Some more books I’ve read recently:
Summer Blowout by Claire Cook. Just a note to myself that I read it.
Thirty-something divorced hairdresser interacts with quirky family members while reluctantly allowing Mr. Right to pursue her.
Body Language by James W. Hall. Here is an author I would read again. Reminds me a bit of Elmore Leonard. Well-written, complex, connected, unique twists. Genre??? Thriller, suspense, I suppose, though it’s billed simply as “a novel” so I guess I don’t have to label it. The heroine is a crime scene photographer, not something I’ve seen done before. Hall does a good job of leading the reader down a path as it pertains to the villain, even allowing the romantic hero to be a suspect with good reason. Although I had figured out who the villain was, I didn’t figure out he was someone so close to the heroine. Very well done.
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale. Women’s fiction I suppose. Hale creates an unlikely scenario between a celebrated actor and a Mormon housewife from Utah. They become best friends. If you want an answer to how much quirky dialogue can be incorporated into one book, then read this one, because that’s what holds these two together. The book is well written, sometimes in a rather conversational tone where the author admits she’s telling a story about these characters. There are some surprising twists. I’m sort of not a fan of religious goody-two-shoes-type characters, although Becky has a sense of humor and a love of family which helped me overlook that.
The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross. My first thought, upon finishing this book, which I spoke aloud although I was alone was, “Well, that was beautifully written.” Beyond that there’s a story here, about choices women make, about motherhood and ultimately, about arriving at a place where we all realize what’s really important to us. There was a sort of pall cast over the book from the beginning due to the unpleasant find of dead animals on the porch. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something truly bad to happen, something to pounce at me that I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t expect it be the disaster on 9/11. As always, when I finish a book, I have to ask myself, would I read more by this author? That would be a resounding yes.
I’ll be reading books I (finally) downloaded to my Kindle over the weekend, so stay tuned for another Picky Reader about those soon. Until then, happy reading!
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Shannon Hale writes awesome YA books, a lot of them based on fairy tales.