Happy Saturday, friends!
I hope your weekend is off to the BEST start. Thank you so so much for “meeting” here with us today.
Grab your coffee, comfy blanket (turn the A/C down if you’re in Texas), and settle in…it’s BOOK CLUB DAY!
This is just one of my most favorite blog posts each month 🙂 .
Okay, just to recap before we begin…
Here are the books we discussed in 2024 along with my own personal “star ratings”…
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey 4 STARS
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon 5 STARS
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins 3 STARS
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin 3 STARS
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth 4 STARS
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl 2 STARS
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand 3 STARS
Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams 3 STARS
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult 4 STARS
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker 4 STARS
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout 2 STARS
And so far in 2025, we’ve discussed:
In January: The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry 5 STARS
In February: Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shields 2 STARS
In March: The Crash by Freida McFadden 3 STARS
In April: One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter 5 STARS
In May: All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett 3 STARS
In June: Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein 2 STARS
In July: My Friends by Fredrik Backman 5 STARS
If you want to check out any of these Book Club posts, they are all HERE!
Before we get to today’s book, let’s revisit the “rules” of Shay’s Book Club:
Here are the details:
1: On the 22nd of each month, I will share a BONUS blog post that is only about the book we read together that month. So, if it falls on a weekend, look for it that day, if it falls on a Tuesday, expect a food post, a normal lifestyle post AND third post just for the book review discussion.
2: I picked the 22nd because I want this post to come out BEFORE our normal monthly BOOK REVIEW POSTS. I will still share my normal monthly book reviews (where I average 4 to 6 books a month) at the end of each month. I will reference said “book of the month”, but I will not be reviewing it on that post, I will be linking back to the BOOK CLUB POST. Why? Because I want all of the content about the one specific book club book in one spot instead of spread out over multiple spots.
3: Each month at the end of the Book Club blog post, I will share what the book will be for the following month. This will give everyone one month to read this one particular book.
4: Let’s be real, I’m going to try to pick new/popular/relevant books every month, but I’m also going to pick books that speak to me. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share them with me. I’m going to *try* and make the books different genres each month. I would love for us to read a variety of fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, chick lit, thrillers, etc this year. That’s the *goal*.
5: What are the rules of the book club? I know a lot of book clubs have rules and perhaps I’ll add some as we go, but basically, if you want to read along with us, we’d love to have you and on the 22nd we’ll dive a little deeper in the comment section here about that one particular book. Easy as that! That post is the one place where we’ll discuss the book so that all thoughts/opinions/questions/etc can be in one location.
6: In this blog post and in the comment section, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING SPOILERS. If you are interested in reading this book, you might not want to read below this line. In AUGUST’S BOOK REVIEW later this month, I will give a quick recap and let you know if I recommend the book or not, so if you haven’t read it, you might want to wait until that official BOOK REVIEW because there will be no spoilers and based on that, you can decide whether or not to read the book. Anything below this though will include spoilers as everyone commenting here has already read the book.
Make sense?
Here we go!
This month’s novel was…
…The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani.
Ladies, I really enjoyed this one!
This was my first book by Trigiani, and it certainly makes me want to read more from her in the future.
This novel was charming and cozy while also being a little meaty. I thought the characters were all developed and had substance behind each and every one. The plot moved quickly but not in a predictable/cliché kind of way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Okay, I have a few little notes:
1: I really liked Jess. I liked her character development as she was trying to “find herself”. I liked her passion for her craft. I thought each of her relationships (Uncle Louie, Aunt Lil, Angelo’s mom, etc) were thoughtful and unique.
2: I thought the juxtaposition of the two Lake Comos was clever. I had never heard of Lake Como, NJ which led me down a Google rabbit hole as I wanted to learn more about the setting of this novel.
3: I was not expecting the Uncle Louie layer and his Elegant Gangster business. I loved that Jess did not wear a wire to trap Googs into saying more about it and spend even more time in prison.
4: I thought the relationships between Jess and her new Italian friends was very sweet. I especially liked the slow development of her relationship with Angelo.
5: I did think that the funeral scene for Aunt Lil was a little unbelievable. First of all, that eulogy was way too long. I could not believe how long that eulogy was as I was reading it. That part could have been edited quite a bit. I also wasn’t sure about Angelo and Louie’s son walking in during it. That whole scene was too long, too complicated, and too unbelievable. That’s the only part I wish the author would have reworked.
6: The ending was perfect! I like a nice happy ending, and this novel delivered.
I read a lot of chick lit, and if I’m being honest, most of them are enjoyable while I’m reading them but forgettable in the long run. This one is an exception to that rule.
Solid book. I am very happy that I read it this month.
Okay, coming up next…
…Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
I was very hesitant to make this one a book club pick since I know many of you have already enjoyed it (even though it was just published in March!). That being said, I went ahead and selected it because I have heard this one will make an EXCELLENT discussion for us. If you are like me and haven’t read it yet, let’s do it in September!
Don’t forget, if you want to stay current on all of the books I’m reading in 2025, THIS PAGE HERE is where I keep the books, authors and reviews each month.
Okay, please head to the comment section to share your thoughts on today’s Book Club pick today!
I am very curious to see who else enjoyed this book.
Have the best weekend, friends! I’ll see you on Monday! xx
Heather D. Henderson says
I wasn’t too sure about this book. I started to like it more towards the end. It seemed like the author couldn’t decide between being a meaty book or chick lit. When the back and forth stopped, I started to get more into it. I’d give it 3 stars.
