Who Do You Love

Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner

This is the love story of Rachel and Andy. So pure and simple from the start, but like all love stories, the journey to happiness is not an easy one. You'll find yourself rooting for these two flawed characters, wishing they could go back to the days of innocence, knowing that the obstacles they face may never lead to happily ever after.

They meet in the emergency room of a hospital, both just eight-years-old and in need of a friend. Rachel's congenital heart defect defines
her life; the endless surgeries, the constant fretting and over protectiveness of her devoted mother, the restrictions involving physical activity, and the ever-present pink, jagged scar running down the center of her chest. Andy is a lonely, often angry child, not knowing where he belongs. Being biracial and never meeting his father has already jaded his view of the world. This particular night, he's waiting for a doctor to set his broken arm, a result of a careless unsupervised walk on a railing, while his mother partied with friends. The connection between Rachel and Andy on this fateful night is apparent from the beginning. Little do they know it's the start of a romance that will be tested over time.

Over the course of many years, Rachel and Andy will meet again and again. And over the years, their differences become quite apparent. Rachel's doting and indulgent parents enjoy treating her like the"Jewish Princess" that she is. In comparison, Andy's poor upbringing, hand-me-down clothes, and meager surroundings make him feel resentful and unworthy of her affection. Eventually, as they go their separate ways, hard work pays off for both of them. Andy's superb running skills take him to The Olympics, and Rachel's promising career in social work becomes a reality. However, with success, comes scandal and infidelity. Thoughts always return to that first chance meeting years ago.

In typical fashion, Jennifer Weiner uses her skill as a writer to engage the reader in a compelling  and emotional story that offers an astute insight into the perils of falling in love. Much like her All Fall Down  (reviewed August 2014) this novel appeals to the hope in all of  us that we can survive even in the darkest of times.

Only in the end will you find out if Rachel and Andy's fairy tale comes true.

Day by Day

Day by Day
The Chronicles of a Hard of Hearing Reporter
by Elizabeth (Liz) Thompson

Author Liz Thompson knows what it's like to face adversity. She's lived with severe hearing loss since childhood. This deeply personal narrative, told with grace and dignity, is undoubtedly a triumphant story. Her journey was not easy, the obstacles many, and the struggles real. This is her diary of success.

Liz Thompson is currently a columnist featured periodically in the This Week suburban newspapers distributed throughout the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan area.  Her career as a writer has spanned many years and taken her countless places across the United States. She and her husband are pleased to call Ohio home once again. The numerous articles she has written over time (and letters written to her by grateful readers) actually motivated her to write this book published in 2008. These pieces are liberally interspersed throughout the book, offering an enlightening insight into the world of those who live each and every day with hearing loss. They reveal the struggles and challenges she faced along the way. The reader has the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about the deaf community, about the art of communication, and how all individuals deserve acceptance and respect.

Liz describes the isolation and loneliness often associated with hearing loss ; the elementary-school teacher, who turned her back on the class making lip-reading impossible, the impatience of others when she couldn't respond to a comment or question, and the lack of self-confidence when tackling a new job. Her love of music and singing began to slip away as her hearing deteriorated, leaving a major void in her life. The added diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at age thirty-six would be the final "straw" for many people, a reason to stop trying. But as Liz reiterates over and over in her book, life is about attitude. And that positive attitude is quite evident if you look at her life today.

Liz found true love with her second husband, she's the proud grandmother of three, and is a successful writer.  She received a cochlear implant on April 22, 2002, opening up a world that others take for granted. Her words of encouragement have buoyed the spirits of so many of her readers and given hope to those who may experience despair. As Liz says, "separate the word dis-ability and put special in front and you have special ability". Wise words that put a whole new perspective on living and functioning with a "disability".

As an individual working in the field of education, I have seen first-hand the progress made in our schools and society. Watching a child with a cochlear implant interact with peers is extremely gratifying. Seeing that same child accepted and embraced by friends is hard to describe.  People like Liz Thompson paved the way for those facing challenges today. Very few of us have picture-perfect lives. Liz chooses to live hers with courage and faith; a fine example for all of us to follow and teach our children.

I encourage readers to take the time to read this book. You will learn interesting facts about the background and history behind the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, and the complexity in learning American Sign Language. You will also marvel at one woman's success against all odds. A true inspiration about living life to the fullest, regardless of limitations.


      

The Night Sister

The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon

Alfred Hitchcock was known as the "master of suspense". He had the uncanny ability to put movie goers on the "edge of their seats" in so many of his acclaimed films.

References to Hitchcock are throughout Jennifer McMahon's latest novel; a riveting, eerie tale flavored with fantasy. Much like her popular The Winter People (reviewed March, 2014) she writes about the paranormal, leaving the reader with unanswered questions.

