The History of Us by Leah Stewart FIC Ste

      I have read a previous book by Ms. Stewart which I enjoyed very much.  She does a good job of creating her characters and making them seem real.  I think most people could relate to the feelings and actions of many of her characters.  This book is the story of Eloise Hempel.  She has recently begun teaching at Harvard and she still can't believe her life is working out this way.  And then she gets a phone call.  It is her eleven-year-old niece, Theo. She and younger siblings Josh and Claire have been staying with Eloise's mom, Francine, while their parents are on a trip. Francine has left it to Theo to call Eloise and tell her that her sister and brother-in-law have been killed in an accident.  Now don't think that I gave away too much information!  You find all this out in the first four pages.  Then the book skips from 1993 to the present.  The 'children' are all grown up but they don't seem able to leave the house.  Eloise gave up everything to take care of them.  Now she wants to get rid of the money pit they live in and start living her own life again.  Not a lot of action in this book - it is all about the characters and family relationships.  An enjoyable read.

A Winter Dream by Richard Paul Evans FIC Eva

      Do you remember that story about a guy named Joseph with the jealous brothers?  He left home and his father was heart-broken - and he was wearing a colorful coat!  Well, this story is a lot like that one. There is a guy named Joseph, he has jealous brothers and his father is heart-broken when he suddenly leaves.  But in this story Joseph is number 12 out of 13 kids (one father - three or four wives).  Some of his siblings want him out of the family ad company because he is too good.  They get their chance to make Joseph leave with a little blackmail. Of course Joseph thinks his almost fiancee will certainly go with him - not.  So he ends up in Chicago very much alone and in a really crummy apartment.  The book was a bit schmaltzy but I knew it was going to be that way and I was ready for it.  It seems Evans always comes out with a new book during the season of hope, so it's just perfect!  Now I'll probably go back to a depressing book with a serial killer or two - but it was a nice break from all of that!

Daughters-in-Law by Joanna Trollope FIC Tro

        I have never been a DIL or a MIL - but I have sure heard my share of stories!  I always thought it would be obvious to a woman that if she had trouble with her MIL when she was young she should go out of her way to avoid those mistakes when her kids marry and she becomes the dreaded MIL.  I've noticed it doesn't always work out that way.  Rachel and her husband Anthony were the parents of 3 boys. Rachel loved being a mother, having her kids' friends to the house, and being an important part of their lives.  Now her sons are grown up and two are married with kids. Rachel still wants to run everything.  I guess she was out to disprove the saying 'life but a son is a son til he takes a wife a daughter's a daughter the rest of her life'.   As the book begins the third son is marrying Charlotte.  Now the other two DILs have gone along without rocking Rachel's boat.  But Charlotte is a completely different story and Rachel's life is about to change. In fact Charlotte changes the dynamics in everyone's household. It was an interesting study in familial relationships - not only involving the in-laws, but the ones between brothers and between husbands and their wives.

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo MYS Cas

     Who knew that the Amish were having so many murders???  As long as it is just fiction I am glad because I love Castillo's series about Kate Burkholder, the Chief of Police in her hometown. She also grew up in an Amish family - you'll have to read one of her earlier books to find out why!  In this latest book an Amish teenager goes missing.  It is hard to get much information out of the Amish, especially if the person asking the questions (Kate) has been shunned by the community.  Still she perseveres.  Following up on some information it is discovered that there are some cold cases which seem to be similar.  Were kids missing or did they run away?  It was a good mystery and the romance with State Agent John continues - so really a little something for everyone. 

Sea Change by Karen White FIC Whi

       The story threads running through this book are certainly not original but I still enjoyed reading it.  There is Ava, a woman who has never felt 'right' in her family.  She meets Matthew, a child psychologist, and within a few months they are married.  He takes her to live on an island off the Georgian coast in the house that has belonged to his family for centuries.  No surprise to me (!), the newlyweds have kept secrets from one another.  She hid her fear of water (so you can imagine how appealing an island would be).  Matthew's transgression seems a bit more serious - he forgot to mention the wife he used to have.  Interspersed in the book are flashbacks to the early 1800's and the story of Pamela and Geoffry who happened to live in the same place.  I liked the way the mysteries unfolded throughout the book. 

The Racketeer by John Grisham FIC Gri

Malcolm Bannister is half way through a 10-year prison sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. A former lawyer with a small firm in his hometown of Winchester, Virginia, he was duped into handling a real estate transaction for an unknown client who, it turned out, was Barry “The Backhander” Rafko, a sleazy D. C. operative who was essentially looking for a way to launder some money. When Rafko went down on racketeering charges, the Feds threw a wide net which caught Bannister and several others.

Bannister’s good fortune, if you can call it that, came with eventual assignment to a federal detention camp, where there are no walls topped with razor wire, or armed guards in observation towers. His job was the camp librarian, and he worked limited hours as a jailhouse lawyer for fellow inmates who just knew they should be on the outside.

One morning, Bannister sees a headline in the Washington Post reporting the murder of a federal judge from Roanoke, Virginia. The game is on.

In The Racketeer, Grisham weaves together enough story threads for a 1000-count sheet, and the tale comes together oh so smoothly. He drops little nuggets like breadcrumbs as he leads the reader down the path of Bannister’s life and of the people who cross his.

