This is a love story about 2 people, Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morely who after spending just one night together during college cannot stop thinking about each other. Nothing really happens between them after that first night except the start of a long lasting friendship and a pining for each other that doesn’t seem to go away.  In a way Dex and Em seem like star crossed lovers that just never seem to be able to get it together. Through their 20 years of friendship we see snippets of their relationship on the same day each year…July 15th.  The reader gets to watch each of their lives independently yet watch how they are always still intertwined. Dex starts out as a young  cocky rich kid who travels the world trying to find himself while Emma is a struggling wannabe writer trying to make ends meet as a waitress in a dive of a Mexican restaurant. Dexter starts out happy and carefree while Emma is depressed and miserable and it is interesting to see how thier lives and goals change as they grow up. As most 20 somethings do, they both grow up and their lives change completely yet somehow through all the changes and all the years Dex and Em just have this undeniable connection, some might even call them soulmates. Throughout the book and the years I just couldn’t stop rooting for them.

The characters are British and the writing/ humor reminds me of the book, Bridget Jones Diary.  One Day was an enjoyable story and  a perfect vacation beach book!

Buy One Day (Vintage Contemporaries Original)

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This is a memoir of betrayal and renewal. For several days after reading this book I couldn’t stop thinking about this woman and all she had been through and how she managed to pull herself back from despair. Julie Metz was a 43 year old working mom of 6 year old daughter, who lived in a nice house, in a small town, with her husband. In an instant her life changes when one day her husband literally drops dead in the kitchen of their home. While dealing with the shock of his sudden death and now being  a young widow she comes to find out that her marriage and her husband were not what she thought.  Henry, her husband,  had an entirely hidden life from her and had been unfaithful throughout most of their 12 years of marraige. Upon learning this information and dealing with it the only way she knows how, Julie sets out to confront all of the woman that Henry has been with during their marriage. Although a painful realization, Julie learns from these woman and surprisingly even forms relationships with these woman and through these discoveries and betrayals is able to heal and start a new life for herself.

This ” is a story of rebirth and happiness - if not perfection”.

I really enjoyed this book.

Buy Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal

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This is the newest book by Anna Quindlen, who is an author whose books I have enjoyed in the past. As you know I love to read and I read a lot of historical fiction as well as a lot of books on World War ll, both being genres that are typically pretty graphic and filled with heartbreaking and  horrific tragedy. Every Last One, however is a novel,  a made up story, yet the tragedy in this book was too much for me. I had requested this book from the library several months ago and by the time it arrived all I remembered was that I was looking forward to reading it. Once I get a book I rarely read the cover because I want to be surprised…well boy was I . As I started reading about this typical family and the closeness they shared, as a mother there was so much I could relate too…the chaos, the routine, the love amongst the children and parents. I was able to really identify with the mother, Mary Beth Latham, and how she had built her life around her wonderful family. Of course things were not perfect…Ruby her oldest,  a writer, was getting ready to go to college and they had a typical mother daughter relationship. Mary Beth was learning how to let her daughter grow up, be independent, be with her friends, and she was learning how to let go. Mary Beth also had twin teenage  boys…. Alex, the star athlete, who could do no wrong and Max, the muscian and loner, who was dealing with depression. The first 1/2 of the book goes along  letting you get to know the characters and then a violent explosive  act changes everything for this family. Again perhaps because I could relate to the main character it was just too much for me. I did finish the book since I was already so invested, but I warn you…it is depressing, and I did something I don’t often do while reading, I cried.  So although I read this book and finished it, I have to say I did not like it…not because of the characters or the writing, but I  read for pleasure and enjoyment and this story did not bring me those feelings. With that being said, maybe I have peaked your interest and you want to read the book just to know what I am talking about, and if you do choose to read it, I would love to know how you feel about it.

Buy Every Last One: A Novel

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There was something about this book that just reeled me right in from the first page and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened in the end. It is really a quite simple book, with 3 main characters, who are not very good people, but the author makes you want to get to know them and you really want them to be good people and to make good choices.

The story centers around Ralph Truitt a very very wealthy widow who is looking for a wife. He places an ad in a Chicago newspaper stating he is looking for a “reliable wife”. Catherine Land responds to his ad by letting him know she is a “simple honest woman” and that was enought to catch Ralph’s eye and for him to choose her. She travels on his private train car to Wisconsin in the dead of winter with plans to marry and kill the wealthy widow. Not exactly a simple and honest woman. A curious story unfolds that will surprise you and definitely keep your interest.

The time period is early 1900’s and you get an interesting look at country life in Wisconsin during these times as well as exposure to big city life in St. Louis and Chicago, which I found very interesting.

I definitely recommend this book.
Buy A Reliable Wife

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Chelsea Handler’s news book does not disappoint. Like her other books I have read I literally laugh at loud. She is the only other author so far that has been able to make me do that page after page. This book is similar in fashion to her other books where Chelsea shares funny personal stories of her family, friends and this time her executive E! boyfriend.  There is not much to say about this book except that if you are not easily offended and you want some good laughs, read this book!!! Perfect light summer reading. Enjoy!!!

Buy Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

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I have to admit I am not a fan of the title but I did enjoy the book. The story takes place in the mid 1800’s during the time of slavery in the United States. I have to say this is such a fascinating piece of our history. Like so many of the World War II books I read, slavery in the U.S. and how people can treat each other is not only unbelievable but almost unbearable to read about and think about. One of the most unbelievable parts is that the slave owners saw nothing wrong with their actions….whether it be beating their slaves or raping their slaves, this was “their property” and they could do as they wish. This  unfortunate part of our history did happen and no matter how hard it may be to read or believe, it must be remembered and shared and never forgotten.

