Occasionaly, I read pre-publication/ARC copies of soon-to-be-published books that I receive in exchange for my fair and honest reviews. I write reviews for every book I read, and publish them on Goodreads (you can find me here on Goodreads). In addition to Goodreads, I’ll also be posting my ARC book reviews here in the Field Notes section of my blog.

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Title: We Do Not Part

Author: Han Kang

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Publication date: January 21, 2025

My review:

I read Han Kang’s The Vegetarian in 2017, just after it won the International Booker Prize. I remember it, still, as a challenging but compelling read. So I was pleased to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of Han Kang’s latest novel, We Do Not Part, due to be published in the United States in January 2025.

I found Han Kang’s new novel to be incredibly challenging – both in content and form – and I struggled to find my way. There is . . . a lot . . . to digest here. We Do Not Part deals with a supernatural quest/dream state friendship experience . . . which serves as a backdrop for the re-telling of a brutal genocide on the Korean island of Jeju in 1948. It is heart wrenching and horrific to read, and it left me feeling muddled.

The writing is lovely, though. In fact, it was the writing that compelled me to continue on. However, in the end, I just couldn’t connect with the story.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on January 21, 2025.

3 stars.

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Title: Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive

Author: Eliot Stein

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication date: December 10, 2024

My review:

These days, I often despair over the state of the world, and worry that we are failing to preserve many of the most precious things around us. It was lovely and comforting, then, to pick up this collection of stories told by author Eliot Stein as he traveled the world exploring “ancient customs, profound traditions, and the last people keep them.” His collection, Custodians of Wonder, which will be published in early December 2024, is a perfect balm for times of despair.

Part travelog, part anthropology, part biography – and all heart, these ten stories are beautifully written and full of hope. I decided to take my time reading this collection – not because it was challenging to understand or uninteresting to read, but because I wanted to savor each story individually. It was a great decision, and one I recommend (if you have the time and opportunity for a leisurely read). As with any collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others (particular favorites included of mine included the stories about the night watchman and the one about the soy sauce).

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on December 10, 2024.

4 stars.

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Title:  Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie

Author:  Lesley-Anne Jones

Publisher:  Hachette Books

Publication date:  November 19, 2024

My review:

I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan since I was in high school (the Rumours album was the soundtrack to my graduation summer), so I was eager to read an ARC copy of Lesley-Anne Jones’ Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie, to be released in mid-November 2024.

This book is well-researched and quite detailed. Although the book blurb indicates that the author was a friend of Christine McVie, it sounds like their relationship was actually a more loose acquaintance-ship rather than a friendship, so the book reads less like a tell-all biography of a well-known friend and more like a research-based, interview-heavy biography of a subject your admired (a plus in my mind).

It’s also much more than the story of Christine McVie, as it maps out the complex history of Fleetwood Mac in detail, along with a timeline of “Mac-history” and “Mac-music.”

I found the book to be a bit stodgy in parts (especially the early sections, which seemed very research-heavy and rather dry), although things do pick up significantly when the book shifts to the Fleetwood Mac part of Christine’s story. I found that many of the detailed side stories (the one about Dennis Wilson, for example) pulled the focus away from Christine a bit too much.

Overall, an interesting read. Compelling in spots; a bit of a slog in others. I recommend having Spotify (or your album collection) nearby as you read . . . because you’ll definitely want to hear these songs again.

Thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on November 19, 2024.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

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Title: Water, Water: Poems

Author: Billy Collins

Publisher: Random House Publishing House – Random House

Publication date: November 19, 2024

My review: 

I have long been a Billy Collins fan, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC edition of his new and soon-to-be-published poetry collection, Water, Water: Poems (Random House Publishing House – Random House, November 19, 2024).

I always find Billy Collins’ poetry to be accessible, relatable, and charming – with those perfectly orchestrated “aha” moments tucked in to make you smile or nod right there, at the end. The poems in Water, Water follow that beloved Billy Collins pattern, but I think the “ahas” in this collection are a little more subtle, perhaps a bit more . . . settled than in some of his earlier work.

