The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman FIC Ste

There aren't too many themes in novels.  Love is probably the most common and it is the theme in this novel.  The love between parents and a child and the love between a husband and wife.  What would you do for the one you love?  Is your happiness more important than that of someone else?  Does that question depend on if you love that someone else or if she is a stranger?  Lots of thinking can be done after reading this book!  Or you can just sit back and enjoy this well-written book.  It begins after WWI  with Tom who has come back to Australia after four years of fighting.  Like most returning soldiers he has plenty of emotional baggage and is looking forward to living the solitary life on an isolated island taking care of a lighthouse.  But within a few years he is sharing that life with Isabel whom he met before he began his job.  It seems as if they are well-suited to this kind of life.  But when Isabel suffers miscarriages she begins to head into  a deep depression.  Then one evening a boat washes up on shore. In the boat is a dead man, a woman's cardigan and a crying baby.  Although Tom knows what he should do, he cannot deny Isabel's need for a baby.  They bury the father and name the baby Lucy and she is to be raised as their own.  They do not live happily ever after.  It's a great read. 

The Dog Lived (and So Will I) by Teresa Rhyne 362.196 Rhy

Another memoir. Another story of a young woman with cancer.  Another story of the love between a dog and a human.  Put that all together and you have a great read.  Loved this book.  The first part of the book is mostly the story of Seamus.  Teresa had been through two divorces and the loss of two beagles.  The only good thing in her life is her job (she is a lawyer) and her new boyfriend (who is quite a bit younger than she is).  After returning from a trip to Ireland (in an attempt to get away and start fresh upon her return) she gets a call from a Rescue organization who has a Beagle that needs a home.  She tells Chris, her boyfriend, about the call and is shocked at his response.  Seems he isn't "much of a dog person".  She is shocked.  "Not a dog person? How had I missed that? I knew he was a Republican and I overlooked that.  I knew he was inappropriately young, and I was working on overlooking that. How did I miss that he was not a dog person?"  Chris and Seamus didn't hit it off at first but eventually he comes to love him.  Then Seamus is diagnosed with cancer.  Teresa spends LOTS of money and time to save her companion.  A year later it is Seamus' turn to help Teresa when she gets cancer.  A very heartwarming story that is well-written.  Check it out!

The time keeper by Mitch Albom FIC Alb

    Albom does it again.  This is a short book with a long message.  Here is a quote:
"There is a reason God limits our days."
"Why?"
"To make each one precious."
    This is the story of Dor who invented the first clock.  For that he is punished and spends thousands of years in his own hell.  He is finally released to return to the present day with a mission.  It concerns a teen-aged girl whose will to live has left her and a elderly man who wants to go on forever.  Their stories may make you rethink your conception of time.   I loved it as I have all of his books.

Most of Me by Robyn Michele Levy 616.8 Lev

   When I tell you what this book is about you will probably wonder why anyone in the world would want to read it!  Levy, however, is a terrific writer and I read her memoir quickly.  When she begins her story she is a working mom who is so depressed and tired.  That is probably not an unusual state for most women in that situation.  Hers continues to get worse and worse.  Finally she is given a diagnosis after other symptoms appear.....and the news isn't good.  She has early onset Parkinson's disease.   As if this weren't enough she also is diagnosed with breast cancer within the year.  Pretty depressing isn't it?  But her writing brought many smiles to my face.  Here is a quote to give you a taste of her sense of humor.  "I have a confession: I married an older man.  Three years older, to be exact.  Mind you, that's in dog years.  Multiply three by seven and you get the age difference in human years-something to really bark about".
    Her biographical information says: "She lives with her family and her remaining body parts on  Vancouver, British Columbia."   I don't want her to get anymore diseases but I would like her to write another book! 

Friends by Michael Foreman

 

 

This beautiful, sweet, heart-tugging picture book says everything a person needs to know about friendship in just 24 pages.An excellent choice to bestow on the children in your life.

