Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were childhood friends in Mississippi, although their lives were worlds apart. Silas was the only child of a poor, black single mother whereas Larry came from a comfortable white family.

Then one day in their teens Larry takes a young woman on a date and she's never seen again. Without evidence or a confession, Larry isn't charged but is ostracized by his community. Silas goes to college on a basketball scholarship and puts Larry out of his mind.

Years later another girl disappears without a trace, but this time Silas is the police officer investigating the crime and Larry's past makes him the prime suspect. Yet Silas knows a secret that could shed light on the case - but only if he's willing to jeopardize his career and standing in the community ...

When I first picked up this book, I thought "Oh no, this was going to be one of those depressing Southern books about a tragic friendship." Luckily it isn't. It's beautifully written, and although it's melancholy in places, the redemptive ending makes it worth it. I love the characters of Silas and Larry, and although I'm sure there won't be a sequel, I would love it if there was.

Rescue by Anita Shreve

At the beginning of this novel Peter Wester, an EMT, is having problems dealing with his daughter Rowan. He is raising her alone and she is a teenager - so of course there are bound to be problems. Once a straight A student, her grades are slipping. Even worse, she has been experimenting with alcohol. Peter knows first hand the affects of alcohol. He met Rowan's mother when he responded to a one-vehicle car accident. The driver was a very attractive and very drunk woman named Shelia. But of course he falls for her, she gets pregnant and they get married. He is in love with her, but when she begins drinking again it appears that the marriage is doomed. When Shelia has a car accident with Rowan in the car Peter sends her away. Sixteen years later he is afraid that Rowan might become Shelia - and so he turns to the only person he thinks might help. That is, of course, Shelia.
I am never disappointed in a Shreve novel, and this was no exception. You can read the book or listen to it on audio like I did!

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Whenever Sparks writes a book I look forward to reading it. I loved the cover (very important to me!), but when I read the blurb I became less enthused. Mysterious young woman moves to town, gets a job in a diner and does her shopping at a store run by good-looking Alex who is a widower raising two kids. What is Katie hiding? Well it soon becomes obvious that there is an abusive man in her past. I have been around the literary block a few times so I already felt I knew what was going to happen. And basically I did. However.........the flashbacks of Katie's past life just sent shivers down my spine. I had flashbacks to "Sleeping with the Enemy" when Julia Roberts is trying to keep her husband from beating her - by cooking the perfect meals, keeping the perfect house, etc. Sparks had to have done some good research on abuse to write about it so well.

Juliet by Anne Fortier

I am behind on my blogging and the details are getting blurry on this book. I do know that I enjoyed listening to it. If you have read Romeo and Juliet I am sure you will get more out of it, but you can still enjoy it. Basic premise of the book - Julie and twin sister Janice were born in Italy. Their parents died when they were young and Aunt Rose came to take them back to the U.S. The two sisters are quite different from one another and don't get along well. They are grown up and living separate lives. When Aunt Rose dies, Julie is shocked to learn that Janice is inheriting the whole estate. And Julie? Well she just gets a passport and a key - and a mystery. The passport is in her real name - who knew?- Giulietta Tolomei. She was a descendant of the family of the "real" Juliet. So off she goes to Italy to try and discover what inheritance she was left.
So in this book you will encounter jealousy between sisters, greed, mysteries (both present and 14th century), love, murder and just maybe.......another Romeo? A fun read.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

How's this for a "moral-of-the-story" ... Never make a Russian tiger angry. He'll track you down and kill you, no, he'll annihilate you until all that's left of you could fit in a little bag.

At least that's what happened to a Russian poacher as outlined in John Vaillant's true account: The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival.

There is not a clear consensus of why a Russian man named Vladimir Markov was stalked by the tiger. Some say Markov had stolen part of the tiger's kill, some say Markov had been illegally killing tiger cubs, while others claimed there was no motive. Whatever the reason, in 1997 a male tiger in his prime systematically tracked down Markov's cabin, waited for him to come home, ambushed him, and shredded him to pieces.

Before he was killed, Markov got off one good shot, not enough to kill the tiger, but injuring him enough to disrupt his ability to hunt. Deprived of his natural hunting ability, the tiger went on the prowl for easier prey -- humans living in isolated cabins in the Russian wilderness.

In this book, Vaillant investigates this tiger attack and subsequent incidents, how these affected the people nearby, and the government team which investigated the attack. Markov's killing itself makes up a relatively small portion of the book, so if you're looking for a thriller, you might be disappointed.

Instead, much of the book looks at the context of the attack -- what life is like in this part of Russia, the poaching of tigers, and what we know about tigers. It's a very interesting read -- and guaranteed to make your hair stand on end.

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos

This is the All-Iowa book selection for 2011. I downloaded it from WILBOR onto my Ipod - and then I devoted 40 hours of my life to listening to this book! It did not grab my interest right away, but soon I was involved in the story of the Jones family. Three decades ago a tornado devastated their small Nebraska town. The mother and wife, Hope, is "taken up" by the storm - and her body is never found. Her husband, Llewellyn, and three children, Larken, Gaelen and Bonnie, are as devastated as their house. This is the story of then and now. We get to know Hope before she was a mother and then as she had her children. We get to know the children before they lost their mother and afterward. They have grown up to be ......well a bit strange. One is a professor, one is a weatherman (not a meteorologist!) and one spends a lot of time looking for scraps of things that the weather has blown away, hoping to find something of her mother's. Yeah, pretty weird. The way the story goes back and forth between time periods and between people made it an intriguing book.

The Confession by John Grisham

Another great, great book by Grisham. I have to wonder how the tourist board in Texas feels about it! This is not a very flattering book about the state. In 1998 a high school cheerleader is abducted, raped and killed - but her body is never found. That is because the guilty guy, Travis Boyette, buried her body far from the scene of the abduction. Happily for the state of Texas they were able to go ahead and force a "confession" from a young black man, Donte Drumm. Donte is now days away from execution. Travis is now dying from a brain tumor and decides that confession might be good for the soul. So he confesses to a minister in Kansas.
This was a great book!!!!! Lots of action, suspense and wonderful characters - some you love and some you hate. This is definitely towards the top of my favorite Grisham books.

Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette

This was a wonderful book. The characters were engaging and likable. Zell has been a young widow for a year. She has been unable to get through her grief and is keeping family and friends at a distance. She does however, make two new friends - her neighbors, nine-year-old Ingrid and her father Garrett. They meet when the firemen are putting out the fire in Zell's oven. She is not much of a cook and since Nick's death she had not turned on the oven. Unfortunately when she pre-heated the oven she was unaware that Nick had hidden a present for her inside. The package is not totally destroyed but Bessette makes us wait until the end of the book to find out what was in it! The story is about the developing relationship between Zell and Ingrid as they try to bake a winning recipe for a contest. It is nice to read about people and families who are not dysfunctional - just prone to making a few bad decisions like the rest of us!

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

Usually I like to read Evans' books closer to Christmas because they are always feel-good reads with a little magic thrown in. This one was travel through time. It was at times touching, sometimes sad, sometimes funny but always entertaining. It begins with a young wife's discovery of her husband's betrayal. And her life goes downhill from there for the next year! It is a very quick read. If you are in the mood for a book about all kinds of love, come into the Library and pick up this book.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell 158.1 Gla

Why do people succeed? Why do some people never reach their goals? My pat answer would have been - those successful people are given advantages by their parents, they grow up in nicer neighborhoods, they try harder, etc. Who knew that most pro hockey players were born in January? Who knew a good reason why Asian students are better at math? Who knew that airplane crashes could be linked to the cultural ways of the pilots? Many of us can think of a few(!) reasons that our schools are in trouble when compared to the rest of the world. In this book you will hear some statistics that will show you how bad is the situation.
A fascinating read (or listen!). It will entertain you and make you think.

A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay

I loved de Rosnay's last book Sarah's Key. Her newest book was just as great. The characters are fascinating, the family relationships are somewhat difficult and there is just a touch of mystery in the story. Antoine surprises his sister Melanie with a trip for her birthday. He takes her to the sea and the place they spent many happy summers. Those holidays and happy times ended thirty years ago when their mother died. There are some memories that have been suppressed which are beginning to come back to Melanie. They are driving back to Paris when Melanie appears to be hit with a flashback that stuns her - and she loses control of the car. Melanie spends a long time recuperating in a village hospital. During that time there are lots of interesting side stories concerning Antoine's kids, his former wife, and his new love interest. Highly recommended - I listened to it on cd but I bet the book is just as great!

The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith

Smith writes several different series. This one is from the Isabel Dalhousie Series. Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter too much if you read a series in order; but in this case I think you will enjoy this book more if you are already familiar with the characters. Isabel has been asked to help with a delicate situation. A local boys' school is in need of a new headmaster. There are three finalists for the job. But then there comes the dreaded anonymous letter hinting about something shady in the past of one of the candidates. So we don't know which one it is nor do we know the "crime". This book is much more a character study than a mystery.
It was not my favorite book from this series but I still enjoyed listening to the story.

