Here is a little review of the five books I read during the first two months of 2021.  One is actually a beautiful journal, one was okay, one was good, and two were 5-star in my opinion.

What Remains

by Carole Radziwill

 

This book is a memoir written by the widow of Anthony Radziwill.  Anthony was very close to his cousin, John F. Kennedy, Jr.  You may remember that Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1999 along with his wife Carolyn and her sister.  It took me some time to really become interested in the subject matter while reading this book.  The author spends a good bit of time in the first portion of the book describing her childhood, and I wasn’t really connecting to any of that.  Compared to my childhood, hers seemed rather loose.  Then she describes her early years as a reporter and how she met Anthony.  For me the book became more interesting and relatable when she became friends with Carolyn.  They became very close, and Carolyn was a major support for Carole when Anthony was battling cancer and going through his many hospital stays and surgeries.  I have had a best friend who died, so I could imagine the devastation Carole felt losing Carolyn and John.  Then to lose her husband three weeks later and without the support of her dear friend is quite unimaginable.  The insights about what it was like to be an outsider inside the Kennedy clan were pretty interesting, too.  While I wouldn’t say it is well-written, the writing does seem honest and forthcoming.  If you are someone interested in the Kennedys, then I think you should read this book.

 

When Crickets Cry

by Charles Martin

This fictional novel is set in a small town in Georgia.  The main character is a man called Reese who has run from his past.  He and his brother-in-law are now living on the lake across a small finger of water from each other, working together on building/refurbishing rowing boats.  When Reese is in town one day and he comes to the rescue of a little girl hit by a delivery truck, he is compelled to face his past and make decisions in his life that he has been avoiding.  As the story progresses, the tale of his past is gradually revealed as he faces an opportunity to redeem himself and possibly save another’s life in the process.  It is a refreshingly wholesome book with a Christian slant.  The reader is given a closer look behind the scenes of heart transplant and organ donation, although I’m skeptical about the accurateness of the depiction.  I think the bigger story focus here is on one’s journey toward being able to forgive oneself.

 

The First-Time Grandmother’s Journal

by Lisa Carpenter

I don’t normally highlight books in my Book Talk posts that are journals, but this one is so good, I HAD to share!  When I was asked by a fellow blogger, Lisa Carpenter of Grandma’s Briefs, if I would accept a copy of her new publication in exchange for an honest review on Amazon, I was honored!  And it is truly a lovely journal!  I only wish I had had it when I was anticipating Helen’s birth.  This will make an excellent gift for a friend or relative when you find out they are expecting their first grandchild.  I will definitely be giving it to the next person I know in that happy situation!

 

How the Penguins Saved Veronica

by Hazel Prior

 

Gush alert!  I LOVED this story!  Our main character is Veronica McCreedy, an 85-year-old rich widow living alone in her huge estate in southwest Scotland.  The narration alternates in intermittent chapters between Veronica and her new-found grandson Patrick.  After seeing a documentary about penguins on television, Veronica contemplates donating her millions to helping their plight.  And she goes so far as to travel to Antarctica to observe the penguins and the scientific mission that may become her beneficiary.  Throughout, the reader learns a bit about penguins and a lot about Veronica’s past.  To me the characters were so engaging.  I chuckled out loud at times and I got teary-eyed other times.  Only two months have passed so far in 2021, I know, but this is possibly my favorite book that I’ve read so far this year!

 

Stay with Me

by Ayobami Adebayo

 

This one is also vying for my favorite book of the year!  I did not want to put this book down!  It is set in modern-day Nigeria.  The story tells of how the two main characters, Yejide and Akin, meet and marry and of their struggle to maintain their relationship despite the customs of their people and other difficulties in their marriage.  It is very well written, and I enjoyed feeling like I was immersed in their culture.  Some of it I was already familiar with since hearing about it from my daughter while she lived there, such as frequent power outages, events being rescheduled around election time, social unrest, etc.  However, I was not aware of some of the other aspects of the culture, like family dynamics, superstitions, and how common the practice of polygamy is.  Although it is a fictional novel, almost all of it was very believable to me.  Only near the end did I question the believability of a couple of aspects of the story.  I can’t leave this review without also stating that there is definitely some R-rated material included, but I do think it’s necessary to the story, and I certainly wouldn’t let that stop me from reading it.  Excellent book!

I have downloaded the next book I want to read onto my Kindle, but I’m always looking for more recommendations.  Have you read any good ones lately?  Please tell me about them!