Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva (FIC Sil)

His wife is upstairs in the throes of childbirth (their sixth child) when Charles Dickens receives his publishers.  Somewhat taken aback by the sounds coming from above them, they never-the-less deliver the bad news:  Dickens' latest book, The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, is a dismal failure.  The publishers are threatening to invoke a clause in his contract which would force Dickens to pay them a monthly fee.  UNLESS Dickens can produce a book about Christmas by the week before.  It doesn't have to be a big book, a novella will do just fine.

Dickens finds himself faced with financial ruin (why is it that everyone in his family from his wife to his children to his father to his brother thinks that he is a bottomless money pit?).  And then there's the toy store owner to which his children drag him.  And all the street urchins, whose cause he has championed.  How can he admit that his funds are so low he can't even give them a farthing?

And then there's the disdain of his writing peers.  It can't be true that William Thackeray is more popular than Dickens?  That Anthony Trollope and Wilkie Collins hold him in less than high regard?  

When his wife leaves him in anger to visit her family in Scotland, Dickens is left to find his way through his anger and despair and the writers' block that has him, well, blocked.  His deadline is approaching and all he can think about is how much everyone has taken advantage of him.  Hardly the best of moods to be in to write a book about Christmas.

And then one night, while walking his way through London, he meets Eleanor Lovejoy.  Lovely and thoughtful, calm and peaceful, she becomes his muse and just maybe the way through his funk.

I don't know how much truth there is in this work of fiction but I found it completely delightful.  Dickens is engaging and personable with a personality larger than life.  I wanted to meet him and hang out with him as, according to this version of his life, did all of London.  So much did I like Dickens that I found myself thinking about actually reading one of his books.  Well, maybe not...

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Artemis by Andy Weir (SF Wei)

Jazz Bashara is a smuggler and small-time operator - in the city of Artemis, only city on the moon.

All she wants is to be rich enough to pay off a big debt.  So when a somewhat shady but very wealthy fellow citizen offers her the chance to earn a million slugs (the local currency), her ship has come in.  Or so she thinks.

But when things go wrong, Jazz must rely on skills she didn't know she had to save not only herself but the city she loves.  In the process, she discovers that she has friends, a lot of knowledge about a lot of things, and that she is a very good criminal.

I'm not much of a science fiction fan.  In library lingo, it's usually classified as "Science Fiction and Fantasy."  I come down on the "Fantasy" side of the equation.  But I do like Andy Weir's books which might have a little fantasy but are definitely science fiction.

He has created a whole new world in this book.  And what a world it is!  Much of the science was over my head so I will admit to reading portions of it quickly.

At its heart, this book is both a crime caper and a coming of age novel.  The crime caper part kept me reading and the coming of age part gave it heart.  Jazz is a smart aleck, no doubt about it, but one worth rooting for.

A thoroughly enjoyable book.

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Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak FIC Hor

It's Christmas and oldest daughter, Olivia, is coming home to celebrate for the first time in several years. Good news, right?  Except that Olivia has been treating Haag (read: Ebola) patients in Liberia and must spend a week in quarantine as soon as she arrives.  And she can't spend it alone.

Over the course of the book we meet the Birch family:  Father Andrew who is a restaurant critic and who has just received an email from the son he never knew, mother Emily who is keeping her recent cancer diagnosis a secret, oldest daughter Olivia who under no circumstances can let anyone know how close she became to another doctor who is now suffering from the dreaded virus, and youngest daughter Phoebe who has recently become engaged after a six-year courtship and is obsessed with planning her wedding.

Over the week of the quarantine, we come to know all of the Birches in all their good and bad.  Often not likable, they are still human in their foibles and worth rooting for.  If occasionally I wanted to crack their heads together, there were other times when I cheered them on and was glad of their gradual steps back to being a family.

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Origin by Dan Brown FIC Bro

Some people might find this book to be too much like previous books - and it has similarities but I didn’t care about that because I found it interesting and entertaining.  Robert Landon is back! One of his former students, Edmond Kirsch, has invited him to come to Spain for an announcement that will turn religion upside down. Kirsch is well known as a brilliant, rich scientist who is also a futurist.  To unveil his announcement he has invited a select group of people to come to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Kirsch has created a multimedia presentation that blows the minds of all of those present.  He has also made sure that millions of people will be listening to his presentation on social media.

But before the finale there is violence and Kirsch’s discovery may remain a secret.  It is up to Landon with the help of a beautiful woman and Winston, a computer unlike any other, to find out who is behind the violence and how the presentation was supposed to end.

The background of the science and religion was fascinating to me.  If you liked his previous books I think you will like this one too!

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Odd Child Out by Gilly MacMillan FIC Mac

Sometimes friends are total opposites.  That was true for Noah and Abdi.  They are both teenagers who attend a private school. Noah  has lived a privileged life but that doesn’t really matter so much when you are diagnosed with cancer at a young age.  Abdi may be at the same school but he is there as a scholarship student. Together they have developed a strong friendship based on their competitive natures (school and chess - not sports!).

Jim Clemo is a detective who is finally being released from therapy to go back to work.  During his last case a young boy died and Jim has blamed himself and that led to serious depression and insomnia.  His first case back includes Noah and Abdi.  During the early hours of a cold night Noah was fished out of a canal by a scrapyard.  He is in critical condition.  Abdi was found on the side of the canal.  He isn’t hurt but appears to be in shock from the trauma.  Clemo needs to find out what happened and to do that he needs to question Abdi - but he isn’t talking.  The case will affect the city as tension over immigration explode.

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Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller FIC Ful

When I finished this book I immediately looked up this author on the Library’s website to see if I could get Fuller’s previous book - I’ll start it tonight!