Ape House by Sara Gruen

Calling all Water for Elephants fans --- Sara Gruen's newest book Ape House is just as good. Maybe even better.

Inspired by the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Gruen's story is centered around six bonobos housed in the fictional Great Ape Language Lab. Unlike other bonobos, these six communicate via American Sign Language and are capable of forming relationships with humans, especially scientist Isabel Duncan.

Isabel has problems of her own but she is devasted when animal activists break into the lab to free the bonobos, severly injuring Isabel in the process. Luckily the apes are recaptured but the university washes its hands of them by selling the bonobos to an undisclosed buyer.

While Isabel frantically tries to find them, they appear one day as the stars of their own reality TV show called "Ape House" (it's the equivalent of giving free reign to six middle schoolers to eat and do whatever they want). They have a great time eating cheeseburgers and candy, watching TV, and signing for Isabel to come get them. Little do they know that if their TV ratings drop, the producers will quietly dispose of them.

Isabel bands together with the unlikely team of computer hackers, a green-haired vegan fanatic, a tabloid journalist, and a retired porn star to rescue the bonobos.

Gruen has a magical way of making animals really come to life as characters. I love the bonobos in this book -- although I have to admit that the meth-lab dog named Booger dressed in an argyle sweater steals the show.

The ending wraps up a little too neatly but Ape House is still a very satisfying and enjoyable read.

Crossfire by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

Inured while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Tom Forsyth returns, reluctantly, to his mother's home to recuperate. His mother is a well-known and highly-respected horse trainer - but not the best of mothers. When her prized horse finishes a disappointing last in a race he should have won, Tom discovers that all is not well in his mother's life. In order to survive and rescue his mother at the same time, Tom must rely on the skills he learned to use while on the battlefield.

I first read a Dick Francis mystery on a long road trip to a convention in 1984 and have been a fan ever since. It was with a lot of sadness that I heard of his death earlier this year at the age of 89. This last mystery was bittersweet for me to read - but I breezed through it none-the-less.

All of Dick Francis' mysteries focus on horse racing in one way or another. Sometimes the connection is thin but it is always there. Male characters predominate, female characters are not so important. The tricks and turns in this mystery were sometimes difficult for me to follow (not so unusual for me - I usually just "go with it" when I read mysteries) but the pace was quick, the main character worth rooting for and I finished it much more quickly than I wanted to.

His last several novels have been co-authored with his son. I know it's probably too soon but I find myself wishing that his son might carry on the writing tradition...

Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other by Scott Simon

The subtitle of this book, by the host of National Public Radio's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon, is "In Praise of Adoption." Unable to conceive a child by "natural" methods, the author and his wife decide to try foreign adoption. This is the story of the process they went through while adopting two daughters from China. It is also the story of other people he knows who have been adopted, as well as his thoughts on the adoption process and what constitutes "family."

Despite its subtitle, Simon does not always present the good side of adoption. Several of his stories are sad stories of adoptions gone wrong. And not everything is peaches and cream in his own life. Do his daughters misbehave out of some sense of abandonment? Or is it just normal childish misbehavior?

I have had a crush on Scott Simon for more years than I can count. It's a little hard to have a crush on someone that you only know by his voice but I have managed to do it - listening religiously every Saturday morning to his account of the week's news or the latest-breaking headlines. So I am probably not entirely neutral when I say that I enjoyed his insights into the adoption process and thought this book was a thoughtful look at the joys (and some sorrows) or adoption. It can be a quick read - or a book to pick up again and again for thought-provoking comments.

The good Daughers by Joyce Maynard

This was the best book I've read in a while. It is about two families who are quit different from one another. What they do share is that each has a daughter that was born in the same hospital at the same time. The two girls in question, Ruth and Dana, don't think it is that big of deal and don't enjoy the times they are forced together simply because they are "birthday sisters". Even when Dana's family moves away they continue to be brought together over the years.
It doesn't take long to figure out what is going on - it is a bit obvious. But I didn't know what happened in that hospital and I really wanted to know the story! The book extends over a period of decades. I enjoyed the plot, the characters and pace of the book. I would definitely recommend this book!

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Although this book has been out for awhile, I just got around to listening to it. As with Ms. Grafton's other books, this is an enjoyable mystery. I love her heroine, Kinsey Millhone, and the colorful characters that hang out with Kinsey. The mystery this time is an old one. Twenty years ago a four year old girl disappeared and the case was not solved. The case is featured in a newspaper article about cold cases. A young man named Michael Sutton reads the paper and suddenly has a flashback to his childhood. He remembers seeing and talking to two guys who were burying something. He realizes that the date corresponds to the time the girl disappeared. So he wants Kinsey to help him find that spot and to see if there is actually a body there. Of course this opens up a Pandora's box and there are all sorts of side stories going on. An enjoyable read.

Running Scared by Lisa Jackson

Part romance and part suspense, this book was an entertaining read - or listen in my case. From the beginning it was pretty obvious that it was going to be a boy meets girl, they hate each other and then feelings change and .......... Still I was interested enough in the story to read the whole thing. Kate Summers is a woman with a lot of bad luck. Fifteen years ago her husband and daughter were killed in a car accident. Shortly afterward, she is making plans to get away from the memories of Boston and from her sleezy boss. Her entire life changes when he offers her a baby boy. The child belongs to the daughter of a client and they want him to disappear forever. She raises John in Oregon. He is a good boy, but he has some problems with kids at school because of his special gift (a little ESP). Now John is having nightmares in which a man is chasing him and tying him up. From past experience John knows that it is a premonition of what is to come. Do you want to know who is after him? Read the book!

Days of Grace by Catherine Hall

This book presents a fascinating story that takes place over a span of fifty years. On the brink of WW II, Nora Lynch is a young girl in London. She lives with her mother in poverty, but since she hasn't known anything else, it seems normal to her. One day she finds out that she is to be separated from her mother. Thousands of London children are being evacuated from the city because of the threat of war. Nora begs her mother not to send her away. Of course her mother does what she must and sends her away on a train. Upon arrival at her destination she is accosted by a young girl her age named Rose Rivers. Rose says that Grace looks just like her and that she just has to come live with them. And so she arrives at the home of Reverend Rivers.
In the present day, Nora is a sick woman who refuses to go to the doctor and just wants to die. Her plan of an isolated death is disrupted when she comes upon a young woman about to give birth. Nora takes her into her home. Through conversations and flashbacks we learn what happened to Nora during the War to turn her into the pathetic woman she seems to have become.
This is a debut novel and I am eager for more!

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

What is it about that cold Nordic weather that brings out the icy violence in the imaginations of its writers? If you like those chilling Scandinavian crime stories from Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, and Hakan Nesser -- Jo Nesbo is another writer to add to your list.

In The Snowman, a young boy wakes on the first snowfall of the year to find his mother gone and an eerie snowman in the yard. It seems to be a typical missing persons case until Detective Harry Hole receives an anonymous letter signed by "the snowman". Soon Hole and his colleague, the beautiful Katrine Bratt, discover a pattern of murders that goes back years.

What Hole doesn't know is that he's been targeted from the beginning by a killer with a personal vendetta. As Hole rushes to try to solve the case before the next snow falls, he must battle his PR-minded superiors, untrustworthy colleagues, and his own addiction to alcohol.

The Snowman is one of those good, old-fashioned thriller/mysteries with a flawed, but likable hero, interesting side characters, plenty of plot twists, and a deliciously evil villain. If you're in the mood for a creepy read - you're in luck.

Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin

I'm sure every family has secrets. But if they are real secrets, no one will find out! Laura Martinez' mother, Helen, was really, really good at keeping secrets. She and Laura haven't been very close. Most of Helen's focus was on her husband Joseph, a journalist who spent more time away from home than with his wife and two kids. He has been gone for many years and Helen has never gotten over it. When Helen suffers a stroke, Laura tries to bring back Helen's will to live and communicate by reading out loud some of the letters that Joseph once wrote to Helen. The story moves from present day back to the early days of Helen and Joseph's romance.
Griffin did a wonderful job of writing. You could feel the anxiety in Laura as she struggles to balance her life - her husband, her children, her mother and her job. I loved the way Griffin reveals the secrets slowly through flashbacks and letters. Great book!

