Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb

I really, really enjoyed reading this book! It was filled with wacky characters that I found sympathetic and endearing. So you know that Henry has sisters. He has three of them. Isabelle is a photographer by trade and a promiscuous woman by choice. Her (fraternal) twin Cecilia weighs almost 400 pounds, teaches kindergarten and has two daughters and a soon-to-be ex-husband. Janie is a bestselling author of murder mysteries. She writes them while living a reclusive life on a houseboat - and she suffers from OCD. Cecilia lives close to their mother River and is always trying to help despite her mother's continuous harping about her weight. Janis and Isabelle stay as far away as possible. When River is told that she must have heart surgery, it is imperative that Janis and Isabelle come to the house and stay until River can come home. Why? you might ask. Well, also living with River is her mother, who believes that she is Amelia Earhart and Henry, who, though mentally disabled has a personality that brings joy to everyone who meets him. And did I mention the bakery that needs to be run also?! They are an interesting family with an interesting past.

The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

This is a debut novel and I thought it was very well done! The sisters are Milly and Twiss. They earned that name because they have spent their lives tending to wounded birds. They are two old spinsters who live in the house in which they grew up. Most of the book is a flashback to these sisters as young girls. Their mother came from a wealthy family but was disowned when she married for love. Their father was a golf-pro and loved rubbing elbows with the country club elites. Love ebbs away over the years to the point that their parents didn't even share the same bedroom. In 1947 the course of this family's life was changed forever. It was that summer that their father was in an accident that changed his golf swing and sent him spiraling into a deep depression. It was also the summer that Milly fell in love and cousin Bett comes to visit for the summer. I really enjoyed how the author unfolded this story. It involves love, deception, loyalty and loss. Check it out!

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

Now this was a great feel-good book! It is set in the small town of Avalon near Chicago. As in all towns, there are people dealing with the challenges of life. Julia lives with her daughter, Gracie, and husband, but she really isn't living. A tragedy several years earlier has left her struggling to get through every day. One day Julia arrives home with Gracie and finds a loaf of Amish Friendship Bread on the porch. Chances are you know about Friendship Bread. It comes with a bag of starter that you care for and add to. At the end of 10 days you have extra starter that you are supposed to pass on to friends. Julia thought the bread looked great but the starter was headed to the garbage until Gracie stopped her. So they took care of the starter and then had to find someone to give it to at the end. This story is about how that bread took over the town, brought people together, healed wounds, fed the flood victims......get the idea? I told you it was a feel-good book! I enjoyed the characters and their stories.

Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan

Last month I blogged about the book Wish You Were Here. That was the story of a family spending their last summer at the lake house after Emily lost her husband. We are introduced to Emily's two grown children and her grandchildren. This book picks up the story several years later. Her main companion is her sister-in-law Arlene. They have not always gotten along but now they have a relationship that seems to work. When Arlene faints at their usual Tuesday morning buffet things begin to change. Emily needs to look inside to find the strength to do things she hasn't done before - or at least not in a long time. I think O'Nan did a great job of capturing the problems that older woman have to face and the emotions that go along with that time of life. I would highly recommend both of these books if you like stories about people and families.

The Dark Side of Innocence by Terri Cheney 616.895 Che

I remember when the Library got Cheney's book Manic. I thought it looked like a good book but somehow it fell off of my radar before I got it read. I will definitely check it out now that I have read this book. Manic was her memoir of her adult struggle with bipolar disorder. This book tells the story of her childhood. I think growing up is tough enough when you are "normal". Fighting bipolor disorder seems impossible. And Terri did it without knowing what was wrong with her - but something was - she heard that often enough. Life was so painful that she tried to commit suicide at the age of 7. She had highs when she whipped through her homework and received the highest grades. She had lows which left her in bed for weeks. This is a tough book to read. But think about this -according to the book jacket, this illness affects one million children. So chances are you know or will know someone with it at some time in your life. Don't we owe it to these children to know a little bit about their world? Just a thought.

