Margot Livesey - The Missing World: A Novel

6. The Missing World: A Novel by Margot Livesey (1999) 
Length: 326 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 17 January 2015
Finished: 21 January 2015
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 8 December 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

What if - by a seeming stroke of fortune - you could start again, could start afresh and wipe away that one catastrophic blunder in your past. Just how far would you go to establish that you had, in fact, done nothing wrong at all? After an accident causes Hazel to have amnesia, and she loses three years' worth of her memory, just such an opportunity is presented to her ex-boyfriend Jonathan. He is absolutely undone by his betrayal of this woman, whom he professes to love above all, and he is determined to do everything within his power to make it up to her; to earn her forgiveness.

While Jonathan begins to rewrite his and Hazel's history together, two other misfits - an American sojourner and an unlucky English actress - travel around London, each of them haunted by indelible memories which they would much rather forget. Eventually their hopes for redemption draw them toward Jonathan and Hazel, who has become a virtual prisoner of Jonathan's most cherished whims and desires. The story that follows is a brilliantly inverted love story: a story which chronicles one man's desperate attempts to realize and rationalize a lie, and a woman's harrowing attempts to recognize the truth.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Margot Livesey is, in my opinion, a terrific writer, and she captures the essence of characters beautifully. As a matter of fact, the character of Charlotte is so like my sister-in-law, they could have been twins. I give The Missing World: A Novel by Margot Livesey a definite A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Rosa Guy - The Friends

4. The Friends by Rosa Guy (1973)
The Cathy Family Trilogy Book 1
Length: 185 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 13 January 2015
Finished: 14 January 2015
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 July 2001
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Rosa Guy is a new author for me.

For fourteen-year-old Phyllisia Cathy, the problems that she has as well as her lifestyle have become increasingly overwhelming. Having recently arrived from an island in the sunlit West Indies - along with her mother, father and sixteen-year-old sister, Ruby - Phyllisia finds it a very difficult adjustment to live in New York. After growing up in such an idyllic paradise, she finds New York cold, cruel and filthy; nothing at all like her previous home. She is insulted daily and is constantly beaten up by her classmates. What Phyllisia desperately needs, as it seems divine intervention is currently unavailable, is a friend. 

When she first started out searching for a friend, Phyllisia would never have put fifteen-year-old Edith Jackson's name anywhere near her list of potential candidates. Edith's clothes are unpressed, her stockings worn and baggy with big holes. She is nothing but a ragamuffin in Phyllisia's mind. Edith's knowledge of school studies is essentially zero; she barely goes to class. She has no parents, she swears and she steals. But she is the only one kind enough to offer her friendship and protection to Phyllisia when she needs it most.

I must say that I found this to be a very intriguing book. In my opinion, it was a deeply thought-provoking and engaging story with a moral; told from a very different perspective. This is a story that I wasn't expecting to be as poignant as it was and I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Jodi Picoult - Lone Wolf

3. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (2012)
Length: 429 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 6 January 2015
Finished: 13 January 2015
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 January 2015
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

For the Warrens, secrets have divided their family for so long, that it seems like they will never be able to come back together by their own choice. Then, on an icy winter night, a terrible accident forces them all to come together and make a fateful decision. It's a decision that will ultimately shake all of their lives to the foundations.

Seventeen-year-old Cara has always been her father, Luke's, little princess, protected by him, and confidently shielded by his love. What nobody realizes, however, is that Cara is tormented by a secret that she can't reveal - to anyone. Her older brother, Edward, has secrets of his own...ones that have kept him estranged from his family for the past six years. He has managed to keep them hidden rather well, but now they may come to light, and if they do, Cara will be devastated.

Their mother, Georgie, always felt like she was never able to compete with her ex-husband's life-long obsessions: wild wolves and their pack structure. This was a subject which Luke became completely immersed in; forsaking his own family in order to spend two years alone in the Canadian wilderness, following several wolf packs during that time - and subsequently running a wilderness sanctuary for wolves. And now, Luke's fate hangs in the balance and is held in the hands of her children; as the ex-wife, it seems as if Georgie has no further say in his personal matters.

