ME BEFORE YOU

Title: ME BEFORE YOU

Author: Jojo Moves

Genre: fiction, romance

Summary: From back of book: 'Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life who has barely been farther afield than her tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and he is not interested in exploring a new one.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, Lou sets out to show him that life is still worth living.'

Rating: Very good

Why I Like It: The story is about a difficult subject, but draws you in with humor and romance. It is not morbid or predictable.

Other: A movie was made based on the book, but I have not seen it yet. The book takes place in England.

Name: Kathy

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Title: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Author:  Maria Semple

Genre: Fiction, humorous

Summary: (Goodreads) When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces--which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where'd You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter's love for her mother.

Rating: Very good!

Why I Like It: Funny, engaging & entertaining!

Other: audio: very good, also liked by Patsy

Reviewer: Patsy

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Title: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
Genre: fiction
Summary: (from Goodreads)
"No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one."

Rating: A new favorite!
Why I Like It: 
 I loved this book. You go along with Eleanor as she works through her struggles, grows in understanding herself, and grows in building healthy relationships. While at times it was hard to read, the humor throughout the book really helped. Also, throughout the book the love and care of people helping her really energized me in loving my neighbor.

A quote that captured what I liked about the book, "I smiled at her. Twice in one day, to be the recipient of thanks and warm regard! I would never have suspected that small deeds could elicit such genuine, generous responses. I felt a little glow inside-not a blaze, more like a small, steady candle."
The book in some ways reminded me of "The Rosie Project" and in some ways reminded me of "Language of Flowers". But really it was completely it's own wonderful book.
Other: It is going to be made into a movie
Reviewer: Brigette

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion

Title: The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion Author: Fannie Flagg Genre: Fiction with half the story told during WW2 Summary: (From Amazon)
"Mrs. Sookie Poole of Point Clear, Alabama, has just married off the last of her daughters and is looking forward to relaxing and perhaps traveling with her husband, Earle. The only thing left to contend with is her mother, the formidable Lenore Simmons Krackenberry. Lenore may be a lot of fun for other people, but is, for the most part, an overbearing presence for her daughter. Then one day, quite by accident, Sookie discovers a secret about her mother’s past that knocks her for a loop and suddenly calls into question everything she ever thought she knew about herself, her family, and her future.

Sookie begins a search for answers that takes her to California, the Midwest, and back in time, to the 1940s, when an irrepressible woman named Fritzi takes on the job of running her family’s filling station. Soon truck drivers are changing their routes to fill up at the All-Girl Filling Station. Then, Fritzi sees an opportunity for an even more groundbreaking adventure. As Sookie learns about the adventures of the girls at the All-Girl Filling Station, she finds herself with new inspiration for her own life.

Fabulous, fun-filled, spanning decades and generations, and centered on a little-known aspect of America’s twentieth-century story, The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion is another irresistible novel by the remarkable Fannie Flagg."

Rating: A new Favorite!   
Why I Like It: I found this book really funny. Also, I really enjoyed learning a different side of history of WWII. Also, it is very easy to read.

Other: This has a character that is also in the book "Welcome to the World Baby Girl" but each book can stand alone.
Reviewer: Brigette

News Of The World

Title: News Of The World

Author: Paulette Jiles

Genre: Fiction

 Summary: "In the aftermath of the American Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this morally complex, multi-layered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust." From Goodreads

Rating: Good

Why I Like It:   For a "road trip" book in the 1870's in Texas, this book has an elegance of writing to it. The main character, Captain Kidd, is a noble man, while still being realistic and not perfect. I enjoyed the adventures, learned interesting history and I was moved by kindness and care for other people. One of my favorite reads of 2017.

Reviewer: Brigette

My Mrs. Brown

Title: My Mrs. Brown 

Author: William Norwich

Genre: Fiction

 Summary: "From William Norwich, the well-known fashion writer and editor, an unforgettable novel about a woman with a secret who travels to New York City on a determined quest to buy a special dress that represents everything she wants to say about that secret…and herself." From Goodreads

Rating: Great!

Why I Like It:  This book has really stuck with me. Mrs. Brown meets an assortment of friends on her journey to save money and buy a special dress. I love books that have a variety of cast of characters. And I love a main character as Mrs. Brown who is hard working and kind. This book was written by someone who works in the fashion industry. I think he brings a certain depth of thought to the meaning of function of clothes that is really interesting. It is a short book and easy to read.

