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On the day Alice turns forty she reevaluates her life which is pretty much how she thought it would be except for her dad who is hanging on to life from a hospital bed. Since the beginning it has always been Alice and her dad after Alice's mom left Alice to be raised almost solely by Lawrence. As if by some strange bit of kismet Alice wakes up in her dad's house not as a 40 year old but back as a 16 year old. Ironically, Lawrence is a children's book author who has had a very successful series of two brothers who time travel which allows him to accept his daughter's adventures. Now that she is back with her best friend, a healthy version of her dad, and has the means to change their lives will she make good use of the gift? Given chances to back doesn't mean Alice will know when to stop or which version is best. Time travel junkies will find much to ponder but also those daughters who wish for more time with their parents and the chance to say I love you and thanks for all of it. A heartbreaker, tearjerker ,thought provoking look at life and the paths we choose. 5 LibraryReads stars 
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How long can you keep your identity a secret? For Sylvia, once known as Iris, the answer was "until now". She began her life as one of six girls born into the famous East Coast Chapel family whose fortune from a successful firearms company insured that she and her sisters would be very marriageable. Sadly a curse of massive proportions begins picking off the sisters as soon as they marry. Not wanting to end up in an institution like her mother or worse, Iris finds the only way out is to take on a new identity as Sylvia Wren an artist living a quiet life in New Mexico. That is until a journalist puts together the pieces. Gothic writing style combined with a historically accurate story with a feminist twist that focuses on age old battles women faced of not having control of their lives and total intolerance for being different. This is based on a very famous heiress with gun money roots, Sarah L. Winchester who also struggled with a curse. This will appeal to lovers of gothic classics as well as more spirited reads celebrating feminist viewpoints like PLAIN BAD HEROINES. 4 stars  A broad collection of short stories that highlight our need for connection and human frailty. It doesn't matter if it is a one sided love affair between an older rancher and the very young quirky horse wrangler or a quick romantic interlude between a gymnast and track and field hurdler at the Olympic games we see something in the characters that we can relate to. The comic moments are balanced with tragic scenes and we let Maggie Shipstead do what she does best and that is to introduce us to the best and worst sides of ourselves. 3 stars  This beautiful story is full of complicated relationships , flawed but likable characters and one remarkably bright octopus. Tova is a 70 year old with no family left with the deaths of her husband and teenage son years ago. She is stoic, keeps to herself and is a spotless cleaner both at home and at the aquarium where she works each night. There she makes friends with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who has a habit of escaping his tank and getting into mischief stealing sushi from what is available in the other tanks or seeking treasures from the floor to add to his collection. Tova also befriends a young man who comes to town in search of the father he has never known and ends up working at the aquarium. In this small town where everyone knows your business sometimes better than you do, Tova and Cameron will learn about trust, family and relying on others for help when you need it most. A feel good story of the first order , this publisher Lead Read has a message of understanding and finding friendship in the strangest of places. Marcellus will wrap his tentacles around your heart! Perfect for readers of Fredrik Backman and all those lovely quirky characters as well as those stories with deep human/animal relationships. 5 stars  There is something delightfully cozy about curling up with a book by Emily Henry. Her characters remind us of our flawed but good hearted attempts at doing the right thing and striving to be the best at our profession and not always getting it right. This one is no exception. Nora is a literary agent in NYC who is at the top of her game- her phone is always on, she is always there for her clients and her little sister. The only drawback is her cursed love life and her exes who choose the less ambitious, less workaholic versions of her. Her well intentioned sister Libby forces the two of them on a vacation to the charming setting of Nora's top client. There she runs into the one person she is hoping to avoid - Charlie, who is an equally ambitious and talented editor but they continually butt heads. When they are forced to work together on a project sparks fly and they both see life a bit differently. A familycentric story filled with witty repartee that leaves you with a contented happy sigh - this is a book lovers slice of homemade apple pie. 4 warm sunshine stars  This is a must for Chicagoans as much of how the Sullivan family does is based on that midwestern mantra - Maybe this year will be the end of the Cubs curse, but probably not. It is 2016 and the Cubs have a real shot at winning the World Series (spoiler, they won!), a reality show tyrant has just been elected President and the elder Sullivan has just passed away. The Sullivans have run a successful restaurant just outside of the city and are a mess. While the story centers around life at the restaurant and its people, it is mainly a solid family drama that could take place anywhere. Affairs, sketchy relationships and the basic imperfections that make up most American family drama are all at play here. While the plot doesn't seem to include any earth shattering events it is a deep dive at a classic midwestern family. It gets my vote for one of the most unusual and eye catching book titles. 3 stars  A gangster version of Homer's classic war of two powerful families over a woman. It is the Irish vs. the Italians in Providence Rhode Island where a marriage crosses a big line and ignites a fire. Don Winslow's writing is short and concise and the perfect entry for readers who don't usually read crime fiction. Don't get me wrong though it is still a riveting story of gang violence, families torn apart and innocent victims dragged into situations where they have little control. Every crime family started out as a family and these families are no different. It is the Jets vs. the sharks of Westside Story, THE GODFATHER in Las Vegas, the Capulets vs. the Montagues of ROMEO AND JULIET and it is pure Don Winslow magic. 4 stars  Emma comes home after dropping out of med school to care for her dying dad and her brother's fall into Opiod addiction and rehab. Her best friend is missing and she is unable to heal any of them since her childhood gift of healing has disappeared. Emma is a mess. There are very funny snippets of dialogue from the inhabitants at the local cemetery and real life photographs and descriptions of the town hero naturalist couple. Heartwarming, clever and delivered in a unique way this is about the desire in all of us to heal those we love and the frustration that comes with knowing we can't. A cross between Saunder's LINCOLN IN THE BARDO and a Fannie Flagg small town saga, this had me checking off all the columns. 4 stars  Au pairs in a suburb outside of Paris try to find themselves while dealing with living on the fringe of Paris, the fringe of being accepted by the French and their young charges. The girls do have one friend who runs the school where the au pairs come to escape their host families. When one of the young charges dies and an au pair is suspected the secret lives of a couple of these families will come out in the open. The audio for this book was the perfect choice for being immersed in the language and customs where these au pairs feel so alienated. 4 stars  Elizabeth Zott is a free thinking, no nonsense, fiercely independent female chemist. She is likely to relate everything in life to science and usually combustion follows in her wake. She is the perfect role model for every little girl with big dreams but we are not talking about present day instead, she is dealing with small minds in the early 1960's. When she finds herself unemployed, with a baby and no husband Elizabeth takes on a challenge - a cooking show on tv. Not only will she win over a huge audience captivated by her logic and skill at providing healthy meals but also how she empowers them to live out their full potential. This is Mrs. Maisel wit combined with Julia Child's no nonsense cooking encouraging women to do more than copy the recipes but instead write their own recipes for life. Elizabeth's daughter Mad, her highly intelligent and hard working dog Six Thirty, and best friend Harriet round out this ensemble of smart, fun and inspiring cast of characters. 4 1/2 stars  |
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