#2 [2026/CBR18] The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

My book club led me to yet another book I had not heard of and wouldn't have chosen on my own. Our latest pick was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020) by V.E. Schwab. It is long and a little slow in places (a couple of women from my book club gave up on it), but it was also well written and very original. We had a lot of good discussions about the characters and the world of the novel.

Adeline (Addie) LaRue is in her early 20's and lives with her parents in a small town in 1714 France. She loves drawing, and yearns to see and experience more of the world. But when a marriage is arranged for her with an older widow with young kids, she despairs that all chance for a life of adventure is gone. She makes a bargain with one of the "gods of the night" to get her out of her circumstances.

Addie did not really understand what she was getting herself into when she bargained with the god/demon she ends up calling Luc. Suddenly she finds that no one, including her own parents, know her. And any people she runs into forget her as soon as she is out of their sight. This bargain frees Addie from her marriage. Also, when she is hurt or injured, she quickly heals, and she can't die. However, the bargain is truly a curse and makes Addie miserable. In a matter of seconds, she loses her family and her town. Addie heads to the closest larger city and then on to Paris. But she is walking the streets alone. She cannot have any kind of relationship nor any kind of safety or stability. Her suffering is immense. Once a year, the demon/god Luc comes to visit her. He is waiting for her to give up so he can take her soul, but Addie is nothing if not stubborn.

The book jumps back and forth between 1714 when her bargain begins and 2014 when Addie is in New York City and runs into a man named Henry working at a used bookstore. When Addie comes back the next day, Henry remembers her. He is the first person to remember her in three hundred years.

***SPOILERS*** Addie has to tell Henry what's happening to her. But Henry understands. He tells Addie that he made a bargain with the devil as well. Despondent over his recent breakup and severe lack of connection with his family, Henry is ready to kill himself when Luc shows up. Luc gives Henry one year with everyone around him seeing what they want most in Henry. Suddenly, Henry is surrounded by more attention than he can handle. And he realizes that people fawning over him for the wrong reasons is not the panacea he thought it would be.

Addie and Henry make a wonderful, if odd, couple for many months. But Addie doesn't know that Henry's time is limited. When she finds out, she makes a bargain with Luc for Henry's life. She gives herself to Luc "for as long as he wants her." In some ways, this felt right, because after three hundred years, Addie is something more than human at this point, and Addie and Luc had grown closer after all that time. But the twist is that Addie is intent on making Luc miserable and letting her go. She is using Luc's own tricks against him. ***END SPOILERS***

Like I mentioned before, this book was slow in places. I kept getting frustrated and bored whenever Luc came back to Addie, and they would have the exact same argument once again. However, once I finished it, I realized the slow points in the novel were setting up plot points for later. This book is not at the top of my list, but I'm glad I read it. There was lots to talk and think about, and we had a good group club discussion. 

#1 [2026/CBR18] Say Everything by Ione Skye

I was probably about twelve years old when I first watched Say Anything with John Cusack and Ione Skye, and it made a deep impression on me. In fact, it shaped my goals for most of my teenage years. I still have a very clear memory of Ione Skye's character, Diane, marking every word that she looked up in her giant dictionary. I thought she was beautiful and smart, and I wanted to be just like her. In fact, because of Diane, I was intent on becoming my high school valedictorian and going to Harvard (neither of which actually happened).

So, when I saw Say Everything (2025), a memoir by Ione Skye, I knew I wanted to read it. Despite my obsession with Diane as a child, I knew virtually nothing about the woman who played her. I had never noticed her in any other movies, and I knew nothing of her career or her personal life.

Ione Skye was born in 1970, making her about nine years older than me. We are close enough in age that I am familiar with many of her contemporaries. In fact, I had a crush on many of her friends and boyfriends as she grew up. Skye has had a fascinating, challenging life, and I admire how openly she discusses aspects of her young-adult life in this book. With that said, Skye does not go into much detail about her life with her current husband and daughters. I imagine it's easier to talk about things farther in the past than current events. I also assume her life has stabilized some since her teens and twenties.

The simplest way for me to finish this review is just touch on some parts of the book that I found especially interesting.

