Book Reviews - The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands; Jon Billman

 

TITLE/AUTHOR:  The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands; Jon Billman

PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2020

GENRE: Non Fiction / True Crime / Missing Persons

FORMAT:  audio download LENGTH: 11 hours  36 min.

SOURCE:  library download/

SETTING(s):  Northwest US

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A fascinating collection of true life wilderness disappearances and the families left to wonder.

BRIEF REVIEW:   What an interesting collection of stories about individuals who have gone missing while hiking and biking alone.  The primary story involves the 2017 disappearance of Jacob Gray, a bicyclist who went missing around the Olympic National Forest. His father Randy never gave up hope or stopped looking for clues.  

Did you realize over 600,000 people go missing in the US each year? Most have chosen to disappear for various reasons yet, for those who have disappeared while hiking alone the chances of been found alive are often bleak. There is no database of people who go missing in National Parks and on other public lands. I found the many different ways searches are sometimes conducted quite impressive: park ranges, search dogs, volunteers, helicopters and even psychics.

All of the stories in this collection were from the West coast and felt personal in the way they were told. The audio book narrator, Stephen Graybill, was fantastic, the facts of the cases were so interesting to learn about.   I did feel that the book itself might have been easier to follow if were written as individual stories as this collection seemed to jump around quite a bit.  At times I felt confused especially when some of the stories ended a bit abruptly.   I'd would love to see another collection of stories about people gone missing on the East coast, perhaps along the Appalachian trail which runs from Maine to Georgia.   If you are someone who enjoys taking long hikes all by your lonesome, you might think again if you choose to read this book.  Overall I was happy that I tried to this one - fascinating stuff.

RATING:  4/5 stars

Book Review - 28 Summers; Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summer; Elin Hilderbrand

Hachette Audio & Little Brown - 2020

(combo read - print/audio)

Loosely based on the movie "Same Time Next Year",  28 Summers begins when Mallory Blessing is dying. Mallory asks her son to call a number on a piece of paper in her desk, the number belongs to Jake McCloud whose wife is running for President.  What's the connection?

Flash back to early 1990s, Mallory's brother Cooper was best friends and fraternity brothers with Jake McCloud. Mallory has just inherited a Nantucket cottage from her late aunt and, after one passionate weekend interlude with Jake while visiting for Cooper's bachelor party, Mallory and Jake feel that once in a lifetime connection.  The two agree to meet the following Labor Day weekend, a connection which lasts for nearly three decades.  Of course, making that meeting happen becomes more and more complicated as the years pass especially, when the individuals lead separate lives the rest of the year.

I  really loved this story. All of the characters are flawed and love triangles are always complicated. For some readers, the entire plot line, much of which is built on lies and deceit might be a turnoff but, for me the story worked.  I kept wondering how much longer can this intense affair continue without their secret being uncovered.

Each chapter is devoted to a particular year where the intro offers a bit of nostalgia about pop culture and what was happening in that particular year; I loved that.  I also loved how Jake and Mallory exchanged books they had read over the year with special notes and highlights for the other to enjoy.  There are some politics (liberal slant) infused into this story that might turn off some readers as Jake's wife is a presidential candidate toward the end of the story. This is the type of story that would make for a good discussion: politics, family, secrets, scandals, joy and sadness. The Nantucket setting, once again, added to my enjoyment of this one. Almost perfect; loved it. 

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

Book Review - Nothing More Dangerous; Allen Eskens

TITLE: Nothing More Dangerous

AUTHOR:  Allen Eskens

PUBLISHER: Mulholland Books/Hachette Audio
PUB. YEAR: 2019
SETTING: MO
FORMAT: combo/print/audio/library
RATING: - 5/5

Set in the 1970's Ozark mountains, the story opens with talk of a missing black woman named Lida Poe. She was believed to have stolen money from the company where she had worked and had possibly left town. Jessup, MO, however, is a small town full or prejudice and steeped in racism. The whereabouts of the missing woman plays an important part in the novel.

