Our recent book club pick was The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain. Two women, who have been life-long friends, uncover shocking and heartbreaking secrets when their friend, a midwife, unexpectedly commits suicide. I found myself simultaneously wanting to read during every free moment and wanting to put down the book for good because the midwife's confessions were almost too much for my heart and head to comprehend. Although it was somewhat predictable and sort of soap opera-y, I thought it was a decent read.
This James Patterson book was a gift that had been sitting on my shelf for a while, so I picked it up for a quick read. A widow brings her four children and their families home for the holidays by announcing that she'll be getting married on Christmas Eve, and that the groom will be revealed - to them and to him - at the ceremony. This definitely wasn't your average James Patterson thriller; it was an easy, enjoyable - if predictable - read; good for a lazy Saturday.
J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults received a lot of harsh criticism, but I wanted to read it anyway. When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly, his seat on the town council is vacated. As different townspeople weigh the possibility of a candidacy for his seat, skeletons start seeping out of every closet. In the end (a sad ending, by the way), what you have is a town full of dysfunctional people who spend a lot of time trying to mask their pain, their fears, their realities. While not the best book I've ever read, it was a good story that certainly was worth my time. I enjoyed the British dialogue, too.
"Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world."
Voltaire