With conflicting motivations and emotions, what will this family ultimately decide? And will they be able to live with that decision, after the truth has been revealed? What happens when the hope that should sustain a family in crisis, is the very thing tearing it apart?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion, it was very well-written, and while I found the discussion of the hierarchies within wolf packs to be incredibly detailed; I appreciated how accurately such discussions described the dynamics within the Warren family. I give Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult an A+! I think Ms. Picoult does a tremendous job of getting the reader to care about these characters and about the difficult situation in which they find themselves.

A+! (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Laura Moriarty - The Center of Everything

1. The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty (2003)
Length: 339 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 1 January 2015
Finished: 3 January 2015
Where did it come from? From Bookmooch 
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 29 December 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed The Rest of Her Life: A Novel by the same author in the past.

In The Center of Everything, Laura Moriarty's stunning debut novel, a young girl tries to make sense of the unruly world around her. Ten-year-old Evelyn Brucknow has never really had much of a childhood, having been forced to pretty much take care of herself for most of her life. She lives with her single mother, Tina, in a small apartment in Kansas and just can't help dreaming of more for herself.

Though she is warm and loving, and values her daughter more than anything else in the world, Tina is nevertheless young, immature, and prone to making rash financial decisions. This personality type often leaves Evelyn feeling as if she is the rational adult in their troubled relationship. Growing up with a chronically out of work mother, whose most recent romance with her married boss has failed and left her jobless and desperate, Evelyn feels more and more anxious about their increasingly precarious financial situation. She resolves to distance herself from her mother's irresponsibility as much as she can.

However, Evelyn just can not escape the claustrophobic feeling of being stuck where she is - somewhere in the middle of Kansas - between her best friends, and in the midst of her mother's love...right in the center of everything. The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty is an extraordinary and affecting portrayal of a troubled mother/daughter relationship, as well as an eye-opening look at life in a small midwestern town. All this is experienced and seen through the eyes of a teenage girl; who also must come to terms with the heartbreaking lesson of first love - that not all loves are meant to be - and determine who she is and who she wants to be.

I absolutely loved this book and found myself completely immersed in the story right away. This book held my attention from beginning to end, and was one of those books that I never wanted to end. Although the plot wasn't all that action-packed - it was basically about living life in a small town, and the various trials and tribulations faced by the struggling residents - it still moved along at a leisurely pace and was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me. I give this book a definite A+! 

I think that Ms. Moriarty is a terrific writer and I am eagerly awaiting her next book - what ever it might be.

A+! - (96-100%)
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Alice Hoffman - The Ice Queen

124. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman (2005)
Length: 211 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 21 December 2014
Finished: 23 December 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 19 December 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed Blackbird House by the same author in the past.

Once, in a childish fit of temper, the eight-year-old heroine of Alice Hoffman's The Ice Queen angrily wished to never see her mother again. Suddenly the little girl and her brother Ned were orphaned, and she was convinced that simply by stomping her feet she had shattered her world. While Ned dealt with the grief of his mother's passing by becoming a meteorologist: applying reason and logic to bad weather; as his sister grows into adulthood, she finds herself emotionally frozen.

Now working as a librarian somewhere in a small town, she lives a generally quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and suddenly, while standing in her house, she is struck by lightning. However, instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event provides just the impetus she needs to restart her life. Determined to study the case histories of several survivors of lightning strikes, Ned convinces his sister to join him in learning more about the mysteries of lightning.

For her, being struck by lightning has left her with an inability to recognize the color red; and she soon finds herself fascinated by the awesome power of lightning. Witnessing the withering of trees and landscape near a strike, hearing the various stories of the medical traumas and odd new abilities of victims, all the myths of renewal; she is utterly amazed. Although she is a recluse, she goes in search of one Lazarus Jones - a local farmer rumored to have beaten death after a lightning strike: to have seen the other side and come back.

Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her polar opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets - secrets that turned one person to ice and the other to fire.

I must say, that while this book was very good, and I enjoyed the story very much; in my opinion it still was slightly strange. I honestly don't know that much about lightning - although I do follow all the warnings about what not to do during thunderstorms - but even if only a fraction of what is described by the characters can happen in reality - I would be curious to find out. It was incredible to me. I give The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman an A! This was actually quite a fascinating book.

A! - (90-95%) 

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Laura Moriarty - The Rest of Her Life: A Novel

123. The Rest of Her Life: A Novel by Laura Moriarty (2007)
Length: 306 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 18 December 2014
Finished: 21 December 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 August 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Laura Moriarty is a new author for me.