The year is 2013. Policeman Jason Hawke is summoned to the Tower Motel to investigate a grizzly murder scene. A difficult job under any circumstances, but even more so tonight. He stares down at the long blond hair covered in a massive pool of sticky blood. Even with her face turned away from him, he knows it's Amy, his childhood friend. Now she is an accused murderer. A rifle lies next to her body. A scrawled piece of paper with the words "29 rooms" flutters on the floor. A clue from the dead? Upstairs, he finds the bodies of her husband and son. Then Jason hears a soft whimper outside the bedroom window on the roof. The mirror image of Amy huddles against the chimney, soft moonlight shining on frightened eyes. Miraculously, Amy's daughter has somehow survived.

The Tower Motel was once a successful tourist spot in rural London,Vermont in the 1950s. Now it's a crumbling mass of broken windows, rotting boards, and overgrown weeds. As children in the 1980s, Amy, her friend, Piper, and Piper's little sister, Margot, used to spend their summers exploring the abandoned grounds and solving mysteries like the disappearance of Amy's Aunt Sylvie. She was an aspiring actress who told her family she was leaving for the lights and fame of Hollywood. She was never heard from again  When the girls unearth her packed suitcase, they realize Sylvie may never have left at all. After another appalling discovery, Amy decides to break all ties with her friends. They must never reveal to anyone what they know.

Until today, twenty-five years later, when Margot tells Piper Amy is dead.  Childhood  memories return.....

Like a good old-fashioned horror movie, this is one of those books best read with the lights on. Outlandish, ghoulish, and scary, it's a page turner in every sense of the word. Pay attention to the span of years, as it changes from chapter to chapter. I found myself reading passages over again to establish the relationship between characters. From there, it was hard to put down...

Sometimes "it's easier to pretend the things that frighten us the most don't exist at all".

Pretty Baby

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica


A sincere act of kindness goes terribly, terribly wrong......

Chris Wood calls his wife a bleeding heart; "Every neglected, mistreated, overlooked, ignored, abandoned, forgotten, emaciated, abused, derelict creature on God's earth is Heidi's concern". This time, however, she's gone too far...this time she's put her family in grave danger.

Relentless, pounding rain drenches the young teenage girl and the tiny baby cradled in her arms. As Heidi waits for the train at Fullerton Station in Chicago, her eyes are drawn to the girl's thin, bony frame, sallow skin, and vacant expression. Commuters intent on getting home, eye the pair with pity and disgust. But not Heidi. She decides to extend a helping hand, not realizing what's about to enfold.

Chris and self-centered daughter, Zoe, are angry and perplexed to see a homeless, bedraggled teenager and infant taking up residence in their home. Heidi becomes increasingly obsessed with this girl named Willow and baby Ruby. What is supposed to be a  temporary situation, drags on and on. Chris begins to have serious misgivings about this stranger who has invaded their lives. Without Heidi's  knowledge, he begins an investigation of his own. Constant travels related to his job keep him unaware of how bizarre the attachment between his wife and these outsiders has become. When he finally realizes the extent of their involvement, it may be too late to salvage the life they've created.

Kubica presents the reader with three narrators, Chris, Willow, and Heidi, each one telling a part of the story from their own perspective. Even though it may seem complicated, the timelines and characters are easy to follow. After the success of the author's first novel ( The Good Girl, reviewed in July 2014) Mary Kubica is a name that suspense lovers will remember. A graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, she  makes the Buckeye State proud.

A guaranteed pulse-pounding thriller that hooks you from page one with unexpected plot twists and a surprising ending .

Eight Hundred Grapes

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave


"You have to grow about eight hundred grapes to get just one bottle of wine. If that isn't an argument to finish the bottle, I don't know what  is."

Wearing a tattered and torn wedding dress, Georgia Ford walks into The Brothers' Tavern, sits down at the bar, and stares at the two choices set in front of her; a shot of bourbon or a glass of smooth, fruity Pinot Noir. She chooses the wine. Her whole life has always centered around her father's award-winning wines and vineyard, so the choice comes naturally. She willingly left that life years ago. Now, despondent and confused, she's back where it all started. Coming home to her childhood roots means she can count on her family to offer guidance and support. However, Georgia soon discovers  that assumption couldn't be farther from the truth.

It's harvest week at The Last Straw Vineyard. A flurry of traditional events are scheduled, not the least of which is Georgia's wedding to Ben. No one knows that the bride recently uncovered a catastrophic secret that the love of her life has been conveniently hiding. That secret is named Maddie, his adorable five-year-old daughter with a stunning Hollywood actress. And he's known about the child for far longer than he cares to admit. The couple's anticipated move to London with Ben's ready-made family nearby, now seems premature and risky. Georgia retreats to the arms of her parents, hoping to find comfort and guidance while she makes life-altering decisions. Much to her dismay, what she envisions at home isn't reality anymore. Her mother is involved with another man, her father is selling the treasured  family vineyard, and her brothers are at odds with one another over a woman they both love. Georgia's once idyllic life is now a messy conglomeration of problems.

