Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

Synopsis:  1963 Mississippi.  Nine year old Starla, a white girl, who is quite the little whipper snapper, decides to run away to her absent mother who lives in Nashville trying to become a famous singer.  While walking she gets a ride from a black maid, Eula, who is driving home with a newborn white baby in the car.  Starla convinces Eula to drive her the rest of the way to Nashville to be with her momma.  An amazing bond is formed between these three while facing all types of obstacles, discrimination and hatred in the deep south.
My review:  By far the best book I have read in quite some time.  This is the type of book that makes you want to call in sick and stay home to read.  I read in the car at lunch, got up early and read before work, even took it with me in the bathroom, just to get a few extra minutes to read it.

There are so many good things about this book I almost don't want to write them here so when you do read this book you will walk in with open arms.  It's that good!!  So I will keep this short.

I was a bit hesitant when I heard that this book was written in the perspective of a nine year old girl.  I was afraid I could not relate at all.  Needless to say that was not the case.  Starla is a great character and had me captivated from the first sentence.  I also loved how this author was able to convert the southern slang and accent into words so well. It reads and flows beautifully.

I am a sucker for a good book that takes place in the deep south, especially in the 1960's time period and this one more than exceeds my expectations.  There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the next book I suggest for the girls book club.

My rating:  10
Pages:  307
Author website:  http://susancrandall.net/

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

Synopsis:  Told from the point of view of three different characters in the book, we are told a story of a boy who witnesses a "healing" of his older brother in a strange church where later that same day the boy is found dead after attending a second church service.  Christopher, Stump as he goes by in the book, is a mute and has never uttered a word in his life.  His mother, after hearing what she thinks is him saying "Mama" during the first healing is convinced that this preacher can heal her son and takes him back for the second healing.  We hear some back story of this preacher and why he may not be a healer and may in fact be a murderer.  All the stories told eventually converge towards the end as we see how this tragedy came to be and how each of these characters are involved.

My review:  This is definitely a book club style book and a great read.  My only issue with this book was how it all came together in the end.  It just left me wanting more.  I loved reading this book, and I read it in about three days but I feel like there were unanswered questions and an anticlimactic ending.  There was great conflict throughout the story and I was highly entertained but with a slightly different ending I may have rated this book a 7 or 8.  I will definitely read this authors second book with the hopes of an improved ending.

My rating:  6
Pages:  336
Author website:  http://www.wileycash.com/

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Synopsis:  Tom and Isabel Sherbourne work on a lighthouse off the coast of Australia.  The newly married couple keeps trying to have children but after three miscarriages all hope is lost.  Until one day a small boat washes ashore with a dead man and a crying baby aboard.  The couple decides to keep the baby for themselves and not properly notify the authorities, while burying the dead man on the island.  As the years go by the new family eventually leaves the post for holiday and heads back to the mainland only to realize that this missing baby, Lucy is actually named Grace and her real mother has spent years looking for her lost child and husband.  Once they head back to the lighthouse the guilt of what have they done starts to settle in and eventually begins to consume Tom and may eventually lead to their demise.

My review:  What a fantastic book.  So many emotions brought to life here.  I could actually feel the struggles from both Tom and Isabel and as well as Hannah and Lucy.  This is definitely a "book club" style book.  I highly recommend this to anyone.  Here is a link where you can read the first chapter online.  I was not sure how this book was going to end and given the story line this book could have gone many different directions.  I loved how the author brought this story to an end, I don't want to give anything away but all in all I loved this book.  Highly recommended!

My rating:  9
Pages:  343
Author website:  https://www.facebook.com/lightbetweenoceans

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Synopsis:  Two terminally ill cancer patients fall in love.  Both young and intelligent and both fighting to find balance in a world that is anything but balanced.  Hazel knows she is going to die and does not want to put the pain of her death on her new friend, Augustus.  Augustus has already had one girlfriend die of cancer and she does not want to be the second.  As they work through these issues, they find a connection that will help them both through the impossibly tough times ahead.

My review:  This book was fantastic.  I love how John Green writes, each of the characters in the book are so different, its almost like I hear each person's words differently in my head.  He does a great job of giving each character his/her own personality and emotions.  Happy, sad, funny, he writes each of these emotions perfectly.  Even though this book is written for Young Adults, there is meaning here for all of us.  I just finished reading this today but I think I will like the book even more as time goes on, as I have more time to think about how this story ended, as I am able to talk about it with others.  This feels like one of the stories that gets even better with time.  One line that has stuck with me and will continue with me forever is "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."  I mean that is just perfect writing.

My rating: 8
Pages: 313
Author website: http://johngreenbooks.com/

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Synopsis:  Clay Jensen arrives home one day to find a box at his front door.  Inside the box are several tapes that were recorded by Hannah Baker, a girl and previous crush interest from his class who committed suicide a few weeks earlier.  He learns that he is somehow connected to why Hannah killed herself.  In order to find out how he must listen to all the tapes.  Along with the tapes is a map he found in his school locker.  As he listens to the tapes and follows the map he begins his quest of understanding how something terrible like this could happen and how he could possibly be involved.  Each tape is the story of someone who directly or indirectly was involved with Hannah's decision to kill herself.  Thirteen tapes and thirteen reason why...

My review:  I read this book in honor of banned books week.  Personally I do not think that any book should be banned, ever.  But is some cases I understand why the book was banned, at least to a select audience.  According to Amazon the age range of this book is 12 and up.  I do not agree with this.  While this book is considered to be YA, young adult, I feel 12 is a bit young for someone to read this book.  First of all it's about suicide and the events that lead to a suicide.  In this book there are several situations that have pushed this book into the banned books list for 2013, peeping toms, bullying, rape and of course suicide.  With all that said I think everyone should read this book, eventually.  I loved the way the book was written with Hannah speaking over the tapes and Clay's thoughts and actions mixed right in.  I really felt both Clay's and Hannah's emotions reading this book.  I also loved how the ending of the book brought the story all together.  Book clubs, reading groups, High School Juniors and Seniors, and all ages above should read this book.  There are lessons here about how a simple act of teasing or joking may be just enough to push someone over the edge and actually consider doing something like taking his or her own life.  I think we can all learn something from this book, I know I did.

My rating:  9
Pages:  336
Author website:  http://jayasher.blogspot.com/

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Synopsis:  Max is a special boy, he may be Autistic or someone just with special needs but he has only one friend, Budo, his imaginary friend.  One day Max goes missing and no one knows how or why.  Has he been taken by someone, has he wandered off in the woods near school?  Budo, as Max's best and only friend makes it his goal, his mission to find Max at any and all cost.

My review:  I decided to read this book at this time due to some recent events in my life and wanted something light and easy to read.  Little did I know about this story.  While this book is about a boy and his imaginary friend it is also very much about death.  Budo is constantly wondering if one day he will die if Max stops believing in him.  Once I got into this book, more than 50 pages or so I could not put it down.  It was fantastic.  Not what expected from a book about an imaginary friend.  Few books have ever made me tear up but the very ending of this book was moving for me.  I felt the same emotion Budo felt when trying to save Max.  The author does an excellent job of putting you inside the head of both Max and Budo.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend this to anyone in a book club.  I think you will love it as well.

My rating:  9
Pages:  311
Author website:  http://matthewdicks.com/