Gil Coleman has been a professor and a one-hit wonder author.  He married Ingrid and they had two daughters, Flora and Nan.  For years Ingrid wrote letters to her husband about their marriage - the truth as she knew it.  She didn’t give them to Gil.  Instead she hid them in books.  Gil has collected thousands of books over the years and what he loves about them is finding notes or doodles in the margins and pieces of paper left in them.  After the last letter was written Ingrid went down to the beach (as was her daily habit) - but she never returned and no trace of her was found.  It devastated her daughters who still miss her and hope for her return.

It’s been 12 years since Ingrid has disappeared.  As Gil is going through old books in the upstairs of a bookstore he looks out the window and thinks he sees Ingrid.  He rushes to get to her but he falls and ends up in the hospital.  Flora and Nan try to work together to take care of Gil after they find out he is quite ill and becoming senile also.  Slowly throughout the book we are taken back in time by reading the letters that Ingrid wrote.  They are interspersed with the present day story.

This book was not your run-of-the-mill book!  I loved it.

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Pieces of Happiness by Anne Ostby FIC Ost

From out of the blue, four high school friends receive a letter from Kat, another friend, who has invited them all to join her in Figi and live with her on her cocoa farm.  Maybe they'll just sit and talk and relive old times.  Maybe they'll actually do something with all the cocoa on her farm.  And maybe none of them will want to come.  But the invitation is there.

One by one, they all arrive at Kat's farm.  Sina, a single mother who is disappointed in her middle-aged son.  Ingrid, solid and dependable but who nurses an inner adventurer who longs to be free.  Lisbeth, who has always relied on her beauty and good marriage.  And Maya who is facing the beginnings of Alzheimer's.

Now in their mid-sixties, all five women find themselves changed over time yet some of what they were in high school remains.  As they get to know one another again, they also adjust to island life.  And come to love it and the people who live there.  And then one day, Ingrid asks why they can't make chocolate from the cocoa beans - and sell little "pieces of happiness" that are also good for you.

Gradually what made these women who they are is revealed.  And as it was, I found myself caring for each of them and hoping they would be able to break free and live new lives.

What a delight to read a book about older women with problems I could relate to!

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The Salt House by Lisa Duffy FIC Duf

A family can have a perfect life - just the usual financial challenges and some stress from renovating the dream house they hope to move into soon.  It takes one event to make that all crumble.  When the novel opens Hope and Jack Kelly have a marriage that is coming apart.  Their daughters, Jess and Kat, have lost the happy family and are having their own private pain.  All of this misery began one year before when the family was thrown into a grief so dark than no one can get out of it.  Hope had put her youngest daughter, Maddie, into her crib for a nap while she tried to get her column written.  Not wanting Maddie to nap too long Hope went to wake her up - but she didn't.  They found a small necklace in her throat.

Hope keeps the ashes in her closet because she can't deal with her grief.  Jack is working himself to death at his fishing business because he can't deal with his grief.  When it seems that things can't get any worse Jack's fishing territory is being threatened by a guy named Ryland who had moved back to town and seems intent on carrying on a feud that started years ago.

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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng FIC Ng

In a suburb of Cleveland called Shaker Heights lives Elena and Bill Richardson with their four teenagers.  They are pillars of the community and their lives seem to be perfect.  When the novel begins their house is burning.  The firemen say it was definitely arson because there were “little fires everywhere”.  Their daughter Izzy has disappeared.

Things for the Richardsons began to change 11 months before when Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl moved to town.  Mia is a free spirit to say the least.  She and Pearl are always moving from place to place.  Mia will take any job that she can find to support them while she does photography, which is her passion.   They rent an apartment from the Richardson's and Pearl goes to school with the Richardson kids. For the first time Pearl actually has friends that she cares about and doesn’t want to disrupt her life again - and Mia promises that they will stay.

But Mia has a lot of secrets in her past and when Elena (at the request of one of her daughters) begins to research Mia’s past, things will become uncomfortable.  I thought it was a great book!

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The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain FIC Cha

This novel takes place in the South during the end of WWII. Tess DeMello is 23 years old, finishing her nursing degree and engaged to the love of her life, Vincent.  He is finishing up his medical degree and they have plans to work together in the world of medicine.  However, when the book begins she is pressured into doing a favor for her sister-in-law and her husband, Henry.  A terrible tragedy takes place and Tess has to shoulder the blame. Quickly the book goes back in time to tell us how it all came to be.

Tess makes a huge mistake and is destined to pay for it for the rest of her life.  She breaks the hearts of both her mother and her fiancé.  I liked the story line and the background of the era.  Part of the story involves a polio hospital that really existed.  It was in Hickory, North Carolina.  The people of that town built this hospital in 54 hours!  (that would never happen today!).  It began receiving patients immediately.  That was probably my favorite part of the book!

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How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry FIC Hen

When Emilia's father passes away after a short illness, she inherits his bookstore.  Julius was wonderful at selling books but not so great at keeping them.  Translation: The bookstore isn't in the greatest financial position.

With help from her best friend Andrea who also happens to be an accountant, Emilia sets about trying to turn things around.  Along the way she receives help from a variety of long-time customers, each of whom have their own story to tell.

Given the title of the book, it's probably not giving anything away that love is found in a bookshop.  But each couple's journey to love is different and fun to read.  There's Jackson who was thrown out of the house by his girlfriend after the birth of their baby.  Solid and steady June with an unknown fling in her distant past.  The woman long-single Julius fell in love with later in his life.  And, of course, Emilia who misses her father desperately but finds herself drawn to a member of his old string quartet.  To name only a few.

A warm, cozy book set in the Cotswolds in England, this was a fun book to read.

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The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond FIC Ric

This book is not a typical book about a couple’s marriage.  It was very intriguing and I couldn’t wait to see where it was going!   Alice is in love with Jake but not very excited about making a commitment.  Jake is afraid that Alice will be lost to him if they don’t get married.  She used to be a singer with a rock band but is now having a successful career as a lawyer. Jake is a psychologist in a practice.  When he proposes and Alice says “okay” he is ecstatic.  They get married in a pasture with a large group of friends and family - and Liam and Fiona Finnegan.  Alice had worked on a case for Finnegan and when he heard she was getting married he mentioned he loved weddings.  She said he was welcome to come not thinking they would really come.  The Finnegan's showed up and brought a gift.  It contains a “pact” which will make their marriage last forever.

