A Memoir

Without a Map by Meredith Hall

This is a memoir of a woman who grew up in my hometown in New Hampshire in the 1960's. At 16, Meredith finds herself pregnant and when she can no longer hide it at 5 months along, she is first shunned by her school, her town, and then by her own family. She is forced to give the baby up for adoption and what follows is the painful and difficult path her life then takes.

I always enjoy a Meg Cabot book!

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

Heather Wells was a teen pop star, burning up the charts, and touring the malls. But at the age of 18, she has already started to fade out. Between losing her record contract and her mother making of with her fortune, Heather is left to make some life changing decisions. She wants to get an education. So, she takes a job at New York College as an Assistant Director in a residence hall. Which does not pay well, but after a 6 month probation, Heather can attend classes for free.

When not one, but two, freshmen girls are found dead in the elevator shaft, the police are quick to rule the deaths an accident, but Heather, following her own hunches, plays PI investigating the truth.

Really fun chick lit/cozy mystery. I liked the main character a lot and look forward to reading the next two books in the series.

Two More Parnormal-ish YA's

Two different YA's for two different types of readers!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Dark Powers Book 1)

Chloe Saunders is a quiet and smart high school girl being raised by her aunt and nannies while her father is abroad. She lost her mother as a young girl. She has had experiences in the past of seeing the dead and now, at school, there is a dead and mangled janitor chasing her. Chloe freaks out and is sent to a "residential home" to get better. While there, Chloe's powers seem to heat up and she meets more kids with paranormal powers.

This was a great read. Fast paced and exciting. I can'[t wait to read books 2 and 3. This will be great for some of my older Twilight loving readers.


43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You (Book 1) by Kate Klise, Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Such a fun book!! Ignatius Grumpley is an old children's book author who hasn't had a hit in decades. He is paid to complete one more book in his popular old series and rents an Old Victorian house in Ghastly, Illinois hoping to beat his writer's block. But once the contract has been signed, Old Iggy soon find outs out the house is already inhabited by a young boy named Seymour, his cat, and a 190 year old ghost named Olive.

This book is written in letter format and has great illustrations, It was a lot of fun and I think some of my reluctant readers will enjoy it.

f2f Book Club Selection

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alice is a renowned professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard University. She has taught there for 25 years, has written numerous book and case studies, travels around the world lecturing, and is one of the best in her fields. All that begins to change when Alice slowly starts to forget things. Sometimes it is a word or phrase from a lecture she has given countless times and sometimes it is forgetting the way home in the middle of a run.

Alice is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease and must cope with the lose of her career, her future plans, and her health.

This was a very good read and very well written. It generated a lot of great discussion for the book group!

YA

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelley

It is 1899, just before the turn of the century. And while other girls Calpurnia's age are learning manners, sewing, and how to be proper girls, Calpurnia is far more interested in naturalism. Along with her grandfather, Calpurnia observes, collects, and studies insects, plants, and animals. She learns about Charles Darwin and the idea of natural selection.

Great tale of friendship

Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah

This was a great story of a lifelong friendship, love, family, and loss. Firefly Lane follows the story of two best friends, Kate and Tully, through their childhoods in the 1960's, their teen's in the 1970's, college years of the 1980's, their blossoming careers in the 1990's, and adulthood into the 2000's. It was a great and moving story.

Another Virgin River book

Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr

In the aftermath of the passing of her mother, Shelby packs up her things and heads to Virgin River. She plans to live with her Uncle Walt to rest and relax before embarking on a new life. Shelby wants to do some traveling and then begin college at the age of 25 to be a nurse. She has her future planned out until she meets the handsome new stranger in town, Luke Riordan. Luke is instantly attracted to Shelby, but with his older age and painful past, he feels he is all wrong for her. Elsewhere in Virgin River, we get caught up with all of our favorite characters including Mel and Jack, Preacher and Paige, Mike and Brie, Vanessa and Paul, Dr. Cameron, and more!

This is the sixth book in the Virgin River series and it is one of my favorites. I just really love these characters and they feel like old friends.