Leigh Churchill is the mother of two lovely children - eighteen-year-old Kara - a high-achieving, popular high school senior, destined to go on to college; and Justin - a shy, awkward fourteen-year-old. While she has a wonderful relationship with Justin, for some reason that she can't identify, Leigh's relationship with Kara is strained and difficult. For the life of her, she can't understand what she may have done - or didn't do - that caused such coolness between herself and her daughter.

Then, in a single moment of careless distraction, Kara makes a mistake that ends in tragedy - something that no matter how much she may want to, she can't change or take back. Kara's actions not only divide Leigh's family, but polarize the entire community. We see the story from Leigh's perspective: as she watches her daughter struggling with the feelings of guilt and grief caused by what she has done; as Leigh herself grapples with the harsh reality of what happened and the devastating consequences which Kara's actions have on the family of another teenage girl in town; all while trying to shield and protect Kara in the face of rising public outcry. 

The Rest of Her Life: A Novel by Laura Moriarty delivers a luminous, compassionate, and provocative look at how even mothers and daughters with the best intentions can be blind to the harm they do to one another. Ms. Moriarty's novel is one of complex moral dilemma, filled with nuanced characters and a page-turning plot that makes readers ask themselves, "What would I do if I were in a similar situation?"

For myself, I absolutely loved this book. The story was filled with complex characters and intricate family dynamics, just the sort of story that I enjoy reading. I found Ms. Moriarty's writing and plot development to be spot on; very believable and with a strong basis in reality. I give The Rest of Her Life: A Novel by Laura Moriarty an A+! I will certainly be on the look out for more of Laura Moriarty's books to read in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Margot Livesey - Homework: A Novel

122. Homework: A Novel by Margot Livesey (1990)
Length: 339 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 17 December 2014
Finished: 18 December 2014
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 15 December 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed The House on Fortune Street: A Novel by the same author in the past.

For the most part, Celia Gilchrist is living a happy life. Despite feeling slightly lonely and a bit like a third wheel when she's around her friends, Celia is nevertheless quite content living on her own, answering to no one else - except her cat Tobias. Yes, life is good for Celia Gilchrist.

When she meets Stephen, Celia is ecstatic and believes that she has finally found the right man to share her life. He is a wonderful man - a math teacher at her friend Deirdre's school - very solicitous of Celia, and a loving father to his daughter Jenny. So she moves in with Stephen and Jenny, and happily takes her place within their lovely ready-made family.

Yet, shortly after Celia moves in, things begin to go subtly, menacingly wrong. Money disappears, a sweater of Celia's is ruined; small, commonplace lies escalate into awkward confrontations. Ms. Livesey's debut novel is a stunning and affecting portrait of jealousy and fear, devotion and the desire to be loved.

I was absolutely captivated by this book. The plot was utterly believable to me, and the characters were well-developed and fairly jumped off the page - at least in my opinion. I really didn't want this book to end, and I found myself wondering what would happen next. I would give this book an A+! and am happy to say that I recently obtained another book by Margot Livesey - The Missing World: A Novel.

A+! - (96-100%)
       
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Scott Spencer - Preservation Hall

117. Preservation Hall by Scott Spencer (1976)
Length: 308 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 3 December 2014
Finished: 5 December 2014
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap 
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 12 August 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed A Ship Made of Paper: A Novel by the same author in the past.

Meet Virgil Morgan, a young man in his late twenties who, to the world at large, seems to have all the earmarks of success: a luxurious apartment, a consultant job that pays extremely well and takes surprisingly little energy, and an idyllic marriage to a beautiful and creative woman named Tracy.

Meet Virgil's father Earl Morgan, a one-time high school music teacher who has always dreamed of greatness even as he hurtles towards oblivion. A hapless man who watches his wife pack a suitcase and leave him for good, who refuses to give up his beret and goatee. Yes, Virgil has always had a precarious relationship with his father; seeing Earl as an embarrassment - forever a source of gut-wrenching failure for Virgil, a man who wallows in his myriad personal failings too often and too well.

