The Shift

Subtitled: One Nurse, Twelve Hours , Four Patients' Lives
Nonfiction by Theresa Brown, RN

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This book is literally what the subtitle says: Registered Nurse Theresa Brown meticulously describes one of her twelve-hour shifts at the hospital inpatient oncology ward.

It was both less boring and less dramatic than I expected. The writing style made it interesting even though it was a lot of mundane details, but I expected her to choose a shift where someone died, or was dramatically saved, or something like that. Instead it was a pretty normal shift, which I assume was the author's goal.

Dead in the Water

Fiction by John Marrs

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

When Damon almost drowns in the English Channel, his life flashes before his eyes. He sees his parents, his wife, and other scenes he remembers. But he also sees one scene he does not remember: a young redheaded boy, dying in the street. Damon becomes obsessed with this vision. Is it a real memory? If so, why can't he consciously remember it? He feels that he MUST know the truth.

This was an exciting and twisted story with several unpleasant characters and quite a few surprises. 

I also read recently by this author: The Stranger in Her House

Ursula Under

Fiction by Ingrid Hill

http://barnesandnoble.com

At the beginning of this story, two-year-old Ursula Wong is on a picnic with her parents in the woods when she falls down an old disused well, or mineshaft, or something. Her parents Annie and Justin are frantic and immediately call for help.

While little Ursula waits for rescue, the reader is taken back in time, WAY back, to visit Ursula's ancestors in ancient China, and long-ago Finland, and many other places and times. All those people who lived and died over many centuries have led to this one little girl, who is the apple of her parents' eyes and now in grave danger. The idea I think is that Ursula Wong, like every child, is a miracle and incredibly irreplaceable. 

This was a strange book and a long one, but still worth reading, I think.

Serial Killer Support Group

 Fiction by Saratoga Schaefer

https://www.audible.com

Cyra Griffin is searching for her sister Mira's killer, and she somehow manages to infiltrate a so-called Serial Killer Support Group, seven men who connected on the Dark Web and meet in secret. Cyra has to pretend to be one of them in order to find out which man murdered her sister.

Okay, so this book requires some serious suspension of disbelief. I really don't buy the idea that serial killers would meet regularly like this to discuss their activities, but for the sake of the story I was willing to let that go. Mostly.

If you can swallow the premise, this is a pretty good story with a surprise ending.

When Life Gives You Pears

Subtitled: The Healing Power of Family, Faith, and Funny People.
Nonfiction by Jeannie Gaffigan

https://www.audible.com

This is a memoir by Jeannie Gaffigan, co-writer with and wife of comedian Jim Gaffigan. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor shaped like a pear (hence the title) in 2017, and here tells her own story.

This was a pretty good memoir, funny in some parts and touching in others. It was a little longer than it needed to be.

The Mad Wife

Fiction by Megan Church

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This book begins with 1950's housewife Lulu Mayfield in a mental hospital, and then goes back in time to show how she got there. 

Honestly, it was almost too upsetting for me to read at times. (Interestingly, the author's note at the beginning states that the reader might want to take a break from the novel if the subject matter is too triggering. Well, it was, and I did.) It is all too easy for me to imagine myself in the place of  the overwhelmed Lulu.

It is a well-written story with believable characters and I did like the ending, but it was a difficult read.

No One to Miss Me

 Nonfiction by Cathy Glass

https://www.amazon.com

I have read all of Cathy Glass's books and I was excited to see that she had written a new one, and also a little surprised because I knew that she had retired from full-time foster caring.

But in this story, a former foster child called Lily arrives on Cathy's doorstep on Boxing Day, and Cathy gets involved in the girl's life. Although Lily had been adopted, the adoption had broken down in her teenaged years and Lily had finished out her youth in a group home. Now over 18, Lily is floundering and looks to Cathy for help.

This was an interesting story, but also kind of an upsetting one. Cathy does her best to help Lily, but the girl seems the type who leaves destruction in her wake. The reader wonders if maybe less help might have been better for all involved.

I also read recently by this author: Helpless