My Brilliant Friend

By Elena Ferrante 

I was not as enthusiastic about this book as were some of my book groupies. The first of a trilogy turned quartet, I enjoyed it well enough but don't feel terribly compelled to read on.

The story of two young Italian girls and supposedly a great story of female friendship, the novel disappointed me a bit. I had a hard time understanding what Elena saw in Lila. It reminded me of my younger days, when I was friends with girls who didn't really treat me very well.

In my older years, I've become more selective. So reading books like this that supposedly represent female friendship leave me feeling frustrated. This is not representative of an equal, life-giving friendship.

Apparently this author is a real mystery, and the forthcoming books are huge hits. But I will not read any further unless my friends, who treat me better than Lila treats Elena, tell me I must!

Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver

I first read Animal Dreams soon after it was published in the early 1990s, but I reread it in February for my book group. Kingsolver masterfully writes colorful characters; the plot in Animal Dreams is secondary to characters and setting.

It's a story packed with community, redemption, ecological justice, family, and sisterhood...strong women and deep female relationships.

When I read this book initially, I did not have three boys...and now I do. I could relate so much to Emilina, Codi's friend who has multiple boys. And the storyline with Codi's sister Hallie recalled that horrible separation scene in The Color Purple between Celie and her beloved sister Nettie.

It takes a little while to get drawn in, but it's a beautiful novel, well worth the effort!

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

I LOVED this book...in fact, it's my favorite so far in 2014. I would not have been drawn to the title, but it was my book group selection for the month.

The story is about "Verity," a female British spy, is captured in Nazi-occupied France, and her best friend Maddie, the pilot who flew her into France. The Nazis torture and interrogate Verity (or "Queenie"), and she writes about her friendship with Maddie and their training before and during the war. Slowly, the reader learns the pieces of her story...at least, what she is telling the Nazis.

I don't want to say much more about the book for fear of giving any details away. It did take me a bit of time to get into (I'm not terribly interested in flying airplanes--so the beginning bored me a bit at times), but it is SO WORTH PERSEVERING.

I finished it in the middle of the night before book group...and I found myself crying in the living room at 5:00 a.m. The book is not only beautifully written, but it's cleverly crafted. It's one of the few books I've read that makes me want to go right back and reread it now that I know the ending...it will stick with me for a long time.

I think next time I will listen to it so I can hear the English and Scottish accents. It's one of the few books I've read that has the word "gormless" in it (one of my English husband's favorite words, which I'd never heard before I met him).

Some have called it as a "love letter to female friendship," which is an excellent way to describe it. I do think it's one of the most beautiful homages to friendship I've ever read. This is one of my favorite lines from the book:

"It's like being in love, discovering your best friend."

Read it!

Friendship Cake: Women creating a cookbook

Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting story of a group of North Carolina women who unite around creating a church cookbook. Light story but heartwarming.



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Alamo House: Waging war on a frat house

Alamo House by Sarah Bird

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fun read from Bird--this time about an eccentric bunch of female grad students who live right across from a wild frat house and wage war on them...great story of female friendship.



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Dirty Girls Social Club: Nice story of friendship

The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hispanic-influenced story of a group of female friends...from professional to stay-at-home mom. None of the characters are one-dimensional...in fact, the author leads you to form impressions of the characters and then you end up changing them later in the novel. Nice story of friendship.



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Women of the Silk: Beautiful story about silk workers in China

Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After recently hearing Tsukiyama speak in person, I decided to go back and read her novels in order. This is an excellent first novel, about the lives of women in China working in the silk trade. I loved it! Excellent story of women's friendship.



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Plum Wine: One of my favorites

Plum Wine: A Novel by Angela Davis-Gardner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this story of an American teaching in Japan in the 70s, whose surrogate Japanese mother dies and leaves her a tansu chest full of plum wine and messages about her life in Hiroshima. Beautiful, evocative story.



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A Thousand Splendid Suns: Loved it!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Magnificent! I enjoyed this one even more than The Kite Runner. It was as difficult to read as The Kite Runner at times, but the story of women's friendship was beautiful. I loved it!!



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