Book Review: War Brides

I know, it looks like I read a zillion books in like 2 days - in reality, I was too lazy to post them all while I was on sabbatical. The next book is "War Brides" by Helen Bryan.This book was a top seller that I tried on a whim... A very rewarding whim!

Synopsis: (from amazon.com)

With war threatening to spread from Europe to England, the sleepy village of Crowmarsh Priors settles into a new sort of normal: Evacuees from London are billeted in local homes. Nightly air raids become grimly mundane. The tightening vice of rationing curtails every comfort. Men leave to fight and die. And five women forge an unlikely bond of friendship that will change their lives forever.

Alice Osbourne, the stolid daughter of the late vicar, is reeling from the news that Richard Fairfax broke their engagement to marry Evangeline Fontaine, an American girl from the Deep South. Evangeline’s arrival causes a stir in the village—but not the chaos that would ensue if they knew her motives for being there. Scrappy Elsie Pigeon is among the poor of London who see the evacuations as a chance to escape a life of destitution. Another new arrival is Tanni Zayman, a young Jewish girl who fled the horrors of Europe and now waits with her newborn son, certain that the rest of her family is safe and bound to show up any day. And then there’s Frances Falconleigh, a madcap, fearless debutante whose father is determined to keep her in the countryside and out of the papers.

As the war and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart their lives also bring the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat formidable enemies—hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a traitor in their midst—and find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends. Theirs is a war-forged loyalty that will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance.

 

When four of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age, but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women’s mission is not to commemorate or remember—they’ve returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.

 

I loved the story. The more you read, the more you fell in love with each woman, with her different quirky characteristics. I absolutely loved how the book ended... it is and isn't what you would think. Definitely a two thumbs up for this one!

Book Review: Blue Violet

Recently a good friend of mine published a book. How awesome is that?! Even more amazingly, she is self publishing, meaning that she is basically in charge of the whole process from start to finish, including design, format, price, distribution, marketing, and PR. All on top of writing the book itself! The day it came out on Kindle, I bought it and started reading! The book is called "Blue Violet" by Abigail Owen (that's my friend's pen name).

Synopsis: (from amazon.com)

When Ellie Aubrey leaves her only remaining family and moves to Colorado, she knows she's risking her life. But she can't ignore the possibility of what she might find there. What she didn't expect to encounter was a bewildering connection to one smolderingly sexy Alex Jenner. But when Ellie's worst nightmare comes true and threatens to destroy everything she holds dear, she must fight to save those she loves most. Even if it means sacrificing herself by revealing a terrible truth... sometimes not all monsters are make believe.
 

 Like I said above, I finished the book in 3 days... that means it's good! I loved her character development (you really start to like these people) and how the storyline grew. This book draws you in with a mix of magic, romance, and adventure. The ending left me wanting more, but in the good way... the first thing I did when I got back to work was march over to her desk and ask when she's going to be done with book #2 (early 2013 for those of you asking)!

If you have the chance, head over to Amazon.com to buy this book - it's priced at $0.99, which is a steal! When you finish, leave a review... she would love the feedback!

Book Review: Pope Joan

I just finished reading a really good book. My uncle had recommended it to my mom who recommended it to me. It's called "Pope Joan" by Donna Woolfolk Cross.

Synopsis: (from amazon.com)

For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die–Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Donna Woolfolk Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak–and his identity–and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually, she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest office in Christendom–wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price . . .

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book... the storyline was great, but what was even more surprising to me was that it might actually be true... there may have actually been a Pope Joan. In the afterward, the author walks you through what was fact and what was fiction... it was very surprising to me how much of this is likely true. I loved her tenacity and stubbornness... and her pure love of learning. This book is definitely worth reading!

Book Review: Mockingjay

Ok, the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy - I just finished this one last night. "Mockingjay" was a great ending to a really good story. Another spoiler alert: if you haven't read the first two books, don't read this post!

Synopsis: (from amazon.com)

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

 

I think what I really loved about this series was that even though it was set in the future, it wasn't too far out there - it was still based on a world that we know with some cool technological tweaks. I have a really hard time with the super sci-fi stuff because it's a little too out there but this is based just enough in reality to make me think "yeah, that could happen".

