Siracusa

Fiction by Delia Ephron.


https://www.barnesandnoble.com

When I typed the author's name above, I accidentally put "Nora Ephron" first, instead of the correct sister's first name. I'll bet poor Delia gets that a lot. And, interestingly enough, it looks like Delia is the more prolific writer, although Nora seems to be more well-known. But I digress.

This was another strange book, more of a character story than a plot-driven novel, although some things do happen. It is about two couples (one with a child) who go on vacation together, with the odd complication that none of them actually seem to like each other that much, except the ones who used to date but are now married to other people.

Yes, we actually have a woman here who says to herself, "I think it would be nice to take a vacation abroad with my husband and child, and I believe we should take along my husband's ex-girlfriend and her husband! Just for fun!" Not surprisingly, trouble arises on this trip...

Paradise Lodge

Fiction by Nina Stibbe.


https://www.barnesandnoble.com

In 1977, a fifteen-year-old girl called Lizzie gets a job as a nurse's assistant in a private old-folk's home. I suppose the licensing requirements for such things were a bit looser then, which is good because Lizzie really doesn't seem to know what she is doing, and neither do some of the real nurses in the book. I, for one, was glad when an efficient nurse showed up to fix things properly for the nice elderly people in this home.

This was an interesting character story, but also a bit strange. I'm not sure where it was going, plot-wise, or if it arrived. It held my attention, though, and I liked the people in the book.

Here's to Us

Fiction by Elin Hildebrand.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

From the cover of the book, I was expecting a best-girl-friends-at-the-beach kind of story. And it was about three women who gathered at a beach house in Nantucket, but they were not on a girls' getaway.

The three women were ex(or almost-ex)-wives of a celebrity chef who had died unexpectedly, gathered with their respective children to scatter the man's ashes. This made for an interesting novel!


I also read recently by this author: The Rumor

The Gunslinger

(The Dark Tower Series, Book #1)
Fiction by Stephen King


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

The Dark Tower series is supposed to be one of Stephen King's best, and there is apparently a movie version coming out soon, so I thought I'd start reading with book one.

It was interesting and held my attention, but oh! It was so BLEAK. I don't know if I can handle another book.

Yes, I realize that perhaps I should expect such from Stephen King, but not all of his books are about terrible things and terrible people. I have loved some of his books and hated others. He writes so very many! This one, I'm not sure how to categorize,


I also read recently by this author: 11/22/63, From a Buick 8, The Wind Through The Keyhole

Promise Me

Fiction by Harlan Coben.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was an exciting thriller. Although it's listed as "Myron Bolitar #8," I feel you could read it without having read the previous seven Myron books. (I've only read #1 and #2 myself, and they were not as good as this one, or my favorite one: #11 Home.)

This book focuses on a pair of missing girls who just turned eighteen and had attended the same high school. They may or may not be runaways, and their disappearances may or may not be related.


I also read recently by this author: Just One Look

China Rich Girlfriend

Fiction by Kevin Kwan


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a super fun book with a good plot and amusing characters. It's about the super-rich of Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. (Think Jackie Collins, but with Asians.)

It's a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians (see below), so read that one first for best enjoyment.


I also read by this author: Crazy Rich Asians

Afterworlds

Fiction by Scott Westerfeld.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Afterworlds is a story-within-a-story, a young adult novel imagined as if it were written by an actual eighteen-year-old. So the story is also about the writing process as well, which makes this novel unique and interesting.

I really like Scott Westerfeld; I recommend the "Uglies" series, all four books, if you haven't yet read them.



I also read recently by this author: Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath

The Wee Free Men

Fiction by Terry Pratchett.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I enjoyed this bit of lighthearted fantasy; it's a story about a world where fairy-tale creatures, good and bad, are real if you know how to see them. There is a whole series available here, so I'm going to check out the next book.

Love and Other Near-Death Experiences

Fiction by Mil Millington.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a funny novel about a radio presenter with serious mental-health issues. He has a "near-death experience" that leaves him terrified to make even the smallest decision in his life.

Yeah, I know that doesn't sound funny on the surface, so maybe you need a kind of warped sense of humor (which I have) to enjoy it (which I did). Also you need the ability to not be offended by British cussing.


I also read by this author: A Certain Chemistry

Every Waking Moment

Fiction by Chris Fabry.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a really good novel with memorable characters. Who would believe a story about an impaired woman working in a nursing home could be so captivating? Great book!


I also read by this author:  June Bug and Almost Heaven

Just One Look

Fiction by Harlan Coben.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

At the beginning of this book, a mom picks up a roll of film developed at the local Photo-Mat and discovers a picture inside that should not be there. (Obviously this was written over ten years ago. Just go with it. Google the phrase "film developing" if you need help.)

Since I'm actually old enough to remember the pre-digital age, I've experienced the fun surprise of picking up photos. What will be in the packet? What if you found a picture there that changed everything?

This was a great thriller. I really had no idea what was going to happen at the end!



I also read recently by this author: Six Years

The Ringmaster's Wife

Fiction by Kristy Cambron.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This a was a pretty good story, a fictionalized version of the life of Mable Ringling, wife of one of the famous Ringling Brothers. It was not as good as The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, another circus novel I read recently, but still worth reading.

Black and Blue

Fiction by Ian Rankin.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I found this book on a list of "Books You Can't Put Down" and searched for it at the library. This led me to another book of the same title  that I read a few weeks ago and loved.

This one, however, I did not really like. It was too much of the Mr. Tortured Hero Detective for my taste, and the ending was unsatisfying. I did actually want to finish it though, so I'm not giving it a complete thumbs down.