JULIET by ANNE FORTIER

One of my book groups voted to read this book for a group read. I have to admit, the synopsis of the book intrigued me. A modern day re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, which is one of my favorite stories of all time. Couple that with a Dan Brown Da Vinci Code type mystery (I have read everything Dan Brown has written and loved them all) and I was sure it would be a good book. In fact, the book was different than I expected. Yes, there was a mystery, but not on the level of a Dan Brown book. What there was instead was a double re-telling of the story of Romeo and Juliet, one in modern day Siena, and one in 14th century Sienna. I found both stories fascinating, and actually had a hard time deciding which story line I liked the most. I might have liked the ancient story line a little better, but mostly only because I am a historical fiction buff and love reading about medieval times. 

The Characters that Anne Fortier included in her book were interesting. I felt that the medieval characters were a bit more intriguing, but again, that could be my love of history and medieval times talking. The current story was enjoyable, too, but a little more predictable. At one time, I felt that the modern story line lagged, but it was not for long. 

All in all a great read that I would highly recommend. I hope that Ms. Fortier continues to write stories of this ilk.

HIDDEN WIVES by CLAIRE AVERY

he idea for this book really drew me in. Two sisters who grew up in a polygamist sect in Utah are finally of marriageable age. They are about to be married to elders in their community. Sara, the youngest, is a rebel in the eyes of her community. She loves to read and learn, far above what is expected of a girl in this society. Rachel is the beautiful one, the one that everyone wants, the sweet one, and also the one that doesn't question the teachings she has been fed for her entire life. Until now. What happens to make Rachel begin to doubt her faith and for Rachel and Sara to eventually leave the only home they have ever known is what this story is based on. 

I must say, I began reading this book with a lot of anticipation. The fact that there are still societies in the world who subjugate women justs amazes me. The fact that some of them operate in the United States astounds me. I was very interested to see how the author approached this subject and represented the lives of the women involved. While I feel that she did an okay job and enjoyed the book overall, I was disappointed in the outcome. It seems to me that a story involving this particular subject could really pack an emotional punch. Instead what I found here seemed to just graze the surface and the rich subject matter that could have been highlighted ignored. This was most apparent in the last part of the book and the ending, where every loose end was tied up in a happily ever after ending that that I felt missed so many opportunities. 

The story that was told was a good one and the characters were engaging, so I feel that I can recommend this book. Just don't be looking for a hard hitting emotionally packed story that deals with the subject of life in a polygamist sect in America.

THE HUNGER GAMES by SUZANNE COLLINS

I have had this book for so long, but never gotten to reading it. I don't know why, other than the fact that I owned it. My friends laughingly refer to the books that I own as my "orphans" as I am always reading a myriad of library books while my own books gather dust on a shelf. If you are like me and tend to let your owned books languish, and this is one of the books, I urge you to read it! Now! This book was fantastic. A friend of mine likened this book to "a cross between The Running Man and Survivor with The Truman Show thrown in for good measure". I think that sums it up beautifully. In this book, authorSuzanne Collins takes you to a dystopian society where the each district is expected to "donate" two children each year in a battle to the death. Why? Just to prove their power over the masses. The storyline takes off from the first word and doesn't let go until the last sentence is finished. In addition, the book is filled with a cast of characters who are wonderfully endearing for the most part. By the end of the book I definitely felt empathy for all of the children forced to take part in the barbaric ritual of the Hunger Games. Even the ones that seemed less than lovable. And I was firmly convinced that the government officials were evil. 

The combination of characters and the situations that they find themselves in at the end of the book, along with the unanswered questions, leave you wanting more. Good thing this is the first book in a trilogy. I am highly anticipating reading the next book. Alas, the wait list at my library is huge,even though it has been out for over a year. Oh well. I know I will enjoy it when it gets here.

THESE THINGS HIDDEN by HEATHER GUDENKAUF

I loved the debut book from Heather Gudenkauf, The Weight of Silence so when I saw that she had another book coming out I was really excited. This book did not disappoint. It is another great read from an author that has quickly become one of my favorites. Ms. Gudenkauf writes a compelling story filled with top notch characters. The story line contains numerous issues that will leave the reader emotionally spent, including the pressure to succeed, mental illness, a terminal illness, infertility, and parental neglect to name a few. It sounds like a mish mash, and truthfully, a story that contains so many elements could go horribly astray, but this one does not. Ms. Gudenkauf ties all the issues together superbly with her excellent story telling and a cast of characters that come alive on the pages. Many times while reading the book, I found myself in tears, swamped with emotion for the characters. By the end of the book, I was not sure who I felt the most empathy for. Even those I did not empathize with are memorable. A story so filled with rich characters is a treat, one that has a great story line is even better.

