Charlotte's Web of Books

Little Wing Wisconsin is a small farming community outside of Eu Claire.  Not unlike thousands of other small communities in the Midwest, nestled among the rolling hills and dairy farms, Little Wing has a gas station, a VFW, and an abandoned mill with grain silos.  Little Wing has it's own unique characters including the bartender who used to serve the school lunches and the twins who look like they belong on the Packers defensive line.  Among those characters are four guys who have been friends forever.  Hank is the one who never left and is still trying to make the family farm a success.  He married his high school sweetheart and they have two kids.  Kip has recently moved back to Little Wing from Chicago and has bought the mill with plans of turning it into the social and commercial hub of Little Wing.  His big visions might be too big for Little Wing.   Ronny is the ex-rodeo star and an alcoholic.  It was during a drunken episode that Ronny had an accident that left him a little "slow".  He may never leave Little Wing again, but his friends will always look out for him and that means keeping him from drinking.  And then there is Lee.  Lee is the one who left to follow his dream of music.  He returns to Little Wing for Kip's wedding a world famous rock star.   Since they were little boys their friendship has been the most important thing for all of them.  Now they are adults with adult problems and adult issues.  Will their friendship stay strong through it all?
I have to say that Shotgun Lovesongs is one of those books that I had to digest after I finished reading it and my conclusion is that Shotgun Lovesongs is a wonderful book. The author is so descriptive with the Midwest small-town feel that it took me back to my own hometown in Iowa.  I don't think there has been an author quite so successful with his descriptions of the Midwest lifestyle. I loved the way he described the way they all listened to the farm reports on the local radio station,  the farmers gathering around trucks in town after having their morning coffee, and the abandoned mill in the center of town.  In recent years, my own hometown has tried to turn the abandoned mill in the center of town into something more than just an eyesore. I could really relate to everything about Little Wing and I think that is why I enjoyed it so much.  The friendship between the guys was fascinating in it's own right.  Most books I read are about the friendships between women, so it was unique to read about these four friends.  Especially when one of them is so famous and almost schizophrenic in his lifestyles. In Little Wing Lee lives in an old country school house that he converted and he drinks beer at the VFW.  Away from Little Wing his life is documented by the paparazzi and his world includes the wealthiest, most famous people. Because the author uses all four boys as narrators, you really get a chance to get in his head. And here is an important thing to note, the author grew up with the lead singer of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon.
Bottom line, whether Shotgun Lovesongs is a bit auto-biographical or not is up for debate.  What is not debatable is that Shotgun Lovesongs is a wonderful book about four friends in the heart of America. It is one of those books to read slowly so to let it digest and fill you with warm feelings for four guys from Wisconsin.

Colleen O'Rourke has lived in Manningsport, New York all of her life.  She and her twin, Connor, run the local bar and not only does she  know everyone who walks through the doors, she is well known for her successful matchmaking skills.  Even though she has three babies named after her, Colleen is still single herself.  She has dated a lot (!!) of men in her day, but none of them have struck her fancy as much as her ex Lucas Campbell did.  They met in high school and dated for four years before their lack of communication forced the end of their relationship.  Colleen hasn't seen Lucas in ten years when he shows up outta the blue.  He is back to help care for his ailing uncle and will be there as long as it takes.   Will Lucas and Colleen rekindle their romance or is their past too big of a barrier to get around?

Waiting on You was a fun book to read.  Colleen O'Rourke has to be one of my more favorite characters from Kristan Higgins. Mostly because she is so flawed, quite hysterically flawed. I found myself laughing out loud several times, like when Colleen is trying to cook scallops for Lucas, then they was the scene at the ball game.  Even though there were several funny scenes there were a few times where my heart hurt for both Lucas and Colleen.  Waiting on You IS an Harlequin novel so go into it expecting a few "mushy" moments, but nothing too graphic or out of hand.

Bottom line, every now and then you just need to read a fun book that makes you feel good.  Kristan Higgins does that for me.  I always know I am going to have a good time reading her books and get a good story at the same time.   Laughing is good for the soul, right?

