Poolside reading is fabulous, reading by the fire is lovely, but can anything really beat a good thunderstorm reading session?  Tis the season, and I have a few recommendations for your next stormy read.  
Actually, this is just a run-down of my latest reads, briefly reviewed for you.  I did not select these with thunderstorms in mind.  You can read any book during a storm!  The threat of ,your power going out only adds to the drama!

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
This was hands down one of the best books I have ever written.  Could someone please read this so we can talk about it?  The premise itself is interesting but nothing new - the kid shows signs of being different, oh, whoops it looks like he's remembering his past life and wants to go home and see his mom... but you've got to see how Guskin weaves this story.  Amazing.  I was in a daze for days.

The Maid by Nita Prose
Maid finds a dead man in his hotel room, she's the suspect, she's a few bricks short of a full load but a lovable protagonist...  this is a fun quick read but kinda unbelievable, kinda forgettable.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Well, this book is a million pages, so it's an investment of your time.  There are as many characters as there are pages, so it's also an investment of brainpower.  But hey, it's a Man Booker winner and it's super intricate and interesting and yet.... I'm starting to wish I would've skipped it and read three other good books instead.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
This coming-of-age novel set simultaneously in 1980's Chicago and present-day Paris.  One of the main characters from the 1980's thread was a Development Director, which was loads of fun.  Aside from that, I can't say that the book was loads of FUN, but it was definitely a captivating and raw peek into the height of the AIDS epidemic in the city, as well as an ode to lost family members and friends who function as family. 

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
I still can't decide if this book was worth the hype.  In regards to a rags to riches story, a mystery, a total page turner, a symphony of a tale - absolutely yes.  As a book about race relations, perhaps not so much in my view, but then again I'm not really a person who can to speak to that.  It's certainly thought-provoking.

The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
You know going in you're going to cry.  When the description involves terminally ill patients, it's going to be a tear-jerker.  But I jumped in and I'm here to tell you it was worth every tear.  Go meet Lenni and Margot and Father Arthur and *definitely* Humphrey and give in to the beautiful story of two lifetimes.  Have that cry, you need it.

I call out to you from the depths of the longest week of the year of the longest month of the longest winter ever.  Can you hear me?  Is it only Thursday?  Is it still 30 degrees?  
Booking summer vacations only slows everything down.  Christmas is over, and there's next to nothing exciting on the immediate horizon.  Reading helps!  Here are my most recent five finished books:

The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes
Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy) recommended this book several years ago and I’ve been sitting on it for almost as long.  What a pleasant surprise to learn that this brain candy is smart, funny, fashionable, relatable, and truly enjoyable from start to finish.  No romance to it whatsoever, this fun novel was about fashion, tech “dinosaurs”, Instagram, workplace drama, revenge, gossip, New York, and nightmare bosses.  While I admit it could’ve been tightened up here or there, I still loved every page.  It’s been a long winter – this might be just the bubble bath book you’re needing right now.

Dying of Politeness: A Memoir by Geena Davis
Geena Davis is an amazing actor and has an interesting life.  If you want to read a memoir that details how she got her start in the business, how she secured various roles, a smidge about what she’s done to advocate for women’s representation on screen, and various examples of all of the idiotic things the unwashed masses have said to her – go for it.  If you want any sort of raw and true insider scoop on her actual life, you won’t find it here. 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
This gem made my 2022 Five Star reads list.  I wholeheartedly recommend this incredible modern version of David Copperfield.  It’s just amazing.

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella
I can’t help but love novels where the reader is following the stories of various characters and they all inevitably converge.  Reflecting on this sweet book, I’m sorry I didn’t add it to my five-star reads list as well.  It was so well done and ultimately uplifting.  It’s initially sad, though, as the three characters who converge are dealing with loss.   So it’s a little melancholy in parts but a lovely read.

