I'm Back!

Yes, I'm back after a very long hiatus.  What, you might ask, has kept me from engaging with the reading and blogging communities?  In short, my husband and I bought a new home in February and that task has occupied all my reading, contemplating, and writing energy.  Now that things have settled down a smidge, it's time to get back to normal and back to you all.  

For this first installment, I'm going with a three prong offensive; one new book, one older book and one I didn't much enjoy. You might say a "newbie, an oldie and ugh".  

NEWBIE BOOK:

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen, released on February 24, 2026, Goodreads shows 3.98 stars!

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley, courtesy of Random House Publishing.  I am grateful to them and Ms. Quindlen for the opportunity to read and offer my thoughts on Quindlen’s work.

Here's the set-up:

“No one knows you like your book club.

High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they’ve become her closest friends and, along with her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her students, her fraught relationship with her mother, her struggles with IVF—Polly’s book club friends have heard about it all.”

“No one knows you like your book club.”  I belong to a book club at my local library. We chit-chat, but we do actually discuss books.  The members seem to enjoy that format, but would we find more value in a club like Polly Goodman’s?  It’s tough to say, however, the lifelong friends, including one best friend, seem to be her support and listening ear up and down all the hills and valleys of life.  Polly’s life,  full of the highs and lows, doesn’t need another complication when her friends give her a DNA test kit for her birthday and she discovers (mistakenly?) that she has a previously unknown niece.  This is the tipping point for the movement in More Than Enough. 

I know Anna Quindlen is much admired among readers, and after finishing this book, I now count myself among them.  Her writing style and character voices, especially Polly and Sarah, have a genuineness and sincerity that is appealing and eminently relatable to us all.  Polly is an average, everyday “Jane” just like you and me.  She’s juggling a bunch of balls while trying to get pregnant.  Just when you think this is more than she can manage, even more wrenches drop into her works.  All in all, a wonderful read by an author that I’m grateful to have met on the page.

OLDIE BOOK:

The Trackers by Charles Frazier, released in April 2023, Goodreads 3.68 stars.

Here's a taste to wet your appetite:

"Hurtling past the downtrodden communities of Depression-era America, painter Val Welch travels westward to the rural town of Dawes, Wyoming. Through a stroke of luck, he's landed a New Deal assignment to create a mural representing the region for their new Post Office.

A wealthy art lover named John Long and his wife Eve have agreed to host Val at their sprawling ranch. Rumors and intrigue surround the Eve left behind an itinerant life riding the rails and singing in a western swing band. Long holds shady political aspirations, but was once a WWI sniper--and his right hand is a mysterious elder cowboy, a vestige of the violent old west. Val quickly finds himself entranced by their lives."

Here are a few of my thoughts:

As always, thank you Net Galley for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review, this time around, The Trackers. 

I wish I could say I had a more favorable opinion to offer, but after over half of this book I just didn’t have the interest or commitment to finish. As I recall, Cold Mountain, also written by Frazier, was the same sort of read for me. Neither one ignited the flame of interest in my heart and soul to continue the journey with Val, Eve, and Long.

Like it’s main character, the painter, Val, wandering around the US looking for Long’s runaway wife, this book was a meandering amble with no point or destination in mind that I could see.  Maybe it was there and I just needed to put on my glasses.  I'm not so sure.   Like Cold Mountain, I found myself skimming and skipping through it hoping I would eventually land on the plot. It was not to be. With so many excellent books available I dropped this and moved on.  Two stars from me. 💫

Ugh Book:

Blowing the Whistle by M.L. Newman, released February 7, 2014, Goodreads 2.60 stars.

Here's a short overview:

"*****WARNING ADULT CONTENT******* Age 18+

Nursing her own demons, Ally Fields isn’t a typical college student. Her life is solely focused on classes, and her goal is to maintain her very high GPA. Ally isn’t a typical girl, either; her only form of entertainment is a rule-bound “arrangement” with an older businessman, Leon.

Life is turned upside down for Ally just as she reaches what she thought was the comfort and control she had always strived for. Trevor takes over, challenging every decision she makes and forcing a friendship she doesn’t want. Trevor turns her world upside down and inside out as she is forced to decide whether she will

use him for her own purposes or succumb to his challenging charm."

My thoughts:

Once again, I was reminded why I don’t enjoy romance novels. Why I find books set on campuses unlikable!  Add to that the "adult content" label and I was already cringing.

I found the same flimsy disjointed plotting, almost transparent. And I'm sorry to say, characters that make poor decisions and seem to expect a positive outcome. Dare I say, silly!  I think so Ally. 

I know there are readers who enjoy this genre. More power to you all, just not me. 

I don’t remember how I acquired this book, but I hope I didn’t pay for it. If so, a refund would be appreciated. Joking!

So there you have it, friends, my triumphant return.  I hope you will join me again as we explore  all things reading and related.  Until then, happy reading!