On Second Thought. Finished 12-14-18, 4.5/5 stars, fiction, 470 pages, pub. 2017

Ainsley O’Leary is so ready to get married—she’s even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn’t anticipate is being blindsided by a breakup he chronicles in a blog…which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her older half sister, Kate, who’s struggling with a sudden loss of her own.

Kate’s always been the poised, self-assured sister, but becoming a newlywed—and a widow—in the space of four months overwhelms her. Though the sisters were never close, she starts to confide in Ainsley, especially when she learns her late husband was keeping a secret from her.

Despite the murky blended-family dynamic that’s always separated them, Ainsley’s and Kate’s heartaches bind their summer together when they come to terms with the inevitable imperfection of relationships and family—and the possibility of one day finding love again.    from Goodreads

I’ve read one series from Kristan Higgins and adored it (Blue Heron series) and thought I’d try one of her mainstream titles.  I loved this one.  Same humor, same tension, and same heart. I’m excited to read more of her standalone titles.

This is a story of two sisters sharing a father and a complicated family history.  Kate, after being labeled a spinster, loses her husband of four months to a freak accident.  Ainsley, who, like Kate, you rolled your eye at for a while, grew on you and by the end you wish you could be more like her.  These two sisters, who were never close, find themselves at a crossroads that they need each other to get through.  I loved them and their strange family dynamics, but more than that I loved the true friendship that developed through circumstance.

There were guys at the ready to help both women, of course.  The boss who noted every minute you were late and Daniel the hot firefighter (no, really, this is his name) were excellent additions and made happy endings more than a possibility.  I loved them both.

I recommend it.  But then I recommend everything she writes 🙂

The Tattooist of Auschwitz.  Finished unabridged audio 12-4-18, 4.5/5 stars, memoir, pub. 2018

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.     from Goodreads

I read Jill’s review in October and thought this would be a great pick for Jason and, it turns out, it was a great read for me as well.  I loved Lale and Geta and the other prisoners we were able to meet.  This book showed the strength of the human spirit in the darkest of circumstances and I recommend it for everyone.  I don’t have time to put more thoughts to the keyboard right now, but I encourage you to go read Jill’s review.  It’s better than anything I could come up 🙂

Eyes on You. Finished 11-19-18, rating 4.5/5, mystery,  306 pages, pub. 2014

After losing her on-air job two years ago, television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and now she’s hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat.

But suddenly, things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation the makeup artist uses burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident—someone had deliberately doctored with the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her . . . including her life.   from Goodreads

First, I need to set the stage.  We are living back home, but only in a few rooms with pretty much no furniture.  We have two mattresses on the floor in the family room and in the kitchen we have one metal outside chair and one basic wooden stool.  The only real option for reading is the kitchen and the seats are only comfortable for about 10 minutes at a time (already I’m standing to type this).  So, reading has not been easy in the past month.  Imagine my surprise when I got sucked into this one and alternated between those two seats until I finished it at 1:30 am!  It was that addicting.

Now for the rundown.  Robin was making a career comeback.  Her book was being released at the same time her on-air TV gig was catching on.  She should have been flying high, but creepy and dangerous things started happening to make her feel threatened and she was afraid to make waves at work.  He sexy co-star offered his body for comfort and for a few hot minutes she resisted.  But good sex can take you only so far and Robin was feeling the pressure.

This was a great who-dun-it with real drama and lots of suspects that never felt like to many.  I learned about the TV business and how cutthroat it can really be.  This read so fast and I recommend it for everyone, but only when you have a few free hours.  I kept telling myself only one more chapter until there were none left.  The writing and the story were excellent.

How To Eat.  Finished 9-1-18, rating 4.5/5, mindfulness, 128  pages, pub. 2014

Eating is a chance to return to the present moment.

How to Eat is the second in Parallax’s series of how-to titles by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. These friendly, pocket-sized books contain several delightful illustrations by Jason DeAntonis, and are appropriate for those practicing in any spiritual tradition and all levels of familiarity with mindfulness practice.      from Goodreads

This is part of his mindfulness series, of which I’m a huge fan.  Hanh is a Buddist monk and his books expand the way I see the world and his books will always be on my to-read list.  This is a slight 125 page book on not only how to eat, but how to do so with the meaning.  Mindfulness is about being present in all that you do, so by bringing that to your food, you can change your life for the better.  This is not a diet book, but he does touch upon that we should only be putting the healthiest of foods in our body and that we should not be eating our worries, fear, or anger.  I’ll leave you with a few quotes.

“Enjoy your meal. Stop thinking and be here fully, body and mind.” page 32

“With each meal, we make choices that help or harm the planet.” page 59

“If we feel empty, we don’t need to go to the refrigerator to take things out to eat.  When you eat like that it’s because there is a feeling of emptiness, loneliness, or depression inside.  The moments of our daily lives can be filled with joy and meaningful activities.  Our community includes our family and friends and our connection to other living beings.  They are there to help us get out of these feelings.  We are not alone.  Sharing a meal together is not just to sustain our bodies and celebrate life’s wonders, but also to experience freedom, joy, and the happiness of being in a harmonious community during the whole time of eating.”  page 77

“May we find ways to live more simply in order to have more time and energy to change the system of injustice that exists in the world.”  page 113

Inside the O’briens. Finished 9-21-18, 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2015

Unabridged audio read by Skip Sudduth.  9 discs.

Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease.

Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing?

As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate.    from Goodreads

This grabbed me from the get go.  I’m a mom in my 40’s and can’t even imagine the horror of not only Joe but of his wife as they wait to find out what becomes of their children and grandchildren.  I learned a lot about Huntington’s disease and the book was excellent in the way that it showed how it impacted the whole family, and it was a big brood!  The story flitted between Joe and his youngest daughter Katie and while I liked both of those storylines I would have liked to have heard a bit more from the other kids and their stories, especially about the troubled brother.  As much as I liked the book it was a downer and I hated the end.  I’m sure others are fine with it, but it felt like a cop out to me.

Lisa Genova is gifted at taking a medical diagnosis and compelling us to read, even when it’s hard.  I loved Still Alice, but didn’t love this one as much.  But Joe has stuck with me and it’s been two months so that’s saying something.