Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Apparently this author has written 8 books, but this is the first I have read of hers. I have to say that I am impressed. This is a well-crafted story that had me second-guessing my first impressions of each character. There are a few different narrators (Camille, Aubrey, Hank, and Ben) and each of them has a story to tell from their perspective. We just never really know the life that someone else is living. I would be sympathetic to one person, and then suddenly understand why that one person felt the way they did because they didn't realize why the other person(s) made the decision(s) they did. People that I was suspicious of ended up being people that were trustworthy. This was written in a natural style that was completely believable - and not in a "gotcha" kind of way. We are each a product of our environment and the decisions we make, and the decisions we make are tied to our history and the decisions made by others.

Camille and Ben are married, but don't have any children. They are wealthy, thanks to Ben's law practice, and honestly, Camille's wealthy parents. It takes money to make money and all that. Camille resents how much time Ben spends working and Ben resents how much money Camille spends. Neither seems to trust the other. Ben tracks Camille's every move. Camille suspects that Ben is having an affair. Camille can't divorce Ben because of an iron-clad prenup, unless she can prove that he is having an affair - or has done something that is illegal.

Aubrey works at a bar and is wanting to reopen an investigation into what really happened the night her parents were tragically killed in a hit-and-run car accident that happened 10 years earlier. The man that was charged with driving the vehicle that night (Paul) has been writing Aubrey from prison, telling her that he is innocent, and wanting her to visit him in prison in light of some proof of his innocence that he recently became aware of. Aubrey lives with four other people, all who operate on a thin line between legal and illegal.

Hank is Ben's partner in his law firm. Hank is incredibly loyal to Ben and Camille. When Ben is found murdered in his home by Camille, he steps in immediately to protect Camille. Each person shares some truth with different people, but no one knows that full truth about anything. Each person makes decisions on what they know, but wondering about what they don't know. Like I said before, it's a well-crafted plot. It was a great read.

Wendy's Rating: *****

A Good Animal by Sara Mauer

In general, I love coming-of-age stories. This book was no exception, especially because I really loved the main character, 17-year old Everett Lindt. Everett lives with his parents, his younger brother, Jay (12) and his younger sister, Katie (7). They live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan outside Sault Ste. Marie. Everett's family lives on a sheep farm, where the Lindts have lived for generations. They breed "show lambs". They have 60 ewes and one ram and generally end up with roughly 60 surviving lambs each season. They sell the show lambs to other people (to show) and keep some for themselves to show. Everett trains his lamb to stand correctly and feeds it quality food to fatten it up, with the intention of winning the grand champion heavyweight plaque. If your sheep is chosen as grand champion, it will bring the best price (because it has the best cuts of meat). Having a Lindt lamb chosen as grand champion, or even reserve champion (2nd place), is good for the Lindt family and their reputation for sheep breeding as well. Unfortunately, the sheep show doesn't result in a win for Everett. His sheep actually wins 3rd place (which means nothing to him & his dad). The grand champion and reserve champion are two lambs owned by sisters, whose family decided to buy their lambs from a different state instead of from the Lindts. Their lambs are "leaner", meaning they will provide leaner cuts of meat. Everett tries to convince his dad that times are changing and that people want to buy leaner meat, not fatter meat (which presumably has more flavor). They have a stand-off about it and Everett decides he needs to buy his own ram and start breeding his own lambs.

Meanwhile, Everett falls for the new girl in town, Mary, who initially turns him down for even a date. Everett's best friend is Charlie and they have been best friends since they were 5 years old. Charlie's family owns a hog farm. Everett and Charlie do everything together. They fish, they work, they go to school together. This is the summer of change however. Charlie gets a girlfriend, which impacts his relationship with Everett. Everett learns some hard lessons about buying and owning his own sheep. He struggles with feelings he has (insecurities) about his own value in his family. (His parents got married young because they got pregnant with him. His dad makes comments like, "Don't make the same mistakes I did", which results in Everett feeling like a "mistake".) He struggles with supporting his little sister as she learns that the lamb she bottle-fed, raised and loves will be sold for slaughter. He does end up in a relationship with Mary and has to learn how to navigate the complexities of loving a girl who can't wait to leave Sault Ste. Marie while his future is sheep farming, which is deeply embedded in his soul.