A definite must read in my book and winner of the coveted 5 stars!

DARK TORT by DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON

My friend Donna recommended this series of cozy mysteries several years ago and I began devouring them.  I have been away from the series for a while, but picked up the 13th book the other day.  This is perhaps my favorite cozy mystery series as I love the characters and the recipes, and the story lines are always enjoyable. 


Another cute story from author Diane Mott Davidson in the Goldy Baer Catering Culinary series. In this story, Goldy's friend and neighbor is found murdered in the law office that she worked at....and Goldy is the one who found her. She literally "stumbles" over her. And then it is off to the races as Goldy once again tries to find the killer while keeping up with her catering appointments and trying to stay alive herself. I had put these books aside for a while, but am glad to get back to them. I especially liked the fact that this installment contained all of my favorite characters to some degree. Tom was back to being the teddy bear he is, Arch is in high school and is still shy, but no longer a moody jerk, and Julian Teller is back in all his glory. A great cozy mystery read ... Keep them coming, Diane!

CLUB DEAD by CHARLAINE HARRIS

Another good read in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Sometimes books in a series get stale. How many times can the main character get in trouble? How many times can the couple break up and get back together? That is not the case with these books. This is one of those series where the main characters are continually evolving, new characters are continuing to be introduced, and we learn a little more about the supernatural world with each book. As far as series go, that is what I tend to look for. and as such, this book did not disappoint. In this installment, Sookie finds herself going to Jackson, Mississippi to try and find a missing Bill. Of course she gets in trouble, of course Eric is involved. But above and beyond that, she makes new friends, and new enemies, and she continues to learn a lot about herself and what she is capable of.

**********************************SPOILER******************************************

Even though I had heard that she and Bill did not stay together, their break-up in this book, and the reason for it, surprised me. I found myself saying that old phrase, "OH NO Mr. Bill!". I must admit, I don't really see Bill as that sort of character, and am a bit disappointed in his behavior. All in all, though, I took it as both a character development tool and a plot development tool, so I accept it.




I hear things really get interesting in the next book, so I am anticipating what will happen to Sookie, Bill, Eric, and the rest of them.  

EXIT THE ACTRESS by PRIYA PARMAR

Although my usual is to read books that are mostly told from one perspective, I have read a couple of historical fiction books before that tell the story from the perspective of several characters. Most of them alternate the viewpoints by chapter. What is really different about this book is the use of the different mediums: the letters between the English King and his family, Those between the theater owners, the gossip column, the notes from Parliament meetings to represent the different perspectives. Although this method is unconventional, I particularly liked it because it made it easier to keep where each perspective was coming from clearer in my mind.

This book is first and foremost about Ellen Gwynn, who eventually became the mistress of Charles II of England. Underneath that story, though, Priya Parmar includes A LOT of information about many different characters. It required slower reading to get it all in. But, on the other hand, it was wonderful because we not only got to know Ellen, but got a lot of other info about English society during this period.

Some may say that there are items in this book, such as Ellen's literacy, that are not true to the times or the history of her life. The literacy issue, in particular, is addressed by the author in her notes at the end of the book. And in truth, I am not one to get embroiled in the veracity of most fictional accounts. Either way you feel, this is a great story with a strong female protagonist and as such is excellent reading.

In closing, I really enjoyed both the subject matter (Duh, history buff, here) and the unconventional writing style used by Priya in this book. I loved the characters in this story - they were all so real and vibrant. I can't wait to see what her next project will be! Well done, Priya! 

