I won ten copies of this book for my book club and I was pleasantly surprised when all in our group enjoyed the book. It is a story of love, forgiveness and hope. It had some thought provoking moments and enabled a lively discussion. The way the chapters were titled added to the overall effect of the story.

The first 200 pages were completely boring and unbelievable. The story does pick up midway, but jumps back and forth in time which I do not like. Cassie is a twenty something and just lost her beloved grandmother. She leaves her life in NYC to go to the small Ohio town where she has inherited a falling down mansion. While there she is contacted by someone to inform her she has just inherited a large sum of money from a movie star. But first she must prove she is related to him. Thus her quest begins in finding out about her grandmothers past.

Auggie is a fifth grader entering a mainstream school for the first time after being homeschooled all of his life. He was born with a terrible facial deformity, has had numerous surgeries but is normal in every other way. Each segment of the book is told by a different character, giving their perspective on Auggie's
situation. As you can imagine there are many trials and tribulations that he must face. The theme of the book is kindness and how we must be kinder than necessary.
While I loved this book i feel it really is a young adult story and would not make a good bookclub choice.

Elsa is seven years old with no friends except for an excentric Grandmother. Granny is teaching Elsa it is okay to be different through fairy tales she makes up. When Granny dies, Elsa must deliver letters to the other quirky residents in her building. In doing so she really learns that being different is okay.
This book will make you laugh and cry and think.

My bookclub mostly liked this story about two couples who are drawing apart because of an accident. While the writing was not great we did have a very good discussion about the characters.

Finn and Violet are star crossed lovers who finally connect. Then Finn does the unthinkable. It is a story of lies, secrets and deceit and a mother's love.
The first half of the book does not flow evenly because it jumps back and forth through the years, but midway it comes together and makes it a story worth reading.

Rebecca Winter was once a famous and wealthy photographer. Now in her 60's she has leased out her NYC apartment and moved to a cabin in the middle of nowhere where she meets Jim Bates, 40's, a roofer. Rebecca is embarking on a new chapter in her life and a journey of self discovery begins.
This book has a very slow start, but definitely picks up midway.

The story begins with Frankie as a child living on her family's apple orchard which she loves very much. As she grows older she becomes aware of the difference in family dynamics. Who will stay on the farm, who will leave and what will happen when and if the next generation takes over.

Coralie is living a life in a museum in Brooklyn during the early 1900's. She was born with webbed fingers. Her father runs the Museum with oddities, both alive and preserved. Eddie is a Russian immigrant who has run away from his community. He achieves a certain amount of fame as a photographer. When their paths cross both of them realize they are destined to be together.
The first half of this book is written as two separate stories, Coralie's and Eddie's it is not until well past the halfway mark their tales converge and the book becomes quite interesting. The second half was well worth the read.

Two fifteen year old boys, one from a privileged white family, the other a black Somolian refugee become unlikely friends when the refugee is given a scholarship to a prestigious school in Bristol, England. One night the boys sneak out of the house with dire consequences. Inspector Clemo is the one who has to sort everything out as to what really happened that fateful night.
The is a great psychological thriller thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

Donald Wolfe has it all, a bright future as a lawyer, a fabulous apartment, a beautiful and pregnant wife. The marriage suddenly begins to fail. Donald believes he must make a drastic decision, one that will forever change not only his life, but that of his daughter as well.

After spending fifteen years working in Africa, Frankie Rowley comes home to a small town in New England. As soon as she arrives, someone begins setting fires to the homes of the summer people. She begins an affair with the editor of the local newspaper.
After trudging through this story, I feel there are too many questions left unanswered. This is definitely not this author's best work.

I won this copy in a Goodreads giveaway. I don't usually enjoy short stories, but Jojo Moyes has hit a home run with this book. It contains one novella and several short stories.
The novella is about a woman who is planing a weekend getaway with her boyfriend. She gets stood up. She decides to stay in Paris. Much happens to her during this weekend and she discovers her real self.
The rest of the stories are equally as good.

Lillian is 85 years old and it is New Year's Eve 1984. As a young woman she moved from Washington D.C. to NYC and was able to secure a job writing advertisements for R.H. Macy, eventually becoming the highest paid woman advertising copywriter in the country. She was also an accomplished poet having had several books published. On this night she decides to take around Manhattan.
The story is told in alternating chapters the present and the past. My bookclub will discuss it this month and I look forward to having a great deal to talk about.

