Amy On the Town

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: This book is devastating…but in a good way. You barely have a chance to meet newlyweds Roy and Celestine before their life is thrown into chaos and disarray. Sentenced to a 12 year prison term for a crime he didn’t commit, the novel unfolds partially in an epistolary form before transitioning back to a first person narrative that switches between Roy, Celestine, and their friend, Andre.

Reading those first hope-filled letters between Roy and Celestine will make your heart ache; you feel the depths of the injustice they are forced to endure. The tone of their letters change as the years go by. You see these characters growing, shifting, and learning more about their lives both as separate people and as a husband and wife.

How do you reconcile the past while moving towards the future? Sometimes this isn’t a smooth process. Sometimes it’s one step forward, two steps back. Roy and Celestine’s journey is heartbreaking and beautiful. It’s real, ugly, passionate, and compelling. There is no fairy tale ending here, just three people struggling with what it means to be alive, in love, and committed to that love in the present day. Do they reach the tipping point where their bonds of love no longer connect them? You’ll have to read it and judge for yourself.

I readily admit I’m a sucker when it comes to a post-apocalyptic romp of a story, and The Wolves of Winter didn’t disappoint! Kudos to Tyrell Johnson on this exciting, suspenseful debut  novel, and extra bonus points for weaving in an intriguing government conspiracy! Not only has a nuclear winter descended on the McBride family in their isolated outpost, but hints of tremendous government cover-up are reaching out to touch their lives.

The Wolves of Winter‘s main character, Gwendolyn (Lynn) McBride is a young woman who is struggling to find her place in the cold, nuclear winter world. She dreams of chocolate while doing her best to trap and hunt and help her family survive. A chance encounter with a stranger and his dog open her eyes to the hidden machinations of the government as she learns the role her own family may have played in the larger disaster that society has become.

I have to say I thought this book could have gone south, really fast. I had concerns over the handsome young stranger coming in and turning this into some sort of winter themed bodice ripper. I was so relieved it didn’t go there! Lynn is strong and not afraid of sticking up for herself, her family, and others who need help.

The Wolves of Winter could exist on its own as a stand alone novel; but I know I’m not the only person out there who hopes Mr. Johnson has plans to further the story of Lynn and Jax. I want to see how high the vast government conspiracy goes! I want to see Lynn being a bad*ss! I want to see Lynn find some peace and happiness (and maybe a bar of chocolate) come into her world. Please write a sequel (or two!)

Let’s set up this novel: A shut in. Agoraphobic, experiencing life through the panes of her window, keystrokes on her laptop, and the swipes of her phone. She’s going through a rough time, remembering happier days, and maybe (definitely) drinking too much, especially since she’s medicated. One day she spies something from her window that rocks her cloistered world and makes her question herself over and over. She’s determined to figure out what is real, but she’s got to get the answer right before the truth catches up with her and its too late! I don’t want to say any more and accidentally spoil your enjoyment of this dark and twisty tale, but be prepared; once you get going with this book, you won’t be able to put it down!

This thrilling, page turning story is infused with a noir mood using references to Hitchcock and some of the best film noir that Hollywood ever put out; not to mention other classic films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Airplane, Casablanca, and Rosemary’s Baby. After you read this book, don’t be surprised to find yourself wanting to bone up on some top Hollywood noir.  (For a complete list of all movies mentioned in the novel, you can thank Billy Parrott of the NYPL for compiling this list: https://www.nypl.org/blog/2017/10/13/woman-window-watch )

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn is a fast moving thriller with a deliciously satisfying plot twist that I didn’t see coming! This book will keep you flipping pages to find out what’s what; and even when you think you’ve got it figured out, just wait because it’s not over yet! I often hear people say they are looking for the next “Girl on the Train” or the next “Gone Girl”… look no further because this is it!

Anyone who has read Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic could easily imagine that the Aunts Frances and Jet had lived in their Magnolia Street home since the beginning of time. We now know that’s not the case. In Hoffman’s newest novel, The Rules of Magic, we are treated to the origin story of Frances and Jet, which opens in New York City in the 1960s. A prequel, not a sequel.

The Rules of Magic casts an enchanting spell, yet it’s not all a happy fairy tale. There is tragedy, sacrifice, and the ever-looming threat of the Owens family curse.  This is a book about love, loss, and living, set against a backdrop of magical realism.

The three siblings, Frances, Bridget, and Vincent (yes, there’s a brother in there!) spend one summer with the current Aunt-in-Residence on Magnolia Street, Aunt Isabelle. Their stories move forward in time and explore the way one’s life can be touched by love and the loss of love. We see the steps that Franny and Jet take, complete with familiars and a healthy dose of herbal lore,  as they become the Aunts of Practical Magic fame.

I loved following the chronicles of these siblings as they navigated their lives set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s. There’s heartache and hope, disappointment and fulfillment, and a lovely plot twist. Ultimately this book is about the power of love. The last sentence of the novel is, “Know that the only remedy for love is to love more.” I think that says it all.