THE KING'S ROSE by ALISA M. LIBBY

A historical fiction book about Catherine Howard, the 5th wife of Henry VIII and the most enigmatic in my opinion. I am fast deciding that Catherine Howard is the most fascinating of Henry's wives. She was the only one of his wives to never have her portrait painted, which kind of symbolizes her whole marriage to Henry. It was like it wasn't even there. She was also his youngest wife, and as such, she has been portrayed as everything from a complete harlot to a naive teenager, with the truth most likely being somewhere in the middle. In this book, she is portrayed as a the naive young girl buffeted about by the intrigues of court and the machinations of the power hungry Howard family of which she is a member. As a result, it took me a while to get into the book because I had to get used to the one sided Catherine the author chose to portray. Once I did, though, the story was captivating. I found Libby's take on Henry VIII as an aging man determined to feel young again perhaps the best part of the book. 

Although the portrayal of Catherine in this book was one sided, neither she, nor the other characters were one dimensional. The portrayal of the court of Henry VIII and the various players was enjoyable. In addition, the story, while not exactly believable in all respects, was a good fictional story. The only drawback was that I had to convince myself not to get caught up in the characterization of Catherine and view her as simply a girl in WAY OVER her head. 

Just a word to the wise, also. This book is considered as a Young Adult novel, and it stands well as young ADULT. However, since it is a book that deals with the court of Henry VIII, there is a lot of instances of a sexual nature both within and without of wedlock. Although the descriptions are quite tame by today's standards, I would caution whether this a good book for 'tweens and very young teens. 

As an aside, I think it very interesting that the only two wives that Henry VIII had beheaded were both Howards.

DEAD RECKONING: THE NEW SCIENCE OF CATCHING KILLERS by MICHAEL BADEN M.D. with MARION ROACH

I belong to a book club where a member gets to pick a genre each month and we all read whatever books we want to from that genre. When I first saw the shelf for February was Science, I admit it, I groaned. Then I figured that I like thrillers, so a book on forensics might be pretty good. And I was right. Dr. Michael Baden is a forensic scientist, medical examiner, news consultant, and expert witness. He has been involved in many cases over his career, including many high profile cases. In addition, he has consulted on the forensics in such endeavors as the identification of the Romanov remains in Russia, TWA flight 800, the Thomas Jefferson paternity case, and many others. In his lectures and meetings he has come across some of the most well known people in the field of forensics including the man who teaches a class on blood spatter, the "forensic bug" guy, and Dr. Henry Lee. His chapter on Doctor Lee is especially fascinating. 

Marion Roach is a contemporary non-fiction writer. In addition to this book, she has written a book about Alzheimers, and has been published in many of todays leading magazines. She is also the sister of author Margaret Roach. She has a wonderful writing style that is easy to read and really makes Micheal Baden's stories come alive. In addition, she attended many meeting with him and classes with the experts that they profile, bringing her first hand knowledge into the writing. 

Between Marion Roach's writing style, and Michael Baden's experience in forensics, this book was a surprisingly easy read. Definitely a 4 star read and recommended for anyone who is interested in the science behind the thrillers that are so popular. 

MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS by JON RONSON

Although this book purports to be true and based in fact, one has to wonder how truthful the items in the book actually are. I found myself many times looking something up on the internet just to be sure the author wasn't pulling my leg. Especially the first half of the book, which was so over the top it was actually humorous. I found myself laughing many times. I had to keep reminding myself of the historical context, though. In that light, I can see some of these ideas actually taking shape in someone's brain. Additionally, most of what I looked up on the internet checked out in some fashion, although not in the detail that the author provides. In fact, I kept thinking of the book A Million Little Pieces, which was purported to be true, and ended up being mostly fiction. 

The second half of the book was very different, though. By that time, the author had gotten to the War on Terror. Things that he said and quoted became much more believable. In addition they became easier to verify. In fact, the uses and situations described in the last half of the book made even the beginning of the book seem more believable. By the end of the book, I was totally enthralled. 

If you are into conspiracy theories and secret and clandestine government programs, this is the book for you. To say the least, it was an entertaining read, highlighting all of the crazy people who are out there in the world taking themselves very seriously. I am now curious to see how the movie was done.