Finnegan explains that someone will come and explain it to them. They thought some rules made sense and others seemed a bit over the top.  But they “signed” it.  And before long their lives are out of control.

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The Identicals by Erin Hilderbrand FIC Hil

 

Identical twins are not always exactly alike.  Harper is an easygoing woman with a devil-may-care attitude toward life.  Clothes are of no importance to her.  She has had several jobs and is presently having an affair with a married man.  When her dad, Billy dies, she inherits his house (which is not in very good shape).

Tabitha is the total opposite.  Fashion is her passion and her career since she works for their mother who is a designer.  She is also trying to raise her teenage daughter, Ainsley.  That is not going well.

As twins they were naturally close when they were young.  That changed with the divorce of their parents which led to the twins being divided between the two households.  The real breakdown in their relationship came when Tabitha lost her baby boy and blamed Harper.  It has been a decade but fate is going to intertwine their lives again.

I am sure this would be a great beach reach but don’t wait until next summer!

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The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor FIC Can

I loved this book.  It combined two things I love - the backdrop of WWII and a story that switches between the past and present.  The past begins in 1938 in Austria and the present is Los Angeles, 1989.  In Los Angeles Katie Nelson is going through a bad period.  Besides going through a divorce (not her idea) her father has finally been moved into a nursing home as he is sinking further into dementia.  Since Katie is moving she is forced into cleaning out her house.  One of her “finds” is a stamp collection of her father’s.  It was her father’s passion (he was always looking for a treasure) but she has no interest in it.  Katie opens up the phone book and finds an appraiser named Ben.  He indeed does find a type of treasure.

Kristoff lives in Austria.  He is not Jewish but he is an apprentice to a master Jewish stamp engraver.  Kristoff stays in the house with his teacher and family.  It is not an easy thing to learn but he is determined to do it.  But on the night of Kristallnacht Kristoff’s teacher disappears and soon Kristoff finds himself working with the resistance.

I love learning about history and find it fascinating.  This is a look into the brave people of the resistance.  It is also the story of an abiding love.

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Richard Nixon: The Life by John A Farrell 973.924 Far

I should not be reading books connected to politics.  Really - I need a break from all of that. However, there were some documentaries on TV about Watergate which I watched.  Then I happened to see an interview with the author.  So I was hooked.  I felt fairly well-versed in the saga of Nixon.  Turns out I just knew a little bit.  There was a whole lot more to find out.

This book won’t appeal to everyone. But if you like history, biographies, or politics you just have to read it!  I think it was very well-written and kept me interested even though I knew how the story was going to end.  Farrell seemed to give an unbiased insight into Nixon’s life from beginning to end.  I didn’t like Nixon before I read the book and my opinion didn’t change after I finished. I did feel I understood a bit better some reasons for his actions.  There were many things that shocked me.  There were many things that could be in an article in a current magazine with a few names being changed.

I’ll share one story that I thought was telling.  When a President moves into the White House his advisers always want to create a certain persona for him.  What makes a President look more approachable than a dog?  So they got one for Nixon (I think I remember it was a Golden Retriever).  The idea was the dog could hang out in the Oval Office next to Nixon’s desk.  They tried to get the dog to do it but the dog didn’t want to hang out with him.  Food for thought.

Nixon famously said: “I am not a quitter” - and I was never tempted to quit while reading this book!

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We are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman FIC Col

Stella works as a night nurse in a hospice and rehabilitation center in London.  Part of what she does is write final letters from dying patients to family or friends or, in one case, an extremely annoying neighbor.  Her promise is that these letters will be mailed only after the patient has passed away.

Through Stella and the hospice and the letters she writes, we meet:
Stella herself who is struggling with the changes to her husband and marriage after he returns from Afghanistan severely injured.
Hope who at 21 has used her diagnosis of cystic fibrosis to stay closed in on herself.
Hugh who still lives in his family home years after his mother committed suicide and his beloved father passed away.
Grace, newly admitted to the hospice, whose last letter causes Stella to rethink her promise not to mail it until after Grace passes.
Jake, the cat, whose many lives bind everyone together.

All of these people are hiding from themselves and others.  Over the course of the book, they meet themselves head on and deal with issues that they have been avoiding.

I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't wait to see how it would end.  What could have been a sad and depressing book is far from it.  I look forward to reading other books by this author.

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Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown FIC Bro

       

This book pulled me in from the beginning. For almost a year Jonathan has been a single parent to a teenage daughter named Olive.  That is never an easy task and it is getting harder since Olive has become more remote.  She is even having some issues at her expensive all-girl prep school.  Jonathan is sure that all of this has something to do with the one-year anniversary that is coming up. That is the day that Jonathan's beloved wife, Billie, went out for a hike by herself.  She never returned.  They found one hiking boot in the river and her smashed cellphone.

Jonathan changes his life.  He gives up his crazy work life. He is now working at home thanks to an advance on a book that he is writing about Billie - their life together and the grief he is experiencing.  Olive is also experiencing things - visions of her mother who is asking Olive to come look for her.  She final tells her father.  He wants her to go to a therapist.

But then one day Jonathan thinks it finally time to clean out Billie's things.  He begins to find signs that he may not have really known her at all.  So father and daughter begin to look into Billie's past.  I loved it!

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The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff define every presidency by Chris Whipple 973.92 Whi

I am a bit of a political junkie and this book was just up my alley.   The gatekeepers are the White House Chiefs of Staff.  The title was first used by Haldeman under President Nixon.  It is a fascinating read - especially since I was reading about these former Chiefs of Staff while a Chief of Staff was being fired on my television!

