Serena Singh Flips the Script

Finished December 16

Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli

This novel is a romance, but it also touches on other life issues that give the novel real depth. As the novel opens, Serena is about to start a new job, as creative director for a woman-led advertising agency. She is also immersed in her role as emcee for her younger sister Natasha's wedding. 

Natasha is marrying a white man, who comes from a wealthy family, and the couple will be living in the Washington home of her in-laws. Since the in-laws often travel, and the house is large, they aren't anticipating any issues with sharing the home. 

When Serena first moved into the city from the suburbs she grew up in, she had to save up for a long time to get the rent money and she had to be firm about her decision to defy the cultural norms of living at home until marriage. Serena has no plans to ever marry or to have children. She loves her career and although she's had serious relationships, only one ever threatened to get serious enough to involve marriage, and that one is far in the past. 

When Natasha pushes her towards the attractive photographer doing the wedding photos, Serena is open to dating, but they are both busy and see each other only a couple of times a week. 

Serena is dealing with a new challenging job, a team of staff that report to her, not all of whom are enthusiastic about her hire, and the loss of her best friend, Natasha as she is now busy in her marriage. As Serena explores options for finding friends, from social media apps to clubs and activities, she also finds herself opening herself to the possibility of finding a friend in her daily life. 

It is only gradually that we see what has led to Serena making herself into an independent woman who doesn't need a husband or family, and that we realize that she still has unresolved issues around this area of her life.

I really liked her as a character, and how she is both a successful woman in her career and an empathetic one who cares about her family, friends, and coworkers. She has dealt with men taking credit for her work and has found ways to get past that and shine in her own right. 

Because the setting is in D.C., it was only partway through the book that I realized that the author is Canadian, an added bonus. 

A quick and enjoyable read. 

Do Not Become Alarmed

Finished April 4
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy, read by the author.

This book has a lot going on, and more depth than I first thought. Liv and Nora are cousins who have always been close. Liv, a director, introduced Nora, a teacher, to her husband when she had a party that included some of the people involved in one of her films, Raymond is an actor who's had a decent amount of success, allowing Nora to stay at home with their young children, Marcus, eleven and June, six. He's also black, so the kids are mixed race.
Nora had a difficult relationship with her mother, who has died recently, and Liv suggested that the two families, including Liv's husband Ben, and childredn Penny, eleven and Sebastian, eight. take a cruise for the holiday season instead. The cruise leaves from the California coast and goes down the coast of Mexico and Central America.
On board they meet an Argentinian couple that they become friendly with. The couple has two teenage children, sixteen and fourteen.
Mostly they all stay on board the ship and enjoy the amenities, with the adults in particular enjoying the ability to check the kids into the Kids' Club and do their own thing. But as they reach a country that Liv regards as relatively safe, (unnamed, but evidently Costa Rica) they look at doing one of the shore excursions. Liv suggests zip-lining at a location that also has animals, but then the Argentinian man invites the guys for golf with a guy he knows that lives there. So the three women and the kids go on the excursion, an accident causes them to be diverted, the woman and the guide become distracted, and the kids disappear.
The story is told from multiple points of view, including both adults and children. So while the reader knows what is happening with the kids, the parents do not, and always seem to be a step behind what is going on.
There is also a side story of a young Colombian girl Noemi, who is being taken by her uncle from her home with her grandmother to her parents who are in New York illegally.
This is a story of many things, from white privilege to organized crime to migrants. Some of the characters are definitely unlikable, such as Penny, while others have more complex personalities. I liked Marcus quite a bit. I enjoyed the read and the ideas here.

The Boy on the Porch

Finished November 3
The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech

This children's novel begins with a young couple, John and Marta, living on a farm waking up to find a young boy of about six or seven sleeping in a chair on their porch. He takes a long time to wake up, and when he does, he doesn't seem either able or willing to talk. He does however produce a note from his pocket that says "Please taik kair of Jacob. He is a god good boy. Wil be bak wen we can."
They aren't sure what to do, but offer the boy food, comfort, and other things they can. John asks some questions in town, without disclosing the situation and doesn't hear about any missing children, so they continue to live quietly.
As the days go by, and they learn what interests the boy and what he has aptitude for, they try to do the right things: find him a friend his own age, provide a loving environment, clothe and feed him. But as the new school year approaches, they feel they must make more of an effort to find out who left him and why. They approach the sheriff, a man they find gruff, authoritative, and unsympathetic, and he berates them, but also lets them keep the child for the time being.
Then the unthinkable happens, and they find their lives changed forever.
An interesting premise, and the fallout from the crisis is a story of its own, that is only filled out lightly here. John and Marta seem a good-willed couple that don't have children of their own to nurture and love, and this incident brings them a way to fulfill those needs.