Home to Woefield

When Prudence Burns, an idealistic back-to-the-land, whole-foods enthusiast, inherits her Uncle Harold's farm, she knows this is her dream-come-true. She packs up her New York apartment and embraces her new life.

Never mind that Woefield Farm is 30 scrubby acres of bad soil, dilapidated buildings, and a half-sheared sheep; nor that the closest she's come to farming is shopping at a farmer's market. When she learns that the bank is about to foreclose on Woefield, she enlists the help of Earl, her uncle's foreman in her plans to transform Woefield into a premier example of sustainable farming.

Earl has never heard of half of the "hippie" ideas Prudence spouts, and, to be honest, he's not much of a foreman either. But he's more helpful than Seth, a slacker celebrity blogger Prudence allows to room in the house in exchange for his dubious work skills.

Added to the mix is Sara Spratt, a serious 11-year-old looking for a place to keep her prize chickens. These four diverse characters (plus a handsome veterinarian Prudence can't stop thinking about despite her conviction that "vets invented mad cow disease") come together to help each other and save Woefield in this humorous, feel-good read.

I'm currently slogging through some heavy reads so Home to Woefield by Susan Juby has been my much-needed light break. It's humorous and fun and I particularly enjoyed the characters. Seth (or "chubnuts" as Earl calls him) relates all of life to heavy metal rock bands and after naming Sara's rooster Alec Baldwin (because of the chicken's impressive "star quality") decides he will help Sara win the poultry competition at the county fair. Meanwhile, Sara who has just read the "Left Behind" series is worried about Seth's moral condition. Earl is bewildered by all the changes on the farm but adapts to it all, even when Bertie, the half-sheared sheep, comes to live on his porch.

Susan Juby usually writes young adult books (a genre she pokes fun of in this book) but I enjoyed this foray into adult books and hope she writes a more. This book is the perfect mood-lifter for a rainy, cold, dreary day (like today).

Started Early, Took My Dog

As a new officer on the British police force, young Tracy Waterhouse and her partner investigate a complaint of a stench coming from an apartment. They break down the door to discover a young boy and the decomposing body of his murdered mother. A social worker whisks the boy away, and the murder investigation quietly peters out.

Twenty-five years later, the murder still haunts Tracy. Something wasn't right and she's not entirely convinced that her fellow officers on the force didn't have something to do with it.

Now retired and working as a mall security officer, Tracy comes across an old acquaintance from her days as a cop, a drug addict named Kelly Cross who is yanking a young child by the arm. Tracy impulsively offers to buy the girl from Kelly and, to her surprise, Kelly agrees.

Suddenly after years of loneliness, Tracy finds herself to be the "owner" of Courtney, and she decides to escape with Courtney to start a new life as mother and daughter. But when detective Jackson Brodie comes around asking questions about a woman with a mysterious past, the old murder case threatens to destroy Tracy's new life with Courtney.

If the plot sounds a little complicated, that's because it is. As with all the Kate Atkinson novels featuring detective Jackson Brodie, the plot begins with diverse threads that gradually weave together to make a cohesive story. At first things make little sense with seemingly unrelated characters and storylines. Yet little by little they begin to intersect until the full story of the murder and the characters' mutual histories are revealed.

I love Kate Atkinson's books. She's one of my favorite authors but her stories are not for everyone. The plot is filled with coincidences that can seem contrived. It's a character-driven mystery that relies on details, so readers looking for a fast-paced, traditional mystery will be disappointed.

That said, I highly recommend it if you're looking for something that's a little different, something that will kick your brain into gear as you try to keep things straight in your head. The characters are very well developed, especially Tracy Waterhouse. Jackson Brodie is back (featured in Atkinson's Case Histories, One Good Turn, When Will There Be Good News) with his signature, understated humor. My only disappointment was when the book ended.

