The Bookshop of Yesterdays / Amy Meyerson / 364 pages

Miranda Brooks is a middle school history teacher in Philadelphia.  She grew up in Los Angeles where her parents are still living.  As a child she was close to her mother's brother, Billy, who owned a bookstore and would challenge her with clues on scavenger hunts.  Then on her twelfth birthday her mother and Uncle Billy had an argument and she did not see her uncle again.  Now sixteen years later she receives news that her uncle has died.  She returns home to attend his funeral, which her mother refuses to also attend.  Through Billy's lawyer Miranda learns that she has inherited the bookstore which is almost in bankruptcy.  While Miranda works to save the bookstore she is also working through the clues to Uncle Billy's final scavenger hunt for her.  This one will explain what really happened to lead up to that argument on her twelfth birthday that resulted in the disappearance of her Uncle Billy from her life.

The Sound of Glass by Karen White / 448 p.

Merritt Heyward has been a widow for two years and unexpectedly receives news that she has inherited a home from her late husband's (Cal's) family located in Beaufort, SC. Merritt leaves her home in Maine to hopefully begin a new life in South Carolina.
    Merritt's stepmother (also a widow) shows up in SC with a 10 year old step brother Merritt barely knows.  There's so much that she doesn't know and Merritt wants to keep it that way.  Unfortunately, her stepmother is there to stay and so much family history is about to enter her life.
     I enjoyed the Southern customs and her stepmother's constant positivity. In the end it is Merritt's half brother and Cal's brother (who Merritt didn't know existed) that bring her to a new place in her life.

The Library of Lost and Found / Phaedra Patrick / 348 pages

This is a charming story about a librarian, Martha Storm.  Martha is middle aged and her life is dedicated to helping others to the point of being taken advantage of by the people she helps.  One night she finds a book of fairy tales left on her doorstep.  Inside the book is a dedication to her by the author - her grandmother.  The problem is her grandmother died 3 years before the book was published .  The stories inside the book are stories Martha created as a child.  Martha sets out to find the truth about her grandmother which leads her to find out some truths about her family.  Martha goes through a transformation as a result of her journey and her life changes for the better.

The Widow/ Fiona Barton/ 324 pgs.

Jean Taylor's husband, Glen, was accused of kidnapping a toddler. The toddler never reappeared, Glen wasn't convicted, and now Glen has died. What did Jean know about her husband's involvement in the kidnapping--if he was involved at all? The story is broken into chapters told from various characters' perspectives: Jean, the reporter, the detective, the missing child's mother, and one chapter on Glen. It's a fast, somewhat dark read. Recommended!

The Marriage Lie/Kimberly Belle/334 pgs.

Iris and Will have been happily married for seven years. Will takes a flight out to Florida, and on the same day a flight out to Seattle, Washington, crashes--killing all on board. Iris is notified that Will was on the Seattle flight, and as a result, perished. Iris's world is upended: why would Will lie to her about his business trip? What else has he lied about? Digging into his past reveals more secrets--and leads to danger. A fast moving book, and one I highly recommend!

Dark Places/Gillian Flynn/349 pgs

This book from Gillian Flynn was published before Gone Girl but I've just now got around to checking it out. When the main character, Libby, was seven her mother and two older sisters were brutally murdered in their rural Kansas home. Libby managed to escape. Her teenage brother was convicted of the crime, largely on Libby's eyewitness testimony.

Fast forward 25 years. Libby is now a very messed up adult. She's not the most likable of characters, but I found myself mostly sympathetic toward her anyway, given what her life had been like. She answers a curiosity seeker's letter and thus heads down a twisting path to discover/remember what really happened on that terrible night.

I found the mystery interesting, though occasionally unbelievable. I also liked that the ending was at least somewhat optimistic. Flynn knows how to write deeply flawed characters that pull you in.

Warning: the description of the murders is graphic and there is a scene involving animal abuse that I had to entirely skip over.

Black Rabbit Hall/Eve Chase/371 pgs.

Lorna Dunaway is drawn to Pencraw Hall in Cornwall as a possible venue for her upcoming wedding. Once Lorna visits Pencraw Hall, she feels as if she has been there before. It turns out that Pencraw Hall was the summer home for the Alton family from London. The Altons referred to Pencraw Hall as Black Rabbit Hall, and events that occurred in the late 60s ultimately result in two stories coming together: the Alton family in the past, and Lorna's thirty years later. There is a sense of foreboding almost from the beginning and throughout the novel, with a very satisfying conclusion. It's a debut novel; I look forward to other works by this author. Highly recommended!

