The Sweetest Dream

Finished December 16

The Sweetest Dream by Doris Lessing

This novel takes us from the early 1960s through the late 1980s, following generations of one family and their friends. We see relationships, both intimate and friendly, come and go, and we observe how the political landscape changes over time. 

In the early part of the book, the main character is Frances Lennox, a divorced woman, who sacrifices her own dreams to support her children, Andrew and Colin. Her ex-husband, Johnny, is deep into communism, travelling and speaking about his politics not just across the country, but internationally. Johnny's mother Julia had tried to give money to Frances when he didn't pay maintenance, but Frances found work and managed. Both boys agreed to go to schools funded by Julia, Andrew to Eton and Colin to St. Joseph's. It was only when Frances realized how much their living situation was resented by the boys, that she agreed to move into Julia's house, with Julia living on the top floor and them having the rest.

Frances soon found herself catering to more people, as the boys friends and girlfriends, ex-friends and girl-friends came to meals and some ended up moving in. 

The reader can see how Frances is resigned to her situation, and keeps Johnny at a distance as much as she can, but accepts whoever of the younger generation appears at her table, and even those young African men that Johnny brings as young communist idealists. She deals with the issues of the time, rebellion against her generation, rebellion against traditional expectations, experimentation with drugs, the sexual revolution, and more. She even deals with the added presence of Tilly (Sylvia) the daughter of Johnny's second wife, when she is moved into the house. 

The later part of the novel follows Sylvia as she goes to Africa as a doctor, working in a remote community and trying to help the local people who are starved for medical, and educational assistance. The country she goes to, Zimlia, is a fictional one, but has strong parallels to the former Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. 

The writing is so good, and the story interesting. The only issue I had with the novel is that there are no chapters, just occasionally a few blank lines, indicating a change in time, setting, etc. For me, as a reader, I like to have a feel for when I can make a pause in my reading and the lack of chapters in a book is something I find personally frustrating. 

That aside, this is an amazing read, with so much depth, both of characters and of setting, that it is worth reading. It immersed me into the story. 

The Sound of Sleighbells

Finished December 15

The Sound of Sleighbells by Janet Dailey

This holiday romance takes place in a wintry Texas. The female main character, Ruth McCoy has found a good job as a school custodian, and is looking to sell her family's land to get enough money to buy a home for her and her three children. She's faced some obstacles, with her first husband, Tom, killed in a violent crime, and her second, Ed, divorced after engaging in a violent crime. Her second husband and father to her two young girls, Tammy and Janeen, was also abusive towards Ruth, and she is glad that she was able to divorce him quickly and that he is serving a long sentence. She also has a couple of close friends that she can rely on. One of them, Jess, is the mother of her teenage son Skip's best friend Trevor, so that brings them together as well. 

When the two boys are enlisted to help another neighbour, Judd Rankin, a custom saddle maker, Ruth has another worry. Judd was her high school boyfriend, and her son is his, although he isn't aware of it. Judd went to prison for manslaughter before Ruth told him of her situation, and Tom was happy to be Skip's father. 

The community is looking forward to their Christmas parade, which will happen a few days before Christmas, and the boys get involved in a project that requires Judd's supervision. When a man from Judd's past appears on his doorstep, things get more complicated, and dangerous, for everybody involved. 

I found this a fast-moving novel, with opportunities to see Ruth, Judd, and Skip have deeper character development. A feel-good romance with a touch of suspense. 

The Secret of Snow

Finished December 14

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

Sonny Dunes is an award-winning, dedicated meteorologist working at a television channel in Palm Springs, California. Unexpectedly, the son of the owner, who manages the station replaces her with an AI avatar, and she, after an afternoon of drinks with a former co-worker, takes out her anger on air. 

As she searches for a new job, she finds that the only station offering her a position is in her Michigan hometown. The station news manager is a college classmate that she rebuffed as a friend.  

Sonny finds that she has been hired to bring the station higher in the local ratings, and she decides to accept her situation and work hard at her local 'on location' assignments all designed to feature her outdoors and enjoying winter activities. 

Sonny has moved back in with her widowed mother, a hospice nurse, and soon finds that her return to her hometown means that she also has to face her past, something that she's been running from for her entire adult life. The untimely death of her little sister, who absolutely loved winter, is something that she never fully dealt with emotionally, and now she can't avoid the memories.

Along with this, someone begins a sneaky campaign to frame her as a cold, uncaring person, editing video and posting it online. 

Sonny would like to move forward, and heal, for her mother as well as herself, but she finds herself cracking under the pressure. 

This is a fast-moving plot with lots of interesting characters, and a small-town setting that evokes community. Sonny is a woman who has built a life distancing herself from her trauma, and she shows herself to be only too human in the circumstances. 

My copy of this novel also included a novella entitled "Christmas in Tinsel Tree Village," also set in Michigan around a woman who fled a different sadness and creating a career in marketing, specializing in Christmas window displays and bottlebrush trees. 

Is She Really Going Out With Him?

Finished December 11

Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens

This romance novel is easy to lose oneself in. Anna Appleby is a journalist who has a arts and culture column in the magazine Bath Living, and has lived in Bath most of her life. She and her ex, Dan, separated a few months ago, and he's moved on, travelling to all the places Anna wanted to go to. She's busy with work and their two children, Ethan who is seven, and Jess, twelve.

