Jane Hudson, the daughter of an aging doctor, takes over his practice. She tries to keep secret her love affairs with a DEA agent and treats a wide range of medical problems. Does love win out in the end? Read the book to find out. I'd definitely recommend this one!
I absolutely loved this book! I listened to it on CD and the narrator spoke with a great dialect which made the characters really come to life. It is a simple story about a young girl who leaves her native Ireland for a new life in Brooklyn. Nothing earth-shattering happens, but it is the telling of her story and the play between the characters that make this book come alive. It is similar in style to An Irish Country Doctor - simple but well worth reading.
As promised, here's my review of Love Walked In. It's actually a prequel to Belong to Me, though I don't remember it mentioned that way on the Belong to Me jacket. If I had, I'm sure I would have read them in order and enjoyed Belong to Me much more.
The opening tag line of this book is : Have you ever wanted to rewrite your past? 
Marisa de los Santos shows that just as you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you shouldn't judge the people you meet until you've had the opportunity to really get to know them. Chances are you'll be surprised with what you find. 
I was excited to find this book as I thoroughly enjoyed Beth Harbison's earlier works, Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Secrets of a Shoe Addict. They were great light reading - perfect for the beach or pool and I highly recommend them! When I discovered Hope in a Jar held references to commercials and beauty products from the 80s, the era of my youth, I was even more excited. Unfortunately, I found this book disappointing. I felt no connection to the characters and found the story to be choppy and disjointed. Finally, the 80s references, while nostalgic, weren't incorporated into the writing at all and they were often distracting. I wouldn't recommend Hope in a Jar but definitely pick up Beth Harbison's other books.
April is National Poetry Month and the library is celebrating!
This book is excellent for lovers of cozy mysteries and history. Daisy is one of those people who stumble over bodies with amazing regularity. Since the story is set in the Tower of London in 1925, she still reacts like a lady was expected to when presented with a distressing scene. However, she is a thinker and likes to figure out the puzzle of what happened. Her Scotland Yard detective husband would of course prefer that Daisy stayed out of it but she never does, and it is Daisy who ultimately figures out the murderer. I have enjoyed all of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries by Carola Dunn. They are entertaining and amusing and just delightful and they never disappoint me.
An Audiobook Review
This is a superbly written story; read
so convincingly by Robertson Dean, that
I felt I was actually hearing the voice
of the main character as he describes
his life events, thoughts and feelings.
Canin's writing is philosophical in nature,
with the main characters pondering many
of the common and not-so-common
experiences in their everyday lives.The story begins in the 1940s in a
working-class town. It then follows two particular families.
The first is hard-working and smart, although financially
very modest. The second, in contrast, is extremely wealthy
and philanthropic heirs to the town's founder. The tale focuses
on the son of the first family, and how his character develops
through involvement with the wealthy and politically savvy
second family; always with the backdrop of his parents
externally simple, but always thought-provoking lives.
The story line is interesting, building up to a climax during
the Vietnam years. But as good as the plot is, it is the
narrative of a man's life and the forming of his character
that continually held my interest. The main and secondary
characters are all unique and note-worthy; contrasting and
complimenting one another in such a way as to create a
compelling story. Extremely well-written; a very-good read.
~Submitted by Elaine
The story of a single mom in her 40s, her reunion with the long lost love of her teenage years and her relationship with her mother combined with lots of talk of scrumptiously delicious desserts and some Shakespearean references. Sound interesting, doesn't it? I thought so, too. Unfortunately, the characters seemed one-dimensional and I had a hard time coming to care about them. The plot also seemed contrived and even filled with extraneous characters in some points. The best part was the detailed discussions of all the amazing desserts. All this aside, I stuck with it until the end, as I always seem to, and thought it wrapped up "sweetly".
I know this warm and wonderful book will be among the best, if not the best, that I will have read for the next few years. Historical fiction, it is set in the present day in London and involves a writer corresponding with the inhabitants of the Channel Islands off Great Britain through a series of letters. The letters recount what life was like during the Nazi occupation of this island during WWII. I learned so much about what the War years were like for those living on the Island during at that time (something I always really appreciate in a story). The depth of character of the letters writers brings the author to the Islands to meet its inhabitants and the story continues. A beautiful tapestry of past and present is the result.~ Submitted by Elaine
This is Jamie Ford's debut novel and it's amazing! Set in Seattle, it follows the love story of a young Chinese boy, Henry, and his very special Japanese friend, Keiko, which began during World War II and transcended many decades. The author does a wonderful job of interweaving details and historical perspectives on the treatment of Japanese Americans during the 1940s and the history of Jazz music.
Your Heart Belongs to Me was well written and very interesting. It was filled with suspense and intrigue. The use of paranoia was fantastic. Once I started to read I couldn't put it down. In the words of the author, "it's all in the subtext".
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