Everett makes mistakes, learns to stand up for himself, loves deeply, and always tries to do the right thing, even if it's not what he wants. He warmed my heart.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

I don't often quote the Bible, but this story brings to mind the following verse: 1 Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (King James Version) This is a story of two people who make one decision after another that leads to their ultimate destruction. In the first few pages of the book, we find out that the narrator, Erin, is burying her husband Mark, shortly after their married life has begun, so I'm not spoiling anything there. After this curious introduction, Erin reverts to the "beginning" of the story - or three months previously (two months before their marriage.)

Erin is a documentary filmmaker and Mark is an investment banker. Mark proposed marriage, and Erin accepted, after they had been together a number of years already. Erin comments that she was surprised when Mark proposed because she hadn't really been thinking about marriage, although she loved him more than anything and they both wanted children. This was curious to me. Some of the things that Erin thinks about, or considers doing, in this book made me wonder if she truly loved Mark or simply liked the idea of loving Mark. Anyway, Mark loses his job suddenly (with no severance package) and this sends him into a tailspin. Their extravagant wedding plans need to be curtailed. Erin is upset initially, but she concedes after they have a talk and Mark explains how much pressure he feels being the "breadwinner" while she does her filmmaking. He is actually quite mean to Erin in this conversation, which is shocking, but she just "accepts it". Oh, and Mark chops off a week of their honeymoon without even talking to her about it! Erin again talks herself out of being upset about this.

When they find "something in the water" on their honeymoon (I won't reveal what it is here), they work together to decide what to do about it. At this point, they really do seem to be a solid couple who genuinely love each other. They are excited to start trying to have a baby and Erin has already gone off the pill. They share a strong intimacy. They enjoy each other's company. But then Erin starts making decisions on her own - and Mark isn't crazy about her impulsiveness. But they always seem to talk it through and develop a new plan. Soon enough however, their love of money rears its ugly head and it becomes the thing that controls their actions. I was intrigued by the story line and read the last 200 pages in one sitting. It's fast paced and I didn't know exactly how it would end, but the end definitely through me for a loop. I started to see where it was all headed, but honestly, I don't really understand why. We only have Erin's perspective, so we don't really know what other people are doing or thinking. But the ending doesn't make sense to me, based on the rest of the story. My opinion. I still enjoyed the book a lot.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I had really high expectations for this book. Maybe too high! The problem for me is that one of my favorite books of all time (and that's saying a lot!) is The Sparrow, written by Mary Doria Russell. The subject is similar: sending people to a newly discovered planet to contact an unknown species. It was such a powerful story to me - as well as the sequel, Children of God, and written so beautifully, that I kept comparing the stories in my mind. To be fair, I read The Sparrow over 20 years ago, and I should probably read it again to see if I still feel the same way. Certain memories get elevated in a person's mind, and maybe that's the case here.

Anyway, Project Hail Mary is certainly interesting and funny. The characters are engaging. Ryan Gosling will be an excellent Ryland Grace in the upcoming movie, which I will definitely see. I loved how the story unfolded. We don't know the full story of how Dr. Ryland Grace ended up on this mission of discovery in space - a mission which has no return - until the end of the book. The story alternates between the initial discovery of the "Petrova line" on earth and Grace's experience in space. The Petrova line appears to be made up of some sort of life form (that Grace names Astrophage) that seems to be eating the sun, or at least eating its energy output. The Astrophage is destroying the sun at an accelerated rate, which will destroy all life on earth in a short amount of time. In a very simplified explanation, the mission is to discover what Astrophage is, why it affects some planets but not others, figure out if it has a predator, and if it does, how can it be captured, contained, and used to save our sun, which in turn will save life on earth. Since this mission has no return, there are four pods on the ship that Grace can send back to earth with his discoveries.