I’ve read all of Grisham’s books. He offers a wide range, from violent and tense, to sentimental and heart-warming. I'd have to describe this one as just plain fun.  It’s full of legal references and maneuvering, and more twists than a corkscrew, but is laid back in tone. With short sections, shifts in focus, and alternating points of view, The Racketeer doesn’t have an opportunity to become bogged down by lengthy narrative. Just be sure to pick it up when you have time to give it your full attention. Enjoy the game.

Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway FIC Shu

        When I was much younger I read Glamour magazine which every year would feature 10 college girls from across the country.  I think that memory is what led me to check out this book - and I loved it.  The story features Dawn West who is a recent college grad.  She wants to be a writer and is trying to survive in NYC.  Her only income at the moment is coming from a column she writes on-line about lawn care.  Now Dawn doesn't actually have any experience with lawns but she is a good researcher - and she has a fan base even if she doesn't make much money.  Through the new girlfriend of her ex-boyfriend she is introduced to a woman who works for Charm magazine.  They publish an article every year about 10 women to watch!  It has been going on for 50 years and the magazine plans a major event to celebrate those women and they need someone to track down the past winners.  I loved the way Shumway wrote.  The characters she has created are great and I found myself caring about them in a way that made me want to know what was going to happen to them.  Looking for a book that is not too graphic, violent or weird?  Then check this one out and just enjoy the ride.

The Fall by Ryan Quinn FIC Qui

       This is a coming-of-age novel.  It takes place at a college hidden away in the peaceful Pennsylvania countryside.  This is the story of three students who are trying to figure out who they are and what they want.  Secrets abound and parents continue to try and have a hold on their children.  Haile is a classical musician but she has left the touring life to get away from her mom and try out some other things.  Ian loves films. He can't be true to himself because he has fantasies about other guys and he hasn't come to terms with that yet.  Casey is the football star and has a steady girlfriend - but he really isn't any happier than anyone else.  Their lives  overlap as they each fight their demons.  It was a quick read and I enjoyed it. 

Shadow Creek by Joy Fielding FIC Fie

     Ms. Fielding always writes a book with an interesting storyline and this one was no exception.  The main character is Valerie.  She is soon-to-be divorced and dealing with Brianne, her teenage daughter who is secretive, snarly and angry about the divorce.  It's Brianne's weekend with her father, Evan.  And he is taking Brianne and his fiancee (can you be engaged if one of you isn't divorced??) to the Adirondacks.  Valerie is planning on a trip for the weekend with friends James and Melissa to celebrate her 40th birthday.  Of course nothing goes as planned.  When the doorbell rings at Val's house it is not Evan, but Jennifer (the fiancee) who was told to meet there.  Because of the always undependable Evan, Val ends up driving all of them to the Inn to meet up with Evan.  It's a nice place but unfortunately there are some serial killers in the area!  The book goes back and forth between Val (et al) and the killers.  I enjoyed the characters and the story. 

Christmas in Cornwall by Marcia Willett FIC Wil

      If you were a fan of Maeve Binchy or Rosamund Pilcher you will love the books of Marcia Willett.  They are set in England in small villages and the story is always about the people.  No big mysteries or violence, just universal themes presented in the life of ordinary people.  This is the story of Clem.  He lost his beloved wife and is raising his son Jakey.  Although his dream was to become a reverend, he passed it up to take care of Jakey. Now he is doing caretaker duties for a small group of aging nuns who have lived a secluded existence where they took care of their own needs.  Now they need help.  Besides Clem there is Janna.  She is a young woman who has an unhappy past.  She doesn't plan on staying long, because she never does, but she gets drawn into the lives of the nuns, Clem, and Jakey.  There is a sinister presence in the village who hopes to be able to take over the nunnery and turn it into something that will make money.  A nice gentle read. 

Losing My Sister by Judy Goldman 616.994 Gol

        This memoir is very readable and very sad.  At the beginning of the book Judy is telling about the bonds of sisters and how close her mother and aunts were.  Judy also has a sister, Brenda.  They were close.  I thought this was going to be a very syrupy book. Then life interrupted their bond.  Their mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers and their father with colon cancer.  Cracks began to appear in their relationship and they became estranged.  After losing the last parent they reconciled.  Ten years later they both discovered lumps in their breasts.  When Brenda's cancer comes back there are more misunderstandings and conflicts.  It is a very real story and there are parts of the book to which everyone can relate - unless you are living the perfect life!  If you like memoirs this is a good one.

Say You're Sorry by Michael Robotham MYS Rob

       This is a good mystery.  The main character is Joe O'Loughlin a psychologist who was in a previous book.  He is still separated from his wife and trying to keep up his relationship with his children and deal with his diagnosis of Parkinson's.  He and daughter Charlie are in London where Joe is slated to give a lecture.  He gets dragged into a case because of his expertise in profiling.  A farm couple has been brutally murdered in their house.  The scene of the crime was well-known to local police.  It was the family home of Tasha, a teenager who disappeared three years ago along with her best friend, Piper.  Piper actually begins the book with her narrative.  Her 'journal' is interspersed in the whole book and allows us to slowly learn about those missing three years.  Shortly after the murder of the couple the body of a young woman was discovered in nearby water.  Joe is the one who figures out the identity of that unclaimed body.  As usual there are several red herrings sprinkled throughout the book.  Check it out if you like mysteries.