new wife), which made it easy to follow. Rachel is a hot mess, but I was still invested in her story even if I didn’t particularly like her.
I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
I chose this novel because the premise intrigued me. Rosetta and Jeremiah are wed in rural New York in 1862, not long before Jeremiah heads off to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Instead of being left behind, Rosetta cuts her hair, dons her husband’s clothes, and enlists in the army. She joins Jeremiah’s company despite his objections, and fights alongside him while constantly fearing her secret will be discovered.
Rosetta is an unconventional woman, and I liked her immediately. I don’t typically like historical fiction centered on wars, but Rosetta and her relationships with her husband and family members are the heart of this book. McCabe states that this story is inspired by more than 250 documented accounts of women disguised as men who fought in the Civil War at their husbands’ sides, and this fascinated me. I think the book would make for interesting discussion; I chose this novel as my book club pick this month and it received rave reviews.
Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova
I received an advanced electronic copy of this book via Netgalley.
Lisa Genova’s newest novel sounds like it could be the most depressing book ever. It is most definitely not. In fact, the only times when my eyes filled with tears were during hopeful and real moments between family.
Boston police officer Joe O’Brien is 44 years old when he is diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease – a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment or cure. His four children have a 50% chance of inheriting the disease, and can be tested to find out if they will share his fate.
Genova focuses on Joe’s youngest child, Katie. At twenty-one, she wrestles with wanting to know or not know, and this battle consumes her life. Will she live differently if she knows that in 15 or 20 years she will begin having symptoms? Does she want to know if that is how much time she has left?
Despite knowing how the story ends for Joe, I could not put this book down. It was heartbreaking, inspiring, thought-provoking, and illuminating, and I hope it brings Huntington’s Disease to the forefront of awareness so that a cure can be found.
The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion by Meghan Daum (audio)
I rarely pick up a book of essays, but Lindsey Mead’s review on New Great Books convinced me to give this one a try. I’m glad I chose to listen to the audio book; Daum was the perfect narrator for her own words.
The book is a series of pieces that are both personal narratives and commentaries on a variety of subjects from lesbianism to the foodie phenomenon to the choice to not have a child. My favorite essay was “Matricide,” an honest take on Daum’s mother’s death and the complex relationship the two had. There were times that I thought, “I can’t believe she admitted to that!” But Daum is often saying the things that people think in the privacy of their own minds – Unspeakable is the perfect title for this intriguing collection.
The Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro
I added this book to my to-read list months ago, and for some reason I thought it was a period piece. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is a contemporary novel, and a fast-paced and interesting one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Claire is an artist who pays the bills by reproducing famous art for a online company. When she is offered a one-woman show in Aiden’s gallery in exchange for forging a painting, she takes the deal. When she receives the stolen art she is being asked to forge, she suspects that it may also be a forgery.
Mystery, intrigue, deception…it’s all here, but it never feels melodramatic or overdone. A great read!
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (audio)
This book was fascinating! Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman who died of cancer in 1951. Her cells were cultured, and from them came the first human immortal cell line, named HeLa. Her family did not know about the use of her cells until years after her death.
Skloot tells Henrietta’s story in such an engrossing way, combining science and human interest. She documents the history of Henrietta and her family, as well as the HeLa cell line, and addresses all of the moral, legal, and ethical issues that arise from using humans for scientific research. Skloot spent hours with members of the Lacks family, particularly Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah. As a result, what could be a dry discussion of science and ethics becomes a vivid and emotional tale of one family’s struggle to reconcile their mother’s legacy.
I’m glad I chose to listen to this book instead of reading it. I think I may have skimmed some of the medical portions of the book if I had read it, but I had no difficulty staying focused while listening. If you listen to audio books, add this one to your queue.
*****
You may notice that half of my picks this round were audio books; I am loving Audible! Nothing takes the place of reading, but I love to listen when reading is impossible.
Do any of these books sound like a must-read to you? What are you reading? I’m always hesitant to trust an audio version of a book, so if you have a good one to recommend, please do!
I listened to Daum’s as well and really liked her style and voice. Don’t think I can read Genova’s. I’m still traumatized from Still Alice.
Can you believe I didn’t read that? I did read Left Neglected and liked that one, though. And I read that Daum has a new book out – I may have to give that one a listen too.
I read “I Shall Be Near To You” and struggled a bit, but not with the book itself. With.. well.. you know.
And “Girl on the Train” is on hold at my library. I think I’m 1,001th in line! I should probably just buy it now.
Ha – you should! Although you could just wait. It’s a good book, but it will still be a good read when your turn in line comes up.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was definitely one of those books that I will never forget. Fascinating, heart breaking and thought provoking. The Art Forger sounds intriguing. Did you read “Provenance”? It is the true story of an enormous art fraud case in Great Britain in the late 20th century. Have a great weekend! Happy reading!
I have not read Provenance, but I will check it out. I found the whole concept of art theft and forgery so interesting. You could tell me that your grandson’s painting was a Van Gogh and I would believe you.
OOH! The girl on the train sounds awesome, as does the Obrien’s. Thanks, Dana! The last book I read was Beth’s per your recommendation and I loved it!
I saw your awesome FB post about it this morning. So glad you liked it! I’m hoping that Gwen will read it this summer.
so many good books, so little time! i was looking at your booklist the other day for recommended reads. great resource!
Thanks, Catherine – it’s my favorite thing about my blog!
Thank you for giving some background for The Girl in the Train. I keep seeing it but never knew the basic plot.
