February Picks

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler. Willa Drake is a married retiree living in Arizona who gets a call for help from a stranger in Baltimore. Because of Willa’s grown son’s connection to the child in the situation she decides to fly across the country to help. Willa’s heart is eventually pulled in by the child (who becomes rather a surrogate grandchild) and to the vivid, cleverly drawn characters surrounding her. This is a charming, sweet and quirky tale that I could not put down!

The Reckoning by John Grisham. Pete Banning is a war hero who returns home after World War ll a changed man. One day he shoots a popular minister dead and refuses to give any explanation as to his motives. Pete’s experiences during the war are woven throughout the book and we also learn more about the circumstances surrounding the shooting of the minister. This book is so fascinating not only because of the plot line but also because of the historical fiction throughout. I learned so much about things that happened during the Second World War along with a really good story by Grisham.

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. A twelve year old boy named Edward is traveling with his parents and older brother across the country from Newark to Los Angelos. The airplane crashes in Colorado and Edward is the sole survivor of the airplane. The novel alternates between the aftermath of the crash for Edward and the details of the passengers and the terrifying flight they had to endure. Afterwards Edward is inundated with letters from people across the country including from those who knew the other passengers who were killed. This is a story of loss and survival. But mostly this book is life affirming and beautiful as it follows young Edward pulling himself through the tragedy.

Whatever It Takes by Adele Parks. Eloise Hamilton makes the difficult decision to uproot her family from her beloved bustling London to settle in the country in order to support her husband. As she manages her three young girls and the fixer upper country house they bought, she also must deal with leaving behind her closest friend Sara during a time of great difficulty. The author deftly describes family life as well as the frought friendship between Eloise and her friend. As her mother-in-law’s encroaching dementia makes life even more stressful Eloise comes up with a crazy plan to help her friend Sara. A gripping and tender novel.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. This classic Whodunit follows the attendees of a very exclusive and stylish wedding held on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The weather takes a turn for the worse during the day of the wedding making the suspense escalate! The bride, groom, groomsmen, best man, wedding planner, bridesmaid, all have secrets but only one of them is a killer. A page turner through and through that reveals each character and what makes them tick. Unputdownable!