Virgil has done his best to stay away from Earl, and for most of his life that has worked quite well for him. When he and Tracy purchase their dream house in Maine, a cozy cottage they christen 'Preservation Hall', it looks as if he'll succeed - until a long-awaited romantic interlude is invaded by an unwanted visitor, and a sudden blizzard sets the stage for a terrifying week; forcing Virgil to confront the long-repressed ghosts from his past.

I must say that I absolutely loved this book. This is actually the second book that I've read by Scott Spencer and in my opinion, this story was fast-paced and very exciting. The characters were well-developed and sympathetically drawn, and the ones that were meant to be likable I liked very much. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Margot Livesey - The House on Fortune Street: A Novel

116. The House on Fortune Street: A Novel by Margot Livesey (2008)
Length: 311 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 1 December 2014
Finished: 3 December 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 20 July 2012
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Margot Livesey is a new author for me.
 
It seems like a stroke of mutual good luck for Abigail Taylor and Dara MacLeod when they meet while studying at St. Andrews University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite their differences, the two young women form a firm and fast friendship and a lasting, unshakable bond. Even years later, they remain such an unlikely pair.

Abigail - an actress who confidently uses her talent both on and offstage - charms everyone she meets, but believes herself immune to love. Dara - a counselor at a crisis center - is convinced that everyone is somehow irrevocably marked by their childhood; she throws herself into romantic relationships with frightening intensity.

Yet now it appears that each woman has finally found "true love". Is this another stroke of luck? Proof that each relationship is a once-in-a-lifetime love? Abigail has apparently found love with her academic boyfriend, Sean, and Dara with a tall, dark violinist named Edward; who quite literally falls at her feet. However, soon after Dara moves into Abigail's downstairs apartment, trouble threatens both relationships, as well as their friendship.

For Abigail, the trouble comes in the form of an anonymous letter, addressed to Sean and accusing Abigail of being unfaithful; for Dara, a reconciliation with her estranged father Cameron - who left the family when Dara was ten - reawakens some very complicated feelings. Through four ingeniously interlocking narratives - Sean's, Cameron's, Dara's, and Abigail's - we gradually come to understand how these characters' lives were shaped by both chance and determination. Whatever the source, there is absolutely no mistaking the veil that falls when tragedy strikes the house on Fortune Street.

I absolutely loved this book. In my opinion, it was a poignant and thought-provoking story - very intelligently and thoughtfully written. For me, this was also a compulsively readable story - one that I just could not put down. It was an interesting and engaging plot, and I needed to know what would happen next. I give The House on Fortune Street: A Novel by Margot Livesey an A+! and must say, that while this is the first book by this author that I've read, it most certainly won't be my last.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Alice Hoffman - Blackbird House

113. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman (2004)
Length: 225 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 25 November 2014
Finished: 26 November 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 9 April 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Alice Hoffman is a new author for me.

Welcome to Blackbird House - a small farm on the outer reaches of Cape Cod, imbued with as much vitality as the people who live there. For the past two centuries, Blackbird House has stood as a testament to time and the passage of history; a place as bewitching and alive as the characters we meet. There is Violet Cross, a brilliant young woman who is in love with books and with a man who is destined to betray her; Lysander Wynn, attacked by a halibut the size of horse, is convinced that his life is ruined until a boarder wearing red boots arrives to change everything; and Maya Cooper, someone who does not understand the true meaning of the love shared between her mother and father until it is almost too late.

From the time of the British occupation of Massachusetts to present day in our own modern world, for each family that lives within the walls of Blackbird House, their lives are inexorably changed for however long they may stay. Not only by the people they love, but also by themselves and the lives that they lead within Blackbird House. For more than a dozen men and women who have lived inside Blackbird House, they will learn just how much love transforms us and how it is the one lasting element in our lives.

These interconnected narratives are as intelligent as they are haunting, as luminous as they are unusual. In a rare and gorgeous departure, Alice Hoffman weaves a web of evocative tales that becomes a glorious travelogue through time and fate, through loss and love and survival. The past both dissipates and remains contained inside the rooms of Blackbird House, where there are terrible secrets, inspired beauty, and, above all else, a spirit of coming home.

I must admit that I was slightly disappointed in my reading of Blackbird House; but that is only because I wanted more from each story. It felt slightly incomplete to me. I suppose that was because I wanted to know more of a back story with each of the characters, and I had a nagging feeling of being left hanging, wondering what would happen next. In my opinion though, reading this book was certainly still very enjoyable. 

