A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias

Although this is fiction, it seems that the author's bio reads very much like the book. Maybe that is why it seemed so real and believable. Enrique and Margaret have been married 30 years and now Margaret is facing death after a long battle against cancer. The book goes back and forth between their first meeting and subsequent courtship and the last weeks of Margaret's life. It is certainly not a happy book - I would suggest kleenex be close at hand. It was well-written and I think the ending was very believable - thus the Kleenex! I found Margaret's decisions to be very thought-provoking. - thus the Kleenex.

While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty

We all have periods in our lives when everything seems to be going wrong. The main character Veronica, however, has it worse than normal. The first thing to go wrong is her parents' divorce, You would think she could get through that - after all she is a junior in college, studying hard to keep up with her grueling schedule and still finding sometime for her boyfriend. When Veronica gets herself into a mess (which didn't start out as her fault) she calls her mom for help. Unfortunately her mom seems too busy with her own life to help - at least at first. Great characters and an interesting story line. Loved it!

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

This is one of a series of books starring Maisie Dobbs. Maisie is a young, independent private investigator. What is amazing is that this takes place in the 1930's. In this book Maisie is investigating the death of a man who was the twin brother of one of Maisie's friends from college. These books are in the style of Agatha Christie. No CSI, no DNA no cell phones, no videos - well, you get the picture! She has to use her intuition and her brain. That is the fun part. Winspear also does a wonderful job of describing the era in terms of the cultural, social and political atmosphere of the decade.

After You by Julie Buxbaum

I loved this book. The main character is Ellie who is married to the love of her life - except things haven't been good since they lost their baby. Ellie's best friend since grade school is Lucy. Lucy lives in England with her husband Greg and their enchanting daughter Sophie. As the book opens Ellie is in England because Lucy has been murdered in front of her daughter. Ellie feels she needs to do whatever she can to help Sophie (and herself) deal with the tragedy. As in all relationships there are secrets that have been hidden. A well-written book with characters that I cared about.

Mindless Eating :Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink 613.25 Wan

I mostly skimmed this book but it was interesting. Most of us are familiar with the term "mindless eating" but Wansink explains why it happens. There were lots of experiments done which showed how we fall into that trap. One of the most interesting aspects was the part about our expectations. He tells a story of a navy cook during WWII. The only Jello he had to serve the men was lemon - and after a while there were many complaints. They wanted strawberry for a change. So one day the cook put some red food dye into the yellow jello and the troops were happy to have strawberry jello again! Put a cheap wine into an expensive bottle and people treat it with greater respect. Mostly this book points out how stupid we are and how easily we can be manipulated. Very entertaining.

The Letter by Richard Paul Evans

This book was published in 1997. I just came upon the audio book. I knew I was in a for a nice overly-sweet read - but sometimes that is just the thing I need. This was the third book in the Christmas Box Trilogy by Evans. The other two were made into movies - either for Lifetime or Hallmark - but you get the picture! This part of the puzzle takes place twenty years after the death of David and MaryAnne's daughter Andrea. An old woman leaves a note and a rose at the grave of Andrea. There are other notes or letters in the book with significance also. It is a gentle, easy read for someone with a sweet tooth - like me!

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

Sydney is a teenager who is spending the summer with her father, Tim. Tim sells cars, has a rather strange girlfriend and an ex-wife who is living with her new boyfriend. Tim and Sydney don't always see eye-to-eye and one morning they get into an argument before they went off to their respective jobs. Sydney never comes home. In fact, the place where she was supposedly working, has never heard of her. Thus begins the mystery. What happened to Sydney and why. Tim does what he can, working with the police, Sydney's friend Patty and his ex-wife. The story was intriguing enough but I wasn't crazy about any of the characters. Still it was a good book - just not great in my humble opinion!

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo

In 1953, just a few months removed from the presidency, Harry and Bess Truman set off from their home in Independence, MO, to points east. Naively hoping to remain incognito and without any kind of security, they traveled to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, PA (where Truman gave his first post-office speech), and New York City to visit daughter Margaret. They ate in diners, stayed in motels and with friends, and were recognized everywhere they went.

This book was fun to read. Interspersed among the details of the trip, the author includes details that make both Harry and Bess real and intensely likable. It wasn't necessarily light and breezy but I passed the time with the Trumans quickly and in good time - and enjoyed every mile of the trip.