SOMEONE KNOWS MY NAME by LAWRENCE HILL

This book was a highly anticipated read. One, it is just the type of book that I really like, historical fiction. Secondly, about 5 or 6 of my book buddies have read it and they have all given it 5 stars. Plus part of the book takes place in Nova Scotia, which is a place that has fascinated me ever since Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island. It is the story of Meena, an African women who is kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of 11. From the minute that she leaves Africa, her whole mission in life is to get back to the village of her birth. Through her triumphs, struggles, joys and pains, Lawrence Hill tells the compelling story of all of the Africans who were victims of the slave trade of the 1700 - 1800s. It also tells of the resilience of these people to survive despite their lot in life and their struggle for freedom. It is a must read book for anyone interested in this struggle or the history of the Africans who have ended up in North America and Europe in general. Although I have read a number of books dealing with this subject, Meena, through Hill's writing, taught me many things. I had never heard of the Black Loyalists nor their emigration to Canada and ultimately back to Africa at Freetown in Sierra Leone. I also did not know that Freetown predated the Liberian colony founded by former US slaves.

My only disappointment with the book was that I just couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars. It was a wonderful story, and as I said above, a must read for people interested in this subject, but it did not WOW me the way some other books have. The interesting thing is that I can't even figure out why. I really feel like I must have missed something since everyone else I know gave it 5 stars. That frustrates me.

THE CONFESSION by JOHN GRISHAM

Are you like me?  A person who enjoyed [author:John Grisham|721]'s earlier books, but thought the last few were somehow lacking?  If so, this is the book for you.  With this book, Mr. Grisham is definitely back to the form that we all grew to love with books like [book:The Firm|5358], [book:The Pelican Brief|32499], and [book:The King of Torts|5356].  The story here involves a wonderful slate of characters as only Grisham can come up with.  A Lutheran minister who finds himself suddenly involved in the fight to stop an execution in Texas, a man who says he is the actual killer, the lawyer for the accused, the family of the accused, and the mother of the murdered girl.  Every character is brilliantly portrayed.  The way that they interact captures your attention from the beginning of the story all the way to the end.  Once Grisham sets up the story, it quickly becomes apparent that the story could go several ways.  At this point it becomes more and more difficult to put the book down as you feverishly turn pages in an attempt to see in which direction he will take the story.  By the last section, it is impossible to put the book down.  The result is a thrill ride of a book that will leave you breathless at the end.  I guarantee that, no matter what your beliefs are, this book will make you think long and hard about how you feel about the death penalty.

THE BORGIAS AND THEIR ENEMIES by CHRISTOPHER HIBBERT

The Borgia family has always held an allure for me since I lived on a street named after them when I was a child. In addition, I was raised a Catholic, so the Popes are intriguing to me, especially those during the period where the church was more of a political entity. When I heard that Showtime was doing a show about this family this spring, I decided now was the time to do some background reading and get the real story about the family. 

I had never read any books by Christopher Hibbert, but had heard from people in my history groups that he was a good read. I have to agree. Although this book is non-fiction, Hibbert has a very pleasing writing style. Couple that with the subject matter of the book, and you have a book that was not at all dry. These people make the modern day Organized Crime families and groups look like amateurs. Hibbert's book is filled with excellent descriptions and engrossing narratives interspersed with numerous quotes from written sources, many of which were alive at the time and knew the Borgias. 

I found this book an excellent starting place for my delve into the lives and times of the Borgia family. Although Hibbert's coverage of Pope Alexander VI and his son Cesare is extensive, his discussions about Lucrezia were few and far between, and he barely mentioned Jofre at all. I will look forward to doing more research to find out about them. All in all, though, this was an excellent read.

TRUE GRIT vs. TRUE GRIT

So - this weekend my husband and I decided to go see the new True Grit movie.  He had never seen the original, which I loved, so we dutifully requested if from Netflix and spent Saturday afternoon with a huge bowl of popcorn watching it on our big screen.   It was still just as good as I remembered with John Wayne and the irascible Marshall Rooster Cogburn, Kim Darby as the precocious Maddie Ross and Glen Campbell as Leboef. We watched and were enthralled by all that they went through in order to get Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) and Tom Chaney.  The best part of the whole movie was still the scene where John Wayne grabs the reins of his horse in his teeth and rides straight into Ned Peppers gang with his guns blazing.