    -Ione Skye's father was famous Scottish folk singer, Donovan Leitch, who left her mother before she was born and had no interest or contact with her for most of her life. This definitely influenced some of Skye's actions later in life. For instance, Skye dated primarily musicians and had some very unhealthy relationships.

    -When Ione Skye was hired for her first movie at fifteen, she was told she had to become emancipated so the studio would not have to comply with child labor laws on the set. This was apparently commonplace for teenagers in Hollywood.

    -Ione Skye made out with Keanu Reeves when she did a movie with him. She was young at the time, and Keanu very nicely rejected her advances for more. (I am so glad he wasn't a creep with her, but I would expect nothing less).

    -Ione Skye was friends with River Phoenix.

    -Ione Skye dated Antony Kiedis from The Red Hot Chili Peppers for years, beginning when she was sixteen and he was twenty four. He was also a heroin addict and cheated on her relentlessly. This relationship was not healthy, to say the least.

    -After Kiedis, Ione Skye married Adam Horowitz from the Beastie Boys. She talks about how she truly loved him, but she was pretty messed up and cheated on him constantly--often with Madonna's ex-lovers.

-This was fascinating because I also listened to Brooke Shields memoir, but Ione Skye was only six years or so younger than Brooke Shields. Skye watched Shields' controversial film, Pretty Baby, and was entranced by Brooke Shields. 

I found this book very interesting. I had no idea how entrenched in Hollywood and famous musicians Ione Skye was--even as a kid. I did find it somewhat difficult to read her story when she was still young and obviously struggling. She was lucky that she didn't end up with AIDS or other STD's after being with Kiedis. And her constant cheating despite her love for her husband was like watching a deliberate car crash. The inside look into what it was like filming Say Anything as well as some of her other projects was also absorbing. Finally, it was interesting to see how directly her father's rejection and indifference affected her, and I was happy to see that she was able to move past that and create what sounds like a good life for herself.

Recommended.

2025 Year in Review

 Looking back at 2026, I read fewer books than I have recently, but I did hit my goal of 52.

Fiction: 40

Non-Fiction: 13

Books written by women: 43

Books written by men: 10

Non-Fiction written by women: 8

Non-Fiction written by men: 5

Favorite Fiction:

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Runner's Up (I'm very indecisive):

All Fours by Miranda July

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Favorite Non-Fiction:

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

#53 [2025/CBR17] Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I've already read a couple of books by Taylor Jenkins Reid and generally liked them, but I think Atmosphere (2025) is my favorite (so far). I first saw Atmosphere on NPR's Favorite books, and then my book club started talking about it too, which is why I picked it up.

Atmosphere takes place in the early 1980's at the NASA space shuttle program. We follow the women who are in NASA's second class of astronauts to ever allow women. Joan Goodwin is an Astronomer unhappily teaching introductory classes to spoiled Freshman when she hears that NASA has opened up applications for women. After not making it her first try, she tries again the next year and is accepted. 

The book jumps back and forth between 1981--following Joan when she first comes to NASA and her ensuing training, and 1984--when Joan is in the control room for a space shuttle mission. Both story lines are compelling. 

***SPOILERS***Atmosphere contains themes of women in male-dominated spaces, the excitement of space flight, and family, but it is more than anything a love story. Joan meets a fellow woman in her class, Vanessa Ford. Joan admires Vanessa, and the two become friends. There is romantic tension there from the beginning but Joan is pretty shut down sexually, not understanding why people make such a big deal of kissing and sex. She hasn't even considered that she might not have been with the right person.

The blossoming of the relationship between Joan and Vanessa is very sweet and feels real, but it comes with its own problems. NASA did not allow gay and lesbian people in its astronaut corps. They had to keep their relationship secret, and both felt their job threatened by suspicions of their love.

Back in 1984, the shuttle is up in space and something goes drastically wrong. Joan is the astronaut in the control room in charge of communicating with the astronauts on the shuttle. Most of the astronauts on the shuttle were in her class, and she is good friends with them. The tension is high. But as I read the book, I began to understand the depth of the relationship between Joan and Vanessa. And Vanessa is on that shuttle, too.

