Flasks and Fiction

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Other Einstein, in the same realm as The Paris Wife and The Aviator's Wife, explores Albert Einstein's first marriage with Mileva Maric. Besides basic background biographical information not much is actually known about Maric, specifically her marriage, so Benedict set out to fill in the gaps with a fictional telling of her life. As a woman currently in graduate school for chemistry, I love stories about the first females in science. It's much easier today, but most scientific fields are still male dominated. Mileva faced the worst of the discrimination, first in school and then even eventually from her own husband. She is a strong heroine and I related strongly with her ability to face challenges head on. If she was a modern woman I have no doubt she would never have even married Einstein and chosen to raise their daughter on her own. Instead, she's trapped in a loveless relationship t...

The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of my favorite thrillers so far this year! Zoe Whittaker left her life in California behind five years ago to escape retribution for testifying at a trial. Now, in the present day, she's married to a wealthy husband and living the life her and her adopted mother had always dreamed about. That is, until one day her past starts catching up with her. I hate hate hate thrillers were the main character is deliberately stupid. Usually this helps keep the reader uniformed, but is still thoroughly irritating to me as a reader, I just want to grab the character by the shoulders and shake them. Luckily, Zoe is far from stupid for the most part. She's intuitive and capable of figuring her own life out. Perhaps a little too trusting, but that would be where the plot comes in. The book moves forward at a steady clip throwing small life changing secrets in just when you're craving something more. I also ...

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Most Dangerous Place on Earth, set in quiet Mill Valley, California, was a book I wanted to hate but ended up liking... kind of. The book skips between characters giving you a small window in the lives of both high school students and their teachers. The story of these spoiled teenagers jumps from a tragedy in 8th grade to 11th grade as the students are preparing to take the SATs and apply to colleges. Perhaps, some of the best books have little to no plot development and are essentially about nothing more than the characters themselves. This was a book that tried to be one of those best books but fell a little short. The opening of the book made one think that the entirety of the novel would focus around Calista and her feelings on the fall out from a classmates cyberbullying and subsequent suicide. Fast forward from 8th to 11th grade, Calista is barely mentioned again, the reader ...

The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland My rating: 4 of 5 stars The first thing Mia remembers is waking up on a beach one morning. She doesn't know her name or how she ended up there. Luckily, her boyfriend, Piers, claims her at the hospital and brings her home. As the days go by with only a few memories coming back, Mia is forced to start new relationships with those who know her already. This new cast of characters, from her mother and sister to her rowing friend, Jack, all seem to be keeping pieces of information from Mia. The Girl from the Sea flowed so naturally from scene to scene that there was never really a dull moment. Mia is a strong character, very capable of making good decisions for herself, which is why I found some of her actions a little silly. I know she was trying to rediscover her past but she seemed a little impulsive, especially when it came to relationships. Seeing as how this book happened mostly over a few week period, Mia jumped into re...

Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger My rating: 4 of 5 stars During a hike on a family vacation, two men shoot Abbey's brother and father and drag her off into the woods. Nearly 10 months later after her disappearance, Abbey's mother hires local psychic, Finley, to find her daughter. Having recently moved in with her grandmother, Eloise, who is also a psychic, Finley struggles with her first case. I loved the paranormal twist on the traditional thriller novel. Finley was a great character who struggled just as much with what she was seeing/hearing as the reader. In the end, although I knew what was coming, there were plenty of unexpected small twists to keep me reading. The conclusion to the mystery was a little confusing, though, and I had to keep going back to make sure I didn't miss something. Unger did clarify everything after the fact in the days following the climax, I just thought the action got a little too chaotic. It did bother me that the missing girl...

When In Rome...Find Yourself by Lena Mae Hill My rating: 1.5 stars College student Rory is heading off to Rome for a summer study abroad trip. After a heart break in the somewhat recent past, she's sworn off all boys, so she's just there to make new friends and enjoy Europe. Of course, all of that changes when she starts to fall for her housemate, Ned. I usually love silly teen romance novels but this was a huge miss for me. At the beginning I understood Rory's social anxiety and sympathized when she struggled to fit in with the group from her school. It went past relatable to annoying really fast, though. The breaking point was when Rory misses a few calls from her parents and then when they don't answer after she calls back, goes into a state of such anxiety that she's convinced herself she's the worst daughter ever and her parents hate her, etc. I've been there and would have understood if the anxiety had stemmed from worrying that someone at...

