Bookshelf 19 - My last half dozen: from Russia to Paris to Vancouver to Puerto Rico to London to Martha's Vineyard

Well, it's been a minute as they say since Bookshelf 18, but I finally finished my last half dozen with plenty of summer left to read.

When I look at these six novels, I realized that it's true - if you are not a traveller or are between journeys, you really can travel the world through books. These stories take you from Paris to Vancouver to Puerto Rico to London to Martha's Vineyard (and a few places in between) without ever leaving the back deck. How lovely is that?

So, here's a review of six recent releases (five from early 2025 and one from late 2024) in the order they were read - although none of them hit a '5 out of 5' for me this time, maybe there will be something that interests you for the long last "hazy, lazy days of summer". Sometimes you like books for the topic, sometimes for the creativity, and sometimes just for the words.

City of Night Birds begins in 2019 when prima ballerina Natalia Leonova returns to St. Petersburg, Russia, after an extended absence.   Her present life story is interspersed with flashbacks to her childhood and her rise through the ranks of the ballet world and the apparent end of her career due to injury.  With her return to St. Petersburg, Natalia is forced to address many so-called ‘demons’ of her life, both from her upbringing and her career. City of Night Birds transports you to the world of prima ballerinas in some of the  most prestigious  ballet companies – St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Paris.  You get a glimpse of the work and desire and perfection and sacrifice - and sometimes the desperation and harshness and politics and competition and arrogance  - that go on behind the elegance and apparent ease of what we see on stage. There are many themes that might make this story interesting to people who know nothing about that world. There is intergenerational trauma, addictions, romance, emotional instability, loss, grief, family dysfunction, a little political  commentary, discourse about the purpose of art, and the universal struggle to find one’s self.  The writing paints a vivid picture of the artist’s life amidst the backdrop of some classic cities. It's an easy and engaging read.  Some characters do go by different names which might be part of the Russian culture and which might be confusing if you don’t stay focussed.   At the end, you might be left pondering the concept of sacrifice and also that metaphorical title. Rating:  3.5/5

The Three Lives of Cate Kay might be of special interest to readers who identify with the LGBTQ+ community,  but it's also simply a love story infused with humour and big secrets. This is a book with a unique style and plot, written as a fictional memoir of a famous female author known to the world as Cate Kay but also completely unknown to the world as only one other person knows her true identity.  Through the memoir, which comprises first person views from  Cate and numerous other characters interspersed with excerpts from Cate’s novel and footnotes, we learn the backstory of how she became Cate and why she is on the run, so to speak, from her former life and from herself. Cate is forced to  confront her past and her identity when  she becomes connected to the star actress from the movie adaptation of her novel.  There are many twists and turns before we get to the end and, like I said, lots of characters (good and bad), from friends to agents to managers to lovers to journalists. There are several themes to this book:   it’s about finding romantic and platonic love, the importance of relationships,  how our behaviour affects the trajectory of our lives,  following dreams,  the balance between ambition and  personal lives,  accepting the past,  finding what we really want in life, second chances . . .  The Three Lives of Cate Kay jumps quickly between the many characters and time periods in short chapters. It’s a fast read, but I admit that I set it aside at one point and then started over - and I'm glad I did. The ending is stronger than the beginning.  The book does contain some sexually explicit scenes and graphic language. Think about the symbolic cover, that cracked rearview mirror. The Three Lives of Cate Kay would be a good book club read. Rating: 4.0/5

Here's a fast and entertaining easy summertime read. In the beautiful backdrop of Vancouver, Canada, SNAP opens with brief introductions to 55 year old children’s author Frances, 41 year old  socially inadequate mechanic Geraint, and 23 year old red-haired freckle faced wardrobe assistant Parker who are unrelated and appear to have nothing in common. But when life becomes overwhelming for each of them, they all, in different ways, SNAP, which means meetings with a Diversion Officer.   As part of their sanctions, they are required to complete an anger management course and complete a substantial number of community service work hours and, you guessed it, the three become connected.  Suffice it to say, there are lots of twists and turns and hijinks and coincidences and emotions - and more questionable behaviour - before you reach the satisfying end. Although the main story centres on Frances and to a lesser extent, Geraint and Parker, we meet several other key figures, including ex-partners, new partners, friends, and villains  (my favourite is the Diversion Officer, Carol, also known as The Sarge, and if you know me, you’ll know why).  Snap deals with some serious life issues such as infidelity, sexual misconduct, and mid-life crises in a somewhat gentle fashion, but most importantly, aren't we all just one bad  incident away from regretable behaviour?  There's a firm reminder about friendship and finding support where we least expect it and hanging in there when the going gets tough. SNAP is an easy and simple read. There’s a bit of humour, a bit of emotion, some sexuality, and maybe just a bit of potty humour. And, yes, parts are probably rather implausible and the end too perfect,  but just enjoy it for what it is. Rating: 3.5/5

