A Perfectly Good Family by Lionel Shriver

The family in A Perfectly Good Family is anything but. This book by Lionel Shriver holds up to her over-the-top scenarios she puts always seems to put her characters in. This McCrea family should be a good Southern family. The father was a judge, the mother a proper liberal, penny-pinching beauty but then there are the children.

Mordecai, the oldest, left home at 14, and as an adult is just plain gross. The only girl, Corlis, the middle child, escaped to London to live for years but has returned home since both parents are now dead and her two London flatmates found out she was sleeping with both of them. And the baby, Truman, stuck close to home (he never left), taking care of the monstrosity of a house and his mother, sort of.

For a novel full of sharp wit and smart writing, A Perfectly Good Family is a safe bet. The surprising ending is actually a relief.

Book Read:  A Perfectly Good Family
Author:  Lionel Shriver
ISBN:  978-0-6-123949-6

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

The Lake of Dreams is Kim Edwards's second novel. Her first was the hugely popular The Memory Keeper's Daughter. The Lake of Dreams, like many second novels, wasn't as good as the her first novel, but it was still good, mind you.

The story centers around Lucy Jarrett, who is living in Japan with her boyfriend, and returns home to upstate New York. After finding some old family papers in a window seat, Lucy sets out to solve a mystery and figure out her life.

Book Read:  The Lake of Dreams
Author:  Kim Edwards
ISBN:  978-0-670-02217-5

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Well, if you haven't read Freedom, I'd highly recommend it. I read Jonathan Franzen's other super duper popular book The Corrections and loved it too. He has nailed down family and all it encompasses so well.

I stayed up last night till almost 2 to finish Freedom. I was surprised and not surprised at the ending. And at least it was not sappy and not totally predictable, which is always a good thing. And I have to admit I found myself chuckling out loud several times. Franzen's writing is reminiscent of John Irving's, always a good thing.

I may have to check out his other books too.


Book Read:  Freedom
Author:  Jonathan Franzen
ISBN:  978-0-312-60084-6