The Lost Hours by Karen White

This was my book club’s choice for October and while it was entertaining, it definitely wasn’t a great book club choice, in my opinion. In The Lost Hours we meet Piper Mills, an ex-equestrian champion who is nursing her near fatal injuries at her grandparent’s house. Her grandfather has recently died and her grandmother is living in a home and suffering from Alzheimer’s. As she pokes around the home she’s inherited, she discovers a key to a room that doesn’t exist. That leads her to discover a hidden room in the attic and she remembers watching her grandfather bury a box in the backyard when she was 12. When she digs up the box, she finds pages from a scrapbook, a charm necklace and a newspaper article from 1939. The scrapbook tells the story of three friends growing up in the 1930’s and each charm on the necklace has its own story. After Piper’s grandmother dies, she struggles to understand her story and she reaches out to the only one of the three friends who is still living. But Piper is afraid to ask questions as herself and instead goes to Asphodel Meadows under her “real” name, which is unknown and gets to know the family. There she finds more answers than she knew she was looking for and finally begins to heal, both in body and in spirit. This is a decent book and worth a few hours of your time.

Vision in White and Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

These are the first two novels in Roberts’ new Bride Quartet and are her traditional fare – boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy screws up, boy apologizes and boy and girl live happily ever after. This is the pattern Nora Roberts books usually follow and these are no exception. These are the story of four friends who grew up together and as adults started Vows, a full service wedding service. Mackenzie, the focus of Vision in White, is the company photographer; Emmaline, the star of Bed of Roses, manages the floral arrangements. Laurel, the celebrity pastry chef, will be the subject of the next book and Parker, the coordinator extraordinaire, will finish the quartet. These aren’t meant to be heavy reading but if you like a little fluff in your day, check these out.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

This book certainly packs a punch and if you read it, you’ll be quickly drawn into the story and will have a hard time putting it down. The Weight of Silence takes place in Willow Creek, Iowa, where one morning, 7-year-old Calli and her best friend Petra both go missing on the same morning. The challenge is that Calli hasn’t spoken a word in over three years, ever since the day her mother miscarried. A manhunt is quickly launched and Calli’s brother, Ben is pulled into the search, which focuses on the woods behind Calli’s house. The stories of the missing girls is interwoven with the story of the search, which is being led by the local sherrif, Loras Louis, who is still in love with Calli’s mother. This isn’t a happy novel and covers some serious topics but would be a great book club pick, as it offers you a lot to discuss. And even though the subject matter is heavy, the author does a good job of keeping things from becoming overly emotional.

True Blue by David Baldacci

True Blue is Baldacci’s latest and this time he introduces us to some new characters, instead of those we’ve come to know in love in previous novels. Mason, or Mace, Perry has just gotten out of a two-year stint in jail, where she served time for a series of armed robberies around Washington. Her sister, Beth, is DC’s chief of police and is willing to risk everything to help Mace clear her name and be reinstated to the police force. When a series of murders throughout DC, including a US attorney and a powerful lawyer occur, Mace views it as her big case to break her way back onto the force. Baldacci’s novels are always entertaining but often stretch the boundaries of the imagination. But that’s why I read them, they’re entertaining and intricate enough that you don’t know the outcome the minute you start the novel.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

OK Nicholas Sparks, you finally did it, you drove me away. Things started out so promisingly, first there was The Notebook and Message in a Bottle. They were slightly sappy but still had a good story and made me believe in the characters. But slowly, your books have just gotten more and more blech. I don’t even have a better word for it – they’re treacley, overtly religious and don’t even have a good plot, which can overcome a lot. So to all of you out there reading, please save yourself the trouble of reading The Last Song.

I Apologize!

Sorry for the loooong delay between postings. I have no excuse, I was on vacation for a bit but then just got lazy. I am back at it though!