Laura says
I gave the book 3.5 stars. I really liked Jess and the secondary characters, particularly the NJ ones. I just struggled with the relationship with Angelo. I felt boring and lacking chemistry to me. Overall, I enjoyed it and it felt way better written than a lot of the chick lit out there…I’m talking to you Maine Characters!
Kelly Sites says
Yay for Broken Country- one of my favorite books of the year so far. You will love it, I think.
Jennifer says
Book club day & book review day are my two favorite days of the month! I just finished this one and enjoyed it. It was my second book to read by this author. The other was Tony’s Wife and I enjoyed it as well. Happy reading!
Katrina Goodman says
I just read Broken Country last weekend in one day!! It was a very quick read, and I did cry at the end—but it is a love-hate relationship with book! 😆 I have been telling my coworkers to read it, so I have someone to talk to it about!!
Elspeth Mizner says
I always love your recommendations!! Can’t wait to read more!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Cindi says
This book brought back so many memories of growing up in my big, beautiful Italian-American family. The treasured traditions, the food, the dialogue, the various relationships and the importance of family resonated with me so much! I especially enjoyed Jess’ time in Italy and her feeling of belonging, as that’s exactly how I felt when I was there, too. And I so love a happy ending, too. Loved this book!
Kara says
I loved the Shoemaker’s Wife by her too! So great on audio!
Debbie Dehrer says
One of my favorites!
Roberta Schwandner says
Adriana is good. I have read several of her books and I will read this one. I really enjoy her books.
Mary Chesher says
I love your posts and wanted to share a book, Theo of Golden. My book club loved it as did many other friends in other book clubs. It’s soooo good and heartwarming with an ending you can’t miss! You won’t be sorry you will be enriched – my friends say it’s life changing!
Alyssa says
I agree! Theo of Golden might be my favorite book of 2025!
Stephanie Harris says
Yes! So endearing.
Kaley says
Yes! It is SO good! My pastor even referenced it during his sermon on Sunday talking about being kind to everyone and welcoming strangers. My book club also read and loved it.
The author has a really cool story in that Theo of Golden was self-published on Amazon and has now gained so much traction that he’s doing book tours and things 2 years after the book came out (which is unheard of in the book world). It’s just such a gem of a book!
Deb says
I’ve read several of her books and have enjoyed all of them including this one. The way Jess’s parents treated her infuriated me! I enjoyed watching her grow into herself and be the strong female character Trigiani usually has. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hope says
I love Adriana’s books. One of her early ones Big Stone Gap was a good one. It takes place about 4 hours from where I live.
Carol says
Nothing about the Book Club—but ………Please say that you are going to do Saturday post this fall. Made the Maple French Toast Casserole(added some pumpkin spice because why not)- lit a pumpkin candle and reading your book review. Have a Great weekend!
Mix and Match Mama says
I am!!! They’re coming back on September 6th!!
Tiffany says
Great choice for next month. I loved Broken Country. Will def tune in for this discussion.
Kelly says
I LOVED Broken Country! I can’t wait to see what you think. ☺️
Jennifer says
I enjoyed this book. However, I had a difficult time not comparing to the author’s previous novels. If you liked this book, you will love her early novels!
Debbie Dehrer says
This one fell flat for me. I love Trigiani’s writing and have read most of her other books. I felt like there was little chemistry between Jess and Angelo and their relationship was a matter of convenience. I did really love Uncle Louie though.
The Shoemaker’s Wife or The Big Stone Gap series are excellent Trigiani reads. There is a movie of Big Stone Gap with Ashley Judd in it. I think this one was not as good for me because I had such high expectations.
Stacy says
The writing of this book was beautiful but I had read one of my favorite summer books right before reading this one and it fell a little flat for me 3⭐️. I loved broken country !
These summer storms was also a favorite it kind of gave me Elin Hilderbrand feeling while also being totally different !
Robin says
I’m a fan of Trigiani’s books overall . I really enjoyed this one and especially the big NJ Italian family . I liked Jess and especially her relationship with Uncle Louie . I really wanted to know more and see for that part to last longer , but I know the storyline had to move on . I too had a problem with how Jess’s parents treated her . I did like seeing her evolve and find happiness in Italy. 4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Becky says
I went back and forth between a 3 and 4 out of 5 for this book. My favorite parts were the stories and interactions between Jess and her family, family dinners and holidays. It reminded me of my Polish family and my husband’s Italian family. Otherwise, some parts I felt moved slow. I also wasn’t sure how I felt about Angelo. I already read Broken Country and enjoyed it!
Bethany says
Broken Country was one of my beach reads this summer!😎
Laura says
I love this author. I think I’ve read all her books. The thing I think she does best is writing about family relationships. I wasn’t that taken with some of her characters but I loved the big Italian family and how they interacted with each other.
Yolanda McLean says
I’d rate this one four stars. I have worked in homebuilding for 20 years and I found the information on the stone quarry to be fascinating. I loved her and her Uncle’s relationship. I enjoyed most of the family dynamics. I can agree that her and Angelo seemed forced. I love how she found herself in Italy with all the delightful people who just embraced her.
I have already read next months book. I’ll watch for everyone’s thoughts.
Dana J says
I loved Broken Country!! Excited to hear your thoughts on it and join the discussion!!
Anne S says
Enjoyed this book; thank you for recommending it! I’d waver between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoyed the characters and story, but some things felt just a little forced or formulaic to me I’d probably look for and read another book by this author, though.
Alexandra Meadows says
Her book, “The Shoemaker’s Wife” is sooooo good! I read it a few years ago when I was vacationing in Northern Italy near Asti, which is coincidentally very close to where the book is set, so it made my trip and reading experience that much richer.