Joan is talking to the love of her life for what she thinks might be the last time. Hundreds of people are listening, and she can't let the true nature of their relationship show. I have to tell you that I was really crying for a good chunk of the end of the book. I had become attached to the characters and the story, and the circumstances were heartbreaking. ***END SPOILERS***

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the main characters, their relationships, the excitement of a trip on a space shuttle, and the details of their training. It almost felt like this book was written for me. Strongly recommended.

P.S. Joan was a lover of the stars, even saying she was lucky to go to Joshua Tree National Park as a child to see them. I happened to be in Joshua Tree while I was reading this book. I tried to appreciate the stars like Joan did, and they did look cool. However, I am too ignorant, and I don't know what I'm looking at. I tend to lose interest quickly.

#52 [2025/CBR17] Tilt by Emma Pattee

I am so excited by all of the end-of-the-year book lists coming out. I have so many books to read and so little time. I found Tilt by Emma Pattee (2025) after I saw it on both the Times and NPR's lists. The NPR blurb about this book made it sound a little more lighthearted and fun than I found it to be. However, it did keep my interest.

Annie lives in Portland. She is nine months pregnant, due any day, and picking out a crib in Ikea. She is hungry, her feet hurt, her back hurts, and she is frustrated with herself for her lack of ability to just get things done. And then a huge earthquake hits, and there is immediate chaos. Annie is initially trapped under some collapse, but is helped by the Ikea clerk who had been so annoying just a moment before. 

When the two make it out of the store, they are separated. Annie doesn't know what to do, so she decides to walk to the coffee shop where her husband is working. It is a hot, sunny day. Annie is thirsty and tired, and she sees evidence of the destruction all around her as she walks. 

The book goes back and forth through Annie's memories as she walks. How she met her husband, how she dropped out of college with big dreams of becoming a playwright, and how those dreams slowly faded away. Now she has a child on the way, and she has become terrified of what might happen to him. Her relationship with her husband is struggling because she can't talk to him about how she feels.

When Emma can't find her husband at the coffee shop, she heads towards downtown, which she has heard has been ravaged. At some point she sees the same Ikea woman, Taylor, in her bright yellow Ikea t-shirt. Taylor is walking to her daughter's school, desperate to find her. Annie and Taylor stay together until after they reach the school. I thought this was a very moving part of the book.

Afterwards, Annie heads out on her own, still trying to get downtown to find her husband. It was this part of the book that felt especially uncomfortable for me to read. It was often more and more details of Annie's pain and suffering as she walked without much purpose. I didn't understand what was pushing Annie to drag her poor body all over the city when she had no idea where her husband would be. Wouldn't he head home, if he was able? I wanted Annie to either get to a community shelter or head home herself. 

I won't go into detail about the ending, but I found it frustrating. It felt abrupt, and I wanted to know more. I'm sure that was the point of the book and may even make it more memorable, but I felt disappointed. In the end, I thought this book was both interesting and painful to read. It is well written, but I found it occasionally frustrating. I'm not sure I would recommend this one to everyone.

#51 [2025/CBR17] The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

I feel like I've read a string of self-help books lately, and I still have a couple more to go. The Let Them Theory (2024) by Mel Robbins was another recommendation from my therapist. I thought it was easy to follow, interesting to read, and had generally helpful advice. I've definitely been thinking about some of her recommendations and using it in my own life.

Early on in her book, Robbins mentions that she's good at distilling a lot of information into clear, easy-to-understand bites. I think she's successful in doing this for The Let Them Theory. When you look at the whole book, there really is a lot of information, but Robbins narrows it all down to, "Let Them," and "Let Me." The gist is that you can't control other people, and the more you try, the more anxious and miserable you get. So you "let them" do whatever it is they're going to do anyway. But then you "let me" do whatever work that needs to be done to make you happier about the situation.

For example, if your boss is horrible, don't waste your time and attention focusing on how you'd like your boss to be better. Focus on actions that you can take. The best option is often finding a new job, but it is also what will make you happier in the long run. Robbins takes this theory to every part of life, including work, family, friendships, and romantic relationships.