I also think that Suzanne Collins did a fantastic job with the character development. You really believe the mental struggles that Katniss goes through, the mantra she has to give herself to get through certain situations and her complete angiush at some of the situations she's put into. This is a really fantastic ending to a great series - I finished it last night and was kind of sad that it was over!

Book Review: Catching Fire

"Catching Fire" is the second book in the Hunger Games series. Spoiler alert: if you haven't read the first book, you don't want to read this blog post. You've been warned.

Synopsis: (from amazon.com)

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I think I may have liked this one better than the first one! The book picks up right where "The Hunger Games" leaves off - I absolutely love when an author does that! She really brings out the characters in this book, as well as the desparation. There is a really great twist that lands Katniss and Peeta back in the arena.. this was a great book and definitely a must read!

Book Review: The Hunger Games

I have to admit, I didn't really get what all the "The Hunger Games" hype was all about, but I needed a break from some of my other reading and decided to give it a go.

Synopsis: (from amazon.com)

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. In fact, I read it in 3 days. It is one of those "it's-2am-and-I-can't-stop-reading" books. I really liked how Suzanne Collins developed her characters... you can't help but feel the desperation, the fear and the triumphs of each one. Somehow she gets you past the horrifying violence of children killing children (seriously, I have no idea how they made this a PG-13 movie) and focuses on the spirit of survival. This is definitely a must read book!

I've moved on to the next book in the trilogy and am happy with how that one is going as well! Stay tuned for the review!

Book Review: "One Good Dog"

I took a little break from the alphabet murder mysteries to try a new author. I just finished a book called "One Good Dog" by Susan Wilson. This book was great - it was a super fast read and one of those books I just couldn't put down (I read for two hours straight yesterday!). I loved Susan Wilson's style of writing - every couple chapters switch perspective - sometimes hearing from Adam Marsh, sometimes hearing from Chance the dog.

Synopsis: (from amazon.com):

Adam March is a self-made “Master of the Universe.” He has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting—until the day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called. What no one knows is that Adam’s sister has been missing for decades. That she represents the excruciatingly painful past he has left behind. And that her absence has secretly tormented him all these years. When his assistant brushes off his request for an explanation in favor of her more pressing personal call, Adam loses it. And all hell breaks loose.

Adam is escorted from the building. He loses his job. He loses his wife. He loses the life he’s worked so hard to achieve. He doesn’t believe it is possible to sink any lower when he is assigned to work in a soup kitchen as a form of community service. But unbeknownst to Adam, this is where his life will intersect with Chance.

Chance is a mixed breed Pit Bull. He’s been born and raised to fight and seldom leaves the dirty basement where he is kept between fights. But Chance is not a victim or a monster. It is Chance’s unique spirit that helps him escape and puts him in the path of Adam.

What transpires is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other—in ways they never could have expected.

Definitely give this one a try! It's a wonderful story about resilience, learning from those around us and learning how to move on. Two thumbs up!

Book Review: The Help

Well, I'm a bit behind on my book reviews - I finished this one a couple weeks ago, finished another book and am onto a third. I'll get to them, I promise.

I actually thought about posting this on MLK Day as it definitely has some good ties. I read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

Synopsis: (from Barnes & Noble)

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

This is definitely a must-read book. I haven't seen the movie yet, but now really want to - I hope they did the book justice! Whenever I read a story like this, my heart breaks for how horribly humans treat other people that they perceive to be different from themselves. What really stands out to me in this book is how these women all came together to try to make a difference - even with the risk to their families and lives. I think it's beautifully written and give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

Book Review: D Is For Deadbeat

Like I've said in the last zillion posts about the Sue Grafton Alphabet Series (ok, three), these books are great, fast reads. I got through this one in a week! The latest was "D Is For Deadbeat".

Synopsis: (from Amazon)

The client came to Kinsey Millhone with an easy  job -- just deliver $25,000 to a fifteen-year-old kid. A little odd, and a little too easy, but Kinsey took Alvin Limardo's retainer check anyway. It turned out to be as phony as he was. In real life, his name was John Daggett, a chronic drunk with a  record as long as your arm and a reputation for  sleazy deals. But he wasn't just a deadbeat. By the time Kinsey caught up with him, he was a dead body  -- with a whole host of people who were delighted to hear the news. But how do you make a stiff pay  up what he owes you?

