True Colors by Kristin Hannah

True Colors by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Donna Compton for this fantastic read!. The Grey sisters have a special bond growing up; and it is rocked when life gets in the way and sisterly love is tested again and again. The love story
between Vivi Ann and Dallas was my favorite part but I did not like it tore everyone apart. But Hannah's storytelling had me turning those pages, with suspense growing as the years go by. This is a great read and I loved the ending!

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Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown

Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A real suspenseful novel which owes so much to the awful character of Rusty Dyle, evil, dishonest, and certifiable! Enter Ledge Burnet, one of Rusty's victims and later, Arden Maxwell, who might blow Rusty's life of corruption wide open. But this story begins back in 2000 with the theft of $500,000 and a night where people die and disappear. Then chapters bring the reader back to the present, and it is one suspenseful twist after another. I loved this story but I really hated Rusty and how he spent a blackmailing and stalking people. Highly recommended!

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Tom Lake by Ann Pachett

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the Albright College Zoom BookClub choice for April. I loved this audiobook read awesomely by Meryl Streep about family, friendships, love, life's journey, farming and acting. I loved Lara's "Emily" years as an actress and her romance with leading man, Peter Duke. Even better was Peter's brother Sebastian, tennis player & sideline support for his brother. Even better was her life after acting and Peter Duke with her three daughters, husband and their cherry farm. Highly recommended!

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Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Rajani La Rocca winner; this novel in verse about twin sisters with very different personalities was awesome; middle grade and young adult readers will enjoy the format, the girls' drama, and their summer camp escapades. Will Maya & Chaya find each other as their differences threaten to tear them apart? Highly recommended!

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As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by: Cassandra Morris, Tavia Gilbert, Jorjeana Marie, Abigail Revasch, this historical fiction novel takes place in Philadelphia 1918 as the Great War rages but Spanish flu pandemic also adds to the deaths. A family moves from Quakertown PA to take over the uncle's funeral parlor and reeling from the death of their 6 month old, the Bright family tries to adjust to this new life/new home as the flu hits. I loved the Bright girls and the way they matured in the story, growing stronger in their beliefs, love life and the family undertaking business. This is one of the Albright College Book Club read recommended by Deb Tarrant! I loved this story!

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Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan was a gem! No wonder it was voted the Goodreads 2022 Best Romance, but this book was more than a romance. Involving family dynamics between 2 sisters who grieve for their dead mother. Nora is a shark like protagonist, hard working in the book business as a hard driving book agent and younger sister, Libby, pregnant with 2 children. Libby urges Nora to take a 3 week vacation with her to a surprise destination & she grudgingly goes because Nora has sensed losing a little bit of Libby. Surprise surprise when she takes Nora to the setting for one of her romance author's books! There is so much good going on in this book, with hunky guys, the outdoors, THEIR LIST, and running into grumpy Charlie, who Nora worked for in NY. And from there it just gets better and better. I enjoyed the plot, the setting and the many characters seen through Nora's shark eyes. And it is so nice to listen to Julia Whelan as the shark becomes embroiled in small town histrionics & Charlie. A must read!!!

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Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again Chloe Gong has penned an absorbing part of history---1931 in Shanghai, and interwoven the story of 2 spies of the Nationalists (while also keeping relatives and friends of her first duology in the plot as well) who are tasked with posing as a married couple and to expose who is murdering people with a syringe to the elbow and WHY? But Rosalind and Orion have many secrets that they keep, but as they draw closer to each other and what is really happening, they find so many lies, conspiracies, and mystery upon mystery. I have many questions for the second book- Oliver? Phoebe? Dao Feng? Rosalind? The Hong Family?!? Spies? SuperHuman Chemical? Jiemin? Alisa? Silas?

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The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this wonderful beach read about 4 women, Birdie, her daughter Chess and Tate (opposites in every way) and Birdie's sister, India who converge on their summer home in Tuckernut Island after 13 years. Oh the plot, the drama, the suspense, and the real humanity of family with secrets. Another great character was Barrett, he has some history with both daughters and I enjoyed him as a character who did not fit into the business world, never went to college, but was crushed on by almost all of these ladies and many others on the island. A great story of love lost and found, grief, anger, and the importance of family and love.

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Impact Winter by Travis Beacham

Impact Winter by Travis Beacham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this British cast audiobook involving the end of the world and the survivors being plagued by vampires, or not? There was suspense and I loved listening to Darcy and her younger sister as strong female characters living in the future in fear of vampires (and their own friends and superiors???) and their story line had me captivated and I would love to listen to another Impact Winter II!

