Off Season / Anne Rivers Siddons / 11 hrs. 29 min.

This audio book was read by Jane Alexander - an actress I have enjoyed in the past. Her reading was almost the reason I would have given this 4 stars, however, the last part of the story was unfulfilling. The journey of Lily through her present grieving process took us to back to her past. The story had wonderful description and character development - I really knew who these characters were and could easily picture them. Lily loves so completely that her very self is lost when Cam, her husband, dies suddenly. Lily goes back to her childhood summer vacation home to heal in the only way she knows how...by connecting to her past. It is when the author brings us to Lily's present life when unsettling information becomes known to Lily and she does not pursue it. Why the author chose to finish her novel this way is a mystery to me. Seems like it was time to wrap it up, I guess.

The Third Wife/Lisa Jewell/328 pages

Adrian Wolfe is a man addicted to love. When the love wanes in a marriage, he happily moves on to the next woman leaving behind an ex-wife and kids. Miraculously, the families all get along, even to the extent of vacationing together. When wife number 3, Maya, dies in a tragic accident leaving Adrian by himself for the first time, his grief is all consuming. A year later, a mysterious woman comes into his wife and makes him start questioning Maya death and the true relationship he has with two ex-wives and five children.

An interesting page turner with a slightly disappointing ending. I (as always) was hoping for more of a mystery. Overall, it was a good read. Blogging has been fun, but it's time to pursue other projects. Happy Reading!

Lost & Found/Brooke Davis/310 pgs.

What an interesting debut novel! Millie Bird, seven years old, and quite precocious, is abandoned by her mother in a department store. The mother is distraught over the death of her husband, Millie's father. This is basically a story of how individuals handle grief, old age, and death--all in the course of a little girl trying to find her way back to her mother. The book is told through various characters' voices, making for an insightful and compelling (and often humorous) read. Highly recommended!

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harld Fry / Rachel Joyce / 320 p.

The description of this book did not hook me in at all, but I grew to love Harold--his pain, his unlikely mission and what he learns along the way.  Set in England, this is a tale of a man who has allowed life to happen around him for many years. A brief note from a dying woman sends him on a sudden quest across the country. The story behind Harold's pain and stagnation is teased out in the pages of this lovely book.