August

Many Hands Make Light Work by Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy
The first book by Chicago Tribune writer Cheryl McCarthy is a rollicking good tale about growing up in a large family in Ames, Iowa. Told in the fashion of one of my favorite childhood books, Cheaper by the Dozen, in Cheryl's family they had a baseball team where all nine children were expected to be part of the family work crew. As each chapter spins out, displaying the life of this busy family, I was drawn in by the eye-popping organization of her two parents: the morning duty list for the many rental homes the kids were expected to work on each summer, the ingenious milk delivery system installed in the kitchen, the never-ending line of college students renting rooms in their already over-full house, and the ability to shovel snow from the front of all those rental homes, before breakfast each winter morning. Having grown up in a fairly dysfunctional family myself, I was in awe of how this family functioned, with love, humor, and song. If you need a chuckle, a pick-me-up, a reminder that hard work leads to success, that togetherness still exists, this book is a wonderful choice.

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson
Mystery, Swedish, dysfunctional family...this book ticked all the boxes for me. On the surface, Stella's family is a picture of 'Normal' - her father is the town pastor, her mom is a successful lawyer, and Stella is a healthy, active eighteen year old. Yet, Stella has now been arrested for the violent murder of a thirty something year old man, the son of a prominent attorney. Each family members gets to tell their side of the story and it is all quite enlightening. Who is this paster? Overprotective father or a complete nut job? Does mom care about her family or just about her reputation? Is daughter mentally ill, abused, innocent, guilty? 'Nuff said...read it and see where this mystery takes you. It is a fabulous ride.

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood
Due to the compelling nature of this story, I started it in the morning and finished it that evening. After the hit last year Rust & Stardust (based on events that inspired Lolita), this time around Greenwood uses another inspiring true-life story to show a mother's devotion and love. A baby girl with Down's Syndrome is born to Ginny and Ab in 1969, a time when little was known about children with special needs and prejudice was rife. Lucy is thus taken away at birth and put into a 'school' for handicapped children. Two years hence, a news article about abuse at the school sets Ginny, her son, and her best friend off on a life-changing road trip. While I rooted for Ginny and wanted to slap her husband silly, I was also searching for more complete character development. I needed more explanation and depth as to why Ginny breaks away from the stereotypical, very protected, meek and mealy-mouthed wife of decades past and seemingly becomes Mama Bear when it is most needed. Don't get me wrong - I loved the change - but I felt as if it needed to be flushed out more. Ditto for her husband, mother-in-law, and best friend. I appreciated the happy ending, but needed to more fully see and comprehend the direction markers along the road before getting to the destination.

The Current by Tim Johnston
Johnston's first book, The Descent, was a runaway hit and he has followed it up with another incredible story. Told in two different time periods, this tale is really about the people of a town and how secrets and lies work insidiously to destroy them. Ten years ago, a teenage girl was found dead in the river. This death destroyed more than just one life; the teenage boy painted with suspicion, the mother whose family life is torn apart, the sheriff who never got over the unsolved murder, and the father who lost his only child. Yet years later, the river takes another life of a young woman, but one survives - the sheriff's daughter. As Audrey pulls together clues from years ago, we see the many pieces of this puzzle slowly build into a bigger picture as the lives of all the characters collide once more. It is a fabulous narrator on Librofm - highly recommend listening to this one.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
British, Gothic, Nanny, Mystery...this book is speaking my language. I love Ruth Ware's directional change from just a basic thriller (In a Dark Dark Wood/Woman in Cabin 10) to a creepier gothic mystery such as The Death of Mrs. Westaway and now her latest, The Turn of the Key. A ghost story that gave me shivers up my spine, I stayed up waaaay too late reading this book. The entire book is supposedly a letter from a young woman in prison, seeking legal help for a murder she says she did not commit. It is classic British, as this young woman applies and gets job as a nanny at a mysterious house in remote Scotland. As the letter unspools the story, we see unruly children, a poisonous garden, creepy ancestors, predator husband, distracted wife, cranky housekeeper, and a hot but mysterious handyman. I told you, classic British Gothic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not turn pages fast enough. Will it take the publishing world by storm? Doubtful. Will it entertain you and keep you guessing? Absolutely. Thanks to Net Galley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White
The premise of this story is intriguing: two girls meet in college, become friends, one is pulled toward the radical counter-culture, and then the story covers three decades of social upheaval and change in America. However, the potential was lost for me by weak character growth and shallow thematic development. Daniella, who does what society expects, and Eve who blows the doors off her southern familial expectations, are never fully flushed out, at least not for me. Why does Eve go off the rails? What inspired her? What keeps these two friends together when they seemingly have nothing in common - distinct family backgrounds, lack of mutual life goals, different taste in life partners, vastly disparate maturity levels? This story skimmed over the surface for me, water-skiing across obstacles that deserved depth, and simplistic answers given to complex questions. It does keep you turning pages, but unfortunately did not go the direction I was hoping. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
Ah, a Young Adult fantasy book that is actually YA - yes, you can put this in the hands of a middle schooler who loves magic and romance and suspense. This one is a gorgeously written retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale, using some complex and flawed characters to update the story into the modern world. Harper is a young woman in NYC who was born with cerebral palsy, has a dying mother and a brother entangled in the drug mob, and surprisingly finds herself in the magical world of Emberfell. The triangle of Rhen, the cursed prince trying to save his country, Grey, his captain of the guard and a fairly scary man, and Harper, who must learn how to not only defend herself but how to fight for the people, kept me turning page after page. If you life YA fantasy, this is a gorgeously written and inspiring story.