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Mercy (Atlee Pine, #4) by David Baldacci

Mercy by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book in one day and loved reading Mercy's chapters as well as Atlee's but they are very very upsetting, what she had to endure, after Ito Vincenzo, takes her, bludgeons Atlee and goes to the Atkins family and tells them she needs a good home (but he tells Mercy at 6 years old that her family did not want her anymore). After Len and Wanda have her for a few days and realize they are too old to take care of a 6 yr old, they give Mercy to their son because he can't have children. Unfortunately his wife Desiree is pure evil and Mercy is abused and suffers horrors (that thankfully only make her stronger and determined to survive). Once again, I hated the handler, Jack, who we found out in the last book is Mercy and Atlee's father, and he is still lying, and trying to recover from a gun shot wound all the while, a crazy guy is out for revenge--first with Mercy, but then with Atlee and Carol. OMG, a great, great book and an ode to the power of love and sisters!

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Daylight (Atlee Pine, #3) by David Baldacci

Daylight by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As this series continues, I have the utmost respect for Atlee Pine and Carol Blum. Who I do not really like is Jack, the very rich guy who was Atlee and Mercy's mom's handler as she worked undercover. The more she uncovers, the more she realizes Jack has been withholding/lying to her all along, and why? In this book, she inadvertently runs right into another Army CID guy, John Puller who is investigating the same family/guy?!? As they agree to work together, pretty soon they all realize there are those in the government who do not want them to learn anything. People are transferred, cops won't speak to them, they are rebuffed at all angles. But with this book, we are getting closer to answers for Atlee, but at a significant cost to her and Puller and Carol Blum. I could not put this book down!!!

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A Minute to Midnight (Atlee Pine, #2) by David Baldacci

A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this 2nd book in the Atlee Pine series; Atlee gets a little too forceful as she captures a criminal. She and her boss admit it might be time to try to solve the mystery of Mercy's disappearance. Carol Blum, her very qualified assistant, is also by her side again (I really do love the way she can help Atlee get information from those she interviews. Returning to her hometown, Atlee begins to get some answers, and when murders start happening; is this related to Pine's investigation? With the awesome twists and turns I could not put this book down but also really liked Atlee's personality, her inner workings, and her determination. Looking forward to Book #3!

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True Blue by Robert Baldacci

True Blue by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great stand alone novel about 2 sisters, one a cop unjustly imprisoned, Mace, and her sister, the top cop, Beth, who stands by her even when everyone believes she was guilty. After she spends 2 years in prison, all Mace wants to do when she gets out of prison is get back onto the force. There is no easy way to do that---solve a case or prove she was innocent (this will not happen---since the DA has been making sure Mace will never get to the truth) and the DA also wants to get her sister in trouble and get rid of her as well. There was alot going on and Mace and a lawyer who found a dead co-worker, work together to try and find out what happened. But there are forces out to silence them (murder them). Luckily Mace and Beth are a fore to be reckoned with! A fantastic could not put it down mystery, who done it thriller with enough suspense to keep me up to finish this awesome book!

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The Sisters (Cormac Reilly, 0.5) by Dervla McTiernan

The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This prequel in the Cormac Reilly series was awesomely narrated by Aoife McMahon. Two sisters, One a Lawyer (barrister) and one with the police (the Guarda)and pulled me in so much that I have listened to all books in this series, Cormac Reilly, and am on the final book (so far) and along with Aoife McMahon's great narration, the mystery of the sisters, the police department and the law firm were riveting. I could not stop listening to Carrie and Aifric's story and the resolution was terrific! On to the next in this series, The Roommate.

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If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I could not put this true crime fiction story down! What those sisters suffered, and that mad, evil, awful mother, Shelly, was a BAD SEED! Gregg Olsen does a stellar job and tells a true story of an unbelievable childhood suffered by not one but three sisters and how their mother kept them as silent prisoners and made them watch and endure as their mother and then father beat, tortured, and verbally abused 3 others (brother figure Shane, Kathy, supposedly Shelly's best friend and Ron, another friend she hoodwinked with her pretended love and caring). A must read! I hope all three of those girls got counseling!