In Australia there are three women, mothers, all with very different lives. The story is about lies that are told and secrets that are kept so the people around them will think they are "normal". It's also about cruelty and bullying for adults as well as children.
It is wonderfully written and gives you plenty to think about.

Theresa is high Society in New York during the 1920's. She has a philandering husband and a bachelor brother. She falls in love with a much younger man who wants to marry her, but divorce is not an option. When her brother decides to marry, Theresa has Octavian, her lover, check out the background of Miss Sophie Fortescue. What he finds would have been better for all if it had not been discovered.

I chose this book for my bookclub because of the good reviews.
Nora Hamilton thinks she has the perfect life until her husband, a police officer kills himself. As she investigates, to find out why he did this, she uncovers the many secrets of her small town.
I found this to be a confusing story with two many character.

A debut novel that keeps you guessing till the end. The flashbacks are done nicely so that you don't mind them.

Christopher Knight, at the age of twenty decides to give up everything and live as a hermit in the Maine woods. Surprisingly he survives for twenty seven years. In all that time he has only spoken one word, has never been sick and survived by his wits and stealing only what he needed from the cabins that surrounded his camp.

Logan is only nine years old, but has seen a side of his father that no one, let alone a child should ever have to see. Because of events in his short life, Logan has become mute, which enrages his father even more. One evening when the abuse that his father inflicts becomes unbearable, Logan runs. He doesn't realize, the truck he is hiding in is a moving truck going to another state. He is able to survive on his own for several days and begins to think his life is finally getting better, when his father finds him.
This is a story of finding love and living with hope in your heart.
It is beautifully written and though the subject matter is hard it is a well told story.

Alicia is found in her kitchen along with her husband's body and a gun. He has been shot five times in the face. Alicia never speaks another word to anyone, even during her trial. She is placed in an institution where psychotherapist, Theo Faber, has become obsessed with finding out not only why she killed her husband, but why she will not speak about what happened that fateful night.
This is a well written thriller which will keep you guessing until the end.

Wolf has had a difficult life and has decided on his eighteenth birthday to end his life. He is an experienced hiker and heads for the Mountain. While there he comes across three women who have become lost and beg him to help them find their way back. What ensues is a series of mishaps leaving them stranded for several days with no food or water and they must rely solely on each other for survival.

Maurice's wife has passed away and he cannot get over the loss. His only son and his family live on another continent. At 84 years old he had decided to end his life. This is a wonderful book told in chapters about a person who has been an important part of his life.

Addie Baum is 85 years old and telling her life's story to her granddaughter Ava for a school project. The way the story is written the characters really come to life and you can picture where they are at that moment. It is wonderful to see the changes, and how she handles them from 1915 - 1985.

Joe Talbert is interviewing Carl Iverson for a college course. Carl is a decorated Vietnam Veteran who is dying of cancer. He is also a convicted rapist and murderer. Carl insists he was wrongly convicted and Joe along with his next door neighbor Lila and some help from his autistic brother begin to unravel the truth about Carl Iverson.

Doss grew up poor in Georgia. Abigail Grace was raised in a privileged life, the daughter of a powerful southern Senator. When a chance meeting happens they both realize they are soul mates, much to the displeasure of the Senator. Ten years into the marriage Abbie devolps a very aggressive for of cancer. Treatment will not help her. Her dying wish is to complete ten things, one of which is to canoe down a river. Along the journey they encounter many obstacles.
While this story was entertaining I found it moved a bit slow. The writing, while good failed to bring tears to my eyes.

Cute vignettes about everyday life. A quick and easy read.

I chose this book for my book club and was very sorry I did. I expected more about the lives of the actors and the filming of the movie. This book seemed to deal with history behind the story and many parts were repetitive.

Sylvie Lee was sent by her parents to be raised in Holland with relatives. She return home after several years. When her grandmother in Holland is near death, she returns one last time, by this time Sylvie is a married woman. While in Holland many secrets are revealed and she discovers her life is not what it seems. When she disappears, her younger sister Amy goes abroad to try and find her.
The first half of this book was very slow moving, the middle started to get interesting ,but it was very easy to figure out the plot.