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Like Hedge's book, the narration flips back and forth. This time it is between a wife (Tessa) and a possible 'other woman' (Valerie). It seemed a bit predictable at the beginning. Tessa is out to celebrate her wedding anniversary with handsome husband Nick, who is a well-known pediatric plastic surgeon. Nick is paged because a young boy, Charlie, has been burned in a backyard accident. His mother, Valerie, is an attractive (but not gorgeous) woman who has raised Charlie by herself. So Valerie spends all of her time at the hospital and then she and Nick start spending some time outside of the hospital and then....... you get the point. Nick gets closer to Valerie and drifts away from Tessa. So the plot didn't excite me much. Giffin's characters were well-developed and believable. I found both of the women likable, so I didn't know what to hope for at the end! It was an enjoyable read.

Mothers & Other Liars by Amy Bourret

This was a quick and interesting read. At the beginning of the book Ruby is a 29 year old woman raising her daughter Lark. She also has been seriously dating a local cop. It's a good thing it's been serious because now they are expecting a baby. Lark is a bright and precocious girl. Life is good. Then one day Ruby sees an article resurrecting a decade-old story about an infant who was involved in a carjacking. (The baby wasn't driving - just a passenger!). You quickly find out that the infant is Lark. This isn't a good situation - especially since her boyfriend is a cop. Throughout the book there are flashbacks so that we learn what happened that "fateful night". It is about the bond between a mother and daughter and also makes you think about nurture versus nature. I really enjoyed it.

What to Wear for the rest of your life by Kim Johnson Gross 646.7 Gro

No, I am not a "fashionista" (and I can hear friends of mine snickering and saying something like ..."Well, that is pretty obvious!") When I was younger, thinner and had a perkier (you know what I mean) body, it was fun to shop. It was fun to look in the mirror. It was just fun. Now I have my fun through books - and that is why I checked this one out! Ms. Gross is walking in my shoes (although mine are definitely flatter than hers). She had been in the fashion world. Now she is basically home while she writes books. Let me give you a quote from the introduction. "I'd look in the mirror and wonder -How do I look?- and suspect it wasn't the way I had long imagined. Was it really the way I appeared in photographs - the fuller face, weaker chin, and thicker middle, much like my dad? Was I growing into my genes while growing out of my jeans?" This quote should give you an idea of the age group of women who will appreciate this book. I found it to be an entertaining book with lots of good ideas and quotes from real women. No, I haven't gone through my closet to apply the new things I learned .....because I can't remember them! But I do remember that I enjoyed this book immensely!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

In 1951 a 31-year-old black woman and mother of five named Henrietta Lacks underwent treatment at Johns Hopkins for cancer. She died without knowing that the doctors took tissue samples from her cervix for research.

With these tissue samples, they cultured the first viable cell line (known as HeLa) which spawned a multi-million dollar industry that aided medical discoveries in everything from the polio vaccine to AIDS. Meanwhile her children lived in poverty without financial compensation for their mother's contribution and were ignorant of her importance.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is the story of the Lacks family and what happened in the aftermath of their mother's death and their reaction to learning about HeLa. Part mystery, part family chronicle, Skloot tells of her struggle to connect with the family and how she teamed up with Henrietta's children to discover the truth of their mother and lost sister.

It is an engaging account, although it is one of those nonfiction narratives where the author plays a central role in the story. I'm never quite comfortable with this form of nonfiction as it can sometimes seem a little self-absorbed, but, in this case, Skloot's involvement adds an important perspective here as much of the story focuses on her effort to gain the trust of the family.

You can find The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks at the Indianola Public Library in the nonfiction area under the call number 616 SKL.

The Heights by Peter Hedges

This is a well-written book that kept my attention from beginning to end. The narration goes back and forth between Kate and Tim, a happily-married couple. Of course everyone is usually happy at the beginning of a book! Tim teaches in a private school and has his dissertation hanging over his head. Kate left her career to stay at home and be a mom. Money is tight and though they live in a rather ritzy area, they only occupy 900 square feet of it! And then Kate is offered a job - a nice job. So they decide she should return to work and Tim will take care of the kids and work on that pesky dissertation. Tim gets to know all of the other mothers/caregivers on the playground. One day there is someone new in the neighborhood -Anna Brody. She is married, rich and you know right away that she is going to be causing trouble! This is a good read.

The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

Recovering from a car injury two years before, Lucie Montgomery receives the news that her father has died - accidentally. Returning to her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Lucie is immediately surrounded by old family pressures. The family winery is failing and her brother and sister want to sell it. Soon the only holdout along with her is also killed and Lucie begins to wonder if she is next. And who should she suspect?

A quick read, this book none-the-less has interesting characters and a fun setting. Like most books that are the first in a series, a time was spent setting up the characters and their background. I enjoyed learning more about that area of Virginia and found the mystery intriguing. Perhaps best read with a glass of wine in hand?

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

In the summer of 1945, Marjorie Hart, then a student at the University of Iowa, made the trip to New York City with her friends. Their purpose? To find a job. What they really wanted? To experience the "big city" and all it had to offer.

After being turned away from jobs at Lord and Taylor's, Marjorie and her friend Marty finally find jobs at Tiffany's. Because of the absence of male workers, the two became the first women to be employed on the floor at the world-famous jewelers. During their summer in New York, they saw famous people up close and were able to experience life in New York City at the end of World War II.

This is a wonderful look at a specific time in history. The stories of how the girls managed to live on $20 a week and pay for rent AND see the sites of New York City are fun. Add into that the romance of finding a midshipman to date...

Recommended to me by a friend, I enjoyed this book a great deal!

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

This novel is the story of two sisters and the people whose lives intertwine with theirs.

At 28, practical Emily is the CEO of a start-up technology company on the verge of going public. At 23, her younger sister, Jess, is a philosophy student and also involved in environmental causes. While Emily is rational and driven, Jess is dreamy and whimsical. Emily is the mathematician in the family; Jess works at an antiquarian bookstore. Set in 1999, the novel follows their lives over the course of the next three years.

This is a very sparse outline of the book and yet it is the best one I can give. Throughout the first 100 pages or so, we are introduced to Emily and Jess, to Emily's boyfriend, Jonathan, to Jess's boss, George, and to many other people. For awhile, I found myself slightly miffed at the way the novel wandered from one person to another. Why wasn't there more about the relationship between Jess and Emily? Who was the "cookbook collector" of the title? And just when I thought I was going to put the book down and not finish it...I was hooked.

The author has a lovely, lyrical way of writing. I lost count of the number of characters she introduced me to but found myself caring about each of them. Her explanations of life in and before and after the "dot.com" collapse were fascinating and sad and exciting, all at once. She wound recent past history (the presidential election of 2000, 9/11) in and around the characters' lives.

And just when I had given up on ever finding out anything about the cookbook collector, there he was. The cookbooks became as much a character in the novel as the people, just as real and just as alive.

This is one of those books where the characters won't necessarily stay with me for awhile but the way the author uses words will.

Faithful Place by Tana French

The main character in the book is Frank Mackey. He grew up in a not-so-nice part of Dublin known as Faithful Place. He and his siblings had a tough time growing up. Their father was an alcoholic with a mean streak. The older children tried to look out for the younger ones. The highlight of Frank's life is Rosie - the beautiful girl who lives down the street. Their fathers don't get along so when their relationship becomes serious they are forced to keep it under the radar. Plans are made for them to run away to England where they will marry and start a new and better life. The night they are to meet Rosie never shows up. Frank finds a note that leads him to believe she is going without him. Devastated, Frank leaves home and eventually becomes an undercover cop with a successful career. His marriage wasn't so successful. They are divorced but still share their daughter.
After 22 years away from Faithful Place Frank receives a call from is sister, saying that a suitcase belonging to Rosie was found in an abandon house. Unable to leave the past, Frank becomes involved in the mystery of what happened to Rosie. It was a great mystery with lots of bits and pieces to it.

Rich, Thin and Pretty by Beth Harbison

This was a good book. The title is a description of three girls/women - Lexi, Nicola and Holly. They first knew each other at a camp when they were teenage girls - and you know how they act! Cliques, meanness, insecurities and secrets. Nicola and Holly were the recipients of the meanness and so they clung together. They didn't know that rich-girl Lexi was just as miserable as they were but for different reasons. Nicola and Holly planned some revenge on Lexi to get even.
Twenty years later Nicola and Holly are still best of friends. Nicola lives in Hollywood where she had a smash movie. Now she is waiting for some more success. Convinced that it is because of her looks, she has some plastic surgery done. Holly is still fighting the demons of weight. This time she might win because she is highly motivated. Her boyfriend has said that they will get engaged when she has lost twenty pounds. Lexi has lived a very spoiled life. Her "job" is shopping. She has lived at home with her very rich father and her not-so-nice stepmother. But when her dad dies she finds herself out on the streets and looking for a way to support herself. She and Holly run into each other. Holly becomes overwhelmed with the guilt of what she and Nicola did to Lexi all the years ago and talks Nicola into trying to right that wrong.
This isn't a particularly deep book but it was entertaining and perfect for spending a lazy day in an air-conditioned house while avoiding the heat outside!