Between a Rock and a Hot Place by Tracey Jacks on 305.244Jac

If you are wondering, the answer is yes - I do check out all of the new books that we get on 'organizing' and women 'of a certain age'. This one of course fits into the latter category. The theme of this book is to dispel the often-heard phrase that "50 is the new 30". Jackson talks about what 50 was like for her mother and grandmother and what it is like for her today. If you don't have time to read the book at least look at the table of contents and you will get a good laugh. (Like chapter 5 - "If I'm Thirty, Why do I Need a Colonoscopy?" ) Okay, not everyone will think that is funny but I did! Let me tempt you with another quote from the book. "Tight abs was not a phrase my grandmother had ever heard. And even if she had, her response would likely have been, Who needs that when you have a girdle?" Well, enough said. Either you are writing down the title or you can't imagine ever wanting to read it!

Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Now this was a real mystery! It starts out with the shooting of a husband by Tessa, his wife - who happens to be a state trooper. Her six-year-old daughter, Sophie, is not in the house. At first glance it seems like a case in which the abused wife was being beaten and she finally fought back- with three shots from a gun. Her story starts to fall apart when the coroner finds something suspicious. Boston P.D. detective D.D. Warren is paired with her former partner (and more!), Bobby Dodge to try and unravel this baffling case. There is also a parallel story line involving Warren's personal life with boyfriend Alex. I loved the way the book was written. Tessa tells her story in the first person, teasing us along the way with bits of information that keep us guessing until the end. This is alternated with the story of the investigation. Real good mystery. Check out the book or listen to the audio book like I did.

Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette

A year after her husband is killed while doing post-Katrina relief work, Zell is still mourning his loss - and trying to get on with her own life and is isolated from friends (who were with her husband on the trip) and family. When her neighbor's copy of a cooking magazine is mistakenly delivered to her home, she decides on a whim to enter a cooking contest. The reason? The $20,000 prize is just the amount her husband wanted to raise to help further Katrina relief. The problem? She doesn't cook. At all.

Enter Ingrid, the 9-year-old daughter next door. Convinced that the author of the cooking magazine is her mother, she offers to help Zell with her project. As they try to develop the perfect recipe, an unlikely friendship forms. And Zell begins the long journey from grieving to living.

I suppose this novel is fairly predictable. There are a number of local "characters" in the book, all of them likable. I found myself rooting for all of them. Although at times, I wanted to shake Zell and tell her to just get on with it, the author does a good job of showing someone working through the grieving process.

I know it's an overused phrase but this really is a "quick read" - and not a waste of time.

Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman

I was a bit hesitant about this book (which is actually a novella). It is set up like the story told in the movie Rear Window. Now that was a great movie but did I want to read a story that is similar? It turns out the answer is a resounding Yes! This is the story of Tess who is bedridden at the end of her pregnancy. She has nothing to do but read and look out the window at the park where she is particularly aware of a girl in a green raincoat walking a dog. Tess sees the pair everyday, until one day when she sees the dog alone dragging its green leash behind. She becomes obsessed with finding the dog and the girl. Since she can't leave her bed she depends on her boyfriend and best friend to do the investigating for her. I have to say that this book was fun to read! A little mystery and great characters.

Once Upon a Time, There Was You by Elizabeth Berg

Another outstanding book by one of my favorite authors! Her characters are always so well-developed and believable. In this book we meet John and Irene. They were older when they got married (I think in their 30's). On the day of their wedding they were both confessing to others (not each other) that they had doubts. They should have listened to those little voices! So the marriage doesn't last but they are still connected because of Sadie, their 18-year-old daughter. Sadie lives with Irene in California and four times a year she heads to Minnesota to stay with John.
So John and Irene still have to communicate and they still don't do it well. Lots of fights and recriminations. When Sadie gets in trouble can John and Irene reconnect in a positive way???? Maybe they can and maybe they can't - you will have to read the book. Berg's books are a joy to read. I can't wait until next year!

