The title of this book appealed to me since I lost my mother two years ago and would relish the opportunity to have more time with her.  In The Year My Mother Came Back, the author is experiencing a particularly traumatic and stressful time in her life.  Her oldest daughter is just starting college and has also decided to reconnect with her birth mother.  Her youngest daughter will be undergoing a leg lengthening procedure, which will of course be painful and the recuperation time  long.  In addition to those life changing events, Alice is diagnosed with breast cancer, which will require surgery and radiation treatment.  It is during this time that Alice reconnects with her deceased mother through imagined visits and conversations.  It made me wish for the opportunity to have my mother's advice and support as I navigate the waters of motherhood and life itself.  It also made me realize that I still have her support and guidance within myself.  

This book is truly a tribute to the complex relationships between mothers and daughters.  While I didn't have the tumultuous relationship with my mother that Alice experienced with her mother, I could relate to their relationship throughout this book.  I would recommend this book for book clubs and anyone who enjoys memoirs.  

I received this book as part of the BookSparks 2015 Summer Reading Challenge.  

That Summer tells two stories with two different women in two very different eras. 
In 2009, we meet Julia Conley, who recently inherited a house near London from a great aunt she never knew.  Julia is struggling to find who she is and believes the house might be just the opportunity she needs.  As she is exploring the house and all of its myriad of contents, she discovers a hidden Pre-Raphaelite painting that intrigues her.  
You will also travel back to 1849 and meet Imogen Grantham and artist Gavin Thorne.  Imogen has been trapped in a loveless marriage for many years and when her husband hires Gavin to paint her portrait, a friendship and forbidden romance develops between them.  
That Summer offers a glimpse into the life and times of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  It is a story rich with historical details and engaging characters of the past and present. I look forward to reading more from Lauren Willig.

I am very happy I read this book. This is not a book I would have normally picked up on my own, but I am very happy my book club chose it. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die is a suspense/ action/ mystery novel. This book starts when a girl wakes up and doesn't remember anything. Then, a man comes and drags her to the woods to kill her. During all of this, the girl still remembers nothing, not even her own name. Then she escapes from her abductor. As the story goes on, the main character starts to learn more about her past but her memory is still mostly gone. From the very first page to the last page, this book had me on the edge of my seat making me want to read on. This book is short in length and well paced, however I did feel the ending was slightly rushed. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die is also a Truman nominee. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading more of April Henry's books in the future. 

"I'm a sociopath.  I look normal, but I'm not.  I'm smarter, better, and freer, because I'm not bound by rules, law, emotion, or regard for you."  

That is how Every Fifteen Minutes begins and as you can see, it a thriller you won't want to put down.  Dr. Eric Parrish, Chief of the Psychiatric Unit at Havemeyer General Hospital, has a lot resting on his shoulders.  He recently separated from his wife and is trying to navigate the waters on how to balance being a great father to his daughter Hannah, while running the hospital psychiatric department and maintaining a private practice out of his home.  On a recent consult to the Emergency Room, he meets Max Jakubowski, a troubled teen whose grandmother is terminally ill.  The grandmother begs Dr. Parrish to see Max in his private practice and Dr. Parrish agrees.  Dr. Parrish gets more than he bargained for in treating Max.  Quickly, Dr. Parrish's life spins out of control and he is placed under scrutiny for things he never thought possible.  

Every Fifteen Minutes explores the legalities of doctor/patient privilege and the rights of victims families.  It also looks into drug lobbying at hospitals.  Every Fifteen Minutes would make an excellent book club selection.  

Pick up Every Fifteen Minutes and get ready for twists, turns and a book that will keep you guessing until the very last page.  

I received this book through the GoodReads First Reads program.  

Inside the O'Briens is the first book I have read by Lisa Genova and all I can say is Wow!  Inside the O'Briens will engage your mind and your heart.  The story centers around the O'Brien family, an Irish Catholic family living in the Boston area.  Joe O'Brien is proud to be a police officer and his family means everything to him.  His wife Rosie is the glue that holds the family together.  Their four children, J.J., a firefighter, Meaghan, a star ballerina, Katie, a yoga teacher and Patrick, a struggling bartender, all remain close to home in Charlestown and are just finding their way as young adults.  

Early in the book, Joe is diagnosed with Huntingtons disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive loss of voluntary motor control and an increase in involuntary movements.  HD is typically diagnosed between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five, proceeding inexorably to death in ten to twenty years.  There is no treatment that affects the progression and no cure.  

The author does an amazing job of making each diverse character relatable.  I could empathize with Joe as he struggled with the disease and worried more about whether his children would inherit the chromosome and how to set an example for them of living and dying with HD.  I also understood the dilemma the children faced when deciding whether to have the blood test to determine their HD diagnosis.  Rosie's struggle to be the anchor for her family is also powerfully portrayed.  

I especially liked the ending of the book.  While I may not have had the conclusion to each character's journey, it was the perfect way to leave things.  

Even though the story is a work of fiction, it was a very realistic portrayal of what many families must face in dealing with Huntingtons disease.  I had no previous knowledge about HD and I'm grateful to the author for bringing attention to this disease.  

Ultimately, I believe Katie O'Brien said it best, "Every breath is a risk.  Love is why we breathe."  I recommend putting Inside the O'Briens on your must read list.  I received this book as part of the GoodReads First Reads program.