The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Ms. Morton is a young Australian writer. I often refer to a book as an 'easy read'. This was not. It is close to 500 pages long but it was worth the read. The book moves back and forth between the 1920's and 1999. The main character is Grace. She is well into her nineties and living out her days in a nursing home. She is approached by a young film director who is making a film about Riverton House and what happened there in 1924. As a young girl, Grace went to work as a servant at Riverton House. Through flashbacks we learn about the household, the way of life that would soon be lost forever (thank goodness - unless you were part of the aristocracy!) and secrets, lots of secrets! I thought the novel was very well written and it kept my interest throughout.
To any of you who are fans of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, you will be intrigued with the first two lines. "Last November I had a nightmare. It was 1924 and I was at Riverton again." Sounds a lot like "Last night I dreamt I went again to Manderley".
I look forward to other books by this author.

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

In 1976 the McKotch family (Frank, Paulette and their three children-Gwen, Scott and Billy) is on their annual summer vacation on Cape Cod. Frank, who is an eminent scientist, sees his bikini-clad thirteen-year-old Gwen standing next to her cousin Charlotte who is younger. He knows immediately that something is wrong. Gwen has Turner's syndrome - a condition that has prevented her body from maturing.
This is what I read on the book flap. Quick as I am, I assumed the book was going to be about Gwen and her Turner's. And it is - sometimes. But the "Condition" refers to all members of the family and their journey during the next 20 years. I think it is a well-written book and it did keep my interest.
The only down-side for me was that I didn't really like any of the characters and wasn't sad that the book ended.

A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing by Avi J Avi

Good children’s literature often appeals to readers on different levels. Some of the cleverest picture books entertain youngsters with their story but have humor that only a more experienced person would understand.
This is definitely the case with A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing by Avi. Classified as juvenile fiction, and assigned a grade-level appropriateness of 4th through 6th grades, this book is an example of word play and language manipulation at its best – some of which will be lost on readers in the target audience.
My favorite example is when Edward, an ant, is threatened by an anteater. Avon, his snail friend, keeps Edward safe by convincing the anteater that he really is supposed to eat aunts. A much-relieved Edward cries, “ ‘Avon, you’re a genius! It was as if you put a spell upon that creature.’ ‘It just goes to show,’ agreed Avon, ‘that in this world U can make a difference.’”
If you are a lover of language and appreciate the nuances of words, don’t miss this clever new offering. The small format, wide line spacing and only 164 pages make this a quick diversion from weightier “adult” reading, and it’s guaranteed to elicit a bit of a smile, or maybe even an occasional giggle.

Where Did I Leave My Glasses? The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss by Martha Weinman Lear 155.67 Lea

The title of this book grabbed my attention, not because I always forget where I leave my glasses -- they're either on my face or on my bedside table -- but because it scares me sometimes that I do forget so much. So I stepped outside my box and actually read a non-fiction book, and what a good one to try. Lear writes with a conversational style using normal-people vocabulary to make a confusing, mysterious, and not totally scientific subject understandable. Because she's at that age where the memory issue becomes a concern, she can write from personal experience as well, which she does with wit and humor.
What exactly constitutes normal memory loss, I'm not sure. I finished the book yesterday and can't remember a thing about it. But I feel so much better knowing that I'm just normal!

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn 641.07 Fli

Kathleen (Kat)Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old American living in London. A relationship with a man she had met through work a few years back has just gone to a different level. There is a hint that he may actually be the one for her. Won't her mother finally be happy!!! She has just returned to London after a vacation with Mike, the guy!, and her family. That was a funny part! Her boss calls to meet Kat for coffee before she goes back to the office. Guess what! She no longer has a job. Okay, maybe this is a sign from above. She can move back to Seattle and work on the relationship with Mike. So she calls him with the news and cautiously suggests she move back. His answer floors her! He doesn't think she should come. He suggests she move to Paris and spend her savings on tuition at Le Cordon Bleu. What a guy! She had mentioned this secret dream to him four years ago....and he remembered. If he isn't the right guy I don't know who is. But it gets better. He says he'll quit his job and come with her - just like that.
So she goes on-line to check and finds it very easy to apply by computer. Three days later she is accepted and school starts in 24 days. This book is the story of her experiences in this prestigious school and of living in Paris. I found the information fascinating. At the end of each chapter is a recipe - none of which I would or could make. This is a quick read and I think it would appeal to lots of people. You will definitely appreciate the next fine meal you have!