Boady Sanden is a 15 year old boy living with his strict, widowed mother. After getting caught stealing his mother sends him to a Catholic high school where he is bullied and just doesn't seem to fit in.  He spends his free time exploring the woods, reading and talking with Hoke, his retired neighbor. Hoke is a positive influence, providing nurturing lessons on life which leads to a wonderful friendship.  When the Elgin's, a black family, moves in across the street, the father hired to run a local company, Boady becomes good friends with son Thomas. Boady begins to see the injustices black people have had to endure.

What a great novel! Honestly I've enjoyed every book this author has written.  If you love great character development, a little mystery and great writing, this is the book for you. It was wonderful to see Boady rid himself of the racial prejudices he had grown up with. Yes, this book has some unpleasant topics like:  bullying, violence and white supremacy which is hard to read about at times, but, it is an important part of this novel.  A haunting coming of age story. Read it!

Talking to Strangers; Malcolm Gladwell and The Secrets We Kept; Lara Prescott

TITLE: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know

AUTHOR:  Malcolm Gladwell

PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio
PUB. YEAR: 2019
SETTING: n/a
FORMAT: audio
RATING: - 3.5/5

Malcolm Gladwell's latest book takes a look at how people tend to interact and react to people that they don't know. Why can't we identify when a stranger is lying to us?

In most cases people tend to default to the truth, assuming transparency and, that people tend to tell the truth in most circumstances. It cautions readers to be more wary when meeting strangers since most people are not very good at evaluating the intentions and honesty of new people we meet.

The chapters help readers to better understand different aspects of a stranger problem and what we suspect may be the problem, really might not be the issue at all.  It uses some highly publicized cases in the media such as, the Jerry Sandusky, Penn State University scandal, the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, the Sandra Bland of Texas case that ended with her being jailed and committing suicide, the Larry Nassar, Michigan State doctor who sexually  assaulted many gymnastics team women as well as several other prominent cases.

Although I don't feel like I learned anything new, it did make me think about that next interaction with a stranger and whether they are being truthful or sharing things about themselves that they feel might lead to a more favorable first impression.

TITLE: The Secrets We Kept

AUTHOR:  Lara Prescott

PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUB. YEAR: 2019
SETTING: Russia and US
FORMAT: audio
RATING: - 3.5/5

This debut novel was a pick for Reese's bookclub and, although I don't read a lot of historical fiction, I though it sounded rather good.  The story takes place during the Cold War and is set in both the East and the West.  It follows two secretaries from the CIA typing pool in Washington DC who have bigger dreams than working for a secretarial pool. The mission is to smuggle the controversial Dr. Zhivago manuscript by Boris Pasternak out of the Soviet Russia so that the masterpiece can be published for the world to enjoy.

The audio, with multiple narrators was good as it combines both espionage and romance. I found Pasternak and Olga, his long term mistress and inspiration for Lara, stories to be very well done. Although the story held my interest for a while, overall, it just wasn't as exciting as I had hoped it would be.

What Happens in Paradise; Elin Hilderbrand

TITLE: What Happens in Paradise (Book #2, Paradise Trilogy)

AUTHOR:  Elin Hillderbrand

PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2019

SETTING: St. John's Island
FORMAT: audio/library

RATING - 3.5/5

This book is Book #2 of the Paradise series which began with Winter in Paradise. The audio is narrated by Erin Bennett.

SPOILERS (unless you've already read book #1)

When Irene Steele's husband died in a helicopter crash last year, she was devastated. Russ, was a good husband and good father to their (2) grown sons as well as a successful businessman.  What Irene hadn't been prepared for was the fact that Russ also led a double life.  Her dear, departed husband had another woman he loved and a gorgeous villa on St. John's Island.

Book #2 finds Irene, her sons and grandson returning to St. John's to deal with the aftermath of lies and deceit Russ left behind, and, to try to build new lives for themselves in the process.  We learn a lot more about Rosie, the girlfriend, who was also killed in the crash through journal entries left behind and there appears to have been something illegal going on as well.  Of course, the book ends with a major cliff hanger that will make series followers want to come back to finish the series as well.

