The Light Between Oceans

I've looked at this book quite a few times and read some reviews. Most were complimentary but some weren't so I put off downloading it until this week when I needed a good book. Boy, was this ever good! I started it on Friday and finished it this morning just after 4am with tears streaming down my cheeks.

Tom Sherbourne has just returned from WWI and takes a post on the island of Janus as lighthouse keeper. He brings with him his bride, Isabel. After five years, two miscarriages, and a stillbirth, a boat washes ashore with a dead man and an alive baby girl.

They decide to just bury the body and raise the girl they name Lucy as their own. Everyone knew Isabel was pregnant but word hasn't gotten back to the mainland about the stillbirth so it is easy to pass Lucy off as theirs.

But can they live with their consciences? And, what happens when they find out who Lucy's real parents are?

The writing is exquisite. The characters are flawed but likable. The plot is believable. A thousand thumbs up!

And When She Was Good

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It alternates between the present when Heloise Lewis is a suburban mom, raising her eleven-year-old son and is the owner of an escort service disguised as a lobbying business, and the past when Helen Lewis is an abused teenager trying to survive.

Even though she is a prostitute, I couldn't help cheering for her. She's smart and dedicated to her son. What I especially liked is how flawed she is...just like all of us.

I read this novel in two days. Now, I need something new to start but nothing looks as interesting as this one.
Posted by Linda Jacobs at 10:33 AM

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross

I just can't resist this guy! I love his family, his values, and his intelligence.

In this installment, Alex deals with two situations. In the first one, he must prevent a man from murdering his ex-wife, their three kids, his wife's new husband, and a neighbor...on Christmas Eve when he'd much rather be at home.

In the second situation, he meets a terrorist from a previous novel. This time she's trying to blow up a railway station...on the same Christmas Eve when Alex would rather be at home.

Yes, this one is as formulaic as the other novels in the series but, it's the characters, clean writing, and morals that keep me coming back for more.