Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan

This is a book from 2002. I checked it out because we received a new one by O'Nan called Emily Alone. I was reading the back of it and found out that Emily was introduced in this book. So for once I did the right thing and let the new book go. Now I have to wait for it to be returned to the library to find out how things work out for Emily. But back to this book. This is the story of a family - so now you know there will be secrets, lies and love. Emily has been widowed for a year. This year when her two children, their children and her sister-in-law come to the lake cottage it will be for the last time. The story is divided into the 7 days that they are there. It is a beautifully told story. Everyone will probably be able to identify with several of the characters. I found all of the characters to be annoying at times but at other times I was empathetic. I will eagerly await the return of the new book!

A Widow's Story by Joyce Carol Oates 305.9 Oat

For me a great book is one in which the author really draws me in. I can feel what the characters are feeling - whether that be fear, suspicion, sadness or what ever other emotion. And Joyce Carol Oates has managed to do that. But she took me so far in that I had to stop. I know the sadness she feels is suffocating. I know that it is hard to function when you lose a loved one. I listened to about 8 out of the 14 hours of this audio book and then I just yelled 'uncle' - I wanted to scream at her to buck up. So that is all I am going to say about this book!

An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor

I listened to the original book in this series a year or so ago. After I listened to this one I looked it up and found out that it is the 5th in the series. Seems I missed the middle three - but I will make up for that later. These books are very 'gentle' reads. They take place in the 1950's in the Irish countryside - so you can be assured that there will not be too much action and that usually the scandals are survivable! I enjoy the narrator's voice and the characters from the village of Ballybucklebo. Themes from this book include a budding romance and one that is falling apart. More 'edgy' is the story of a dishonest politician (I was shocked!) and a horse. I'm just saying.........it's about the characters and the village!

Blind Your Ponies

Having lost every game for the last five years, Willow Creek, Montana's high school boys' basketball team's record is 0-93. So it's understandable that the boys' coach, Sam Pickett, is somewhat relieved when only three boys plan to go out for basketball, not enough to constitute a team. It looks like he'll be spared another humiliating season.

Then a Norwegian foreign-exchange student enrolls at Willow Creek. He's never played basketball, but he's 7 feet tall. Then another new student moves to town. Peter Strong played ball for one of the big schools in the Twin Cities, but his parents recently divorced and neither has time for him. So he's shipped off to Willow Creek to live with his one-armed grandmother.

Suddenly Sam Picket has a boys' basketball team and a small hope that this year they might actually win a game or two.

Blind Your Ponies by Stanley Gordon West is a delightful novel about this boys' team and the die-hard fans that show up -- win or lose -- game after game to cheer them on. It is a light novel without much angst or nail-biting suspense, but I really enjoyed it and was sorry have to leave the characters behind when I finished the book.

Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

All of you Fluke fans know what to expect when a new book is published. The main characters remain the same - which is what makes her books so easy to go back to! So Hannah is still running the Cookie Jar and torn between the dentist Norman and the cop Mike. I would think that someone would eventually get tired of the triangle! To spice things up for the readers Norman has brought in a partner who is also a former fiancee. Hannah is of course jealous. But on to the murder! The victim this time is a visiting Lutheran minister who had lived with Grandma Knudson for a while - it's okay, he was a kid at the time. He is staying with her again and enjoying her baking. The last thing he tastes on this earth is her Devil's food Cake - not a bad way to go.
It's another enjoyable murder mystery. And by the way, I had to try the recipe for the cake. It was really, really good. I recommend having a big glass of milk with it.

Jan's Story by Barry Petersen 362.196 Pet

This is a tear-jerker! Written by CBS News Correspondent, Barry Petersen, it is the story of his wife Jan and the devastating diagnosis that changed their lives in an instant. Jan has Alzheimer's. I have read several books dealing with this subject but this one is different. Usually it is a child dealing with his/her parent or someone dealing with his/her spouse after 50+ years of marriage. In this case Jan was 55 when she was diagnosed. Of course the symptoms started long before the diagnosis. Looking back it was easy to see when things started changing- but it just doesn't occur to anyone to suspect Alzheimer's at the young age. It is very well written and you can feel his pain as his vivacious wife was lost to him and replaced by a needy, temperamental child-like person. Emotionally it is not an easy book to read, but there are many lessons to be learned from his journey.