The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March FIC Mar

When I read the back of this book to see what it was about it didn't take long to realize that I've read this book - under different titles of course!  There is always a shared activity - a knitting group, a Jane Austen book club or in this case all of the Meryl Streep movies.  There are always a group of women who share this activity and in coming together they change their lives or mend past breaks.  In this book the women happen to be related.  But you know what?  I didn't care that I had already read it.  I enjoyed it very much.  Most of the book takes place at an Inn in Maine run by Lolly.  Many years ago Lolly and her husband were at home in their Inn on New Year's Eve because they had guests.  They had one daughter, Kat,  but that evening  they also had Lolly's nieces June and Isabel staying with them while their parents went out to party.  When Lolly's sister called and asked for a ride home from the party Lolly sent her husband.  The three of them were killed in a car accident and Lolly was left with three girls to finish raising.  There hasn't been much closeness in the family all of these years but Lolly has asked them to come to the Inn for an important announcement.  While there they have 'movie nights' - and this time it is all Meryl Streep all the time!  Her movies have a lot in common with the lives of these women.  It is not a deep book.  It won't change your life.  But I think you will enjoy getting to know these characters.  I look forward to a second book by this author. 

The Queen's Lover by Francine Du Plessix Gray FIC Gra

I love French history and I especially like the 1700's with all the Louies and the French Revolution.   When I was teaching I did a lot of reading about this period.   Now my mind has begun to unravel a bit and I have forgotten so much!  That is why I loved this book.  Once I began to read it things came back to me and I enjoyed reliving the excitement and tragedy of Marie Antoinette.  This novel tells the story very accurately but the emphasis is on Axel von Fersen.  He was a Swedish aristocrat who 'worked' for King Gustave of  Sweden.  His job seemed to consist of traveling with the King sometimes and spending the rest of the time traveling and hanging out with royalty in other countries.  He met Antoinette when he was young and she was not yet the Queen.  He was quite smitten with her - of course he was smitten by many, many women.  He became devoted to Antoinette and her entire family.  His first attempt to get the family out of France and out of danger was ruined by several small events which together led to failure.  Von Fersen outlived the Queen by a few decades and he never got over the loss (even though he continued to be quite the womanizer).  If you like historical novels this is a good one.

Miss Me When I'm Gone by Emily Arsenault

Gretchen Waters, author of the surprise best-seller Tammyland, is found dead on a set of dark, crumbling stairs outside the library where she had just finished a reading and book signing. A terrible, unfortunate accident, the police say. Yet there is the question of her missing purse.

After the funeral,  Gretchen’s grieving parents ask Jamie, her best friend since college, to act as literary executor to try to piece together and finish up the manuscript for Gretchen’s second book. Of course Jamie will do it – for Gretchen – no matter that she is nearly seven months through her first pregnancy. As Jamie plows through notes and portions of Gretchen’s manuscript it becomes obvious that this second book is not within the scope of the publisher’s plan for it and is much more personal than the first. Someone breaks into Jamie’s house; Gretchen’s purse is pulled from a nearby lake; the police – and

Jamie – begin to investigate a little more intensely.

Miss Me When I’m Gone is a pretty decent whodunit (and whydidit). There is an aspect of this book that I didn’t really care for, though.

Gretchen’s first book was a travel memoir of sorts based on a road trip she took following the end of her marriage. She packed her bag, loaded her CD player with music by female country stars, and toured the South, trying to make sense of the sadness and sorrow that is pervasive in country music by visiting the places these famous women lived. So Arsenault’s book chapters are written to be either a.) a chapter from Tammyland, b.) excerpts from Gretchen’s notes, or c.) Jamie’s first person account of her adventures. Frankly, I’m not a huge country music fan, so the Tammyland chapters didn’t do much for me. And some of them seemed not much more adeptly crafted than what a capable eighth-grader could write for a school report. Which makes me wonder if I would have missed any part of the story if I had just skipped over the Tammyland chapters. I’d almost be willing to give it a try, except I don’t have enough time to read all the books I want to read once, so I’ll never waste time on a second reading of a book that wasn’t riveting the first time. If you pick up this book and skip the Tammyland chapters, let me know how it worked for you.

