Here are my reports on four novels I read over the past few months. But first, let’s play a game. Which two books did I include in an earlier post? See, I’ll bet you, like me, won’t remember. Am I right? 😉
The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman. Set over one evening in a high-end restaurant preparing for a special dinner featuring John Grisham, the staff discovers that most of the rib-eye steaks have been stolen. From there, the narration is from the POV of all staff as they try to work around the theft and also prepare for a busy evening. At first, I liked it as I love “back-room” stories set in restaurants, and it reminded me of Anthony Bourdain’s observations, but then it bogged down, and I didn’t really care who stole the damn meat. It had an unexpected ending that slightly redeemed the story, but overall, I wouldn’t give it a high recommendation.
The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton. This had me at “Mormon Gothic.” Set in 1879 Salt Lake City, a man takes his fourth wife to his decrepit mansion, where she gets to know her sister wives and encounters a ghost that seems to inhabit the house. This “Haunting of Hill House” meets “19th Wife” vibe kept me interested, and I recommend it to anyone who loved Victoria Holt, but with a twist.
The Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. I loved this author’s debut novel about family dynamics, THE NEST, so I was looking forward to this book, which also features lots of family dysfunction. In 1977, two neighboring families are blown apart when a husband runs away with the neighboring wife (there is a heartbreaking scene when the young daughter watches them drive away), and how the ensuing divorces affect the entire families over the next 20 years. I couldn’t put this down and recommend for readers of Ann Tyler, Ann Patchett, and Catherine Newman’s SANDWICH. It’s also perfect for book groups.
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. In 1978, I read The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser, a time-travel story about a young woman who looks into an antique mirror and is transported back to 1900, where she “comes to” as her grandmother (yeah, it was a little weird), which rocked the world of library patrons. I expected Yesteryear to be somewhat of a plagiarism of Millhiser’s book, but it turned out quite different. A “tradwife influencer” living the perfect pioneer life (think Ballerina Farm) wakes up to find herself on the same farm, only it is 1805. Is it a hoax, a new reality show, or did she really go back in time? The final mind-bending, unsettling ending is a little convoluted but fascinating, and it will spark a lot of discussion among book groups.
One day in 1966, when I was in the 8th grade, I was perusing the rental shelf (5 cents per day, if I remember correctly), when my eyes spied a book I had recently heard about, the groundbreaking Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. When I took it to the desk, Miss Clark looked at it with her gimlet eye (and even though she was very nice, she always looked at my adult books with this kind of an “eye”) and said I needed a note from my “mommy” to check it out. What happened after that shaped my reading life forever.
read next, and she recommended 
Yes, that’s right. Did you know that back when gothic novels were “hot,” book cover artists were instructed to create covers with towering phallic symbols? Who knew? You can read all about it in my review of Grady Hendrix’s 
After that, it was a short coaster ride down the slippery slope to reading more smut. It wasn’t long before I discovered novels by Harold Robbins, such as 
Young Adult Books, 1950s/1960s Style
reader could win Herman’s (Peter Noone) snaggle canine tooth he’d had removed. (I hope no one thinks less of me when I admit I actually entered that creepy contest.) I didn’t read Tiger Beat very often (think it was hard to find), but I enjoyed Ann Moses’ recent memoir, 
I also discovered MAD magazine, and even though I’m sure much of the content went right over my head, I thought it was hilarious, especially the movie and TV show satires. I still remember my brother and me listening to the 33 1/3 RPM record insert of “It’s a Gas” and giggling uncontrollably. If you have never had the pleasure of hearing this classic, listen to it 
My memory of walking into the Cottage Grove Public Library and inhaling that unique “old books” scent is as vivid as if it happened yesterday, but what I also remember is the feeling of anticipation to see what new books awaited me for my reading pleasure–and that hasn’t abated a whit since then. It wasn’t long before I discovered books in series and that I loved following a particular character. I don’t recall reading many Beverly Cleary books (except for Fifteen in my later years), but I loved Carolyn Haywood’s Betsy series.
mysteries I hadn’t yet read. I don’t think the library had a system for reserving books (or if they did, the librarian, Miss Clark, never offered, as she might have known she’d be pestered to death), so I would rely on my memory to remember what I had read. I liked some more than others, and the ones I liked best probably took place in mansions. (As an adult, I relived my “Drew” years by reading Chelsea Cain’s delightful 
If you are close to my age, you probably remember singing along to the opening of the Mickey Mouse Club — “Hey There! Hi There! Ho There! You’re as welcome as can be!” But what I loved most were the introductions of the club members and Annette’s appearance! Y? Who knows, I just know she fascinated me, and I was thrilled to find she was featured in a mystery series I found at the five-and-dime store, Knickerbocker’s. 
in the rear with a stack of books that appeared thicker than the easy picture books and readers from the first grade. I didn’t care that they were above my grade level; I just wanted to burrow my face into the stack. I don’t remember when we were allowed to select what we wanted to haul home (although I do remember taking more books than I had time for, a practice that continues to this day). But I do remember Miss Rorrer reading us a chapter a day from 
I don’t know how old I was when I discovered 
But what I’ve never forgotten are my trips to the Cottage Grove Library and how much of a treat it was to haul home a huge stack of picture books. 
ROBIN'S BOOKS 