On to the new movie.  I have to admit, I was worried about seeing the new one, since I loved the old one so much.  I was afraid it would be a cheap imitation.  Then I kept hearing from people that it was a good movie in its own right, even to those who were fans of the old one.  So on a rainy Sunday afternoon we spent 2+ hours in the warm dry theater watching the Coen brothers version.  All I could say at the end was, "The Coen brothers do it again."  The 2010 version is a great movie in its own right, and does not try to be the John Wayne classic.  The casting was superb, with Jeff Bridges playing a fantastic Rooster Cogburn.  I was so glad that he made the character his own and did not try to play John Wayne playing Rooster Cogburn.  I actually thought that Matt Damon played a  more believable Texas Ranger LeBoef than Glenn Campbell, but thought that Kim Darby had a bit more spunk as Maddie Ross in the original.

Besides the casting, there were several other changes to the story between the two movies.  Some I liked better in the older version, some were better, and more believable, in the newer one.  And of course, the newer film took full advantage in the advances in film technology, etc.  Since both movies are based on the book of the same name, I am now excited to read the novel and decide which movie comes closer to the book, or if the book is actually in the middle of the two.

As for the movies.  I say enjoy them both.  Although they are similar, they are two differnt movies over all, and both are worth the time invested in watching them.

IF I STAY by GAYLE FOREMAN

I did not know how popular this book was when I read it, but I can see why it is. In my opinion, this is the definitive book on the choices we all have to make in life, or death as the case may be. The story of Mia, a teenage girl whose family is in a horrible car accident in rural Oregon, is very compelling. It is both a beautiful and heart wrenching story at the same time. The characters are compelling written. It was very easy for me to become enmeshed in the story of their lives. The thoughts and decisions that Mia had to make were thoughtfully covered and I found her dilemma a fresh approach to the question of what happens to someone while they are trying to decide whether to stay or go. 


This is a much shorter review than is usual for me, but the above says it all. 
A 4.5 star read!  I am looking forward to reading the sequel "Where She Went."

CANDY CANE MURDER (a compilation of stories) by JOANNE FLUKE, LAURA LEVINE, AND LESLIE MEIER

 am no stranger to the cozy mystery. Some of my favorite series are in this genre, but I had never read anything by any of the authors listed in the compilation. In addition, I usually don't read "holiday" theme books. This compilation was good, though. I liked all three stories, to varying degrees. 

Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke 

This was my first Joanne Fluke story, who I have heard compared to Diane Mott Davidson. One of my favorite cozy mystery writer. I totally agree with this comparison. There are may similarities between the two series. In addition to the type of mystery, the fact that both main characters cook for a living and solve crimes as a hobby. Both sets of books include recipes that you can make yourself. Both main characters are have a romantic relationship with a local law enforcement character. As such, this story was both a comfortable read and familiar at the same time. I gave it 3 stars. 

The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine. 

This story was also the typical cozy mystery, but more in the Stephanie Plum vain. Unfortunately, I did not like this story as much. The main character was a little too brash. While I don't mind characters with caustic personalities, I felt that this characters personality was too over the top. I did enjoy the surprise as to who was the murderer, and the main characters dealing with the troubled teen, but not enough to redeem the story. I gave this one 2 stars. 

Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier 

I actually liked this story the best of the three. I liked the "city girl turned country girl" main character. I liked her family situation, a young mother, but mostly I liked the historical aspect to this story. In this one, the protagonist had to dig back into future generations to solve the mystery. It was fun to hear a bit about the area an

THE SHACK by WILLIAM P. YOUNG

Strangely enough, this was one of the first book I ever listed on my To Read shelf on Goodreads. Yet it took me two years to get around to reading it. Partly that is because I have too many books, partly it is because I was afraid to read this book. A guy who goes to a shack and has a conversation with God? A book like that has to be preachy, right? Eventually this book was picked for me by another reader as part of a challenge, and I just have to say "Thanks Wendy T for finally getting me to read this book". I found that I really enjoyed the book. Yes, there is a lot of Christian philosophy in this book, but underneath that is a beautiful story of a man trying to deal with the tragedies in his life. 

The book centers around Mack, a father of 5 living in Oregon. One day he decided to take his three younger children on a weekend camping trip to a favorite spot of theirs. While there, his youngest daughter is kidnapped and all signs indicate that she was murdered. The first part of the book deals with telling this story, which is compelling written and riveting, even though you know what is going to happen. 

The second part of the book is 4 years later when Mack is compelled to revisit the spot of his daughter's death. He ends up spending the weekend back at "the shack" having a conversation with God. To my surprise, I found this part of the book easier to read than I expected. One of my favorite things about this book was the wonderful personalities the author gave to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. These personifications were my favorite part of the book. I found myself drawn to their human characteristics. This device made me really fly through a part of the book that I was sure was going to be hard to read. 