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

This is a great relationship book. The relationship between sisters, between mothers and daughters, between aunts and nieces - and then there are few men that creep into the story too! Birdie is a newly divorced woman who is spending lots of time and money planning the wedding of her daughter Chess. It surprised Birdie that Chess is letting her do that because they aren't very close. But in the middle of the preparations Chess breaks off her engagement. No one can understand why - especially her fiance Michael. Then Michael goes off a climbing vacation with his brother and is killed when he falls. Chess is devastated. Birdie talks her into going to Tuckernuck, an island near Nantucket. Tuckernuck was left to Birdie by her parents and she hasn't been there for a long time, but it was the place she most loved to go when she was growing up. They end up being joined by Birdie's younger daughter, Tate, and Birdie's sister, India. Throughout the book we hear from everybody about what is really going on. It was a great book and I highly recommend it!

Fragile by Lisa Unger

This was a great easy read that kept me reading at a frantic pace. It involves two missing girls - although the cases are 20+ years apart. The incidents took place in The Hollows, a small town outside of New York City. It is the type of town that has a hold on people and many of the kids that were around when the first girl went missing are still around. Only now they are grown-ups working as cops, a psychologist and other respectable things! Maggie is the psychologist and the latest missing girl is the girlfriend of her teenage son. Hmmmmmm. And one of Maggie's teenage patients is not very stable. Hmmmmmm. Oh yeah, Maggie's husband is the lead detective on the case - and he may know more about the original disappearance that he's ever told.

Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

We own three different versions of this title, regular print, large print and downloadable audiobook. I listened to the downloadable audiobook version, and was amazed by this book.

We start out with a woman named Hallie James, who gets a letter in the mail from a lawyer that changes her life forever. In that envelope is a letter from Hallie's mother, whom Hallie had thought died when she was 5 years old. Now 30 years later she is informed that up until a week ago her mother was alive and well. Trying to find answers to why her loving and caring father (who died the day after she got this letter) would have taken her away from her mother, Hallie travels to the island where her mother lived, and is thrown into a strange world. She learns about her mothers side of the family, with all the strange paranormal activity surrounding their family home.

This gothic / paranormal fiction story was a wonderful book. I was hooked from the beginning to the end, on my toes wanting to know what was going to happen next!

If you'll enjoy a ghost or two, a unsolved murder and a mysterious family this is the book for you!

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

James is a new writer and she wrote a great debut novel. It has a psychological suspense flavor to it. Katherine is the main character. Her story is woven throughout the book so that we just get bits and pieces until it all comes together at the end. Because of a tragedy she has chosen to leave her parents and live with her aunt in a new city and she also changes her last name to protect her privacy. The first day at school she meets Alice and they seem to hit it off. Alice seems a bit unstable mentally - at least to the reader if not to Katherine! Katherine and Robbie (Alice's boyfriend) are constantly being manipulated by Alice, but neither has the will to distance themselves from her. The story changes from the present to the past to the future and back again. It kept my interest from the beginning to the end.

Supreme Justice by Phillip Margolin

I have read many of Margolin's novels and I have to say that this wasn't my favorite one. In fairness to the book, let me say that I listened to the audio book and some books are just better in print. I listen to audio books because I am doing something else while I listen! This book was hard to follow. I had a hard time remembering all of the characters and the story seemed to jump around. The main plot of this book involves Sarah Woodruff, a policewoman, who has been on trial twice for the murder of lover. (The first time it turns out he wasn't actually dead - so they dismissed the case.) She has been sentenced to death and now is appealing her case to the Supreme Court. So we have her story and the story concerning the Supreme Court. And is a justice who is retiring and two justices who are attacked. I think you get the picture - there is a lot going on! Not my favorite book of the month, but it could have been that I was too distracted. He really is a good author.

The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier

After reading some "heavier" books, this one was a welcome change. Joy Harkness is a college professor at Columbia in New York City. She likes the big city and how easy it is to keep your life private and to stay out of other people's lives. Her apartment has a "heart-stopping view of the Hudson" - but then she explains that you can only see it by hanging out the window! There isn't much space in the apartment and she has to walk up four flights of stairs - which was easier when she moved in 15 years ago.
Then one day she gets recruited by Amherst College in Massachusetts. A real estate agent named Donna was recommended to Joy. I loved the part where they met. Donna is wearing a yellow warm-up suit and Joy is dressed in a New York appropriate outfit in the wild colors of dark gray and black. Let the culture shock begin. Joy had sold her apartment in four days for an astonishing amount of money, so Donna was eager to show her some beautiful houses. And the house that Joy sees and can't get out of her mind? Of course it is an old Victorian which needs to be fixed up.
This book is one about new beginnings - a house which gets her involved with "the only guy who can save the house" , a job with colleagues that share a little more than Joy is used to knowing and a life that seems like - well, a second chance!
A nice easy read with enjoyable characters.

Messages by Bonnie McEneaney 133.9 Mc#

I heard about this book on Date Line NBC. The next day I filled out a request for purchase. When it came in I couldn't wait for it to be processed so that I could cover it and start reading. When I started it I couldn't stop. If you have any belief in an afterlife, you will find this book very compelling. If you are not open to it, don't waste your time reading the book!
McEneaney is a 9/11 widow. There were some strange things that happened before and after 9/11 in her life. Over the years she spent time with other people who had lost loved ones on that day. Many of them also had stories to share. Some of them were non-believers, but they could not explain the things that occurred.
The sub-title of this book is "Signs, Visits, and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11". Now you know what the book is about. From a sad event came hopeful stories of love and connections that never end.

The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

Tilly had some rough years. Her mother died when Tilly was 17, her father tried to drink away his sorrow and there were two younger sisters that needed some mothering. But she survived and everything turned out - well, mostly. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart. She is a counselor at her former high school and she is reliving many of her own high school moments. But a baby - when is that going to happen? When it does everything will be perfect.
One day Tilly is at a local fair when she sees a fortune teller's booth which is run by her old childhood friend,Ashley. Instead of just reading her fortune, Ashley gives Tilly the gift of clarity. You might think that would be really great, but it doesn't work out so well for Tilly. Her happy life looks like it has a few bumps ahead. I really enjoyed reading it and I think there are a few lessons that could be learned - if you wanted to learn a lesson!

Innocent by Scott Turow

About ten years ago I read the book Presumed Innocent by Turow. The fact that I can remember the surprising conclusion of that book is a testament to how good it was. The main character is defense attorney Rusty Sabich. He finds himself as a defendant when a colleague is raped and murdered - and he happened to be having an affair with her.
Now it is déjà vu all over again! He's been having another affair - when will these men learn??????? And there is another dead body - only this time it is his bi-polar wife. He ends up back on trial again. This time it is even worse because he is a judge who is in contention for the state supreme court. And this time is son Nat is in the court room listening.
I loved the way Turow wrote this. The narration moves from Rusty to Nat to Anna (the mistress) and to the prosecuting attorney, Tommy Moto. The pace is quick and the story keeps you wondering what the truth really is.

Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman

Becca is the daughter of a well-to-do family with a summer home in Red Hook. John's mother, Jane, cleans for Becca's mom, Iris, and others. Of course they fall madly in love and marry. They are blissfully happy and never have a cross word for each other during their marriage. But to be fair I should tell you that the marriage only lasted a few hours. They were tragically killed when their limo is hit by another car as they returned to the reception after taking pictures. So although John and Becca are talked about during the entire book, we are never part of their lives -just their deaths. This book is about the two families over the next four summers - how their lives and their sorrows intertwine. I think it is well-written and very readable. The end, however, - oh the end. I am not sure what happened! I think I know but I read and reread it a few times.
Interesting characters and believable actions make it a good read.

Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen

This was a quick-paced mystery. Maura Isles is a medical examiner in Boston and has been involved with a priest for a year. The affair is tearing her up because she wants more than Daniel can promise at the moment. She leaves Boston and Daniel for a week to attend a medical conference in Idaho. While there she runs into a guy she knew in school. He recognized Maura right away. She finally remembered him - he was the one that jumped off a roof and broke his leg. Although he doesn't appear to have matured, Doug is the type of distraction Maura could use. At the end of the conference she decides to stay out West for an extra day when Doug talks her into a skiing trip. It is not meant to be a romantic tryst - they will be traveling with Doug's teenage daughter and his friends Arlo and Elaine. On the way to the lodge Doug loses control of the SUV in a blizzard and they are stranded. They stumble across the remote village of Kingdom Come - twelve identical houses. But no one is home. It looks as if they left in a hurry - food is still on the table, milk frozen in the glasses. Aha - a mystery! There are some spooky things happening and it kept me reading with great interest. Tess Gerritsen delivers again!

