The Housemaid, by Freida McFadden
41/60 | Started 07.17.24 • Finished 07.23.24 | 2.5 stars
Would not have picked this one up myself, but it was selected for book club, so here we are. I did not enjoy this book very much at all. I thought it was extremely implausible and even contained some inconsistencies regarding the door to the attic bedroom. In addition, it was pretty graphic and the set up for a sequel (of all things?) was just really strange. Would not recommend.
All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot
40/60 | Started 06.25.24 • Finished 07.17.24 | 5 stars
A delightful look into the English countryside. James Herriot has a knack for telling stories. The descriptions are sometimes a little graphic - he is after all a veterinarian dealing mostly with large farm animals - but overall it's such a wholesome collection, and at times laugh out loud funny. I feel like Herriot has been all the rage lately what with the PBS series, but we haven't and can't watch, so this was the next best thing. I'll be moving on to the next book in the series, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
39/60 | Started 06.26.24 • Finished 07.03.24 | 3 stars
A short and sweet review of some lengthy historical fiction: most in the book club really loved this book and I found it mostly mid. The story moved along and it was definitely interesting, but I found the writing to be lacking and some of the themes to be unappealing.
The book is about Belle da Costa Greene, financier J.P. Morgan's personal librarian. He was an avid collector of historical artifacts, with a special place in his heart for old books. Over the years, and with some developed shrewdness, Belle was able to amass quite a collection for her employer. The thrust of the story is that Belle was actually black, but of light enough complexion to pass as white. That being the case, she lives in constant fear of being found out, thus losing her dream job.
I have to issue one trigger warning: abortion is mentioned and takes a small role in Belle's life - smaller than it should have in my pro-life view. While you will find in the afterword that there is no concrete evidence that one ever took place, it is written into the narrative and does help to make clear that Belle was willing to do whatever it took to maintain her position. Most people would probably enjoy this despite my misgivings.