I really didn't understand how important that position is for the success of a president.  Some Presidents seemed to be aware of that before they ever took office - others learned the hard way.
I really don't know how anyone can last in the job for any length of time.

Whipple did a great job of introducing us to the men (no women so far) who have held this vital position.  He interviewed the 17 men who have held this job and I learned a lot of things that I didn't know before.

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Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks FIC Spa

Summer is a great time to read a book by Nicholas Sparks.  You always know it will be an entertaining read.

Some guys have all the luck.  Russ is married to the beautiful Vivian who left the work world to stay home and keep house for him and their beautiful, charming daughter.  This allows Russ to concentrate on his career in advertising.  Life is great.

And then it begins to fall apart.  Now that their daughter is starting school Vivian wants to go back to work and suddenly Russ is expected to pitch in. Seems there is quite a bit of work and organization that goes into running a house.  Who knew?   It goes downhill from there.

This book didn't get great reviews but I needed a break from some non-fiction that I have been reading and this fit the bill.

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After The Fall by Julie Cohen FIC Coh

This is a book about family.  And whenever there is a family there will be plenty of conflict and secrets!  Honor is an elderly woman living alone in a house that has been home forever.  She is intelligent, stubborn, independent and still mourning the death of her only child, Stephen.  But when the story begins she is in big trouble because she just fell down her stairs.  She is able to crawl to a phone and call for help.  The ambulance transports her to the hospital where they want to know the name of someone to call on her behalf.  Reluctantly she gives them the name of her daughter-in-law, Jo.  She has some secrets.  Even Jo's daughter Lydia has secrets!

Upon her release from the hospital, Honor has no choice but accept the gracious offer from Jo to come live with them while she rehabs.  Three generations of women under one roof is never going to be smooth.

Although Stephen is dead, he is an important part of the story which is told in the different voices of the characters.  An enjoyable story!

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Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig FIC Lud

Thirteen-(almost fourteen)-year-old Ginny has lived in her Forever Home with her Forever Parents for two years.  She is also autistic.  And that brings with it a whole set of other issues.  Routine is important to her - starting every day with exactly nine grapes and a glass of milk for breakfast being just one. She loves Michael Jackson and basketball practice and playing her flute.

Rescued from a dangerous situation four years before, Ginny is plagued by memories of what living in that abusive home was like.  And now that her Forever Mom is pregnant, she really can't escape them.  Despite the life she has now she seems determined beyond all reason to go back to that life.  Even going so far as to try to be kidnapped.

Told from Ginny's point-of-view, we learn things through her filter.  And we come to understand why she so desperately needs to return to her previous life.  Ginny is caring and loving (in her own way) but also frustrating and demanding.

A fascinating look inside the brain of an autistic child, this book is sad and funny and ultimately heartwarming.

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A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles FIC Tow

This book was highly recommended by a friend.  Put off by its length (462 pages) and small print, I resisted for awhile.  And then I started reading.

In 1922 and at the age of 30, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is declared a "Former Person" by a Bolshevik tribunal and sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel where he currently resides.  Not immediately concerned, he soon finds his living circumstances reduced from the suite he has occupied for years on the third floor to a room of 100 square feet on the fifth floor.

Over the next 30+ years, the Count (as most people continue to call him despite the changes in society going on at the time) comes to terms with his living situation.  Full of grace and good humor he makes friends with those around him - from the chef to the maitre d' to the hotel seamstress who teaches him to sew.  When 9-year-old Nina, a bona fide resident of the hotel, enters his life he finds he has much to learn - not only about the inner workings of the hotel but about himself.

This is just the broad strokes of a fascinating book.  Covering the time from 1922 to 1954 it covers not only the life of one man but also a hotel (the Metropol is a real hotel in Moscow) as well as the development of a country under Communism.  On the surface it might sound boring but it is far from it.  And the last forty pages are 'edge of your seat, knuckle clutching, sweat inducing' reading.

I loved this book and hated to see it end.

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Mr. Darcy's Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson FIC Pie

Set just after the end of Pride and Prejudice, this is the story of Mr. Darcy's little sister - Georgiana.  Still reeling from the mistake she almost made (you remember - she almost eloped with Mr. Wickham), she is painfully shy and dreads her coming out Season.  Fortunately, she adores her brother and comes to love her new sister, Elizabeth.

With coaching from Elizabeth, Georgiana faces the ordeal of preparing for her Court presentation and all the balls that accompany her first Season.  She faces new obstacles but grows from them, finally realizing which of the eligible men surrounding her is the one she loves and wants to spend her life with.

All of the characters you know and love, and a few of the ones you don't, are present in this modern continuation of the Jane Austen classic.  The book is a quick, enjoyable way to spend a couple of hot, summer afternoons, get reacquainted with old friends and be assured that there is a "happy ever after."

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Small Victories: spotting improbably moments of grace by Anne Lamott 248 Lam

Some of the reviews of this book had fewer stars than I would have expected, but only because some of these essays were from earlier work.  I have read some of her books - but my memory isn't great so everything was new to me!  I also think that there are some things that can be read over and over and you will still get something out of it.

The essays range from spending time with her dying friend to her experiences with an on-line dating service.  When Lamott talks about her life she doesn't try to sugarcoat any of it.  Some of it is definitely not flattering to her.  She writes about stories as a mother and as a daughter.

She is rather irrelevant as she talks about these small victories and that is probably the thing I like best about the book!  I listened to the audio version and really enjoyed it.  It felt like she was talking to me while we sat around a table.  It can lead you to think about some small victories in your own life.

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Irena's Children: The extraordinary story... by Tilar J. Mazzeo 940.53 Maz

The full title, which explains the whole book, is: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Irena is often compared to Schindler.  What she did will give you chills and fill you with such awe.  Irena was a social worker.  Because of that she was granted permission to come and go from the Ghetto.  Irena was able to convince many parents to allow her to take their children - if not to safety, at least to a place where they could have a chance for survival.  She created a network of people to help.  They used coffins, sewers, overcoats and anything else that worked.

