Contemporary – Page 2 – That Bookish Life

Book Review: Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

24-year old Australian, Hera, begins her first job and first love all at once. After Hera starts work as an online comment moderator for a news outlet she begins a relationship with her older, married co-worker, Arthur.

Green Dot is a darkly comic, ennui laden, Gen Z coming of age story. The writing is sharp, funny, and relatable. Hera is well rendered and compelling. Though the story is told in first person, it’s told in hindsight offering a really intriguing balance of naivety and self awareness. The plot is addictive as you become all wrapped up in how this relationship is going to play out, but Green Dot really has a good bit to say about power dynamics, norms, and young adults navigating modern life and love.

Sort of Bridget Jones meets Sally Rooney meets Fleabag and perfect reading for fans of any and all of the above.

Complimentary review copy provided by publisher.

Book Review: After Annie by Anna Quindlen

After Annie follows a family the year after the sudden and unexpected death of their 30-something wife and mother. The narrative focuses in on three people: Annie’s husband, Bill, best friend, Annemarie, and oldest of 3 siblings, 13-year-old daughter, Ali.

I’ve seen Anna Quindlen described as a “domestic anthropologist” and it’s so perfectly fitting. After Annie is a quiet story yet rich and brimming with the everyday crumbs of family life, which here take on a touching significance. A well rendered, poignant story of love, life, grief, and hope.

This is not the first Anna Quindlen I’ve read though it’s been a while and I haven’t read much of her backlist. After Annie reminded me quite a bit of what I love about the style of Anne Tyler’s writing.

Complimentary review copy provided by publisher.

Book Review: Good Material by Dolly Alderton

Review copy provided by publisher.

35-year-old comedian, Andy Dawson, grapples with his girlfriend of 4 years dumping him. As Andy navigates middle-aged singledom and his stalled career we are treated to comedic self-destruction and curious choices (I mean, who among us hasn’t found themselves renting out a houseboat after a breakup, right?!) as he struggles to find equilibrium.

Good Material is a good read showcasing Dolly Alderton’s impressive ability to capture the nuance of emotions and relationships on the page. I’ve seen this compared to High Fidelity, which I agree with. It also reminds me a bit of Fleishman is in Trouble as we later hear Andy’s ex’s perspective, though I don’t think that change in perspective has quite the impact here as Fleishman, nor does it appear to intend to.

In the acknowledgements Alderton thanks her male friends who helped her to craft Andy’s character and voice as inspired by Nora Ephron’s methods with When Harry Met Sally. I appreciated this insight into Alderton’s process as I think she was very successful in writing the male voice.

Book Review: Family Family by Laurie Frankel

India Allwood is a recognizable actress, the lead in a popular television show and preparing for the release of her first movie, a tragic prestige drama about adoption and addiction. Amid a social media driven squall about whether the movie portrays adoption properly India stirs up a hurricane by admitting she doesn’t like what the movie has to say either.

Suddenly she’s a trending hashtag and at risk of being cancelled, both publicly and in her career. But what isn’t widely known is she’s intimately acquainted with adoption. From here the story unfolds in two timelines, the week of India’s social/media nightmare and beginning 16 years in the past following a teenaged India into adulthood. You might have preconceived notions of what to expect from this book (I know I did), but you’re likely to be surprised as it unfolds (as I was.)

Family Family {#gifted, thanks @henryholtbooks} is a complicated, sprawling family saga, as all are, about India’s FAMILY family, the people connected to her through blood and choice, those who are drawn to India’s side during her very public crisis. Just as Laurie Frankel offered a nuanced, empathetic look at a family navigating a child’s transgender identity with This is How it Always Is, so too does she offer a similar treatment with adoption in Family Family a story that is challenging (in the best way), authentic, quirky, and heartwarming.

Tell me: if you became a trending hashtag what would it likely be for?

Mine would be something related to a trending aspirational reading lifestyle, obvi #CozyBookHermitChic

Book Review: A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin

An unemployed journalist infiltrates an ultra-exclusive secret club for female empowerment and discovers more than she bargained for.

In her 2020 debut novel Happy & You Know It author Laura Hankin took on Upper East Side mommies and wellness culture. In A Special Place for Women she takes that same lightly satirical, genre blending vibe this time focusing her sights on #girlboss feminism and wealthy liberal elites.

Highly entertaining slightly bizarre escapism with some depth perfect for your beach bag!

Fans of Liane Moriarty or Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan should check this one out.