Dewey by Vicki Myron 636.8

The sub-title to this book is "The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World". It takes place in Spencer Iowa. One frigid January morning, Vicki Myron thought she heard something as she was about to empty the drop-box. In there she found a small kitten who had been stuffed into the box and managed to survive the arctic temperatures and the falling books. She took him, with his frost-bitten paws, into the library where he stayed for the next nineteen years.
I loved this book. Of course I too work in a library. I too love animals. And I too would love to have a living creature here at work (besides the things the pest man kills). When I first heard that Spencer had a cat in their library, I immediately suggested to Joyce that we should have one also. To say that she wasn't keen on the idea....well, she wasn't at all. I thought we would never have a pet. Then a few summers back it happened. During the summer reading program (the theme was paws, claws, scales and tails), Sally, who was then the children's librarian, brought a cute little beta fish to the library. (It wasn't as dramatic as being stuffed in the drop-box.) We named him Gill. He swam round and round and looked at us with those fish eyes, waiting for his food. (It wasn't as cute as a kitten playing in boxes and chasing balls of paper.) He didn't live to enjoy a birthday party for him at the library (like the big one they threw for Dewey). When he passed we didn't receive any e-mails, cards or visits from people who had fond memories of him and he certainly didn't get his obituary in the paper (Dewey's ran in more than 270). But he was our Beta and we (I use this word very loosely!) still talk about him all these years later. So Gill will never have a book written about him, but at least he has a blog.
Oh yeah, the book I'm supposed to be telling you about. It is heart-warming, sad, funny and will remind people (although I hope they don't need reminding!) how the love and devotion of an animal can touch the hearts of many, many people.
This is also the story of Vicki. So don't think that it is all cute cat stories! She has led her life with courage and determination.
If you read the book, maybe you might want to drop a suggestion on Joyce's desk. hmmm - anyone know where we could get a pot-bellied pig?

Black Out by Lisa Unger

This is a new book and for me, a new author. It's a thriller - but no spies, mob figures or bloody scenes. It's a psychological one. Annie Powers used to be Ophelia March. Her mother caused Ophelia a lot of grief and trauma as a young girl because after divorcing her husband she moved them to Florida and became involved with a convicted murderer. The whole story of what happened there is told in bits and pieces as a flashback. Today Annie is married to a wonderful guy (although her in-laws are not so wonderful) and they have a darling little girl. Annie has tried to deal with her past as best she can, but it still affects her. And lately she has become more afraid and is having more panic attacks. I loved this book. It kept me guessing with the old question - just who can you trust?????

Absolute Certainty by Rose Connors

I listened to this from a Wilbor download, but we also own the book.

This is a murder/legal thriller. Martha is divorced with one teenage son. She works hard as an assistant district attorney. She has successfully prosecuted a man charged with the murder of a 20 year old on the beach the previous memorial day. Within hours of the verdict coming in, there is another murder that looks similar. She begins to have doubts about the true murderer. As she tries to investigate, she is thwarted by people in her own department. Can they all be trusted???? Well, you will just have to read/listen to the book to find out. This was her first novel and it is quite well done.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is a new find for me. I've listened to a few of her books and have yet to be disappointed. I just finished listening to Vanishing Acts, which is about Delia, a woman who finds out her father took her away from her mother when she was 4 years old - she grew up believing that her mother was dead. The bulk of the story is about Delia and Eric, her attorney fiance. Delia has convinced Eric to represent her father Andrew in the kidnapping case. The story goes through 4 different points of view; Delia, Andrew, Eric and Fitz (Delia and Eric's best friend). Each telling their perspective of what is currently happening, with some flashbacks thrown in.

This story was amazing, with a few curve balls thrown in and a couple unexpected turns. Mothers, fathers you should definitely read (or listen to) this book. It was an eye opener.

How to Be Single by Liz Tuccillo (Fiction)

Fed up with being single at 38, Julie works out a deal to do research on how single women around the world cope. While she travels the world, her four friends back home (all in various stages of being single) cope with their lives.

