What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Alice awakens on the floor of the gym, while being attended to by paramedics.  She has no idea why she would belong to a gym let alone be there taking a step class.  The clothes she's wearing are unfamiliar.  In fact everything around her is strange.  The last ten years of Alice's life have disappeared from her memory, simply erased like a chalkboard. 

All Alice can remember is Nick, her husband, the love of her life.  He, however, has left her and their three children and the divorce has not been amicable.  Alice is frustrated that he hasn't rushed to her bedside.  But then again, everything is frustrating Alice right now.

  
In What Alice Forgot,  the reader sees the world through Alice's eyes and her struggle to find her life again.  I am a huge fan of Liane Moriarty and she's done an excellent job creating the character's point of view.  Every action Alice takes and every word she speaks is true to Alice's condition. 

What Alice Forgot also has a message about what is important in life.  With her memory erased, Alice got a chance to start over.  The little things brought a smile to her face when in the past they had annoyed her.  There are times when we'd all like a chance to start over.  Alice shows us that it's not easy but it's never too late. 

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Kate has been asleep for a year.  Not asleep like Rip Van Winkle, but she's detached herself from reality since the death of her husband.  Her mother-in-law, Cricket saw it as an opportunity to step in and take control of Kate, and her daughter, Devin and their lives. 

On the day Kate and Devin are scheduled to move into Cricket's home, she finds an old postcard from Lost Lake.  The memories of a summer spent there as a teenager come flooding back.  Aunt Eby and Uncle George own the resort in southern Georgia.  Cricket has carefully planned their move, but Kate disregards Cricket's instructions, packs Devin in the car and heads to Lost Lake. 

Aunt Eby welcomes them with open arms.  The once popular resort has few guests and is in a state of disrepair.  Eby drops the news that she has finally decided to sell and move on with her life.  Since Uncle George died, things haven't been the same.  A casual comment to have a farewell party for Lost Lake, sets the story in motion.

I have to say I am a huge fan of Sarah Addison Allen.  The Sugar Queen is on my list of all time most favorite books.  I love the magical fairy dust she sprinkles into every story.  Lost Lake unfortunately didn't get its fair share of enchantment.  Lost Lake had plenty of potential, with sweet Devin dressed in a tutu and fairy wings in search of the mysterious alligator, and Selma with her box of charms. None of the characters was able to weave enough fantasy to keep me engaged as a reader.  I'm still a fan of Ms. Allen, but not of Lost Lake.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

I'd been eyeing this book at the bookstore for quite some time.  I love the title and the cover is green, my favorite color, so that's more than enough to draw me in.  When I saw this title on sale for my Kindle, I jumped at it.

What is not to adore about Flavia de Luce?  She is smart, witty, and inquisitive.  Flavia conducts chemistry experiments in a lab in the far reaches of her family's estate.  Mostly she is searching for ways to torment her sisters but when she's hot on the trail of a murder, her knowledge of science comes in handy.  So does her bicycle named Gladys.

When Flavia finds a dead man in the cucumber patch, and a rare stamp turns up missing, the adventure begins.  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is fun and has all the components of a good mystery.  I grew up on Nancy Drew.  My friend, Georgia, had every single Nancy Drew mystery which she gladly shared with me.  Flavia de Luce has brought sleuthing into the 21st century.  I felt nostalgic and hip both at the same time.  And I loved every minute of it.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

A social worker tells Lila, a young woman on the verge of aging out of foster care, that she needs to get her life in order.  She finds what she thinks is her ticket out, by signing an employment contract to work in a small town in Missouri.  What awaits her is something very different.

Usually I enjoy reading stories that use different characters perspectives.  But I have to say, in this case I struggled with it.  The page counter on my Kindle read 40% before I figured out that Lucy is Lila's daughter and that the story is not only written from different points of view but that these two main characters were living in different time periods. One thing I have learned is there are things that a writer doesn't reveal to the reader in order to keep them reading.  The setting however, is never one of those things. 

I am not one for reading many mysteries, but I love when a good one keeps me interested.   The Weight of Blood was far too predictable and the ending left me disappointed.  Too much weight for me.

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Richard and I were walking around the mall the other day and he says, "I wish I were 16 again."

Me too.  I could sleep 'til noon, my bones wouldn't ache and I could eat as much ice cream as I wanted without any side effects. And I could hang out with cool kids like Prenna and Ethan.
These two teenagers stole my heart.  No wonder Prenna fell in love with Ethan even though the rules in her community forbade it.  He is just too darn cute.

Prenna and her mother are part of a group of time travelers who have escaped to the past to try to avert the disease and social unrest of the future.  They work hard to remain undetected.  When Prenna shows up in Ethan's class, he knows she's keeping a secret. 

I love to read a good YA novel every now and then.  The Here and Now is well crafted in blending the creation of the future with the reality of the present.  The story is fast moving, tension filled, and includes a touch of romance.  Falling in love for the first time is a feeling none of us will ever forget no matter how old.  Ann Brashares does a wonderful job of involving the reader into the life of teenager and fueling the fire with the supernatural. 

Even though I am not the target audience for this book, the pages kept turning.  The characters are adorable.  The setting is intriguing and believable.  And oh do I wish I was 16 again.

City of the Sun by Juliana Maio

City of the Sun by Juliana Maio

World War II is raging throughout Europe, but for Detroit Free Press journalist, Mickey Connelly, the story is in Egypt.  Maya is a Jewish refugee who ends up in Cairo as a stop on the way to freedom for her and her family.  Their chance meeting sets this novel in motion.

Lately, I've been reading alot of historical novels.  I'm enthralled by stories of the World Wars. The setting in Africa is a fresh approach and it's a part of history I was not familiar with.  All good things. 

City of the Sun has the everything, romance, intrigue, murder all in an exotic setting.  The novel is well paced and I never became bored but some parts I enjoyed more than others.  The ending left me unsatisfied.  When I thought about why I felt this way, I realized the author never decided if this was to be a historical novel, a romance or a spy thriller.  Although the novel has merit, it never found its true focus.  As a reader I never found that warm and fuzzy feeling I long to have inside a good book.

Crossing The Moon by Paulette Alden

Crossing The Moon by Paulette Alden

Paulette's story was one I could relate to at many different points.  She was raised in the prim and proper south.  I was not, however the same moral values were drummed into my head beginning at a very young age.  When Paulette set off to a fellowship at Stanford, she drove across country not knowing anything of the rest of the world.  Her innocence and naivete may have been her greatest strength. I made a similar choice to move to a strange city where I knew no one after I graduated from college.  It was struggle, but today I am better off because of it.

I also admired Paulette's desire to be a writer.  I related completely to the struggle of time and distraction that is every writer's enemy.  And I felt her joy at receiving an acceptance letter from a publisher.  A writer's life is full of ups and downs and as a writer myself, I found comfort knowing I am not alone.

The bulk of this story is Paulette's path through infertility treatments.  In my thirties, I made a conscious decision not to have children.  No woman comes to that choice lightly and I remember that phase of my life well.  Paulette took a step further through years of fertility treatment but in the end came to the same resolution that children were not going to be a part of her life.  She found peace.  I completely understood her choice and her thought process.

Crossing The Moon is a lovely memoir of a woman's choices in life.  As women we have a habit of second guessing ourselves but we need to remember that each step we take is part of a journey called life. The voyage belongs to you and only you no matter where it might lead.