I was stuck in the hospital with my daughter and read this in one sitting. This is not something I would normally pick up, but my mom gave it to me and said it was good so I thought I would give it a try.

Although the main action takes place over one day, much of the book is in the form of flashbacks. I am not a fan of so much jumping back and forth in time, but I was able to follow what was going on. One of the subplots is a vote for California to become it's own country. I am not exactly sure why this is in the book. Maybe to add a sense that the book takes place in a different time than our own? Who knows. It wasn't really necessary to the central plot.

Even with these flaws, I enjoyed the book. The story held my interest and it was a fairly quick read. ( )

I finally got to this one, the 4th novel I’ve read by this author. I’d just finished my 3rd, her latest book, and wanted more by her.

4 ½ stars

It was published in 2014 but I kept thinking how it felt as though it could have been published right now or a few years from now. At 2017-2016 California leaving the country seems even more current than it did a few years ago. It might be no more likely but the discussion about it is definitely more common since Election Day last November.

As is usual for this author the book has interesting, relatable characters easy to care about, and stellar storytelling, and perfection when it comes to describing San Francisco and particularly the Richmond District in San Francisco. (I’ve spent almost all of my adult years in 2 dwellings in different parts of the Richmond District so I know it well and I get a kick out of reading about it, and I’ve lived in San Francisco most of my years and appreciate reading about all neighborhoods/places this author mentions.)

Even though I live nearby and have known people directly connected with the V.A. campus, I wasn’t sure about some of the details described regarding it. As I was reading I wondered about the school and hotel described. In the interview section that comes at the end of the book the author confirmed the existence of the school and I researched the nearby hotels and found a hoptel that fits, and I suppose other places might also fit.

I wish that more book authors got San Francisco right. This author has for the 4 books by her that I’ve read so far and for me it contributes to the joy I feel when reading them. I especially appreciated how in addition to the San Francisco setting, the author’s southern roots and some locations are included in this story. I got a good sense of both locales.

I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth time lines. I thought that this technique worked particularly well for this story.

I appreciated how much is tied up at the end and also how a couple of main things are left open and left to readers’ imaginations.

½ star off because so much is going on: the marriage story, the sister story, the child story, the California secession vote story, the hostage story. I’m not 100% sure all of them were needed, though I admit the whole thing did work, beautifully really. I just wanted a tad more of each part.

At the end of my paperback edition there is a short but enlightening interview with the author, a playlist for the book, and a list of questions for discussion. They’re all interesting and worthy inclusions.

This author’s books are always quotable. Two quotes (of many) from this one that resonated with me are: “We tend to see life as a continuum, but really, it's a series of phases, generating a series of different selves. You leave one life behind and start another. And each time, a different version of yourself emerges.” AND “History is made not of facts set in stone but of the stories we tell.”

I have to say something not about the book proper but about the cover of my edition, sans any spoilers. In the text of one of the mini-reviews that are included, one by an author whose books I enjoy, while no plot specifics are mentioned a feeling word is mentioned when referring to the end of the book, and that’s something I did not want to know and I consider it a spoiler. My gripe is with the edition publisher for including it/not editing out that word. It’s too much information for text that’s often read before readers read the book. When I got to the end of the book I realized that reading it was not as much of a spoiler issue as I’d feared but I still think it would have been best for it not to have been there. ( )

4.5 stars. Another unexpected and suprisjngly great read. I liked the unconventional timeline. I liked the character development. I liked the seemingly different plot lines with Julie at the center of all of them. I just really liked this book. Definitely recommend. ( )

There are plenty of books that I've read and didn't like while others raved about it. This is the first time I can say that I categorically hated reading a book. The only reason I read it to completion is it's a book group read and I'm leading the discussion. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep my opinion in check until the end of the meeting. I sincerely wish we could rate a book as 0 stars! (Wishing I could get a refund, but alas it is an ebook purchase so I'm stuck with it, although I am removing it from my device.) ( )

Golden State takes place on one exceedingly eventful day in the life of Dr. Julie Walker, a physician at the VA hospital in San Francisco. She’s turning 40 and signing divorce papers, after having spent one last night with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Her unmarried younger sister is about to give birth. It’s the day that Californians are voting on whether to secede from the United States—which could leave Julie out of a job. It’s the day that she finds that she has caused a hostage situation because local upheaval over the secession vote delayed her getting to work…and that situation will force her to deliver her sister’s baby. As Julie tries to manage her sister’s labor and the hostage-taker’s demands, she reflects on her long and complicated relationships with both of these people, and how they factored into the breakdown of her marriage.

MORE: http://www.3rsblog.com/2014/07/book-talk-golden-state-michelle-richmond.html ( )