91. Mothers and Other Liars by Amy Bourrett

Mothers and Other Liars is another trade paperback I just wasn't willing to pay full price for. I just can't spend $14 for something that will take a day for me to read... it just doesn't make good sense to me! I ended up getting it from my favorite place- the library and enjoyed it. I give it a B.

From Amazon:
How far will a mother go to save her child?
Ten years ago, Ruby Leander was a drifting nineteen-year-old who made a split-second decision at an Oklahoma rest stop. Fast forward nine years: Ruby and her daughter Lark live in New Mexico. Lark is a precocious, animal loving imp, and Ruby has built a family for them with a wonderful community of friends and her boyfriend of three years. Life is good. Until the day Ruby reads a magazine article about parents searching for an infant kidnapped by car-jackers. Then Ruby faces a choice no mother should have to make. A choice that will change both her and Lark's lives forever.

I thought this was such a different premise and a very interesting one at that. Ruby, in a sense, grows up with Lark. One day while reading a magazine, she sees her whole life changing before her eyes. It's difficult to go into too much without giving it away so I will tread lightly. I liked Ruby but thought that she too was a bit selfish. I would never want to be in her position. I also thought the ending was a bit far fetching, but overall I enjoyed the book.

89. Family History by Dani Shapiro

I was recommended to read Family History from Amazon. It sounded like a good read, so I got it from the library. It was a good read, and a quick one. I give it a B+.

From Amazon:
From the prodigiously gifted author of the acclaimed memoir Slow Motion, a stunning and brutally honest novel about one family’s harrowing recovery from devastation. Rachel Jensen is perfectly happy: in love with her husband, devoted to their daughter Kate, gratified by her work restoring art. And finally, she’s pregnant again. But as Rachel discovers, perfection can unravel in an instant. The summer she is thirteen, Kate returns from camp sullen, angry, and withdrawn. Everyone assures Rachel it’s typical adolescent angst. But then Kate has a terrifying accident with her infant brother, and the ensuing guilt brings forth a dreadful lie—one that ruptures their family, perhaps irrevocably. Family History is a mesmerizing journey through the mysteries of adolescent pain and family crisis.

This is a scary book, but not because there was a crazed serial killer running around loose. I believe this book would scare any parent who can watch their child fall apart mentally and cause chaos to herself and those around her. The story starts out in the present day and is told what happens through flashbacks. While the ending was a bit too open-ended for me, I still enjoyed it. All of the characters are realistic and easy to relate to. Ms. Shapiro is an author I will be looking out for in the future.