From the author of The First Husband and The Divorce Party (both highly recommended) this is an entertaining look at the power and strength of family bonds, the acceptance of harsh truths, and the realization that following our hearts may be the recipe for happiness. Laura Dave writes with honesty and humor which make her books so appealing.

So grab a Chardonnay, Merlot, or whatever suits your mood, and get ready to enjoy a visit to Sonoma County. In addition to a delightful story, you'll learn a great deal about the fascinating process that goes into making each and every mellow, satisfying bottle of wine.

Those Girls

Those Girls by Chevy Stevens


As Jess and Dani watch in horror, their drunken, glassy-eyed father attempts to drown their sister Courtney. They listen to his malicious, cruel comments, see his lips curl into a leering smirk on his distorted face. He doesn't realize that the years of abuse and abandonment on his part are about to end. At her breaking point, fourteen-year-old Jess feels the cool metal of the rifle in her hands as she pulls the trigger.

In an instant, she murders "Dad".

The three sisters bury their father's body in a pig pen reeking of foul waste and debris. They hide crucial evidence, then begin a journey on the run to Vancouver where they hope to start over. They don't count on their dilapidated truck breaking down in the creepy little town of Cash Creek. Here they meet brothers Brian and Gavin, two locals from a nearby ranch who offer to help them fix the truck in exchange for a hard day's work on the land they call home. But it's all a ploy by a bully and a deviant psychopath. The boys have a sick and twisted plan for the vulnerable teens. After five days of torture, the girls mange to escape from their captors and with the help of an ex-con, finally make it to Vancouver with new identities. Then Jess learns she is pregnant with Brian's child. Determined to never reveal the truth of her daughter's conception, she and her sisters begin a new life, praying no one will ever learn of  their dirty little secrets.

The second half of the story begins eighteen years later, narrated by Skylar, the daughter Jamie (Jess) vows to protect at all costs. The young woman's curiosity about her family's past takes a perilous turn when Crystal (Courtney) decides to avenge the unthinkable deeds of two evil men she and her sisters foolishly trusted years ago. Crystal sets off for Cash Creek with Skylar not far behind. They find themselves in dangerous territory when Brian and Gavin recognize Crystal as one of  "those girls" they victimized years ago. Older, but still callous and ruthless, the men swear to make them disappear once and for all.

Intense, brutal, and graphic, readers will cringe at many of the descriptive passages in this novel, while feeling the gripping fear endured by the characters.  It's a story of ultimate survival, mind over matter, and being "so scared that if I stopped being angry, there'd be nothing left of me".

Another winner from the master of suspense, author Chevy Stevens.









   

The Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers by Davis McCullough

They wanted to fly. This is a stirring account of how two determined brothers from Dayton, Ohio succeeded in their quest to do what so many regarded as unrealistic and foolish. In spite of their awe-inspiring accomplishments, the Wright brothers remained humble and unassuming, an inspiration to the common man that perseverance and dedication to a cause prevails over adversity.

"For all they had seen and done, the unprecedented glory bestowed on them, it had by all signs neither changed them nor turned their heads in the least. There was no boasting, no preening, no getting too big for their britches, as said, and it was this, almost as much as their phenomenal achievements, that was so greatly admired. As one writer on the scene put it, "They are the imperturbable 'men from home' as always".

And until the end, that home was Dayton, Ohio.

This Pulitzer-Prize author's research is incredibly extensive starting with the "boys" humble beginnings to their historic experimental flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They were relentless in the pursuit of a dream, knowing that each attempt to soar like the birds they envied,  put their lives in danger. The moving personal diaries and documented Wright Papers give the reader a true look into the minds and lives of these pioneers.

However, the truly inspiring part of this book is the author's insight into the personal lives of these two humble men. They didn't have indoor plumbing growing up, they didn't travel in the "right" social circles, they didn't worry about being recognized to enhance swollen egos. What they did have was a devoted mother who died too young, and a preacher father who surrounded his sons with books that encouraged his children to reach for heights others would never even considered. The reader learns how much sister Katherine influenced them in their journey to success, while remaining in the shadows. An Oberlin (Ohio) graduate, she too excelled in her dreams of excellence and offered encouragement every step of the way.

On March 12, 1906, Wilbur and Orville Wright wrote, "The best dividends on the labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power".

This book is a testament to those words.