As with most poetry collections, I enjoyed some poems more than others. That always has to do with my state of mind, as a reader. I find that poems I particularly relate to one day may not even be on my radar another. For me, that is the gift of a poetry collection! You never quite read the same collection twice – even if you are reading the same collection twice.

My favorite poem in this collection (for today, at least) is Poem Interrupted by Gabby Hayes. It made me think of my dad, who at 88 – and after a lifetime of B-western movie fandom – regularly peppers his everyday conversations with Gabby Hayes phrases. (Thanks for that, Billy Collins.)

Thank you to Random House Publishing House – Random House and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on November 19, 2024.

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Title: Blue Light Hours

Author: Bruna Dantos Lobato

Publisher: Grove Atlantic

Publication date: October 15, 2024

My review:

Blue Light Hours, the debut novel of award winning translator Bruna Dantas Lobato (to be published by Grove Atlantic on October 15, 2024), is a compact study of a close mother-daughter relationship strained by separation when the daughter leaves her home in Brazil to attend college in the northeastern United States. While the mother is suddenly dealing with a very empty nest, the daughter is adjusting to her newly-independent life at college – another culture, country, continent, hemisphere away. Connected by the blue lights of their computer screens, mother and daughter make their way through this uncharted territory of a changed relationship.

Bruna Dantas Lobato writes beautifully, and her spare, atmospheric style is perfectly suited to this push-and-pull, letting go/holding on story of separation. Quiet, tender, relatable, and surprisingly compelling, I loved this slow burn of a book.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on October 15, 2024.

4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.

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Title: Wrinkled Rebels

Author: Laura Katz Olson

Publisher: Vine Leaves Press

Publication date: July 23, 2024

My review:

I was intrigued by the description of this book, Wrinkled Rebels, by Laura Katz Olson, which is due to be published later this month. A book about 80-year-olds looking back on their lives was intriguing to me – and when you throw in a social justice lens, well . . . I was hooked!

The characters were well-drawn and authentic, and the situations were interesting and compelling. I enjoyed reading a book featuring characters in their 80s. The book felt very much more like a memoir than a piece of fiction to me.

Thank you to Vine Leaves Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 23, 2024.

3 stars.

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Title: The Position of Spoons

Author: Deborah Levy

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication date: October 1, 2024

My review:

I have been a fan of Deborah Levy’s writing for some time, so I was eager to read an ARC copy of her new collection of essays, The Position of Spoons, due to be published in early October.

Although the writing is beautiful and the ideas presented interesting and engaging, I found this collection to be somewhat disjointed. For me, it was as if I had opened Deborah Levy’s personal journal and was privy to her entries. . . sometimes biographical snippets about other authors/artists, sometimes memories of days gone by, sometimes the workings-out of creative notions. Enjoyable. But also a bit uneven. (As you would expect in a personal journal.)

As with most essay collections, some of the selections resonated with me while others did not. I especially enjoyed “A to Z of the Death Drive,” “A Roaming Alphabet for the Inner Voice,” and all of the biographical vignettes. The essay “Watery Things” led me to immediately pick up and re-read Levy’s Booker short-listed Swimming Home (which is wonderful).

While not my favorite of Levy’s books, this will be a treat for her fans, and I’m glad to have read it.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on October 1, 2024.

4 stars.

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Title: The Instrumentalist

Author: Harriet Constable

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: August 20, 2024

My review:

I was happy to receive an ARC copy of The Instrumentalist, Harriet Constable’s debut novel about the life of 18th century musician Anna Maria della Pietà of Venice. I’ll preface my review by saying . . . this is simply not my book. It will be, though, the perfect book for many historical fiction readers. The author did an admiral job of setting the scene in Venice, 1704. I would guess that much of her research was devoted to 18th century Venice and the Ospedale della Pietà. As for me, I was hoping to learn about the real-life Anna Maria and her rise through the musical ranks of the orphanage in a time when women had no voice, no options. Instead, the novel turned out to be what I call “feminist fantasy” . . . a woman with modern day sensibilities dropped into a far different historical setting.

I think this novel would make a fine YA read, and for that, I will round my 2.5 star review up to a 3.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 20, 2024.