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott Rating: 5/5 stars Devon is a superstar gymnast on the brink of competing in the Senior Elite qualifiers. Everything is on track until someone is killed in a hit and run accident only a few weeks before the meet. Told from the perspective of Devon's mother, Katie, You Will Know Me follows the aftermath as the entire gym deals with the news. Was the death an accident? Who was involved? Who can keep a secret? I have only read one other Megan Abbott book, The Fever, and really disliked it. I am a sucker for a good sports-related story, though, so decided to give Abbott one more chance when requesting this title. Maybe not surprisingly, I couldn't put You Will Know Me down. This was a very nuanced book with the drama unfolding at a slow, but steady pace. At no one point did Abbott throw a huge curve ball like most murder mystery novels, instead adding little details here and there that keep you wanting more. All of the characters were believ...

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova Rating: 3/5 stars Alex, a Brooklyn native, was raised in a family of Bruja's and Brujo's. Growing up and watching people she loved die and disappear, she has always seen magic as more of a curse than a gift. When Alex discovers that she is an Encantrix and the most powerful Bruja of her time, she decides that instead of accepting her magic on her Deathday she will get rid of it. With the help of a mysterious new friend, Nova, this plan goes horribly wrong, sending her entire family into a magical world. Together, along with Alex's best friend, Rishi, they embark on a journey to bring them back. I liked certain aspects of Labyrinth Lost, but felt the story suffered from being too short. Generally over explaining bothers me, but this plot would have benefited from some more extensive world building, especially once the group reaches Los Lagos. I would have liked some more description of what Alex was seeing through the entire journey...

The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan Rating: 4/5 stars Following the untimely passing of both his mother and grandmother, Dylan decides to leave the failing family movie theater behind. He packs up his meager belongings and moves to a caravan in Scotland he has recently discovered his mother purchased without him knowing. In his new home, he befriends his neighbor, Constance, and her 12 year-old daughter, Stella. Together, the group get ready for what will become the worst winter the world has ever seen. Most the-world-is-coming-to-an-end novels take place after the world has fallen apart. Instead, in The Sunlight Pilgrims the characters are dealing with how to adapt their new normal, a refreshing new take on the genre. The reactions from the town and its citizens feel very organic; Nobody is pretending to be brave or overly heroic and the world has not just suddenly fallen apart in the span of a few months. Everyone is moving forward one step at a time not thinking long term, b...

The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger Rating: 3/5 stars Following a torn achilles and fractured wrist that left her sidelined from the professional tennis circuit for months, Charlie hires the infamous Todd Feltner to coach her to a Grand Slam title. Suddenly, Charlie has gone from good girl with ribbons in her hair to a "warrior princess" adorned with a crystal crown during matches and adored by the tabloids. I do really love Weisberger's past novels, and this one didn't quite stack up. It was a perfectly entertaining chick lit novel, but there was just something missing I couldn't quite place my finger on. Charlie was supposed to be a strong independent woman, but instead she seemed to do everything others told her to do, from her celebrity tennis love interest to her coach, even when she wasn't comfortable with the decision. Why? Because she wanted to win. There were multiple times when I wanted her to just say no to set some boundaries with these ...

Falling By Jane Green Rating: 2/5 stars Emma Montague, British by birth, moves to the coast of Connecticut after quitting her job as a banker, for a change of the fast pace of Manhattan. Within weeks she's fallen for her landlord, Dominic, and his 6 year-old son, Jesse. I don't like Nicholas Sparks novels for a reason, and this novel was way too Nicholas Sparks for my taste. Yes, it is a silly chick lit book, but that doesn't mean characters can have some depth. Emma was the stereotypical upperclass, well educated woman who falls in love for the working class bartender, Dominic. Everyone in this book was very one note to the point where I could've predicted almost the entire book from sentence two. That is not necessarily a bad thing, fluffy and light was what I was looking for, but Green threw in a totally unnecessary plot twist at the end just to mix things up. Although I didn't quite enjoy Falling it was a nice, quick, summer read.