The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

This book is just like all of the other Elm Creek Quilter books - which is exactly why I always look forward to a new one! I always enjoy meeting any new characters, learning a little history along the way and finding out a bit about the different kinds of quilts. As you can probably tell from the title, this takes place during the Civil War. The men (well, most of them) are going off to defend the Union and the women stay home, take care of their households, have fundraisers for the troops and manage to make a lot of quilts!
The one thing that ran through my mind as I listened to this book was the saying "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it". There were many things that happened during that period of time similar to what is going on in the 21st. Substitute gay for the word negro in the book and it could have been fall of 2010. Lincoln wants to abolish slavery but he has to play by the political rules...hmmmmm. Well, enough of the commentary.
If you like Chiaverini you will enjoy this one. If you have never read (or listened) to this author, try her out if you want a gentle read. It really doesn't matter if you read them in order or not.

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern

I was intrigued enough by the title of this book that I checked it out. I wasn't too sure that I would actually read and finish it - but I did! So that means I enjoyed it and wanted to know what was going to happen. This is the story of Tamara, a rich and very spoiled teen. Life is easy and good - until her father commits suicide. He was financially ruined and heavily in debt. Now Tamara and her mom (who will be referred to only as mom since I don't remember her name!) are forced to sell everything in Dublin and move to live with Arthur and Rosaleen, Tamara's uncle and aunt. They live in the middle of no where and life is dismal. Her mother is unable to help Tamara with her grief - because she herself seems to be in a depression that leaves her unable to function. So that is the background. The rest of the story has to do with a blank journal that Tamara comes across. Each morning when she opens the journal there is an entry in her own handwriting that describes the day - the one that is just beginning. There is also a family mystery that she unravels.
A different book but it is well-written and it kept my interest until the end.

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst

This was a very interesting book. Part of the story revolves around a mystery. Octavia Frost is a best-selling author. She has been estranged from her son, Milo, for several years (his call, not hers). On her way to deliver a manuscript Octavia sees headlines that will rock her world. Milo has been arrested for the murder of his live-in girlfriend. She flies to California to support Milo, if he will let her. There is also another mystery running through the book - what happened when Octavia's daughter and husband died.
But the part of the book I liked best was the manuscript that Octavia was delivering that day. It was a book made up of the final chapters to all of the books she had written. And in each case she has rewritten the ending. In part she does it to change what happens to her characters. But the other reason was to take away any part of her personal life that had crept into those books. Parkhurst did a great job of writing those chapters - in fact I wanted to read those books! Too bad they don't exist!

Tinkers

Paul Harding's Pulitzer Prize winning novel Tinkers examines life and death as told through the voices of three men in one flawed family.

George Washington Crosby is dying. In his final days his mind wanders back to his father, Howard, who worked as a tinker, taking supplies to people living in rural areas. Howard leaves home one morning driving his wagon and never comes home. Eventually the mystery of his abandonment of his family is unraveled. It is made clearer when we learn the circumstances surrounding how Howard's own father left his family.

Tinkers is a remarkable novel, beautifully written and constructed. And yet while I respect Harding's writing, it's not a book that I enjoyed reading. Its contemplative style reminded me of Marilyn Robinson's Gilead (one of my all-time favorite books) but it lacks the emotional heft of Robinson's works.

Tinkers is best read in one sitting while ensconced in a quiet spot without interruptions. Unfortunately my reading of it was grabbed in snatches of 10 or 15 minutes with many distractions vying for my attention. I kept losing the thread of what was happening (now why is he describing how to build a bird's nest?). These are deficiencies of the reader and not necessarily of the book.

