19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Again she weaves a very intense story. The short of it is there is a shooting at a school. The long of it is how all of these kids in the school tie together. Whether it be classmates, parents or professionals. It makes you question how you are raising your own children. Are you helping them make the right decisions and helping them find a good path? Does it matter what you do, will they still go their own way anyway? It also makes you think about when you were in school and how you were treated and how you treated others. The subjects that are tackled are hard and can make you feel a little raw. I enjoy reading her books because they make you think and this one was no different.

A Life Worth Living by Robert Martensen

Subtitle: A Doctor's reflections on illness in a high-tech era --- This was a very interesting book that sheds light on several situations that you may one day be involved in. There is so much that we, as patients, are not told that it is very hard to make a good decision. Also, there are patients who don't want to listen to doctors, but doctors don't seem to do anything to make them understand the real situation. Some of the stories were hard to read, but really made me think about how I want things to be for my husband and me when it gets to be that time when we need to make medical decisions. -- I do have to say that it was not the easiest book to read. I had to read things several times because the flow was not there. The ending also left much to be desired. If you can get past those things it was a good read.

Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup

Subtitle: A True Story -- I have been wanting to read this for a while and lucked out by finding at a library book sale for a buck. It is about a woman who is a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service. What got her there was the untimely death of her husband. In a way she was following in his footsteps, as this is something that he was going to do. The book talks about some of the situations she found herself in with the wardens, how she and her family grew from tragedy and how sometimes it is just more important to be there than to say anything. Her thoughts and views about religion and God are very similar to mine, so this really struck a chord with me. I laughed out loud, shook my head and wiped tears from my eyes. It was a good read that made me think, and I like that.

Grayson by Lynne Cox

I picked this up on a whim at the library. I am a sucker for sea life stories and this one sounded interesting. It is a true story, which as I read it became more and more enthralling. Cox goes out for her training swim in the Pacific off of California. As she gets ready to finish up a friend on the pier gets her to not go to the beach because a baby Gray Whale is following her. This book is about her experience with the whale and many other sea creatures along the way. Her descriptions are amazing, I could see everything she was seeing. I could feel everything that she was feeling. Her personal growth and the way she could absorb what was happening to her was very reflective. She is an amazing woman and told an even more amazing story.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

How does she keep writing such good books?? When I saw this at the library I just had to grab it. She had me through the whole book. It is about a woman who is trying to come up in the world and gets bogged down by routine things, and then she goes to a funeral and the ghost of her great-aunt starts to 'haunt' her. The things they get into and the revelations they find about themselves had me laughing, shaking my head and an occasional tear in the eye. Kinsella has never let me down and I can't wait until she comes out with another book!!

Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy

This is a book for kids ages 8-12 and was very cute. It is about a young girl who wants to grow a giant pumpkin and enter in the Pumpkin Festival. We learn of her trials of trying to grow this giant pumpkin over the years and why it is so important for her to accomplish. She gives up a lot but gains so much more. It was a very quick read for me and I can't wait to pass it on to my granddaughter.

The EGG and I by Betty MacDonald

What an enjoyable book. It was published in 1945 and was about how a woman who married and followed her husband into be a chicken farmer in the Pacific Northwest. The trials, tribulations and funny things that happened along the way made me feel very thankful for my 'easy' life. She is very descriptive, but not too much. It really felt like she was just sitting here telling me a story. She really transported me right into her world. Her little side stories about the neighbors were great. I laughed and got teary. She did a great job all around, this is a keeper.