Gabby and Elliot have been married for twenty years and their relationship is everything you would expect from a couple who have been together for so long.  They are busy with two teenagers, they are comfortable in their roles and who does what.  They are at that stage where not only do they look past the "dress down" days,  but they also look past the "dress up" days.   Elliott has taken the girls camping so Gabby can have girls night out.   After a few glasses of wine Gabby is feeling good and feels even better when the very handsome younger man starts flirting with her.  Gabby hasn't felt that kind of excitement in years and while nothing happens that night she allows a relationship to develop that soon turns into something and Gabby is faced with some really tough choices and some really harsh realities.   Will she throw away her marriage for the younger man or will she come to her senses before it is too late? Ohhhhhh, Tempting Fate is a gooooooood one!  I finished this book in one day and last night I sat on the couch crying like a baby because of this book.  My poor husband still doesn't really know what to do with me when books make me cry.   I have only been married a fraction of the time that Gabby and Elliott have been married, but I can understand where being too comfortable can be almost detrimental to the marriage.  It certainly was for Gabby and Elliott. Marriage is hard and it is something that you have to continually work at and feed in order for it to grow.  As much as I wanted to dislike Gabby, I found that I couldn't.  She was just one of those characters that you wanted for your own friend and when her heart breaks, your heart breaks.   I have to be careful to not give away too much, but just know that the end of this book was probably the most satisfying ending that I have read in a very long time.  It ended just the way I had hoped it would.  Bottom line, I have read every book that Jane Green has ever written and sometimes more than once, but I can easily say that Tempting Fate ranks right up there as one of my favorites. The characters are multi-dimensional and so easy to like, despite their flaws. Tempting Fate is one of those books that loyal fans will love and will make new readers lifelong fans. 

Judith has been fat all of her life. In the second grade she weighed 112 pounds. She has been laughed at, made fun of, and in one particularly embarrassing situation she was told she was "too fat to f%ck" buy a drunk guy at a bar. It all started as an overweight child and a mother who was ashamed and embarrassed of her daughter's weight.  In the most abusive ways possible, Judith's mother did everything possible to get her daughter to lose weight.  From extreme diets to practically starving her, Judith's mother was the stuff of nightmares.   In her memoir Judith Moore gives the world a glimpse at what it is like to grow up overweight and remain that way most of your life.   It is harsh, it is sad, but above all it is true.  I have shared with you all that I have an ongoing battle with the "bulge"  and in the early pages of the book I found myself commiserating with the author.  From the way she tried to be cognizant of her downstairs neighbor to becoming "friends" with the people on her workout video.   I found myself understanding where she was coming from.  Then she started to talk about her childhood and that is where my commiseration ended.  I was blessed to have a mother who loved me and never abused me.  Not verbally and certainly not physically.  I know the author grew up in an different era, but abuse is abuse.  The part of the book that left my jaw dropped was when Judith would break into the ministers house after school (this was in Oklahoma) and basically steal their food.  Her mom was preoccupied with her sick grandmother, so she wasn't being forced to do some crazy diet, she just felt as life were better when she was in their house and the food was just a bonus. Sadly, when I was researching for this post, I found that the author passed away in 2006 after a battle with cancer.  Bottom line, Fat Girl: A True Story is not one of those books that will call you to action and lose all the weight you need to lose.  It is not one of those books where there is an amazing transformation and the author is at goal weight by the end of the book.  But this book is a book that will help you understand some of the feelings "fat people" experience if you have never been overweight and if you have been (or are) overweight, you will find that you are not alone.   Either way, it is a good book and one I would recommend to anybody.