Besides getting the children out, she took another extraordinary risk to keep a list of their identities so that they could be reunited after the war.  An optimistic task since only 10% of the children had any family after the war.

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The Finishing School by Joanna Goodman FIC Goo

I always enjoy books that are centered around a school.  It means there will be lots of secrets and stories of friendships - both good and bad. Kersti went to an elite boarding school in Switzerland on a scholarship.  It could have been very difficult for her except for her roommate, Cressida, who was rich and a bit wild.  Shortly before their graduation Cressida went over a balcony that was 4 floors up.  According to the school it was an accident.  Twenty-one years later Cressida is living back in the States with her mother in a vegetative state.

Kersti has grown up to be a successful writer, a wife and a woman who desperately wants a baby. One day she receives a package from the mother of one of her boarding school friends, Lille.  It contains a letter to Kersti that was unfinished.  Lille died from cancer and her mother had just gotten around to looking at her computer.  Lille believes that Cressida's death was no accident.

Soon Kersti is involved in looking for answers which leads her back to the school where it all began.  An interesting read!

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The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer FIC Win

In the modern day, Beatrice Trovato, a neurosurgeon, mourns the death of her brother, Benjamin.  A renowned medieval scholar and the person who raised her, Benjamin had moved to Siena to do research on the effects the bubonic plague had on Siena in 1348.  While visiting Siena to look over his research and decide what to do with all that he left her, Beatrice finds herself not only intrigued by the research path he was on but also with the painter, Gabriele Accorsi, from that same period who somehow painted her face in his paintings.

Suddenly Beatrice finds herself in Siena in 1347 only eight months before the plague infestation begins.  With no real knowledge of how she traveled backwards in time, she must make her way based on what she knows about life in that time period.  And when Gabriele crosses her path neither one is able to ignore the attraction they feel.

Beatrice finds herself conflicted - does she really want to try her way back to her own time?  Or is her life now in Siena, despite what she knows is coming?

Time travel novels always intrigue me and this one was no different.  The author does a very good job of making real the confusion that Beatrice feels at arriving in Siena in 1347.  Life in the Middle Ages in Siena comes alive and the attraction between Beatrice and Gabriele is very real.

I might have to put Siena on my ever-growing list of places to visit...

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Disaster Falls by Stéphane Gerson 306.85 Ger

This is not a long book but it took me a long, long time to read it.  That has nothing to do with the quality of the book.  It is a well-written book.  It was an interesting book.  It is, however, a very painful book to read.  Stephane, his wife Alison, sons Julian and Owen were on vacation and having a wonderful time on a rafting trip on the Green River in Utah.  In the middle of the trip there is an accident.

This book is the telling of how a family tries to survive a tragedy.  No two people grieve the same.  No two deaths are the same.  Gerson also talks about how others react to the tragedy - classmates, their community, society and even their parents.

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Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth FIC Ell

Loved this book!  The Clear Lake in the title is "our" Clear Lake!  I always enjoy reading books that take place in Iowa.  The book opens with Lorraine Kindred returning to the Surf Ballroom - to the place that held so many memories for her.  It was the place of her youth where she spent magical evenings.  It is the place that holds secrets that she has held on to for decades.  Part of the book tells us about the life of that young girl.  It is the time of World War II and her adored older brother has signed up and is getting ready to leave.  Her mother is sent into a downward spiral of depression.  It is mostly her son's absence but also because her husband has signed up to have German POWs come from the POW camp in Altoona.  Without their help he will never be able to keep the farm going.  Lorraine tries to do some of her mother's undone chores even though she has her own to do.  One thing she did was to take food out to her father and the POW's and as time went by they seemed less like the enemy and more like regular young men.

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Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline FIC Sco

Scottoline never fails to entertain.  In this novel Christine and her husband, Marcus, are like many couples who are trying to have a baby with no results.  When tests are done they find out that the problem is with Marcus.  In hopes that they could still have a family they are working with a fertility clinic and plan to try a donor.  The donor is chosen by the perspective parents by going online and choosing one from many.  The donors are listed with a number and information (physical, family, personality, etc.)  along with two pictures - one as an adult and the other as a child.  They chose one and now Christine is two months along and wrapping up the school year as a grade-school teacher.  The sadness of leaving her job that day is replaced with the happiness of a surprise baby shower.  Even Marcus is there.

But then, Christine is shocked by a report on tv that a man has been arrested for the murder of several women.  Why is she shocked?  She thinks he looks exactly like her donor.  Although her best friend and her husband try to convince her that she is wrong, Christine can't let it go.  And so she will do whatever is necessary to find out if that man in jail is the biological father of her baby.  And that decision may be at the cost of her marriage.

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Beartown by Fredrick Backman FIC Bac

Backman is definitely one of my favorite authors!  In earlier books I was taken in by the quirky characters.  I often smiled and sometimes laughed.  There are some characters in this book who might be described as quirky - but in a different way.   When I finished this book I decided this one was about cultures - the culture of families, the culture of a small town and most importantly the culture of sports.

Beartown is surrounded by a forest.  It has shrunk over the years during hard times as many young people choose to leave.  But it is possible that everything can turn around!  The weight of that possibility is squarely on the shoulders of teenaged boys.  These boys are on the verge of winning a national championship.  Just one game left to win before that can happen.

Beartown is all about hockey - the young, the old, the men, the women - all live for the sport of hockey.  The hockey club is an important group in the town.  They basically run it and always have lots of unsolicited advice for the employees of the club.  The general manager of the club (a former superstar of Beartown) and the coaches are always under a great deal of stress.

Don't worry about this being filled with play-by-play accounts of hockey games!  It is about the people.  The young players and the adults.....and of course about this small isolated community who needs to win a championship.
    (I listened to the audiobook - it was excellent!)