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

Soon after beginning the audio of this book, I realized that there was a book that preceded this one with the same characters. I still enjoyed this book but I wish I had read them in order - just because that makes me happy! (It's called Deeper Than the Dead and I am going to check it out).
But back to this book. We are so used to crime shows set in the 21st century, that we forget that it wasn't that long ago there was no DNA testing, sophisticated computer programs and all the other tricks we see on C.S.I. The crime in this book took place in 1986. A four-year-old has called (I assume 911) and said that her daddy killed her mommy. When police arrive they find a blood bath. Marissa Fordham has been sliced up. Her daughter Haley is found next to her mother. She is breathing but just barely, and they assume the bloody fingerprints around her neck mean that she was strangled. She does survive.
So Vince, FBI profiler, should have an easy time of it. Except for the fact that no one seems to know who Haley's father is. After more probing it seems that Marissa Fordham doesn't really exist either. There are no shortage of suspects, so it kept me guessing. I enjoyed it.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

The title of this book refers to how the main character, Annie, feels. She was abducted from an open house that she was holding. For one year she was held captive and was reported as 'missing'. Now she is back, but feels as if she is 'still missing'. The book moves back and forth between the present (mostly sessions with her therapist) and the past - her year of captivity. It was a brutal year and the descriptions are a bit unnerving - but necessary to the story. You know from the first page that Annie is still alive but after reading about the year, you have to wonder how. This is Ms. Stevens first book and it was very well done. I look forward to more books by this author.

Heaven is For Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo (and family)

I am always drawn to books about the afterlife. This one is particularly chilling (in a good way!). Todd Burpo is a pastor (also a coach, volunteer fireman and owner of a garage door company) in Nebraska. It has been a tough year for the pastor and his family (a wife and two kids). Todd shattered a leg (playing on a ball team!), had two surgeries, kidney stones and a cancer scare thrown in for good measure. Hoping that all of the bad things were behind them, the family was looking forward to a trip to Colorado. Todd had to go for a meeting and they decided to turn it into a fun trip. Four-year-old Colton starts getting sick - very sick. Eventually they find out that his appendix had burst and he is rushed to surgery. After he has recovered (which was actually a miracle in itself), they are on another family trip when Todd makes a reference to the Dr. who had operated on Colton. Colton starts talking about what his parents were doing during the operation.........and he was right. As the months past Colton will often make references to that time in the hospital when he left his body and traveled to heaven.
Although not for everyone, I found this book to be fascinating and uplifting.

Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy

I cannot stand the thought of a world without Maeve Binchy novels in it! They are so calming and charming. I always find myself drinking cups of tea and dreaming about living in Ireland! The other thing I love about her books is the way she weaves in characters from past books. Without spending a lot of time on them, we still get to find out what has happened in their lives since the last book.
The main character in this book is Noel. He is in his twenties and going no where fast. He still lives with his parents and has a dead-end job. To make things more palatable, he drinks.... a lot...at all times of the day and night. One day he receives a phone call from a woman called Stella. He vaguely remembers a drunken weekend spent with her. Turns out that she is terminally ill and pregnant with his daughter. To give Frankie a chance at life, it is going to take a whole village to raise this child. It is a wonderful read if you don't require non-stop action, gore or sex!

The Weight of Silence

Let me start by saying that I don't usually read child abduction stories. Actually any stories where something terrible happens to a child. I wasn't always this wimpy but starting 13 years ago when I crossed the line into motherhood, I lost the ability to read a book that paired bad things with children. So it is very uncharacteristic for me to pick up the book The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf.

The Weight of Silence is about two seven-year-old girls who are found missing from their beds one morning and the subsequent search for them. The book is told from alternate viewpoints and while the suspense carries the book along at a quick pace, it's in the uncovering of the characters and their motives and pasts that makes this such an interesting book.

Callie and Petra are best friends, which in itself is interesting because Callie hasn't spoken since she was 4 years old. Yet Petra intuits what Callie thinks and feels and the girls have an unbreakable bond. When it's discovered that both girls are missing, a frantic search begins with suspicion falling on a number of people, including Callie's abusive father, Callie's brother, the school counselor, and others. When Callie comes racing out of the woods, bleeding and hurt, she finally says her first word in 3 years, setting into motion a series of twisting events.

Gudenkauf is an Iowa author and I picked up her book because it was considered, but not chosen, for this year's All Iowa Reads selection. Honestly, I'm not impressed in with year's All Iowa Reads choice (Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos) and was curious about the ones not chosen -- if the winner is lackluster, how bad must the runners up be?? In this case, the runner up is great, and I'm disappointed that it wasn't chosen.