The Office BFF’s by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
If The Office is on your TV at almost all times like it is at our home, you’ll probably enjoy this fun book written by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.  I really loved all of the great pictures included and all of the background scoop.  A chapter or two might’ve gotten a little tedious with psychoanalysis on the evolving of their friendship (spoiler alert:  it was hard when only one of them was a mom but then when the other one became a mom, it was all better again.)  Otherwise, I’d suggest this as a palate cleanser between heavier material.  
(The best scoop on The Office is found in The Office:  The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s:  An Oral History by Andy Greene.)

What is helping you see your way through this long January?

​Each year I look forward sharing my five star reads of the year with you.  To make the grade, the book must have been excellent AND memorable. 

Though I love reading as much as ever, the amount of books I’m able to knock out each year has decreased considerably in the past few years.  In 2022 I read 58 books, but most of them were very good.  Eight were GREAT – and here they are!

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver:  I *just* finished this one up a few days ago and it was MIGHTY.  A modern re-telling of David Copperfield (which I never read)- it has drugs, foster families, football, hard work, romance, deep friendships, mentorship, hitting rock bottom and satisfying hope.  This was my first Kingsolver, not my last.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney: This one came highly recommended and I devoured this thoughtful character-driven novel about an elegant elderly lady out for a walk on New Year’s Eve and reflects on her amazing New York City life, and naturally meets a few characters along the way. 

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue: These pandemic novels hit different these days, but that makes for good reading when the author is a rockstar like Emma Donoghue.  We set our scene in Dublin 100 years ago in the maternity ward designated especially for expecting mothers with the flu.   Is this book sometimes as sad as you think it might be?  Yes, but only just, and it’s such a wonderful page-turner that you can’t miss this one.  I almost took a pass for that reason, but I’m so glad I didn’t.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin:  Take it from me – and the entire Goodreads community – that this coming-of-age novel about video game designers is amazing, and so what if you don’t like video games?  You’ll like this because you like a well-told tale of love and life and friendship and envy and rags-to-riches and bad decisions and all the rest. 

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni: Okay, I like coming-of-age stories.  I like stories that basically start at birth and then just bring us through a person’s whole childhood and adolescence and beyond.  If you’re with me, grab this one and learn about Sam Hill – Devil Boy, due to his ocular albinism – and I hope you’ll love it like it I did.  I read this early in the year and still remember it well.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – Yes you DO want to read this story where one of the main characters is an octopus!  I’m not even going to tell you anything else, just trust me on this one.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel:  First off, everything Mandel touches turns to gold, and Sea is no exception.  This work of art jumps around many hundreds of years and has lots of fun time travel and sci-fi elements but is a wonderful and easy-to-follow read that fans of all of the genres have loved it.  I’d like to provide the disclaimer that the first chapter is a little wtf, but keep going, it’s phenomenal.

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub: In addition to coming-of-age novels, I like a good time travel novel if it isn’t stupid and clunky. Why is Emma Straub so awesome?  Not only is this so well executed, but the protagonist is also my age!  So her time travel back to age 16 pushed me right back in time along with her, which was loads of fun.  Want something lighthearted but thought-provoking?  Or are you an elder millennial like me?  Read this one!  

How about you?   Did you have any five star reads from 2022 you would recommend?

Hello out there and welcome to my tiny corner of the online world!  I just finished a fantastic book, so I figured I'd better hop on and tell you all about it!

But first, a life update.  I'm proud to now be the Director of Philanthropy at Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal.  October of 2022 was a strange month of change and transition.  Strange, but luckily not difficult.  

A thought:   We want to teach the next generation both that it's okay to feel their feelings and take a beat to recuperate, but we also want them to be resilient and know when it's time to push forward.  That seems like a fine line to me, but important.  What do you think?

Enough naval gazing!  You're here for the book talk!  

If you're ready to read about pandemics again, you MUST grab The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue (the author of the fabulous Room).  She actually finished this up just prior to the onset of COVID-19, so I'm sure she dealt with many potential readers holding off until they could even approach the topic (like me!)  A shame, as this was a solid gold fast read about a maternity ward in Ireland during the height of the 1918 flu.  Plus, look at that cover!