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A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell FIC Bel

This is one of those domestic thrillers.  Stephanie left the city life to return to live in the suburbs because Davis, her husband, was insistent that it was the place to raise their son, Miles.  But that happy scenario didn't last long. Davis was killed in a car accident along with her brother, Chris.  Her life became one of caring for Miles, writing a successful blog (mostly about mothering), and trying to dig her way out of grief.

Things begin to look up when Stephanie meets Emily at the school when both are waiting to pick up their sons.  Turns out that Miles and Emily's son Nicky are best of friends at school.  And soon the mothers are best friends.  Emily has a high powered job in the city working for a fashion house.  Stephanie steps up to help Emily with Nicky, often picking him up after school and keeping him until Sean (Nicky's dad) or Stephanie gets home.

One day Stephanie doesn't come to pick up Nicky.  As the hours pass she puts both boys to bed and then tries to contact Sean, Emily's husband.  He says she went on a business trip.  Really? Then why did Emily tell Stephanie she would just be a little late.

I was entertained as the story took lots of twists and turns on the way to an unexpected conclusion.   And by the way, Ms. Bell was born and raised in western Iowa on a farm!  This is her first novel.  I will keep my eyes open for the next one!

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The Mothers by Brit Bennett FIC Ben

This book did not grab me from the beginning but I soon became involved in the story.  Nadia is a senior in high school when the book begins.  She is very successful at school but she is dealing with a lot.  The previous summer her mother had committed suicide.  There is no note so Nadia has only the speculation that goes on in her mind.  Her father is dealing with it by spending a lot of time at their church.  Nadia is also drawn to the church - well more precisely she is drawn to Luke, the pastor's son.  Their relationship is kept a secret.  When Nadia discovers that she is pregnant she has a big decision to make.  Let everyone in their small town know and keep the baby or have an abortion and go on with her life which includes moving across the country to go to the University of Michigan.  Luke offers to help her by getting her the money and picking her up from the clinic when it is done.  She gets the money but not the ride and she is devastated that he let her down.  To make things harder, she is offered a 'job' working for the Pastor's wife so that she can earn some money.  The only upside is that she meets Aubrey who is a volunteer.  They are complete opposites with the exception of the shared grief of their family issues.

Nadia goes to college and is involved in a serious relationship with a nice guy.  When Nadia has to return to her small town because of her father, her life reconnects in new ways to Aubrey and Luke.

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The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion FIC Sim

I have loved the other books by Simsion.  This one also has quirky characters (which I love) but they didn't make me smile or chuckle like those in the previous books.  Still I liked the book a lot. Adam Sharp's vocation is in IT.  His passion is the piano.  While on a job in Australia he ends up playing the piano in a bar.  One night a beautiful woman walks in.  She is Angelina Brown, an actress in a tv series, who is also a great singer.  They flirt that first evening using songs.  And that is the beginning of a great love and passion which only lasted a few months.  When Adam's assignment is over he just can't take a chance on love and he goes back to England.

Twenty two years later Adam is almost fifty.  He has had a long, long relationship with his partner, Claire, he enjoys quiz nights with friends in a pub, he does consulting work but has never forgotten Angelina.

And one day he receives an email from her.  It simply says "Hi".  And that is the beginning of a second chance to reconnect with the love of his life.

Because of my age the part of the book that I loved the most was the references to music (from my era!).  At the back of the book is a list of the songs that he references in the book plus information on how you can get the Spotify playlist of all the songs!

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In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick BCD 910.91 Phil

If you told me to read Moby Dick I would have to ask how much you were willing to pay me!  I can give you a one sentence synopsis of it and that's all I want to know.  I was a bit apprehensive when I had to read this for book club after I found out this was the basis of Moby Dick.  But that was fiction and this is the real story of the Essex whaling boat that was destroyed by a whale.  It was a great read.

I knew nothing about whaling.  These men left their homes for years at a time and traveled thousands of miles to do their job.  Meantime the wives were left behind but they got along just fine.  They looked after the children and ran the town!

This book introduces you to the crew of the Essex and we follow them as they take off for a whaling trip.  After the encounter with the whale, the crew is divided into three groups who climb into little boats. From there on it is a story of survival.  Obviously some of them do survive which is why we know what happened!

I listened to the audio-book and it was well done.  It would be a great book to listen to on your summer travels!

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The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father, One Day at a Time by Jonathan Kozol 616.8 Koz

The father in the title refers to Dr. Harry Kozol who was born in 1906.  His specialty was neurological and psychiatric problems.   He was called in on some well-known cases including Patricia Hearst and the Boston Strangler.  He also worked for years with Eugene O'Neill.  The fascinating details of these cases are intertwined with the personal life of Dr. Kozol.  He practiced his craft into his 80's but then he began a slow descent into Alzheimer's and died after more than 100 years on this earth.

It is a touching memoir of the bond between father and son.  If you have ever been down that path with someone you will recognize many of the examples of the mind going.  It is well-written and will certainly tug at your heart.

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Inheriting Edith by Zoe Fishman FIC Fis

This was a great book for a rainy weekend.   Maggie Sheets went to college but turned to cleaning homes because it paid better than sitting in a cubicle.  It's not easy, especially since she is also a single mother to a toddler named Lucy.  One day Maggie is shocked to hear from a lawyer who represented Liza, an author who was one of Maggie's clients.  Over the years they had become friends but had a falling out.  Now the lawyer is telling her that Liza has left Maggie her house in Sag Harbor.  There is a little catch.  The house comes with Edith who is the 82 year old mother of Liza.  She has been diagnosed with dementia.  She is also a strong-willed woman who doesn't want help.

The characters are all likable and believable.  It was an entertaining feel-good book.

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The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan FIC Rya

Life is slowly changing for the residents of Chilbury as World War II picks up steam.  Lacking men to sing in the choir, the Vicar has disbanded it.  But the women of the village are not to be denied and soon form the Chilbury Ladies' Choir.

