My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This is my pick for our book club. I've had this book for a while and couldn't wait to read it. It's about Anna, who at thirteen as undergone many surgeries and medical procedures to help her sister Kate, who's fighting leukemia. Anna and Kate are very close but Anna finally takes a stand for what she wants when it comes down to donating a kidney. It causes problems within in the family and may have serious consequences for Kate. I really enjoyed this novel. I couldn't put it down and it kept me curious. As always she creates wonderful, relatable characters. It was interesting for me to read as a parent, thinking what would I do if I was in that position. Also made me think about my own sister and how I couldn't image watching someone I love so much suffer. The book will have you guessing to the end. Definitely check it out!

Rating: A

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I read Shanghai Girls by Lisa See less than a year ago and just loved it. I purposely waited to read another book by her to tease myself a little. This is about two girls in China who become laotong or "old same," a friendship that's meant to last a lifetime. They start writing back and forth on a silk fan in a unique language called nu shu that women created to communicate in secret. They talk about footbinding, their arranged marriages and motherhood. However when a misunderstanding happens, its possible the friendship may be over forever. Just like in her other book, I came to really enjoy the characters and wanted to know how it was going to turn out. She does an amazing job of explaining what women were expected to do. Also does a great job of combining fact and fiction.

Rating: A-

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

This is book 2 in a trilogy. It picks up with the same characters Bloomvist and Salander. Bloomvist and Millennium magazine are going to run an article about a sex trafficking operation. Before it can be published the two journalist who wrote the article are found dead. Unfortunately the weapon has Salander's fingerprints on it. The police start searching for her while Bloomvist starts his own investigation, believing that Salander is innocent. I definitely enjoyed this one much more. It was way easier for me to get into and a faster pace. Heads up a lot of new names since you're introduced to some new characters. I felt like I couldn't put this down and got a lot more background info on Salander.

Rating: A-

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I'd heard about this book before but didn't read it until my friend passed it on to me. All I can say is WOW! What makes this book so good is that it's real and as you're reading it you're shocked by some of the things in this book. It's about a girl Jeannette, her three siblings and parents. Pretty much the kids have to fend for themselves because their parents are so irresponsible. The father is a drunk and the mother is trying to be an artist. Meanwhile the poor kids are lucky if they eat. Sounds depressing but definitely worth the read to get find out the ending. I found myself getting attached to the kids, rooting for them wondering what was going to happen next. Definitely worth picking up.

Rating: A-

Play Dead by Harlan Coben

I came across this book at Costco and was so excited to find a book I hadn't read by one of my favorite authors. The inside said that it was his first book. Needless to say very disappointed. Not nearly as good as the rest of his books. If this is the first book you find by him, put it back and pick up any of his other books. It had a good concept. Laura and David get married and on their honeymoon David goes for a swim and doesn't return. Laura is crushed and while grieving tries finding answers to several questions. This will bring up events and lies from 30 years ago. It was too wordy and could have been shorten A LOT! I was definitely curious but then I got to a certain point where I just wanted to know so I could be done with it. I'd say pass on this one and pick up Tell No One or Good for Gone by Harlan Coben instead.

Rating: C-

Sarah's Key by Tatiana DeRosnay

I've always been interested in reading books about the Holocaust. I can't seem to understand why something so terrible had to happen to so many innocent people. In Sarah's Key, there are two stories going on. One story is about Sarah and her family in Paris in July 1942. French police came arresting Jewish families. Sarah hides her brother and tells him she'll be back for him. The other story takes place 60 years later and is about a journalist Julia who starts researching the roundup. During her research she discovers a link between Sarah and her family. I thought it was definitely well done with going back and forth between the two different stories. I couldn't put the book down. I was sadden by most of Sarah's story. It's important to read books like this so we never forget what happened. A must read!

Rating: A

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This was our book club pick by one of my friends. The book is about a famous author named Vida Winter who has given several different stories about her past. Now that she is old and sick she finally decides to tell the true story and seeks out Margaret Lea to write her biography. Margaret has her own issues with her family and a secret they kept from her. As Margaret begins hearing Vida's story, she becomes very intrigued as it continues to unfold. At times I wasn't sure how I felt about the book especially early on as Vida starts telling her story. There's a little bit of wierdness for me reading a little about her parents who were actually siblings. But as the book progressed I was interested in some of the characters and how it was going to all come together. Definitely happy that there was a twist at the end. I'm really looking forward to discussing it with our reading group to see what everyone else thought.

Rating: B-