Mia’s father is a judge, her mother and sister are self absorbed. While in a bar one night she is stood up, again, by her boyfriend and leaves with a guy she just met, it turns out he has been hired to kidnapp her, but when the time comes to turn her over he can’t bring himself to do it. They flee, spending many months in the woods in a cabin while the hunt for Mia goes on.
While the story line was interesting enough and the ending good, the writing style left a lot to be desired. Not only did the time frame jump back and forth but the characters did also. It was a bit tedious.

Mary Pickford and Frances Marion became fast friends when they were both just starting out in Hollywood. Mary as a silent screen star and Frances as a screenwriter. The novel travel from the early nineteen hundreds to the late 1960’s following the careers and turmoils of these two ladies.
This is a very well written and informative look and the early years in Hollywood.

Celestial and Roy are a young, black, newlywed couple, who, while visiting his parents in a small Louisiana town have their live thrown into turmoil when Roy is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He is sentenced to twelve years in prison, but released acquitted after 5. Celestial tried to be a faithful wife, but she turned to her childhood friend Andre for comfort.
I found this to be a bit slow moving. The story just follows the paths that the main characters take.

Lucy is in the hospital with complications from an appendectomy. One day she wakes up to find her mother, who she has been estranged from for many years, sitting at the foot of her bed. This begins a journey for the two of them going over their past.
I felt the book jumped around way to much and it just didn’t hold my interest.

Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are together again trying to find the killer of a woman who would have been 100 years old in just three weeks. Their investigation takes them back in time to gun molls, murders and all that goes with it,
For me, this book just had way too many characters to keep track of that took away from the story.

Ellis Reed is a struggling newspaper reporter, when in 1931, he takes a picture of two children with a sign on the porch that says 2 children for sale. He does not intend to publish this picture, it is for his own collection, but when it does get published, things spiral out of control.
The book starts out slowly, but picks up midway. It is a story of a mother’s love and the power of doing the right things in the face of adversity.

Mariah Reddick is a former slave who has become a midwife in Franklin, Tennessee to both the white and black women. She herself has one son, Theopolis, who is politically active and is tragically murdered at a rally. Mariah has made it her quest to find out who and why this happened.
The second half of this book flowed much better than the first and there was quite a bit of repetition in the story, but, overall it was a good read

Linc is her parents natural daughter, Holly was adopted from Ghana. The girls are only four months apart in age, but couldn’t be more different. Holly is bright, beautiful and athletic while Linc is more artistic. The story takes place, in verse, during the girls sophomore year of high school. One of the girls is clearly the favorite daughter, the other is trying to prove herself and find her way in the world,
I did not anticipate enjoying this book at all, however you are sucked right into Linc’s world and cannot help but feel empathy for her.

Riley Wolfe is a master thief. His next big job is to steal the Crown Jewels of Iran from a museum in the United States. There is a detective who has been on his tale for many years.

Letty has been a mother for fifteen years, but her mother had taken over the job of raising her children, now however she must do it herself and she has no idea how. This is a fabulous story of love, hope and the hard choices we are sometimes forced to make.
If you are part of a book club this would be a wonderful choice.

Lady Elspeth Douglas goes to France in 1914 to visit a friend. She fall for Alain, the brother, and they commit to marry. War breaks out and Elspeth decides to become a nurse, enter Captain Peter Gilchrist. They fall in love. Both men are injured in the war. Elspeth must choose, keeping her promise to one man or true love. But - then comes a twist.

Ernt Albright is a veteran who was a POW during the Viet Nam war. The man who came home from the war is very different from the man he once was. He has dark and violent moment. His wife and daughter live in fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. Whine a former veteran dies and leaves him his cabin in the Alaskan wilderness the all believe this will be a fresh start for them and the end of Ernts nightmares. They are not prepared for the long, dark and brutal winter and what they will have to do to survive.
Once again this is a fabulous story which is extremely well written. The author makes you feel as if you are right there with her.

In a small Mississippi women’s reproductive health clinic
a gunman enters and begins shooting. There are deaths, wounded and hostages, one of whom is the fifteen year old daughter of the police negotiator. The story is told in reverse, starting at the end of the day and reading forward to the beginning. A lot of issues are brought to light with differing opinions.
At times it was a bit difficult to follow the story because of the way it was written and the fact there were so many different characters.

