Contemporary Fiction

This book is magic! It's lyrical, it's unexpected and I loved this trip to Wisconsin and the moon!

Bestselling novelist Vaughn Orr has taken a sabbatical. He has writer's block and decides to head to Wisconsin to connect with nature and hopefully find a subject matter that will inspire him.

He runs out of gas on a rural road and meets the Mays family. They are eccentric but welcoming and Vaughn cannot help but be drawn in. The eldest daughter Riley seems to have some darkness in her that attracts Vaughn, as he has his own demons.

Vaughn wants to remain with them forever, but is afraid that his darkness will destroy the fragile magic that exists in this rural place. After an incident occurs that threatens to do just that, Vaughn leaves. Has Vaughn destroyed the Mays family? Will the family's magic heal Vaughn? Will Vaughn return to Wisconsin? What past events in both Riley and Vaughn's lives are making them act in a certain way?

The answers to the questions and the culmination of all the storylines was near perfection. Loved it.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Riley was orphaned at 11 and moved to Wisconsin to live with her cousins. Now, 10 years later, she's obsessed with the moon but beginning to question her future, Vaughn, a writer with writers block, runs out of gas near Riley's home. He's got his own traumatic past and a lot of guilt. No spoilers from me. It's a different sort of story about two people learning to forgive both themselves and others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Oceanography of the Moon is another mesmerizing novel by Glendy Vanderah. I love how each of Glendy’s books stay true to her theme of a love of nature (and you learn something - this time about fossils, moths, and the moon) and a little magic along with really special relationships between the characters.

Following the deaths of Riley’s aunt and mother, she was taken in by her cousins on a farm in Wisconsin. Riley was extremely close to her Aunt Julia and very broken after these losses, blaming herself in some capacity for their deaths. 10 years later, best-selling author Vaughn Orr runs out of gas and finds himself at her family’s farm where there is an immediate connection between them. Both in a dark place trying to hide life altering secrets. Both struggling with grief and guilt. Will Riley and Vaughn be able to make amends with their troubled pasts or will guilt and trauma be too much for them to conquer?

Thank you #NetGalley, Glendy Vanderah, and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of #TheOceanographyoftheMoon in exchange for an honest review.

Phenomenal. From the writing to the characters, the pacing to the plot, I loved everything about this book and inhaled it in a 24 hour period because I simply could not put it down.

Living in Chicago, at the age of 11, Riley Mays is orphaned and goes to live with cousins she doesn’t know in Wisconsin. Sachi, an artist, and Alec, a lepidopterist (yes I had to look that up), take her in and become her beautiful family. Traumatized and holding onto secrets, she paints the walls of her bedroom full of images of the moon that she and her loving Aunt used to enjoy learning about. She struggles to come out of her shell until her baby “brother” Kiran is born.

Now 21, Riley is trying to figure out her life. Kiran has been home schooled since first grade when he decided he wanted to go by the pronoun of “he” but preferred wearing dresses that got him bullied and taunted at school. While Riley exists by partially living on the moon, Kiran lives among the clock gears and fossils he collects in his own magical realm.

Living on acres of open farmland is therapeutic as is her eclectic and loving family, but one day famous author Vaughn Orr shows up on their porch having run out of gas and needing assistance. Vaughn has his own history of trauma and secrets and as the intersection of their lives unravels you will be pulled into the vortex of twists and turns no reader will see coming.

Thank you NetGalley for this incredible arc. Pub date is 3/23 so keep your eyes out for this stunner. It’s the kind of book that will make you think and feel and when it’s final pages turn, leave you in an absolute book hangover.

This book was a slower read, although I did start to consume it faster as I became more invested what happened to the characters. In this book we follow Riley and Vaughn. Both have a troubled childhood which they are essentially hiding from. We watch them as they heal and deal with the trauma of their past. There were definitely a few twists I didn't see coming. This book is dual perspective, which really allows the reader to empathize with both Riley and Vaughn.

At first I was a little leery of the direction the story was taking and some elements which came up, but overall I enjoyed the story. I realized after reading that this is the same author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars, which I had read in January of 2021. Both books were incredibly unique and I can see the similarities. Although I think I enjoyed this one more. For me I think this book beautifully illustrated how hiding from our pasts leaves us lost, alone and armored. Until we shed the armor we will never be able to find joy and true peace.

Glendy does it again! Another story that kept me wanting more, turning page after page. I love how unique her stories are. However, the excitement in the last little bit of the story seemed a little unnecessarily
rushed for me (which is why I subtracted a star). Overall, another truly great read!