Now I will finally get to what this book is about. This story takes place at a summer resort in Ohio, called Tawana House, before the Civil War. It is a place where Northerners and Southerners vacation . The Southern men like to bring along their slave mistresses and leave their wives at home and this does not sit well with the Northerners. Three slave mistresses have become friends over the years and look forward to seeing each other every summer. Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet actually look forward to their summer break and really hadn’t questioned their slavery and freedom until they meet Mawu and the talk of running away and being free and how this  could change everything. What these women had to sacrifice daily in order to survive and save their families was truly dehumanizing. The relationships in the story are complex…there are the slave relationships with each other, the slave /master relationships, the slave mistress relationships with the actual mistresses of the house, the relationships between free colored people and slaves and then with the white Northerners as well. Watching these relationships develop is quite interesting along with reading about the risks that these women take to try and save themselves and their families is inspirational.

I enjoyed this book and this time period and definitely recommend it.

Buy Wench: A Novel

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This novel takes place on a farm in the Mississippi Delta. Henry McAllan realizes his dream of owning his own land so he uproots his wife and children from the city and brings them to the country. While Henry cannot be more excited about this move and the thought of having animals and farming cotton, his wife Laura is terrified by the thought. To make matters even worse then uprooting her life from her own family and friends from the city to the country….the farm house has no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and when it rains is surrounded by mud. Plus in addition to all that she has to endure, her cranky, racist father in- law moves in with them.

There is another family that is involved in this story and they are black sharecropper tenants, Hap, Florence and their children. Both families have soldiers that have returned from fighting in World War II and both are forever changed and struggle being back. Jamie McAllan is Henry’s younger brother and Ronsel is Hap and Florence’s oldest child. These 2 men form an unlikely friendship and after all they have survived in the war come back to battle bigotry in their own country. The stories of these two families and how they are intertwined and how they survive through these difficult times is a good read.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I am still trying to imagine however no indoor plumbing and no electricity - urgh!!!

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This was the perfect book to take a break from some of the heavier stuff I have been reading lately. This is a story about three, 17 year old girls, who are best friends, and think having a baby will be the best thing in the world, so they decide to form a pregnancy pact. Little do they realize when they start this journey that a baby will not just affect them but also their families, especially their mothers who are looked down upon and judged for ”letting” their daughters do this.  In the story not only are the daughters best friends but  the mothers are best friends  as well, and in their naive 17 years old minds they think that their “daughters” will be best friends too. Ironically, Susan, one of the mothers was  a teenage mother herself, and is now the principal of the high school that the girls attend. You can imagine the uproar that these teenage pregnancies cause in this small town and how quickly the opinion of this highly regarded woman changes. The story is an emotional rollercoaster for all involved.

The author focuses on the friendships of the 3 mothers and the friendships of the 3  daughters as well as  the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. Forgiveness is also a strong theme on so many different levels throughout the book. Although the topic is a tough one, the story was light and easy to read and get through. I enjoyed it.

Buy Not My Daughter

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I love reading good quality books and this was one of those of those books. This is another World War ll story that takes place near the end of the war in 1945. There are 2 stories going on. The first is of an aristocratic Prussian family leaving everything they have to head towards safety and away from the impending arrival of the Russians.   In the dead of winter, along with all the thousands of other people and families, they leave their successful farming business, house and most valuable possessions. It is a brutal journey as you can imagine. Travelling with the family is a Scottish POW and secret lover of the family’s 18 year old daughter, Anna. Along the way they pick up another traveller who appears to be German but is really a young Jewish man.  He was living in Germany  and managed  to escape from a train that  was leading him and his family to Auschwitz. It is amazing to watch the family’s bravery and to see the relationships that form with the Scottish POW and Jewish man.

The second story we follow is a group of Jewish women from a working camp. We see how difficult their day to day  struggle to just survive is and  we watch how friendships were truly able to help save them.

As with most of the World War II books parts are so diffiuclt to read and beleive but the stories of these people, their hardships and loss,  although heartbreaking, are stories that need to be told.

Mr. Bohjalian does a wonderful job telling these stories and at times I could not put this book down. I have to say after the first 80 pages I really started to get into the story more and more. So if you are like me, just give it a little time and it will be worth it. I highly reccomend this book.

Buy Skeletons at the Feast: A Novel

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I loved this book …and it’s been 3 days since I have finished reading it and I cannot stop thinking about it. This is another WWII story but  not your typical story. Don’t get me wrong…the war is going on…there are atrocities for sure…and heart break, and the heroine of this story is a Jewish girl…but it takes a look at non Jews as well, and how the war effected everyone, even unborn babies. This novel takes us into the little known world of the Nazi Lebensborn, which were maternity homes for pregnant girls carrying German babies. These girls were treated so well…and fed so well…when so many people were starving during these times. But these young, unwed girls were important to the Germans…in fact many thought this was their job…to produce German babies for their country.

Cyrla, is a young Jewish girl, sent from Poland by her father, to live with her Dutch relatives in hopes of keeping her safe during these frightful time.Cyrla was lucky she had 5 wonderful years with her new family before everything changed. Cyrla had lived with her aunt, uncle and cousin Anneke, who was more like her twin sister then cousin. In an unexpected turn of events Cyrla ’s world changes completely and the journey she embarks on is one no one would expect. In the midst of all this uncertainly, heartbreak and unsafe condtions for the Jews an unexpected love story transpires, again one that no one would suspect, especially Cyrla. I highly recommend this book and it was one I just didn’t want to put down.

Buy My Enemy’s Cradle

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