The Weight of Silence is perfect for discussion, particularly about the concept of protecting our family. The mother of one daughter pulls in around her family and hides things from the police in order to protect her husband and son from suspicion. The father of the other daughter, a mild college professor, discovers a violent and aggressive side in himself he didn't know existed until his daughter's life is at stake. Their reactions beg the question of what would you do if your child was missing?

The Weight of Silence is a great book and highly recommended.

Heartwood by Belva Plain

I have read all of Belva Plain's books. They are heavy on characters, family and relationships. Sex and violence are non-existent. (Well people are having sex but we do not have to know the details - just like the good old '50's!). Sadly this is the last one, for Belva has died.
This is story of one family, with most of the emphasis being on Iris and her grown daughter Laura. We do hear the story of Iris' mother, Anna, who was the perfect wife. She dedicated her life to making her husband happy. With that as her model, Iris tried to do the same. She stayed home to raise her three children before going back to school and earning her degree. Now she is a professor.
Laura fell in love with Robbie when they were in college. Of course they weren't too young to get married (where had Iris ever gotten such an idea?). But perhaps they were a bit too young to have a baby - but that baby kept Robbie out of Vietnam. Things are not easy for the young couple (no surprise there). In fact there aren't a lot of surprises. One family secret but it wasn't all that shocking.
If you want a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, go find another book. If you want a gentle read that wraps itself around you like a blanket check out this book. There will never be another one like it. I'll miss you Belva!

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I just love Jodi Picoult's books. I wasn't at the top of the hold list and I knew I couldn't wait. So I pre-purchased a Kindle edition for the March 1st release. I checked to see if it had been delivered at 11 on Monday night because I reasoned that it was March 1st in the East. No such luck. When one of my dogs got me up at 6:15 the next morning I checked again. There it was!!!! I began reading at once. With my Kindle I was able to keep reading as I waited in line to vote. The only thing that interrupted the flow was having to work that evening. But by midnight that night I had finished it. It is like a carton of ice cream. I really do want to make it last and enjoy it over many days.......... but it just doesn't work for me. So enough about me and on to the book. There is nothing I can really say. Picoult researches her books so well and tells the story flawlessly. It is the story of Zoe Baxter, a music therapist, who spends her time trying to soothe children who are suffering in the hospital, to connect with autistic kids and to ease the passing of the dying. . She is happily married to Max, but they desperately want a baby and have spent a lot of money and years trying to make it happen. Not surprisingly the infertility takes its toll on the marriage. And things just get harder for Zoe from that point on. Wonderful book!
I am counting on her to have another one ready for me in 12 months!

Now You See Her by Joy Fielding

Marcy is 50 years old. Life has been difficult for her the last two years because her 21-year-old daughter died in a boating accident. But the body was never found and she is always searching crowds and thinking she has spotted Devon. Her 25th anniversary is coming up and she and her husband Peter had purchased tickets to visit Ireland. It certainly wasn't Marcy's first choice but she decided the only important thing was that they were together. And Peter decided that he really wants a divorce so that he can be with another woman. Marcy is falling apart. She decides to go to Ireland by herself. While in a pub she sees her 'lost' daughter walking by. She dashes out of the pub but loses her in the crowd. So begins a frantic search. She meets two different men who help her to try and find Devon......but are they really??????
A quick, suspenseful read. I am never disappointed by Joy Fielding.

The Other Side of the Door by Nicci French

This was a fascinating mystery. The main character is Bonnie, a music teacher who is on her summer break. When the book begins, Bonnie is at a friend's. Not unusual - except for the fact there is a dead body on the floor and she has to decide what to do about it. The rest of the book goes back and forth between "before" and "after" the dead body makes its appearance. We find out that Bonnie had plans to lay low during the summer and fix up her new flat. Everything changes when an engaged friend asks Bonnie for a special wedding present. She wants Bonnie and her former band to play at her reception. Bonnie tries to say no with the excuse that they haven't played together for a long time and not everyone would be available to practice. She is finally worn down and has to go about gathering a band - which ends up being a mixture of new and old friends.
This book went quickly and I didn't have a clue who had done what and why. There were plenty of twists. Check it out if you like mysteries!