Fiction by Robin Caroll
Brennon is a search and rescue pilot used to difficult situations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and she's always relied on her Christian faith to see her through. But in this story she faces trouble with a heart transplant patient, a child trafficking ring, a helicopter crash, a corrupt politician, AND a handsome US Marshall. It's a lot.
This book had an exciting storyline but I didn't love the characters.
Fiction by Stephen King
This audiobook was actually a collection of stories, of which the title story (If It Bleeds) was the best. I really think it should have stood alone. That one I give two thumbs up.
The other stories were:
Fiction by Louise Ferrier
In 1928 Edward and Eleanor Hamilton are living a good life in England. Eleanor is a lady of good breeding and Edward is a scholar, specializing in research on the current eugenics movement. They have a four-year old daughter called Mabel and another baby on the way. Both believe that society would be well protected by laws that prevent "lower orders" of people from increasing in number, and forcing deficient individuals to be institutionalized. After all, poor Eleanor's own mother was killed by a criminal degenerate!
But when little Mabel begins exhibiting disturbing symptoms of epilepsy, Eleanor starts to re-examine this line of thought. Is Mabel's life really worth less because she faces a medical challenge? Edward's plan is to quickly put Mabel away in a care home and forget about her; he both fears political repercussions and is genuinely baffled as to how to help his daughter. But Eleanor can't bear that...can she?
This was a thought-provoking story --who knew that it wasn't just the Nazis espousing these ideas?!-- but it was upsetting to read. It was well-written but I had trouble with it. I will say the author came up with a decent resolution at the end.
Fiction by Ashley Elston
Evie Porter is a little nervous to be meeting her new boyfriend Ryan's friends for the first time. After all, she's a new girl in Lake Fortbing, Louisiana, and all of these people have grown up with Ryan.
Plus, everything Evie has told Ryan about herself is a lie, starting with her name. Her real name is Lucca Marino. But then another new girl shows up in Lake Fortbing who says that SHE is Lucca Marino. Evie can't figure out what's going on...
This was an exciting thriller with several surprises.
Fiction by Liane Moriarty
At the beginning of this story a flight from Tasmania to Sydney takes off and a very unexpected thing happens, but it has nothing to do with the annoying flight delay that had just occurred, or indeed even with the airplane flight at all. A woman suddenly stands up and begins predicting the age and cause of death for each of her fellow passengers. She does it with such a chillingly matter-of-fact manner that people become quite alarmed, calling her the Death Lady. It's a very unpleasant experience, but of course it's short-lived.
But the real trouble starts when some of her predictions begin to come true....
This was a really good book!
Fiction by Catherine Banner
This story was about the Esposito family, who lived on a small (probably fictional) island off the coast of Italy near Sicily called Castellemare. It takes place over the course of most of the twentieth century.
It was okay but...the characters just didn't hold my attention. I finished it but felt like it hadn't been worth it to push through to the end. I can't really articulate why.
Fiction by Catherine Ryan Hyde
In this book, Ella Ginsburg is searching for her brother Simon, who disappeared months ago, leaving behind his car, clothes and wallet. Everyone is pretty sure he's dead, including Simon's wife, but Ella can't accept that.
Ella sets out on this doomed journey, walking without proper shoes or clothes because "that's how Simon did it." She seems to succumb to madness while reliving terrible memories from her and Simon's childhood. There is a resolution at the end but almost the whole story is quite awful.
This is the first novel written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and it's not nearly as good as her later efforts.
Youth Fiction by Christopher Healy
This fantasy themed, locked-room mystery was okay but I didn’t love it.
Fiction by Karin Slaughter
Fiction by Karin Slaughter
This is the fourth book in the Will Trent series, which has recently been made into a successful TV show.
The story overlaps into the "Grant County" book series that I just finished reading, incorporating many of those characters as Will is called to investigate trouble in the police department of Grant County.
This was a good story but not great.
Nonfiction by Cathy Glass
This is the 32nd book I've read by this author. In this story, Cathy has sort-of retired from fostering to be a family support worker, spending her time trying to help an at-risk family keep their children OUT of foster care. Cathy devotes herself to single mother Janie and her three children (aged 7, 5, and 3), but it's an uphill battle.
The story was well-told, but kind of depressing. People's problems are so much bigger than social work agencies can handle.
I also read by this author: Unsafe
Fiction by Jennifer Weiner
This was a fun little romance that turned into a mystery. The main character is an Instagram "influencer" with a page on plus-size fashion and also one for her dog Bingo. (The dog has more followers.) The story is mostly about her love/hate relationship with her longtime friend Drue Cavanaugh, beautiful rich girl.
This was an interesting story with some surprises.
I also read by this author: Golden Hills
Fiction by Francine Rivers
This was a good-enough straight romance set in California around 1875. Kathryn Walsh leaves the sophistication of Boston to come to a small mining town. She plans to claim an inheritance from her uncle, and to get away from her controlling stepfather, but she will find true love instead.
I also read by this author: Leota's Garden
