Some Luck by Jane Smiley

This title was published in 2014. It was recently recommended to me as being the first book in a trilogy. The next title is Early Warningwhich was published in 2015 and I have not unearthed whether or not the third title has been published.

Some Luck chronicles the life of the Langdon family of Denby, Iowa. The story begins in 1920 and each chapter is dedicated to another year in their lives. The last chapter in the book is 1953. Much of the focus of the book is on,Frank, the eldest son. From the myriad of escapades he experiences as a child to his stint in the Army, we observe the growth and maturity of Frank as he interacts with different people in his life.

While this book is structured like a documentary, the writing seems lighter and the reader can easily skim through the pages without getting bogged down in the details. Most of all, this first entry motivates the reader to read the next book in the trilogy.

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Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

Amid much ado about this title and after placing several holds on it at the library, I finally had a chance to read it in its' entirety yesterday. Before I go into too much detail, let me say it was good. It is a brief rendition of an encounter between neighbors. The writing style is simple and the storyline was very plausible.

Addie and Louis are neighbors of a certain age. Each has lost their spouse and is living a rather lonely existence. One day Addie approaches Louis about engaging in a relationship. Louis listens and agrees to it. Addie and Louis show the reader that it is possible to rekindle love in two older souls. At one point Addie's grandson comes to live with her for a while and Louis steps up to the plate and enjoys developing a relationship with the boy. Together they all embark on a series of simple adventures and begin to relish one another.

This story can easily be read by avid readers in one sitting. You should read it, especially if you are of a certain age.

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Gone Again by James Grippando

This author has appeared on my blog several times in the past. While reading his notes at the end of the book, I was surprised to recognize that he has been writing for twenty years. A former trial lawyer, Mr. Grippando's expertise in the field of law comes through clearly in his text. The settings of most if not all of his stories is southern Florida. The setting for this book is Miami.

In this latest novel, the premise is the demise of a teenage girl. The alleged perpetrator of the crime has been charged and convicted and is in prison awaiting execution. Jack Swyteck is approached by the mother of the slain teen and Jack becomes embroiled in a case which is so much more than meets the eye. Jack takes a closer look at all the things that led up to the murder conviction and in so doing, unleashes a more sinister plot than anything he could have imagined.

A good read!

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Swimsuit Body by Eileen Goudge

If a detective can be called funny and delightful, then the main character in this story exemplifies both. Tish Ballard is not actually a detective but she becomes one after discovering the body of one of her tenants. Tish manages several homes in Cyrpress Bay. The town has become a bit famous as a Hollywood director has chosen the town to film a new movie.

As the plot thickens, a relative of Trish's is being investigated as a possible suspect. This is all the incentive Trish needs to throw her hat in the ring and join with her friend ,detective Spence Breedlove, to launch her own investigation.

All in all, this is a comparatively "light" mystery. The author has several novels to her credit and wrote the popular "Sweet Valley High" books for teens.

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Magic by Danielle Steel

I'm not an avid reader of Danielle Steel but I have read several of her books over the years and I have enjoyed them. They offer a sweet departure from the cloak and dagger offerings which seem so prevalent these days.

The story opens in Paris on a warm summer evening. The main characters are attending "The White Dinner" which is an annual event by invitation only. According to my research this event actually happens. Apparently other countries have tried to emulate it with little success. Each year thousands of people are invited to attend the "dinner". They are asked to bring their own table and chairs, along with china and glassware and to prepare an entree to serve to themselves. It is described as an elegant affair and attendees must wear all-white attire.

The focus in this story is on three couples and two single people. Ms. Steel weaves the story in and out of all of their lives. There are ups and downs but in the end everything turns out as it should. Nothing momentous about the storyline-just a gentle romantic interlude. A good beach romance.

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Mrs. Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters

This is a brand-new author and this is her first book. This is what I call a flip-flop book. That is one where the story is presented in one chapter and then in the next chapter it goes back to a time before the present.

Roberta is the main character. She works in a bookstore in England. Her father stops by the store one day to deliver a suitcase filled with books. The suitcase belongs to her 109 year old grandmother. While perusing through the discarded books, Roberta comes across a series of letters written by her grandfather to her grandmother. Roberta is intent on finding out the story behind the letters and in so doing discovers much more than she bargained for.

The story takes place in the current time and during WWII. It evokes the passion that is often displayed in movies depicting war time romance and is well done. Although the book was published about a year ago and many other books have been published since then, it is a good story and one that will keep readers intrigued.

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Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

This title was the featured book at a recent book discussion. It portrays the story of eight men who were members of the rowing crew in the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, Germany.


Mr. Brown focuses on the life of Joe Rantz. It is in the telling of Joe's story that the reader can glimpse at the sacrifices that were made by the crew in preparation for the competition of their lives. Joe's story depicts the struggle and strength of one man's life and in so doing may inspire each of the readers of this story to persevere against all those hinderances in life which would preclude us from moving forward. Through the help of Joe's daughter, Mr. Brown was able to garner a wealth of information about the event and the trials (figuratively and actually) that led up to the biggest upset in crewing history.

A well-written story that is certainly worth reading.

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Dishonorable Intentions by Stuart Woods

Although this author has written over 30 novels in this series which features former NYPD detective Stone Barrington, this is the first that I have read.

Stone has taken on a new lady friend and while he is enamored by her prowess, she comes with baggage in the form of an ex-husband. Boris is intent on making his ex's life miserable and goes to great lengths to do so. Stone narrowly escapes several encounters and is determined to end Boris' quest as expediently as possible. Stone and Gala are experienced travelers and cross several continents in this fast-paced story. Attending soirees in London to visiting a ranch in New Mexico, the reader easily becomes entrenched in the storyline and Stone's escapades.

Not necessarily a "cloak and dagger" mystery, the story does have it's moments of high intrigue.

Give it a chance, you might like it.

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