Nettie and her best friend Win, are 16 years old during the summer of 1969. Win’s grandmother is a Monacan Indian with special powers, some are centered around her dream catcher. Nibi, tells the girls they must make their own dream catcher exactly as she says and by a certain time. As the girls complete this task they are faced with many obstacles, which they must overcome.
The folklore was very interesting to read about, but I found the girls lives to be a bit contrived.

Captain Jeffrey Kidd travels around Texas in the latter part of the 1800 reading newspaper articles to the townspeople who are willing to pay ten cents for this. At one of his stops he is approached and is offered a $50 gold piece to get a ten year old girl, who was kidnapped four years earlier by the Kiowa Indians, back to her relatives. He accepts and their journey begins and lasts for several weeks. They meet danger along the way. When they arrive at their destination, Capt. Kidd realizes that the family is only agreeing to take in the child because they need someone to help with the chores.
This is a very good story and well written.

Amy Whey has a secret that she has kept to herself since she was a teenager. Amy is living a very nice life in the burbs with her family. One night at bookclub a new neighbor joins them and seems to take over, getting them to play a game. The women start drinking and secrets are revealed, Roux, the new neighbor has an ugly motive for wanting to know their secrets. People will go very far for what they want and what they want kept hidden.

Ten years ago, while on a hiking trip Melanie and Olivia, sisters, receive news that their parents have been killed in a car accident. The driver of the other car was a longtime friend of the sisters. They handle the tragedy in different ways and have no contact with each other for ten years. Melanie now feels the need to reconnect and try to start anew. To reach this end, she reaches out to Olivia and convinces her to go on a wilderness hike. Olivia reluctantly agrees. What ensues is a journey of love, faith and forgiveness.
Overall the story was very good, however I felt at times it was a bit confusing.

Bone Boatwright is a twelve year old illegitimate girl living in South Carolina. Some might consider her poor white trash. She dreams of escaping to a better life one day, but those dreams are shattered when her mother marries Daddy Glen. He is verbally and physically abusive. As things escalate Bone’s mother must choose between her husband or her child.

Masha is running a high end, expensive wellness spa. She is about to embark on a new program for her guests. Nine stranger show up and the start of the week is not what they expected, but they all manage to cope. Toward the end of the week, the “treatments” get a bit out of hand and the guests are not sure it was a wise idea to come to Tranquillum House.
There were too many characters to keep track of and I had to look up which characters the author was talking about in the last chapter (and apparently I was not the only one)!

What if you had a glimpse into the future? Dannie has a plan, she lives by the numbers and she is right in track. She interviews for her dream job, gets engaged to the man of her dreams all on the same day, but when she returns home she falls asleep for an hour and wakes up in a different apartment, with a different man and a different ring on her finger and it is five years in the future. She tells no one. Then she wakes up again and is back in the present.Life goes on as planned until her best friend develops cancer and Dannie’s whole world starts reeling out of control. Was what happened a premonition or something else.
There are many emotions in this wonderful story. By the end you will know the true meaning of love and friendship.

I did not read the first two book in this series nor did I see the Netflix show.
Joe, the main character in this story, apparently is a serial killer in NY. After selling his son to his lover for 4million dollars, he moves to the other side of the cou try looking for true love.
The story seems pointless to me and Joe cannot seem to have a thought or hold a conversation without using the “F” word. The book would have been a lot shorter of this had been left out.

Eve, Justin, Susie and Ed, now in their thirties, have been friends since they were teenagers. When an unexpected tragedy hits, Eve begins to wonder if she ever really knew this group.
This story starts off very slow, picks up about one third of the way in and finally has a great ending.

Beartown is a small blue collar town, close knit and firmly attached to its hockey team. Hed is the town next to them and rivals in everything, not just hockey. The Beartown Hockey team is about to be disbanded and some of the players defect to the Hed team which causes much bitterness. When Beartown gets a chance at a comeback bonds are broken and events turn to violence. Through it all by the end of the story, both of the towns will learn about forgiveness, acceptance, loyalty and friendship.
This book had a bit of a slow start, but quickly became engrossing about 1/3 of the way through.