In my opinion, each story was beautifully and lyrically written, if somewhat unusual and fantastic in places. I would give Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman a definite A! I have maybe two or three other books by Ms. Hoffman on my bookshelf that I might be interested in reading sometime in the future, but I'll need to search them out. I'm sure they'll turn up at some point.

A! - (90-95%)
   
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Warren Adler - Random Hearts

111. Random Hearts by Warren Adler (1984)
Length: 267 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 20 November 2014
Finished: 23 November 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 10 May 2001
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Warren Adler is a new author for me.

In a perfect world, people like Edward Davis and Vivien Simpson would never have met. He's a happily married man; an ambitious aide to an important Congressman who loves his wife. She's a happily married woman; a housewife with a young son and a dog who absolutely adores her lawyer husband. They are each living the good life - or so they believe. 

There is absolutely no earthly reason why they should ever meet...

Until a commercial airliner crashes into the Potomac River with eighty-four souls on board. Two of the victims are linked by a clue that at first stuns and baffles, then draws together their surviving spouses; and sends them on a dizzying exploration of their loved ones private lives. The secrets that they uncover about the people that they loved are totally unexpected. 

The explosive discovery leads Edward and Vivien on a journey that ultimately forces them to confront the mysterious and random nature of love - and the transforming power it wields over the men and women caught up in its relentless maelstrom.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion, this was an emotional and very human story. It showed me how the consequences of a single action can ultimately tear apart a person's life - the feelings of hurt and betrayal, anger and confusion that can potentially ruin someone's happiness and contentment with life. 

This was the first book by Warren Adler that I've ever read and I give it an A+! Although Mareena has seen the 1999 movie adaptation of this book - starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas - at least once with a friend of hers; she and I have only ever seen portions of the movie together. Maybe the next time it comes on television, we'll watch the entire movie. However, in my personal opinion, the book is better than the movie; so watching the movie isn't all that imperative to me.

A+! - (96-100%)
 
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Susan Kenney - In Another Country

108. In Another Country by Susan Kenney (1984)
The Boyd Family Series Book 1
Length: 215 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 10 November 2014
Finished: 11 November 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 10 October 2000
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Susan Kenney is a new author for me.

At the age of twelve, Sara Boyd loses her forty-year-old father. For herself and her younger brother and sister, his death is their first brush with tragedy. This is an event which will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and his loss will ultimately affect all of their future relationships in one way or another.

As an adult, Sara realizes that her father's early death is actually the catalyst for her mother's frequent bouts of madness; and in turn, each of these manic episodes increasingly disturb Sara's own life - unduly straining both her marriage and family. When her husband subsequently becomes seriously ill, Sara draws on her past experiences to find the renewed strength to carry on.

I enjoyed reading this book very much; I found it to be a very poignant, well-told story. This book has been described as six interrelated short stories, but I think it would be far more accurate to describe them as six short vignettes in Sara's life. Each vignette is gut-wrenching in its own way, but doesn't necessarily seem to me to be excessively maudlin. I give this book an A+! and would be very interested to read the sequel, Sailing, if at all possible.

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

LaVyrle Spencer - Small Town Girl

106. Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer (1997)
Length: 364 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 3 November 2014
Finished: 6 November 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 August 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Eighteen years ago, a young and hopeful Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri, for the bright lights of Nashville and she never once looked back. Now considered to be one of country music's brightest stars, "Mac" McPhail is a millionairess many times over, whose career is her life. At thirty-five years old, Mac has no time for marriage, children, or kinfolk - until her sisters insist that she finally come home to help care for their widowed mother, Mary.

Assuming that staying in Wintergreen for the next month will be merely dreary, Mac is totally unprepared for what awaits her. After almost two decades spent basking in the public's adoration of her, she is suddenly an inconspicuous, almost inconsequential person - insulted by her jealous older sister, enraged by her intractable mother, and ignored by Kenny Kronek, the next-door neighbor she mercilessly taunted all through high school. Now a handsome divorcé who dotes upon his teenage daughter, Casey, Kenny is widely respected in the community. And he seems downright indifferent towards Mac, refusing to even give her the time of day.