Since we last talked, I also finished:
Lessons by Ian McEwan - McEwan is an acquired taste, and this was both depressing and incredible.
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson - Read it for the setting of 1920's London, but I was expecting more from Atkinson.
The Socrates Express by Eric Wiener - This author charmed and fascinated me in The Geography of Bliss, but mostly bored me in this one.  
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman - Cheesy romance done well.  Not usually my genre, but it's nice to insert some fluff here and there!

Next up, I'm going to tackle the final book in Backman's Bear Town trilogy.  What are YOU reading?

I thought my blog had faded into oblivious and no one noticed.  
But, as it happened, at least a few of you noticed.  I was asked what the deal was with the disappearance of my posts at book club a couple of days ago.  
I explained that it was starting to feel like one more thing to do, and if it's more like a diary entry than anything else, then why mess?  
Their responses made me realize that perhaps there are still some readers out there.  Maybe I wasn't shouting into the void after all!

So... here's a tiny little corner of the Internet that is our own.  We can talk about books and whatever else, but I'm not going to try to sell you things and I'm not going to say things like, "Wow, what a week, ya'll!"  Paradise!

While I haven't been reading at quite the clip I used to, I'm still reading whenever possible.  A few books that have stuck with me in recent months have been:

- I'm Glad by Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy:  What a title!  I had minimal exposure to this actress outside of being annoyed by her tweeny-bopper sitcoms blaring on my tv from time to time.   I was interested in learning more about her child stardom and generally crap young adult life.  I think all of her readers are delighted to find that in addition to having captivating content, McCurdy is a terrific writer.  

- The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick:  This is also an interesting title, but enormously misleading.  Still, I stayed up until 12:30 am to finish it!  Grab this one if you're looking for some light-but-not-TOO-light reading with some mystery and a bit of romance.  Do not grab it if you're dead set on reading about the messy lives of book people.

(Sidenote:  Titles exasperate me.  I hate that so often they are clearly chosen by publishing houses as a driver of sales and really have nothing to do with the story.   I assume that's why we (EVEN STILL!) see so much of the clockmaker's mistress and the watchmaker's wife and the mapmaker's daughter.  Or why books about fully grown women inevitably have "girl" in the title.  I missed ranting about this.)

I read some great time travel novels!  My flight home from Puerto Rico was consumed by Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, which was the PERFECT choice for a flight - a quick read, totally engrossing, and best read in one sitting.  Plus, the story spanned many hundreds of years, which was fun.  A couple of months ago I finished This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub, which was a flawlessly executed time travel novel featuring the do-over, something my dad and I both love to read about.  There's just something so satisfying about watching a character go back in time and right some wrongs.  (I wouldn't mind a shot at a do-over or two...)

Oh, and of course I had to read the new Taylor Jenkins Reid.  I like to say that everything she touches turns to gold.  With Carrie Soto is Back, I think I might amend that to gold - or at least silver.  Carrie Soto was a great story but a hair predictable and a hair forgettable.  Come on, TJR!  Do something crazy next time!  

Also I'm seeing all this stuff about Colleen Hoover ruling BookTock and some of my fellow readers are reading everything she's got like they're obsessed.  What's going on?  Then I saw her quoted as basically saying she kind of sucks, she doesn't get the deal either.  Help me out, if you're out there?  Is this romance?  Is it good, though?  

I don't want to learn about BookTock.

Okay that's all for now.  What are YOU reading?

