Summer is in full swing and I am crashing through a TBR pile that never seems to get smaller. I’m a little bit like Snoopy sitting on top of his dog house, munching on his pile of bones. As much as I read, the supply of books keeps replenishing and that’s just fine with me. As long as I have a cool, quiet place, and a glass of iced tea, I am happy!
Now listen, no shame to all the people who enjoy audiobooks, but I will forever be a physical copy girl. I need something multi-sensory to read. The weight of the spine in my hand, the smell of the paper, the act of turning the page…it all matters to me. And summer requires the perfect paperback to toss in my bag and read poolside, while waiting for an appointment, or enjoying a salad and lemonade at Panera all alone. This summer, I have found one that I will probably revisit EVERY summer from now on.
One of my absolute favorite authors is Julie Murphy. She writes fiction that normalizes bigger bodies, queer voices, and people who don’t often see themselves written about positively in the book world. Her characters are strong, funny, and full of love and life. I fell in love with the Dumplin’ series and Let Them Stare (the book she co-authored with Jonathan Van Ness) then hung on for the ride. Basically, if a book has Julie Murphy’s name on it, I know I will love it!
Julie’s latest book, Vera Stein Is Fine, actually might be my favorite book she has ever written. It took my emotions for a ride in its equal parts sweet, spicy, hilarious, and bittersweet story. I loved the Palm Springs setting (Mid-Century design and caftans have completely stolen my heart) and its strangely wonderful cast of characters (I need a Leonard in my life!).
The main character, Vera, is a plus sized woman in her forties who unexpectedly finds herself starting over. She packs her things and drops in on her grandmother, Ruby, who lives at Starlight Palms…a Palm Springs retirement village for actors and Hollywood “somebodies” of days long ago. The village’s residents are of some of the quirkiest octogenarians you will ever meet, ready to live out their Golden Years in a place of leisure and free love.
Vera feels washed up and broken and has nowhere to go, but Ruby is NOT keen on housing her grown granddaughter for the long term. While Vera mopes around and tries to figure out what to do next, things take a crazy turn. It just so happens that her secret ex-husband, Eli, is the resident doctor at Starlight Palms. Ummm…unexpected! One thing leads to another and Vera ends up securing a job as the activities director at Starlight Palms and sharing a home with Eli to get herself back on her feet. As the story unfolds, Vera goes on an unexpected summer journey of self-discovery. Through a series of events, she learns important lessons from the relationships she forms with the residents. She starts to figure out what she really wants out of life. And most importantly, she realizes that love may not have passed her by after all.
Vera Stein Is Fine really is a charming book, well worth the read. I don’t re-read books often, but I fell in love with the characters so much in this one. It will be a summer classic that I’ll revisit every couple of years, lounging by the pool in my caftan with a boozy drink!
Forty Fat and Fabulous 