Robbins includes a section on friendship where she explains the difference between friendships as children and friendships as adults. This wasn't new information, but it was presented well. Robbins states that you have to be more flexible with adult relationships because moving, stress, children, spouses, etc., can all affect friendships in the short and long term.

Robbins also has a section on romantic relationships, which fits well with her "Let Them" theory. When someone says they're not interested in you, let them, and move on. This section reminded me of He's Just Not That Into You, because it basically says the same things. I was impressed by how Robbins described how painful breakups can be, but how important it is to move on. I agree with her completely, although I'm not sure if I would have been able to follow this advice when I was younger. I still might have been slow to see and accept the disinterest.

The most difficult section for me was when Robbins discussed dealing with people you care deeply about who are not doing well. This would include alcoholism, depression, weight gain, gambling, unable to support yourself, and/or making generally bad decisions in life. Robbins says you have to "let them" because trying to influence someone usually has the opposite effect, and it will only worsen your relationship with them. People have to decide for themselves if they want change. 

Robbins says that adults have to feel the pain of their bad decisions before they might want to change. If you protect them from their bad decisions, then they will never have the motivation to change. You can support them if they want help, but you should not enable their bad behavior. It's a tricky line, and it sometimes means leaving people out to either get better or die. It's definitely another thing that's easier said than done.

Robbins says the only way you can influence someone is by modeling good behavior, which will hopefully encourage them to follow your good example eventually. The only other thing to do is follow her "ABC's of asking questions." ABC's include:

APOLOGIZE (for being judgmental and trying to butt into their lives), then ASK open-ended questions

BACK OFF, and observe their BEHAVIOR

CELEBRATE progress while you continue to model CHANGE

I found this book pretty easy to read with some useful information. I appreciated that Robbins was very open and honest about her own life and the problems she has struggled with. I think this made it easier to take advice from her.

#50 [2025/CBR17] A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst

I've found a number of interesting books when I need a new audio book by just seeing what is "available now" at my library, sorted by popularity. Is that how I found A Marriage at Sea (2025) by Sophie Elmhirst? Honestly, now I can't remember. I may have seen it on a list somewhere. Also, now that I've read it, I'm seeing this book everywhere, including NPR and NYT's 2025 lists. Spoilers follow.

A Marriage at Sea is the true story of a couple, Maralyn and Maurice, who were sailing around the world when their boat was hit and broken by a sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With an unfixable hole under the waterline and very limited time, the two bailed out onto a dinghy and a life raft. They had very limited supplies and no radio. Maralyn and Maurice barely managed to survive an amazing 118 days at sea before being picked up by a South Korean fishing boat. 

This book was a continual surprise for me. First, I had in my head that this shipwreck took place back in the 1800's or something, so I was surprised when I started listening and learned that Maralyn and Maurice were married in the 1960's and their shipwreck occurred in 1973. Second, this book is not just about the ocean journey and their survival. After they are picked up, the book goes into detail about the flurry of fanfare and press surrounding them, as well as their preparations for a second voyage to Patagonia.

But what stands out the most throughout this book is the relationship between Maralyn and Maurice. They defied expectations by choosing to not have kids, quitting their safe, respectable jobs, selling their home, and taking to the sea. In all of this, Maralyn was usually the instigator. It was her idea to sell the house and get a boat. And once they were shipwrecked, it was Maralyn's determination and optimism that kept them going. In many ways, they seemed suited only to each other.

Later in the book, Elmhirst likens the fanfare of a wedding to the fanfare of christening a new boat. The celebrations are all excitement and anticipation of what is to come, although the reality of marriage as well as a sea voyage can be much more difficult. In fact, some would not go through with it if they knew everything that was to come.

The book follows Maralyn and Maurice for the rest of their lives. Maurice ends up by himself, ornery and grumpy, and missing Maralyn deeply. 

I found this book interesting and thought provoking. It wasn't as straightforward as I was expecting. The author had a number of good sources, including diaries and books Maurice and Maralyn had written. However, I still sometimes wished we could know even more about the protagonists. Recommended.