The novel is told through the lives of five members of the choir:  Kitty, thirteen, determined to be a concert singer and also convinced that her sister's friend has asked her to marry him; Venetia, her older sister who is the town beauty and flirt and drawn to the mysterious new artist in town; Mrs. Tilling, a widowed nurse whose only son has just joined the army; Edwina Paltry, the local midwife who is doing her best to connive her way to a better life; and Sylvie, a 10-year-old Czech refugee who is a silent observer of all that goes on around her and shielding secrets of her own.

This novel is told through letters, diary entries, and journal entries.  What is the difference between a journal and a diary?  A lot when one of them is written by a 13-year-old and the other by a grown woman!  As the war becomes an ever more present reality in the lives of all these women, we watch them grow and change.  

A fun book with characters you come to care about.  I enjoyed reading and hope there might be a sequel in the future.

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Different Class by Joanne Harris FIC Har

I have loved all of Harris' books and this one was no exception. It is not a fast read but that was okay with me since I was enjoying it.

Roy Straitley had truly come up through the ranks at St. Oswald's School.  He began as a student and eventually became the Latin master.  He has been teaching there for thirty years and has no intention of retiring because the school and his students are his life.  The book skips around in time.  We learn a bit about Straitley's childhood but most of it is between the present and twenty years ago.

Straitley is eager to start the new year and to find out what the new Head is going to do to save the school which has fallen on hard times.  To his horror the new Head is a former student - one who was involved in a scandal at the school decades ago.  Things are not going to go well.

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The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel 974.1 Fin

I love non-fiction because truth is always more fascinating than fiction.  Do you ever crave solitude? Do you ever want to disappear for a while and hide from the news, the social media, and maybe even some people in your life?  This is the story of a man, Christopher Knight, who did disappear into the woods of Maine.  And he did it for 27 years.  During that time he only had two brief encounters with other humans.  He walked away from his life when he was twenty years old.  He had never spent a night in a tent yet he was able to survive in the woods for decades.

He survived by stealing food and supplies during the times of the year when there was no snow on the ground (to avoid leaving footprints).  Eventually he is caught and arrested.

Michael Finkel lived across the country but he read about the capture of "the hermit".  Intrigued he wrote to Christopher and eventually flew to Maine several times and talked with him.  He didn't get all the answers he wanted but it is a fascinating story.

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The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve FIC Shr

In 1947 there was a serious drought in Maine which led to wildfires and a village was mostly destroyed.  This historic fact is the jumping off point for a great novel.   Grace is unhappily married to Gene.  They have been married two years and she has two children.  And now she is pregnant with another child.

Gene leaves to fight the fires leaving Grace to deal with things on her own.  As the fire suddenly reaches her part of town, Grace bravely runs to the ocean in an effort to save her children along with her best friend Rosie and her children.

She loses her unborn child and it appears that her husband has most likely died also.  She is relieved to find that her mother is alive but her house is also gone.  Grace has to do whatever is necessary to find a way to survive.  With her survival comes the freedom that her husband had denied her during her marriage.

Some clouds do have a silver lining.  As always I enjoyed Ms. Shreve's writing.

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The Girl Before by JP Delaney

I loved this great psychological novel!   Finding affordable housing can be a challenge in cities.   Emma has been traumatized by a break-in at her old apartment and she is desperate for a safe place.  The real estate agent suggest a place at One Folgate Street. The good price comes with a lot of rules. The owner and architect of this jewel insists that it be an oasis of minimalism.  Therefore there isn't much room for 'stuff' and the occupant has to promise to have zero clutter, no books left out, no throw pillows, etc.  But Emma is willing to live that way in order to be safe.

Jane has suffered the loss of a baby and she is emotionally raw. She needs to find a place to heal. So she endures an interview with the owner and fills out a long questionnaire filled with questions that require her to answer "what would she do?".    Jane finds out that the woman who lived at One Folgate Street before her had died there.  Jane becomes obsessed about what happened to 'the girl before'.

I think you will not only be fascinated with the stories of these two women but also with the description of this house.  Maybe it is a look into the future of what is to come when it comes to smart homes.

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New Life, No Instructions: A Memoir by Gail Caldwell 070.92 Cal

This was a wonderful read.  Ms. Caldwell is a bestselling author and has also won a Pulitzer Prize - so you know she is a great writer.  She had a successful career but as is normal there were ups and downs.  She fills in with some stories from her younger years but most of it is focused on the part of life when lots of bad things start happening.  She begins losing family members and a best friend.  Emotionally that is tough but she also is dealing with physical losses.  She had polio as a baby and later in life was diagnosed with physical problems that often happen to polio victims decades later.  The pain is affecting every aspect of her life.

Her story is one of loss, adversity, and found wisdom.  Throughout her life she is always supported by her beloved dogs.  It is a touching memoir.

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Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens FIC Ste

I have read all of Ms. Stevens' books and enjoyed every one of them.  This book begins over a decade ago when Lindsey Nash takes a terrible chance.  In fear of her abusive husband, Andrew, she takes Sophie, her young daughter, and flees. Andrew ends up in prison.  Lindsey begins a new life and after starting her own cleaning business she is able to take care of the two of them.

But eleven years later the fear begins to return because Andrew is released from prison.  She tries to convince herself that they are safe.  But are they?  She begins to think that someone is stalking her. Meanwhile she has no idea that Sophie has made contact with her dad.

It's a fast-paced book filled with suspense and that 'who can you trust' vibe.

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Almost Home by Pam Jenoff FIC Jen

Jordan Weiss left America to pursue a graduate degree at Cambridge in England.  She was also a member of the rowing team.  And that is how she met and fell in love with Jared who was on the men's rowing team.  The school year was coming to an end.  There was one more big race for Jared the next night.  During a party on the eve of that race, Jared disappeared.  His body was later found in the river.  It was listed as a drowning - even though he was an excellent swimmer.

