nomadreader

The backstory: Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff's third novel, is on the 2015 National Book Award longlist. I l oved her last novel, Arcadia , so very much. The basics: Fates and Furies  is the story of a marriage and two lives. The first half is told from the point of view of the husband, Lotto. The second half is from his wife Mathilde's point of view. My thoughts: I had high expectations going into Fates and Furies . Arcadia  is both brilliant and moved me emotionally. And the buzz around Fates and Furies  is huge. It's the  book of fall. Plus, it was longlisted for the National Book Award (hooray!) This novel is a book in two parts. Because Groff chooses to split it into halves (Lotto's is a bit longer) rather than interweave the chapters, there's a fair amount of setting the stage the first half of the novel takes on. It builds up this fateful, epic love story, and in some ways, the second half tears it down. In that sense, the first half was slightly mo...

The backstory: Laura Dave is one of my favorite novelists. I've loved all three of her novels: London is the Best City in America , The Divorce Party , and The First Husband . After four years of waiting, I was thrilled to read her latest novel. The basics: Set in Sebastopol, part of California' Sonoma County wine country, Eight Hundred Grapes  is the story of the Ford family, told from the perspective of their daughter, Georgia, who is a powerful Los Angeles attorney about to marry a British architect and move to London. Set against the grape harvest and the week before her wedding, each of the Fords, Georgia, her two brothers, and her parents, face challenges in their romantic and professional lives. My thoughts: Laura Dave is such a smart writer. This novel is part family saga, part drama, part romance, but it's all smart. Through her characters and storylines, Dave imparts immense wisdom about life and love: "Synchronization, my father would say. This was a...

The backstory: After loving The Lotus Eaters  ( my review ) and enjoying  The Forgetting Tree  ( my review ), Tatjana Soli's two previous novels, I was eager to read her most recent novel, The Last Good Paradise. The basics: Set on a small, isolated island in the South Pacific, The Last Good Paradise  is primarily the story of Ann and Richard, a couple from Los Angeles seeking respite from near financial ruin. Ann, an attorney who dreams of being an artist, and Richard, a chef with complicated issues around eating animals, escape to this island, where they encounter a quirky cast of characters. My thoughts: I tend to enjoy novels about people living in or visiting far away places (as my Internet moniker is nomadreader, after all.) And Soli offers a fascinating exploration of an unnamed island in the South Pacific in The Last Good Paradise . Admittedly, the thought of having the means and opportunity to leave reality behind sounds amazing to me, but I wouldn't o...

narrated by Mozhan Marno The basics: The Expats is the story of Kate Moore, a D.C. policy analyst whose husband Dexter receives a compelling job opportunity in Luxembourg. Kate and Dexter, along with their two young boys, soon make the move to Luxembourg, where Kate joins the thriving expat community for morning coffee, but all is not what it seems in this spy novel. My thoughts: Please ignore the basics of this book. It was quite challenging to remember what I thought was the setup early on in this novel, and I think it's most exciting to read without the knowledge of some of its secrets. Pavone has his characters start spilling secrets very early on, and the twists keep coming throughout the novel. It's clear from the beginning that The Expats  is a spy novel. What isn't clear initially is who the spy is (or who the spies are.) The characters weave a complicated collection of secrets and lies, and I enjoyed every single reveal. Some I correctly guessed before the ...

The backstory: Us  was longlisted for the 2014 Booker Prize . I also adored One Day , the last novel David Nicholls wrote. The basics: Us is the story of Douglas, a middle-aged biochemist, his wife Connie, an artist, and their seventeen-year-old son Albie. Connie announces she thinks she wants to leave Douglas, but she isn't sure yet. They set out on a tour of Europe with Albie as a last family trip, both before he goes to college and perhaps for their marriage too. The present day unfolds in the narrative while Douglas also tells us the story of their marriage from the beginning. My thoughts: After loving One Day , I was already excited for Us . When it made the Booker longlist (before I could get my hands on a galley), I was surprised and ecstatic. My expectations were high going into this novel, and although I didn't love it quite as much as One Day , it is a smartly crafted, well-written, thoughtful exploration of marriage. It's also a medium-paced travel advent...

The backstory: The Undertaking, the debut novel by Audrey Magee, is on the 2014 Baileys Prize shortlist. It was also longlisted for the 2015 Walter Scott Prize . The basics: In early World War II, teacher and German soldier Peter Faber, desperate to escape the Russian front, even if only for a few weeks, decides to marry a woman, Katharina Spinnell, he has never met. She gets his pension if he dies, and he gets two weeks leave, which he spends with Katharina and her parents in Berlin. My thoughts: I confess, when I saw The Undertaking  on the Baileys Prize longlist (and eventually the shortlist), I was skeptical. "Another World War II novel? Hasn't it all been done?" I'm hardly an expert on World War II fiction, but I've been suffering from fatigue for several years. Good news: The Undertaking  is fresh, enchanting, and an incredibly accomplished debut. The relationship between Katharina and Peter is fascinating to watch. There initial time together is inc...