This story will stay with you long after you are done reading. I have enjoyed all of Glendy Vanderah's novels and this one was no exception. It's both beautiful and heartbreaking at times. As Kieran and Riley might say, it's magic.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I gave one look at ‘The Oceanography of the Moon’ and decided I had to read it, the title alone drew me in, it intrigued me. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t stop! Vanderah is not an author I had come across before, but I can safely say that after this I will definitely be checking out some of her other work. She captures your interest immediately with this beautiful moment of grief where Riley can’t let go of her aunt just yet.

Riley Mays is the one we meet first; she has lost her aunt and her mother and is now living with her cousins. In amongst their world of casual magic and intricate connection to the world around them. There is a beautiful moment to do with Alec and his moths that I will leave you to discover for yourself and hope you feel the same comfort that I do. In the next chapter we meet Vaughn Orr, an author who is struggling from writer’s block (I know how you feel, Vaughn!) and has decided to leave New York to travel to Wisconsin, where he runs into Riley and her family.

The two are drawn to each other by their darkness and shared feelings of guilt, grief, and pain. Similar but different. In fact, similar but different is a perfect way to sum up their relationship. There is light. There is darkness. There is the moon. Both have secrets that eat away at them, and both are somewhat scared by what proximity to the other will do to them.

Although I will admit that at times, I wasn’t sure about Riley and her turbulent relationship with Vaughn (I much preferred Alec and Sachi) I still stuck around and was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns. Everything seemed to click into place all at once. I was slightly concerned that I wouldn’t finish the book after the first couple of chapters, but I stuck with it and I am so happy I did.

I am a sucker for dual perspectives and so I absolutely loved the flipping between Riley and Vaughn, getting to see both sides of the story and reading through their complicated thoughts about the other. I thought I knew everything and that I knew exactly where this story was going but Glendy Vanderah once again caught me off guard and dragged everything in a different direction.
A slow start but an enjoyable read – 4 stars.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and Net Galley for the ARC.

Glendy Vanderah is in my Top Ten Favourite Authors list. I absolutely loved <u>Where the Forest Meets the Stars </u> and <u>The Light Through the Leaves </u>. Those were very memorable reading experiences for me.

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As I read <u>The Oceanography of the Moon</u>, I began to suspect that this was a "prequel" - one of Vanderah's earliest attempts at writing a novel. Sure enough, when I turned the last page on my ereader, Glendy Vanderah, in her Acknowledgment, thanked her agent for supporting her decision to dust some cobwebs off the original manuscript for this story.

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Riley and Vaughan's story was the stuff of "magic" - as if the Universe, and all the players in their respective worlds, conspired or served to unite these two very damaged young people.

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Aunt Julia was my favourite character: Julia was the fulcrum - the ghost in the machine of the entire workings of this novel. She was, by far, the least complicated, "live out loud" personality in this entire heartrending drama. (That horrifying twist at the end had me shaking my head in sorrow.)

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Without Aunt Julia, Riley and Vaughan would never have found their way to one another, nor would they have had the tools to deal with the traumas of their past, find it in themselves to forgive the "unforgivable" and move on to redemption, love and unconditional acceptance.

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To say any more about this story would unleash all kinds of spoilers. I encourage you to experience what was undoubtedly (for me) one of this author's earlier promising works and to discover for yourself the origins of Glendy Vanderah's amazing talent for weaving words that fall into your mind and heart like stars from the heavens.

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I'm rating this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars: it was intriguing to me to be able to trace this author's future promise from this early effort. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Where the Forest Meets the Stars and now having read The Oceanography of the Moon, I'm definitely a Glendy Vanderah fan. I thought I knew where this story was going, where the relationships were going. But, luckily I didn't have it completely figured out! About halfway through the book, I decided I needed to finish it as quickly as possible. I couldn't put it down until I knew Vaughn's and Riley's secrets. I love how nature is always a central character in Glendy's books. I always want to go for a walk among the trees after reading her novels.

When I first started Oceanography of the Moon by Glendy Vanderah I needed to lean on an old rule suggested by my dad when I was a kid. Give it four chapters before I set it down for good. This book had a slow, and confusing start. I'm glad I stuck it through because by the fourth chapter I was pulled in.

This story features Vaughn, a young author struggling with writer's block after lots of early and quick success. He travels to Wisconsin and meets a lovely family by chance, and finding a strong connection to one member of that family in particular... Riley. Riley and Vaughn both have troubled pasts that make connection difficult, and Glendy Vanderah beautifully unpacks their trauma making everything that I found confusing at the beginning fit in neatly.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. It was very much a relaxing and thoughtful read. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

The Oceanography of the Moon tells the story of a girl named Riley who lives out in the country and how her life intersects with Vaughn Orr, a famous writer from the city. It was such a beautiful story - I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read another one of Vanderah's books.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Glenda Vanderbilt you are a BRILLIANT writer. The oceanography of the Moon has now moved ahead of many of my all time favorite books. I won’t be able to do a review justice.