Another device that the author used was to write the book as if he, the author, was actually recounting a story that a friend had told him and that all of this was based on true events. Unfortunately, this device did not hold up for me. At no time did I feel that this was a true story. It did not make the story any less compelling, though. 

Now we come to the end. This was my only disappointment. I felt everything was just too neatly wrapped up at the end. It was just a little too "perfect" of an end for me. 

All in all, though, a compelling read that is well worth the time and effort. 

A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC by SHEL SILVERSTEIN

I just reread this book for a challenge, and am remembering how much I like children's poetry. I have always liked poetry in general, but children's poetry is especially fun as it is so whimsical and free. This book certainly fits this bill. As I was reading the book I found out that it is on the banned book list. I must admit, that surprised me, so I looked up why and here is what I found: 

It has been banned because of "suggestive illustrations." One library also claimed that the book "glorified Satan, suicide and cannibalism, and also encouraged children to be disobedient." 

As to the "suggestive illustrations", have these people ever actually read the book? In my copy, the illustrations are detailed enough to be suggestive. In fact, they are not even true to the human form. As for the other complaints, all I can say is some people have no imagination, and some parents are too lazy to parent. Oh well. 

I really liked this book. The poems remind me of a simpler time, when I had no worries and felt that I had the whole wor

GARDEN SPELLS by SARAH ADDISON ALLEN

This is the second book that I have read by Sarah Addison Allen, the first one being The Girl Who Chased the Moon.  As in that book, this one takes place in a small town in Georgia and at it's heart is an unusual family that has a lot to do with the history of the town and it's folklore. But where the the first one was more YA to me, this one is definitely a chick lit read.  And as such, it is a good read.  I sometimes have trouble with Chick Lit because their is either too much romance and sex, or too much fluff, but usually not enough story.  This book was not like that.  Yes, there were romantic attachments, yes there was sex, and yes it was an easy read, but there was also a good story about what it means to be family.

As I gather that most of her books do, the main characters in this book have a "magical" quirk.  In this case, the main character, Claire, has inherited the Waverly family garden.  The garden is special because food made from the plants grown in the garden can alter people's behavior and mood.  And an apple from the tree will tell you what your most important moment in life will be.  But Claire isn't the only Waverly that has "special" talents.  In fact, my favorite character was her Aunt Evanelle, who "just knew she had to give [people] things.  She would show up at all times of the day or night with some totally random item for people.  In addition, she had a very sassy personality.  For example, she loved to walk the track at the local college and watch the "bums" of the college guys who were running on the track.  My Second favorite character was actually the apple tree mentioned above, which turned out to have a personality all its own.  One wonders how things would be if they let the apple tree decide.

THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE by AIMEE BENDER

The book's central character, Rose, realizes at the age of nine that she can "taste" the feelings of the people that make the food she eats. When I was explaining that to a friend, she mentioned that it was somewhat like Like Water for Chocolate, that it had the same premise.  I readily agreed, but as I read, I realized that the two books are nothing alike.  Where Like Water for Chocolatehad a definite mystical flavor, this book has a far more "practical" (for want of a better word) approach.  The author uses the trait as a device to illustrate the central character's struggle with growing up, growing aware of the limitations of people in general, and her family in particular.  With it she was able to talk about the loss of innocence and a child's  difficulty in dealing with the fact that those around them, including parents, aren't perfect, without sounding trite or preachy.  I found it interesting that the only person in Rose's life who was close to perfect, was a character who NEVER made Rose anything to eat, so we never got to see their inner feelings and thus their shortcomings.

Rose wasn't the only character in the book that intrigued me, either.  Although the character of the mother was complex, I found Rose's brother and father much more interesting and the mother much more of a standard character.  In addition, Grandma in Washington and Sherrine were great characters who helped tell us about life.

All in all, I definitely liked the way the author used her quirky characters to weave a great story about growing up and learning to deal with what life throws at you. In fact, I told myself that I was going to be more stingy and discerning with my 5 star rating this year, but this book just fits the bill. It was a draws me in, intrigues me, can't wait to see where it goes, WOW! book. Thanks to my friend Scoozer for bringing it to my attention. [