The basics: Save the Date , the debut memoir from Jen Doll, chronicles her life as a frequent wedding guest and bridesmaid. My thoughts: I've been a fan of Jen Doll for years as she's written for The Atlantic, New York , and The Village Voice  (among many others.) I've always found her writing strong and insightful, yet given the title and cover, I expected this memoir to be filled with more humorous anecdotes than insight. I was pleasantly surprised, as Save the Date  isn't the memoir I expected, but it's still one I enjoyed immensely. There is plenty of humor throughout Save the Date , but over all the tone was much more thoughtful, and it's often both: "You should give him a chance."  "You think?" This was not the first time I'd been given this advice. There were plenty of paired-up couples in my life who seemed to see me as a hard-hearted ballbuster who never opened up, who refused to even consider  anyone less than some id...

The basics:  "Dept. of Speculation is a portrait of a marriage. It is also a beguiling rumination on the mysteries of intimacy, trust, faith, knowledge, and the condition of universal shipwreck that unites us all." (via publisher) My thoughts: I've spent a lot of time thinking about Dept. of Speculation since I finished it in January. Typically, I like to write reviews soon after finishing novels, but I wanted to ponder this one. And even as I still am, I'm ready to start talking about this remarkable book. First, I am officially a huge fan of Offill's writing. She's hilarious: "That night on TV, I saw the tattoo I wished my life had warranted. If you have not known suffering, love me . A Russian murderer beat me to it." She's wise: "For most married people, the standard pattern is a decrease of passionate love, but an increase in deep attachment." I read for the joy of her sentences as much as anything else. When I started this...

The basics: After surviving the plane crash that killed her father when she was 5, Artis Henderson recounts losing her husband during a helicopter crash in the Iraq War. My thoughts: I'm a huge fan of The New York Times  Modern Love column. When I heard Artis Henderson, whose Modern Love column I cried throughout, published a memoir expanding on the topic of losing her husband, I knew I wanted to read it, even if war widow memoirs aren't typically a genre at the top of my list. And I'm so glad I did. It's a good thing the reader knows about the joint tragedies in Artis's life from the book's beginnings, becuase Henderson still packs an emotinoal punch. As I read, I was crying hard enough I had to leave my bed, where my husband peacefully slept, to go downstairs where I could read and sob in peace. I'm not necessarily drawn to stories of tragedy, but I immediately connected with Artis as I read. She and I are almost exactly the same age, and I easily ima...

The backstory:  After reading  What Alice Forgot   for my book club this summer (I'll review it eventually, I promise!), I was excited to see the first pick since I joined the She Reads Online Book Club would be Liane Moriarty's latest novel, The Husband's Secret. The basics: The Husband's Secret  focuses on three families in Sydney, who all have a tie to a Catholic school. Tess uproots her son and moves back to Sydney to stay with her mother when her cousin/best friend and her husband reveal that they are in love. Rachel, the school secretary, still mourns the loss of her daughter, who was murdered as teenager. She's further devastated when her son tells her he, his wife and son are moving to New York for two years. Cecelia is the woman who seemingly has it all, including three daughters and a successful Tupperware party business. When she stumbles across a letter in her attic addressed to her with the instructions "to be opened by my wife only in the even...

The backstory: Curtis Sittenfeld's previous novel, American Wife , remains my all-time favorite novel . The basics: Sisterland  is the story of Violet and Kate, twin sisters who both are somewhat psychic. In adulthood, Vi has embraced her powers and works as a psychic. Kate, however, has disavowed her powers in an attempt to live a 'normal', happy life with her husband, a professor of science, and two children. When a minor earthquake hits St. Louis, Vi predicts a major one coming soon, and her prediction makes her an instant celebrity. Meanwhile, Kate shares a sense of Vi's prediction, while Jeremy does not. My thoughts: I adore the way Curtis Sittenfeld writes. I was highlighting my e-galley compulsively as I read. She builds the world and her characters beautifully and honestly. She inserts beautifully detailed observations that stopped me cold: "The feeling that gripped me in this moment was similar to what I imagined the relatives of an alcoholic mus...

The backstory: Before Midnight  is the third film in what I hope is an ongoing series rather than a trilogy. The first two films, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset  are two of my favorite movies of all time . The basics: We meet Jesse and Celine again, nine years after their poignant walk around Paris, in Greece. Slowly we learn they have been together since that day in Paris and they now have twin daughters. My thoughts: Despite my best efforts, I had high expectations for this film. I have loved Before Sunrise and Before Sunset  for years. And Before Midnight  was getting ridiculoulsy good reviews. Then Peter Travers said " It's damn near perfect. " And Owen Glieberman said it was " enchanting entertainment that's also the most honest and moving film about love in years ." They're both right, but what I wasn't prepared for in this film was how much it hurt to watch. Before Midnight  is so different from the other two films. There are cer...

