Go Gentle by Maria Semple (★★☆☆☆)
Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2026
Short synopsis: A Stoic philosopher’s carefully curated life on New York City’s Upper West Side is thrown into chaos when a handsome stranger draws her into a world of black-market art, international intrigue, and a buried past that forces her to risk everything for what she truly desires.
What even was this book? It definitely has shades of Where’d You Go, Bernadette with a wacky main character, but it didn’t have anywhere near the same charm or heart. Instead, it felt like Maria Semple had three different books she wanted to write and decided to shove them all into one. I may get slightly spoiler-y in my review, so here’s your chance to dip out if you plan on reading this book. The book is broken into three sections. There’s the beginning, where we’re introduced to Adora’s world and the coven she has created of other older, single women who all live on the same floor of her apartment building. We also learn about Adora’s job as a “moral tutor” for twins of a very rich family. This was the most interesting part of the book, and we didn’t spend nearly enough time here. Then things take a very decided left turn, and we’re taken back in time to Adora’s foray into the world of comedy writing. She joins an SNL-type show as the only female writer and is effectively fired after one season. Other things happen during that time that I won’t get into here to not spoil everything, but she learns a lot of hard lessons. And then, in the final section, we’re back in the present day where Adora is somehow involved in some black-market art deal that was supremely boring and didn’t really make a whole lot of sense to me. There was also a really eye-rolling love story intertwined that was more cringe than sweet. It all made for a disjointed reading experience that I wouldn’t recommend. Meh. (Recommendation source: Book Riot)
Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young (★★★★☆)
E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2023
Short synopsis: Fiercely independent Win McNulty finds her carefully self-sufficient life upended when a one-night stand with charming stranger Bo leads to an unexpected pregnancy, forcing them to navigate friendship, impending parenthood, and the possibility that they might become something more.
My goodness, this book was adorable! I truly couldn’t get enough of Win and Bo. Their banter, their vulnerability, and the way they cared for one another was so sweet. They are both healing as they enter into this friendship-and-impending-parenthood thing: Win is still a little tender after getting out of a toxic relationship with a man who made her feel like her limb difference was a liability, while Bo is adjusting to life as an amputee after a cancer diagnosis. In their own ways, they both need each other—and this tiny baby growing in Win’s belly—in their own ways. I especially loved the disability representation and how naturally it was woven into the story. Their disabilities weren’t the entire focus of the book, but they weren’t pushed to the periphery either; they were simply part of who Win and Bo are and how they move through the world, especially for Bo, whose disability is still so new. The writing was smart and engaging, the romance was incredibly sweet, and I am so excited to read more from this author! (Recommendation source: Kim)
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe (★★★★★)
Audiobook • Libby • Nonfiction • 2021
Short synopsis: A gripping investigation into three generations of the wealthy Sackler family, tracing how their pharmaceutical empire and aggressive marketing of OxyContin helped fuel the devastating opioid crisis.
This book has sat on my TBR list for years and years. It’s my first PRK book, and it most assuredly won’t be my last. A 500+ page narrative nonfiction book shouldn’t be as gripping as this was, but PRK has such an engaging writing style that it felt like I was listening to one of my favorite true crime podcast series. I don’t think I need to say much about what this book is about, but suffice it to say, I am truly disgusted by the Sackler family and proud of all the people—from the journalists breaking the original stories to the activists showing up to protest—who put their names and bodies on the line to make the truth about this family known. What made me angriest was seeing, over and over again, just how much money and power can shield people from consequences. The Sacklers made billions from a drug they aggressively marketed while communities were being devastated by addiction, and yet they were able to use their wealth, influence, and armies of lawyers to avoid anything resembling real accountability. It’s infuriating to read about the sheer amount of suffering tied to their actions and then realize how little they personally had to answer for it. This is a long audiobook—17 hours!—but it is well worth your time, both to understand how the Sacklers helped fuel the opioid crisis and to see just how corrupting wealth and power can be. (Although I’m guessing we don’t really need proof of that anymore, considering the way our government is being run these days…)
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