3 stars (rounded up from 2.5).

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Title: The Axeman’s Carnival

Author: Catherine Chidgey

Publisher: Europa Editions

Publication date: August 13, 2024

My review:

I have read and enjoyed two previous novels by Catherine Chidgey, Remote Sympathy and Pet, so I was eager to read an ARC copy of her soon-to-be-released novel, The Axeman’s Carnival, to be published in the U.S. in August 2024. (Originally published in New Zealand in 2022, this novel hasn’t yet been released in the US.)

Like the previous novels I’ve read by Catherine Chidgey, The Axeman’s Carnival is an interesting story told in a unique and surprising way. Set on a New Zealand sheep farm, the novel features the voice and narration of a magpie (Tama), who was rescued and domesticated by main character Marnie. The book covers many (perhaps too many?) themes and side plots . . . domestic violence, environmental/climate change, farm debt, childlessness, human interference with wildlife, toxic family relationships, jealousy, competitive wood chopping – and social media. While I enjoyed the book, I found myself struggling a bit with the narrator (the magpie). While I think Chidgey did a fine job bringing the magpie to life, I think the book suffers with his voice being the only narrative voice. I mean, he’s a smart, delightful, (and famous!) magpie, but I think the other characters are rather flattened because we only see them through Tama’s eyes.

Chidgey’s writing, as always, is a pleasure to read. She expertly sets the scene throughout the novel, and has clearly done her research when it comes to magpies. Despite uneven pacing (the novel does flag quite a bit in the middle section), the tension builds steadily as the finale draws near.

I enjoyed The Axeman’s Carnival, but not quite as much as Remote Sympathy or Pet.

Thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 13, 2024.

3 stars.

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Title: Villa E

Author: Jane Alison

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company

Publication date: August 6, 2024

My review:

I first learned of Eileen Gray in a drafting/intro to architecture class way, way back in high school. Her name and “E-1027” (Villa E) stuck with me over the years, not only because she was the lone female architect we studied, but also, well . . . because of The Incident with Le Corbusier. I was intrigued to read Villa E, Jane Alison’s new novel revisiting Eileen, Le Corbusier, and E-1027, and happy to receive an ARC copy of the novel.

I found Villa E to be an interesting story worth telling, however, I found the book challenging to read. The writing is choppy and spare, with a stream-of-consciousness narrative that is not terribly compelling or engaging. The author does a reasonable job creating distinct voices for both main characters (Eileen and Le Corbusier), but I didn’t find either character to be complete or to stand out on the page, and at times, it took me a while to figure out who was “talking.” For readers not familiar with E-1027 and its history/architectural significance, the author does include flashback scenes, but a general knowledge of the history of E-1027 seems necessary to fully engage with the story.

Bottom line . . . Villa E is an interesting and stylish story, but it takes quite a bit of effort to get through this relatively short novel.

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 6, 2024.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

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Title: The Wedding People

Author: Alison Espach

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Publication date: July 30, 2024

My review:

I’ll begin with this disclaimer: Romantic comedies are not my usual, preferred reading genre. That said, I do enjoy reading a well-done rom-com now and then. When a trusted reading friend (whose reading opinions often mirror mine) raved about The Wedding People, Alison Espach’s upcoming release (late July 2024), I was eager to read an advance copy of the novel myself.

The Wedding People is definitely a rom-com – and a delightful, well-done, surprisingly thoughtful one at that. Like any rom-com, The Wedding People features implausible coincidences, a certain level of predictability, situations that would never occur in real life, and – naturally – a charming meet-cute. But The Wedding People is so much more than that. The characters are a bit unexpected and interesting, the dialog is fresh and funny, the pacing is good, and while, yes, the predictability factor is high, there is also more depth and thoughtfulness than you might expect in a romantic comedy.

I very much enjoyed this novel, and will look forward to reading more of Alison Espach’s writing. The Wedding People will be a delightful addition to your summer reading list.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published in the United States on July 30, 2024.

4 stars.

