Meredith Cooper and her sister, Nina Whitson, were raised by an adoring father and a pretty dispassionate and cold mother. The absence of that maternal love impacted the sisters differently, one striving for perfection, leading an orderly and pleasing life and the other living a nomadic existence. Both were considered highly successful but also seeming… Continue reading Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah ★★★★1/2
Eleanor Oliphant is one of those characters who I find hard to describe in ways that won’t lead you to have the wrong impression. She’s socially awkward, painfully direct and lives a life of isolation outside of her job. There are really good reasons why her emotional growth is stunted and that’s revealed deliberately over… Continue reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman ★★★★★
Zoe, an artist from California, and Martin, an engineer from England, find themselves on The Chemin, also known as the Camino de Santiago. It’s a centuries-old pilgrim route that ends in Santiago in northwest Spain. They plan to join other walkers following the route, each having their own reasons for doing so. Zoe recently lost… Continue reading Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist ★★★★
Sara Davies is an aspiring Broadway dancer looking for her first break and working as a 5-star hotel concierge. She shares an airport taxi with a businessman to her hotel, where he also happens to be staying. The next day, when the guest in Room 1103 calls with an unusual (and provocative) request, Sara throws… Continue reading Mogul by Katy Evans ★★★★ (Manhattan #2)
When the Columbine massacre occurred in April of 1999, I recall judging the parents. After all, there had to have been some extremely obvious signs for their sons to be able to do something like this. Or, they were so disengaged in their lives they were just plain oblivious. If nothing else was accomplished (and… Continue reading A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold ★★★★★
I recently read Sue Klebold's A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy, which is outstanding, so I thought it best to listen to a definitive account of not only what happened at Columbine but also objective analyses of the two shooters, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. Sue made some assertions about Eric Harris… Continue reading Columbine by Dave Cullen ★★★★
Ove is a grumpy, older man, defined as such because he lives his life by a code that’s pretty black and white and inflexible. His point of view has also been shaped by a system that’s often been cruel and unfair and has let him down at critical times in his life. But, there is… Continue reading A Man Called Ove by Frederik Bachman ★★★★★
Angela Powell’s orderly and comfortable life is upended when her husband Jason, an NYU economics professor and best selling author, is accused of sexual harassment by a student. The situation escalates when another woman, Kerry Lynch, accuses him of rape. I thought this was going to be another traditional story where the wife dutifully stands… Continue reading The Wife by Alafair Burke ★★★★★
A normal set of events on New Years Eve sets off a catastrophe that slowly turns the world on end. Half of the population is gone, governments lose control, law and order are a thing of the past and magick is unleashed...some good and definitely some dark and evil. The story chronicles the paths of… Continue reading Year One by Nora Roberts ★★★★★ (Chronicles of The One #1)
Flight attendant Cassie Bowden has a flirtation with the passenger in First Class 2C that continues once they land in Dubai. Nights of heavy drinking and sex are familiar behaviors for her and this night is no different. But the morning after is quite unique when she wakes in his hotel room next to her… Continue reading The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian ★★★★
Blue Mood Café 