Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was charmed by Lillian Boxfish. I couldn't put the book down. One of the best books I've read in a while.

Lillian begins her walk in New York at age 85 on New Year's Eve of 1984. She guides readers through the streets of New York, a city I'm not familiar with. The setting may appeal more to readers who have been to, or lived in, New York. On her walk she reflects on her life.

Lillian is sharp, witty, and brave. A memorable character. A history of New York and Lillian wrapped up in one good book.

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The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book! I've been sitting on my review for days because I want to gush about this book but I also don't want to give anything away. Let's start with this - the dedication page is for John Irving. I knew at that point that this was going to be a great read.

This book is about Cyril Avery. It opens with the day his sixteen year-old, unwed mother is cast away from her church and home in 1940's Ireland. His birth is eventful and he finds his way into the home of the Avery's, his adoptive parents. His life story is told in these pages. What may seem like a long book becomes pressed for pages as readers will want to know more and more about Cyril's life. He struggles during his life to be true to himself while his friends, family, and country expect something quite different from him. His struggles are heartbreaking but certainly not all that unique.

The writing in this book is so funny. I loved the witty dialogue between characters. Cyril is a weak man at times, but he is a strong protagonist. It will be a long time before I forget him. His adoptive parents (the real Avery's), his friends, eventual co-workers, and everyone else Cyril encounters was a pleasure to read about. There were some parts that brought tears to my eyes, but mostly I found honesty in Cyril's story. There were some graphic(ish) scenes in this book and may not be a great choice for young or sensitive readers.

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My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues by Pamela Paul
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This newest book by Pamela Paul started of strong and fizzled a bit for this reader. Paul has kept a journal of sorts during the last almost 30 years. This Book of Books (or Bob) tells of her reading life which also happens to tell the story of her actual life.

There was a podcast from Book Riot a couple of years ago called Reading Lives. Host Jeff O'Neal spent about an hour with each guest asking about the books they read when they were young, how they came by books, what books they feel are underappreciated, etc. This book starts off with a similar style as Paul shares with readers what it was like growing up as a dedicated reader. (Can anyone contact Jeff O'Neal and ask him to start this podcast back up? I LOVED it and miss it completely.)

Towards the middle of the book a lot of the memoir focuses on travels abroad and early relationships. The books she read along the way are woven in, but I had hoped for more about the books à la the Reading Lives podcast and less about her world travels.

Paul's writing is engaging and though my TBR list didn't grow the way I had anticipated before I cracked this book's spine, I will be happy to seek out her book reviews in the future.

What made you become a reader? Comment below!

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