I love Neal Shusterman. His concepts and syntax are always so, so engaging and this one was no different. The premise is: what if an epidemic virus made you perfectly content if you survived it? Sounds great, except capitalism relies on peoples' miseries and insecurities. Multiple storylines weave around each other to create a fast-paced and thought-provoking story.

I really liked this one. Sloane is a self proclaimed liar. She doesn't lie to intentionally hurt people, but more to make herself seem more important and interesting. Unfortunately, she does manage to get herself into trouble.

Loved this new novel by one of my favorite authors. It has a determined, very independent heroine, Sloan Cooper, with a very supportive family. After a traumatic incident, she returns home where she recovers. Meets Nash, who has recently bought a house near her parents and has traumas of his own from childhood. There is a lot of suspense as Sloan tracks a duo of serial killers. Spoiler alert: happy ending!

Read this book!!! Penn is an author who is a stay-at-home dad; Rosie is emergency room doctor who eventually changes her preferred specialty to accommodate her youngest child. The couple has 5 sons, but at 3 years old the youngest tells them that when he grows up, he wants to be a girl. This book does an incredible job of showing what it’s like when a member of the family was born with the wrong genitalia. The author tells how different family members and community members react, and the impact this has on the child, the parents, the siblings, the grandmother, and friends. It’s also a novel about parenthood in general. I did not want to put this book down. It's insightful, heartfelt, full of quotes that I highlighted, and a must read.

Women’s Fiction spanning thirty five years. The author put a good deal of thought and effort in writing this book. (Hence the two stars) It was easy to get lost and confused as names changed and time periods jumped around. For example: Bear was also Julian and Gordon. It takes place in London, Ireland, Africa, Italy, and Paris, I believe. Not sure if the author was exploring the possible opportunities for a baby boy born in 1984 or the ravages of wife abuse, or the confused experiences of a young daughter. As I started the book, iwasrecommending it to friends who have experienced wife abuse and survived. Then I had to call back and tell them not to waste their time.

If you have heard stories about Captain Kidd, this non-fiction book will set you straight. I found it an interesting read.

I'm catching up on the Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker series. I fell behind. I love this series by Kellerman.

Another entertaining murder mystery romance from Ellen Meister. It continues the story of our heroine from Love Sold Separately. She is still hosting her show on the Shopping Channel. During a company party, the new CEO falls from the rooftop balcony. Dana thinks she may have done it but can't remember because she was drugged that night. Keeps you guessing till the end.

A short (277 pages) novel, but packed with emotion! The protagonist, Michael Woodbine is very relatable. When he was 7 years old, he nearly died from a fireworks accident. We meet him at age 19, starting college, where he meets his film professor, Robert Denning, who will influence Michael's life in a profound way. Deals with the themes of self-acceptance, love, and parenting. This story will stay with me for a long time.

An exciting , emotional novel which switches back and forth between 1980 and 1984. It tells the story of Dr. Joan Goodwin, an astronomy professor who is among the first women accepted into NASA's astronaut training program. We follow her through her intense training, as she forms deep friendships with her fellow trainees. Four years later, she is the voice of NASA at mission control in Houston as the unexpected happens involving her friends during a space shuttle mission.