I agree with all that. What bothered me, though, was that she basically continued to be friends with him. There was never much of a sense of her holding him accountable. (Though to be fair, without being too spoiler-y, there was another character whom I also thought got off pretty lightly.)
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Maybe this should be an upcoming book discussion! 
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Iām reading āThe Bullet That Missedā the third book in the āThursday Murder Clubā series by Richard Osman. These books are fairly light and very witty. Characters are offbeat in a good way. Definitely recommend as a fun read (note: read the books in order).
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I have it on hold. So glad to hear that this installment is good, too!
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Just got notice from the library that the new Barbara Kingsolver is on hold for me. I love all her books. Also purchased the new Kate Atkinson when I was on vacation, but I guess I will read Barbara first.
Iām just finishing up a light fun read from the library called āGood Eggsā by Rebecca Hardiman. Itās set in Ireland and very sweet, but not sappy. Saving up the last few pages to read tonight before I pick up the Kingsolver tomorrow.
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I am so excited for the new Barbara Kingsolver!
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I had the same reaction about her being friends with him initially but I now think it is there to showcase her growth- sheās no longer being held down by his wishes and now has an ability to meet him and leave him whenever she wants.
I love Barbara Kingsolver also- just read the sunday book review in NYT about her new book, so exciting!
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Not one of the best books per se, but I wanted to share an emotion. Amazon Prime offers āFirst Readā books each month where you can pick one or two for free. This month included a story by Alice Hoffman, The Bookstore Sisters. Iām about two thirds through when one character wants to convince her niece to try reading. So she grabs Half Magic by Edward Eager off the bookstore shelf, āone that had been a favorite of hers.ā
I checked that book out of the library when I was a girl and loved it. My mom told me to remember the authorās name and look for more of his books. That was when I first became fully cognizant that learning the authors could bring me more pleasure. A very meaningful path for my whole life starting about 60 years ago.
Seeing that book and author pop up out of nowhere gave me such a hit of nostalgia and memories of my mom.
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My daughter loved Half Magic and all his books!
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Edward Eager is great, and because of him I discovered E. Nesbit and a lifelong addiction to fantasy.
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Just for fun, I e-checked out Half Magic. Alice Hoffman wrote the forward - Edgar Eager was a huge influence on so many of us!
Iāve always believed that the books that influence us most are the ones we read at the age of ten or eleven or twelve, the time when weāre most open to imagination and magic, when the world hasnāt yet made us the rational and boring beings most adults grow up to be. If youāre lucky, you will be exactly this age when you discover a writer who teaches you about the world, and about literature, and, for those who are the luckiest of all, about magic.
ā¦ā¦
I found the book that changed my life one summer day, stocked on a dusty shelf at the library. Iād never heard of the author, but when I saw the title I knew it was exactly what Iād been looking for. After the first few pages, I was utterly hooked. I read Edward Eager all that summer while school was out, and I highly recommend my child-reader friends do the same. Make one summer your Edward Eager summer and you will never forget it. Other summers will become hazy and forgettable, but for this one summer everything you do will be touched by magic.
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I apologize in advance because Iām mentioning a book I havenāt read yet, but itās a kindle book of the day and for $3, others may want to check it out. The title is ā 200 Women: Who Will Change The Way You See The Worldā.
After reading the āLook Insideā sample, I donāt see this as a book Iāll sit and read for long stretches of time like a good novel. However the repetitive nature of asking the same 5 questions of 200 women with diverse experiences intrigues me. I believe Iāll enjoy it at a leisurely pace. I envision it as a (what I call it) good āwaiting roomā book.
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Thanks for the tip! Just bought it.
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I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea
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I just finished Celeste Ngās new book, Our Missing Hearts. Beautifully written, haunting, uncomfortably close to present reality.
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Thanks for me too I got this - put it on my Libby list - wonāt be my turn for awhile!
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Jumping on the Edward Eager bandwagon. Was probably around 10 when I discovered Half Magic. For a while, I picked up every coin I found on the street hoping (even thought I knew it couldnāt possibly happen) it might be magic. Knightās Castle led me to E. Nesbitā Magic City and all the others.
Like @mathmom, these books led me to fantasy which I still enjoy.
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Throwing in my latest favorite beach read even though there is no beach to read on in the fall! Really liked this story and author for an easy, breezy but heartfelt touching read.
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Recently finished Ocean Vuongās On Earth we are briefly gorgeous - A Novel. It was barely a novel. It was almost a memoir. It was often a poem. There were a few good lines, but mostly I found it tedious and unpleasant. It got a huge amount of positive press, but I am baffled. I only finished it because it was so short.
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I donāt like to buy books at full price (who does?)ā¦so I wait for books in a series Iām invested in to drop in price. If you like Daniel Silviaās Gabriel Allon series, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is on sale today. I also purchased a kindle ebook that sounded interesting to me, The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life.
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