Grace Sachs and her husband Jonathan seem to have the perfect life.  Jonathan is a successful pediatric oncologist and Grace is a successful therapist who just wrote a rather successful book based on the stories her patients have told her and their young son attends one of the most prestigious private schools in New York City. As far as she is concerned her life could not be better.  It all changes on the day word gets out that the mother of scholarship student at their school has been murdered. Grace is even more confused when the police show up at their apartment and starts asking questions about her husband. He is off at a medical conference somewhere in the Midwest, WHY are they asking about Jonathan?  As the days move past the murder the story unfolds and Grace realized that she may have never really known her husband, but did he really murder that woman? You Should Have Known got off to a slow start.  I wasn't really all that fond of Grace at first, that made it really hard to get into the book.  Grace had this air of superiority that was just plan annoying. And Jonathan?  He is just an ass. But when the shit starts going down you can see the change in Grace's attitude and you can't help but feel for her. The first visit from the detectives in when I felt myself becoming hooked with the story.   She was so completely unaware of what was going on in her marriage her pain was almost palpable. The term "blindsided" has never been more appropriate.   I think what I enjoyed most about this book was Grace's transformation.  She went from this woman who was pretty absorbed in herself to this woman who was the first to identify her flaws and became only focused on how to help her son get through this mess.  Bottom line, even though You Should Have Known was a little slow going, the second half of the book makes up for it.  This book will suck you in with the mystery and challenge you to think about your own relationships and how well you really know someone. Definitely worth the read.

The year is 1999 and twenty-nine Sophie Diehl is well on her way to becoming a successful criminal law attorney.  She is derailed when her boss asks her to step in while the firm's divorce attorney is indisposed and no one else is available to do the intake interview of a new client.    Sophie agrees to do the interview and is shocked when the new client, a VIP's daughter, Mia Mieklejohn Durkheim requests that Sophie stay on the case.  Even though Sophie prefers it when her clients are behind bars for the duration of their working relationship she is willing to give it her all.  Over the next several months Sophie pushes the boundaries of her comfort zone while working with Mia to get her through this divorce in one piece.  Not only professionally, but personally as well.  Will Sophie get Mia a fair deal from her world famous oncologist of a husband or will her inexperience in divorce court ruin Mia's life?
The Divorce Papers is a really, really good book! Set in 1999 when email was still an emerging form of corporate communication the epistolary format of this book adds to the charm of the story.  The trepidation that some of the partners exhibit at communicating through email is really quite humorous.  Through emails, memos, letters and court documents we get to see Sophie's foray into the world of divorce.  It is interesting to watch how her career interferes with her personal life and we see how working the divorce case brings up memories of her parent's divorce.  Even though we only are reading correspondence, the author does a fabulous job of showing all of the emotions that happen during a divorce.  From ALL of those involved with the divorce. I really loved Sophie and the way she connected with Mia.  It was almost like Mia gave Sophie strength to proceed with the divorce and not  the other way around.  Mia is definitely a strong character and no matter how hard her husband tries to put her in her place, she is not willing to give up.   And trust me when I say you will laugh.  Oh,  how you will laugh.
Bottom line, The Divorce Papers,  with so many themes layered in this novel, it is going to be one of those books that is going to be the buzz of all book clubs.  Love, marriage, all kinds of relationships, corporate sabotage - you name it and this book covers it and it is sure to generate hours of conversation.

Kat Donovan is like her late father in many ways.  Both cops, both like their alcohol, both emotionally aloof. Kat thinks about her father every day, especially when the man who is in prison for killing him is just days away from his own death.  Even though Kat is so aloof she has people who love her, like her best friend Stacy.  Stacy means well when she buys her friend a years subscription to an online dating site, after all it has been eighteen years since Kat and her fiance broke up.  She should be ready to move on, right?  With a glass of wine Kat peruses the website to see a flash from the past.  Her ex is on the same dating website and his profile says "widower".  All the emotions are stirred up and after all those years he is just one email away.   It isn't long before Kat thinks that something is off and when a nineteen year old boy contacts her about his missing mother she knows that something is off.  Will she be able to find the missing woman and what does her ex have to do with her disappearance?
Harlan Coben has hit a home-run with Missing You. From the first page I was hooked and finished it in one day. (Yay for Saturdays!)  Online dating is so common these days, I know I dated men I met online prior to getting married and I think that is why I found myself so invested in this book. What happens in this novel could have very easily could have happened to me or any other person just looking for a human connection online. And that scares the snot out of me.  Even though all of the characters are flawed (some more than others) they also had their endearing qualities, too. Including Kat and her band of misfit friends.   The novel is extremely fast paced and once things start falling into place it moves very quickly.
Bottom line, I have been a Harlan Coben fan for many, many years, but I cannot remember a more relevant novel from the author.  From the online dating to LGBT issues, I really found myself engrossed and connected in ways that I don't remember in his recent works.   If you are looking for a good and solid mystery, you will find one no better than Missing You.