Clara Brodeur is the daughter of photographer, Ruth Dunne. Ruth became famous with the nude photos she took of Clara from the ages of 3 - 14. They have been on display in galleries and museums. Clara had a difficult childhood once the pictures became famous. All of her life she tried to hide the fact that she was the one in the photos. When she turned 18 she left home to try and start a new life, ending up in Maine, getting married and having a child of her own. Now Ruth is dying and Clara has been asked to come home. She has not seen or spoken to Ruth in 14 years.
This is a gripping and complex story, that is well written.

Caddie has been hiding a secret for decades then one night she receives a call from her childhood friend in need of help. Caddie rushes back to the hometown she swore she would never return to. She must decide whether or not to reveal those secrets in order to protect the people she once cared very deeply about.
Parts of this story were very well written, but others very confusing at times with a bit to much technical information about the beetles destroying the forest, also that part was repetitive.

Edward is just twelve years old when his parents and fifteen year old brother get on a flight from NYC to LA. They are moving across the country because his mother is starting a new job. The unthinkable happens. There are 191 people aboard the flight when it crashes, about half way to LA. Everyone perishes except for Edward. Edwards moves to NJ where his aunt and uncle will care for him. He befriends the girl next door, Shay. With her help, as well as his therapist and family he learns to accept what has happened.
This is a moving story and well written. Pay attention to the dates at the start of each chapter.

Elisa saw a co-worker killed by a disgruntled employee. She is having trouble dealing with that trauma. She adores her brother-in-law, Josh, especially since he is soon to be married to her best friend, Abby. Then Abby disappears and no one seems to think anything is wrong, Josh claims she left him. Elisa decides to investigate on her own. She finds not one, but two ex-wives, who have died, by accident. Now she is being gaslighted by someone and everyone around her is convinced she is becoming unhinged.
There are a lot of twists and turns, but you are able to figure out the person that is behind the gaslighting. There is a bit of a twist to the ending. All in all a good thriller read.

Rachel was forced to give up her newborn daughter, Ruth, because she has leprosy. Ruth is eventually adopted by a loving Japanese family and all is going well, until the family moves to California and the war breaks out and they are placed in a relocation camp. Many years after Rachel and Ruth are reunited because Rachel has been cured of leprosy.
The book had a wonderful start and finish, but the middle dragged somewhat with many descriptions of the camps and what happened there.

The story centers around two very different families., one a poor family in India, the other a well-to-do family in the United States, and the daughter that binds them together. Kavita gives birth to a girl and in order to save her life she places her in an orphanage. Somer, a doctor, finds out she cannot have children. She and her husband, Kris, who is from India, decide to adopt a child from an orphanage in India. Usha, later named Asha is that child.
Beautifully written and a wonderful story.

A mega yacht carrying the rich and famous suddenly blows up. Several passengers end up together in a lifeboat. They save another man in the water. When they are able to get him into the life raft they say “thank the Lord” he replies “I am the Lord”
This is a brilliant novel that will hopefully bring you closer to believing in the Lord.

Eleanor is thirty years old and socially awkward. She lives a very mundane life with no friends. Until one day Raymond, the IT guy where she works slowly becomes her friend. Even though she is reluctant to open herself up to a friend she slowly sees it’s not so bad after all to have someone care for you.

Vera is a detective. While driving home from work in a blizzard one night she comes across an abandoned car with a baby inside. She gets lost in the storm and ends up at Brockburn, the grand house that her father grew up in. There is a party going on and at the time no one realizes there is a dead body outside. Once the body is discovered Vera heads up the investigation as to what really happened.
If you enjoy the PBS series, Vera, you will not be disappointed in this book.

The two previous reviewers have clearly stated what this book is about,
The story follows four generations of women starting with the Holocaust and ending in present times. At times it was a bit confusing with the jumping back and forth of characters t was a heartbreaking story, but I felt the ending fell a bit flat.

Mina is a flight attendant on the first non stop flight from London to Sydney. Terrorists are on board. The plane is hijacked, the demands not met, people are killed and Mina must land the plane. There are some twists and turns in this book, but at times it is confusing. I needed to go back and re read several sections.

