a Look at a Book

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

On Goodreads, I categorized this book as “magical-realism,” but it truly defies genre.

The book follows Hazel as she continues to search for her younger sister who mysteriously disappeared in 1939 while they were staying with a kind family outside of London. Though all others have given up hope, Hazel refuses to believe that Flora is dead.

One day, she encounters a book at the rare book store where she works that contains a story that only she and Flora made up – which they never shared with another soul. It’s too similar to be a mere coincidence, so she sets out to find answers more determinedly than ever.

This book is full of sisterly love, hope, mystery, and, eventually, answers. I found it delightful, mostly because I couldn’t figure out the mystery myself. Yet, when the author revealed the answer near the end, the clues added up. I found the reading experience supremely satisfying. If you like a mix of fairy tale, historical fiction, and mystery, this book is for you!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I don’t remember how I happened upon this book. What I do remember is how poignant it is in the midst of a scenario we can only imagine.

Ryland Grace wakes up to find himself in a strange room, and he can’t remember anything about himself: his name, where he is, why he is there.

Eventually he discovers that he is the sole survivor on a space ship seeking to save Earth, though it takes him time to figure out how he is supposed to do that. Initially all alone in space, he winds up coming across another space ship with a sole survivor and they begin to work together.

While I can’t vouch for the science behind the scenario, to this reader, it seemed to make sense enough. What I especially loved, as did another reader friend, was the cross-cultural relationship that is formed between the two survivors. They had to overcome a monumental language barrier, as well as figure out each other’s customs, which were, at times, completely opposite (eating, for example). I won’t give anymore spoilers, though! You’ll have to read it for yourself. 🙂

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

The review I read suggested that it was for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and I agree! For those unfamiliar, both books deal with emotional/mental health issues – but with hope, honesty, and community.

Eudora Honeysett has lived a difficult, sad, lonely life. As the book opens, she is quite elderly and knows she is reaching the end of her life. Actually, she’d like to speed up the arrival of her life’s end. She’s learned about a program in Switzerland that assists the elderly with this wish and decides to pursue it.

Thankfully, that program doesn’t believe in instant gratification when it comes to accelerating the arrival of death, and Eudora is forced to speak on the phone with someone multiple times before they will proceed. In the process of waiting, a young family moves in next door, and the vivacious, joyful, and whirlwind of a ten-year-old, Rose, draws Eudora into a found family – including friendship with a recent widower. Rose’s irresistible persuasion draws Eudora out into the world again to experience all types of joy in life.

The internal struggle of Eudora juxtaposed by her pretending to be fine to those around her was a good rendering of the struggle of many humans. We pretend to be fine, when really we’re not. The power of love and community is what infuses this book with hope, even amidst the heavy topic of euthanasia. Without giving too much away, Lyons treats this subject well, though I admit I was nervous while reading it to see the ending. However, now that I’ve read it once, I can attest that it is worth a reread!

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

I found this read delightful, mostly due to the narration! (I have a thing for unique narration.) 

Lady Trent (fictional) is writing a memoir of her fantastic life, specifically in how it coincides with the ground-breaking progress she made in adding to the body of knowledge surrounding dragons. At this point in her life, she is old and says things how she wants to, knowing that no one can stop her.

Her life and times are set in a fantasy country with customs quite similar to regency England, but she was born with an interest in “unladylike” pursuits – such as natural history and dragons. Fortunately for her, there are people in her life who allow, and even aid her, in her quest to quench her thirst for knowledge, though it costs her socially. A benefactor allows her to accompany him and her husband to another country to learn more about these mystical creatures, and, needless to say, danger and adventures abound.

A blend of humor, “science,” and adventure with a touch of romance and breaking the glass ceiling makes for a delightful read. If you appreciate a strong female lead, some snark, and some tussles with dangerous and difficult people, this is a book for you!

Honorable Mentions

Now, I couldn’t simply leave it at that. Even if the following titles didn’t make it into my absolute favorites for this year, I still felt that a few of the books I read deserved some recognition.

The Maid by Nita Prose

A murder mystery, an impeccable and neurodivergent maid, and people who both help and harm come together to form this mystery/social commentary.

Molly Gray works at a hotel as a maid and enjoys the routine, especially now that her Gran has passed away. Though she is a meticulous worker, she does not always know how to interpret social cues or read tones like sarcasm.

One day on her cleaning shift, she enters to find a very wealthy, and regular, hotel guest dead in his bed. She does her best to do the right thing in reporting what she found, but her friendship with his wife and her “differentness” cause her to become the lead suspect in the case. Who murdered Mr. Black? And how would Molly be freed from the cloud of suspicion when she can’t read people to know who is telling the truth and is trustworthy?

While I don’t typically enjoy murder mysteries, this one seemed more palatable because it wasn’t told from the perspective of some desensitized top detective. It was told from the viewpoint of a young woman, all alone in the world, who truly cared for people and wanted to do the right thing. The fact that she struggles to understand tones and facial expressions – or even figurative language expressions – provides access for a wide audience to the experience of some neurodivergent people. I love when books provide a way for readers to connect with all types of people and build empathy. This book does that expertly.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Yet another suspense/mystery book! Apparently I do enjoy this genre if I find the right kind of book within it. 🙂

Hannah finds that her husband has disappeared, leaving only a note telling her to keep his teenage daughter, her stepdaughter, safe. Their stepmom-stepdaughter relationship is quite rocky, so Hannah feels daunted by this prospect, especially when federal agents starts to come around asking questions.

She is not sure who to trust, and is bewildered to find that her new husband seems to have been hiding some large parts of his life. However, she and Bailey come to grips with the fact that they have to work together to uncover the truth, and they slowly start to improve their relationship.

When authors such as this one combine far-fetched scenarios with very relatable relational or internal struggles, it makes for a great reading experience. The reader is transported to something they can’t imagine in their own lives, while simultaneously gaining perspective and, possibly, hope, into challenges they face in their actual lives. Even if you’re like me and you don’t typically reach for thriller/suspense/mystery books, I’d encourage you to give this one a shot!