Book Review- Emily Henry's Book Lovers

Nora Stephens has always loved books, she spent her childhood living above a bookstore and has spent her adult years as a book agent in New York City. Although she makes a good living, Nora spent many years struggling, especially after her mother died and Nora, in her early twenties, took over caring for her teenage sister, Libby. Libby is now married and pregnant, but Nora still feels mothering, especially when she sees Libby struggling financially. This dynamic has driven a wedge between the sisters.

When Libby asks Nora to go on a sisters only trip to a small town in North Carolina, a town that is the inspiration for one of their favorite books, Nora jumps on the chance to spend time together. Libby is acting odd and Nora fears that her sister might be pregnant and heading for a divorce. Libby does have a secret motive for this trip and it involves getting her sister to fall in love with both the town and perhaps, one of its locals.

Their vacation is thrown into a tizzy, when Nora runs into Charlie, an editor that she had an awkward meeting with in New York. Charlie is from this small town and has returned home to help his aging parents run their independent bookstore. Nora and Charlie quickly realize that they may have more in common than just their love of books.

This is my third Emily Henry novel and I’m a fan. I love her snappy dialogue, wry humor, and quirky characters. Her stories have a sweetness to them that isn’t over wrought or sickly. In the best possible sense, her stories remind me of an episode of Gilmore Girls.

Book Lovers has a fun theme that is a take on the tropes in romance novels or more specifically, Hallmark Christmas movies- although, the story is not set during the holidays. Libby creates a list of all of the things that Nora must experience during their vacation, which includes things like going skinny dipping in the lake and saving a local business. The idea is to use the list to recreate tropes from rom coms, and of course, rarely does anything go according to plan.

Henry excels at creating strong, believable relationships and in Book Lovers, nothing is more powerful than the sister bond between Libby and Nora. This is the primary relationship in Book Lovers, with the budding romance between Charlie and Nora coming in second. Although there are some unsavory characters in the town, there are no true villains and the story is mostly concerned with the dynamics between likable characters.

It’s hard to choose a favorite Henry novel, but I think the theming for Book Lovers will resonate strongly with readers. It’s a cute story with a lot of heart.

Book Review- Curtis Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Curtis Sittenfeld’s latest novel, Romantic Comedy.

Sally is a staff writer for an SNL-esque variety show called Night Owls. She holds her writing and comedy skills in high esteem, but feels like she is the funny friend, the one behind the scenes, the one who blends into the crowd, rather than standing out. Dating hasn’t been easy. She finds herself in a series of lackluster, sex-based relationships, where she doesn’t feel like she can share her true self, including details of her employment.

Noah is an aging rock star who is booked on Night Owls as both the musical guest and weekly host. Sally and Noah have an immediately connection and easy banter, which almost goes further, but comes to an abrupt halt due to a misunderstanding.

Years later, during the 2020 pandemic, Sally and Noah reconnect through email, laying misunderstandings to rest and deepening their connection. They decide to meet-up, Sally driving to Noah’s mansion in California to become part of his “bubble.” However, under the surface, both Noah and Sally have personal doubts and misconceptions that threaten to prevent a relationship from happening. Can they overcome their issues to allow their relationship to blossom?

I’m a huge fan of Sittenfeld’s writing. She’s one of those authors that I’ll read anything she writes and Romantic Comedy was on the top of my most anticipated reads of the year. I was not disappointed. I fell for Sally and Noah’s messy romance. They are both likable characters and although the backdrop is flashy, with Sally’s television career and Noah’s rockstar mansion, at the heart of it, these are two very normal people.

A huge part of Sally’s hang-up is she can’t imagine a bigger life for herself. Even though Noah is clearly into her, and she into him, Sally will not allow this to be a possibility. She pushes him away. She even writes a sketch for the week that he is host which involves a Pete Davidson/Ariana Grande type relationship, playing on the idea that an unattractive guy who is funny, can date a gorgeous woman. Sally writes this as a joke for a fellow writer, who is in that type of relationship with a celebrity, but in reality, Sally is exploring the concept based on her own feelings towards Noah. She feels like she is the “Pete Davidson” type and yet, as a woman, it would be impossible for Noah to fall for her. The role reversal of the sexes does not allow for a hot guy to fall for the funny woman. However, this is clearly not how Noah views her or the situation, making the sketch quite insulting. Additionally, Sally is so steeped in her own insecurities, she can’t even realize that Noah has his own insecurities.

As I mentioned, the magic in this story is that the leads are very ordinary people and this is how they eventually meet in the middle. Noah pushes past Sally’s insecurities and helps her during a family crisis, assisting her with caregiving for her beloved step-father. As someone who has been a caregiver for elderly relatives, I found this part of the storyline to be refreshing and honest. After all, at the end of the day, the private jets and premiere parties are meaningless, if the person that you love isn’t there when life is most difficult. Romantic Comedy is at its best in these smaller, less flashy moments, when the love between Noah and Sally shines brightest.

Romantic Comedy is an engaging and lovely novel by one of my favorite contemporary writers. It’s a good pick for someone who wants a funny, mostly light-hearted story with a dash a glamour and a bit of depth.

Book Review- Zosia Mamet's My First Popsicle

Thank you to LibroFM for an audio arc of the essay collection, My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings, edited by Zosia Mamet.

Actress and writer Zosia Mamet ( daughter of famed playwright David Mamet) had an idea to curate a collection of essays regarding food and our emotions surrounding food. Mamet contributes her own essay, but also calls upon famous friends, such as Kaley Cuoco, her costar on The Flight Attendant, to contribute to the anthology. I listed to the audio version and many of the essays are read by the writers themselves, adding to the charm and intimacy of the stories.

As with many anthologies, the content was uneven in how I connect with the stories. Regarding this collection particularly, the writing talent was uneven, likely due to the abundance of celebrity contributors. I’m not implying that celebrities can’t also write, just that it was uneven and some contributions felt less polished or poignant than others. That said, I applaud the concept and generally delighted in several of the contributions.

Although we may connect with food in different ways, the idea of having emotional attachment to taste and the power of that particular sense is universal. I think most readers will find a connection with some of the essays, enough to make this collection recommendable.