The timeline goes back and forth between the 1950’s, when the Barbizon Hotel was a Women’s only hotel, and 2016 when Rose, a tenant and writer, decides to write an article about the hotel’s past as well as some of the residents who still reside there.
It is an interesting story, with several twists and turns and an ending I didn’t expect.

Nora Beady is an orphan, having been raised by the eccentric Dr. Horace Croft. Under his tutelage she has become adept as his surgical assistant in his private clinic. This was unheard of and not allowed in the late 1800’s. When Dr Daniel Gibson, a surgical resident is invited to join Dr. Croft’s practice she is forced to become a “proper” lady. This doesn’t last long, since Nora has made a remarkable discovery. She must now decide whether to let the men take credit for her work or risk everything and tell the world what she is really capable of.

Sylvie Pelletier tells the fictional story of her family leaving their home in Vermont to meet up with her father who is working in a marble mine in Colorado during the early 1900’s. Arriving in Moonstone, life is full of hardships, not what they expected at all. Low pay, little food and deplorable living conditions. When then organizers come in trying to get the workers to unionize more trouble breaks out.
This epic novel tells of one women’s quest to make a better life for all.

In 1976, in a small southern town, a white, childless widow hires a homeless black man to mow her lawn and do odd jobs. When he is around, the mothers in the neighborhood make their children come inside. A murder occurs and an innocent man is sent to prison for the rest of his life. Twenty five years later the widow, Ora Lee Beckworth and her maid, Blanche, are ready to tell the truth about what really happened on the fateful night.

Taking place over many decades the story follows the lives of the haenyeo, the female divers of Jeju. Here the women are in charge and the men take care of the children. There is much turmoil, Japanese Colonialism, WW11 and the Korean War. Young-sook and Mi-ja are best friends, until something out of their control happens and the women have no contact with each other for many years.
While I found the story riveting and educational, there were some parts, which I have found out to be true, that were just a bit too graphic for me. I do not think this would be a good fit for my bookclub of senior ladies.

In Texas everything is big, including egos. One patriarch has an ambition of being a “Titan”of cattle ranching. His daughter is a paleontologist who discovers dinosaur bones on the ranch. When an expert is called in he knows the bones re real, but he also discover there is oil in the dino field, which will make everyone involved incredibly wealthy.
The book follows the lives of the families involved. There is love, deceit, hatred and of course many secrets.
I have loved all of this authors books and this one did not disappoint.

Martha Teichner is a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. She has a pet Bull Terrier named Minnie. She has had other BT’s in the past. When one of Martha’s BT passes on, not only is she saddens, but Minnie is too. A chance encounter puts her in touch with Carol, who is dying, and is worried what will happen to Harry, her Bull Terrier once she is gone. A friendship builds between the two women as the dogs get to know one another. Carol passes and Harry goes to live with Martha and Minnie. The story chronicles the trials and errors of joint the two dogs and well as coming to grips with the friendship that has developed between the two women. It is a heartfelt, sad, funny and uplifting story.

Growing up in Northern New Jersey, Palisades Amusement Park was the place everyone wanted to visit during the summer. With its rides, saltwater pool, concessions, games and the midway there was always a great time to be had. Alan Brennert does a wonderful job describing the workings of the park as well as the people who made it all come together. Not only is it a story if the park, but there is history through the story.

Alice Wright is living a stifling life in England. Along comes Bennett Van Cleve. In the hopes of having a better life she marries Bennett and moves to a small town in Kentucky, where, to her dismay, her life if no better, in fact it may even be worse. Until she hears about The Packhorse Library, a program started by Eleanor Roosevelt. Joining this group of women is the best thing that happens to her and changes her life forever.
Fans of Jojo Moyes will not be disappointed in this story.

Beartown is a hockey town. Everyone lives and breaths ice hockey. When the unthinkable happens between a teen boy and girl, the town goes on a downward spiral.

I usually live Fredrik Backman’s books, however this one took me till page 130 to find it interesting. There was way too much detail about ice hockey. Once past that, the story became riveting.

Cassandra Bowden is a flight attendant as well as a binge drinker with numerous blackouts. When she meets a business man in a flight to Dubai and goes back to hotel, her life spirals out of control.
I usually like this authors books, but this was a disappointment to me, at times repetitive and confusing. The ending not believable.

