Convenience Store Woman

Fiction by Sayaka Murata
Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

Okay, number one: Is this the cutest book cover you've ever seen, or what?

This was an interesting short novel about a woman called Keiko who seems to have some form of undiagnosed autism, and who works at a convenience store, of course. Keiko loves working at the store and doesn't understand why everyone thinks it's not normal to keep doing the same part-time, "dead-end" job for eighteen years.

Keiko feels safe and at home in the store, where the expectations are clear, but she is less comfortable in the outside world, where people seem to have so many unwritten rules about who she "should" be. Even her family hope for her to be "cured" so she can be "normal," which apparently means: Get a real job and pursue a career, and/or get married and start a family.

I loved the character of Keiko! I just wanted to jump into the book, give her a hug, and tell her it's okay to just be who you are. But of course she has to figure that out for herself...

I recommend this quick-read novella! I did wish it were longer.

Rachel Weiss's Group Chat

 Fiction by Lauren Applebaum

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

At the beginning of this book, Rachel Weiss wakes up on New Year's Day with a hangover from the night before, a strange guy in her bed, and a new determination to generally try to be more responsible this year. After all, she'll be thirty soon. Maybe it's time to think about trying to settle down with a nice Jewish boy like her mother wants her to.

But then it turns out that what her mother actually wants is for Rachel to marry the rich young man whose parents just moved in next door! Christopher Butkus, as he is unfortunately named, is everything Mrs. Weiss wants for her daughter Rachel, regardless of whatever it is that Rachel wants. 

Told through narrative and the titular group chap (with Rachel and her friends Sumira, Eva, and Amy), this story is funny and has good characters. It's a straight romance done well.

Endless Night

 Fiction by Agatha Christie

https://www.audible.com

Mike and Ellie are a charming young couple who fall in love and get together to build their dream house in the English countryside. But unfortunately they seem to be threatened from all sides. There are Ellie's interfering, money-grasping relatives; and there's a creepy gypsy woman in the neighborhood who insists they have built on cursed land; and then there's Greta, the woman Ellie believes is her best friend but whom Mike is suspicious of.

This is probably one of Agatha Christie's best books. There is no detective, and the murder doesn't even take place until close to the end of the book, but it's still a first-class mystery.

The amazing thing is, I actually remembered exactly how the story ended (and who had "dunnit"), but was still able to enjoy the re-read.

I also read recently by this author: Postern of Fate

Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid

 Nonfiction by Tanya Nicole Kach and Lawrence Fisher

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

In 1996 Tanya Kach was a fourteen-year-old girl from a troubled home. Her emotionally distant father had written off her mentally ill mother after a difficult divorce, and he actively tried to keep Tanya from seeing her mom. Meanwhile, he had remarried and abdicated responsibility for Tanya to his new wife, whom Tanya hated. Tanya was looking for love and acceptance, and for a parental figure.

Unfortunately, she found Tom Hose, a security guard at the middle school (!!!!) who took an interest in her, convinced to come home with him, and kept her locked up in his upstairs room for ten years. (!!!!!!!!)

This is a true story, as unbelievable as it sounds, about a girl who thought maybe nobody cared about her, a predator who convinced her it was definitely true, and a bunch of authority figures (teachers and cops) who looked the other way and didn't try very hard to help.

Her lawyer and co-writer Lawrence Fisher has been working for years to help Tanya reintegrate into society, and get some justice from a system that failed her. It's an interesting story but pretty hard to read because of how sad it is.

Margo's Got Money Troubles

 Fiction by Rufi Thorpe

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

There is a movie out right now based on this book and I saw the trailer. It seemed to be about a young woman (Margo, obviously) struggling to take care of her new baby on her own. The only "support" she has is her mother, who insists that the baby (her grandchild!) hates her and won't stop crying, so she absolutely cannot babysit at all. Margo loses her job, and her roommates are moving out which doubles her rent... hence the aforementioned money troubles.

I don't know about the movie but the book is really good. The titular character Margo writes in an interesting mix of first and third person. The characters were well written and completely believable. I enjoyed this book a lot and will likely look for more by this author.

Bossypants

 Nonfiction by Tina Fey

https://www.audible.com

This was a funny memoir read by the author. 

The Underachiever's Guide to Love and Saving the World

 Fiction by Sloane Brooks

https://www.amazon.com

At the beginning of this story, Courtney is a high-achieving but miserable girl who is busy earning money, pleasing her family , and generally being what other people want her to be. Then she loses her job and decides to embrace her inner underachiever and just try to be happy. 

And then she goes through a portal into another universe.

This was a strange and quirky book. I liked some of it, but in general it was too long. The characters were good but the story was too slow.