The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

I was number 46 on the hold list but I got lucky because we received the large print copy and I was able to snag it! It's a typical Mary Higgins Clark book - I'm never bored and it reads quickly and easily. In this latest book and elderly woman, Olivia, has been given two weeks to live. You would think at 83 with that prognosis she wouldn't really be able to do anything. But she is tough and despite the fatigue she manages to makes several trips in a car (with a driver!). She is searching for some inspiration from the spirit of her dead cousin, Catherine. (This is figuratively not literally!). Catherine was a nun and is now being considered for beatification in the Church. Catherine was a good, good person but she did have a couple of secrets - like a child she bore. Olivia has evidence of who that child grew up to be and also the identity of the father.
So let me just say that there is an inheritance involved, some scams going on in a family charitable foundation and people who are willing to kill to keep secrets hidden. Plenty of characters to love and to hate!

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

If you're in the mood for a simple, feel-good story, watch Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side and steer clear Michael Lewis' book The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game. The book lets pesky little things like real life interfere with the Hollywood story.

Both the book and movie explore the relationship between Michael Oher, a black child born into poverty and a dysfunctional family (at one point Michael has a hard time remembering the names of all his siblings - most of whom have different fathers) and the Tuohys, the rich, white Republican family who takes him under their wings and help him reach success in the NFL.

The story of Micheal's ascent to the NFL is truly amazing and inspirational. But it's the complicated relationship between Michael and the Tuohys that make this story interesting. The Tuohy's are neither as innocent of ulterior motives as their fans assert nor as self-serving as their critics claim but are instead a natural combination of both.

[Although they truly love Michael, one has to wonder if their influence in steering him to sign with their alma mater, Ole Miss, was really in Michael's best interest. Clearly, playing for the University of Iowa would have been a much better choice - but maybe I'm biased].

My one complaint about The Blind Side is that Michael remains a mystery. His thoughts, motives, and personality are unknown even though the story is ostensibly about him. Still, it's a great book, and I really enjoyed it.

You can find The Blind Side at the Indianola Public Library in the nonfiction shelves under the number 796.332 Lew.

Getting Organized in the Google Era by Douglas Merrill

It is not unusual for me to start reading or listening to a book and decide I don't like it - so I just put it down and go on to something else. It is unusual for me to blog about a book I didn't finish! I was listening to the audio book and I was enjoying it. There are lots of interesting facts and suggestions about how to do things on the computer. I kept thinking "I need to remember this" and "I need to try this". Who am I kidding?? I can't remember much. So half-way through the book I quit listening - and went to Amazon to order a copy of it!
Now I will start skimming the parts I listened to with a highlighter in my hand and then go on to the rest of the book. I think it will be a great reference book for me and I'm going to try out some of his suggestions. Who knows, I may even get organized!

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman

This was a quick and interesting read. Arcadia Falls was an art colony back in the early part of the 20th century. Today it is a private school with an emphasis on art. Meg is on her way there to begin her teaching career. Meg's husband died unexpectedly the year before and left her in a financial mess. To support herself and her daughter, Sally, Meg has sold her house and left the easy life behind.
Meg is worried that Sally will hate having to change schools, but she fits in surprisingly well and soon has friends. One of her friends (and one of Meg's students) dies after a school bonfire when she plunges into a ravine. It was part of a ritual the students put on every year (the bonfire part, not the plunging into the ravine!). Was it an accident or murder?????
The other part of the story involves some research that Meg wants to do for her PhD. It involves the lives of the artists who lived at Arcadia Falls.
Good book - I enjoyed the plots and the characters.

Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott

Let me give you a warning about this book. If you have pre-teen children you probably don't want to read it. It will give you nightmares! Elizabeth and her second husband, James, have been raising her kids. The oldest is Rosie. She is 17, bright and lying to her parents on a regular basis. She is involved with some less than desirable friends. She is sexually active. She is using a variety of drugs.
How to get Rosie to stop? They ground her. Things get better. Then they catch her in a lie. Then they ground her........and you the idea. The way she manipulates everyone around her is scary! After working with teens for over 30 years I am afraid that I found the book to be very realistic and could see it all happening. Anyway, the book is very well written but it isn't a very cheery book!

The Red Thread by Ann Hood

When I read a novel by Ann Hood I like to make sure there is a box of Kleenex nearby. Maya is the owner of the Red Thread Adoption Agency. In an attempt to escape the emotional pain from the loss of her child, she dedicates her life to uniting Chinese baby girls with adoptive parents in the U.S..
The book moves back and forth between the adoption process for five couples and the story of how the five babies became available for adoption (and that would be where it got a bit weepy for me!) I have only adopted animals, but I think she has probably done a good job of describing the pain and emotional upheavals that adoptive parents might go through. I would recommend this book.

Eating Pomegranates by Sarah Gabriel 362.196 Gab

This is a memoir about a young woman who found out that she carried the BRCA Gene which is connected to breast cancer. Her mother died when she was a teenager and she wants to save her kids from that heartbreak. She has her ovaries removed to help increase her odds of escaping the disease - but it still catches up with her. This is the story of her battle with breast cancer and how she dealt with it. There are so many decisions to make - about the treatment, about what to tell her children, about dealing with her father ( There are a few unresolved issues from her mother's death.). It is a touching book but it's not for everyone.