Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Husbands and Wives Club

The Husbands and Wives Club: A Year in the Life of a Couples Therapy Group by Laurie Abraham


This book is as engrossing as non-fiction comes. A blurb on the cover from Tom Perrotta likens it to a novel because of the strong characters and suspense and he is so right. Abraham, a journalist, chronicles a year of a couples therapy group (six couples) while interspersing her observations with research from top marriage and couples counseling pyschologists. From the beginning, you know there are bigger reasons for why each couple is there--they aren't all just having communication problems, but we don't find out until the story builds and I was engrossed to the last page. 100% recommended.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Book of Kehls

The Book of Kehls by Christine Kehl O'Hagan


O'Hagan's family has a long history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal form of the genetic disease that affects young males and this memoir is as much a portrait of a disease that devastates families as well as a tribute to O'Hagan's youngest son, Jamie and the short life he led. It was a hard book to read--nearly every male in O'Hagan's life was affected by the disease from her great uncles to her brother to her own son. But it was also inspiring, seeing this family persevere through so much tragedy.

Monday, November 8, 2010

One Day

One Day by David Nicholls


This is the best book I've read in a very long time. A non-typical, realistic love story between two Brits, that follows them from the ages of 22-38. We check in on where they are in different years, always on the same day (July 15) and we fast-forward and rewind in time throughout the book. Yes, it's gimmicky--the guy and girl best friend that should definitely be together, but somehow never get it together--but it's told in a new way. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Little Bee

Little Bee by Chris Cleave


Little Bee is heavy, but enjoyable. Little Bee is the 16-year-old Nigerian refugee who flees her country and seeks out Andrew and Sarah--a young, well-educated couple in suburban London. Ultimately a friendship blooms between Little Bee and Sarah--two disparate characters joined together by one tragic and haunting experience on a Nigerian beach.