Reading challenges are one of several tools a regular reader can use to pull themselves out of the inevitable reading rut.  I usually read the lists for inspiration for how to diversify my reading selections and move on.  Others enjoy the satisfaction of checking each one off.  Either way, I've decided to provide you with a challenge list this year!  
One of my favorite extremely popular book bloggers has opted not to provide her apparently much-coveted yearly challenge because of something about how life is too challenging right now.  That's fair, but life is challenging always and I have faith in you!
So for 2022, let's read the following books!​

This year I had 17 amazing books that I wanted to share with you, but I was able to edit it down to a dozen (a painful process!)  I tried to select my most-recommended and universally enjoyed picks!
Here we go:
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
This is the book you'll grab when you want to learn something in 2022.  Fascinating inside look at poverty from a variety of aspects.  It'll get you thinking.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Kidd explores what life might look like from the lens of Ana, the wife of Jesus.  I was skeptical, but it's handled so carefully and beautifully - I loved it from start to finish.
4321 by Paul Auster
I held off reading this because it's a million pages long, but I'm so glad I finally cracked it - this is four versions of one man's story and it's pure gold.  I love books that delve into those butterfly effect what-if's.
Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver
Along the what-if theme, what if a married couple goes through with a promise they made in their fifties to kill themselves when they hit 80?  What if only one of them goes through with it?  What if - many other scenarios, each played out in the chapters within this book.  It's entertaining and thought-provoking, but I admit it gets a little wonky here and there.  Fun wonky, but wonky.
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
I also read South of Broad this year, both excellent reading to accompany my first visit to my new favorite city, Charleston.  Both heavy and humorous - belly laughs and tears on the same page of both of these sweeping family/friends dramas.  Highly recommend!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Forgive the stupidly named book, this is probably my favorite of the three TJR books I read this year (also After I Do and Malibu Rising).  Everything she writes is surprisingly 100%, I suggest you grab one.  This one was tons of fun.
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Ja0uad
I've been recommending the crap out of this book.  I'm not getting many takers as of yet, because people don't want to read about other people's cancer journeys (I get it) but if you're brave enough to go there, go there with Suleika.  Trust me.  Spoiler:  she lives, and then she takes a fun road trip!
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
This one, however, is my *most* recommended for 2021.  I read it, and loved it, and then did some research and ARE YOU KIDDING ME THIS WAS A REAL PERSON.  So we have much to discuss.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
A woman pilot book, okay, but hear me out:  it's not endlessly about what it means to be a woman pilot, it's lots of adventure and amazing characters and romance and flying and wartime and friendships and there's a reason it won a million awards this year.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
This is the WW2 spy book you're going to read and love and shove into the hands of everyone you know, I swear.  My book club read it and thank goodness, because otherwise I would've been bratty about another <woman><insert career here> book.  Good thing my booklovin' friends have my back.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
I can't tell you what this is about because then you'll decide it sounds weird and lame and won't read it.  Just start reading it and you can thank me later.
Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
I had to stop reading this near my family because I couldn't stop laughing.  It's been a while since I loved a book so much that I actually had to savor it and read it a little at a time because I never wanted it to end.  Hilarious/fun/stupid/irreverent - plus I love workplace books!!!

​What did YOU love this year?

November brought COVID to the Scheirer-Weeks household and I'm happy to tell you that we're pretty well on the other side of it.  None of us fared too badly - some coughing and fatigue, but that's about the extent of it.  The worst part of COVID for us was the guilt - who we passed it to and how that impacted their lives.  It sucked.  But luckily all of our relationships are still intact and nobody seems to hate us too much - we're all just hating COVID.
The silver linings included some nice family time, the tackling of some projects around the house, and a bit of reading.  November might have stunk in some ways, but the reading was marvelous!

​Yes Please by Amy Poehler
As with Tina Fey’s Bossypants, I waited entirely too long to read this book.  Poehler is a genuinely hilarious person who takes her craft of comedy very seriously and has been rewarded with much deserved success in her career.  I loved this from start to finish, and would recommend it highly to anyone who even sort of likes Amy Poehler.  (I’m not a *huge* fan of any celebrity, really, but I’ll read most anyone’s memoirs/essays!)