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Title: Tell Me Everything

Author: Elizabeth Strout

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Publication date: October 12, 2024

My review:

Elizabeth Strout is one of my all-time favorite authors. I will immediately drop-everything-and-read whatever she releases. (Multiple times.) (She’s really got my number.) So I was especially thrilled to receive an advance copy of her newest novel, Tell Me Everything, due to be published in October 2024.

It is amazing to me that Elizabeth Strout can write books about the same characters in the same couple of settings over and over while deepening those same characters – and our understanding of them – with each new entry. You thought you knew Olive Kitteridge? Well. Wait until she starts sharing stories with Lucy Barton. You thought you’d heard all of Lucy’s stories already? Not quite; not yet. You thought Bob Burgess was a frumpy guy who was unlucky at love? Oh, just wait until you see the size of his heart.

No one writes about ordinary people living their ordinary days in ordinary locations better than Elizabeth Strout. She is simply a master when it comes to . . . Connection. Heart. Grief. Loneliness. Aging. Marriage. Reconciliation. Love. Tell Me Everything is a gentle unfolding of real life – and a highly readable, compelling, marvelous addition to the Elizabeth Strout universe.

5 stars.

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Title: There Are Rivers in the Sky

Author: Elif Shafak

Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor

Publication date: August 20, 2024

My review:

I very much enjoyed two previous Elif Shafak novels (10 MInutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World and The Island of Missing Trees) so I was eager to read an ARC copy of her forthcoming novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky, to be published in late August 2024.

While there are certainly positives, this latest novel doesn’t quite work for me as well as the others I have read. The writing is lovely and there are many beautiful passages, the setting and history of Mesopotamia is fascinating, and the story’s connection to water is unique and laudable. However, the story structure is rather clunky and serves to hold the reader at a distance throughout. Three main characters (in very different times/places) trade narration through the novel, which could work well but Shafak has chosen to use a round-robin approach to their narration, with short chapters. It is difficult to connect with the characters or their unique storylines with such choppy story segments. There is also just too much exposition, and the flow of the story suffers. The characters’ backstories and the historical background feel like barriers, making the novel tedious to read. And that is really a shame. The story has such potential, but the structure gets in the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 20, 2024.

2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 because the writing is (for the most part) quite beautiful.

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Title: Death at the Sign of the Rook

Author: Kate Atkinson

Publisher: Doubleday Books

Publication date: September 10, 2024

My review:

I’m a big fan of Kate Atkinson and a huge fan of her Jackson Brodie character, so I was eager to read an ARC copy of her upcoming novel (#6 in the Jackson Brodie series) Death At the Sign of the Rook, to be published in early September 2024.

I enjoyed reading this newest entry in the Jackson Brodie canon. I always love spending time with Jackson as he sleuths his way into explanations for all those coincidences (!), and all the supporting characters were interesting, quirky, and quite funny. (Lots of laughs in this one.) That said, I found this to be the weakest entry in the Jackson Brodie series. There was just . . . too little Jackson! And a rather convoluted storyline that did quite a bit of (maybe too much?) meandering. It did, of course, come together in the end of course (we are talking about Kate Atkinson, after all).

I recommend this novel for fans of the author – and for all the Jackson Brodie fans out there. (Even a “weaker” entry in the series is a blessing for Jackson’s fans). For readers who aren’t familiar with Jackson Brodie, I recommend starting back at the beginning (with Case Histories) and reading each installment before picking up this one, as it will help you understand Jackson’s character and operational style. While Death At the Sign of the Rook can certainly stand on its own, Atkinson is really depending on her earlier work for Jackson’s character development and backstory.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on September 10, 2024.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

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Title: There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA” and the End of the Heartland

Author: Steven Hyden

Publisher: Hachette Books

Publication date: May 28, 2024

My review:

Title: Real Americans

Author: Rachel Khong

Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor

Publication date: April 30, 2024

My review:

Title: Forgotten on Sunday

Author: Valérie Perrin

Publisher: Europa Editions

Publication date: June 4, 2024

My review:

Title: After Annie

Author: Anna Quindlan

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Publication date: February 27, 2024

My review:

I have read and enjoyed several of Anna Quindlen’s earlier novels, so I was eager to read an advance copy of her newest novel, After Annie, due to be published in late February 2024.