Homestaging That Works by Starr Osborne 643012 Osb

No I am not selling my house - at least not for a long time. But for some reason I am fascinated by all of the shows on tv about how to sell a house - so when this book showed up to be covered I couldn't resist and took it home for a look-see. I already knew the stuff about de-cluttering and de-personalizing the space. What was very different about this book was how she helps you figure out your target audience! Baby boomers (late and early) Gen X etc. tend to like different colors from one another - also different floor plans, different art work - different everything! And I think she was spot on! If you are thinking about selling I would certainly recommend this book. If you are thinking about buying you might want to read it to see what they have done to entice you to make that full-price offer!

The Long Way Home by Robin Pilcher

One of my favorite authors has always been Rosamund Pilcher. I think she has stopped writing (okay she is in her late eighties - but still.....) so I have turned to her son Robin. This book had all of the flavor of the things I loved about his mother's books. The book makes me long to move to a Scottish village and the people seem so alive that I think I would recognize them anywhere!
Other than her immediate family in New York, Claire Barclay has no one left in the world with the exception of her stepfather Leo. There is a deep bond between Leo and Claire and they talk on a regular basis with occasional visits. She does more for Leo than his own children do.
Leo has a stroke and Claire (with family) go to Scotland to look after him for the summer. It is obvious that Leo is slowly sinking into some sort of dementia. Throw in a former flame, angry step siblings, a will, some real estate plans and....well you have a story!
If you like a gentle read on a hot afternoon you will not be disappointed.

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

At the beginning of the Civil War, Mary Sutter is widely acknowledged as the best midwife in Albany, New York. She follows a long line of generations of midwives in her family. She longs, however, to be a surgeon, a doctor, to learn more about how the human body functions. In a time when women are still relegated to traditional roles, this is a goal that seems insurmountable.

Denied admission to the Medical College of Albany, she turns for help to a local doctor, James Blevens. Stunned by her request and by the outbreak of war (but not by Mary's courage and stubbornness) he denies her but remains haunted by her.

Denied the chance to follow her dream at home, Mary heads off to Washington, D.C. when Dorothea Dix issues a call for nurses. Her life becomes intertwined, once again, with James Blevens as well as his mentor, William Stipp.

I have to admit that I skipped a couple of the gorier scenes, from a childbirth gone wrong to the battle surgery scenes. The author works in real life people (from Dorothea Dix to Abraham Lincoln) into the story and it helped me to understand the bigger picture.

I liked this book a lot. Mary's story of trying to fulfill her dream and what it costs her is a story as true today as it was then. The author's descriptions of the battlefield and how primitive the hospitals were are heart-breaking. As I read them, I had to wonder yet again why war seems to be an option. I wanted Mary to achieve her dream - but was frustrated when she couldn't see past it.

One of the reasons I read this book was to see if it would be a good gift for my sister. It will.

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

Sometimes I think I'm the only woman under 40 who's not in love with vampires. I don't get the vampire craze and, frankly, think it's pretty weird. So it is with great surprise that I must admit to loving Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth, a new thriller featuring a vampire secret agent.

Yes, the President of the United States has a vampire on staff.

Nathaniel Cade has protected every president since Andrew Johnson from enemies both human and paranormal. Zach Barrows is a young, smooth-talking rising political star who finds his career derailed when he is assigned as Cade's new liaison with the president. Neither one is thrilled to be partnered with the other but they must work together to stop a terrorist plot involving human corpses brought back to life (aka - zombies).

Here's why I like this book so much - Cade and Barrows are well-developed characters who are likable and very funny. It's fun to cheer them on. The plot is fast paced enough to keep you guessing. And the villains are all so evil it's hard to decide who is the most diabolical - the terrorist, the spoiled rich kid, the corrupt government agent, the scheming vice president, or the mad scientist.

There is a tiny hint of romance in Blood Oath but if you're searching for an Edward-Bella romance, you'll be disappointed. However, if you're in the mood for a fun thriller, Blood Oath is a great pick.

You can find Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth in the New Fiction shelves at the Indianola Public Library.

Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini 746.43 Mar

This book is not for everyone. To enjoy it I think you need to have a love of or an interest in knitting. I am a wannabe knitter but I am mired in making needlepoint Christmas stockings - so knitting is on hold. Martini found out how a craft that can be repetitive is very soothing to the soul. It saved her sanity - really! So after many scarves and hats she is ready for a challenge. The story behind the pattern is quite the story. The technique....well it was waaaaayy beyond my understanding and made me realize that I am too old to ever learn enough knitting to attempt something like that. Her goal was to finish the sweater in a year.
If you decide to read this book, I suggest you first go to Google and find the link to Mary Tudor Sweater and from there to the martinmade - and now the picture can be shown. You will see the picture of the finished project ( oops - I ruined the ending, didn't I). I didn't do this but I think you should! I had a hard time picturing this as I read and this would have been so much better.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Ten years after the Columbine High School shooting, journalist Dave Cullen has written a comprehensive account of what happened that day, the aftermath, and, perhaps most telling, the events leading up to April 20, 1999.

This is not a sensational look at the tragedy - there are no gory photographs or descriptions. Nor is it an inspirational telling meant to memorialize the event, but is instead a journalistic look at what happened based on the basement tapes and journals created by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, police evidence, and interviews with eyewitnesses.

Cullen's account debunks some popular myths of the event and looks at how the media perpetuated these myths in an effort to produce a simple "answer" to why this happened. The books follows the families through the years to see the long-lasting effects and how they coped. It also analyzes how this tragedy affected the nation and how we deal with school shootings now.

What I liked best is that Cullen's account is a sympathetic but unsentimental view of the tragedy. I think it's an excellent example of good journalism which reads as well as some of the best fiction. What surprised me the most in reading it was how much sympathy I felt for the parents of Eric and Dylan. My only disappointment was that Cullen placed most of the blame on Eric, so much so that Dlyan seems almost absolved of responsibility.

Obviously, it's not a cheerful book to read, but now that the reports and evidence have been released to the public (except for some pages the police "accidentally" destroyed that detailed what they knew about Eric Harris before the shooting) the book is able to provide context to the tragedy.

Columbine is available at the Indianola Public Library in the nonfiction shelves under the number 371.782 Cul.

Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson

Every time I unpack a box of books there are vampire books - everyone is writing about them. Well I don't read that stuff - except I just did! But in this book there really isn't a true vampire - just a wanna be, and he's not in the middle of a Jane Austen story and there aren't young innocent girls drooling at his feet. So I feel that I am reading a much higher class of vampire literature!
Our heroine is Kristi Bentz. I think she might have been in an early book because she certainly had a harrowing adventure earlier in her life! As this book opens Kristi has recovered from her traumatic attack and is ready to leave her dad's home and get back to a real life. She want to be the next Ann Rule and write a true crime book. She also needs some more education to get the proper background in forensics and in writing. So she goes back to her former school called All Saints College - there seems to be some real crime there. Four girls have disappeared in the past two years and no one seems to care. It is presumed that they are dropouts.
Kristi does some sleuthing of her own. She also contends with her freshman roommate who is now a professor at the college. They weren't friends then and they aren't now either. And here is an even bigger coincidence - Jay is a former lover and is now filling in as a prof in a class that Kristi has just signed up for!
One can guess about the romantic involvement that is bound to happen, but I still enjoyed the mystery and the shadowy characters. Now that I too have read a vampire book, I think I'll move on to something else!

Someone Will Be With You Shortly by Lisa Kogan 070.92 Kog

Do you need a laugh? Do you want a book that you can pick up, read for a while and then come back to when you have another ten minutes to spare? Then check out this book! Reading it I was reminded of Nora Ephron's book I Feel Bad About My Neck and various books by Erma Bombeck and Jean Kerr (I may be wrong about the name of that author, but she wrote the book Please Don't Eat the Daisies).
Kogan writes about her life which is not an extraordinary one - she just makes it very entertaining. You will be able to identify with many of the situations in the book. Just the title alone makes me laugh.
It's summer - so take a break from all the bad news on the tv and entertain yourself with this lighthearted read.

Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas

I enjoyed listening to this audio book. The story takes place in Colorado in the 1920's. The lifeblood of the town is the mining industry. As the book begins there is an avalanche. A woman happens to be looking out the window when it happens and is horrified to see that children were swept away. School had just let out and the ones who left school quickly ended up in the deadly path of the avalanche. Then Ms. Dallas tells the background of each of the nine children who are missing. The end of the book goes back to the day of the avalanche and we learn the fate of the children.
It is well-written and the characters are interesting. I was particularly intrigued by the story of the Civil War veteran and the prostitute.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

I was number 46 on the hold list but I got lucky because we received the large print copy and I was able to snag it! It's a typical Mary Higgins Clark book - I'm never bored and it reads quickly and easily. In this latest book and elderly woman, Olivia, has been given two weeks to live. You would think at 83 with that prognosis she wouldn't really be able to do anything. But she is tough and despite the fatigue she manages to makes several trips in a car (with a driver!). She is searching for some inspiration from the spirit of her dead cousin, Catherine. (This is figuratively not literally!). Catherine was a nun and is now being considered for beatification in the Church. Catherine was a good, good person but she did have a couple of secrets - like a child she bore. Olivia has evidence of who that child grew up to be and also the identity of the father.
So let me just say that there is an inheritance involved, some scams going on in a family charitable foundation and people who are willing to kill to keep secrets hidden. Plenty of characters to love and to hate!

