Penny finishes college and returns home only to lose her father. With his death, the family drifts apart, and Penny drifts lost. Heading for the house left to her she finds it filled with squatters, and no heart to tell them to leave.
Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
Most every woman my age fears motherhood for a very specific reason – the loss of yourself, your life, your dreams to this person you are now responsible for. The same could be said for marriage too. With that in mind this book lands in your lap – but with these thoughts, the main character actually vanishes. To get your life back do you just keep swimming, or find a better way to travel through life? A note – this book is set to come out to the general public in February.
I passed by this book when it first came in front of me. I’m not sure why. The second time I saw it, I looked again and couldn’t figure out why I’d set it back down. The Mothers is about the choices we make, and how the past influences the present, and the future. How do our choices shape us, and what influences those choices?
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
I came across this as an add on from Book of the Month. It just picked for one of my book clubs for our January book – convenient – since I was planning to read it over Christmas. Short, and a fast read I’ve been told, I also am certain I won’t want to put it down. It’s not new, but suddenly everywhere. A story of real monsters and imagined people, this is your favorite children’s fantasy book grown up.
Queen Victoria: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert
I am anxiously, impatiently awaiting the ITV/PBS (whatever it is where you live) release of Victoria. It’ll take over Downton Abby’s time slot. And as I learned watching The Crown, I’ll want more that what each episode gives me. So I’m doing some advanced reading with this book. I looked at several books about Queen Victoria. I moved passed anything that was only a couple hundred pages. She became Queen at 18, and is now the second longest serving monarch – only recently beat by Queen Elizabeth II. A long life, and the vast majority of it on the throne, a couple hundred pages will not cut it. This is a hefty book. But well worth it if you’re looking for the full story – like I do with any show or movie based on history. If you’re looking for more drama, there is a novel, which the series is actually based on out there as well.