Jordan leaves England and never wants to return.  She gets a job in the State Department and for the next ten years she travels the world and has some dangerous assignments.

After avoiding the memories in England for 10 years she suddenly asks to be transferred there when she receives a plea from Sarah, a dear friend.  Sarah has ALS and would love to see Jordan again before it is too late.  Soon after her transfer to London Jordan is contacted by an old college classmate (and close friend of Jared's).  He is certain that Jared's death was no accident.  Together they delve into a cover-up and try to find justice.

I really liked the book.  It kept my interest from beginning to end.  I'm checking out other books by Ms. Jenoff!

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On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman FIC Lip

Faith Frankel has recently moved back to her home town where she works in Stewardship at her former day school.  To be honest, she IS the Stewardship department.  She has a fiance, Stuart, who is currently walking across the country on a spiritual journey.  Said journey seems to involve a lot of partying and pictures with his arms around attractive women. While Faith can ignore these, she finds it harder and harder to ignore the fact that Stuart rarely returns her calls or texts.

Tired of living in a one-bedroom apartment, Faith purchases a charming 5-bedroom home on Turpentine Lane.  Despite all the things that need to be done, she falls in love with the house.  Until she finds creepy pictures of two babies in the attic...and the police come knocking on her door with a search warrant to search her basement.  What secrets does her new house hold?

Fortunately, Faith has a loving and supportive family (even though her father has moved out of the family home in order to become an artist) and the support of Nick, her office mate and head of Development for the school.  

I breezed through this book in four days - and this from someone who usually takes at least a week to read a book.  The characters are fun and easy to relate to, the setting in Massachusetts interesting and I found myself rooting for things to work out for Faith.  I've always enjoyed the authors books and this one is no exception.

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The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff. FIC Jen

I have just finished putting a hold on another of Ms. Jenoff's books because I loved this book.  If you enjoy historical fiction put this one on your list!  This novel takes place during WWII.  It is the story of two women in danger from the Nazis who form a strong friendship.

Noa is only 16 when her parents throw her out of the house.  Not surprisingly they were upset to find out that she was pregnant - and the father is a Nazi.  With no other option she goes to a home and is forced to give up her baby.  Returning home is out of the question.  She gets a job cleaning a small railway station and in return she can sleep in a small room there.  One day she hears strange noises and looks into an abandoned boxcar.  There she is shocked to see it filled with babies who are either dead or dying in the cold.  Without really thinking about it she grabs a baby and runs.

Astrid is a Jew who grew up in a circus family.  But then she married a man whom she loved and moved to Berlin to settle in one place for the first time in her life.  Like Noa, Astrid is kicked out of her home - by her husband who is a Nazi officer.  He does it because of their mixed marriage which would no longer be tolerated by the Reich.  Did he kick her out because of love or hate?  She doesn't know.

They both have a lot to hide when they meet at a German circus.  A great read.

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The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth FIC Hep

 

This was a fast read - or maybe it just seemed that way because I read it in two sittings.  The book opens with Alice Stanhope meeting with her doctor to get the results of some tests - and the news isn't good.  She has ovarian cancer and she needs to begin aggressive treatment immediately.  The nurse, Kate, makes sure that Alice understands what is involved.  She offers to call someone to come be with her.  But Alice explains that she only has her teenage daughter, Zoe.  Her one sibling is an alcoholic brother who is useless.  Kate brings Sonja, a social worker, into the case to find some support for Alice.

As devastated as Alice is by the diagnosis, she is even more worried about Zoe.  Zoe suffers from a very severe social anxiety and Alice seems to spend most of her time trying to help Zoe get through  life.  When Alice ends up in the hospital, she and Zoe get support from unexpected places.

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The Wonder by Emma Donoghue FIC Don

Donoghue's previous book, Room, was a great book and this one was just as intriguing.  It takes place in the mid-1800's in a small Irish village - a place where people put out saucers of milk at night for the fairies.  So it isn't a surprise that they are instant believers when they find out that one of their own seems to be a miracle.  Anna is eleven and she appears to have been surviving for four months with no food and only a few teaspoons of water.  Soon the small cabin becomes a destination for locals and tourists alike.

A group of men decide they want to make sure that it is a miracle and not a hoax.  So they hire two nurses.  One is Lib Wright, an English nurse who had worked with Florence Nightingale, and an Irish nurse who is a nun.   The strategy is to have the women make sure that Anna is under surveillance every minute of the day.  Lib knows that Anna could not possibly be alive without eating for months.  She is sure they will discover how this farce is being pulled off - but after the first week she still has no idea.

I loved the historical background of this novel and the mystery that had to be solved!

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Circling the Sun by Paula McLain FIC Mcl

This is historical fiction which I always enjoy.  It is about a woman named Beryl Markham who led a life that was a lot more exciting than my life!  With her family she left England as a child and grew up in Kenya on a farm.  When she was young her mother took her brother and went back to England.  Beryl remained with her father.  She loved the outdoors and working with her father as a race horse trainer.  She resisted all attempts by her father to give her an education and become a lady.

When she was 17 her father's fortunes took a downturn and he lost the farm.  Because she didn't want to leave Kenya to go with her father she accepted a marriage proposal to an older man (she was 17) which was the first of many bad relationships.

Beryl not only became a well-respected horse trainer and later she broke records as a pilot.  It seemed as if there were very few calm times during her life.  One of the things that contributed to the turmoil was her passion for a safari hunter named Denys Finch Hutton.  It was complicated because he was involved in a long time relationship with a woman named Karen Bixen.  You probably don't recognize the name but she was a writer and under the name Isak Dinesen she wrote her memoir - Out of Africa!   So as I was reading this book I had a mental image of that movie.  (Mostly I was thinking about Robert Redford who played the part of Denys!!)
     A great read!

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