Whistler by Ann Patchett: Ann Patchett is a beautiful writer who creates characters we come to love. For the most part, this was quietly compelling and powerful in its portrayal of relationships and themes. While I liked both Daphne and her former stepfather, Eddie, their current relationship was a little unsettling at times. Although I have thoughts about why, I won’t say, because it would be a spoiler. This story will make you think about relationships that, while brief, made an impact on your life.

Shampoo Effect by Jennie Jackson: This is a sudsy, soap-opera-ish story about a tight-knit group of spoiled, entitled 30-something friends in a Massachusetts coastal town. When Caroline, a new girlfriend of one of the male friends, arrives to live in a cottage for a fellowship, the situation quickly lathers into a tangled mess of relationships and secrets. It comes to a head when Caroline writes a thinly disguised short story published in a national magazine.

This was a fast-paced read that infuriated me with its snobby, sometimes mean-spirited characters, and even though I didn’t end up loving them, I at least understood their situation. It reminded me a bit of books by Elin Hilderbrand (mainly because of the beach setting), without the ritzy setting, and it’s also good for fans of Cynthia Sweeney, Sarah Damoff, and Catherine Newman.

Interesting note that I wish I had known before I started the story. The town and its famous resident author are based on the author John Updike, who published the novel “Couples,” a thinly disguised exposé of the town.

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