Lottie is meeting her longtime boyfriend, Richard for a special lunch where he has to ask  Lottie an important question.  Naturally Lottie does what any woman would do and jumps to the conclusion that he is going to propose.  He does not.  Lottie is so crushed that they break up and she is just sure that she will never find true love again.  But it is only two weeks before a blast from her past, Ben, comes back into her life and says that she was "the one who got away" and they should get married immediately because it is fate.  Or something.
Fliss is Lottie's older sister.  She has been through many of Lottie's break-ups and is very familiar with the pattern of manic behavior that follows a Lottie break-up.  But even she is unprepared for the phone call from Lottie saying that she is getting married to some fellow named Ben.  Since Fliss is the middle of a horrible divorce herself she is willing to do anything and everything to prevent Lottie from going through the same pain. By anything I mean she thinks if she can prevent the Wedding Night then Lottie can get an annulment and forget this marriage ever happened.  Will Fliss be able to accomplish her mission or will she end up alienating the only family she has left?
Okay, I know Wedding Night was supposed to be light and funny, but I truly found it annoying.  The lack of boundaries in this family is completely mind-boggling.  I understand Fliss's frustration with Lottie's break-up behavior, but to be the cause of some of the horrific things is just mean.  For example, she knows Lottie is allergic to peanut oil, so she orchestrated a massage with peanut oil. And Lottie?  Really?  Marrying a man she hasn't seen in fifteen years? It was all just so annoying and not really good material for working out.
Bottom line, I know millions of women just loved this book, but I did not. I don't know if I have grown out of the Chick Lit kind of books or if the premise of this book was just bad, but I really did not enjoy it.  Have you read Wedding Night? What did you think?

When Dr. John Taylor is found dead in a  prestigious hotel the police aren't entirely sure that it was murder.  They became a little more suspicious when they went to notify his wife and discovered that the good doctor had two other wives.  When they finally found the needle mark they called it for what it was, murder.
New detective Sam Adams has a tough job ahead of her.  John Taylor's wives are very different, yet Sam is convinced that one of them killed their husband.  His first wife, Deborah is organized, controlling, and the boss.  She told John that she would never agree to a divorce, but she would allow him to marry other women.  And she even micromanaged the details of those relationships, too.   MJ is the second wife, more of the free spirit, a real "earth mother" kind of woman.  So, pretty much the opposite of Deborah.   She and John share a passion for gardening and in the six years that they have been married they have created an oasis for them to escape the real world.  Finally, there is Helen.  The young, attractive doctor is more of an intellectual equal to John and with the busy life of a doctor she does not question that she can only see her husband more than two weekends a month.  By the way, both Helen and MJ believe they are John's only wife.   So when a fourth woman appears to say that John was going to divorce them all for her, Sam knows that she just has to figure out which wife was not going to let him go for anything.
A Circle of Wives was one of those mysteries that just get in your head.  We only get to see John through the eyes of his wives, but I couldn't help but compare him to the smarmy polygamous husband that is on reality television. His wives are all so different, but they seem to be completely blinded by his charm.  Deborah seems like a world class bitch, so there is that.  There is an event that happens late in the book that solidifies that opinion. Bitch, I tell you.  I will say, though, that as much as I looked forward to this book I don't think it lived up to my expectations.  I never felt "on the edge of my seat"  - I never felt - what is the right word - invested (I guess) in the characters to really care who killed the doctor. Even though the book was told in alternating viewpoints, the character I seemed to "worry" about most was the detective.  They just didn't engage me the way I thought they should.
Bottom line, A Circle of Wives IS a good mystery.   I know it seems like a weird review, but this one is a hard one to put into words.  The author has this unique way of creating a fascinating murder story without making you actually like any of the major players.  You can't stop reading because you have to find out the truth, but not because you want someone to pay for his murder, but because you just HAVE to know who finally killed the bastard. I would love to hear your thoughts, so give it a read!

