Keepsake by Kristina Riggle FIC Rig

Hoarding has become a popular subject over the past few years.  The first thing I remember seeing about it was on Oprah.  I was shocked.  At least two TV stations have series on hoarding.  So it is no surprise that there is a novel with a hoarder as the main character.  Trish doesn't really think she is a hoarder.  Messy and cluttered is the way she would describe her home.  And it is no wonder.  She is a single mom and she works.  Her older son Drew spends as little time as possible at home.   Jack, who is seven,  loves spending time with Trish.  In fact he sleeps in her room because his is so cluttered and it also happens to be where he was injured when some 'stuff' fell on him.  When a mandatory reporter blows the whistle Trish finds herself confronting Ayana from C.P.S..  If Trish wants to keep Jack in her home she will have to find a way to clean out the house.  The last person she would have asked to help her would have been her sister, Mary - the clean freak.  They haven't spoken in years.  Through the intervention of Drew, Mary ends up trying to help.  It is never just about the clutter - so there are lots of family secrets and memories that surface.  A quick read. 

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger FIC Ung

Although this is in the fiction section it is also a mystery.   Birdie Burke is 75 years old and for her the best place in the world is Heart Island.  Every summer she and her siblings spent months there.  Now she still spends as much time as possible there even though her husband isn't crazy about it.  In fact he has gone back to town to stay until the middle of the week when he will make his appearance in order to see daughter Kate and her family.  His son is going to be a no-show this summer - he can't put up with Birdie anymore and he doesn't think Kate should go either.  Kate, however, has another reason to go.  She has written a novel based on some journals that Birdie's estranged sister left her.  Well, you know how those journals are - full of secrets!!  It's best to have a talk with Birdie before the book comes out.   This novel is one of family relationships, family secrets and a little suspense on the side.

Summerland:A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand FIC Hil

 Another good beach read by Hilderbrand.  The story takes place on Nantucket.  At graduation time it is traditional for the kids to have a party on the beach.  The town is shocked to learn there has been a car accident involving four kids.  The driver was Penny - the 'perfect' teenager.  She never drank, smoked or took drugs in order to protect her outstanding voice.  Penny was killed in the accident.  Her twin brother is seriously injured and is in a coma.  The other two passengers were Penny's boyfriend and friend Demeter who were able to walk away.  One of the questions that takes the whole book to answer is why Penny was speeding and seemed to deliberately cause the crash.  There are lots of characters to keep track of.  All of these kids have parents - with life stories!  The book is told from the points of view of all of these characters.  I happen to like that kind of narrative - if you don't, it will probably drive you crazy.

The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey FIC How

This novel is about Kate Crane.  At 16 she had the chance to go to NYC to study ballet.  Left behind in Michigan was her younger sister, Gwen, also an aspiring ballerina and her younger brother, a rising junior tennis player.  The next year Gwen was also accepted into the school and they lived together. Years later Kate is a soloist but Gwen has been the star - until now.  Gwen has had a breakdown and has returned to Michigan.  Kate is living alone for the first time.  She feels guilty that she couldn't save Gwen from herself.  Besides the story of the dynamics between the sisters there is an up close and personal look into the life of a ballet dancer.  I really liked that part of the book and Howrey's writing style.  She did a wonderful job of weaving the past with the present.    

The Other Woman's House by Sophie Hannah FIC Han

Another good psychological novel.  Connie Bowskill has been married to Kit for several years.  Connie loves her husband but she has become convinced that he is living a secret life.  When she comes across an unknown address she is wild to check it out.  After waiting for her husband to fall asleep she creeps into the office and turns on the computer believing that she can find out about the house because there is now a For Sale sign in the yard.  She is studying the still pictures and finds nothing to substantiate her fears.  Just before she is ready to log off she notices that there is a virtual tour.  Clicking on the link she begins to see images that are similar to the stills - and then she sees a woman in a pool of blood on the lounge floor.  Screaming, she leaves the room and runs back to wake up Kit.  Although he is very unhappy about being awakened, he goes into the office.  But when he checks out the tour there is no dead woman.  Connie knows what she saw, or does she?  Is Connie really going crazy or is Kit not the man she fell in love with?  If you like this kind of genre I think you will like this book.

The Weight of the Nation: To Win We Have to Lose by John Hoffman & Judith Salerno 362.196 Hof

I doubt many people will check out this book - and that is a shame.  It is an excellent book and very readable.  We all know that there is an obesity problem in our country.  This book helps to explain how we ended up here.  There are lots of reasons - how our children are eating under the School Lunch Program, the supersizing of meals, the tendency to eat out instead of fixing healthy food at home, the lobbyists who have done their job so well that we are more at risk than ever and I could go on and on.  The book certainly does not sugarcoat (pun intended) the reality of a weight problem.  The stories of some real people are told.  There are some interesting little tidbits included.  For instance, the clothing industry has also messed with our minds to make us think we aren't in that bad of shape.  Marilyn Monroe wore a size 10.  I personally own some clothes that are size 10 (depending on the brand and how far the elastic will expand!).  So Marilyn and I have something in common, right?  Wrong!  In the 1950's that size was made to fit a 23" waist!!  Today it would be a size 0.  If you are interested in the weight issue for yourself, or because of a spouse or children read this book.  If you want to see what is going to happen to future generations if this trend isn't stopped then read this book.  We are being sabotaged by food companies, restaurants, and schools (because of budgetary problems mostly).  It is a war.  War.  What is it good for?  Absolutely nothing!!!  Okay off my soapbox and out to get some exercise! 

The Color of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe FIC Tun

Grace Miller has left behind her dead-end job in London to follow her husband to the island of Macau* (I type that as if I have heard of the place - which I haven't) because he has an actual job that makes good money.  Grace sort of sticks out with her stature and her red hair.  She isn't adapting very well but part of that is due to her deepening depression.  The latest news from the fertility specialist is not good.  Pete can't say anything to his wife without her crying or screaming at him.  Throughout the story Grace is writing letters to her mother and it is through those letters that we find out about her background and how she is really feeling.  Things get better when she decides to open a cafe.  That was the only part of the book that bothered me.  I watch a lot of FOOD Network shows and I'm pretty sure it is a lot harder and more time-consuming than we are led to believe in the book!  Oh well.  I liked the story and it had likeable characters.  I did crave tea while reading it and I would have killed to taste one of the Macarons she kept baking!  
 *It's an island that has a connection to China.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes FIC Hay

Another great book!  It's a psychological thriller. It is a story about Cathy Bailey.  Her parents have both died and without any siblings she is on her own.  The lifestyle she has chosen is pretty wild - lots of partying, drinking and nights spent with total strangers.  Then in 2003 she met a guy named Lee who seemed to good to be true.  And of course he isn't good- he has a very dark side and a shadowy job that he refuses to talk about. In fact he is a psychopath (or maybe a sociopath - I can't remember the difference right now!)   The story goes back and forth between 2003 and 2008.  The Cathy of 2008 is quite different.  She is totally obsessed with checking her flat to make sure no one has entered since she left in the morning.  Her OCD takes up hours of her day.  She knows Lee is in prison but she continues to see him everywhere. She trusts no one and keeps her distance from everyone.  This book will grab your attention and keep you reading.  I would tell you more about the book but I have to go check my windows and doors and make sure everything is secured.