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Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins

Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hannah has a cousin, Cal who comes to live with them and upsets her life with her parents, gymnastics, and school, because his sense of humor is not always appreciated. Once again Hopkins brings the reader a raw real book about the meaning of family and what it takes to become family. I especially liked Hannah's mom, Taryn, as she accepts Cal into the family after her sister's death and her evil husband's incarceration. Cal has many problems Hannah is unaware of because of his abusive, drug addicted and alcoholic father. But with Cal coming to live with Hannah's family fissures in her mom and dad's relationship becomes even more fractured. Their grandmother dislikes Cal and compares him to his father and this also aggravates Cal's behavior and responses. I could not stop turning the pages as Hannah's POV and Cal's POV, both real and haunting, reveal their staunch desire to keep their family together. I can't wait to read Hopkins next middle grade novel in verse, What About Will, when it comes out in September 2021.

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When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for the Albright College Zoom Book Discussion---it was recommended by Sue's husband and what a great read!!! It is about a family that has suffered death, earthquakes, and neglect and what happens when a sister thought dead is alive--the world of Kit and her mother is rocked. What transpires is a sister searching for another sister, meeting a wonderful man in New Zealand, and how life is affected by the many horrors that can befall a person. I loved Kit, Dylan, and Josie and wept for their neglect by their parents and what happens as a result. The mystery and romance were so suspenseful I could not put this book down.

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From You To Me by K. A. Holt

From You to Me by K.A. Holt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my Book of Choice for #BitAboutBooks Spring Reading Challenges. I love K. A. Holt's books and this was not one of her novels in verse. Instead it is a gripping beautiful tribute to sisters, grief, friendship, and how to survive. Amelia's sister, Clara, drowned in the lake 3 years ago and Amelia is still crying and feeling very lonely. With her best friend, Taylor, they are going to take 8th grade by storm this year. When Amelia receives Clara's 6th grade letter to herself she decides to make each item come true for Clara. I rooted for Lily, her attempts to practice for softball tryouts, asking Billy to Kite Night, being nice to her mother, plan a prank and throw a party. As Lily becomes friendly with Twitch, and unburdens herself to Mrs. Grant, she begins a new kind of journey, living every day with her grief and memories of her beloved sister. Highly recommended!

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Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, just as I finished Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic (adult book about child sexual abuse) I read this as part of #BitAboutBooks Spring Reading Challenge because my librarian friend, MaryAlice, recommended it along with another book I will be reading for this challenge! Della and Suki are burned into my heart; they have had a tough life and it is about to get much more difficult. When their drug addled mother has a psychotic break and burns a hotel room down while doing meth---Della and Suki were there. When they are taken into protective custody their mother's boyfriend arrives and sweeps them away. Clifton drives a tractor trailer all week and comes home Friday nights. the way Kimberly Brubaker Bradley unfolds this story about sisters is gripping...When Clifton tries to sexually abuse Della, Suki sweeps in with a cell phone taking pictures and quickly sends to next door neighbor, Teena. The girls are placed in a foster home with Francine, going to a new school, a trial and trying to deal---but as we learn from Della---her sister Suki is always her protector, singing to her and taking care of her since age 6---but who is taking care of Suki? As Suki gets a job at Food Giant, tries to ignore her friend, Teena, and keep her away from Della, Della begins noticing/remembering things (both past and present) about Suki and she grows concerned, so is foster mother, Francine but no one seems to hear their cries and act on it. This was a harrowing book to read, process, and follow along as these traumatized sisters deal with abandonment, drug abuse and sexual abuse, suicide, the foster system, bullying in the classroom, consent and much more...but the author's words, characters, and plot are all strong, important, authentic, and compassionate. A must read for all in the school system teachers, guidance counselors, school nurses and principals and the middle grade and YA reader and parents. This book tells the reader how often this occurs, urges healing through therapists and doctors, and encourages speaking up (sometimes maybe again and again until you are heard) and always the power of love in healing. A must read!!!

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Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Akemi Dawn Bowman's main character Rumi Seto struggles with grief after her sister dies and her mom sends her to live with Aunt in Hawaii. Grief manifests itself in many many ways and with Rumi she is angry, combative, mean (she is like this normallytoo) unlike her sweet sister Lea. In Hawaii, challenged by why her mother sent her away to suffer her sister's loss alone, Rumi meets an irascible next door neighbor and a teen her age, Kai (Half Korean/Half Japanese) and begins her journey to finish the last song she and Lea were composing. I ached for Rumi's loss, her sorrow over how she treated her sister in life and how she wished she died rather than Lea. But I rooted for her and so will the reader as she "tries" music (words and instruments), makes friends, questions her personality as well as her "romantic" feelings.

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