​Yours Cruelly, Elvira:  Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson
Okay, except I am a pretty huge Elvira fan!
Vicky and I used to watch her movie on practically a daily basis (along with the videotape that had Jem, Beauty & the Beast, & Freaky Friday).  This memoir is fun and hilarious and filled with superstar gossip.  She did the thing where she shared some huge news about herself to boost sales, but I’ll forgive her for it, although I will say Cassandra Peterson is definitely not *gay* but bisexual, as this book illustrates and also outright says that she really enjoys men.  I’m so glad that she found happiness, though.  She’s had such a wild ride.

​A Calling for Charlie Barnes by Joshua Ferris
I love Joshua Ferris.  He’s on my short list of authors where I plan to read everything he has written.  Plus, he’s from the Danville area so he often has a lot of central Illinois references.  This book is full of them.  More importantly than that, this was just really, really well done and I really enjoyed this family drama novel that I can’t help but wonder might be more memoir than novel.  So good.

​After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Another author on my short list is Taylor Jenkins Reid.  How does she take what could be such a boring and predictable storyline and fascinate the reader slowly but surely all the way to the last page?!?!  Between sessions with this marriage-gone-wrong novel, I found myself many times staring into space thinking of the characters, feeling awful for them, and feeling grateful for my marriage.  My low expectations for this book were greatly surpassed.  Now I know to trust TJR.  Everything she pens is gold.

​World Travel:  An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain
This wasn’t so much a book written by Bourdain as one written *about* his travels and musings about the food and culture of the various countries he was able to visit during his awesome career and too-short life.  I enjoyed it, but it felt like such a skimming of the surface.  I think this is a rare case where the book was actually better as the moving pictures (in this case, multiple tv series).  

​At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen
I’ve read so many books just like this one – the historical fiction with the heroine who becomes a stronger version of herself when faced with hard times such as war and develops friendship with a colorful cast of characters, often including a silent but handsome and bearded lumberjack.  A larger percentage of them are enjoyable while they last and mostly forgettable.  This one was actually really lovely, though.  I might not remember it for the rest of my life, but it was a great story that I’d highly recommend to any fan of historical fiction!

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
This is a fast and hilarious read that is comprised of private messages among coworkers.  I haven’t laughed so much at a book for quite a while.  I loved it so much, but it was such a fast read that I had to savor it, so just took it a bit at a time.  However, it would make a perfect airplane read (although if you’re like me, you’ll annoy everyone with your constant laughter).  

What awesome books did you read in November?

Brrr!  It's getting cold - the perfect season for curling up with something warm to drink and a good book!  Last month I finished off eight books and most of them were delightful.  Check out my reviews!

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge – This was a beautifully written novel-with-true-parts about the journey across America with two giraffes, an old man, a lovable hardscrabble young man and the redheaded photographer that follows giraffes as they make their way to the zoo in California.  It was a solid read, but it should’ve been better and more uplifting.

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton – Now that I’ve read two books by Trent Dalton, I can tell you that I almost have to read him with my hands over my eyes but my God, it’s worth it.  His books are absolutely haunting and beyond memorable.  Read this one about a gravedigger girl and her quest to release her family from a curse.  He may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for me he is just WOW!

The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You:  Stories by Maurice Carlo Ruffin – I was excited to read this book of short stories based in New Orleans but with the exception of the first story which I may never forget, I quickly forgot all the rest.  Maybe it deserves another read down the road, but it was a dud for me this time.

Maid:  Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land – After I finished this work of magic, I immediately followed Land on Twitter and then pretty quickly unfollowed her because holy smokes she posts nonstop.  She needs to log off and write some more!  Seeing Facebook friends rave about the Netflix series reminded me that Maid had been sitting on my TBR list forever, so I dove in and must tell you that I wasn’t expecting to have my eyes opened any further than they were, based off of my own experiences as a single parent as well as my involvement with nonprofits that serve low-income individuals.  However, I learned a lot from this memoir and would recommend it 1000%.  