This is a multi generational story of three woman starting with th eldest who was brought up in Viet Nam during the 1960’s. It is heartbreaking, as well as beautiful. Each chapter is told by one of the women and secrets are revealed and old loves and hurts are revisited. It is also about forgiveness.
I normally do not care for books with these types of chapters, but Thao Thai does writes these flawlessly. I would love to see a movie made.

Vivian Howe is a bestselling author, who while jogging, is killed by a hit and run driver. She is taken Beyond and assigned Martha, her intermediary while she transitions to the other side. While there she is able to look down upon her family and friends and is allowed three “nudges” to help them.
This is not my usual type of story, but it is written so well that I could not put it down!

Jo Kuan is a lady’s maid for a wealthy, spoiled and cruel young woman. Jo is looked down upon because she is Chinese. The story follows Jo’s life as she tries to unravel who she is and who her parents were. There are many stop gaps along the way.
While I enjoyed the story I found it to be a bit confusing at times and there were a few loose ends that I would have like to seen tied up.

Louisa is now living in NYC. She has a job with a very wealthy family as the wife’s personal assistant. They become friends, but over time something happens and Louisa is unjustly fired from her job. She is now homeless as well as jobless. She befriends an elderly woman who takes Louisa in and teaches her the true meaning of love and forgiveness.
This is the third book in the Me Before You series and if you enjoyed those you will not be disappointed.

When Marisol’s grandmother, the woman who raised her, passes away, she leaves instructions that Marisol is to return her ashes to be scattered in Cuba. While there Marisol learns about her family’s past and many secrets that were kept.
Overall a good story, however I prefer a book that does not go back and forth between characters and there was a bit too much of Cuban history, which left the book a bit dry.

My bookclub chose this as this month’s book to discuss. I’m not sure why. The story seems to center around the making of the movie Gone With the Wind. It follows Julie Crawford when she leaves her hometown in Indiana to “make it big” as a screenwriter in LA. Which does happen in just a few short months. I did not see the connection between her ambition and the making of the movie, except for the fact she falls in love with Andy, who is deeply involved in the movie.
Perhaps because I never saw the movie I could not relate to the story or its characters. Nor have I read the book, Gone With The Wind. The whole story of Stardust, seemed pointless to me.

Marcellus is a giant Pacific Octopus that has been rescued from the sea and placed in an aquarium. He has a very short life span. Tova has lost her husband and many years ago lost her only son, she now works as a cleaning lady at the aquarium. Unbelievably she and Marcellus become friends and he ends up showing her how to get over the past, while she gives him the ending he needs.

Kitty Karr was born biracial in the Deep South. She is light enough to “pass” as white. Right after she graduates high school her mother sends her to California so she can begin living life as a white person. She becomes a movie star.

The story itself had the potential for being great, however because of the jumping back and forth in time and the too many characters the book looses its flow and becomes difficult to follow.

Emma and Leo are deeply in love, married with a three year old daughter. He is an obituary writer, she a well known marine biologist. When Emma becomes very ill, Leo copes by writing her obituary. In doing so he discovers a past that she has never revealed to him.

The book starts off a bit slow, but quickly picks up.

This is a story about the friendship between two women spanning 20 years. From the War, to the McCarthy Era to 1960’s Broadway. Chelsea Girls was not as riveting as this author’s other books. I found the section on the McCarthy Era to be a bit repetitive.
It was just an okay book to read.

This charming novella tells the story of an old man’s struggle to hold on to his memories as his mind begins go. The family must find a way to help him while at the same time, let him go. It is a beautifully told tale, one you will remember for a long time, and possibly read again.

Something is happening to Scott Carey that cannot be explained. According to the scale he is loosing weight at about one pound a day, however, his body shape is not changing and whether or not he is wearing clothes his weight is the same. He is also in a disagreement with his next door neighbors. Scott chooses not to let anyone know what is going on except for his retired Doctor friend and eventually the couple next door.
This was an interesting enough story, not horror, with some thoughtful undertones.

When Blythe Connor has a baby girl, she is unable to make a motherly connection to her. As the child grows up life becomes increasingly difficult and odd things begin to happen, until the unspeakable happens, but no one will believe Blythe. Her life now spirals out of control, until year later horrors begin again.