The "Foodie Four" are popular food bloggers who met through their craft, but have never met before  They have decided to gather on the Oregon farm of Lavender Wills to celebrate her 85th birthday. Getting there is not so easy for all of them, first there is Ruby, she is the youngest of the four, a vegan, and newly pregnant with a broken heart.  Next there is Valerie, her whole world was shattered a few years ago when her husband and two of her three daughters were killed in a plane crash.  The healing has been a long time coming for her and her remaining daughter, Hannah. Will their time at Lavender's farm finally give them peace?  Finally there is Ginny, the trip to Oregon will be only the second time in her life that she will leave Kansas.   No one in her home town can understand Ginny's desire to go to Oregon.  Not her friends, not her family, and especially not her husband.  But after decades of playing the obedient daughter, wife, mother and friend, Ginny is ready to live for herself.   The three "Foodies" descend upon Lavender's farm and their friendship moves from the internet to real life in a seamless transition.  Together the women help each other in ways that only family can.  They laugh, they cry and they celebrate Lavender's birthday.  But what will happen to the Foodie Four when real life comes knocking?
I absolutely adored The All You Can Dram Buffet.  So many things resonated with me.  The blogging aspect of the story, the internet friendships that are very real, the desire to do something MORE with your life.  The whole book just really spoke to my heart.  And then there is Lavender's farm, the beauty described by the author left me longing for the Midwest farms of my heart. I also liked how the author highlighted the fact that Lavender was sixty when she took over the farm.  An age when most people are looking to retire and there she is making a great success out of her organic farm, it was inspiring.   Of course the scrumptious recipes you have come to expect from Barbara O'Neal find their way into the pages of this book.  Bottom line, The All You Can Dream Buffet is a beautiful novel about love, friendship, and reinventing oneself. The characters and their stories are all unique and as interesting as the beautiful Oregon countryside depicted in the story.  Every now and then you come across a book that really feeds your soul, The All You Can Dream Buffet really did that for me. 

Chelsea Handler is one of those women that I would give anything to hang out with for just one day. ( I don't think my liver could handle any more time than that, to be honest.) In her latest book Chelsea regales us with tales of her travel experiences.  And of course wherever she goes she is surrounded by her inner circle made up of close friends, family and even a few employees.
Uganda Be Kidding Me starts with Chelsea and co heading off to Africa for safari.  In the totally hysterical way that only Chelsea Handler can deliver she tells us all about the trip to Africa.  From their hot guide, Rex to the baboons raping each other outside their villas Chelsea leaves nothing out, including her insane need to drop trou and pee whenever and wherever the need strikes.    Oh and then the trip to the Bahamas directly following the safari, well when you get to the kayak part you will know why I was laughing so hard I nearly woke the whole house.  Chelsea also tells some pretty hysterical stories involving skiing and trips to Switzerland and even Yellowstone (and Montana).    We get to live vicariously through Chelsea Handler as she travels the world with her friends and family.
I want to start by saying that I don't watch Chelsea Lately, mostly because I try to be in bed by ten and my television time is devoted to shows that have a plot. And the weather on the nine o'clock news.  But I have read a few of Chelsea Handler's books and I can always count on laughing out loud.  A few things that struck me with Uganda Be Kidding Me is that Chelsea is very generous with her family and friends.  To letting a friend stay with her to buying her aunt a house she seems very generous. Also, it is very obvious that Chelsea surrounds herself with fun and interesting people guaranteed to make her (and us) laugh. No matter how exhausting she may be, Chelsea surrounds herself with those who would do anything for her.  And it sounds like no matter what they do or where they go they find fun, laughter, and ALL of the booze.   I loved how "discreet" Chelsea was with some of her friends' names.  I mean I am not totally sure who Smandy Smullock is, but I think I can guess.  Or her friend, Schmitney, who had a comedy on NBC for two years.  And Chelsea is wrong, it was freaking hysterical and we miss watching it at our house.
Bottom line, Uganda Be Kidding Me is full of raunchy humor that would likely make your mother blush, but that is the exact reason why you should be reading it. There were several times where I found myself laughing so hard that my sides hurt.  That kind of laughter can't be bad, right?