This one really delves into Kinsey's relationship with police officer Jonah... which I both love and hate at the same time. He's a bit wishy wash, and you just want him to make up his mind!

I'm now taking a break from the Alphabet Series and am starting on "The Help". I've wanted to read this for a while and have heard great things about it!

Book Review: C Is For Corpse

I just finished reading the third book in the Sue Grafton Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Series, "C is for Corpse". As you can tell, these are much easier reads than "War and Peace" was, but I'm really enjoying them.

Synopsis: (from Amazon)

How do you go about solving an attempted murder when the victim has lost a good part of his memory? It's one of Kinsey's toughest cases yet, but she never backs down from a challenge. Twenty-three-year-old Bobby Callahan is lucky to be alive after a car forced his Porsche over a bridge and into a canyon. The crash left Bobby with a clouded memory. But he can't shake the feeling it was no random accident and that he's still in danger…

The only clues Kinsey has to go on are a little red address book and the name "Blackman." Bobby can't remember who he gave the address book to for safekeeping. And any chances of Bobby regaining his memory are dashed when he's killed in another automobile accident just three days after he hires Kinsey.

As Kinsey digs deeper into her investigation, she discovers Bobby had a secret worth killing for--and unearthing that secret could send Kinsey to her own early death…

I sort of liked the attraction that lies between Bobby and Kinsey... throughout these three books, you just want her to find love. Sadly, when Bobby is killed, you feel like all hope is lost. This book was very intriguing... I did not figure it out until right at the end, which is something I love in a book. It always sucks to know exactly what's going to happen two pages into the story. This one keeps you guessing!

Next up, "D Is For Deadbeat"!

Book Review: B Is For Burglar

I just finished the second book in the Sue Grafton Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries, "B Is For Burglar".

Synopsis: (from Amazon)

Although business has been slow lately for P.I. Kinsey Millhone, she's reluctant to take on the case of locating Beverly Danziger's sister Elaine Boldt. It's a small matter that Beverly should be able to handle herself. So why is she enlisting Kinsey's services? Beverly claims she needs Elaine's signature on some documents so that she can collect a small inheritance. But the whole affair doesn't sit well with Kinsey. And if there's something she's learned in her line of work, it's to always follow your instincts…

Kinsey's hunch proves true when she begins her inquiries into Elaine's whereabouts and discovers that the attractive widow was last seen in a flashy lynx coat boarding a plane for Boca Raton. But the more Kinsey searches for Elaine the more questions she encounters. Is Elaine's disappearance tied in to the brutal murder several months ago of one of her bridge partners? And what happened to Elaine's Persian cat who seems to have also vanished?

Things take a turn for the worse when a stranger vandalizes the home of one of Elaine's neighbors and another neighbor turns up murdered. With her reputation and career on the line, Kinsey risks all to find a missing woman and a killer who's waiting in the shadows to strike again…

I really do like this series. Yes, they're very easy reads, but they've got some good plot lines and they keep you guessing. I like that the stories are a little bit out there. In this one, there's this whole scheme to take over someone else's life and all of the sinister things that happen along the way. This one seems a little more realistic to me that the first book, but again, definitely a fiction book.

In other exciting news, I'm working on my yearly recap. I absolutely love doing this every year because it gives me a chance to look back over everything I've done (both good and bad) and reflect. This year was definitely a great year!

Book Review: A Is For Alibi

After tackling the moster that was War and Peace, I decided to start a somewhat easier to read series - the alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Each of the books starts with a letter... so the first was "A Is For Alibi".

Synopsis: (from Amazon)

A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she’s got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes.

 

Eight years ago, Nikki Fife was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she’s out on parole and needs Kinsey’s help to find the real killer.

 

If there's one thing that makes Kinsey feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer—and sharper—than she imagined.

I really liked this book. Kinsey is a really likeable character and I think Sue Grafton does a good job of portraying what a private detective's life would really be like. Grafton's style of writing draws you in and this book became the book that I started reading with the intention of reading just a few pages and then realized it was an hour later.

 

So far, I'm really enjoying this series and fully intend to read all of the books. I think she's made it through U or V now, so I've got a lot of reading ahead of me! I really like when a series gets you hooked on a character and you're eager to see what sort of trouble they can get into next! "B Is For Burgler", here I come!