She is doing a volunteer stint, reading for Ethan's school class when an email comes through with her divorce decree, and she loses it. 

The story jumps to eighteen months later, and we see her adjusting to her change in circumstances. She and her sister Lottie are close, and Lottie and her husband Seb are expecting their first child. Anna still lives in the marital home and hasn't really changed anything, but we see that change begin as the novel unfolds. 

Changes are also up at Anna's work, where the magazine has changed ownership and the staff are being challenged to engage with a younger demographic. One of Anna's colleagues, Will Havers, seems to have lots of ideas, and Anna finds that he has eyes on her column space. She makes a strong case for a new concept that the magazine editor agrees to, but still finds herself sharing that space with Will. 

Anna tries online dating, but finds unexpected challenges like AI responses as well as the tech barrier she expected. She changes her theme to dating men that her children pick for her, and finds herself making new friends, engaging with her community in new ways, and reconnecting with herself. 

Her relationship with Will also changes, becoming more collaborative and the chemistry between them grows, especially after a weekend assignment or two. 

I really enjoyed seeing Anna bloom into her new life, taking risks, and finding friendships in unexpected places. Her kids are fun, and I enjoyed seeing a little of Jess's growth as well. 

One Who Has Been Here Before

Finished December 10

One Who Has Been Here Before by Becca Babcock

This is described as gothic fiction, but it didn't have that vibe for me. 

The main character, Emma Gaugin Weaver, was adopted as a child. She, her siblings, and cousins were seized by CPS after the family farm was raided. The adults were all charged with crimes, ranging from child neglect to possession of stolen property. The authorities found the conditions unsuitable for the children and they ended up in foster care or adoption. Emma has only vague memories of the family farm in rural Nova Scotia, with clearer ones of her older sister Heather, who was briefly in the same foster home as her. Emma was eventually adopted by her foster parents, the Weavers, and the family moved to Edmonton. 

Emma is a woman without strong motivations. She has a history of anxiety, and a love of history, that has led her into working on her Master's degree. Her advisors encouraged her to delve into the relatively new area of auto-ethnography, where she researches her own family and her feelings around that. 

As the book opens, Emma has travelled back to Nova Scotia and has found the area when the farm the Gaugin family lived on was located. As she visits the local archives, and talks to people who knew the story of her family, she doesn't reveal her own origins at first, but finds herself drawn into meeting her own family members, dealing with anxiety attacks around the situations she finds herself in, and entering a new relationship. 

An interesting read, with a sympathetic character who undergoes growth in her understanding of herself.

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off

Finished December 6

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah

This is the second book in the Beacon Bakeshop series, set in the small town of Beacon Harbor, Michigan. The Bakeshop is located in a decommissioned lighthouse that also is the home of the owner, Lindsey Bakewell. The tower is a place she likes to go to to relax, mostly in summer, but she has it outfitted with heaters and blankets for colder weather as well. The tower is also said to be haunted by the first lighthouse keeper there, Captain Willy Riggs. His pipe smoke is the sign of his presence. 

Some backstory: Lindsey used to be an investment banker, and her mother was a fashion model before marriage. She has a Newfoundland dog named Wellington. She is also in a relationship with one of her neighbours, Rory Campbell. She has several staff members, counter staff and baristas, but is in need of an assistant baker. 

When Felicity Stewart, owner of a Christmas store in town announces a new addition to the town's Christmas Festival of a Christmas bake-off, Lindsey finds herself excited, yet overwhelmed, especially when other unprepared shop owners in town enlist her services. Felicity has also arranged for a Chicago food critic to be the judge, and film it for his show. When the bake-off becomes more competitive than friendly, Lindsey finds herself the one to stumble upon a dead body that brings into question everybody's actions. 

A cozy mystery with a little romance thrown in, as well as a ghost that guides Lindsey's amateur detective work, this is a seasonal light read. There are also numerous baking recipes included at the back of the book, drawn from the finalist's submissions and Lindsey's own bakery offerings. 

A Holly Jolly Diwali

Finished December 5

A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli

This romance novel is set around Niki Randhawa, a late twenties data analyst living in Seattle. As the book opens her parents have approached her, worried about her single status. She agrees to have them give her number to a man they know of through friends. Niki has always made practical choices, as opposed to her older sister Jasmine, who has always been a rebel. Jasmine has followed her dreams and has a great career in the art world she loves. Niki, meanwhile chose practicality despite her own love for music and art, and she is good at what she does, but lately has been bored by her job. 

When she is unexpectedly laid off minutes before she is supposed to meet her date, she acts in a different way, choosing things that aren't safe. Drinking too much on the date, she impulsively decides to change her mind about attending her college best friend's wedding in India, and books a flight. 

She arrives in time for Diwali, and her questions about the holiday get answered in different ways, depending on who she asks. This also prompts questions about her knowledge of Indian culture and language. Her parents, who are Sikh and Punjabi are proud of their heritage, but not strongly religious and never educated their daughters in Punjabi as many of her peers have been educated. 

She also begins to question her own choices and when she meets someone she is attracted to she wavers between moving forward and holding back. While in India, she meets both new friends and relatives she hadn't seen before, and learns more about both herself and her culture. 

Back home in Seattle, she begins to have meaningful conversations with her parents about culture and choices, and she begins to have a true friendship with her sister. 

I liked the growth of the character in this novel. The romance was an interesting plot element, but for me, it was secondary to her own self awareness.