Reviewer: Brigette

A MAN CALLED OVE

Title: A MAN CALLED OVE          
Author:  Fredrik Backman
Genre: Fiction          

Summary: from back cover of book:  'At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet, a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse.  People think him bitter, and he thinks himself surrounded by idiots.  Ove's well-ordered, solitary world gets a shake-up one November morning with the appearance of new neighbors, a chatty young couple, who announce their arrival by accidentally flattening Ove's mailbox with their U-Haul.  What follows is a heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unlikely friendships, and a community's unexpected reassessment of the one person they thought they had all figured out.
Rating: Very good
Why I Like It:  Interesting story, humorous. 
Other: Written by a Swedish author
Reviewer: Kathy 

The Irish Country Doctor

Title: The Irish Country Doctor  
Author: Patrick Taylor  
Genre: Fiction  
Summary: From Amazon: "Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the Northern Ireland village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there. But Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice. At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly...Through O'Reilly, Barry soon gets to know all of the village's colourful and endearing residents and a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor."
Rating: Good
Why I Like It: This book is easy to read and I love the immersion into Irish country life. I love all the different characters. Some people compare this to "All Creatures Great and Small". I think each book is good in their own right. 
Other: This is the first in a series.
Reviewer: Brigette

The Big Stone Gap (#1), Big Cherry Holler (#2), Milk Glass Moon (#3), Return to Big Stone Gap (#4)

Title: The Big Stone Gap (#1), Big Cherry Holler (#2), Milk Glass Moon (#3), Return to Big Stone Gap (#4)
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Genre:  fiction
Summary: Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime-a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever.
Rating: Great
Why I Like It:  I love the audio-book recording that the author did herself!  She grew up in Big Stone Gap, and her voice and accent gives local flavor and dialect.  This is such a unique and sweet story, with very exciting characters!
Other: I haven't read the 4th book yet.
Reviewer: Avery

Daddy-Long-Legs

Title: Daddy-Long-Legs Author: Jean Webster Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Summary: From Amazon: "A trustee of the John Grier orphanage has offered to send Judy Abbott to college. The only requirements are that she must write to him every month and that she can never know who he is. Judy's life at college is a whirlwind of friends, classes, parties and a growing friendship with the handsome Jervis Pendleton. With so much happening in her life, Judy can scarcely stop writing to 'Daddy-Long-Legs', or wondering who her mysterious benefactor is..."
Rating: A good classic Why I Like It: I first read this book as a teen-ager. I liked it then, but I liked it even more now as an adult. This was the first book I ever read written in letter form. I think it is a fun way to tell a story. Re-reading this as an adult I was struck by how funny it was. I think I missed the humor as a teenager b/c of being at the same time in life as the main character.
Reviewer: Brigette Hill

Minding Frankie

Title: Minding Frankie
Author: Maeve Binchy  
Genre: Fiction

Summary: When Noel learns that his terminally ill former flame is pregnant with his child, he reluctantly agrees to take care of the baby girl. Along with the help of a caring network of friends, family and neighbors—including Lisa, his broken hearted classmate, and Emily, his American cousin—Noel adapts to his new responsibilities. But when a nosy social worker decides to get involved, she threatens to ruin their unconventional but special arrangement. It will be up to Noel to persuade her that everyone in the neighborhood has something to offer when it comes to minding Frankie.

Rating: Good

Why I Like It:  I liked this author's storytelling so much! There was never anything that was super high drama or a big peak to the story, but it kept me reading.  I like how the community helps Noel, the single dad, raise his baby.

Other: Audio book
Reviewer: Avery

Dear Mr. Knightley

Title: Dear Mr. Knightley
Author: Katherine Reay
Genre: Fiction
Summary: From Amazon: " Samantha Moore has always hidden behind the words of others, namely, her favorite characters in literature. Now, she will learn to write her own story by giving that story to a complete stranger. Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The problem is, both her prose and conversation tend to be more Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore. But life for the twenty-three-year-old orphan is about to get stranger than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor (calling himself Mr. Knightley) offers to put Sam through Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress. As Sam's dark memory mingles with that of eligible novelist Alex Powell, her letters to Mr. Knightley become increasingly confessional. While Alex draws Sam into a world of warmth and literature that feels like it's straight out of a book, old secrets are drawn to light. And as Sam learns to love and trust Alex and herself, she learns once again how quickly trust can be broken.
Reminding us all that our own true character is not meant to be hidden, Reay's debut novel follows one young woman's journey as she sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to become.
Rating: Good
Why I Like It: This book has a lot of references to Jane Austen's work, which I really enjoyed. Also, the main character is an adult that has been through the foster care system. I have a special place in my heart for orphan's and children in foster care. I have worked with some of these kids as an occupational therapist. This book is a good example of how we can love the people around us and provide family for them whether they are blood family or not.
Reviewer: Brigette

The Secret Life Of Bees

Title:  The Secret Life Of Bees
Author:  Sue Monk Kidd Genre: fiction
Summary: "Set in South Carolina in 1964.  Tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed.  When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free.  They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina-a town that holds the secret to her mother's past.  Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna."
Rating: very good
Why I Like It:  Very interesting characters and story about an unhappy 14-year-old  finding love and family and learning some life lessons.

Other: Author also wrote THE MERMAID CHAIR which  I enjoyed.
Reviewer: Kathy

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Title:"Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"  
Author: Beth Hoffman and Jenna Lamia
Genre: Fiction,
Rating: Good
Why I Like It: This book is really sweet. While the main character comes from a hard life, the love and care of people that she meets helps her to heal.  Lots of interesting characters in it. Go check it out!
Reviewer: Brigette