Marti's October Picks

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiScalafani

Anton DiScalafani has written a wonderful debut novel! The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is a story about a young girl and her path to adulthood. Thea and Sam are twins. They all grew up together in an idyllic world in Florida. Georgie is their cousin. Georgie's family is struggling with financial concerns during the depression. However Thea and Sam's family help them. A interesting situation occurred and Thea was sent away to The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls.

The coming of age book brings a story with an understanding of families and family relationships. Thea's growth of herself both physically and mentally is the story. The incidence that started the family's dissolution is slowly revealed as Thea's year at "horse camp" is chronicled. The story is a study in how families can self destruct.

I look forward to reading more of her books.

 

Always On My Mind by Jill Shalvis

Always On My Mind is the best of the Lucky Harbor books so far! I found the characters funny, sweet, emotionally scarred yet tied to each other with so much chemistry and the past.

Leah is back home with her Grandmother helping with her bakery as a baking reality show airs. She can not tell about who wins... Jack is the hot fireman who lived next door all her life. They have always had a thing for each other... AND do they sizzle!

And lets not forget about Kevin - the over sized, eating disordered harlequin great Dane. He is comic relief.

Thank you for another great book. Now I just have to wait until 2014 for the next book...sigh....

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

I find Diane Chamberlain to be an exceptional writer. Her characters are human with all their foibles. Some of stories have more twists that others with shocking information coming out especially at the end of the stories. Necessary Lies did not have the traditional twists of some of her other reads, but there were twists of other sorts through out the book that make this book wow the reader.

Jane Forrester is a newly hired social worker in North Carolina. She is newly married and very idealistic with a core strength of morals. She is aghast with the poverty in Grace County. Ivy Hart and her family are one of Jane's clients. As Ivy struggles with her family and their poverty as well as her own desires and hopes. Jane struggles with helping them. Idealism and hope are two key elements in the story. As the plot twists and turns, Jane is exposed to more information about the interconnectedness of the families. Ivy, who is only 15 struggles with caring for her family. There are fine lines between the two that could be maintained by necessary lies.

I have to admit, I was stuck for a couple of days it didn't catch my attention. I am not sure why, however after two days I started it again and couldn't read it fast enough. I am glad I gave it another try and didn't just walk away from the book.