The backstory: After loving Jonathan Dee's last novel, Pulitzer Prize finalist  The Privileges  ( my review ) so much it made my Best of 2011 list , I was ecstatic to hear he has a new novel out. The basics: A Thousand Pardons  is the story of Helen and Ben Armstead. The Armsteads live in Rensselaer Valley, an upstate suburb of New York City, with their adopted daughter Sara. When Ben's actions bring scandal to the family, their marriage ends, and Helen must find a job. My thoughts: A Thousand Pardons  is a slim novel composed of seven lengthy chapters. The novel's first chapter pulled me into this family and the narrative and left me stunned. It's a fascinating and bold set-up for the novel, but it also lulled me into thinking this was a different sort of novel than it turned out to be. The second chapter slowed the narrative's pace, and while I settled into the rest of the novel, I wondered if Dee would return to the pace of the novel's first chapter. Wha...

The basics: The Middlesteins  is the story of the Middlestein family: its obese matriarch Edie, her husband Richard, their adult children Robin and Benny, and Benny's wife and children. The family lives in the Chicago suburbs and the narration shifts between these main characters and moves through time non-linearly. My thoughts: The experience I had reading The Middlesteins   is one of my favorites: I knew very little going into it, so I was able to enter the journey of this novel without any preconceptions. Early on, I fell hard for Robin's sharp, raw observations about herself and her world: "Robin looked at Daniel and had the meanest thought of her entire life. He'll do ." I was so enamored with the way she sees the world, I was sad when the narration shifted to Benny's wife. Attenberg soon alleviated this pain, however, as I discovered each of the narrators were fascinating. I adore this scene, in which Rachelle outlines all of the lies she's told...

The backstory: Gone Girl  is Gillian Flynn's third novel. Update: it was longlisted for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction . The basics: Nick and Amy are unhappily married. On the morning of their fifth anniversary, Amy disappears. Flynn tells their story in alternating chapters of Nick's reaction to Amy's disappearance, and his role as a suspect, and sections from Amy's diary stretching from their meeting to present day. My thoughts: Gone Girl  is a novel best enjoyed when you read it knowing little. Watching this story unfold was as thrilling as the story itself. As suspenseful and intriguing as the plot was, I was also enamored with Flynn's writing. She masterfully builds these characters as both deeply flawed and understandable. Telling the story in alternating voices, but in different times, provided the reader with historical perspective on the couple, a sense of their today, and insight into both of them and the different ways they viewed their marria...

The basics:  The Beginner's Goodbye, Anne Tyler's nineteenth novel,   is the story of Aaron and his wife Dorothy. After Dorothy dies, she visits Aaron. My thoughts: The novel's first line introduces the reader beautifully to this quirky novel: "The strangest thing about my wife's return from the dead was how other people reacted." It clearly established what this novel isn't: a tearjerker about the death of a spouse, although it is tinged with sadness at times. While it is an examination of a marriage, it's more of a character study of Aaron, with his love for Dorothy being one of his defining characteristics. Aaron is also partially crippled and has been since childhood. He works with his sister, Nandina, at a publishing house whose emphasis is on publishing writers who will them to do so and their successful series of "Beginners" books. Aaron's career serves as both a nice tie-in to the novel's title and an intriguing forum to p...

The basics: Art and Marion's marriage is failing. They're giving it one last-ditch effort by spending a romantic weekend in Niagara Falls, where they also plan to gamble their way back to financial solvency. My thoughts: The Odds: A Love Story  is not the kind of love story fans of Nicholas Sparks would enjoy. It's a real love story, filled with miscommunication, disappointment, blame and exhaustion. O'Nan balances the whimsy of beginning each chapter with a set of odds related to its content with the increasingly depressing vision of Art and Marion's marriage. O'Nan gradually reveals the details of both how dire their marriage and financial situation are, as well as how it got there. More importantly, however, O'Nan seamlessly uses both Art and Marion as narrators. The reader comes to understand the marriage, and it becomes clear neither Art, Marion, nor the reader truly understand it from all perspectives. Favorite passage: "You couldn’t relive y...

The backstory: The Privileges was a finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. The basics: The novel opens with the wedding of Adam and Cynthia Morley. The novel, split into four sections, examines the life and marriage of this couple over more than twenty years. My thoughts: I'm drawn to both stories of marriage and novels that span many years in the lives of characters, and The Privileges  had both. When I began reading, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Despite being a Pulitzer Prize finalist this year, there hasn't been much conversation about it, which is a shame because it's a smart, funny, and insightful novel. Adam and Cynthia are riveting characters. As the novel opens with their wedding, they're not sure why they're getting married right out of college (they're so young), but they don't doubt each other or their relationship: "She's not disappointed. Sex is no novelty; being exhausted together, being each other's...

I spent a year reading Committed , Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir/treatise on marriage. I started the book the week of my wedding, which was one year ago today. As I've spent more time this past year pondering marriage than I ever have before, I relished dipping into Gilbert's words on the subject. I still hold Eat, Pray, Love as one of my all-time favorite books. If you didn't like it, then you probably won't like Committed either. They're incredibly different memoirs, but both are incredibly reflective, honest and personal; it's a style you either love or hate. I love her turn of phrase: "the happier twin sister of loneliness: privacy." Mr. Nomadreader and I have been together for five years now, and I love him fiercely. Sometimes I'm still surprised we got married. We committed to living our lives together years before we got married (or engaged) and adopted the general attitude that when it became important for one or both of us to get ma...