Tibetan Peach Pie

Tibetan Peach Pie, A True Account of an Imaginative Life by Tom Robbins is a wonderful collection of stories, an almost memoir, although the author doesn't refer to it as such.

Fans of Robbin's novels will love this book. Robbin's never sit still imagination is on full parade here, and even in his eighties, his wonderful way with words has not left him.

A must read for Robbin's fans.

A Year by the Sea

A Year by the Sea, Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson is a book about a year on Cape Cod away from husband and kids where the author goes to try to rediscover herself. It is reminiscent of Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, though not nearly as lyrical and beautifully written as that book.

A slim little volume delving into the inner world of a woman who has been defined her whole life by her role as wife and Mother and finally is putting herself first. If only we all had cottages on Cape Cod to escape to when the need arose!

The Paying Guests

The Paying Guests is a brilliant novel by Sarah Waters about life in Post-War London, circa 1922. A widowed mother and daughter are forced to take in tenants and let the servants go, due to their changing circumstances. An unexpected friendship arises between the daughter and the young wife, both in their twenties, and the pace of the novel really picks up from there.

Waters is a masterful storyteller, and her writing is refreshingly original, there were times I had to linger over a single sentence, re-reading it over and over again. I was fully pulled into this story and stayed up several nights in a row to finish the book.

A well written, suspenseful and engrossing read.

Broken Wings

Broken Wings by Carla Stewart is a sweet, but predictable novel. A friendship between an older woman, Mitzi, volunteering at a hospital in Tulsa and a young woman, Brooke, in an abusive relationship begins with a chance encounter. Recalling Mitzi's time as a famous Jazz singer is a nice touch, and of course all ends well.

I didn't realize Stewart was a Christian writer when I picked up the book. It was filled with a bit too much prayer and too many references to God for my taste in a novel.

A nice, easy, forgettable read.

Family Baggage

Family Baggage by Monica McInerney is a novel about an Australian family that owns a travel agency. The two boys and one girl are joined by a foster sister when her parents tragically die in a car crash in Ireland.

McInerney is a great storyteller, and as the story of the family unfolds, mysteries and long held secrets come to light that could shatter the bonds that hold the family together. Amidst this family drama is the hilarious tour through England with 12 elderly people following the plot of a long ago TV series still watched in Australia.

At turns hilarious, moving, sad, hopeful, romantic, all things that make for an entertaining read.

Crossing to Safety

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner was our latest book club pick. I wanted to love this book, but I didn't. Depression Era, two couples meet and become lifelong friends, one poor from the west, one wealthy and privileged from the East, all well educated.

Although the writing was beautiful, I just didn't care much about any of the characters and found the book emotionally quite empty and easily forgettable. Stegner is a beloved author by many, just not my cuppa tea.