A Boy and His Dog

Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow is a 2026 high school Nutmeg nominee.

Ian has been going through a tough time. His dad left him and his mom when he was young. His grandfather who was his idol died when Ian was younger. Now he’s in high school and dealing with poverty and his mom’s addiction. His grandfather’s lessons about life and land along with his own mechanical knowledge give him strength. This is when a stray dog, Gather, shows up in his life.

A hospital visit scares his mom straight for a while. Things seem to be moving in a positive direction. They both get jobs and Ian gets a girlfriend. He’s even allowed to keep his dog. But once they get a bill for back taxes on their house and property, Ian’s mom spirals and overdoses.

Now Ian is about to be shuffled to his dad in Tennessee, forcing him to leave his home and the community he is so attached to.

He decides not to move to his dad and starts making his way back home, just him and Gather. They survive on the run until he can reach out to those in his community, his teacher and neighbors, for help.

This was a story with a strong message about community and kindness. The author did a good job with Ian’s narration; however the plot moved a bit slowly for me during the second third of the book.

Lifetime of Letters

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a narrative built through only letters to and from the main character – a retired legal assistant named Sybil.

Sybil is a unique character. She is bold in her letters and creates many meaningful relationships through them. She writes to family (her adopted brother, her son and daughter) friends, and also a friend’s son who is very troubled, an employer at a DNA lab, several authors, and a college dean (to name some).

Sone major events in Sybil’s life are understood. Most significant is the loss of her middle child, Gilbert. She also discovers that she has a sister after doing a DNA test. She receives hateful letters from someone known to her during her days in court. She is also experiencing vision loss. These life events are all explained through letters throughout the book.

I really appreciated Sybil’s character. She is strong, smart and also vulnerable. This is definitely a book I would like to read again (despite some character confusion in the beginning) as there are so many meaningful lines throughout (and it’s a tearjerker!). It is about aging, friendship, family trauma and forgiveness.

Opera Singers

The Understudy by Morgan Richter is a murder mystery taking place in NYC.

Kit is an aspiring opera singer getting ready for her first starring role in Barbarella. Her talent is exceptional but she lacks strong stage presence and sex appeal. Her understudy, Yolanda, is overflowing with these traits. The two begin a strained relationship in which Yolanda plays deadly pranks on Kit.

However, it is Yolanda who ends up dead. She is stabbed to death while Kit is passed out in the other room.

An investigation begins. Yolanda has crossed many people so there are plenty of suspects. Kit is also an initial suspect due to her own violent past. Kit begins her own investigation which sets her on a path to figure out who Yolanda really is.

Eventually, Kit figures out the killer’s identity, all while trying to stay professional and prove herself worthy of the starring role.

Controlled

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is an autobiographical account of Jennette’s dysfunctional upbringing.

Jennette’s mom pushes her into acting at a very young age. Her Mom’s control extends over her grueling schedule, eating, bathing and basically every waking moment. The rest of her family, “father” and brothers, are uninvolved in their dynamic. Jennette follows along despite her own unhappiness. She learns to follow her mom’s requests in order to avoid her meltdowns.

Jennette eventually lands her breakout role as Sam in iCarly which later leads to a spinoff. During her fame, Jennette is stressed and battling with eating disorders, codependent relationships and a drinking problem. Her mother’s cancer relapse and death only exacerbates her mental stability through these years.

Jennette’s recovery is a long road in which she must confront her demons and come to terms with the reality of an abusive relationship with her mom.

Family Vacation

Sandwich by Catherine Newman is like reading a middle-aged woman’s diary. Had I read this ten years ago, I wouldn’t have identified. Now pushing fifty, I empathized with a lot.

Rocky is with her husband, daughter, son and his girlfriend at their cottage in the Cape for their annual summer vacation. The story takes place during the week of the trip.

It is full of the nostalgia and routines that make a family trip special. During the week, she discovers that her son’s girlfriend is pregnant. She also contemplates her own pregnancies, including two that ended in miscarriage.

Her parents visit for their usual two nights as well, which alerts the family to her mom’s health worries after she passes out at the beach.

Family dynamics are an important part of the story, but even more is the intense love and constant concern for one’s children during all ages and stages and one’s parents. All told, this is a story exploring a menopausal woman with a lot on her mind.

Into Space

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a story of adventure as well as romantic and familial love taking place during the 1980s.

Joan is a brilliant scientist and teacher. She applies to NASA and is accepted which sets her on a new and exciting path. Her goal is to be one of the first female astronauts.

Her training group includes many talented men and women. The women have additional pressure to earn their positions. Over time, Joan realizes that she has strong feelings for another woman in her training group, Vanessa.