The Things We Knew By Catherine West Rating: 5/5 starts Recommend: Yes As the years have gone on, all of Lynnie Carlisle's siblings have moved away from the family home on Nantucket, leaving the youngest daughter to care for their aging father alone. As the family bank account starts to run dry Lynnie turns to the families recently returned neighbor, Nick, who has taken over responsibility of the family bank in town. Together they decide it may be best to sell the Carlisle house, so all of the siblings are called home for the first time in many years. Over the course of their weeks home, they all realize they must confront the mysterious death of their mother 12 years ago. The 5 Carlisle children could not be more different, which is what makes this book so enjoyable. They have all gone out to lead successful lives, but their return home could not have come at a more opportune time for each. From ailing rockstar Gray to abused corporate lawyer Liz, each one has their own ...

Faithful by Alice Hoffman Rating: 4/5 stars Recommend: Yes Shelby's best friend is brain dead, stuck in a hospital bed in her childhood room, and it's Shelby's fault. Helene and Shelby were supposed to go to NYU together in the fall, but neither of them make it, instead both wasting away. For two years Shelby lives, depressed, in her parents basement until she finally moves from Long Island to New York City to start moving on from the tragedy that will always define her life. I almost gave up on this book about 10% of the way in because I wrongly assumed it would be about Shelby's pity party in her early 20s. Instead the book winds its way through the ups and downs, the break-ups and job promotions and, most importantly, the love- both romantic and other- of the next 10 or so years. I wanted to dislike Shelby with her self-hate and pessimism, but by the end I understood why she felt the way she did and I was rooting for her as she slowly let go of those traits...

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Cheslea Sedoti Rating: 5/5 stars Recommend: Yes What a fun, quirky book. Lizzie Lovett disappears one night while camping with her boyfriend without a trace. Hawthorn, three years her junior and a senior in high school, knows what happened- she turned into a werewolf, of course. Enlisting the help of Lizzie's 25 year-old boyfriend, Enzo, while simultaneously pushing her best friend Emily away, Hawthorn sets out to find Lizzie. This book was really a treat. Everyone has felt like the social outcast at some point, and Sedoti does a great job of capturing that feeling in Hawthorn. She cares about what others think just enough so isolate herself but not enough to give up her convictions. I related very strongly with her and not because could see myself coming up with a crazy idea for why the popular cheerleader in high school now turned hippie disappeared. Hawthorn's obsession with Lizzie boils down to wanting to understand what makes ...

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs Rating: 3/5 stars Recommend: No I liked the idea of The Light Fantastic but didn't necessarily enjoy the execution. Set four days after the Boston Marathon bombing and skipping between narrators, Combs explores gun violence and what may lead teens to those dark feelings. The wide range of narrators was not executed as well as it could have been. I would have appreciated it if it was either from the perspective of those connected to April or the Assassins, not a few of each. Some of the kids had only a few chapters and that was adequate for their stories. Others characters were kind of floating stories with no, or little to no, connection with everyone else, which confused me a little. April was by far the most developed narrator. With a photographic memory, April gives glimpses of not only her life but her classmates growing up. It is a good exploration into how others view you when contrasted with narration of these classmates themse...

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Rating: 5/5 Stars Recommend: Yes On his way home from the bar one night Jason is kidnapped and drugged. When he wakes up he's strapped to a gurney being welcomed home by people he's never met before in his life. In this new world he was never married and his son was never born. Was his life ever his life? Can he get home? Definitely my top book of 2016 so far, and it was such a quick read, there's no excuse to pass on it. This is a sci-fi/thriller/romance novel all in one. Usually a romance twist in a sci-fi can be cheesy or too obvious, but Crouch knows how to write a good romance, he did it in Wayward Pines  and does it again here. This is the kind of love we all aspire to have- the happy settled down life that has weathered the test of time. Jason loves his wife of 15 years and would give up anything to find her again. His need to find Daniela is so primal and not forced you can't help feeling those emotions too. Crouch also know...

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley Rating: 3/5 stars Recommend: No For 18 minutes one Sunday night a Red Sox player has the longest time at bat in history. In that short frame a plane takes off from Martha's Vineyard and crashes into the Atlantic. Scott, an artist traveling back to New York City for gallery meetings was invited last minute to join the Batemans and their friends the Kiplings and wasn't supposed to be on the plane at all. Suddenly, he finds himself floating in the water, little recollection to the events leading up to the crash. By some really great luck, Scott is a trained open water swimmer and manages to get himself and the other survivor, a small boy, back to the shore with a dislocated shoulder. Why did the plane crash? Why was Scott on the plane? Was he involved in the crash? These are questions that everyone, including the Batemans news anchor friend, want answered in the aftermath of the tragedy.  This book had great potential. The set up could have led...