Double Dexter / Jeffry P. Lindsay / 337 pages / November challenge (Horror)

This 6th novel follows much the same formula as previous novels in this series.  Watching the friendly neighborhood serial killer try to balance family, work, and very illegal playtime is humorous, but perhaps the author has spun out the formula a few too many times to make it feel fresh and new.  Dexter's lovely (and increasingly neurotic) wife plays a larger role than in previous novels.  She never quite gets enough development to feel like a real person, but that may be the author's clever way of showing how Dexter views her.  She seems to only be foremost in his mind when she's not in the kitchen cooking.  He then sets about figuring out how to get her back into the kitchen.  Dexter's monstrous step-children seek out new brushes with death and destruction as Dexter tries to hold them in check.  While I've mostly enjoyed this series, I will also be glad to see it come to an end with the next novel, Dexter's Final Cut.

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!

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry/Gabrielle Zevin/270 pages

A. J. Fikry is a lonely bookstore owner on Alice Island. His lovely wife died a while ago, and she was the one who kept the business afloat. He's a young man with an old heart. When his prized possession is stolen, he feels there is nothing left for him. Then one day, someone leaves him a surprise, a gift really, in his store. That gift helps him to get out of his head and start living again.

This is our book club selection for the month. It's a sweet, moving story about the choices we make about our life. Each chapter is preceded with a lesson about a specific book or short story from Fikry's point of view. Some were familiar to me; many were not. Funny and entertaining.

The Rumor/Elin Hilderbrand/374 pages

Madeline and Grace have been best friends for 20 years. Grace lives a very pampered and expensive existence with her husband, Nantucket real estate mogul Eddie, and twin daughters, Allegra and Hope. Madeline's life is much more low key with local pilot husband Trevor and son Brick. While Madeline is a moderately successful author, Grace's passion is her hens and her spectacular gardens. Nantucket is a small island and an even smaller community, so when the rumors start to fly about both ladies and their families, everyone gets involved, but the most scandalous events might be the ones no one guessed.

Which is worse: a rumor that is true, one that isn't or one, true or not, attributed to someone erroneously? While Hilderbrand's books will never be touted as great literature, they are entertaining and present some interesting questions. Great summer read!

Where They Found Her/Kimberly McCreight/326 pgs.

Molly Sanderson is a freelance journalist for the Ridgedale Reader, the local paper of Ridgedale, NJ. Molly, her husband, and young daughter have recently moved to Ridgedale to rebuild their lives after Molly delivered a stillborn baby. As luck would have it, Molly is assigned to cover the story when the body of a newborn baby is discovered in the woods on the fringes of the town's university campus. The chapters in the book are told in various characters' voices, leading the reader down different paths in order to discover the identity of the dead baby, and why he/she ended up in the woods. It's a riveting story that keeps you guessing until the end. Highly recommended (thanks, Cindy B. for bringing this one to my attention!)

The Silent Sister/Diane Chamberlain/343 pages

Riley MacPherson has come home to settle up her father's affairs. She has a house to clean up and sell, an RV park to sell and a will to execute. Her brother lives on the outskirts of town in the RV park, but he has no interest in helping her. His time in Iraq damaged him physically and mentally, but his soul was damaged before that. Living in a home that had lost the oldest child, Lisa, to suicide when he was a child scarred him deeply. Riley was only 2 at the time, so her memory of Lisa and her suicide are non-existent. As Riley goes through her father's things, she begins to discover things about Lisa and her family that have her questioning everything she thought she knew.

Good story with an ending that was just a little unrealistic, but overall, I would recommend it.

The Conspiracy of Us / Maggie Hall / 336 pages / 8 discs

  Who doesn't secretly hope for some royalty in the family line? What little girl doesn't dream she is a lost princess and is waiting for her family to come get her? Avery West has moved frequently in her life. Her mother receives a 'mandate' and then the packing starts again. She longs to settle in one place long enough to make friends and to feel a part of something. At yet another new school, a new boy has attracted her attention. His name is Jack Bishop. Then he does the unthinkable he asks her to prom! When Avery tells her mother the reaction is quite unexpected. Her mother begs her not to leave the house, to stay and pack for the new move. Avery reluctantly promises but after her mother leaves decides "Why not? It is probably my only chance." Little does she know that decision will change the course of her life.
   Turns out Avery's unknown father is part of a secret society that runs the world. He has never met her and has sent Jack to bring Avery to Paris to meet the family. But another family has sent different young man for Avery and his name is Stellan. What happens next is a wild and exciting ride through Paris. A visit to the Prada store, a private airplane ride to Istanbul for a party and a trio of bad guys not far behind relentless in their pursuit of the 'girl with the violet eyes'. There is a puzzle Avery must solve and I found it almost an afterthought. It provided the author the ability to show off some Parisian history. It was a small irritation though. I loved the action in this book. The novel moved quickly and kept the reader guessing as to where they would go next. There is a cliffhanger ending. Be patient as the author hasn't published the second one yet.


