sad, but uplifting too...

Wow, this book, "One Summer" by David Baldacci was so unbelievably good, sad too.  I even cried and I hardly ever do that for a book.

The book is about Jack Armstrong, who has terminal illness.  He is given very little time and is trying to find a way to deal with that.  His wife goes out to pick up some medicine for him and is killed in a car crash.  Jack's kids are taken away, split up and cared for by family and he is placed in hospice while he waits for his life to come to an end.  But then Jack starts to get better.  Doctors cannot explain it, but the disease he had is gone and he is given a clean bill of health.

Jack then gets all the kids back, moves from Ohio to South Carolina where his wife grew up.  He strives to become a better person and a better father.  He  is stunned when his mother-in-law sues Jack for custody of the kids because she thinks him an unfit parent.

I found this to be a story of love, loss, hope and the strong ties of family love.

the road no one ever wants to travel...

I am never without a book.  Never.  Reading is part of who I am and one of my favorite ways to escape the everyday ups and downs of life.  That being said, I just finished reading "Down the Darkest Road" by Tami Hoag.

The book follows the Lawton family.  They were a perfect family.  Lauren, Lance, Leslie and Leah.  They live in Santa Barbara and seem to have the perfect happy family until tradegy strikes.  Leslie is abducted and it seems that Leslie is the only one who is still interested in solving her daughter's case.  Even her husband couldn't take the pain and drove his car off a cliff.  Leah, the younger daughter, is having a hard time coping as well.

Such a great read!!

another mystery...

I think I have read almost everything James Patterson has writtten.  I just finished "Private #1 Suspect."  It was so, so good.  The book follows Jack Morgan who owns a private investigative firm, and his team as they try and solve their cases.

Jack arrives home from vacation to find a dead body in his bed.  It is his former girlfriend, who also worked for his firm.  Jack claims innocence and sets out to prove it.

Then there is the case about a movie star.  A case involving a known mobster.  And one more about murder that happens in a hotel.

James Patterson writes in such a way that it is so easy to follow along and I can read the book in a day.  I am always so eager to finish and look forward to finding out "who-done-it."

the butterfly effect...

"How it all Began" by Penelope Lively is my latest read.  It was a very easy read with interesting characters.  It is about how one thing can happen out of the ordinary and can change the way things play out.

I really liked the relationships between all the characters.  They are so real, dealing with real-life issues and touched my heart.

friendship and love...

Today I am writing about "Falling Together" by Marisa de los Santos.  I read both of her past books, "Belong to Me" and "Loved Walked in" and I liked those two better than "Falling Together."

I did enjoy the characters in this book.  Pen, Cat and Will were college best friends who went their separate ways.  It has been six years since they have seen each other when Pen and Will get an email saying Cat needs their help.  She asks them to come to their college 10 year reunion.  What follows is a story of friendship and love and the ties that bind.

Give it a read and then give me your thoughts...

It's never too early for a summer read...

I just finished "Summer Rental" by Mary Kay Andrews.  I really enjoyed this book.
It is about Ellis, Dorie and Julia, women in their 30's who have been friends since grade school.  They all have things going on in their lives but have come together for one month to rent a house and be together.

Along their journey they meet a women who is running from her husband and also ends up staying with them in the rental house.

During their month stay, the friends each have secrets to share and the all become closer as well.

Good, fun read for sure!

trying to escape...

In the book "Escape" by Barbara Delinsky, Emily is a lawyer, stuck in a life she really didn't want, and one day just walks out of work, packs a bag and drives away from the life she is unhappy with to try and figure out where she wants to be.

Her life revolves around her watch, her Blackberry and her computer and her husband who is also a lawyer, spend more time apart doing work then together.

I really enjoyed this book.