This mission is expected to take four earth years just to arrive at their planetary destination (Tau Ceti). Ironically, the spaceship is fueled using Astrophage, since it's such a powerful energy that is continually multiplying. The scientists on the mission were put into a medical coma for the four years of travel. They were fed, and their muscles exercised, by robots during the four years. Upon arrival at (the atmosphere) of Tau Ceti, the scientists would wake up and investigate why the Astrophage weren't destroying it like they were other planets. One known delay was that when they woke up, they wouldn't have their memories of where they were or what they were supposed to do. Grace's memories came back over time, which is why we don't know what actually happened on earth since Grace wasn't even slated to go on the mission himself. He was just the "expert" on Astrophage on earth. 

Grace eventually discovers an unknown species from another planet that is also investigating the Petrova line in order to try and save its own planet. "Rocky" becomes Grace's friend in space. They end up working together to try to save both of their homes.

As much as I did enjoy this book, I found some of the "science" of it all a tad boring. It's actually quite scientific at times, which really isn't in my wheelhouse, so to speak. Other than that, it's quite entertaining.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Drop by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #15. Harry is back in the Open-Unsolved Unit. Harry's partner is David Chu. Harry & Chu handle the "special cases". They are handed one that the Lieutenant (Gail Duvall) wants investigated quietly. Apparently, the recently-tested DNA on this cold case comes from a "suspect" that was only eight years old at the time of the murder. If the original investigators messed up by submitting the wrong DNA to the lab (or the lab mislabeled or mis-handled it), it would look bad for the department and then all other cases would be suspect. That's why Duvall wants Harry to look into it. 

Then, Harry is suddenly assigned a new case, on the order of his nemesis: Councilman Irvin Irving. Irving's son was found dead after he jumped (or was dropped) off the balcony of the top floor of the Chateau Marmont on the Sunset Strip. The original cause of death was determined to be suicide, but Irving doesn't believe it and that's why he wants Harry to investigate his son's death. He doesn't like Harry (and Harry certainly doesn't like him!), but he knows Harry won't stop until he uncovers the truth. Obviously, this new case has to be Harry's priority, but he keeps working on the cold case in the background, having Chu do some of the legwork.

It would be very difficult to be Harry's partner. Harry is always doing his own thing and keeping details he discovers close to the cuff. Chu, like most of Harry's partners over the years, doesn't like Harry's style and wants a new partner. Harry has a tough time trusting his partners too. But to be fair, his partners have not always turned out to be trustworthy, including Chu. Sometimes people make stupid decisions, not understanding what the potential consequences could be.

On the home front, Harry's daughter, Maddie, is growing up. He actually talks through some of the details of his cases with her. She is observant and always shares her opinions with him. She wants to follow in his footsteps. Harry also becomes instantly infatuated with the psychotherapist (Hannah) of the young sex offender he is investigating on the cold case. He jumps into a relationship - and then of course has regrets. He really doesn't do anything slowly or halfway!

The title of this book has a double meaning. Irving believes his son was "dropped" from his hotel balcony - and Harry finds out they are giving him 39 more months to work for them. He had applied for an extension on his DROP. He had asked for five years, the maximum, and received three and a quarter years. What will Harry do then??

Wendy's Rating: ****

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

One incredible talent that Fredrik Backman has when writing his stories is that he can make you fall in love with his flawed, unhappy, quirky, unbalanced, lonely, grumpy, but loyal characters. He also has an interesting way of telling a story. He doesn't tell this story in a linear fashion. He doesn't even introduce one of the main characters in the book until Chapter 17. Not only do the chapters rotate between the summer when the kids are 14 years old and 25 years later, but the story jumps around within these chapters. And yet, it's easy to follow, which is amazing. He just makes it flow.

This is a story of four friends: Joar, Ted, Ali, and "the artist". You don't find out the artist's actual name until the end of the book. They live in a town by the sea. They are all poor and they each come from disturbingly dysfunctional families. Their personalities are extremely different from each other. But they love each other - deeply. What's even more important is that they believe in each other. One of the messages in this book is that a person's life can veer off into a completely different direction just by one person saying to another, "You are good enough. I believe in you." It's a very powerful message.