I enjoyed book #2 for the most part and thought the audio was well done but, some parts seemed to drag a bit for me.  Despite this, I am enjoying this series with its elements of mystery, the beautiful island setting and well-rounded characters.  This is a series that definitely needs to be read in order IMO.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors & the Company That Addicted America; Beth Macy

TITLE: Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors & the Company That Addicted America

AUTHOR:  Beth Macy

PUBLISHER:  Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2018

SETTING:  n/a
FORMAT:  - Audio - 10+ hrs.

RATING - 5/5

Dopesick is a well-researched and in-depth look at the current opioid crisis in America and how it all began. 

The author tells of the corporate greed at the hands of Purdue Pharma who first released Oxycontin in 1996 as a slow-released pain reliever , a drug which came in several doses and was said to be less addictive than other pain blockers on the market but, nothing could have been farther from the truth.  The company spent over 4 billion dollars in one year on marketing and offered all sorts of perks to sales reps and doctors for pushing their product. Doctors began prescribing it not just for intolerable pain and cancer but for things like arthritis, wrist pain, back pain and more.  The drug, highly addictive after less than a weeks use, it wasn't long before abusers learned to crush it, snort and even inject it.  Fifteen years later once doctors drastically cut back on prescribing the drug and blackmarkets prices skyrocketed, many users turned to the less expensive and more potent heroin.

There are so many aspects of the opioid crisis covered in this book that I found fascinating. Stories of drug runners, tragic stories from users as well as stories from the grieving families.  The audio is read by the author who did a fantastic job.  There is just so much information revealed on a very tough subject. Highly recommended.

Women in Sunlight; Frances Mayes and Maid; Stephanie Land

TITLE: Women in Sunlight

AUTHOR:  Frances Mayes

PUBLISHER:  Crown

PUB. YEAR: 2018

SETTING:  Italy
FORMAT:  - eBook

RATING - 3.5/5

Our book group selection for May, Women in Sunlight, is a story about (3) older American women who rent a villa in the Tuscan village of San Rocco for one year. Each woman is trying to figure out the next phase of their life: Camille, 69, gave up her art career for marriage and children; she's now a widow. Susan, 64, adventurous, successful realtor, now a widow as well and Julia, 59, with a cheating spouse and daughter suffering from addiction issues.

Kit Raine is a young American writer, trying to write a biography about her mentor and friend, Margaret Merrill. The arrival of the (3) American women, whose large villa is near hers, finds Kit easily distracted from her writing task as she begins to help the women navigate life in Tuscany.

There was plenty to discuss with this book: female friendships, later life self-realization, plenty of talk of food, wine, art, history, books and tourist attractions.  Several of us, including myself, were not fans of the writing style, it just didn't flow well and was tough to follow at times.  A few of us did not like the Margaret story line and thought it was unnecessary and that the (448 pp) book could have benefited from a good editor.  All of us thought it would be fun to try living like these women did.  Of course, none of the women had money issues and were free to travel and spend money freely however they chose.  It was amazing, almost too perfect, how well things worked out for these women spending a year together even though they really didn't have a long friendship previously. Of course, each of the women ends up pretty much  happier than ever in the end.  If you like armchair travel and want to feel a bit envious in the end, try this book.

TITLE: Maid: Maid Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive

AUTHOR:  Stephanie Land

PUBLISHER:  Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2019

SETTING:  Pacific Northwest and Montana mostly
FORMAT:  - audio/library

RATING - terrible - 1/5

This memoir and audio book, read by the author, was a huge disappointment to me. The description felt like a big misrepresentation to me:

DESCRIPTION:

Evicted meets Nickel and Dimed in Stephanie Land's memoir about working as a maid, a beautiful and gritty exploration of poverty in America. Includes a foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich. 

At 28, Stephanie Land's plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and with a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her daughter the very best life possible, Stephanie worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly. 

She wrote the true stories that weren't being told: the stories of overworked and underpaid Americans. Of living on food stamps and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) coupons to eat. Of the government programs that provided her housing, but that doubled as halfway houses. The aloof government employees who called her lucky for receiving assistance while she didn't feel lucky at all. She wrote to remember the fight, to eventually cut through the deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor. 