Book Review: War and Peace

That's right, I read "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. For fun. And it took forever. Absolutely forever, in fact. For those of you who don't know me that well, I'm a very fast reader. I can get through a catchy book in a weekend if I put my mind to it.

I've been reading "War and Peace" since March 6th. Yup, eight whole months. That includes two whole vacations. I wanted  to read it because it's actually considered one of the most important works of world literature.

The book basically takes you through the French invasion of Russia in 1812 as seen through the eyes of five Russian families. Since the book itself is ~1,400 pages, the synopsis is also rather long - click the Wikipedia link above to read about it.

While it was a really hard read, it's definitely one I recommend. It alternated back and forth between military strategy, which I found to be a little dry and the family side of things, which was a little easier to follow along. I liked the more human side of these parts of the book.

That said, I'm glad it's done!

Book Review: Decoded

A few weeks ago I watched an Oprah show where she looked back on some of her favorite interviews, one of which was Jay-Z. She talked about his new book, "Decoded" which I decided to give a try. Oprah has always had a problem with rap music, especially the use of the "N word". They had a candid discussion about rap music in general as well as the language that rappers use. In his book, Jay-Z goes into even more detail.

Synopsis by Jay-Z:

"When I first started working on this book, I told my editor that I wanted it to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics—not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC—are poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second was I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. And the third piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate to."

I bought this book on my Kindle. It kept my attention because Jay-Z would spend a chapter talking about a specific part of his life and then a chapter of lyrics from his songs. The Kindle made it interactive, so when you hit certain lyrics, you could click on them and read a footnote by Jay-Z explaining what the synonym was or more details about the lyric.

I really liked how Jay-Z brought his life experience into the book and explained the "rapper persona". He says that hip hop artists are describing the only world they know through constant metaphor. His discussion about the "N word" is actually very interesting - he claims that people give words power and by not using them out of shame, you give the word more power than it is worth. Think about that for a minute. We're all taught that "shit" is a bad word, so we replace it with "shoot". The meaning is the same though, isn't it? Regardless of what I thought about the use of these words, Jay-Z makes you think in his book. I highly recommend it!

Book Review: Water For Elephants

I just finished reading "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. As you may (or may not) know, there's a movie coming out about it, so I thought I'd read the book before I saw the movie.

Synopsis:

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

I really enjoyed this book. Sara Gruen does an amazing job weaving time back and forth, so that the story comes from both young Jacob and old Jacob. It also paints a poignant picture of circus life... and how easily people are taken advantage of because of their looks, their differences and their talents. You almost instantly fall in love with Jacob and learn to hate August. The book also has lots of different pictures from old circus archives (they look cool even on the Kindle!) that help you to understand what life was like.

This is definitely a great book and I recommend reading it! My next book is "Decoded" by Jay-Z. Yes, I know, a big departure from my normal reading, but I saw an interview with him on Oprah and it sounded like a pretty cool book!

In other news, I absolutely cannot believe that today is the last day of January! We've already made it through one month of 2011!

Book Review: The Confession

Last night I finished reading my first book on my brand new Kindle, "The Confession" by John Grisham. I've been on a John Grisham kick ever since I raided Mike's bookshelf (I recently reviewed the last book I read by him).

Synopsis:

An innocent man is about to be executed.


Only a guilty man can save him.

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?

This is yet another excellent book by Grisham. Just when I thought I had the story figured out about halfway through, he threw in a twist that made me wonder what he would do with the rest of the book. You have to hand it to an author who puts what you assume is the ending right in the middle of the book, yet still keeps you completely captivated for the last 200 pages.

Grisham also explores racial tensions in small town Texas (the book is set in the early 2000's - a nod at the fact that those tensions still exist today). Maybe it's because I read it so close to my Martin Luther King post, but some of the themes of this book still really hit home for me. This is a must read book!


My next book is "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. As you may or may not know, a movie is currently being made about this book - it's due to be released sometime in April. I thought I'd get a jump start on the book before the movie comes out!

Book Review: The Brethren

Being sick does have it's upside... plenty of time to read! I just finished reading "The Brethren" by John Grisham. It was first published in February 2000.

