First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen FIC All

Another entertaining book from Allen.  It grabbed me from the first sentence I read yesterday until the end which I reached this morning.  If you haven't read her previous books I would suggest you might like to start at the beginning (although you could certainly enjoy this one as a stand-alone).  The Waverley sisters have had some changes since the last book.  They are both married and enjoying successful careers with some help from their 'gifts'.  There is magic sprinkled throughout the book.  Even Bay, Sydney's 15-year-old daughter, has inherited a gift - she seems to know where people and things belong.  And she thinks she belongs with Josh who is a few years older than she.  He is not interested in her at all!  A strange man shows up in Bascom and his motives are not good.  Claire's new candy business has caused her to stop cooking for her family and instead she is working herself to the bone.  Sydney is getting frantic in her desire for a baby.  Things always get strange for the Waverleys before the first frost arrives.

There are lots of story lines running through the book.  The emphasis is more on characters than action which suits me just fine.

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I'll Drink to That by Betty Halbreich 746.9 Hal

This was an easy read that I found interesting - even though it is about fashion which doesn't really interest me that much!   The first part of the book is about Halbreich's childhood and an early (unhappy) marriage.  The main theme is about her career.  As a child she was passionate about what she wore and that continued throughout her life.  She parlayed that into a career that began at the Bergdorf Goodman store.  She began a personal shopping service long before anyone else had thought of it.  And it was really all about service.  She didn't try to make money for the store.  It was all about making the clients find the perfect clothes.  There is a lot of name-dropping throughout the book.  The most touching was the part about Walter Cronkite's wife.  She was a long-time client.  When she became ill Walter came in to shop for his wife.  (I loved Walter!).

This book was about a world that is completely foreign to me and yet I found it very entertaining.

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Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty 363.7 Dou

First I will say that the rest of the title is " & Other Lessons from the Crematory".  So now you know - and will either be curious about the book or repulsed!  I was curious.  There is some history of death customs (and I love history).  There are some entertaining stories of people that Doughty met through her work. There are honest descriptions that happen to bodies after the death. (And I did get a few goosebumps thinking about family that have been cremated).  Mostly it is the story of Caitlin which begins when she is in her twenties.  She has a degree in medieval history which doesn't really make one very employable.  Death had always fascinated her so I guess it is not too strange that she found employment at a crematory.  I found this book to be very readable and fascinating.  Certainly not for everyone but it is certainly less gruesome than watching an action movie!

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Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon (FIC Kar)

It has been five years since Father Tim Kavanagh retired from his pulpit at Lord's Chapel in Mitford.  Those years have been busy ones with Tim and his beloved wife (and children's book author and illustrator), Cynthia, accepting two temporary assignments, finding a brother he never knew about and helping to save his life, and, most recently, taking a "vacation" to Ireland.

Now back at home, Father Tim finds himself at loose ends.  But Mitford and its residents won't let him rest for too long.  There's a crisis at Lord's Chapel and he must decide whether or not to help.  Hope Murphy, owner of the local bookstore, is confined to bed rest while she awaits the birth of her child and must deal with the potential loss of not only her child but also her bookstore.  Again, Father Tim must decide where he fits in.  Esther Bolick is still mourning the loss of her husband, Gene, and contemplates never making another of her locally famous orange marmalade cakes again.  And the local cafe has reopened under new ownership and Tim and his cronies, Mule and J.C., are not at all sure they approve.

And if Mitford doesn't keep him busy enough, the siblings of his adopted son, Dooley, will.  Still enraged at his lost childhood, Sammy, Dooley's brother, tests everyone around him and especially Father Tim as he struggles to accept that he is loved and can forgive.  Even Dooley presents moments of worry as he struggles with his love for Lace and his dreams of becoming a vet.

And, perhaps most vexing of all, Tim needs a new vehicle...

It has been five years since Jan Karon wrote a Father Tim/Mitford book.  Catching up with my old friends was a welcome respite during a cold winter spell.  It was much like slipping on a pair of well-worn slippers, pulling up my afghan up and settling down with a cup of hot chocolate.  Oh wait - that's what I did!  Not sure at first that I would remember all the characters I had known and loved, I found that after only a few pages I was once again immersed in the lives of Mitford and its citizens.  Mitford may be a small town but it is full of interesting (eccentric?) people and their lives make for entertaining reading.  So grab your own cup of hot chocolate and settle in for a welcome reunion with old friends.