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

If you're in the mood for a simple, feel-good story, watch Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side and steer clear Michael Lewis' book The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game. The book lets pesky little things like real life interfere with the Hollywood story.

Both the book and movie explore the relationship between Michael Oher, a black child born into poverty and a dysfunctional family (at one point Michael has a hard time remembering the names of all his siblings - most of whom have different fathers) and the Tuohys, the rich, white Republican family who takes him under their wings and help him reach success in the NFL.

The story of Micheal's ascent to the NFL is truly amazing and inspirational. But it's the complicated relationship between Michael and the Tuohys that make this story interesting. The Tuohy's are neither as innocent of ulterior motives as their fans assert nor as self-serving as their critics claim but are instead a natural combination of both.

[Although they truly love Michael, one has to wonder if their influence in steering him to sign with their alma mater, Ole Miss, was really in Michael's best interest. Clearly, playing for the University of Iowa would have been a much better choice - but maybe I'm biased].

My one complaint about The Blind Side is that Michael remains a mystery. His thoughts, motives, and personality are unknown even though the story is ostensibly about him. Still, it's a great book, and I really enjoyed it.

You can find The Blind Side at the Indianola Public Library in the nonfiction shelves under the number 796.332 Lew.

Getting Organized in the Google Era by Douglas Merrill

It is not unusual for me to start reading or listening to a book and decide I don't like it - so I just put it down and go on to something else. It is unusual for me to blog about a book I didn't finish! I was listening to the audio book and I was enjoying it. There are lots of interesting facts and suggestions about how to do things on the computer. I kept thinking "I need to remember this" and "I need to try this". Who am I kidding?? I can't remember much. So half-way through the book I quit listening - and went to Amazon to order a copy of it!
Now I will start skimming the parts I listened to with a highlighter in my hand and then go on to the rest of the book. I think it will be a great reference book for me and I'm going to try out some of his suggestions. Who knows, I may even get organized!

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman

This was a quick and interesting read. Arcadia Falls was an art colony back in the early part of the 20th century. Today it is a private school with an emphasis on art. Meg is on her way there to begin her teaching career. Meg's husband died unexpectedly the year before and left her in a financial mess. To support herself and her daughter, Sally, Meg has sold her house and left the easy life behind.
Meg is worried that Sally will hate having to change schools, but she fits in surprisingly well and soon has friends. One of her friends (and one of Meg's students) dies after a school bonfire when she plunges into a ravine. It was part of a ritual the students put on every year (the bonfire part, not the plunging into the ravine!). Was it an accident or murder?????
The other part of the story involves some research that Meg wants to do for her PhD. It involves the lives of the artists who lived at Arcadia Falls.
Good book - I enjoyed the plots and the characters.

Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott

Let me give you a warning about this book. If you have pre-teen children you probably don't want to read it. It will give you nightmares! Elizabeth and her second husband, James, have been raising her kids. The oldest is Rosie. She is 17, bright and lying to her parents on a regular basis. She is involved with some less than desirable friends. She is sexually active. She is using a variety of drugs.
How to get Rosie to stop? They ground her. Things get better. Then they catch her in a lie. Then they ground her........and you the idea. The way she manipulates everyone around her is scary! After working with teens for over 30 years I am afraid that I found the book to be very realistic and could see it all happening. Anyway, the book is very well written but it isn't a very cheery book!

The Red Thread by Ann Hood

When I read a novel by Ann Hood I like to make sure there is a box of Kleenex nearby. Maya is the owner of the Red Thread Adoption Agency. In an attempt to escape the emotional pain from the loss of her child, she dedicates her life to uniting Chinese baby girls with adoptive parents in the U.S..
The book moves back and forth between the adoption process for five couples and the story of how the five babies became available for adoption (and that would be where it got a bit weepy for me!) I have only adopted animals, but I think she has probably done a good job of describing the pain and emotional upheavals that adoptive parents might go through. I would recommend this book.

Eating Pomegranates by Sarah Gabriel 362.196 Gab

This is a memoir about a young woman who found out that she carried the BRCA Gene which is connected to breast cancer. Her mother died when she was a teenager and she wants to save her kids from that heartbreak. She has her ovaries removed to help increase her odds of escaping the disease - but it still catches up with her. This is the story of her battle with breast cancer and how she dealt with it. There are so many decisions to make - about the treatment, about what to tell her children, about dealing with her father ( There are a few unresolved issues from her mother's death.). It is a touching book but it's not for everyone.

The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller

Sue Miller is a great writer and her books always have a depth to them. There are several strands of a story going on in this novel. Billy (who is a she!) has written a play about a terrorist bombing of a train in Chicago. The main character is a man who is waiting to hear if his wife survived. Don't worry - he's not waiting alone. His son is there with him and then his (previously secret) girlfriend shows up! The play is about the husband's ambivalence towards his wife's survival. Does he or doesn't he want her to live?
Billy was living with a guy named Gus on September 11th. Gus left on a plane trip and never returned. Billy loved Gus's sister, Leslie, who had been more of a mother than a sister to Gus. Throughout the book we are allowed into the pasts of these characters and find out how they became the people that they turned out to be.
Along with that story is the one about Rafe who plays the husband in the play. Rafe relates to the character he plays because his wife is dying a slow death.
I became very caught up in the characters - the unfolding of their stories drew me in from the very beginning.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Ah, a great British novel. Just a reminder about this genre - it's not a page-turner in terms of adventure. Major Pettigrew is a widower who has just been dealt another blow with the death of his younger brother, Bertie. Now the Major needs to use his tact to get back an antique Churchill gun from his sister-in-law. The gun is part of a set that the Major's father divided between his sons with the plan that the guns would be reunited upon the death of one of them. But the Major's son, Roger, has a different idea. The guns should be quite valuable so why not sell them and make some money!
During this trying time, the Major strikes up a friendship with Jasmina. Her late husband owned a food shop and now she is running it with the help of her nephew. It turns out that Jasmina and the Major have a lot of common interests. Roger, the nephew and the rest of the village don't feel that it is appropriate that the two are friends - and certainly not anything else!
The characters are interesting and it's always delightful to read about an English village. Cup of tea anyone???

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I had heard good things about this book but never bothered to put my name on the hold list because it really didn't sound that appealing to me. When we received the audio book I decided I would listen to it - wow!!!!! Unbelievable that this is a first novel. I was taken in by the first chapter and listened to it while walking, pulling weeds, taking a shower, checking my e-mail and a few other things! Eighteen hours of listening that just flew by!
It is the 1960's in Mississippi. Eugenia- more commonly known as Skeeter- comes from a typical southern family of the times. Their "help" is a loving woman named Constantine. While Skeeter is away at the University, she and Constantine write letters every week to keep in touch. After graduation Skeeter is shocked when she arrives home to find that Constantine is gone - and the explanation given by mother is not very satisfactory.
Skeeter wants to be a writer and was given advice by an editor to get any kind of job she can at the newspaper. The only job she can get is writing an advice column - on cleaning. She has never cleaned anything but takes the job anyway! She turns to a black maid named Aibileen for answers on how to clean things.
Eventually Skeeter turns to a big project - writing about the lives of some black maids in Jackson. No one can know about the interviews or the book. The characters are varied and always interesting - whether you love them or hate them! Life in Mississippi was certainly different than it was in Indianola back in the '60's!
Now I know why everyone has been asking for this book! Read it when you get a chance.

The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg

Elizabeth Berg seems to write one book a year. I wish it were once a month - but then the books might not be as outstanding as they are! You can answer a few questions to see if this book is right for you! Do you know what a circle pin is? Would you recognize Bass Weejuns? If I say "Letterman - The Way You Look Tonight" - can you hear it playing in your mind? If you answer yes to these questions, you will really enjoy this book. (Of course others will also enjoy it and might learn a little about the culture of the 60's!).
It's time for a fortieth high school reunion. That means it's time for new diets, hairstyles, up-lifting bras and maybe some valium. This is the story of some of the attendees. If you have ever attended a reunion, you will be able to relate to the characters and the emotions they are dealing with. A wonderful book with believable characters and believable actions at the reunion. We get to know the present-day characters and what they were like when they were cheerleaders, star athletes, nerds, prom queen - well, you get the picture. I loved this book!