Maid explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them. "I'd become a nameless ghost," Stephanie writes about her relationship with her clients, many of whom do not know her from any other cleaner, but who she learns plenty about. As she begins to discover more about her clients' lives-their sadness and love, too-she begins to find hope in her own path. 

Her compassionate, unflinching writing as a journalist gives voice to the "servant" worker, and those pursuing the American Dream from below the poverty line. Maid is Stephanie's story, but it's not her alone. It is an inspiring testament to the strength, determination, and ultimate triumph of the human spirit.

The book is nothing like Evicted or Nickeled and Dimed! The author, IMO, the author failed to take responsibility for her life choices. She came across as irresponsible, whiny, and, unappreciative and entitled at times.  When she fell on hard times, she was able to navigate her way around all the services available to her: temporary housing, housing subsidies, food assistance, childcare services and more but still complained about not being able to get organic milk and organic food with her allotments. She uses Go Fund Me for her own benefit, yet when she receives a tax refund instead of trying to plan for the future she buys herself a diamond ring and later finds a way to travel to Europe.  In addition, at times it didn't seem like she had her young daughter's best interest at heart. She takes vacations without her sick daughter, sometimes ended up in abusive situations. When she talks about her jobs as a "maid" she seemed to give cleaning people a bad name. She admits to looking in drawers, medicine cabinets and disparages her clients along the way.

Can't recommend this one!

Here's to Us; Elin Hilderbrand

TITLE: Here's to Us

AUTHOR:  Elin Hildebrand

PUBLISHER:  Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2016

SETTING:  Nantucket Island, MA
FORMAT:  - print - library

RATING - 3/5

When celebrity chef Deacon Thorpe dies unexpectedly at his summer cottage, American Paradise on Nantucket Island, his friends, family and former wives gather there to honor his wishes and say goodbye.  The cottage, American Paradise, a bit of a misnomer, as the rundown cottage that hasn't been maintained well over the years.  

Among those gathering are the (3) women who married or were once married to Deacon, an uncomfortable weekend to say the least. There's Laurel, his first wife and childhood love and, the most down to earth of the women.  Belinda, the Hollywood actress Deacon left Laurel for and, Scarlett, the southern belle and former nanny of Belinda and Deacon's adopted daughter. Also in attendance are his adult children who are grappling with their own issues and Buck, Deacon's best friend and executor. Buck's job is to break the news that Deacon died heavily in debt and instead of any inheritance some might have planned on, there's a mound of debt and multiple mortgages left to be dealt with. 

This wasn't a favorite Hilderbrand book. I thought it felt choppy at times and suffered from too many characters to keep straight as well. This was especially tough on audio as the chapters alternated with varying POV's from the primary characters and a few more ancillary ones as well.  I was surprised that at times I felt sad for Deacon, especially after learning about his childhood.  The best part of this novel, as is often the case with a Hilderbrand book, was the setting. Nantucket Island is a gorgeous place, that always seems to feel like such a welcome and important part of each story. The author always manages to capture the feel of the island so well in all of her books.  I can't recommend this audio but, it won't deter me from trying some others that I've missed.

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban; Malala Yousafzai

TITLE: I Am Malala

AUTHOR:  Malala Yousafzai

PUBLISHER:  Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2013

SETTING:  Pakistan and England
FORMAT:  -  audio - library ( 10+ hours)
RATING: 4/5

I Am Malala was our book group read for March. I chose the audio version, read by Archie Panjabi, who did a very good job.

I'm sure by now almost everyone has heard about Malala, even if you have not read the book.  The story tells of her life in Pakistan, growing up with a father who was an educator, an illiterate mother and two younger brothers. Living in the Swat Valley, with its beautiful snow-capped mountains, at times her life seemed idyllic. She had a close-knit family with strong values who were always there to help others in need.

Hers was an incredible story about the oppression of women and the retaliation she was subjected to. In 2011 she was deliberately singled out on her way from school and shot twice in the head.  All because of her strong beliefs and defiance that young women had a right to education.