Speak To Me Of Home is another winner by author Jeanine Cummins. You might remember her bestseller American Dirt? Jeanine Cummins knows how to pen a saga that crosses borders  amidst much personal struggle and social issues.   Speak To Me Of Home follows the story of three generations of women, the descendants of  Puerto Ricans affectionately known as Papamio and Mamamio.   At a young age, daughter Rafeaela marries a white navy man, Peter Brennan, in Puerto Rico with high expectations, but her dreams of a perfect marriage are shattered when the family uproots to the American Midwest (such a contrast to Puerto Rico),  leaving her longing for her Puerto Rican roots. Rafaela's daughter Ruth, however,  wants to  blend into America and to deny anything to do with her ethnic culture and history.  But Ruth’s daughter Daisy wants to embrace her Puerto Rican heritage.  The family comes together in 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after Daisy has been critically injured, and this is where the family has the opportunity to ponder their past and their decisions – and explain themselves. The story transcends some five decades  and  weaves back and forth between Puerto Rico and America. It's a rich social study into serious and timely topics. There’s ethnicity, racism, class systems, the immigrant experience, identity, starting over,  generational differences,  that tenuous mother/daughter relationship, family conflict, choices, finding where we fit in, discovering what and where  is home, discovering who we are amidst our life story,  resilience, and all those things we should have said.   And throw in some romance and drama. It's an intriguing read that requires close attention due to the quick changing timelines and places and characters. There is a very helpful family tree in the front of the book. It’s in the shape of a banyan tree which, you will see,  has important meaning. It's only one of many metaphors in this book. Speak To Me Of Home will leave you with lots to ponder and, as I often say, linger awhile with that title.    It’s not as dramatic or emotional as American Dirt, but it's still a good read. This is a great book for more in-depth dissection on many levels – and if you have read the controversy surrounding American Dirt, you know what I mean. Rating: 4.5/.5

Consider Yourself Kissed might be most suited for the 30-40 year old woman especially if you were that age and lived through the political storm of England which included several prime ministers in a short period and the Brexit conflict  followed closely by the COVID pandemic, or if you are struggling to maintain your identity with  career, new relationship, motherhood, and political and social pressures all fighting for space – or if you are simply a  woman who is trying to juggle, well, everything and finds yourself lost. That's where protagonist Coralie finds herself.  After moving to London, England from Australia in 2013 for career purposes, she enters into a relationship with a rather conceited, self-centred  man who tends to put his own needs and desires first. As a journalist, he’s  enmeshed  in the political scene of the time.    When Coralie becomes a step-parent figure to Adam’s daughter and gives birth to their first child,   her career and her hopes and dreams and needs have been put on the backburner, only worsening with the arrival of their second child.  Something has to give. Coralie’s and Adam’s relationship develops over a 10 year span between roughly 2013 and 2023, sometimes very much apart. Along with the political and social pressures of the time, throw in pertinent topics such as dysfunctional family backgrounds, personal trauma, broken and blended families, same gender relationships, family conflicts - and emotional instability. Consider Yourself Kissed could simply be considered a love story or it could be  a story about a young woman trying to hang on to herself (and her family) while being pressed between competing forces from every angle. It’s a good reminder that relationships take time and work and to take care of ourselves. It's an easy read, and I found the last  part of the book more engaging than the first. Some reviewers did feel the book was a little too left-leaning in its commentary and some were simply tired of the Brexit/Covid backgrounds, but everything is subjective. Rating: 3.5/5

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a surprisingly light historical fiction end-of-summer read that transports you easily to another time and place where rural beauty and solitude and simplicity clash  with the fears of World War II. The story is told in two timelines  beginning in 2016 with Californian Mari travelling to Martha’s Vineyard to look up the elderly Ms. Devereaux whose name Mari had found written by her now-deceased mother on a slip of paper. Mari wants to find out the significance of this name and the person.  But the majority of the story takes place in1942 as Ms. Devereaux tells the story of the inhabitants of the house and farm in which she now lives. Through Ms. Devereaux’s story, we meet resilient and kind old Ginny Smith and her three grandchildren. Tom is a dashing, charismatic young man  who is sent off to fight in the war.   Cadence is an attractive and talented writer with big aspirations,  and Briar is a wise, somewhat suspicious person, who knows a lot about history and warfare and who some think to be a little strange. We also meet Bess who comes from a wealthy family but chooses to live a more spartan life with the Smith’s.  The young ladies, along with grandma Ginny and her friend Margaret, form the Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club as a comforting respite from the worry of war.  But the club soon becomes a foil for their mission to find an alleged spy and hopefully diminish the ravages of the war. Along the way we meet neighbours, high society ladies, dashing army personnel, eccentric townspeople, and a good looking bicycle mechanic in idyllic landscapes and quaint townships and a breezy oceanside.  But who might be the alleged spy? There’s enough twists and turns to keep you engaged. There are plenty of side stories and themes in The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. There’s references to some classic novels that you’ll recognize.  There’s romance. There’s the gap between the ultra rich and the poor, especially in hard times.  There’s career  and future dreams.  There is loyalty and the question of doing the right thing for the time.  There’s strength and resilience.  And of course, there is plenty of history about the role of Martha’s Vineyard during World War II.

It's an easy read over a couple of days with smooth and  descriptive writing -  you can almost feel and see and smell life on Martha’s Vineyard; and the story shows the direct and indirect impact of war on the innocent public.  The story might be just a little too ‘convenient ‘ in places, but it is a novel, not a textbook. And be sure to read right to the end of the Author’s Note to see how she  developed her characters and to learn the history  of Martha’s Vineyard in World War II which lend credence to the book. Some reviewers liked the Author’s Note more than the story itself. Rating: 3.5/5

And that's my last half dozen. In order of my preference: 1) Speak To Me Of Home 2) The Three Lives of Cate Kay 3) The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club 4) SNAP 5) City of Night Birds and 6) Consider Yourself Kissed. But, remember, it's all subjective.

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are." Mason Coley