I Am NOT My Breast Cancer by Ruth Peltason 362.196

Everyone should read this book. If you have breast cancer you will relate to the women in this book. If you don't have it yourself, you probably have a friend, a colleague, a neighbor or a relative who has faced this diagnosis.

Peltason writes in her introduction, "My greatest wish for this book is that it offer comfort to any woman living with breast cancer and to those who care about her. If this book is kept on the bedside table, then I hope its need is brief and its impact lasting. I Am Not My Breast Cancer speaks of courage, heroism in deeds small and large, and incredible faith and fortitude." I think this says it all.

Pretty is What Changes by Jessica Queller 362.196 Que

This was a great (if often sad) non-fiction read. Jessica was raised by a mother (Stephanie) who was more interested in material things than in nurturing her two daughters. The daughters are grown up now. Stephanie has battled through breast cancer. Six years later, at the age of fifty-eight, she is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Jessica and Danielle, her sister, devote themselves to their mother during her last two years. During this time Jessica finds out about a test to see if one is a carrier of a BRCA mutation. With this mutation the lifetime risk of breast cancer is up to 87% and a 44% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. This is the story of Jessica's struggle with losing her mother, wrestling with the idea of taking the test and the usual stuff (finding the right guy!). It is a very moving book.

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

This is the second novel I've read by Coben and it was just as good as the last one! This mystery centers around Tia and Mike Baye and their teenage son, Adam. Teenagers are often moody and distant and now Adam is just like that. Since Adam's best friend committed suicide, they are extremely worried about his state of mind. It gets so bad that they have a spy program put on his computer. A cryptic message received by Adam shakes them up.
Mike (who is a doctor) is also dealing with worry over his next-door neighbor's son who needs a kidney transplant. Lots and lots of things going on. It kept me reading.

Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope

Another good book! (Our library is full of them!) Friendships are so important. The older we get the more we realize our important it is to have relationships with others. Eleanor has retired from a job that took up most of her life. Now she has time to watch out her window. She notices there are two women with kids in her neighborhood who always appear to be alone. One day she confronts the two of them and insists they come to her place Friday night. Eventually this weekly ritual is attended by six women (from the elderly Eleanor to twenty-two year old Jules) plus children. This is the story of their ups and downs and the usual you would expect from a bunch of women. (Can we really be that petty sometimes?) Then a man enters the life of one of the women - that messes up lots of things!

Searching for Paradise in Parker PA by Kris Radish (Audio book)

Addy and Lucky have been married for a long time and Addy has about had it. She is tired of his antics and is very tired of parking her car outside because Lucky has for years been storing his "treasures" in the garage. Addy has daydreamed about driving through the garage door for a while now. One day she returns home after teaching kids all day and sits in the driveway. This will be the day that she steps on the gas. Before she can act, Lucky comes running out to tell her the good news. He has won a sales contest at work and they are going to Costa Rica on a romantic vacation. So she doesn't plow through the garage door. Trying to have a good attitude, Addy tells herself (and her sister and a few close friends) that maybe this will recharge their marriage. Addy never finds out. The day they are to leave Lucky is carrying the suitcases to the car when Addy (in the middle of a shower) hears a blood-curdling scream. She rushes out (towel only!) to find Lucky in excruciating pain. Lucky is taken to the hospital where he must have a serious back surgery.
Too much togetherness leads both Addy and Lucky to search for understanding and support from their friends. Eventually there is a war between the sexes that spreads throughout Parker PA. This is a light-hearted and entertaining audio book.

the day i ate whatever i wanted and other small acts of liberation by Elizabeth Berg

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. I was SO excited when I saw that she had a new book out. The writing in this book is as flawless as always. The only problem is - it isn't a novel! It is a book of short stories. I did read the book and I enjoyed many of the stories. But short stories are not my thing. I don't want a good book to end after 500 pages so you can imagine how excited I am when a good story ends in a handful of pages. If you like short stories I'm sure you will like this. If you are a Berg fan like I am you must read it - that's just the way it is when you are a real fan! I hope she's working on a new novel right now!

The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinski

June Parker is leaving a Weight Watchers meeting when she decides to offer a ride to a stranger. Marissa has just received a pin for reaching her goal weight (after losing 100 pounds!) and is walking toward the bus stop on teetering heels. They chat and Marissa tells June about a great soup recipe. She undoes her seatbelt to turn around and grab the recipe from her purse. It was then that a dresser falls off a truck in front of June. In the accident Marissa is killed and June is left with overwhelming guilt. Among the wreckage is a list of Marissa's - "20 things to Do by My 25th Birthday". Eventually June decides to fulfill the wish list in honor of Marissa and in doing so changes her own life. It's a good book. The characters were endearing and the story moves along at a good pace. Maybe we should all have a list. The act of doing so might make us think more deeply about our lives.