Author: Anne Tyler

It’s nice to be back to a favourite author for my first book of the New Year. I just signed up for my 50 book challenge through Goodreads.

An Anne Tyler story is often a story about real people doing everyday things – not too much drama and not much suspense – but by the end of the book her characters are your friends.

The book opens when Ian is a high school student; he lives with his family, mother, father, sister and brother. When his brother introduces the woman he is going to marry Ian is a little star struck. But as the days go by the glitter is wearing off. When his brother kills himself Ian is filled with guilt that only worsens when his sister-in-law also dies and three children are left homeless.

Ian, by chance, stumbles into a service being held by the Church of Second Chances and is convinced that he must raise the children as penance.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Loranne Brown

Yeah! This is book 50 of my Goodreads 50-book Challenge for 2020. I don’t see where you sign up for 2021 but I’ll be in for, and keeping track of, another 50.

This is a sad and dark book, but it is very well written and, although slow to grab my interest, I eventually couldn’t put it down. It wasn’t until I was looking for a photo of the book that I read it is a retelling of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale (no wonder I like Andersen’s better).

Mariah, as a young girl, tries to be the perfect daughter. She has few friends but discovers a talent for playing the piano (mainly because she has a huge crush on her teacher). She is anorexic and self-mutilates. She is abused by her grandfather and in an effort to stop him she shoots off one of her hands. You’d think this would be the saddest part but it gets worse.

She becomes friends with a set of twins, Kat and Doug, and eventually has an affair with Doug. When she marries the love of her life, Sully, all should be good. Their first child is born with a genetic defect that lets everyone know that the child is Doug’s and not Sully’s.

What more could happen? A lot.

Goodreads Rating: * * * * *

Author: Jean M. Auel

There were nine years between the publication of this book and the previous book in the series. If you waited nine years or more to read this last one in the series perhaps you wouldn’t have minded all the repetitions of past stories from all five previous books. I read books five and six one right after another and there were so many times I wanted to skip over the repetitions. Although I may be wrong, it seemed like there were explanations all through the book that were often repeated.

I guess after 1400+ pages there is just so much you can say about Cro-Magnon and Neaderthal life.

I have enjoyed the series but I’m glad it is done. The ending of the book was left open enough that there could be a continuation but I don’t think there will be.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Author: Jean M. Auel

I don’t think I read this book previously but I know I’ve read each of the first four in the series at least twice and it may have been more for the very early ones. Diane gave me most of the books for birthdays through the years. There was nine years between book five and book six (which I started last night) so, knowing there was a long lag between books, I may have put off reading #5 until #6 was released. There were only a few sections that seemed somewhat familiar, but then the life of the characters in all the books is much the same – a struggle living in ancient times.

Ayla and Jondalar have made it over the glacier and have arrived at Jondalar’s home cave after a very long journey. Their arrival, with two horses and a wolf in tow, causes a lot of interest and disbelief with the other members of the cave. The two are officially mated and Ayla delivers her first daughter, but her second child. Her first, Durc, had to be left with the Clan when Ayla was shunned.

Goodreads Rating: * * * * *