Full Body Burden by Kristen Iversen 363.17 Ive

It's October - the month of Halloween.  Time for a scary book?  Look no further because this one should shake you to the core.  It is not about a serial killer.  There are no monsters, space ships or little green men.  It is much worse.  It is the story of greed.  It is also the story of our government whom we think will protect its citizens.  And this isn't a book that blames the Republicans or the Democrats.  It is a story that spans five decades!  In the 60's Iversen's family moves to a new housing subdivision in Arvada Colorado - not far from Rocky Flats where in 1951 the Denver Post reports the good news of a plant being built.  They don't really tell the people what goes on there.  Since the operating contractor is Dow Chemical most assume that they are making Scrubbing Bubbles or other cleaning products.  No one questions it much because the pay out there is really, really good and they have benefits too.  There are people who try to raise an alarm.  They are quickly silenced.  There is a lot of cancer but hey, that happens.  Iversen shares with her readers the personal story of her alcoholic father, long-suffering mother and her siblings.  She also tells the personal stories of many people who worked there and how their lives were impacted by this plant.  She tells the story of people trying to get some compensation for having been harmed by workplace exposure to radioactive and chemical toxins.  I know that if the government tells me not to worry about certain levels in the atmosphere or chemicals in my food......well, I don't think I will feel very comforted.  If you live in Colorado, don't read this book! In 1970 a nonprofit report stated that the plutonium deposits in the soil outside Rocky Flats were “the highest ever measured near an urban area, including the city of Nagasaki.”

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. by Nichole Bernier FIC Ber

Good book alert!   Loved this one.  Bernier has written a lot for magazines but this is her first novel.  Kate and Elizabeth met in the suburbs when they were just starting their roles as mothers.  They quickly became good friends.  Years later Kate and her family have moved but the two women keep in touch and see each other from time to time.  When Elizabeth dies unexpectedly in an accident, Kate is devastated. She is shocked to find out that she was mentioned in Elizabeth's will.  It wasn't a monetary gift but a trunk filled with journals that cover decades of Elizabeth's life.  Kate is to read them and to decide what is the right thing to do with them.  Through the journal entries Kate reads the story of someone who had been so secretive that Kate feels she didn't really know her friend at all.  Elizabeth's husband (and also Kate) are waiting to see if the journals will reveal the truth of the last trip she took - was she unfaithful to her husband.  Secrets - we all have them.  Should they be kept private or shared with those closest to you.  I don't think you will be disappointed in this book!

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller FIC Hel

This is not the type of book that would normally attract my interest.  To be honest it was probably the dog that made me check it out.  The main character is a guy named Hig who narrates this story in a marvelous way and the love he has for Jasper is quite evident.  If you enjoy audio books I highly recommend that you listen to this book (it is available through our WILBOR site).  The book is almost poetic and the reader reads it in a most soothing manner.  And believe me, this is not a soothing book.  Civilization is almost extinct - well maybe it is.  Hard for Hig to know.  He lives at a little airstrip and shares the area with his beloved dog Jasper and a 'neighbor' named Bangley.  Bangley is militaristic and has set up rules for maintaining their perimeter.  Hig helps by flying around in his old Cessna. They have to kill people that try to come into their space -young and old, male and female.  It has been almost ten years since a flu pandemic swept the globe.  Hig lost his pregnant wife and everyone he knew.   It is a post apocalyptic world with no communication left except for his airplane radio and there doesn't seem to be anyone left to answer him.   The climate is changing and with that comes the gradual extinction of some of the things Hig loves best - the trout.
If I lost everyone I knew,  I don't think I would want to stay around - except if my dog was still here and she needed me!  I remember feeling the same way after reading On The Beach many years ago.  It's a different type of book but I liked it. 

The Cost of Hope by Amanda Bennett 362.196 Ben

Amanda Bennett has won a Pulitzer Prize  so you know that this is a well-written book.  By reading this book you will get an education about illness and health care in this country.  It is not a particularly political book but it will make you think about what is ahead for each of us.  She is just telling the story as it happened to her.  Amanda married Terence Foley whom she met while they were both in China.  Although they were total opposites and fighting was their main past time,  they eventually get married and become parents to two children.  Life is good until a radical operation to remove Terence's colon also reveals a shadow on his kidney.  And thus begins a long road and battle to save his life.  In a sense they were lucky.  Through her jobs Amanda had excellent health insurance.  She was aware enough of some of the bills paid by her insurance to know that not everyone would have had the options they did. And because of their ability to travel to doctors and attain expensive medicine, he successfully waged the battle for years.   After his death she used her journalistic skills to actually figure out what it cost.  These days the cost of hope is quite high. 

Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff by FIC Woo

This is a novel about a fairly ordinary family - at least on the surface.  Margaret and Roger have raised three children who are now grown up with kids of their own.  Roger is still working and doing a lot of traveling - and she has a feeling she knows what is going on during some of that time.  Their daughter Maura has married her college sweetheart and they have three children.  Life is pretty good, if you ignore the fact that Pete drinks a bit too much and Maura spends a lot of time talking to her dog's vet.  Normal life ends suddenly.  Maura is walking her two sons to school while pushing her daughter in the stroller and walking the dog.  When her cell phone vibrates in her pocket she happily takes it out to check that the display is the one she wants to see.  She begins to send a reply when she hears the squealing brakes.  That is it for normal.  Will a tragedy bring people closer together or shatter their relationships forever?  The book kept my interest and seemed true to life.  I enjoyed reading it.

Midnight in Peking

A father’s stubborn determination to find his daughter’s killers is the core of Paul French’s true account of the 1937 murder of a British girl in Midnight in Peking.  French takes us back in time to a jittery city at the breaking point.  The Japanese army has encircled Peking and its only a matter of time before the city is captured.  It’s in this charged atmosphere that an English teen is murdered, her body carved up and dumped near the "haunted" Fox Tower.

Two detectives, British DCI Richard Dennis and Chinese Detective Han Shih-Ching team up to try to discover her killers.  But from the beginning mistakes abound – evidence is mishandled, information is leaked, and someone higher up meddles with witnesses and interferes with the investigation.   The search slumps along without success until the trail becomes cold and the detectives move on to other crimes.

Here is where the story gets really interesting.   By all accounts, the girl’s father, E.T.C. Werner, was an odd and difficult man.  A scholar at heart, Werner was content to spend his time surrounded by his books.  He wasn’t very social but when he was with people he seemed quick to antagonize them, including the police. As a result, Dennis and Han pretty much ignored him (except for suspecting him of the crime) and lost a valuable resource in the process.  When the police finally closed the case, Werner began his own investigation.  Despite being in his 70s, Werner left his orderly home to delve into the seedy underbelly of Peking and visit brothels and drug dens.  He met with criminals and shady characters and eventually pieced together what happened to Pamela that night.

Midnight in Peking is not for those of you with weak stomachs.  The murder was atrocious and French’s descriptions are vivid and sickening.  But if you like a good murder mystery, you should give this book a try.  The search for the killers, the uncovering of the clues, and the many interesting characters, especially the cantankerous E.T.C. Werner, makes this nonfiction mystery a fascinating read.    

The Crime of Julian Wells

“There is no more haunting story than that of an unsolved crime … but solutions, I was to discover, can be haunting too.” 

So begins Thomas Cook’s beautifully written mystery The Crime of Julian Wells as we step into the haunted life of Julian Wells.

When famed true-crime writer Julian Wells commits suicide, his oldest and closest friend, Phillip Anders, takes it upon himself to pack up his belongings and settle his affairs. While doing this, Phillip learns that at the time of his death, Julian was burdened by a “crime” he committed years ago – something he believed Phillip witnessed him committing. Phillip knows of no such crime and retraces Julian’s life, especially his life-long obsession with the “disappearance” of a young woman in Argentina, in search of this mysterious crime.

The story is built on a unique premise, a twist on the typical mystery structure: The main character (along with the reader) is not trying to discover “whodunit”. In fact, we know from the beginning that Julian is the culprit. What we don’t know is his crime. The central mystery is actually what is Julian Wells’ crime?

The Crime of Julian Wells is not for all mystery lovers – the pacing is slower than what we’re used to in a typical mystery, the structure is unusual, and the book hints at peripheral events without actually explaining them. I didn’t mind these traits and, in fact, found them to be a refreshing change. The writing is expressive and lyrical, without being overwrought. It truly earns the right to be called a “literary mystery” and is one of the best books I've read this year.

Most importantly, the ending is fitting and satisfying – although as haunting as Phillip warned us it would be on page 1.

