You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Grace is a behavioral therapist.  She is married to Jonathan who is a pediatric oncologist.  They have one son named Henry.  Grace & Jonathan's marriage is often viewed by friends as "perfect".  Grace has just written a book which focuses on women neglecting their intuition and thereby not paying attention to their first impressions of men.  Things seem to be going well for this professional couple.  But all is not as it seems.

A murder occurs.  The mother of one of Henry's classmates is found murdered in her apartment by the classmate.  An infant daughter was in the apartment at the time of the murder.  And so begins a mystery which is unraveled both to the reader and to Grace.

Grace must change the entire direction of her life and carve out another life for herself and her child.

This novel speaks volumes about the tenacity of family and of one woman.  Although insulated by her upbringing and her status, Grace shows us how to keep on keeping on when disaster strikes.

The author has written three previous novels entitled "The White Rose", "The Sabbathday River" and "A Jury of Her Peers".  I have not read them but I plan to.

Ladybookbug!

Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

A delicious novel!  Billie Breslin has left college to pursue a job as an associate at a famous food magazine.  After an interesting inteview which encompasses not only a one-on-one with the editor but also a scavenger hunt of sorts, ends up getting the job.

One of her first responsibilities is responding to letters from readers who have tried recipes printed in the magazine.  Some of these stories are very funny and had me laughing out loud.  I even read some of the entries to interested listeners.

While working at the magazine Billie comes across some interesting letters in the library.  They were written by a young girl to chef James Beard.  They tell a story of life during WWII.

I loved this book.  This is the author's first work of fiction, although she has written several works of non-fiction.  Please write more fiction and I promise I'll read it.

Ladybookbug!

And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass

This is the story of Kit Noonan, an unemployed art historian with a family to support.   Kit is in search of his biological father.  His search appears to have put a hold on everything he is attempting to do.  Finally, he contacts his stepfather in hopes that Jasper will help him locate his father.

Kit becomes connected with his father's family and discovers that his father kept tabs on him throughout his childhood.  Kit discovers other things about his father that upset him.

This is a well-written novel.  The characters are well-developed.  Toward the end of the book, the author introduces us to members of Kit's father's community.  She is able to grasp the perspective of gay men living during difficult times.

You might remember this author by one of her previous titles which won the coveted National Book Award for Fiction.  Namely , Three Junes.

Ladybookbug!

Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy

Another great author!  You're probably thinking I say this alot and you'd be correct.  There are many authors out there that I really enjoy.  Some authors write many books but they are not necessarily consistently good.  There are other authors who are one-hit wonders and still more that were meant to be writers and I am pleased to have discovered them for myself. 

I'm not sure when I "discovered" Maeve Binchy but I have read all of her fiction titles from "Light A Penny Candle"  to "Chestnut Street" and I have loved every single one.   You may not know this but her title "Circle of Friends" was made into a movie and starred Minnie Driver. 

Chestnut Street is a book you'll want to savor.  Although I've been known to read a 368 page book in one evening,  I did not want this book to end and so I read it in three sittings.  Ms Binchy introduces us to each of the characters who reside on the street.  We become entwined in their stories.  I particularly liked the female characters who are portrayed as strong, independent women.  They don't have all the answers right away but they learn as they live their lives.

Unfortunately Ms Binchy left us way too soon.  She passed away in 2012.  The note inside the front cover states  "Maeve Binchy imagined a street in Dublin with many characters coming and going, and every once in a while she would write about one of these people.  She would then put the story in a drawer: "for the future," she would say.  The future is  now."

Thank you Ms. Binchy for sharing your gifts with us.  I believe you made the world a better place.

Ladybookbug!

The Target by David Baldacci

There are many prolific authors out there and some of them are great.   Mr. Baldacci is one of the great ones.

Readers were first introduced to one of the main characters in this entry in the titles The Innocent and The Hit and Robie is back again.  Will Robie and his partner Jessica Reel are embroiled in a secret mission.  The preparation for the mission is treacherous in and of itself.  There are some people in power who do not want to see the pair succeed and they try everything to make that happen. 

However, Robie and Reel are cut from a different bolt of cloth and they have an inner strength that keeps them forging ahead at all costs.  While the main focus of the plot is the mission to North Korea and an invitation fromt the First Lady to accompany the family on a vacation, there is a sub plot that focuses on Jessica Reel's past.  In some instances, multiple plots can cause confusion for the reader but that is not the case here.  Everything is well organized and easy to follow.

This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep readers motivated.  My advice to this author is to keep writing. 

Ladybookbug!

NYPD RED 2 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp

Ah yes, another James Patterson series.  I read the first one in this set and the second was just as fast paced and realistic. 

The scenario takes place in New York City and involves a Mafia Family and a series of murders.  How they all tie in together is what this story is all about.  What starts out as local hometown boys setting about to make restitution in regard to a rape, ends up being a major crime situation.

I'd like to say this is typical James Patterson but many people don't believe he is writing so prolifically these days but rather just adding his illustrious name to the works of his co-authors.  Don't know but I still enjoy reading his books.

Ladybookbug!

The Husbands's Secret by Liane Moriarty

You may be familiar with this author's previous works entitled What Alice Forgot and The Hypnotist's Love Story.  Whether or not you are, you'll want to read her latest entry.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick discovers a letter written to her by her husband to be opened after his death.  She is very curious and wants to open it right away.  She muses about what her closest friends would tell her to do.  Eventually she does open it and all hell breaks loose.

In this story, we are introduced to a number of different characters.  In the beginning they lead separate lives but their lives become interconnected by the end of the story.  This is a well-written story about keeping a terrible secret and not realizing the ramifications of that decision until it is too late.

My only complaint with this book was that I had some difficulty keeping the characters straight.  I found myself stopping at the beginning of a chapter and sorting out who was who.  However, it presented an interesting plot line and was well worth the read.

Ladybookbug!