Oct 15, 2022

Sunday Salon: The New Person by Loretta Nyhan

 A five star review: 


The New Person: A Novel by Loretta Nyhan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publication: November 29, 2022; Lake Union Publishing
Genre: women's fiction, family drama, contemporary fiction

Single mother Roxy, desperate for money to fight for joint custody of her child, becomes a surrogate for Owen and Nora, after their former surrogate suffered a miscarriage and was unable to carry their biological child to term. 

The novel focuses on these three individuals - surrogate and would be parents - their hopes, their conflicts, and their total dependence on one other for the desired outcome. 

The supporting characters in the story, Roxy's nine-year-old son, Aero; her ex Caleb and his media loving wife Liv; and a new friend and romantic interest for Roxy fill out the story in interesting and unusual ways.

I liked that the ending is not predictable and that the three find a conclusion that brings them to a new place, making a new person of each of them.Nothing is sugar coated, and I liked the realism as well as the compassion that went into the exploration of this subject matter - surrogates and the couples who rely on them.


In my mailbox:


Death on a Winter Stroll

(A Merry Folger Nantucket Mystery #7)


In this new mystery from Francine Mathews, Nantucket detective Merry Folger must face her toughest adversaries yet when wannabe Hollywood stars take over the island in the midst of quarantine.

Chief among Nantucket Island’s cherished traditions is Winter Stroll, when evergreen trees line Main Street and tourists and islanders share the spirit of the season in shops and restaurants gilded with firelight. This year, however, is different—the pandemic still threatens the lives of everyone determined to spend a long weekend thirty miles out at sea, with the closest ICU a helicopter flight away. (publisher)

Currently reading:



Ways to Die in Tokyo

by 
For years Hank Fisher has chased his dream of becoming a mixed martial arts champion. Now he's on a losing streak in his adopted home of Tokyo, Japan, and realizing maybe the dream was never meant to be.

Broke, divorced, and alone, he hasn't seen his ex-wife and twin sons in two years and has no idea where they are. He also finds himself on the run from ruthless gangsters. (publisher)

Also reading:


I Spy China: Irreverent Insights from an Ex-Expat

Called "laugh out loud funny, touching, sometimes stomach-churning," by reviewers, this genre-bending book reveals what it was like to live in a big, smoggy, industrial town in China before the twin plagues of Trump and COVID-19. (goodreads)

I'm eager to see what it's like to be an expat in a country where you don't know the language, are unfamiliar with the place, but approach the experience with a good sense of humor.

What are you reading this week?

 
Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated BookreviewerAlso,  It's Monday: What Are You Readingand Sunday SalonStacking the ShelvesMailbox Monday

57 comments:

  1. A great mix of books!

    Have a great weekend!

    Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
    My post:
    https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/15/stacking-the-shelves-28/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh The New Person sounds really interesting

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a cool mix of books. The New Person sounds heavy, but really intriguing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a fun and interesting group of books. I'm especially interested in the mysteries which (if you saw my book post a few back, you know are always favorites!). Thanks also for coming by The Marmelade Gypsy -- I'm only a couple of hours from Toledo in Lansing and we're starting to get some of the terrific up-north color down here, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Took a color ride today and enjoyed the colors on the roadside.

      Delete
  5. Death On a Winter Stroll looks so good! I totally want to read that one. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does sound intriguing, especially set in Nantucket.

      Delete
  6. The mystery on Nantucket sounds pretty good, and I think the expat book about China does too. I had some relatives live in China for a while- such a fascinating country!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bet the relative have some interesting stories!

      Delete
  7. Interesting assortment of books. The New Person sounds really good. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The New Person has some intriguing themes going. I wonder how everything can be resolved.

    Ways to Die in Tokyo would keep me on the edge of my seat. It's been a long time since I've read an action story like that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What an interesting mix of books you have this week!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You have a nice selection of books! I like the look of The New Person

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's an enlightening one on surrogacy, Wendy.

      Delete
  11. I also like books set around the world, especially if they're culturally relevant as well. Though sometimes they suffer from translation issues. Have a great week & enjoy your books!
    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys - see my week:
    https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/sunday-post-20

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ooh, the first one sounds like it could have some heavy emotional aspects between miscarriages and surrogate mothers. Your other books look good as well. Enjoy them all and thanks for visiting my weekly post on Lisa Loves Literature earlier!

    ReplyDelete
  13. OMG! I need to read that last book just for the sheer description of Trump being US president as a plague. I hate him soooo much, lol. Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  14. So great to see that you found a five star book! I'm going to have to add it to my tbr.
    Great reviews!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You have a really nice, diverse set of reads. I like a lot of genres myself.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Boring to read the same kinds of books all the time, I agree.

      Delete
  16. Good for you. Some serious topics there.

    ReplyDelete
  17. You have such a good selection Of reads. The New Person is one I would particularly like to read

    ReplyDelete
  18. I will have to add The New Person to my TBR, it sounds so good. Happy reading.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Enjoy your books this week, Death on a Winter Stroll caught my eye.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nice looking assortment of books. So many look interesting. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Death on a Winter Stroll sounds good. Interesting that they incorporated the pandemic!

    ReplyDelete
  22. All these books sound fascinating, especially Death on a Winter Stroll. Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog today.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A nice mix of titles.

    I hope they all are great reads. Have a lovely week.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yeah the China book looks like it would be interesting. Hopefully the author wasn't caught in all those forced lockdowns over there! Happy reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm still in the first part of the book, so we will see....

      Delete
  25. The author Francine Mathews rings a bell; now I need to see what else she has written. Lots of new to me book titles in this post. I love when that happens.

    ReplyDelete
  26. That's a great variety of books you've there! I Spy China sounds like an interesting read.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The New Person sounds good. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Nice mix. I love the cover of Death on a Winter Stroll. I hope you like it. Happy Reading!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I wonder what will happen in New Person!

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

Han Kang: Nobel Prize in Literature 2024: The Vegetarian and Other Works

  The Nobel Prize in Literature 2024 is awarded to South Korean author  Han Kang   "for her intense poetic prose that confronts histori...