The Promised World by Lisa Tucker

This is a psychological novel - dysfunctional family and all that! Lila and her twin Billy had a difficult childhood. Lila doesn't remember a lot of it herself - just what Billy tells her. Lila is grown up now, a literature professor and happily married. Then one day Billy commits "suicide by cop". Billy had been estranged from his wife but tries to keep close to his kids until he is charged with child-endangerment of his middle child, William who is 8 years old. Lila delves into Billy's life and writings to find out the truth - not just about William but about their childhood too.
Lila's sanity begins to waver and her husband, Patrick, tries to help. In the process he finds that Lila and Billy's mother is not dead as he had always believed. He connects with her and the plot thickens. An intriguing story!

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke

Sometimes I like a new author with a plot line that keeps me guessing the whole time. And sometimes I like the familiarity of an author I know and the characters that I have come to love. Joanne Fluke has created a wonderful character in Hannah Swensen. Even though Hannah is much younger than I am, she has found at least a dozen dead bodies - I have yet to find one!
This time the victim is an old flame of Hannah's who turned out to be a rat! So we are not really sorry that he's dead. Hannah tries to solve the mystery with the help of her two boyfriends and her lovable family.
And, as always, the recipes scattered throughout the book sound yummy - well, the watermelon cookies didn't sound that great! (They are made with Kool-Aid.....) If anyone tries to bake them, bring one to me please.

The Hungry Season by T. Greenwood

This was a great book! It's about a family trying to overcome tragedy. Sam and Mena are a happily married couple with twins. Every summer they traveled from California to Vermont to spend the summer where Sam grew up. As the children reach their teens it becomes too hard to find the time to go to the cabin and so for five years they have gone. This summer they are again back in Vermont trying to keep what is left of their family together. Their daughter, Franny, is dead and her twin, Finn, is spiraling into his own place of sorrow. We don't find out until the end what happened to Franny.
In a parallel story we have Dale, a young woman who becomes obsessed with Sam and the novels that he has written. As a senior thesis she has decided to write a biography about Sam and will stop at nothing to get that done!
Great characters and a plot-line that kept me reading straight through.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

Wow. I stayed up until 1 this morning to finish this. (Given my age and the condition of my eyes, this is not a common occurrence anymore.) If you like your books on the light side this is not a book you will want to read. It's filled with tragedy and sadness that will tie your heart into knots. Yikes, that sounds a bit poetic for me. I just want you to understand that it is a hard book to read because of what happens in the story.
But if you can stand the sadness read this book. It is so well-written and she does a terrific job with the characters. This first part of the book is the story of a regular family - Mary Beth, her husband, 3 teenagers and a great dog. Then something horrific happens. The rest of the book is the story of how she copes with her life going forward.
If you have never read a book by Anna Quindlen, check them some of her earlier books too.

Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

I didn't read Eat Pray and Love by Gilbert. I didn't intend to read this one either.....but I looked at the cover and read the book jacket. It had to do with her decision to get married and her conversations with women around the world on the subject of marriage. I've never been married so I really didn't think I would be very interested. Then we received the audio book. Suddenly I was more interested because I'm always looking for books to listen to! So I took it home and put it on my Ipod and actually listened to the whole thing and truly enjoyed it. Gilbert tells the story of falling in love with an older divorce from Brazil. Felipe and Elizabeth get along very well. Of course they don't spend all of their time together so that helps. Neither one is interested in giving marriage another try and they see no reason to even try.......until Homeland Security steps in. Suddenly Felipe is not free to continue his frequent trips to the States. When asked what they should do about the problem, the Homeland Security guy confides that probably the only solution is to get married.
The book is about the time they spent in "exile" waiting for the red tape to allow them to be together in the US. While they travel around Elizabeth makes it her mission to find out more about the state of marriage. I found it to be an enjoyable, interesting and sometimes informative book.

Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver

Does banking on-line make you nervous? Do you always hesitate before filling out a survey? When a waitress takes away your credit card to swipe it, do you ever wonder if she's doing something else with it? If you can relate to any of these situations, do NOT read this book. Your "uneasy feeling" will erupt into uncontrolled paranoia!
this book is from Deaver's series which features Lincoln Rhyme. Lincoln's cousin (whose name I can't remember- so he will become known as LC for now!) is arrested for murder. There was a falling out of sorts and Lincoln hasn't spoken to LC in a long, long time. But LC's wife comes to plead with Lincoln. LC really isn't the type to commit a cold-blooded murder like this one, but the evidence is overwhelming - I mean really, really overwhelming. Someone reported seeing a car like LC's driving away from the scene. He has no alibi. He is in a world of hurt.
Lincoln finds out that LC is not the only one who has been accused of murder and found guilty because of the forensic evidence. This murderer is using a computer to frame these innocent people. So it's up to Lincoln and his partner Amanda (with help from a few others!) to solve this mystery. It really will give you the creeps!

Imperfect Endings by Zoe Fitzgerald Carter 616.85 Car

This is not a book for everyone. Zoe's mom has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for quite a while and she does not want to continue. She wants to end her suffering but she wants the support of her daughters. (Zoe has two sisters). Despite a busy schedule with her husband and children, Zoe flies cross-country many times during the last year of her mom's life as she gets drawn into her mom's suicidal plan. It sounds like a very depressing book but it actually wasn't. There are many humorous moments and the mom, Margaret, is quite the character! There are conflicts between the sisters and conflicts between mother and daughters. It made me think about a lot of things - and every once in a while I like to think!

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

If nothing else, it's a fair bet that a book with a title as strange as The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag is going to be different from your run-of-the-mill mystery. It makes you want to read the book just to understand the title.

Alan Bradley first introduced us to 11-year-old Flavia de Luce in his award-winning mystery The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Flavia has not changed since her last adventure -- she is still being bullied by her two older sisters (and tormenting them right back), still zipping around town on her bike Gladys, and, of course, still keeping one step ahead of Inspector Hewitt.

In this case, BBC puppeteer Rupert Porson is electrocuted to death during the final act of a show he gives in Flavia's hometown. Since no one pays much attention to Flavia anyway, she is free to come and go as she pleases, listening to gossip, gathering clues, and putting her precocious chemistry skills to work to solve the case.

There are many eccentric and enjoyable characters in this series - including the debut appearance of the formidable Aunt Felicity - but none as interesting as Flavia.

Both The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag are available at the Indianola Public Library in the Mystery section under MYS Bra.

Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah

I hesitated to check out this book. It appeared that it might be too much of the chick lit genre for my tastes. Having decided to give it a try anyway, I'm glad I did! This book is about the Lee sisters, Isabelle and Claire. Their mother is so worried that neither girl will find a man and give her grandchildren. At first she would only push Chinese men on them - but as she gets more desperate she would be thrilled with ANY man. It's hard for momma to have control over Claire who has gotten a law degree and is working for a firm in Beijing. She hasn't been home in two years and has no plans to visit soon. Her much younger sister Isabelle has been working for a magazine in New doing menial tasks and in a relationship that doesn't offer much. When she is fired from her job she decides to join her sister in Beijing - even though they aren't really that close. This is the story of her struggles in the country of her grandparents - the culture, the language (she really only speaks "kitchen chinese") her job, her sister ...and of course a few men thrown in as well. It read quickly and was very enjoyable.

The Hole We're In by Gabrielle Zevin

This book was different than what I expected - but I really liked it. The write-up I read talked about the Pomeroys, a Christian family that gets themselves into financial trouble. I thought that subject alone could fill a book! The book begins with the beginning of the "hole they dug". With one child graduating from college, another in college and the 10-yr. old Patsy, still at home, Roger Pomeroy decides he should leave his job as a principal in a religious high school and return to college for his PHd. He has lots of reasons why this is a good idea- for him. For the rest of his family - well, not so much. The consequences of this financial bind are obvious as the bills mount up. What I loved about this book is the continuation of the lives of the Pomeroys. We see how decisions that were made and secrets that were kept had a profound affect on the family for decades to come. Great book.

Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter by Michael J. White

This will be a mixed review. I absolutely loved reading this book with the reference to Des Moines and Davenport. I don't know why I get such a kick out of that but I do! In my opinion the book was well-written and the characters were believable. George moves with his family from Davenport to Des Moines. So here he is in a new town without friends. Fortunately he meets Emily who is an aspiring actress and stars in all the high school plays. He falls for her but never says anything because she obviously wants to keep it on a friendship level. So they become best friends and George is drawn into Emily's world. A big part of that world is Emily's sister, Katie, who suffers from a rare case of juvenile multiple sclerosis.
This is a "coming of age" novel - and I really don't care for that genre! But if you do, I think you will like this book.

