6DoBs - March - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

We start with *Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, which features a family of orchard farmers.

*At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier also features a family of orchard farmers.

Author Tracy Chevalier is an alum of Oberlin College, as is our next author.

*Song Yet Sung by James McBride is a historical fiction novel centering around slavery on Maryland's Eastern Shore and the Underground Railroad.

 

From the Underground Railroad in Maryland, to the Underground Railroad in Ohio.

*The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton is a middle grade novel centering around a family which moves into a house that was a station on the Underground Railroad in Ohio.

Virginia Hamilton was the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, as was our next author.

*Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler takes place in a dystopian society that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages, and follows one young woman determined to find a place that offers a chance for a better life.

Who does dystopia better than our next author?

*1984 by George Orwell is the classic cautionary tale about Big Brother and the Thought Police.

One book's title is a year in the past (although it was the future when he wrote the book), and our next book's title is a year in the near future.

*2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks is another dystopian novel that plays out what will happen if this trend continues...

And there you have it: from an idyllic orchard to a dystopian near-future.

*indicates that I've read the book

in the eye of the beholder

Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Genre: romance

Review: Ok, we've discussed before that plot is not usually the primary element of a romance novel.  But the plot does have to hang together a little bit, or at least a little bit more than it does here.  Bennett certainly leans into her Beauty and the Beast homage, which I support, but I think if I hadn't read the publisher's blurb (and seen the Disney movie more times than I like to think about), I might have been more than a little bit confused about the set-up and the characters' motivations.  Still, it's an enjoyable read, with all the feelings and the Happily Ever After one expects.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

let your sun shine

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Genre: romance

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Review: Rom-com heroines tend to be a spunky, sassy bunch, but even among her compatriots Anna Green stands out.  She's self-aware, determined to be true to herself, and totally unimpressed with the opulence with which she finds herself surrounded.  Not only is she one of the few willing to speak truth to power, but she's determined to save her partner from his family.  This being a romance novel, it spoils nothing to say that she succeeds quite nicely.  Going along for the journey is a real treat.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

melting the ice

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

Genre: romance

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Review: Most readers understand that the plot is usually not the primary factor in determining whether one enjoys a romance novel.  It's about the feelings and the characters and all that.  Sometimes a handy plot device is just the thing that moves us all toward that Happily Ever After, most romance fans will just roll with it.  Sometimes, however, the plot device strains credulity just a little too much, especially when the backstory just doesn't match with the character's contemporary actions.  Such is the case here, unfortunately, which is really the only reason this book gets only 4 stars.  Other than that, it's a delightful read, with characters you'll root for, and, yes, all the feelings.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.