The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber FIC Mac

It was time for an audiobook with no pressure.  If my mind wandered for a minute I wasn't going to miss the motive for a murder or anything!  So this book was perfect.  Macomber has written lots of books but I have only read the ones from the series about Blossom Street which centers around a knitting shop.  She has a series based around the town of Cedar Cove which is where this book is set.  This series will center around........... the Inn at Rose Harbor of course!  It is an Inn that was recently bought by Jo Marie Rose who is looking for some peace and a new start.  Her husband was killed in the Middle East.  Her first two guests come with their own problems.  Joshua has come back to town to reclaim some things of his mother's now that his step-father is dying.  Abby is in town to attend her brother's wedding.  She has stayed away for 20 years because of what happened to her best friend.  I read that she intends to have some characters from the previous series show up from time to time.  So if you have read that series you will be finding out about the lives of some previous characters.

Judgment Call by J.A. Jance MYS Jan

Another entertaining mystery by Jance.   This one involves the disappearance of a local high school principal.  No one really knows much about her - but the one thing they do know is that she has always shown up to work until that day.   Her body is discovered the next morning by none other than Jenny, the teen-aged daughter of  Sheriff Joanna Brady. Jenny was out riding her horse early in the morning.  Before Brady could reach the crime scene  Jenny had already taken a picture of the body with her phone and shared it with someone who shared it with someone...you see where this is going don't you?  When Brady starts to interview some kids a the local diner she finds out the picture is on Facebook!  When a principal is the victim there are no shortage of suspects!  And Miss Highsmith had an interesting and hidden past.  If you enjoy Jance's mysteries that feature Sheriff Brady you will like catching up on her life. 

you are the love of my life by Susan Richards Shreve FIC Shr

This is a story about a lots of family secrets.  When it begins it is 1951 in Washington D.C.. Lucy Baldwin's mother pulls her car up in front of a house that her husband has been working on.  They had bought it for an investment and there were some things that needed to be done before new tenants moved it.  Lucy jumps out of the car to go deliver a reminder to her dad about a dinner that night.  But what Lucy discovers is that her father has killed himself.  Then the story skips to 1973 and Lucy Painter is moving into that house with her two kids.  They are leaving behind New York City which is more expensive and also because Lucy wants to distance herself from Rueben, the father of her children - although they only know him as Uncle Rueben.  Lucy tries to keep herself isolated from everyone so that no one will find out that her real name is Baldwin and connect it to the suicide.  I enjoyed the book.  Her new neighborhood is filled with people we have all met at sometime or other!  And their stories are an integral part of the story.  Of course there is also the back story of Rueben and Lucy's parents.  I enjoyed it a lot.

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf FIC Gud

I enjoyed this book for a couple of reasons.  First of all it takes place in Iowa and for some reason I always get excited when authors mention a place I know!  Most of the action takes place in a made-up town,  but many of the descriptions of places and people would fit many small Iowa towns. The second thing I liked is the way Gudenkauf told the story in the voice of several different characters.  Jodi Picoult does that a lot too.  That way I know exactly what the character is thinking! The main location in the book is the school in this small town.  A gunman has walked into an elementary classroom.  The whole school goes immediately on lock-down but the gunman knows exactly which classroom he wants - the third-grade classroom of Mrs. Oliver.  I loved her character.  She is getting ready to retire after 43 years.  That day, the last before spring vacation, Mrs. Oliver does something she has never done before.  She wears a denim jumper with rhinestones in the shape of a rainbow.  She hated it and thought it most unprofessional.  But that morning her husband had insisted that she had to wear it because one of her students had made it for her and had been expecting to see her teacher happily wearing it at the beginning of the week.  Other characters include Meg, the Sheriff.  She is in charge of the situation even though it hits close to home.  The only reason her daughter wasn't in Mrs. Oliver's classroom that morning was because her ex had insisted on having her early for the spring break.  In the classroom is a kid named P.J. .  He hasn't been here long.  He and older sister Augie have been staying with their grandfather after their mother was burned badly at their home in Arizona.  For a small community there seemed to be a lot of names that came up as a possibility for the gunman!  I must stop rambling.....I liked it!  