The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon

Set in London in 1924, this is the story of Evelyn Gifford, a woman attorney when women weren't welcomed in the legal profession. It is also the story of her brother James's death in World War I. Evelyn and her family have still not recovered from his death and are not prepared when a young woman shows up on their doorstep with a young son which she says is James's. Were it not for the fact that Edmund is the spitting image of his father, no one would have believed her.

Evelyn works in a law office as a clerk and is drawn into the case of Stephen Wheeler, a man accused of shooting his wife at point-blank range. Was he jealous? Suffering the effects of the war? Or is he innocent? It is the latter which Evelyn comes to believe. Helping her office with the case is Nicholas Thorne, a dashing young attorney who not only accepts Evelyn and her career choice but includes her in discussions of law and treats her as an equal - and becomes her love interest.

This book has two over-riding themes - love in its many versions and the after-effects of war and fighting. Six years after the end of World War I, its effects still linger in the lives of almost everyone. No one seems to be immune - from lives lost to the stresses caused by war. Evelyn herself struggles with trying to decide what love is - is it the romantic love portrayed in novels or is it the love shown by Stephen Wheeler for his dead wife? Can she live without love?

I enjoyed this book a great deal and was reluctant to see it end. I have attempted to read books by this author previously but always put them down before getting too far. What a mistake that was!

Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn

This is the story of four women in their thirties, all with small children, who live in and around the Prospect Park area of Brooklyn. Melora, a two-time Oscar winner, is frustrated with her life, her husband, and the stresses of raising an adopted child. Rebecca, frustrated with her life after the birth of her daughter, begins an affair with a handsome neighborhood celebrity. Lizzie, a former lesbian, is frustrated with her husband's job which takes him away from her and their small son most of the time. And Karen is frustrated with where she and her husband and toddler son live, which ISN'T in Prospect Park. How their lives intersect and how they relate to one another forms the basis of this novel.

I have to say that I didn't like it very much. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic or even likable and it's hard to work your way through a novel if you aren't rooting for at least ONE person to succeed. In fact, if I hadn't had limited reading materials available to me on a recent trip I would have skimmed to the end and then returned it. Perhaps it's because I've passed the age that the author is writing about?

Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

Barclay knows how to write a novel that keeps your interest and keeps you guessing. David Harwood is happily married to Jan and together they have a four-year-old son, Ethan. David works as a journalist and is finding that things are getting tough. He does have a lead on a story of corruption involving a for-profit prison. He has been telling Jan about his job but she doesn't seem to be paying much attention. Lately she has been acting very depressed and he worries that she might try to harm herself. He is cheered up when she takes a day off from work and announces that she has gotten tickets for the amusement park nearby. The day almost takes a tragic turn when Jan looks away for a moment and someone snatches Ethan who is asleep in his stroller. Jan and David split up and David finds Ethan unharmed. But where is Jan??????? She has disappeared. Not everyone is what they appear to be. Her disappearance and David's corruption investigation become intertwined in the book. It was an entertaining read.

Tinsel by Hank Stuever 976.4 Stu

Stuever is a journalist who took on this very interesting project -the story of Christmas in Frisco, Texas whose population has been exploding during the last decade. He begins the book on Black Friday in the wee hours of the morning. Waiting in line at Best Buy, he meets Carroll a single mother of two. She becomes one of the people whom he tracks during the season. We also follow Tammie who loves Christmas and spreads the joy by decorating other people's houses as a seasonal job. There there the Trykoski family, Jeff and Bridgette who would give Clark Griswold in The National Lampoon movie a run for his money.
Stuever begins this project in 2006 and people are spending plenty of money. It ends in 2008 and we all know that things changed quite a bit during that time.
I found it a very interesting read. Christmas does very strange things to us and I liked being a voyeuse to the "Christmas Lives" of these people. I wish he had a sequel to this book because I would like to know what Christmas was like in '09 for these people!

Driftless by David Rhodes

This is the all-Iowa read selection for 2010. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it very much. It is a little slow at the beginning. Actually it is a little slow during the whole book if you are a person who likes lots of action! I love books about people, their stories and their relationships. Driftless takes place in a small town in Wisconsin. If you are from the Midwest you will recognize people you have known in the characters who live in Words, Wisconsin.
Rhodes does a great job of telling each character's story and then weaving all those stories together. Jacob is a widower who hasn't been able to get past his wife's death - until he finds himself interested in Winnie, the Pastor with a horrible childhood. Graham and Cora have a dairy farm and Cora works for the company that buy their milk. When she discovers some irregularities they must decide if they have the strength to stand up for what is right. Olivia and Violet are sisters who live together. Violet is an invalid and Olivia has been looking after her for many years. As a tease let me say that Olivia sneaks out one night and takes all of her money to a casino. Violet ends up with a pit bull that was used in dog-fighting. (I don't really know the whole story there because I couldn't bear to listen to the part about dog-fighting and so I skipped several tracks!)
The main character in the book is July who spent a great deal of his life drifting and finally finds peace in the small town of Words. There are parts of the book that made me smile and parts that made me teary - a great combination in my opinion!
If you have read this book or want to, please put it on your calendar to join us here at the Library on April 15 at 7:00 for the All-Iowa discussion of the book led by Nancy St. Clair.

The Last Train from Hiroshima by Charles Pellegrino 940.54 Pel

Minutes before I sat down to write this blog Michele told me there was some controversy about this book and some of the sources. Maybe there are a few inaccuracies in the book but that aside it was a very powerful book. It was so eerie to read about Ground Zero (the first time that phrase was used), people and things being vaporized , terrified people looking for loved ones and pretending to themselves that they are only 'missing', and people who survived because of a missed train or a mother calling them inside. The parallels between Hiroshima and 9/11 were interesting. There are lots of stories told in the book, many of them about people who survived Hiroshima and left on a train for the safety of Nagasaki - that didn't work out so well.
I had insomnia last night - maybe because I finished this book before trying to sleep! As a baby boomer I was always afraid of "the bomb" but after reading this description I realize that I wasn't scared enough!
If you like history and non-fiction, I think you will find this an interesting read.

The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Stromeyer

I enjoyed this book except for the fact that there is no apostrophe in her title. It just a small thing but I think someone should have corrected that! I have never read a book by this author because they seem to be of the chick lit genre which is not my favorite. The title made me pick it up and the inside flap made me check it out. Kat is a bit of a compulsive shopper married to an academic named Griff who is a bit tight with money. You can tell all ready that trouble is brewing, can't you! After almost 20 years of marriage she is still madly in love with him and she thinks the feeling is mutual - until she uncovers some evidence in his pants' pocket.......and then finds some questionable e-mails sent to his cute grad assistant......and then finds he has a secret credit card and a bank account with $10,000 in it. She discovers in the e-mails that after their daughter leaves for college he is going to tell Kat everything. Sounds like a divorce is pending. When she finds out how much a divorce will cost, she is shocked. She vows to get out of debt and save some money for when Griff leaves her.
Fun story, good read.

Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain

Maggie Lockwood was young and madly in love with a firefighter named Ben. She did a stupid thing which led to the deaths of 3 people and painful burn injuries to Keith - a boy she had practically grown up with. After spending a year in prison she is now coming home. This is the story of her attempt to return to her widowed mother and mentally-challenged brother, Andy. Her family is welcoming - the town? well, not so much.
It is also the story of Keith and his anger toward life and especially toward Maggie. On the day that Maggie arrives home from prison, Keith's mom Sara goes to the store and doesn't return. You can see there is a lot going on in this small town! On top of all of that there are a lot of buried secrets between Keith's mom and Maggie's mom. It was an enjoyable read that kept me wanting to know what all of those secrets were.

The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens

This was an odd book. I wasn't very fond of the characters. The one who might have been the most likable is often talked about but not seen. This is the story of Mary who has been married for twenty-five years minus one day to the love of her life, Jimmy. Jimmy has always been loving and kind to Mary, despite her enormous weight gain and her refusal to go anywhere or do anything. When he doesn't come home the night before their anniversary she is afraid something has happened to him. She goes through the pockets of his clothes looking for clues. She soon takes off to try and find him. She struggles with an ATM card, a cell phone and traveling by plane. I wanted to find out how it ended but the story didn't ring very true to me!

Louisa May Alcott the Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen

I can't say that I am a big fan of Louisa May Alcott- in fact I am not sure that I have ever actually read one of her books. I do, however, like biographies and that is why I took this audio book home. I very much enjoyed the book and am planning on reading some of her works. Most of the book takes place in the second half of the 19th century and it is interesting to be reminded that "the more things change, the more they stay the same"! Soldiers suffering flashbacks, people living beyond their means and in debt, paparazzi around famous people, trying to get equality for all people, drugs taken to ease pain - you can find all of these things in the newspaper today....or you can read the story of Ms. Alcott! I will warn you that the book doesn't read very quickly but I never thought about stopping before the end.