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles – Everyone I know who read A Gentleman in Moscow loved it, so there has certainly been a lot of excitement about The Lincoln Highway.  Towles brings us an Americana road trip novel packed with interesting characters along the way.  While I would certainly recommend it, I have to tell you that the ending really threw me for a loop and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.  I haven’t had a chance to talk with anyone about it yet so please read it and send me a message!!!

Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver – This was the first of two books I read in October that explored different variations of a life or lives where the reader is let in on all of the outcomes.  I really love this fun trick (The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is an example of this being done SUPER well) and this one was fascinating because it revolved around a marriage.  The married couple in their 50’s make a suicide pact for when they hit 80, because it’s all downhill from there in their minds.  We then see all of the results of what happens when they hit 80 and make new decisions regarding their pact.  Recommend!!!  (Some of the later chapters get a little science fiction-ey and weird, but are still good in their own way.)

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook – I liked this graphic novel about university students in South Korea in the 1980’s.  It was intense, but a quick and thought-provoking read.

4321 by Paul Auster – I just finished this 880 page novel that was part 2 in the theme of different variations of a life.  This one centered on just one life, Archie Ferguson, and didn’t seem to be tied to any one specific butterfly effect decision but instead seemed to hinge on how his parents’ decisions, successes, and relationship in the early years created four different kinds of lives for Archie.  I was fascinated by what changed and what remained the same in those lives.  

Talk to me!  What are you reading?

I finished 9 books this month, including several buzzy new releases.  I'll keep my reviews super brief!

Eat a Peach by David Chang
Chang seems like kind of a turd, in general, but this memoir was still lots of fun, for some reason.  Probably because of the food and because he's kind of a turd.  It's maybe a little refreshing.

What to Miss When: Poems by Leigh Stein
Oh yeah, I don't really understand poetry.
But I want to understand pandemic poetry from an author I really like!
How about you read it, and explain it to me?

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
I highly recommend this hilarious and relatable memoir.  I can't believe it has taken me this long to read it.  We're really close to the same age, so I could definitely relate to her adventures in the chat rooms when she was a young teen!

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
This book makes me think of Erin Brockovich, what with the poisoned town.
But instead of Julie Roberts, we hang out with three super weird and amazing triplet teen girls as they seek revenge.
Featuring a love interest with the villain's son!
Frankel writes books that really stay with you.
Highly recommend.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
This novel is not for everyone.
You'll love it or you'll hate it.
It's maybe one of the most romantic books I've ever read, even though it's not a romance.
I can't think about it right now, or I'll cry.

Empty Mansions:  The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman
As recommended to me by one of my booklovin' Board Members.  Her book club read it and you know I had to get my hands on a book about an old rich lady who lives in the hospital....
Oh my, I googled my butt off as I was reading this book.  Fascinating.  Really good!

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
I was apprehensive about reading this one because:
1. all-female whatever books are really just all over the place, next it'll be like the all-female squad of zookeepers like "They can tame man or beast!" and 
2. torture scenes no thanks!
But luckily my book club told me which chapter had the torture (30) so I could avoid it and I'm so glad I read this one.  It was phenomenal.  If Kate Quinn wants to write about zookeepers, I'll read it.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
I would recommend this to fans of Fredrick Bachman actually.  It's almost this weird new (new to me?) genre of gritty feel good... where it's just this side of sappy/cheesy but it's not, instead it's thought-provoking and sweet.  But yet there are some really tough themes that run all the way through it.  
Most importantly, there are books!!!  I wish some of them were explored more thoroughly, but overall I would say this was a lovely read.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
I love Liane Moriarty, but about halfway through the book I decided I hated all of the characters.  But then 3/4 of the way through the book, I liked them all and threw the book across the room because how did she DO that?  
The plot, for me, was beside the point, but if you must know it's "mom is missing!  Where did she go?  Did dad kill her?  Why are all the siblings acting shady as hell?"
Maybe not my favorite of Moriarty's books (because of What Alice Forgot, obviously) but still solid.