For the most part our group enjoyed her story. We loved learning about Pakistan customs, its beauty but we felt that the violence and political aspects of the book was overdone at times.  It's hard to imagine living in a country with so much violence, upheaval and corruption.

I enjoyed her story of recovery and life in England and hearing a bit about her continued fight for women's rights to education. 

Pachinko; Min Jin Lee and What We Owe. G Hashemzadeh Bonde

TITLE: Pachinko
AUTHOR:  Min Jin Lee

PUBLISHER:  Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2017

SETTING:  Korea and Japan
FORMAT:  - audio - library Playaway (18+ hours)
RATING: 4.5/5


Pachinko is a sprawling family saga that spans 5 generations from 1910 through 1989.

Sunja is the only daughter of a widow who runs a boarding house in a small fishing village in Korea. Still a teen, Sunja learns she is pregnant by Kohhansu, a successful business man. What she didn't realize was that he was a married man with a wife and children back in Japan.  He tells her he cannot marry her but is willing to care for her and the child. Angry that about his lies, she refuses his help, fully aware of the shame she will face as an unwed mother. When a kind, but ill, pastor asks her to marry him, she moves to Japan to begin a new chapter of her life.

This story is large in scope with a fairly large number of characters as well but, the story is told in a way that really drew me in from the very start and held my interest throughout. Beautifully written, very human characters and with themes such as: discrimination, poverty, sacrifice and the consequences of war, I really loved this one. The many characters required concentration while listening to this story. 

Allison Hirto did an excellent job narrating this audio. This would make a fabulous book club choice as there is plenty to discuss.Highly recommended.

TITLE: What We Owe
AUTHOR:  Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde

PUBLISHER:  Mariner Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

PUB. YEAR: 2018

SETTING:  Iran and Sweden
FORMAT:  - ARC/print -  (200 pp)
RATING: 3.5/5

I started this short book late in 2018 but I found it too sad at the time so I never finished it. I remembered that writing was very good and it was only (200 pp) and, since I did commit to reading it I gave it another go last weekend. 

Nahid is a very angry 50 year old woman diagnosed with stage 4, ovarian cancer; she's been given less than 6 months to live.  As she looks back on her life growing up in Iran, it's clear she has reasons to be angry. She was married off at age 9, pregnant at age 12, and the mother of 7 by age 37. She was an activist, a revolutionary and later was a refugee living in Sweden.

The story opens with Aram, Nahid's daughter, pregnant with her first child and dealing with the loss of her father, the man who Nahid was divorced from.  Unfortunately, Aram is the recipient of much of her mother's often misplaced anger.

I wanted to feel for Nahid given all that she had been through but found it hard to do so even though as I read I began to understand her regrets and why she was the way she was. This was just a tough novel for me and I think I couldn't appreciate the story more because it was so sad.

The Perfect Couple; Elin Hilderbrand

Erin Bennett (narrator)
very good

TITLE: The Perfect Couple

AUTHOR: Elin Hilderbrand

PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio

PUB. YEAR: 2018

SETTING: Nantucket, MA
FORMAT:  - Library

RATING: 4.5/5 stars

The Otis-Winbury wedding at a fabulous oceanfront estate on Nantucket Island was sure to be the wedding event of the year, until the unthinkable happens.  Just hours before the wedding was to take place, the body of Merritt, the maid of honor-to be, is pulled from the harbor.  Was her death an accident or was foul play involved?

I've read quite a few stories by this author, but this one, by far, was a favorite.  I loved the mystery element of this story. The characters were great and I loved the way the story unfolded with little flashbacks into each of the main characters.  The contrast between haves and the have-nots was well done and the island setting was so descriptive that you could imagine being there.

A very nice summer read, part mystery, part family drama, part love story. The Perefct Couple unfolds at just the right pace to keep you reading (listening in my case).  I really enjoyed this one.

Mailbox Monday - New Books

It felt like Christmas everyday last week and the mail lady was none too pleased as I also had several large boxes arrive from a few different places. (Hey, she gets a gift at Christmas and it is her job so she should suck it up and smile --right?)

Here's the book loot that arrived by mail. I'm anxious to get started.