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I Know Who You Are and I Saw What You Did by Lori Andrews 323 And

The rest of the title is social networks and the death of privacy.  That sums up what the book is about.  It is filled with examples of what can go wrong when you sign up on a social network.  From kids being kicked out of school to employees who were fired to people who were cyber-bullied - it was scary.  One of the things Andrews keeps pointing out is the problem with the laws - or the lack of laws.  We are going to have to decide as a country how we are going to protect people's privacy and not step on the First Amendment.

It is obvious from what I read that parents (and teachers) need to make sure that kids understand the danger they run when they post online.  They may undermine their ability to get into the school of their choice or to be hired for a job.  The grown-ups should know better but apparently they don't.  Lawyers routinely check on social media sites to find information to use in court - could be a divorce, child custody or a legal matter.  There are some in society who are very interested that you are leaving for a month in Europe!  Even though you may be venting a bit to your Facebook friends about your job, your employer may see it as something more.

Some of the information seemed a bit repetitive but for the most part I found it interesting.   Especially the very long timeline of Facebook and their policies on privacy!

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Saving Grace by Jane Green FIC Gre

 

I was rather torn on my opinion of this book.  It is the story of Grace.  As a young woman she worked in publishing where she met Ted Chapman who was a very successful author.  They fall in love, marry and have a daughter.  When the book opens things on the exterior look good.  But inside the marriage things are a bit rocky.  With their daughter grown up and out of the nest Grace has devoted her time to her passion for cooking.  She uses that gift to help out in a house set up for women who need a safe place while they get their lives back together.  She also uses it as an excuse to get away from Ted and his volatile personality.  (I couldn't figure out why she didn't leave him - her reason was that she loved him.)  Things are held together with the help of Ted's long-time assistant.  When she leaves Grace needs to step up and take care of things in the house and help Ted with his career which is floundering a bit.  She is in a bad place when a new assistant, Beth, shows up.  She is too good to be true.  Literally.  I finished the book to find out how it ended but there were things that just didn't make sense to me.  The other thing that was odd were the recipes that were inserted from time to time.  Since I listened to the book I was irritated when something serious was happening and all of a sudden there is a peppy voice giving me another recipe!!!  At least if you read it you can easily skip over it.  Entertaining enough but not my favorite book by Ms. Green.

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The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion FIC Sim

 

If you haven't read The Rosie Project stop right now and read it!  If you have completed that book you can look forward to reading the sequel.  It is so entertaining.  Our social awkward Don Tillman is doing all right with married life.  It is not the usual marriage but they have worked things out.  However things are about to become interesting - because Rosie is pregnant!  If you remember how Don approached finding a wife you will not be surprised that he has a rather unorthodox method of preparing for fatherhood.  Since he doesn't have any idea of how most husbands support their wives he doesn't do a very good job.  It is not that he doesn't care.  It's just that he is, well Don.  There is a lot of tension in the marriage and it is touch and go.  A great read!  I hope we get to see how Don does with a toddler!

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Before I Go by Colleen Oakley FIC Oak

I liked the cover so I looked inside.  I found out that it was a book about a 27 year-old woman named Daisy who is married to Jack.  Their life is crazy because Daisy is working on a degree and Jack is finishing up becoming a vet.  They don't have lots of time with each other but they are deeply in love even though Daisy is driven crazy with Jack's inability to put his dirty clothes in the hamper or clean up after himself.  They are feeling lucky because they are about to celebrate the three year anniversary since Daisy finished her cancer treatments and was declared cancer-free.  In a few months they will be able to start doing all of the things that had been pushed back until after Jack's graduation - vacations and babies for instance.  But now her Doctor has called because of his concern after her usual blood test.  The news is bad, very bad.  Daisy begins to focus on poor Jack being left alone.  She needs to find him a new wife.  Now I have read several books with this theme but I think this one was my favorite.  Oakley's characters seemed very believable and it brings you back to the age-old question "What would I do if I knew my time was limited?".  There are plenty of humorous moments also.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think  - and it would have made me stay up to the wee hours if my eyes hadn't protested!   Loved it!

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