Night Season by Chelsea Cain

This is the first book I have read with detective Archie Sheridan as the main character, although it is actually the fourth one. In this one there is flooding from the Willamette River. There are some drownings - not unexpected under these conditions. But when the coroner finds a puncture wound on one of the bodies they decide to check out earlier victims. And when they do it is obvious that there is a serial murderer. I'm not going to tell you the method the killer uses - you wouldn't believe me anyway. So we have a killer, rising water and oh yeah, a boy who was kidnapped a year ago! So there is lots of suspense and great descriptions of a flood. If you want to get your pulse going a bit faster you might want to check this out. But if I had it to do over again, I would have started with the first in the series to find out what Archie had gone through - because he has some history!

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce

I am not sure why I checked this book out because it seemed to be a little bit out of my comfort zone. That said, I took it home and started reading it that night.....and finished it early the next morning. Jake and Zoe are taking an up-scale skiing trip to celebrate their ten-year anniversary. On the second day of their trip they get up very, very early so they can be the first ones on the snow. They seem to be alone as they ski their way down the mountain. And then they hear the rumble. It's an avalanche. Jake yells at Zoe to get to the side and she does her best. They are separated and Zoe finds herself encased in snow with a small amount of air that she captured when she threw her arms up in front of her face. When her cries go unheeded she begins to try and dig her way out. The description made me feel a bit panicky too! Eventually Jake finds her and finishes digging her out. Now they have to make the scary descent back to the village. But when they arrived at their hotel, no one was there. By now I am hearing the theme song to Twilight Zone playing in the background and I am very intrigued. It was a quick read and a nice change of pace for me. Try it for yourself.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

This is a great book. Shin is a well-known author in South Korea. This is her first book in English but I predict that she will find a large following here. The book begins with the line "It's been one week since Mom went missing." The story of this mom is then told through the eyes of a daughter, a son, a husband and a mother. It is a wonderful look into the culture of present day Seoul and a peek into the culture at the time of the "war" or "conflict" (I don't know what the Koreans called it!) Family conflicts abound, misunderstandings litter their histories and a mother's love runs through each page. The story of mom unfolds slowly as we learn about her life - and the question is, did anyone really know mom?

Be Different by John Elder Robison 618.92

Today many people are familiar with Asperger's thanks in part to movies like Temple Grandin and books like House Rules (Jodi Picoult). This is a book written by someone who has lived with it all of his life - but wasn't diagnosed until he was 40! He didn't know why things were hard for him. He was a very resourceful young man and learned his own coping skills. With hard work he learned what rules he needed to follow to fit in better. He learned those rules so that he could contribute to society by using his strengths which came from his Asperger's. I think this a worthwhile book for many people - teachers, parents (either those who have a child with Asperger's or others who can educate their children), people who work with the public (police, firepeople and librarians!). There are also a lot of good hints for people without Asperger's who just want to improve their communication and social skills.

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

In Walls of Water, North Carolina, the lines are clearly marked between the "haves" and the "have nots." And when you are in the "have nots" but are descended from a line of "haves", things can be as murky as the fog that surrounds the area.

Willa Jackson has spent her years since college trying to live down both her family's heritage in the community and her year as "The Joker" in high school. She's succeeding pretty well. At least until former high school classmate Paxton Osgood (definitely still in the "haves") remodels the Jackson family home and announces a grand opening gala.

When a body is found buried deep beneath a peach tree at the old family home, strange things begin to happen. People say things they shouldn't, objects move from one room to another, and then there's that bell in Willa's shop that rings when no one is there.

Against their better judgment, Willa and Paxton begin working together to solve the mysteries of their past and help them both find the happiness that has eluded them.

I don't really believe in ghosts or spirits but always find myself willing to suspend my disbelief when I read Sarah Addison Allen's books. She manages to blend mysticism with character development and make it all seem believable. While the ending may not have been in doubt, I found myself rooting for both Willa and Paxton and hoped that they would break free from their shells to find true happiness. (A return visit by a character from an earlier novel was an added plus.)