I’m currently listening to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Our book club read it this month, and everyone found it fascinating. I must admit, I’ve struggled a bit. Non-fiction isn’t my favorite. But my friends convinced me that the story gets compelling once “Ms Rebecca” starts interacting with the family, so I’m going to keep at it. I was listening to it when I ran and found it wearing. Now I listen in the van while commuting, or while I fold laundry. It’s going better.
There were some portions of the book that were a bit slow going, but once Rebecca starts meeting with Deborah, it picked up. I’m not a big non-fiction reader either, but I’m glad I listened to this one.
I loved Girl on the Train and I must get my hands on that latest Lisa Genova book – I just finished Still Alice and loved it. I’m a sucker for a good medical novel with emotional swings. I enjoyed the Henrietta book too – we have very similar tastes!
I knew I liked you, Amy. 😉
I’m on the list at the library for “Girl on a Train…” # 16!
Also, I really LOVE Lisa Genova. I’ve listened to Still Alice 2 times and read the book. I also interviewed her. What an inspiration for a writer!’
Great post (as always!)
PS. I’m reading Rare Bird & listening to I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
It’s all about the birds!
xx
Yes it is! Maya Angelou…I bet that’s a good one to listen to. Thanks!
Forgot to leave a recommendation – I just listened to The Book Thief. I almost think you should “read” the introduction – like get the Kindle sample and then listen to it from the beginning with the audio. I had to do that with the Henrietta Lacks book. Sometimes with audio I glaze over with the beginning and miss something important. Now another audio that made me sit and listen because I got SO into and it was too pollen yucky to walk outside, Big Little Lies. I enjoyed that one SO much.
I liked The Book Thief, and I know what you mean about listening to intros. Big Little Lies…I will put that on my wish list!
I know you don’t spoil anything but I skipped the last paragraph since I am reading (listening) about Henrietta Lacks now. 😉 It’s such nice company on my walks. I’m closing in on the due date and there seems to be a lot left, so I’m going to have to start listening in the house too.
I got Girl on the Train (the CD’s) from the library and uploaded them to iTunes. The waiting list was like 200 and something for audio and book so I couldn’t wait that long. However, since I have it in my possession, now I’m holding it until I don’t have anything else.
I love it when I get on a roll with books. Sometimes just like with blogging I go through a reading dry spell because I’ve had too much time in between to fill my time with something else. Keep the recommendations coming!
Let’s chat when you are done…I’d love to hear your thoughts about the book. (Henrietta Lacks)
I’m on a roll with books, and adding audio books to my routine has been awesome!
First I have to start by saying I just finished Order of Seven, which I picked up thanks to your interview and read really fast. I basically need to put all of the books you list on my “Must Read” list for the library and start requesting them. I’ve heard of the Girl on the Train before and it sounds really intriguing. I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for my bookclub a few years ago and thought it was fascinating. And I don’t doubt I wouldn’t like every other book you have on this list! Can’t wait to read them.
Yay – I’m so glad you liked Order of Seven. I have a huge list to read on the library website – I just request a few at a time and hope they don’t all become available at once!
I think that after I finish my current book I will read Girl on the Train (finally!).
It does seem to be the book of the year, although it isn’t my number one pick. Worth a read, though!
I love when you do these! I absolutely loved Girl On the Train and couldn’t hardly ever put it down. I hated the ending of Gone Girl (I wish they had both died) so I was reluctant to read Girl On the Train – luckily I did anyway because it was fantastic.
A good friend of mine has the genetic markers for Huntington’s so I cannot wait to share this book with her. She’s in her early 40s with no real symptoms yet but her mother died from the disease when my friend was a teenager. A group of us regularly hold fundraisers to benefit a foundation we started for her – Aim for A Cure – because her name is Aimee. I’m so glad to know about this book and I’m sure she will love it.
I love that you love my book reviews. 🙂
I’m sorry to hear about your friend, Allie. I knew nothing about Huntington’s before reading this, and I’m so glad Genova wrote it. Diseases need public knowledge and support to raise money to find a cure.
Oh, man. I need to get reading. Definitely interested in The Girl on the Train, too! Thanks for the suggestions.
Anytime!
I enjoyed girl on a train, too – and also did the audio version. Yes, Rachel was a hot mess. My book club is reading it this month, on my recommendation. They wanted a beach read – it wasn’t exactly, but it was quick (as in couldn’t put down). Nervous to see how it goes over.
I get nervous when it’s my turn to pick too. Next month is someone else’s pick, and she picked one I recommended to her – so I hope it is a hit!
Well, my to-read list on Goodreads just got a little longer 🙂
Happy to help 🙂
It’s funny. I had the opposite experience from Janine. I could put it down The Girl on the Train. The writing is good. The characters are interesting and well defined, but for some reason, the book is easily placed on a back burner right now. Maybe I’m just busy, but I am not feeling attached to the story, which is rare for me. I tend to devour books and get caught up in the characters so much so that I choose reading over sleep.
I haven’t read any of the others, but a couple just got noted to my TBR.
I agree with you – I liked The Girl on the Train, but it wasn’t a stay up until midnight to finish it kind of book. Maybe that’s because I listened to it.
I couldn’t put down The Girl on the Train and even though I did have an idea of the plot twists but still just couldn’t help but want to read this one. So definitely would recommend here as well. Have been reading a book I am reviewing but not sure what I want to read after it now and looks like I have a few to check out now though from your list above. Thanks Dana 😉
My pleasure, Janine!