Anna Quindlen’s new novel shares the heartfelt and touching story of a young family’s grief after the sudden, tragic death of the titular character, Annie. As always, Quindlen’s writing flows easily and naturally, and her characters are well-drawn and easy to “know.” The pacing is consistent in this compelling, highly readable story. After Annie is a moving exploration of love and grief – and their power to bring about change and growth in even the darkest times.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published in the United States on February 27, 2024.

4 stars

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Title: Enlightenment

Author: Sarah Perry

Publisher: Mariner Books

Publication date: June 4, 2024

My review:

Several years ago, I read and enjoyed Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent, so I was eager to read an advance copy of her newest novel, Enlightenment, due to be published in early June 2024.

Sarah Perry writes beautifully, but this is one dense piece of fiction! I would call it . . . an effort-ful read. The characters are not fully “visible” over the course of the novel. I don’t think I’m describing that adequately. It’s not like they’re undeveloped, exactly. It’s more that as a reader, you never “see” them – or get to know them – fully, and they appear to just fade in and out of the narrative. Maybe that’s intentional, and part of the ghost-like quality of the story. But for me as a reader, I had a hard time connecting with the story because I wasn’t connecting with the characters.

The pacing is uneven, which also contributes to the effort-fulness of the novel. It took me a long time (well over 50 pages) to find my initial way into the story. And then once I did engage, I found the story either completely compelling OR a total slog.

That said, I’m glad I did put in the effort. I appreciate the author’s genre-defying story structure, as well as the effective way she combined the themes of science, religion, and mysticism. The ending is beautifully written and helped to pull loose ends together. But . . . it was a LOT to wade through to get there! In the end, I think it was an interesting story told in an interesting way. There is much to like. Just be aware . . . it is an effort-ful read, and you will want to have your wits about you, especially in the opening pages.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published in the United States on June 4, 2024.

4 stars

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Title: Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv

Author: Andrey Kurkov, translated by Reuben Wooley

Publisher: Harper Via

Publication date:  August 13, 2024

My review:

There were so many factors converging at once, compelling me to request Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv from NetGalley and HarperVia: First, there was the title – which is charming, even though I was well aware that Jimi Hendrix would play a VERY minimal role going into my reading. Second, I love reading translations, generally, and try to read from the Booker International list each year. (This book was included on the 2023 Booker International longlist.) Third, I’ve never read anything by Andrey Kurkov but have always wanted to. So. There you have it – I was eager to jump into this ARC edition.

Alas, it was not entirely the book for me. I loved the characters and the humor. I just didn’t quite connect with the storyline, and I found the pacing uneven. Maybe it was the translation? Or maybe it was my own lack of contextual background for a book set in Lviv. Regardless, I’m not at all disappointed that I read it, and appreciate the opportunity to have done so.

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published in the United States on August 13, 2024.

3 stars

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Title: Wandering Stars

Author: Tommy Orange

Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor

Publication date: February 27, 2024

My review:

I very much enjoyed Tommy Orange’s 2018 novel, There There, so I was eager to read an ARC copy of his forthcoming novel, Wandering Stars, to be published in late February 2024.

While Wandering Stars is a follow-up (actually, I’d call it more a “deep-dive” into one of the families featured in There There), you don’t need to have read the first book recently – or at all – to enjoy and appreciate this newer one.

For me, Wandering Stars packed a bigger emotional punch than There There (which is saying a lot). I found that I needed to take brief breaks in my reading now and then, just to settle myself before I could continue on. It is an intense read, with a heartbreakingly raw – and very, very Real – storyline. As in There There, the language in Wandering Stars is beautiful – honest and fresh, and a pleasure to read. Orange employs shifting points of view/narrative voices brilliantly, which deepens the understanding of the individual characters while still tying them together as a whole.

Wandering Stars is packed with the brutal truth of addiction, generational trauma, and cultural identity. It’s lovely, honest, heartbreaking . . . and, in the end, also full of hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on February 27, 2024.

5 stars.