Sweet Mercy

Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book opens with 60 something Eve and her grandson visiting the soon to be demolished Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge to retrieve a beloved memento. Memories wash in as Eve thinks back on when her family moved to the lodge when she was only 17 - to get away from the horrors and corruption in St. Paul Minnesota. Her father had lost his job with the Ford Motor Company and moving back to the lodge would hopefully restore the relationship with his brother Cy who owned the Marryat. Eve's idyllic summer and new romance comes to an end when she finds that many of the townfolk are in on the hooch being bootlegged from Canada and even Cy is involved. Her once black and white standards are brought into question as Eve wrestles with the gray areas of life....

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Oy Feh So?

Oy, Feh, So? by Cary Fagan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who didn't have that odd relative that was worth trading when you were young? This children's book brings out the giggles when two elderly aunts and an uncle set in their ways are mimicked by their niece and nephews. Cary Fagan and Gary Clement roll out another clever book that can be enjoyed by children and adults.

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Family Pictures

Family Pictures by Jane Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When West Coast Eve meets East Coast Grace, a friendship begins until Eve spies a photo of Grace's father sitting in the middle of a table surrounded by other family photos. To Eve's horror she recognizes the man as her own father, who is married to her mother Sylvie. Things are already shaky as Eve is hiding an eating disorder. Lives and homes of both families unravel as untruths and secrets are uncovered.

It was a wee bit predictable as you could see all the circumstances come to a head and blow up around them. Most of the POVs are from the women but Maggie's youngest son, Buck, has a very small chapter. The very emotional chapters are when Eve, who can not control the downward spiral of eating and purging, is near death and her mother Sylvie knows she can not help her. There's also a series of rather lucky circumstances that lead both women in rebuilding their lives - very convenient.

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Happy, Happy, Happy

Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Phil Robertson talks about his life growing up, meeting and marrying Kay, going to college and playing football, partying and almost losing it all, and the beginnings of his Duck Dynasty. Not one to shy away from speaking his mind Phil gives an honest report on how and what turned his life around. An informative read for those - like me who come from a hunting/fishing family and those who don't but still enjoy Duck Dynasty and the Robertson clan on A&E.

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The Storyteller

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sage carries many scars - one very noticeable scar on her face but many more hide internally. The scars lead her to hide as a baker, kneading and baking the most aromatic rolls and breads through the dark nights for the little bakery and also "allows" her affair with a married man. As Sage tries to work through her grief in a group setting, she meets an old retired 90something teacher, Josef Weber, that frequents the bakery with his beloved dog. Their friendship deepens until Josef asks for a favor - a unbelievable favor that astounds and enrages Sage and makes her immediately think of her Jewish grandmother.

An amazing book with a deep, complex plot told narratively by several characters, including Sage and Josef. It was a book I couldn't put down, staying up night after night until the wee hours - questioning myself about the moral complications that were woven throughout the Storyteller. It left me quite unsettled...still..

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