Once she discovers Casey is a promising country music talent, Mac assumes the role of singing mentor for the girl. She gradually becomes an integral part of life in Wintergreen, and the feigned indifference between Mac and Kenny soon turns from playful bickering to sudden passion. By month's end, Mac McPhail is a completely changed woman; she has not only grown to treasure the priceless solidarity of family and community, but also opened up her heart to love.

Yet what was possible in the small town of Wintergreen, appears to be nothing more than a naive fantasy back in Nashville. Under Nashville's bright and harsh stage lights - in the realm of super stardom - is there room for caring and commitment; or is a woman who is worshipped by millions destined to always be alone?

While I certainly enjoyed reading this book, the story was somewhat predictable to me in places. I appreciated that it was an easy read, and it was definitely well-written. However, I must admit that this wasn't my absolute favorite book by LaVyrle Spencer. I give this book a B+!

B+! - (89-94%)  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Martha Moody - Best Friends

104. Best Friends by Martha Moody (2001)
Length: 483 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 27 October 2014
Finished: 29 October 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Martha Moody is a new author for me. 

Oberlin College, Ohio, 1973 - When Clare Mann arrives at Oberlin, she is absolutely ecstatic to be on her own finally. She lives in a small Ohio town somewhere between Akron and Youngstown, but the novelty of being even an hour away from home thrills her. Clare first meets Sally Rose - a transplant from Los Angeles - at freshman orientation and they are basically thrown together as college roommates. 

Clare, the daughter of a Protestant, working-class family from Ohio, has never met anyone like her new roommate, Sally. Wealthy and beautiful; and Jewish, Sally is barely emancipated from her close-knit Los Angeles family, and has led an otherwise sheltered life. She is utterly foreign to the hard-working, jaded Clare - and utterly fascinating. 

Clare's fascination with Sally only intensifies, when she brings Clare home to Los Angeles to meet the Rose family. Sid Rose, Sally's father, is charismatic, charming; the owner of a profitable business which is shrouded in secrecy. He is almost as compelling a figure to Clare as he is to his own daughter. California seems like a veritable paradise after spending winters in Ohio; and soon Clare begins to look forward to these visits with an almost desperate enthusiasm; to the numerous carefree rides in Sally's Kharmann Ghia and the seemingly endless lazy days spent poolside. 

Despite their many differences, the free-spirited Clare and a frequently homesick Sally soon overcome their mutual bafflement with each other to form an extraordinary friendship; a complicated, but tenacious bond that endures through the years. As the years pass, Clare becomes a doctor and Sally a lawyer; but they always remain roommates at heart, just a plane ride or a phone call away. Marriages and divorces, births and deaths do not separate them; but secrets just might - for as Clare watches, the Rose family begins to slowly disintegrate before her eyes. And the things she knows are the kinds of things that no one ever wants to tell a best friend. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the story was totally engrossing and I almost didn't want it to end. With the various plot twists, intrigue, secrets and intricate family dynamics, this story held my interest right until the end. As I've said before, I always enjoy reading stories about families, and most especially about the enduring friendships between women. 

I give Best Friends by Martha Moody an A+! This is Ms. Moody's debut novel, and I'm delighted to say that I have her next book - The Office of Desire - somewhere on my bookshelf as well. In my opinion, she is quite an excellent writer.  

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Nicholas Sparks - At First Sight

103. At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks (2005)
The Jeremy Marsh Series Book 2
Length: 277 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 24 October 2014
Finished: 25 October 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 21 November 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and I have read and enjoyed Nights in Rodanthe by the same author in the past.

There are several things Jeremy Marsh was absolutely sure that he would never do: he'd never leave New York City; never give his heart away again after barely surviving one failed marriage; and never become a parent. Well, Jeremy is now living in the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, engaged to the love of his life, Lexie Darnell, and anticipating the start of their family. Jeremy Marsh's life had certainly taken quite an unexpected turn. 

However, just as his life seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, a mysterious and disturbing email sends him into a tailspin. It also sets into motion a chain of events that will irrevocably change the course of this young couple's relationship. It raises several questions in Jeremy's mind: just how well do we really know the ones we love? How do we handle the inevitable doubts and fears concerning impending parenthood, and the various stumbling blocks that are sometimes placed in our way?   

