Go Gentle by Maria Semple

 genre: contemporary fiction

Something important to know about Adora Hazzard is that she is a philosopher.  She has taken to heart the words of the Stoics and it has led her to a life she could've never imagined.  Living in New York City, she's found a crazy kind of contentment with her living situation, her lack-of-love life and her pretty unbelievable job in the household of a crazy rich family.  When what feels like a chance meeting turns into espionage and Art World intrigue, Adora's handle on Stoicism can only help her keep it all together.  Right?

This is the author who wrote Where'd You Go, Bernadette, which I LOVED.  I started this book knowing nothing but that.  And so it caught me by surprise with how...wandering it is.  Things that seem like they will really matter end up being almost a side note ("coven," I'm looking at you.)  For a while I literally thought I'd accidentally switched books on my Kindle, I went back and checked to make sure I was still reading the same book. So there is a lot going on and things do end up fitting together but not in a super satisfying way.  All that said, though, it wasn't a NOT fun read.  Whenever I picked it up I was engaged and interested.  It just didn't land with the oomph I'd anticipated.