Despite each of these kids having a family to go home to, at the heart of it, they only have each other. Joar's father is an extremely violent, abusive man who beats up on his wife and son relentlessly. Joar always returns home to try to protect his mother, who loves him deeply. Ted's father has been seriously ill with cancer for so many years that he doesn't really even know the man he used to be. His mother has a difficult time expressing love, and Ted's older brother beats up on him - and hangs with a really tough crowd. (Plus, Ted is gay, and all his family wants for him is to be a MAN.) The artist's mother is an addict and his dad works on the wharf with all the other tough men (like Joar's father). Ali moves around a lot with her father because he is always in debt and is always running from the people he owes money to.

We hear about the summer these kids are 14 through Ted (25 years later) telling Louisa. Louisa meets the artist (and through him, Ted) when she is 17 turning 18. Louisa has run away from her last foster home and runs into the artist in an alley behind a church. Louisa spray paints the walls of the church and the artist sees how talented she is. The artist believes in her the way Joar believed in him all those years ago.

Truly, this is a story of friendship, loyalty, and unconditional love. I laughed. I cried. I connected to these characters that lived lives so differently than my own. That's great storytelling.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel

This is one of those books that I simply had to "power through" for the first 125 pages. I'm one of those people who finish every book I start, hoping it will get better if I keep reading. I'm glad I didn't give up on this one. Quantum physics fascinates me at a superficial level. Meaning, I like reading about time travel, but I don't really want to read about the science of it. I'm also disinterested in art such as paintings & sculpture - unless it's tied to a good story. So, since two of the main characters (Noah & Maya, husband & wife) are a quantum physicist and an artist, I didn't think I could get through it! Fortunately, between pages 125-150, the story turned more personal in nature rather than scientific, and I finally got engaged.

Noah and Maya have been married for three years. Noah had previously been married to Eileen (they were together for 16 years) and they had a daughter who died suddenly at the age of 4. Noah and Eileen ended up divorcing after their daughter's death. Noah has never moved on from his daughter's death - or Eileen - even though he really seemed to love Maya. When he is offered an opportunity by a billionaire to work on a secret project in quantum physics, he jumps at the chance and Noah & Maya move to the project site in Texas. The project involves traveling back in time. Noah trains his mind to focus on a memory, blocking everything else from his mind, injecting himself with a "product", entering a "bath" naked and then reliving the memory. He practices by going back in time just a number of minutes. Once he gets the hang of it, he starts going back in time to see his daughter, Serena, before she dies. He eventually figures out that Klein (the billionaire) wants to prove causality and he is using Noah as a test subject.

This project, which consumes Noah, puts a significant strain on his marriage to Maya. She leaves him to return to Japan, her home country, to visit her parents and take a break from Noah and their marriage. Meanwhile, Noah calls Eileen and asks her to come to Texas so she can "see" Serena with him. These three individuals make discoveries about themselves and it's interesting to watch how they change the way they think about things - in the past, present, and future. These are highly intelligent characters, but they have to be reminded that people's minds are unreliable. Memories are faulty & inconsistent. Memories are not just an "event", but a collection of things. Eileen tells Noah, "That's what memories are like. Living things made up of your experience, plus my experience, plus Esther's experience. All of it happening at once, the truth of it somewhere in the middle, the objective truth not even important at all." Noah asks Eileen what is important and she responds, "That you heard me say what you needed to hear. I heard myself say what I needed to hear. That's the truth." Later on in the book, Maya's mother tells Maya, "You know, it is possible for two people to have two different memories and experiences of the same thing." Noah learns in the end that he was looking for the wrong thing. He was looking for a way to "reverse the irreversible, instead of finding the permanence."

One more interesting thing that was discussed in the book (between Noah and his daughter). Serena says that black holes are bad because they break light. Noah explains to her that being a "lightbreaker" isn't necessarily bad. He acknowledges that a black hole traps and breaks light, but when it breaks, something new develops out of it. Love this explanation, especially as it pertains to the message in this book.

Wendy's Rating for the first 125 pages: ***

Wendy's Rating for the rest of the book: ****