Friday, October 28, 2016

The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne


Life in Littlefield, Massachusetts is what you would expect in a small suburban town.  Children play soccer, wives cook dinner, and the community is proud of its various schools, parks and gardens.  When the town decides to create an off-leash dog park on a trial basis, the many dog-lovers of the town are thrilled.  Dogs frolic and people wonder why they hadn’t done this sooner.  Then the signs start popping up on park fences: Pick up after your dog.  Aren’t you ashamed that you don’t? And Leash your beast.  Or else. No one is particularly surprised by this turn of events.  Surely it’s just one of the folks at the nearby community garden, afraid that a dog will trash some freshly planted beds.  Until Feldman, a white bullmastiff, is discovered dead in the dog park by Margaret Downing.

In Berne's The Dogs of Littlefield, sociologist Dr. Clarice Watkins, newly arrived in town to study the elements of a “good life” and its effect on the suburban citizens of Littlefield, takes in the recent rash of dog poisonings.  What author Berne gives us is a funny, honest portrayal of life and the many people in it.  From the ups and downs of marriage, to affairs, dealing with ones children and work, Berne shows us the honest minds of people living their lives.  Lives that are sometimes small, ordinary and filled with minutiae or fear.  What appears on the surface to be a murder mystery involving the dogs of a small town, really becomes a story about people living their ordinary lives.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Multiple Listings by Tracy McMillan


Nicki Daniels is a thirty-something woman with her life together. She is a single mom to son Cody, works full time as a real estate appraiser, has a beautiful home, and has a sweet boyfriend whom she's looking to buy a house and restaurant with. While it may appear that she has everything she wants, Nicki isn't content or happy, so imagine the shock when Nicki's former-inmate father, Ronnie that she hasn't seen in 17 years, suddenly shows up on her doorstep, wanting a place to stay while he's on parole. Battling the feelings of neglect she faced during her childhood, Nicki reluctantly agrees to let Ronnie move in. Fearing his typical selfish behavior, Nicki is reluctant to open up to her father and doesn't want her son Cody becoming attached to Ronnie. When Nicki's life is all but falling apart, it very well might be the catalyst that the father and daughter duo needs to reconnect.

Inspired by the author's life, Multiple Listings is a witty, charming, and funny story filled with entertaining characters that are relatable to any family. However by the end of the book, it is clear to see what really matters...family. In the process you realize that a house is not a home without a family to live in it.

Friday, October 14, 2016

The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman


Lolly Lindsey is the matriarch of her small family, living in a fictional small town Michigan city. Lolly's daughter Arden and granddaughter Lauren are busy leading their own busy lives in Chicago, when an emergency call about Lolly leaves Arden stunned. Arden and Lauren realize that it's time to reconnect with Lolly who is now seventy years old and suffering from early onset dementia.

Over the course of their Memorial Day weekend visit home, Lolly tells her life story through the charms on her charm bracelet. From the sewing machine charm given to her by her Irish immigrant to the loon given to her by her husband the night he proposed, Arden and Lauren learn about Lolly's life and in turn learn a few things about themselves. 

This sweet, thoughtful book tells the story of three generations of women. Wade Rouse using the pen name Viola Shipman, in honor of his grandmother, tells her story in this book . For anyone who has ever had a family story telling grandmother or other family member, The Charm Bracelet is sure to read like a family history.

Friday, October 7, 2016

The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley


Cousins Arden and Rory Falcone have been best friends since they were toddlers. They were inseparable, so much so that they shared a dorm room in college. Given that the girls are so close, everyone finds it extremely odd that the minute their relationship starts to falter, a suspicious fire breaks out in their dorm room. The fire left one dead and the girls severely burned and clinging to life in a local emergency room. Now the detective on the case is nosing around; digging up secrets and looking for answers.

Tension was already high between Arden and Rory's parents, thanks in part to a financial decision turned sour. With little else to do as the girls lay in hospital beds, Arden and Rory's parents are forced to take a look at their unraveling relationships and pray that their secrets stay buried. Ultimately wanting the best for both of the girls, the Falcones are forced to make a decision that might break up the once close knit family.

From author Carla Buckley comes The Good Goodbye, a suspenseful thriller about an estranged family, buried lies, and secrets everyone wants to keep hidden.