Six Degrees of Reading: The Selection by Kiera Cass, The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios.  

A Small Indiscretion/Jan Ellison/323 pages

Annie Black sits down to write a letter to her son to explain everything that led up to his tragic accident and how life has changed since. Her story goes back to the year before she met her husband when she was living in London trying to save money to study in France. She had fled her colorless life in the States looking for adventure. Her memory of what happened may be skewed by time and guilt. Ultimately, she has to face what happened all those years ago and how it effects the present.

A very good first novel. This is our book club selection for the month, and I look forward to the discussion.

Where They Found Her/Kimberly McCreight/326 pages

When an infant's body is found in the woods back behind Ridgedale University, Molly Sanderson gets the call to go investigate for the local newspaper. The other "real" reporters are unavailable, as is the paper's contributing editor, so Molly, the paper's freelance features reporter, is it. Any other story would be welcomed as her big break, but Molly delivered a stillborn baby a while ago and suffered from severe depression.

As she uneasily begins the questioning of authorities, she finds herself drawn into the mystery of whose baby it is and what is the significance of where she was dumped. Is the long ago accidental death of a teen in the same spot merely a coincidence?

Told from several difference viewpoints (almost a requirement these days) and covering different time periods, McCreight weaves a intricate story of murder, betrayal and tragedy.

The Hurricane Sisters/Dorothea Benton Frank/326 pages

Maisie, Liz and Ashley represent three generations of an old Charleston family. Maisie is the 80-year-old, fun-loving grandmother who is in a relationship with the 65-year-old chauffer her daughter Liz hired when it became apparent that Maisie was  a threat to anyone else on the road. Liz is the wife of very successful (she doesn't even realize how successful) businessman who stays in New York City every week and comes home on the weekends. She's consumed by her charitable work for abused women and hurt by the lack of interest her family shows in her efforts. Ashley is an aspiring painter working in a gallery and living in the family beach house with her friend Mary Beth on Sullivan Island. These women, along with the men in their lives, tell the story from alternating points of view.


Overall, this was a satisfying story about a family and their secrets. I love the Charleston setting and hope to visit there sometime soon. There is a twist I didn't see coming--a small mystery that gives the story some unexpected depth.

My Sunshine Away/M. O. Walsh/20th Century Challenge

Growing up in an upper middle class neighborhood in Baton Rouge seems to be almost like a Norman Rockwell painting of Southern idyllic life. Children playing together, cookouts, colorful crepe myrtles and college football all sound like the perfect childhood. But when 15-year-old Lindy Simpson in attacked just down the street from her own house, the neighborhood takes on a darker side. Several suspects emerge, including the narrator of the story. His obsessive love, crossing the line into stalking, makes his own mother wonder about his involvement. Through his eyes, we see how life was before and after the attack and how he tries to set things right.


Beautifully written, this story truly captures the magic of growing up in a close-knit neighborhood with all the underlying currents of secrecy and dysfunction. This was a very fast read, mainly because it's hard to put down.

The Bishop's Wife/Mette Ivie Harrison/345 pages

Linda Walheim is the title character. She's used to her life being interrupted by the demands of the ward. When a distraught father comes to their house in the middle of a cold Utah night with his young daughter, she does what is expected of her and cares for the child while the man consults with her husband privately. Did the wife and mother merely walk away from her life with her family or is there something more sinister happening? Additionally, another ward member is facing death, and secrets from his past start to come to the surface. Did his first wife die in an accident or did she have a disease? No one really knows or remembers.


Harrison gives the reader some insight into the Mormon church but don't expect a hard-hitting expose on the church and its teachings. The stories and the mysteries in the book have great promise but don't completely deliver on the build up. I was hoping for something more, but it is entertaining and worth reading. At the very least, I learned more about the Mormon church.

The Husband's Secret / Liane Moriarty / 394 p.

Liane Moriarty creates wonderful, realistic characters.  This was a book club selection, but I was also interested after reading Moriary's "Big Little Lies." This story is told through three families whose lives are intertwined by tragedy. 


Rachel still suffers after 28 years over the death of her teenage daughter; Tess's life is turned upside down when her husband and cousin announce that they are "in love;" Cecilia is broadsided by a letter written by her husband years ago that was to be opened "in the event of his death." I could relate to all that was happening to these women. When Rachel, a grandmother, expresses dismay and pain at the news that her son's family will be moving from their home in Australia to New York City, I could feel it viscerally.

I did like this book, but I have to say that I like "Big Little Lies" more. But this one shows quite well that our actions--both big and small--can have major consequences.