The Bright Forever

The Bright Forever is a compelling, yet depressing book about a small town that is shaken to the core by a child abduction. Nine year old Katie Mackey disappears one night while returning her books to the local library. The mystery of who took The story is told from many points of view, at times you will hear from the girl's tutor Henry Dees, and sometimes from the view of her brother Gilley. This makes for quick and compelling reading.

The author, Lee Martin, directs the Ohio State creative writing program, and it is evident in his own writing. He issomewhat poetic when describing the people and places visited in the story. Though very sad, I was engrossed in the story from cover to cover.

The Bright Forever will appeal to fans of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is a spooky tale about a girl named Grace. Grace lives in Northern Minnesota where wolves are a common sight in the winter. One winter, Grace was attacked by a pack of wolves and is still haunted by memories of it. However, one wolf seemed to have influenced the others to turn away and Grace watches for his return every winter. This particular wolf had yellow eyes.

One winter, a local teen is killed and the town goes on a hunt for the wolf they believe is responsible. This leads to an encounter between Grace and a boy named Sam. From there on out, it becomes a bit of a love story that will appeal to fans of Twilight and light romance. Like the Twilight series, this can be found in the Young Adult section of the library or book store, but has adult appeal.

Holiday Picks

Here's what's coming up in holiday fiction!

Christian fiction author Melody Carlson offers up another Christmas tale, The Christmas Dog

Kat Martin tells the story of 6 people and how their lives intersect during the holiday season in The Christmas Clock.

The Lakeshore Chronicles by Susan Wiggs is a popular series and she has written a light romantic Christmas story about a librarian! Check out Lakeshore Christmas.

If you follow Linda Lael Miller's Creed series, then A Creed Country Christmas is a must for you

Heather Graham has written a light Christmas mystery/romance called, Home in Time For Christmas

Every year you can expect a Christmas tale from Richard Paul Evans. This year's book is The Christmas List

Debbie Macomber fans, be sure to read her latest feel good Christmas novel, The Perfect Christmas

Fans of more steamy romance will like, Yule Be Mine by Lori Foster

Crafty readers will enjoy Jennifer Chiaverini's A Quilter's Holiday and Kate Jacobs' Knit the Season


For humor with a heart, try The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren

For a tearjerker about a tight knit cookie exchange group, try The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman. Recipes included!

The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh follows a 7 year old boy and his 3 Christmas wishes.

Fans of Amish fiction should check out Cindy Woodsmall's The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Why is My Mother Getting a Tattoo

Well I am back from vacation and was able to finish three books while I was gone.
The first is a collection of true stories by Jancee Dunn. Jancee has written two books, Don't You Forget About Me, a novel about a woman who moves back in with her parents during her divorce, and But Enough About Me, a memoir of her years working at Rolling Stone. This one, Why is My Mother Getting a Tattoo? and other questions I wish I never had to ask, is about her family.

Every family has their funny and quirky attributes, and her family is no different. This is a purely funny and happy book. No real sad sob stories because she admittedly had a very happy childhood. The stories are about the mundane silly things in her life, such as the weird articles her father sends her in the mail, arguments over what kind of pies to eat at Thanksgiving, and her husband's aversion to breakfast buffets and brands of jeans with long names.

This is a very quick read, 205 pages total, each story has less than 20 pages. They'll make you laugh and remind you of the funny things that occur within your family.

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure

This book by Matthew Algeo is a fabulous retelling of Harry and Bess Truman's post-presidency road trip. It gives us a glimpse of what life was like for ex-Presidents. Harry had one of the most normal post-Presidential lives and this excursion is just one example. It was interesting to read about how people reacted to his trip and where him and Bess ate and stayed. It's a quick fun read that takes you back to the 1950s when the open road offered recreation, not traffic and headaches.

Green Dog, Good Dog

Green Dog, Good Dog by Dominique DeVito is a short book that offers helpful tips on how to reduce "your best friend's carbon paw print." DeVito does so without being preachy or too technical when it comes to being earth friendly.
Her tips can make a huge difference in saving energy. According to her, if 10% of households with pets chose greener options, 4 million households would be generating less waste and electricity. That is a big difference made just by following a few tips.
Her tips actually come in 4 levels. Level 1 is just making a conscious choice to be greener. Level 2 is making a strong effort, level 3 is living as green as possible, and level 4 is the greenest. She recommends starting with level 1 and working your way through the levels.
For me, the most helpful tips were the home remedies that can be used in place of chemical treatments for things like shampooing, flea and tick prevention, and grooming.
If you have a dog, check out this book and see what you and your dog can do to minimize your impact on the environment.

FREE BOOK FRIDAY site

Check out this website, FREE BOOK FRIDAY. They give away free copies of books every Friday. All you do is put in your name and email address. They also have some cool author interviews and fun stuff on there. Who doesn't like free stuff?