Broken Harbor MYS Fre

I listened to the audiobook of Broken Harbor. (We also own the book.)  I enjoyed this mystery a lot but it probably not for everyone.  If you like your mystery books filled with action on every page with lots of grizzly details then skip this book.  If, however, you enjoy the detective work of a crime and the slow unraveling of the reason behind the crime then I think you will like this book!   The detective was featured in earlier books by French.  He is Mick Kennedy.  He has been around and is a great detective - which is the reason he was given this big case.  In a new development, which was quickly and shabbily built, a terrible crime has been discovered.  Inside the house are the bodies of Pat Spain and his two young children.  Pat's wife, Jenny, is critically injured and clinging to life.  There are a lot of bizarre things about the scene of the crime.  The house is absolutely immaculate and well-maintained  - except for the half-dozen baby monitors scattered about and the holes that have been made in the walls. It takes a lot of digging to solve this crime.  There is also a parallel story concerning Kennedy's connection to Broken Harbor and how it haunts him today.  I listened to it every minute I could to find out who did it and why!

Little Night by Luanne Rice FIC Ric

The story begins with Clare Burke who spent three years in prison.  She ended up there because she was defending her sister, Anne, from her abusive husband.  But as often happens in such situations Anne was not able to tell the truth and she went along with her husband's story and Clare goes to prison for a couple of years.  Clare doesn't hate her sister and wants to be part of her life. But by now Frederik has taken his family back to Norway and shut the door completely on Clare.  Eighteen years later Clare's niece, Grit, shows up on her doorstep.  Slowly Clare learns the sad story of Anne's life.  There is a side story  about Clare, her former fiance, Paul, and the birds that they track.  I have to say I really wasn't crazy about any of the characters but I was entertained enough to finish the book. 

The 11th Hour by James Patterson MYS Pat

This is another book in the series featuring the Women's Murder Club.   Lindsay Boxer has two cases that she is working.  No taking it easy for her even though she is pregnant.  But as always she has the other members of the Murder Club to help her out.  One of the cases takes her to the home of a hot shot actor who was accused and then acquitted of his wife's murder.  Now headless bodies have popped up in the garden.  He says he is innocent....but then, don't they all?  Although that is a most gruesome crime scene, the other case is almost more stomach-churning for Lindsay.  Drug dealers and criminals who have escaped punishment are now being gunned down in a most professional way.  Evidence points to the guilty one being a colleague of  Lindsay's - and it is always messy when you think your co-worker is a murderer. (Not that I would know of course!).   If you liked the first ten in the series you will like this one also. 

The FOREVER Marriage by Ann Bauer FIC Bau

Carmen has been with her husband Jobe for 21 years.  When he took his last breath he was out on the sun porch and Carmen was in the kitchen daydreaming about all of things she could be doing if she weren't waiting for the cancer to finally kill him.  Carmen was filled with happiness and relief but she had to temper those feeling for the sake of her three children and Olive, her mother-in-law.  It wasn't easy to do for Carmen.  Jobe was a nice guy.  They met in England when she spilled some hot tea on him.  They talked for awhile and he invited her back there for lunch the next day.  Carmen had no intentions of doing that - until her purse was stolen and she had no money and no passport.  Jobe 'saved' her.  And he kept saving her.  She wanted to leave him since before she married him.  And now he has left her and she won't have to sneak around so much to meet her married lover, Danny.  This novel is the story of Carmen's release from her matrimonial bonds - but sometimes things aren't as great as you thought they might be.  She still has her three children to deal with (including a 20-year-old son with Down's Syndrome).  So it isn't going to be easy.  And then it got almost impossible - Carmen is diagnosed with breast cancer.  Bauer did a great job with her characters and I liked the way the story of Carmen and Jobe was presented in bits and pieces. 

Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge FIC Rut

I have been having a lot of good luck lately finding great books.  This is a book about family, community, secrets, old age and lots of other things!  Faith Bass grew up in a very wealthy family.  When she was swept off of her feet by Claude Darling she thought her life would be picture-perfect.  Now it is the last day of the 20th century and Faith is all alone.  Her son and husband are gone and her daughter left 20 years ago.  During that time Faith has become a recluse and now she has Alzheimer's and reality comes and goes.  She has had a message from God that she should sell her possessions - the things that had been in her family for generations, the things that she loved.  She begins to drag pricey and priceless items out on the lawn and the garage sale begins.  Faith had an influence on people in her small town and now many of them will recall those memories.  Well done Ms. Rutledge - I hope you are busy writing another book.

Keepsake by Kristina Riggle FIC Rig

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

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger FIC Ung

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