Hannah Scott is living the worst possible nightmare ever imagined.  Her twelve year old daughter, Emily, was hit by a car and now  the doctors tell her she must make a decision.  Will she donate Emily's organs or not? Emily's rare blood type makes her organs especially valuable  to fifteen year old Maddie Bell.  She has been sick so long with Hepatitis that she doesn't remember what it was like to be healthy and Emily's liver will give her her life back.  Maddie has been cooped up in hospital rooms for so long her only friends are those she makes online.
Olivia Bell is Maddie's mom and her entire world revolves around her daughter and her daughter's health, but she knows if things were different she and Maddie would be long gone.  Even though her powerful husband puts on a good show he is a dangerous man and the only thing keeping Olivia there is Maddie and her health.  A year after the transplant Maddie is healthy and ready to start becoming a normal teenager and Olivia is ready to start formulating her escape plan, she just needs to hang in there two more years until Maddie is eighteen and then they both will be free.  Until they can be free, Olivia decides to make the most of life and help Maddie navigate the murky waters of high school by taking her for a cut and color.  The salon they happen to walk into belongs to the still grieving Hannah.  What will it mean for all three women to have their paths cross at this time in their lives?
Safe With Me is one of those books that I absolutely devoured.  I stopped reading long enough to eat and then I was back with my nose buried in the pages.  This is one of those stories told in alternating voices,  Hannah, Olivia, and Maddie all share the responsibility of telling their stories and each voice has a unique perspective to their shared story.  As can be expected,Hannah is so tore up by her grief that it is all she can do to put one foot in front of another. Hannah is just so relieved that her daughter is alive that she pushes aside the fact that her husband abuses her.  And Maddie is so wrapped up in her own world (like teenagers are known to do) that she ignores the fact that her father hits her mother.  And that she is lying to strange men on the internet.  And that her new "friends" are anything but friends.   I think her perspective interested me the most.  Here Maddie has a new lease on life, literally, and it almost makes her fearless.  Or maybe that is just the teenager in her.  But, I loved how well the author developed these three women.  The character development in all three of them are astounding and seems so natural that I forgot it was fiction.
Bottom line, Safe With Me is one of those books that will suck you in and not let you go until long after you finish the book.  There is so much emotion packed into this book that it would be a wonderful choice for your next book club selection.

edical Examiner, Kat Novak, serves the city of Albion by her work in the morgue.   She prefers the company of the dead over the living over any day of the week.  With the corpse of a beautiful young lady, Kat starts to recognize a deadly pattern among her clients.  They are ODing on a deadly new drug to hit the streets of Albion.  Turns out the drug is being manufactured at a local pharmaceutical company and when Kat starts questioning the very handsome CEO bad things start to happen. Like her car being stolen and her house blowing up.  She realizes that she is getting close to the truth, but will the truth be revealed before someone else dies? Girl Missing was previously released many, many years ago as Peggy Sue Got Murdered and I can really see this book as a predecessor to the very popular Rizzoli and Isles series.  While it was good and had a strong "romantic" side, it was very obvious that the book was an early effort. For one thing there was a mention made to someone not even being able to program a VCR - when was the last time you even HAD a VCR to program?  The story was a bit predictable in some areas, but I admit to not having figured out the reason that triggered all of the overdoses.  Bottom line, Girl Missing is a quick read fluff read, almost along the lines of "cozy mysteries.
  If you go into this book realizing that it is not up to the standards that we have come to expect from Tess Gerritsen, then you will be fine.  Any other expectations and you might just be disappointed.