Sophie's Throughway

Finished May 2
Sophie's Throughway by Jules Smith

This short novel was fun and insightful. Sophie is a writer for an unnamed magazine, and struggling with her personal life. She has two teenagers, Bryony, who is 14, and Brendon, who is 15.  Brendon has been recently diagnosed with Asperger's and PDA. I hadn't heard of PDA before, and learned it stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance, and is often associated with Asperger's. Brendon is very bright, but is having behavioural issues, which is particularly a problem at school. At home, it has created enough issus that Karl, Sophie's husband has left the family.
Sophie has been missing work to deal with Brendon's issues, and while she has an understanding boss, and makes up her work from home as much as she can, she worries about how this affects the other staff members.
The novel has a chicklit feel to it, with the social nature of Sophie's job, and her open communication with her children, but also more substance with the insight into having a child affected by these conditions. Sophie's got a good approach to it, and is better able to handle Brendon when he is in the midst of an inappropriate episode than Karl, but she's not a saint and that makes the book feel more real.

Just One Evil Act

Finished February 21
Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George, read by Davina Porter

This book could have used some editing without losing the story. It came in at 24 CDs (723 pages)
Barbara Havers' neighbour Taymullah Azhar has had his daughter taken by the girl's mother Angelina Upton. Angelina had disappeared herself for several months and then returned, and seemed to be back for good, redecorating the house and such, but it appears that this behaviour was just to lull Azhar into complacency before she took Hadiyyah.
Because the two were not married, and Azhar is not named as the father on the birth certificate, it seems he has little legal standing, and so Barbara helps him in hiring a private detective to find them two. He reports little headway in the search, until suddenly Angelina and her new Italian lover appear accusing Azhar of kidnapping Hadiyyah. It appears that she has disappeared from the Italian town where Angelina know lives.
Lynley is sent to Italy to liase with the Italian police on the investigation, a good choice as he speaks relatively fluent Italian. He develops a good relationship with the detective in charge of the case and there are several lines to follow in both countries.
Barbara lets her personal feelings for Azhar and Hadiyyah influence her to the point where she disregards her professional duties and makes some questionable contacts and judgment calls. These put her in a bad position in terms of work and with a supervisor who doesn't like her to begin with, may affect her future with the police.
We also see some of Lynley's personal life as he begins to move forward and show an interest in a woman again. Lynley wants to protect Barbara due to his knowledge of her good intentions and their history, but he can only do so much in the situation he now finds himself in.
When things in Italy escalate and a death occurs, things get more complex and a charge of murder is a distinct possibility.
An interesting case of parental rights, jealousy, and the difficulties of communicating in a different language and culture.

Everybody Has Everything

Finished February 9
Everybody has Everything by Katrina Onstad

This novel has a couple, Ana and James, who are thrust into a situation with no warning. Their friends Marcus and Sarah have been in a car accident and Marcus is dead, while Sarah is in a coma. Marcus and Sarah's 2 1/2 year old son Finn is not injured, and Ana and James are named as the legal guardians in Sarah and Marcus's wills. With Sarah's situation uncertain, the couple take charge of Finn, and this sudden change to their lives changes their relationship and finds them questioning their ability to be parents.
Ana is a research lawyer hoping to make partner, a woman who organizes her house to a pristine minimalism. Her unstable childhood and difficult relationship with her mother has her scared about her own parenting skills. James desire to be a father has him jumping into the situation with both feet, and since he was recently laid off from his television job, he has the time to be the primary caregiver.
As the two adjust to Finn, and to how their own relationship changes, we see the emotions both good and bad that are felt by both of them.
This is an interesting situation and the characters are complex and interesting. Very enjoyable read.