Idea Transcript
Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon - ★★★ Alice Buckle is married with two children. She is a drama teacher, among the usual ‘other’ things that a mother does when she has a family. She receives an online study about marriage and answers it. After following the anonymous correspondent it gets personal, and her life changes, slightly. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay - ★★★★ Another page turner. I do not recall learning about the French holding Jewish people in that arena. Make me want to read more about that part of history. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See- ★★★★★ What a page turner! I couldn’t put it down. The twists and turns were a surprise. I also learned a lot of history that I never knew before. Totally enjoyed every word! Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin - ★★★ Was slow starting, then i couldn’t put it down, then it ended abruptly. What happened to Cindy Walker? What did Silas tell Shannon the reporter? Kinda left me feeling like he didn’t finish the story. White Bread by Aaron Strain - ★★★★★ If you are interested in: sociology, history of bread, global history, health reform, baking, language, and good writing; this non-fiction book is a page turner. Broken Harbor by Tana French - ★★★★★ Excellent murder mystery set in modern day Dublin. Lots of character development - these are interesting people! The ending is satisfying - similar to her others, although different enough to be worth reading. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - ★★★ This book is fascinating, funny in a quirky sort of way and clearly “important” in the literary world. Great book group book, lots to discuss, very long, however. It’s a great book, I just didn’t love it. Artemis Fowl, the Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer - ★★★★ A great finish to a terrific series. I have come to love these characters and this book is on a par with the others. Pushes the limits of credibility but it is sci fi. Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson - ★★★★★ Great story. Good plot, satisfying ending and I couldn’t put it down. Gone by Cathi Hanauer - ★★★ Eve worked part time raising her two children and emotionally supporting her sculptor husband. Eve becomes a private nutritionist but her husband’s job goes into a slump. After a dinner out, Eric takes the babysitter home but doesn’t return. No warning or discussion except a text to his daughter. Eve has to deal with the situation as well as encouraging the kids to go on with their lives until Eric decides his future. Beach House Memories by Mary Alice Monroe - ★★★★★ Great book. This author, summer and the beach - nothing like it! Olivia, Stratton and two kids make up this family. Olivia owns the beach house and spends the summers doing a study on
turtles and their habitats. Stratton has his own life, traveling for his business. When he is with his family, he is abusive. Olivia meets a biologist, Russell bennett who works with Olivia and neighbors on the beach. She falls in love with him but there is a very different ending. Wild by Cheryl Strayed - ★★★ Non-fiction account of a hike along the Pacific Crest Trail; metaphor for a loss in her life, 27 year-old divorcee and now found when she reaches the end of her journey. An interesting story that got redundant and too navel gazing. My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar - ★★★★★ A brilliant and beautifully written account of the author’s family background . It broadens and enriches this reader’s understanding of the lands which are so much in the news today. too bad these aspects are not better known. All should read this book. A Bittersweet Season by Jane Gross - ★★★★ NYT’s reporter account of caring for her elderly mother. Filled with excellent information and advice (a bit too long) about the bood, bad and the ugly of aging parents and how to care for them and ourselves. The Real Thing by Henry James - ★★★★ Short, delicious character study of the period. To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal - ★★★★★ Judith is having a mid-life crisis. Despite a life which looks good from the outside, she is untethered and retreats to her best past - her only year in Nebraska when she had her first intense love affair with Willy Blunt. the story shifts between past and present and is graced with good, simple writing and likeable and believable characters. A Journal for Jordan by Dana Canady - ★★★★★ This book is written by Dana to her son Jordan and a journal written by his father, Charles. Sergeant King was in Iraq and often away from his family. he wanted to teach his son things about life. He was 7 months old when his father was killed. I loved this book. The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Lian Moriarty - ★★★★★ Ellen, raised by her mother, never met her father. She meets Patrick - they get along well but Patrick’s old girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen is a hypnotherapist and finds that Patrick’s old flame is one of Ellen’s clients. A fun book that was hard to put down. The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian Very moving story of the Armenian massacre of 1915-1916 an event not known by many. Interweaving flashbacks in the shocking plot twists makes for riveting reading. Dream New Dreams by Jai Pausch - ★★★★★ Jai was married to Randy who wrote the Last Lecture while battling pancreatic cancer. Jai shares her emotional story as wife, mother and full time caregiver to her family. She writes well about trying to have stability for her family as well as dealing with her own grief. Eventually, jai begins to heal, enjoys traveling with friends and learns to love again great book. The Forever Marriage by Ann Bauer - ★★★
Carmen and Jobe are married with 3 kids. Jobe dies suddenly in his 30s and the funeral is barely over when Carmen finds that she has breast cancer. Carmen talks about her feelings about her marriage and how it could have been better. The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer This novel explored couples relationships in an ordinary town. The new high school drama teacher puts on the play Lysistrata. A spell is cast over the town that causes all the women to lose interest and stop having sex with their partners. I enjoyed this book. Organized Simplicity the Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living by Ish Oxrenreider I’ve read a million of these and I think reading about simplicity must make me feel calmer. This would be good for families trying to organize and simplify their lives. It shows how to construct a family purpose statement to help prioritize where precious time and energy should be spent useful recipes for cleaning products. Still the Best Hope by Dennis Prager I requested that SML purchase this book when other libraries would not lend it. I was angered by the author’s very one-sided stance. I also think he underestimates the knowledge of Americans. As for his position on Islamism, I would need to research this finding further. I agree with all he says about Israel.