The magic I felt reading this book is truly special. I could not stop reading but wanted to stop because I did not want it to end.

The Oceanography of the Moon is mesmerizing, heartfelt, filled with characters you want to heal with your touch. Riley and Vaughn have debilitating secrets that they need to unburden, but doing so could ruin their lives. You feel their pain, you feel their love, you feel their healing, you feel their bond to nature and magic.

This book requires you to have a box of Kleenex at your side, and a whole day set aside to read it. It will stay with you for a long time. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be out March 22, 2022

When I saw this book I immediately requested it because I loved the previous two titles by Vanderah, When the Forest Meets the Stars and The Light Through the Leaves. Ms. Vanderah has worked as an endangered bird specialist and studies butterflies, birds, and flowers presently. The love of her work and her concern for the Earth is apparent in all her books.There is a similar vein that runs through all her books and that is: love of nature, climate change, entomology, very quirky characters, and a touch of magical realism. Her writing is quite descriptive and some of the passages are beautiful to read.

Unfortunately, whether to blame it on my mood (I'm a big mood reader) or that the style of her writing no longer excites me as much, I can't say. This is a wonderful book but it didn't meet my expectations this time around. I predicted what was going to unfold later in the story and there were one too many coincidences. The character of Vaughn was just too annoying for me to become invested in his outcome. I agree with the message of save the Earth that is imparted here, but maybe it's a bit heavy-handed.

My favorite title is When the Forest Meets the Stars and I highly recommend it. One of my favorite books of last year! I actually recommend all her books because I think because they will be quite enjoyable for the correct audience. If this sounds like you, jot down this author. The pub. date is 3/22/22. My guess is that it was the actual plot of this book and not the talent that brought my rating down. 3.25/5

Glendy Vanderah is a fantastic writer and The Oceanography of the Moon is no different. Her latest is moving and emotional and I truly enjoyed this book.

Glendy's debut novel Where the Forest Meets the Stars was one of my favorite reads of 2019 and has been on my radar ever since. I absolutely love the cover of The Oceanography of the Moon and I think it fits the story pretty well. I had no idea what to expect when I started this book but was pleasantly surprised with the direction it went. The main characters Riley and Vaughn are complex characters and I enjoyed getting to know them better throughout the book. I love that the author takes the time to set a premise and I especially enjoyed how she incorporated the moon and nature into the story.

Riley and Vaughn are both dealing with demons and secrets from their past. When they first meet there is an attraction and most likely it is because they recognize something familiar in each other. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed. Their journey wasn't easy and my heart broke for both of them. I was really rooting for them and couldn't wait to see how the story would develop and what secrets would come to light. Another reason why I loved this book was because of the super amazing and unique side characters. Riley's family was such a huge support system and they really elevated the story in my opinion. I am a huge fan of Glendy's writing and unique plots. I can't wait to see what story she comes up with next.

This story of Riley and her painful past, the family she chose and the mystery she leans into unravels much more than she anticipated! The setting in nature with the connections to both human life and magic are so profound. Another five star read from Glendy Vanderah!

After reading and loving Where The Forest Meets The Stars I was so very excited to be able to read an early copy of Glendy Vanderah's newest novel.

I enjoyed the characters greatly, specifically Sachi and Keiran. I also enjoyed the way the themes or nature, the moon and climate change were woven into the story. I found I had to keep reading this to find out what happened, and what secrets lived in Riley and Vaughn's respective pasts.

The ending was slightly far fetched and a bit too tied up in a bow for me, but I think there are many readers who appreciate that. I think if you loved Verandah's other novels, you will definitely love this one as well..

The Oceanography of the Moon is a haunting story of grief, guilt and trauma. The story is told from Riley & Vaughn's viewpoints, whose lives were connected by an elusive moment in the past. Vaughn is plagued with guilt and reveals to Riley that he is struggling with something he did that he deeply regrets and has debilitating guilt over. My assumptions of what he did clouded my ability to have any empathy for Vaughn. I was unable to root for a relationship because of what I perceived that he did.

Riley and Vaughn have traumatic family histories. Riley's coping mechanism is to disassociate with the world and became obsessed with the moon. Through her we get beautifully detailed descriptions of the moon's surface and fantastical creations of what the moon looks like alive to her. The author has a talent for creating rich natural spaces. I found myself highlighting many lines that resonated with me.

I wanted to like this book but for me it was a slow read. The chemistry was broken by the guilt and sadness not leaving much room for connection. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copy and to Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.