Amanda and Clay leave the city for a weeklong vacation with their two teenagers. They have rented a vacation home in the country. All is well until the owners show up stating there has been a major blackout. This is where the story goes downhill.

Eve thinks she has the good life. A Handsome husband, both are teachers at the same high school and a beautiful home. When a shocking scandal rocks Yhe school where she teachers she realizes that all is not what it appears. Addie, a student, is at the center of the scandal and Eve suddenly realizes the girl cannot be trusted and she will go to any lengths to keep her secrets.
This is a compulsive read, and the ending will shipock you!

This is the second book in the Housemaid’s series and I cannot wait for the third. Ms.McFadden writes a great psychological thriller with several twist and turns. Millie is back and determined not to continue in her old ways, but sometimes a girl just has to do what she needs to do.

Chrissy Dowling is a Princess Diana look alike performing in Las Vegas. She is estranged from her sister Betsy who looks incredibly like Chrissy. Betsy hooks up with a guy and he convinces her and her adoptive daughter to leave Vermont and move to Vegas with him where they will make a fortune in cryptocurrency. Betsy has no clue what she is getting involved in.
I found this to have a bit of a slow start and wasn’t to keen on the cryptocurrency, which was an important part of the story, but overall it is another very good book by this author.

Wife and mother, Joy Delaney suddenly disappears after a disagreement with her husband. Last year there was a mysterious visitor to her house, did she have something to do with it? Joy has been missing for three weeks and now all sorts of scenarios are playing out.
There are lots of twists to this story, but it all comes together in the end.

Five friends from college make a pact to give each a living funeral after another friend of theirs dies. The story follows the characters from their early twenties to their forties. At times this book was very hard to follow and keep track of, it to mention depressing. I would have given it only 1 star, except for the fact the ending was pretty good.but to read a 300 page book to get about 5 pages of good material is not my up of tea.

Nora is a surgeon whose father is a serial killer. He was arrested when she was just 11 years old. Suddenly copy cat deaths are happening in her town and all fingers are pointing at her. Who knows the truth about her past and who is trying to frame her for these new murders?

Brooke Sullivan is a nurse practice at a maximum security men’s prison. She has an intimate past with one of the convicts, Shane Nelson. Brooke was instrumental in getting Shane convicted of multiple murders. But all is not as it seems.

Another pag turner by this author! Lots of twists and turns and of course a surprise ending.

This is a sweeping saga following several generations of a Korean family living in Japan. It starts in the early 1900’s and continues until 1989. The well written story shows the harshness and unfairness in how the Korean people were treated in Japan. It is a very eye opening book.

Agatha Christie went missing in 1926 for 11 days after learning of her husbands’ affair. This much is true. This book is being narrated by the mistress, and at times it just droned on and on before getting to the point. My Bookclub will be discussing this title this month and it will be interesting to see what the others think.

This is the prequel to It Ends With Us. The story delves into Atlas’ past and explains where he was from the time he left Lily, as well as why, to the present time when they are reconnected. It is every bit as good as Ends. Nice to have a happy ending.

As a child Norma has had dreams that seem very real to her. Her parents insist they are only dreams, nothing more. There are no pictures of Norma in the house she grew up in before the age of 4. She is told they were all burned in a fire. Her family is very prominent and wealthy, but her mother is very overprotective. It isn’t until the end of her mother’s life, that Norma is finally able to put the pieces of her dreams together.
This is a very powerful and moving story, very similar to the TV series, Little Bird that was shown on PBS not too long ago, which was also very good.

Florence is training to swim the English Channel. Unfortunately before she gets the opportunity to fulfill her dream she drowns. Her sister is on bed rest in the hospital because of a pregnancy. Mother does not want to tell the sister about the death for fear she will deliver the baby too early.
This book started out a bit slow but with about 100 pages to go, the story picked up.

Ellis Lacey is the main character to the sequel Brooklyn. By now she is married with two teenage children living on Long Island surround by her husbands family. When a shocking truth comes to light, she decides to travel back to Ireland to give her husband and his family a chance to decide what must be done. While there she becomes close to an old flame, Jim Farrell.
While the story was good, I felt the ending fell flat and the writing itself was not as cohesive as it could have been.