This read more like a non-fiction book with a very thin line of story thrown in than a real fiction book. Perhaps because the author (who co-wrote He's Just Not That Into You) traveled the world doing research for the book herself. I found the long pages of explanation about how women in Australia face a "man drought" to be distracting from the story. Or the supposedly impromptu long meetings at French night clubs with single French women to be too didactic for a fiction book. After awhile, it seemed as though the author had done all the research but couldn't quite make it into a non-fiction book so she tried to turn it into fiction.

All in all, it wasn't a complete waste of time (I did finish it) but it wasn't the greatest book I've read lately, either.

Predictably irrational: the hidden forces that shape our decisions

(This is an audio book available as a download from Wilbor)
Think you are a savvy consumer? Think no one can pull the wool over your eyes? Well, think again. One question behavioral economist Dan Ariely asked was how we ever started paying over four dollars for a cup of coffee. I felt very smug - only because I don't drink coffee so that has never been an issue with me. Then he told the story of Amazon and their free shipping policy. Oh yeah - that was me. I want a book but I will have to pay shipping. But wait - if I buy another book, then I qualify for the free shipping. What a deal. Amazon made a killing after they started offering "free"! The book is filled with interesting experiments that were carried out. Many times they used MIT students as the guinea pigs - yikes, if those smart kids act irrationally, what chance do I have?
I enjoyed this book and I will be a better consumer from now on - because I know they are trying to manipulate me.....well I probably will still buy one more book on Amazon to get the free shipping!

The Sister by Poppy Adams

The present-day part of this book takes place from a Friday to a Tuesday. Ginny(age 70) has lived alone in her family's deteriorating mansion for decades - since the death of her mother and the departure of her father. As a young girl, Ginny worked with her father on experiments with moths. She worked on the research for years and was successful. But it wasn't a job that often took her away from the mansion and she gets weirder and weirder as the years pass. Now, out of the blue, her younger (everything is relative!) sister Vivien has written that she is coming to live with Ginnie. Since she has had no contact with her sister for 30+ years and since she likes doing things her own way, Ginnie is not very happy! During the narrative of these five days there are lots of conversations and flashbacks to fill in the story of the past 70 years. It's sort of eerie. There are, of course, the usual family secrets, etc. Author Harlan Coben called this book "lyrical and haunting" - wish I would have thought of that.

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

This is the story of three women and one young man. They meet in Nantucket. Josh is a college student working for the summer at the airport. One day three women and two children arrive. Since Josh wants to be a writer he is always attentive to what is going on around him in case he can use it one day in a story. Vicky has been diagnosed with lung cancer and has come back to her family cottage to begin her chemo and spend time with her young son and her baby. Brenda, her sister, is basically looking for a place to hide. She had loved the college setting where she had been teaching for two years. But then she became involved with a student (he is actually older than she is - so it's not exactly what you think) and now she is in big trouble. The third woman is Melanie. She had in vitro seven times. Of course she becomes pregnant in the usual way instead. But right before she found out about her pregnancy, she found out her husband was having an affair. Melanie and Vickie are good friends but Brenda and Vickie don't get along. Oh yeah - I forgot about Josh. He ends up spending the summer with them too. An easy read with likable characters.

A Perfect Mess by Eric Abrahamson (non-fiction)

This is a downloadable audio book that is available through the library's website. Being a messy person I thought this would be the perfect book for me! I doubt that a neatnik would enjoy this book. Abrahamson says that mess is not all that bad! It can help creativity. If it weren't for a messy workspace, penicillin wouldn't have been discovered when it was. Lots of good things have come out of mess. He comes down heavy on people who over-organize. I loved it! He also points out that we messy folk are organized in our own messy way. This book isn't for everyone but the examples he uses kept the book very interesting.

The Dark of the Day by Barbara Parker (MYS)

When the opportunity to host a show on CNN about celebrity murders presents itself, attorney C.J. Dunn is interested. Unfortunately, it means taking on a case she doesn't particularly want to - representing the primary suspect in the disappearance from a party of a young woman. It's a small world in Miami and C.J. knows many of the people connected to the case, from her sometime boyfriend to a United States congressman to the daughter of an old friend of her mother's.

All of Barbara Parker's novels/mysteries are set in Miami. When I read one of her novels, I feel like I've been there. From the heat to the lifestyle to the scenery, it's all there. This one had me guessing until the end - I like that!