Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Major Pettigrew is an honorable man who struggles to come to terms with a changing world, while still holding true to his core values. With an interesting group of characters, the author presents a small rural village in England and the struggles and prejudices that make up their daily lives. Major Pettigrew is a widower, dealing with the recent death of his brother, and growing feelings of affection he has for Mrs. Ali who owns the local shop for groceries. With humor and grace, the author explores the challenges of getting older, the excitement of new love, and the struggle of racism, all with subtlety and depth. It is hard not to fall in love with Major Pettigrew. I would highly recommend this book.
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Dog Day Wedding by Rich Amooi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A light-hearted but very predictable comedy, this was an easy read with lovable characters. The story begins as Giovanni is left at the alter by a very disagreeable and materialistic woman. Natalie is a beautiful police officer who happens to live next door to Giovanni. After a few obvious twists and turns, the two realize they have feelings for each other, but Natalie is already engaged to Jaks, an ambitious young district attorney. Despite being extremely predictable and somewhat corny at times, overall I enjoyed this book. If you like romantic comedy - you will enjoy Dog Day Wedding.
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Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fredrik Backman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and "Britt-Marie Was Here" is another fantastic example of why.
Britt-Marie is a character that was introduced to us in "My Grandmother asked me to Tell You She's Sorry" as a difficult woman who lived in the same building. This story starts where the last book left off for Britt-Marie.
Although many people describe her as a 'nag-bag' who does not have a sense of humor, Britt-Marie is really a very loving, yet very misunderstood woman. Britt-Marie is dealing with the challenges of marital infidelity by her longtime husband, and this motivates Britt-Marie to accept a job in the tiny forgotten town of Borg.
Britt-Marie uses her work ethic and no-nonsense approach to make her way in this very unfamiliar situation. According to Britt-Marie, baking soda can fix almost any problem. This charming story will capture your heart as you realize that there is so much more to Britt-Marie than meets the eye. Britt-Marie is able to face some of her biggest fears and she makes an indelible mark on this small town. The author has a unique style of writing that is direct, but infused with humor, warmth and feeling. I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys fiction.
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