Continuing the story of Jeremy Marsh and Lexie Darnell - the young couple introduced in Nicholas Sparks' bestselling True Believer - At First Sight manages to capture all the heartbreak, tension, romance and surprises of couples who are newly married. This is an astonishing tale about the love between a man and a woman and between a parent and a child, At First Sight is about endings that bring new beginnings . . .tragedies that lead to unexpected joy. . . and, most of all, the magic of everlasting love.

This is second book by Nicholas Sparks that I've read, and I haven't actually read True Believer. In my opinion, though, I didn't really need to - this worked very well for me as a standalone story. I really enjoyed this book; granted that the story wasn't necessarily about anything earth-shattering; but it was a poignant and heart-warming story nevertheless. This author certainly knows how to develop an unexpected story; the plot was slightly mysterious and was an engagingly quick read for me. I give At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

James Patterson - Sam's Letters to Jennifer

97. Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson (2004)
Length: 263 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 6 October 2014
Finished: 7 October 2014
Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap 
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 6 October 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and had read and enjoyed The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King by the same author in the past. 

A desperate phone call sends Jennifer back to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to the resort village where she grew up, to care for her grandmother Samantha. While she was alone in her house, Sam suffered a terrible fall and is currently comatose in the hospital. Returning to the place where she had spent so many happy summers, Jennifer has no idea that she will soon experience not one but two of the most extraordinary love stories she could ever know.

The first is completely unexpected. In a series of letters that Jennifer discovers which are addressed to her, Sam reveals a huge secret that she has kept concealed for decades: Her greatest love is not the man she was married to for all those years. As Jennifer reads about this passionate partnership, she learns more about love's imperatives and secrets than she ever dreamed possible.

And then comes the biggest surprise of all. At a time when she thought she could never - and would never - experience love again, Jennifer lets her guard down. In that one unguarded moment, Jennifer is swept up in the greatest, most amazing, most exhilarating and emotional flight she's ever known. But, just as suddenly, she learns that this new love comes with an almost unbearable cost. Jennifer doesn't think she can survive the pain - but reading her grandmother's letters to her, Jennifer begins to believe that love may help her find a way. 

I haven't read that many books by James Patterson - only two so far - but I really am intrigued that he can write so well in such a variety of genres. I found this book to be absolutely delightful! It was emotionally poignant; a captivating love story - actually two separate love stories - beautifully intertwined. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)
   
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Robert James Waller - Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend: A Novel

96. Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend: A Novel by Robert James Waller (1993)
Length: 197 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 5 October 2014
Finished: 6 October 2014
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 16 August 2014
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Robert James Waller is a new author for me.

Michael Tillman wasn't a foolish young man, rushing off in pursuit of intangible dreams. He was a down-to-earth, middle-aged, maverick economics professor who still rode a motorcycle that he'd had since he was a teenager. He also never believed in love at first sight, or at least he hadn't until he laid eyes on her...the woman of his dreams.

Her name was Jellie Braden and she was the wife of one of Michael's colleagues, someone who he met at a university in Cedar Bend, Iowa. It was actually mutual attraction at first sight between Michael and the introspective, dark-haired wife of his new colleague. It called forth feelings that just wouldn't disappear.

From the very first instant he saw her, Michael had wanted Jellie with every fiber of his being. Something deep inside had whispered, "That's the one." And Jellie Braden, in her fortieth year, had heard that voice, too. 

Their feelings force these two people to come to terms with their lives in ways they hadn't imagined, and it led them both into the magical places only lovers know. But it also brought with it the pain of choices and loss. Jellie wasn't a free woman. She had secrets of her own to keep, and then one day Jellie mysteriously vanishes without an explanation.

So, a year after they met, Michael finds himself heading into the strange, exotic world of south India looking for her. He is a mature man, certain of what he wants; and he's determined to travel the world searching for Jellie to discover the secrets she was hiding and learn what he has to do to make her his...

Although this was Robert James Waller's second novel after the New York Times bestseller The Bridges of Madison County, it is the first book that I've read by this particular author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story was absolutely delightful in my opinion; the characters were incredibly well-developed and the story was poignant and heartwarming. I found myself really rooting for these characters, hoping that everything would work out well for them. I give this book an A+! and will certainly be looking for more from this author in the future.

A+! - (96-100%)
             
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight