Bookreporter.com Bets On...

Autobiography of Us by Aria Beth Sloss

February 2013

As it opens in Pasadena, California in the early ’60s, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF US by Aria Beth Sloss starts as many stories do --- with two friends. One is quiet; the other is the new girl in town. Right from the beginning, Alex, the new girl, tells Becky that she has chosen her as her friend, seeing beyond the pretty popular girls to this shy one. From there, a bond is formed that will be tested and pushed, and stretched from one coast to the other, but will tie Alex and Becky, the very unlikely friends, together for decades. These girls do not want to become their mothers, who they see as trapped in their lives, but they are not sure how to break free to not become them.

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The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley

February 2013

I enjoy reading novels that both entertain and pose an idea that makes me think. Priscille Sibley’s debut novel, THE PROMISE OF STARDUST, does just that. It is the story of a family torn apart by a medical crisis and the ethical dilemma that erupts from it. Matt Beaulieu and Elle McClure were childhood friends who grew up and got married. But after an accident leaves her with severe brain damage and no hope of recovery, Matt agrees to take her off life support until he finds out that she is pregnant. Not everyone believes it is possible to save the baby Elle is carrying, and some believe it is morally wrong to keep her on the ventilator because she has an advanced health care directive that states that she would never want extraordinary measures taken to extend her life.

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The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

January 2013

When you think of Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne, what comes to mind first? I would bet it’s the kidnapping of their son. Next question: What else do you know about them as a couple? I would have been stumped. If asked what I knew about Lindbergh, I would talk about his historic flight. From there, I did not know his story. Thus reading THE AVIATOR’S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin was both an exploration and a treat.

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Margaret from Maine by Joseph Monninger

December 2012

MARGARET FROM MAINE by Joseph Monninger has at its heart a young mother who is raising her young son as her husband, who was gravely injured in war, lies in a coma at a local veterans hospital. Margaret visits her husband regularly where life is at a standstill and then goes back to their dairy farm to keep that going with her father-in-law. Her life is sedate, measured and full of responsibility. As she heads to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony honoring wounded soldiers, she is escorted by Charlie King. In Charlie she finds a new love, but is torn between these feelings and her commitment to her marriage vows. It’s both a wonderful love story and an impassioned look at the toll of war, the world of soldiers, and those who love them.

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The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay

November 2012

I have been a longtime fan of Juliette Fay’s. Her previous books --- SHELTER ME and DEEP DOWN TRUE --- were both Bets On selections, thus when THE SHORTEST WAY HOME came across my desk, I was excited to read it. Here, Sean Doran has spent 20 years overseas in the third world helping others. Tired of his work and in need of a break, he comes home to Belham, Massachusetts, where he sees that life for his elderly aunt, his sister and his nephew is in need of some of his attention. He assesses what is going on with the same methodical techniques he learned overseas, only to come to see that he too is in need of attention. He sees that he has been avoiding a lot of things in his own life, including dealing with the loss of his mom from Huntington’s Disease and his dad, who left his three young children with the aunt and went away. An old crush crosses paths with him, as well as a young woman who was a wallflower in high school who walks back into his life, and suddenly feelings of attachment start to creep up when he least expected them.

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Some Girls, Some Hats and Hitler: A True Love Story by Trudi Kanter

October 2012

A version of SOME GIRLS, SOME HATS AND HITLER by Trudi Kanter had been self-published in 1984 and was re-discovered by a British editor in 2011. This will be the first time it is available to a wide audience. It’s a memoir of Trudi’s life growing up as a fashionable hat designer in Vienna. She falls for a man named Walter Ehrlich, who sweeps her off her feet. Life is lovely until Hitler rolls into Austria, and this Jewish couple is desperate to leave the country any way they can. They learn of visas being given to those who want to leave, but time is running out quickly as the tanks march into town.

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The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

October 2012

In 2007, Mary Anne Schwalbe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which already had metastasized to her liver by the time her diagnosis was made. As she began to undergo chemotherapy treatment, her son Will, then a New York publishing executive, joined her for her sessions. They discussed what they were reading to pass the time. Both avid readers, they decided to form a book club of two, sharing books while the medication dripped. They both fell in love with some books, while others were not shared joys.

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Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

September 2012

Readers may recall that I selected both STILL ALICE and LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova as Bookreporter.com Bets On selections in previous years. I am very pleased to share that Lisa will be the first author to grab a slot with a third Bets On selection with her latest novel, LOVE ANTHONY. Lisa is a brainy author --- literally. She has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University and infuses her novels with stories of how the brain works. Along the way, she creates some very vivid and memorable writing while making the reader “smarter” --- so much that you are surprised about what you have learned.

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The Devoted: A Love Story by Jonathan Hull

September 2012

Nine years is a long time to wait for a book from a favorite author. And that’s just what happened to me with Jonathan Hull. After loving LOSING JULIA (2000) and THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY (2003), there was no new book from Jonathan Hull until a few weeks ago. When THE DEVOTED crossed my desk, I made a quick visit to his website and saw a note that he has been suffering from the long-term effects of a bout with Lyme disease, which has affected his writing stamina. But ah, THE DEVOTED is a treat worth waiting for as Jonathan proves that the story writing chops he had with his prior work is still in evidence.

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Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff

September 2012

If I could describe THOSE WE LOVE MOST by Lee Woodruff in one phrase, it’s about the seasons of marriage. Anyone married a while knows that feelings ebb and flow over time. This happens in long relationships as well as shorter ones. Here, a family is brought together when a crisis hits that has them circling the wagons and grieving together before they spiral back into the larger world with a new view of their lives. Two of these couples will re-examine their marriages in light of what has happened --- and how they have changed.

The multi-layered story unfolds with pitch precision --- one small act of distraction will be the catalyst for all that comes later. It’s a book that would be perfect for book club discussions; there are so many ways that this discussion could go!

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