• Among the Ten Thousand Things; Julia Pierpont (Random House)
• 100 Days of Happiness; Fausto Brizzi (Pamela Dorman Books)
• The Dressmaker; Rosalie Ham (Penguin)
• The Language of Hoofbeats; Catherine Ryan Hyde (purchase - Lake Union Pub)
• A Remarkable Kindness; Diana Bletter (William Morrow)
• Rainy Day Sisters; Kate Hewette (NAL)

• Wind/Pinball; Hakuri Murakami (Random House Audio)
• Saint Mazie; Jami Attenberg (Hachette Audio)
• The Night Sisters; Jennifer McMahon (Random House Audio)

above books sent by 

author/illustrators Wendell & Florence Minor

(inscribed as well)

• This is the Earth;  Shore & Alexander with Wendell Minor (illustrator)
• Trapped; Robert Burleigh with Wendell Minor (illustrator)

The Minor's were very kind to have sent me inscribed copies of these 2 books for my 3 grand daughters after they read my reviews last week.

Radiant Angel; Nelson DeMille

Radiant Angel; Nelson DeMille

Hachette Audio - 2015

On a recent road trip to Maine we listed to Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille.  This book is # 7 in the John Corey series, but even if you are a newbie to the series, you still might enjoy this one. The story line is easy to follow and has enough background on the John Corey character so new readers should not feel lost.  The audio book is read by Scott Brick, who as always, does a superb job.

John Corey is known for his acid tongue. A former NYPD detective, former member of FBI and the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, he now works for the DSG (Diplomatic Surveillance Group) in New York City. 

His current assignment is to keep tabs on some Russian Diplomats at the UN. When one Russian diplomats gets a bit slippery and goes missing at a Hampton's party, John's job heats up. It's rumored that the missing Russian, Vasily Petrov may be planning a nuclear attack on NYC, by way of a suitcase containing the so-called "Radiant Angel.

The elusive Petrov takes John and partner Tess Faraday on a rollar coaster of a ride.  From wild Hampton's parties, prostitutes, and more, John Corey's sardonic wit makes this audio book a fun listening experience for readers. At times, John's humor is a bit overdone, and some of the cat and mouse escapades seem to conveniently achieve the unachievable, but despite this, Radiant Angel is a decent political thriller with an especially appropriate line for 2015. Although the story is fast paced, it is shorter in length than previous installments, resulting in less character development, and a bit more fluff. Still very fun though. 

Thanks to Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of this audio book.

4/5 stars

Sunday Batherings and New Books

I'm in an official reading slump,  I have 3 reviews to write, I've started about 5 books and I when I sit down to read, I seem to grab my iPhone after reading a few pages and play Scrabble or surf  websites instead.   I'm going to try some non fiction next to see if that helps (it has in the past).

Of course, there may be a very good reason I'm a bit preoccupied ----

Yes, I gave my notice, it's official, I'm Retiring in July, and have just about 30 work days left. Can't wait. I've been dreaming about retirement since I was 35, and always new I would retire a bit early while I could still enjoy life.   I've had (2) exciting careers, human resource management (20 years) and libraries (13 years), however, I always enjoyed NOT working days most of all. The countdown is on.

Of course, the slump hasn't stopped me from accumulating a few more books (hey, some day I hope to feel like reading once again).  What is your remedy for getting your reading mojo back?

Here's the new books that arrived by mail recently.

• The Wasp Factory; Iain Banks (Simon & Schuster) - purchase
• Three Women in a Mirror; -Emmanuel Schmitt (Europa Edition) (purchase)
• Grapes of Wrath - 75th Anniversary Edition (Viking) (paperbackswap)
• Hair of the Dog; Susan Slater  (Poison Pen Press)
• Rupture; Simon Leleic (Picador) (purchase)
• The Girl in the Polka-Dot-Dress; Beryl Bainbridge (Europa Rdition) (purchase)
• Radiant Angel; Nelson DeMille (Hachette Audio)
• Memory Man; David Baldacci (Hachette Audio)

Sunday Plans - Today we are off to my son and DIL's house for a cookout. All (3) little granddaughters will be together as well --fun day. Hoping everyone has a lovely day.