Well hello there lovely readers! It has been awhile since we've updated each other on reads and teas but here we are, back again, in this new year! Please read on if you're interested in what The Mother has read this month.
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
“Love is the greatest risk of all, but a life without it is meaningless.”
I adored this book. The writing is fantastic and light. It is full of beautiful and vivid characters and I found myself deeply invested in each of their stories.
I loved how something as innocuous as the daily commute can bring strangers together to complete the piece of the puzzle they most needed. It reminded me of the good in people.
Make sure to bump this book to the top of your TBR list!
Summary: The ensemble cast of Iona Iverson’s Rules of Commuting is held together by Iona Iverson, a middle-aged advice columnist who, one morning on her commuter train to London, witnesses Piers Sanders choking. Piers is rescued by Sanjay, an empathetic nurse, who has a crush on fellow commuter, Emmie. Later, Martha, a bullied schoolgirl, and other characters, join the “train gang” as well. This eclectic group of people discover that community and deep connection can be found just about anywhere.
Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes
Full of Jojo Moyes' signature humor, character development, and nuanced storytelling, Someone Else's Shoes is a look into how one little thing can suddenly change everything; and the painful yet beautiful realization of who we really are if forced to walk in someone else's shoes.
Although a bit longer than it needed to be, it’s worth the journey. Someone Else’s Shoes is a novel centered on two London women who accidentally switch bags at the gym. The two main characters are Nisha Cantor, a wealthy globetrotter who faces divorce; and Sam Kemp, a beleaguered wife and mother who inadvertently has to wear Nisha’s expensive Louboutin shoes to an important meeting. Sprinkled in are a cast of complex and relatable characters that help the story explore the challenges of love and marriage, and the invincible power of female friendship.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Debut author Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures is an absolute must read. This gentle, kind, thoughtful, with moments of laugh-out-loud humor provided by Marcellus (a giant Pacific octopus) is really something special.
Summary: Remarkably Bright Creatures is a quiet but compelling story about the fragility of humanness and the beauty that comes from human goodness. The story is set in a small town in northern Washington and filled with characters that are both interesting and immediately recognizable. Each unforgettable character is facing their own challenge—the loss of a spouse, the search for a parent, the grief over a lost child—and are searching to find a place where they might be able to fit in after a lifetime of existing on the edges of others’ lives.
As interesting as each character is, the true star of Remarkably Bright Creatures is Marcellus, who is petulant, ingenious, observant, and full of surprises. Marcellus’ running commentary on the humans around him, and their activities, are spot on, hilarious, and a joy to read.
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
The Authenticity Project is the story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers.
The Authenticity Project is Clare Pooley’s debut book; one I was determined to read immediately after reading her adored Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting. Once again, Clare cast her spell, I devoured every page of this delightful read and was immersed in each of the characters’ stories.
Summary: Julian Jessop, an eccentric, sad artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren't really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes, in a plain, green notebook, the truth about his own life, titles it The Authenticity Project, and leaves it in his local café. It's run by the meticulous and lonely Monica, who furtively adds her own entry then leaves the notebook in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves. As each person adds their story to The Authenticity Project, they begin to realize the power of vulnerability, compassion, and the shared human experience. The notebook serves as a catalyst for each character to confront their fears, heal their wounds, and form unexpected and real friendships.