Joan and Vanessa navigate their secret relationship. Meanwhile, Joan is also involved in caring for her niece Frances. Joan’s sister Barbara had Frances at a very young age, and is a self- absorbed mother. Joan’s role to Frances has often been a second mom.

Joan’s love for Frances was beautifully depicted. The description of love for a child as an “ache for every version…saying goodbye to the girl she used to be and falling in love again with the girl she was becoming” (68% into book) deeply resonated with my emotions around my own kids right now.

Eventually, Joan earns the opportunity to both go to space, and later to be part of Mission Control during Vanessa’s excursion. Vanessa’s mission does not go according to plan, which is the present day story throughout the book.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to and really liked Joan’s character. She is strong, smart, pure and fiercely loyal and loving.

1,059 Days

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb is a highly emotional read (spoilers ahead).

Corby is sentenced to three years in jail after backing over his two-year-old son while under the influence. The pain and horror of this moment kept me awake after reading it.

What follows is the aftermath of this tragedy. Corby’s relationship with his wife Emily is severely damaged. Once in jail, he has no contact with his remaining daughter (his deceased son’s twin sister).

Corby’s 1095 days in jail are marked by gradual friendships (bunkmate, prison librarian) and severe bullying (first bunkmate and two guards). During this time he must come to terms with his actions, his own upbringing, and figure out how to move forward.

This book was both riveting and heart wrenching. The characters (especially Corby) are so well developed. I found myself rooting for him despite his horrible mistake. Much of the advice given to him by either his first therapist and AA members is profound and pertinent to anyone going through a struggle. I really enjoyed this book’s realism albeit that it didn’t have the happy ending I hoped for.

Weathering the Storm

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is a story that focuses on nature.

Rowan washes up on the shore of Shearwater, an island near Antarctica. She is rescued by seventeen-year-old Fen, and brought to her family’s home which is a lighthouse on the island. Fen and her family are currently the only inhabitants of the island aside from the plethora of wildlife, namely seals and penguins. Fen and her brother Raff are the oldest with a much younger brother named Orly. Their dad, Dominic, is the primary keeper of the island which was being studied by scientists. It’s also home to a seed vault that protects millions of the world’s plants.

Now the island is being washed away and the family is waiting to leave. However, all means of communication were damaged so they have no way of getting help before the scheduled pick up in six weeks.

During this time, Rowan gets to know the family. She realizes they are harboring secrets, but so is she. She is there to find her missing husband, the head researcher. Over time, Rowan builds a relationship with each member of the Salt family.

I enjoyed this story. It’s a beautiful portrayal of nature’s beauty, power and resilience which parallels the traits observed in the characters.

Family Algorithm

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is my favorite read so far this summer.

It explores family dynamics after a fatal crash in which an elderly couple dies. The survivors are a family of five, including parents Lorelei, Noah and their three children, Charlie, Alice and Izzy. Charlie is behind the wheel of their autonomous vehicle when the crash occurs.

The aftermath of the crash is the crux of the book as each character struggles with their own guilt and recovery. Added to this is the potential for Charlie to be charged with vehicular manslaughter which would derail his plans to play lacrosse in college.

The family travels to a lake house they’ve used in the past to continue healing. However, this setting begins new drama and a slow revelation of secrets.

The story is told from the husband, Noah’s, point of view, with excerpts from his wife’s publication about AI, and texts between Alice and her bot friend. I really liked the wife’s character in this book and identified with some of her traits. She shows a compelling mixture of strength and vulnerability.

“Family is an algorithm” is a statement repeated through the book. I love this idea as it speaks to the different ways that our actions can have repercussions. The family dynamics, the moral implications, and the AI as a pervasive entity throughout made this book extremely timely and thoroughly interesting.

Opposing Views

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a twisty tale.

Grady is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. He is an author struggling with the disappearance of his wife Abby one year prior. He hasn’t been able to write since that night, and is slowly losing everything.

Then, his publisher (also his wife’s godmother) offers him a secluded cabin on the island of Amberly in Scotland. He is expected to use this time to write his next book.

While on island, he sees glimpses of his missing wife, experiences extreme paranoia about the residents and encounters an unknown intruder who leaves behind his wife’s former news articles.

Grady ends up writing a novel which he based on a stolen manuscript from the cabin’s former writer in residence. Afterward he realizes that he may be stuck on the island for good.

The story jumps between his view and Abby’s with each chapter’s title offering another oxymoron. The tragic history of the island is revealed in the end, and Grady will play a part in continuing its strange existence.