Synopsis:

They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison. One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. And the third, for a career-ending drunken joyride. Meeting daily in the prison law library, taking exercise walks in the boxer shorts, these judges-turned-felons can reminisce about old court cases, dispense a little jailhouse justice and contemplate where their lives went wrong.

Or they can use their time in prison to get very rich - very fast.

And so they sit, sprawled in the prison library, furiously writing letters, fine-tuning a wickedly brilliant extortion scam...while events outside their prison walls begin to erupt. A bizarre presidential election is holding the nation in it's grips - and a powerful government figure is pulling some very hidden strings. For the Brethren, the timing couldn't be better.

Because they've just found the perfect victim...

Let me start by saying that it's been forever since I've read a Grisham book and I've definitely been missing out. This is a brilliant story. For about the first half of the book you wonder how he's going to weave two very different stories together and then BAM!, he's done it!

It also makes you question the power of our government and if things like "a powerful government figure" that "pull(s) some very hidden strings" happens the way it does in the book. I'm pretty sure it does... a lot.

If you're looking for something to read on a rainy day, this is one great book to add to your library!

Book Review: House Rules

The most recent book I read is called "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult.

Here's the back of the cover synopsis:

Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject--in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's--not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect--can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. One of the best things about the way she writes is that she tells the story from different character's points of view. Each chapter is titled the name of a character and she even changes fonts to show their different personalities. The story unfolds almost painfully slowly. And, of course, she always throws in a twist at the very end. Even though I know the twist is coming, I can never seem to figure it out!

I really liked this book... I think the story line was different than a lot of the ones she normally writes about. I would be curious to see if people who actually have Asperger's exhibit all of the traits she writes into Jacob or if she wrote in a few too many for dramatic effect.

As with any Jodi Picoult book, this is a definite must read... you won't be able to put it down for the last few chapters!

Book Review: Mothers & Other Liars

As promised, here's book review number two. "Mothers & Other Liars" by Amy Bourret is a pretty good read. I was a little disappointed in the plot development... I felt it was a little unrealistic as to what would happen in the real world. However, the concepts that Bourret explores are quite difficult - would you sacrifice one child to save another? Here's the back cover synopsis:

Ten years ago, Ruby Leander was a drifting nineteen-year-old who made a split-second decision at an Oklahoma rest stop. Fast forward nine years: Ruby and her daughter Lark live in New Mexico. Lark is a precocious, animal loving imp, and Ruby has built a family for them with a wonderful community of friends and her boyfriend of three years. Life is good. Until the day Ruby reads a magazine article about parents searching for an infant kidnapped by car-jackers. Then Ruby faces a choice no mother should have to make. A choice that will change both her and Lark's lives forever.

It may be a while before I do another review... I'm taking on "Crime and Punishment" out of spite. Both Sean and Mike have said they couldn't get through it, so I'm going to do it if it kills me!

Book Review: Who Loves You Best

While on vacation, I read a couple of really good books. The first is called "Who Loves You Best" by Tess Stimson. Here's the back cover synopsis:

An unforgettable story about the complex choices women make for love, motherhood, and family—and the unexpected events that open our hearts to what really matters in life.


Clare Elias feels more than ready to conquer being a parent. She’s already mastered the business world, running a flourishing chain of boutique flower shops. Her husband, Marc, is handsome, successful, supportive—and nearly a decade her junior. Clare is at the top of her game, so how hard can motherhood be?

Then the babies come—both of them. And Clare finds herself in the midst of the crisis faced by every woman who’s ever tried to Have It All. She’s sworn she won’t have her children raised by nannies the way her inattentive mother did, but when help arrives in the form of pretty, young, hyper efficient Jenna, Clare has no idea that bringing this stranger into her family will change everything. As Marc becomes distant and secretive and, worst of all, one of her babies gets sick, Clare—and Jenna—must make the kinds of heart wrenching decisions that no woman wants to face.

Wise, witty, and powerfully emotional, Who Loves You Best captures the working mother’s joys and frustrations—as well as the guilty secrets of nannies—in a tale that is surprising to the very end.

The beauty of this book is that it leaves you wanting more. When I finished, I wanted to know what happened next for each of the characters, especially Claire's brother Xan. I think Stimson does a wonderful job portraying the fear in new motherhood that Claire goes through. She juggles wanting to have a career, take care of her own children and the fear of leaving her kids with another woman. This is definitely a must read!