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Panic hits the perfect family when the mom disappears into thin air one day. The four grown kids come home to take care of dad only to find out that maybe all wasn't so grand at the Delaney household. Joy and Stan have run a successful tennis school, have a great marriage and still play doubles so no one understands it when Stan ends up as the murder suspect. The couple also have recently taken in a young woman who seems more than a little sketchy to the kids. There is family drama and secrets galore just like Liane Moriarty is known for. 4 stars 
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There are fault lines in every marriage. Little stress fractures that given the right circumstances can build into a giant sink hole if the big one comes along. Mizuki is the picture of a modern Tokyo housewife with two beautiful children and a successful husband. She loves her children and appreciates the life her husband's hard work is providing but wants more out her day than laundry, food prep and kid entertainment. One night it is too much and she explores the city alone. She meets a man who offers her conversation, is interested in her as a thinking person and makes her laugh. These meetings continue making the fault line widen wondering if the big one comes what direction she will take or if the foundation will hold. Emily Itami gives us a glimpse into the life of many Tokyo women who constantly straddle the division between old world views of marriage and home life and the lure of freedom that a modern environment promises. She has written a story that women around the world can relate to and a charming love letter to her native Tokyo full of fabulous sights, food and customs. 4 stars  At first glance it seems like it is just mom and dad's relationship failing but soon their three daughters lives begin to get messy. The twins almost drowning under the eye of mom and dad was the tip of the iceberg as we follow a year in the life of the Alvarado family. Day by Day we see the progress or lack of in trying to save a marriage and see the truth behind the successful daughters and their own relationship failings. The book comes across like the weather patterns in L.A. of late - no rain, too much rain, always sunny and way too many fires but life keeps going pretty much the same as it always did. Sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating and very honest this is a look at what could be anyone's family. Perfect for readers who want deep family connections and lots of drama. 4 stars  Three black women from different backgrounds find common ground living in a different country far from home. Kemi is a successful marketing pro from the states who is hired to head up a diversity team at a top firm in Sweden. Brittany is a flight attendant in the states who is swept off her feet by a wealthy Swedish marketing executive who is determined to marry her and have her move to Sweden. Muna is a refugee from Somalia who lands in Sweden and is determined to love her new country but is suffering from a traumatic event that happened at the refugee shelter. All three must learn a new language, new customs and deal with some of the same racial injustice or ignorance as their parent country. This interesting novel looks at race but also economic classes , immigration in other countries and mental illness. An interesting viewpoint from a debut author I hope we hear more from. This book would partner nicely to THE OTHER BLACK GIRL and the WWII novel SISTERS IN ARMS. 4 stars  A sweet story about the power of libraries and books as well as standing up for what you believe in. In a small English village there lives a little library that was once run by June's mom until she passed and where June still works as a Library Assistant. She feels keeping things exactly the way they have been but deep down she is starting to realize that she has stopped living her life. The situation changes when a plot to shut down the library by the city council spurs everyone to action. June must find her voice and stand up for the people who will miss the library the most. As June acts more like HORTON HEARS A WHO, she begins to believe in herself. A must for every librarian! 4 stars  This story speaks to many - it reminds us that there is never a gap too big between age, gender or culture that can't be bridged by an act of kindness and that great books bring us together. THE READING LIST is a love story about libraries and our love affair with books like this one that touch our soul. A found list of recommended classic books helps a widower reconnect with life and sparks a friendship with a teen librarian who is dealing with overwhelming family issues. By reading and discussing these books they find ways to reach out to others and cope with their own joys and sorrows. A heartbreaker and tearjerker that makes you feel uplifted as you are sniffling, this is the book that you will pass onto everyone this summer. I began forming my own list almost immediately and enjoyed the author's list at the end of the book. For fans of ELLIE AND THE HARPMAKER, ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE and THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKERY. 5 stars This review and Lake Travis Community LIbrary was featured in LIbraryReads this month.  A family saga about loggers in California where the only way to make it is to own a piece of the ridge with the old redwoods. For most it is an unattainable dream but Rich has a shot at buying 24-7. His wife Colleen is a midwife who has suffered many miscarriages and is noticing that she is not alone. While logging puts food on the table this story digs deep into the toll it takes on the community and the dangers involved. A beautifully written debut full of parallels between the beauty of the forest and the giant redwoods and their value as timber and the dangers and loss of life from tearing them all down and pollutants. We get into the morality and the politics of logging but more so how it effects the people who make a living from it. The characters feel real - their joys, pain and hardships. The forest gives and takes no matter how hard you work or how good you are. Readers of DEEP RIVER by Karl Marlantes or other books on the logging industry as well as those who enjoy a character driven story of hardship and hard work. 4 1/2 stars  An inside look at the uber rich folks of Palm Beach as seen through the eyes of an ex-actor and his freelance journalist wife and their infant son. Leaving New York was easy when Mickey gets a great job offer to be a house manager for a wealthy couple in Florida. At first Rebecca turns up her nose at an attitude and lifestyle she doesn't agree with or understand but soon she too ends up on the Stone's payroll. Life is good on the fringe until a medical emergency forces them to leave the moral high ground and rely on the Stones even more. This is another example of those people who don't understand the wealthy until they end up with money themselves and it is easy to take the higher ground until that money becomes necessary. Like they say- money doesn't make you happy but it does make things easier. 4 stars  The Brennans are a close Irish Catholic family so when things go wrong they band together though that doesn't mean there won't be words. Sunday ran away to L.A. to find herself but instead found herself in a hospital after a car crash. Now, back in the firm embrace of her family she needs to make amends to her ex-fiancee, make nice to her brothers, try to save the family pub from financial ruin and deal with the issues that forced her to leave in the first place. The other thing she needs to do is keep a lid on all the family secrets that are threatening to come to the surface. I enjoyed the banter of the siblings and their fierce loyalty to each other but don't confuse this with THE WALTONS, this family has a very dark side. So pull up a stool, draw yourself a pint and get to know the Brennans. This debut would lend itself to a mini series! Fans of family drama with a dark side will enjoy. 4 stars  Christy Lefteri's stories have a profound effect on me. There is such simple beauty and peace in her descriptions amidst violent or destructive settings. In this case, it is the migrating songbirds and their freedom as opposed to the hunting of these birds and the longing and loneliness of the characters. This is the story of Nisha ,an immigrant worker from Sri Lanka and her employer Petra. Petra is a single mom who employs Nisha and doesn't bother to get to know her thinking only of her as hired help for housekeeping and as a nanny to Petra's daughter. Nisha works from 6am to 7pm every day but Sunday leaving her with little time for friends or relationships and a small window to communicate with her daughter back home. When Nisha goes missing Petra begins to learn more about this woman who has been a huge part of her life for years but may as well be a stranger. Christy Lefteri shares a very personal look at those who are usually overlooked. This is the perfect choice for readers who are looking to expand their understanding of the world around us. 4 1/2 stars  |
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