Bonus: The Secret to Hummingbird Cake

Thomas Nelson

The Secret to Hummingbird Cake
Celeste Fletcher McHale
2016

The Summary
"When all else fails, turn to the divine taste of hummingbird cake.

"In the South you always say "yes, ma'am" and "no, ma'am."  You know everybody's business.  Football is a lifestyle not a pastime.  Food--especially desert--is almost a religious experience.  And you protect your friends as fiercely as you protect your family--even if the threat is something you cannot see.

"In this spot-on Southern novel brimming with wit and authenticity, you'll laugh alongside lifelong friends, navigate the sometimes rocky path of marriage, and roll through the outrageous curveballs that life sometimes throws...from devastating pain to absolute joy.  And if you're lucky, you just may discover the secret to hummingbird cake along the way."

The Good
This novel was pretty incredible.  Yes, it felt a little clunky, a little heavy-handed and awkward, but, as first novels go, it was a decent novel with interesting characters and a poignant story that made me tear up a little.  (Okay, a lot.)  It's not as refined as I might have liked and Carrigan has a lot of flaws, which sometimes makes her a story a little difficult to stomach, but, overall, I enjoyed it.

Touching, funny and sweet, The Secret to Hummingbird Cake is laced with tragedy but it doesn't propel the story.  It's real life bundled into a book:  sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes wonderful, but ultimately a lovely representation of human foibles and follies and feelings.

While I can't say I enjoyed it as much as Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells or Linda Francis Lee's Glass Kitchen, The Secret to Hummingbird Cake taps the same vein of real-life magic and southern charm that I liked.  Without letting too much of the plot slip, it made me happy, sad, frustrated, ecstatic--the whole spectrum of emotions that comes when you get to know people and grow to love them.

I have friends like Carrigan and Ella Rae--tough, mouthy, but ultimately sweet and doggedly loyal when called to the fray--and I hope to someday befriend someone exactly like Laine, who does the right thing and takes care of her friends and stands up for those who need help.  Heck, I hope to someday be like Laine.  She's a beautiful person, and I couldn't help wishing the world had more people like her.

The Bad
As I pointed out, The Secret to Hummingbird Cake does feel a little awkward.  It's a debut novel, so it felt like the narrative sometimes wavered or grew weak.  Sometimes, it grew saccharine sweet; sometimes, I just couldn't quite believe it.  Overall, it's a wonderful, romantic novel on real life, but it does endure some of the pitfalls of an early novel.

The Ugly
Full disclosure:  I cried at the end of this book.

I don't want to give anything away, because it's worth reading this book to find out what happens to Laine, Carrigan, and Ella Rae, what turmoil they face as they endure the biggest journey of their lives.  But I will admit that it hit way to close to home, and I couldn't help breaking down to cry.

Happy New Year: Read Harder Challenge 2016

Since I completed my Read Harder Challenge of 2016 and filled in all the categories recommended by BookRiot, I created some of my own unique categories.  As part of my continued challenge, I've decided to:

1. Read a book by or about a librarian (or about a library)
2. Read a medical book (fiction or nonfiction)
3. Listen to an audiobook romance
4. Read a brand new, recently published book (anything from 2016)
5. Read a spin-off from a classic novel and/or fairy tale
6. Read a book about cake (fiction or nonfiction)
7. Read a fantasy book featuring dragons

Gotham Books

I thought it might prove fun to dive into some new books I might not otherwise find.  Some are based on recommendations from co-workers, while others are based on books from my TBR pile--and still others are just ideas that seemed like fun.  And with the countdown to the New Year on, I can't wait to tell you all about the books I've read, starting with a book by (and about) a librarian:  The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne.

If you've never read Josh Hanagarne I highly recommend his memoir.  It's funny, it's candid, it's insightful, and, ultimately, it's uplifting.  Although Hanagarne does discuss religion, his main focus is his family, his battle with Tourette's, his struggles with infertility, and his general love of the library and all things literary.  It's enjoyable to see his passion for his family, his books, and his weightlifting come to the forefront as he learns to balance all the different aspects of his life.  Overall, it's a pretty great read.

Next, I read (or, rather, listened to) a medical book--a historical medical drama, fyi--by Tessa Harris:  The Anatomist's Apprentice.  Narrated by  Simon Vance, The Anatomist's Apprentice was an interesting deviation from my usual reading material.  Thomas Silkstone is a young anatomist from Philadelphia who finds himself in England about the time of the Revolutionary War, caught in the midst of a medical mystery...and a murder  It's dark, rather macabre, but it's ultimately fascinating with the sheer depth of detail and history included.  I enjoyed my time in Silkstone's world, and I found myself quickly gravitating to book number two, The Dead Shall Not Rest.

Bantam

As for listening to an audiobook romance, I decided to check out more by Sarah Addison Allen and picked up The Peach Keeper.  Now, let me give you a warning, I have read almost everything by Allen, except Lost Lake (that one is currently in my TBR), and I have loved almost everything she's written.  The Peach Keeper was no different.  I loved the characters and the complexity of their histories; I loved the little hints of every day magic she weaves into her novels; I even loved the ghost story, which is saying something, as I am not a fan of ghosts.  It was a wonderful visit back to her world, and it was so much fun recognizing an old friend.

I also picked up a brand new book just published this year, a little novel by J. Ryan Stradal called Kitchens of the Great Midwest.  Another audiobook, I know, but it was just as rewarding as any other.  Although it follows a myriad of characters, it focuses on Eva Thorvald and her life as she grows into her own--and all the foods that influenced her in the process.  That's really the simplified version; Kitchens of the Great Midwest is much more complex, much more nuanced than I make it out to be.  It's a recurring cast of characters centered around Eva, but it's quite unlike anything I've ever read.  It's wonderful, and I absolutely adored the narrators, Amy Ryan and Michael Stuhlbarg.

G.P. Putnam & Sons

Speaking of new books, I also discovered Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye, which fit nicely into my category for a spin-off novel based on a classic work or a fairy tale.  There were several options for this particular category, but I decided on Jane Steele because Jane Eyre.  I love Jane Eyre (as is probably apparent here), and I loved having the opportunity to reimagine her story not as the quiet, resolute girl who refused to give ground to anyone or relinquish her personal beliefs, but as the sharp, deadly woman with no qualms whatsoever of killing if it means protecting herself and her own.  It's fascinating the contrasts, and I came to love Jane Steele equally for her unwavering commitment to being bad.  It's a rousing good time.

Next, I decided to keep my love of food alive with a book about cake and sisterhood:  The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale.  While I will admit that I liked Garden Spells and The Glass Kitchen better, I enjoyed reading McHale's debut novel--and I absolutely loved getting to know her characters.  I liked Carrigan and I liked Ella Rae for their bravery, sass, and sheer stubborness, but I adored Laine.  She's the impetus of the story, the reason for it all, and, like Carrigan and Ella Rae, I felt an unexpected affection and wonderful kinship with her.  I enjoyed reading their story more than I thought I would.  For a debut novel, The Secret to Hummingbird Cake was pretty great.

Little, Brown Books for
Young Readers

Last but not least, I read a fantasy book featuring dragons with How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.  I picked Cowell's novel up because I fell in love with the movie of the same name; however, I was a little disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading How to Train Your Dragon.  It's fun, it's inventive, and it's a great series for young readers (I especially liked the Hairy Scary Librarian), but, unfortunately, it's not what I expected.  I made the critical mistake of judging the book in comparison to the movie--and they're two very different creatures.  How to Train Your Dragon the book is very different from How to Train Your Dragon the movie, and it's best not to go into either one with the same expectations.