Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks

The audio version of this was recommended by a friend, and I was enjoying it so much that I pulled the book off the shelf to finish it.

This a young adult novel focusing on the family secrets of 17-year-old Odella. Mistik Lake is where her mother grew up and where her family has a summer cabin. This is a novel of family secrets, sisterhood and falling in love. It’s a typical YA problem novel, and packs in pretty much every issue imaginable, but it’s handled well and is believable. The narration shifts from Odella, to her great aunt and to her love interest Jimmy. Normally I don’t like this switching of perspectives, but this was done quite well.

This is a sparse lyrical story. The audio book was well done – the narrator had excellent skills in differentiating the various character voices.

The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski

Found this while browsing the library shelves and the title and premise appealed to me.

June Parker was in a car accident, where her passenger, Marissa, dies. June barely knew Marissa but when she finds Marissa list of “20 things to do before my 25th Birthday” June decides to complete the list for her. The tasks are varied (run a 5K, go braless, change someones life).

This was a fun read. There’s a great cast of quirky characters and I did laugh out loud at times. I enjoyed June’s character and was rooting for her. And the lesson in the end was quite poignant. I think I’m going to pick up the author’s first book, Flip-Flopped since I enjoyed this so much. Look for a review here soon!

House and Home by Kathleen McCleary

I picked up this book because it’s set in Portland, Oregon, which is where I grew up. It focuses on Ellen Flanagan, who is getting divorced and in the process selling her beloved home. The home means everything to Ellen and she keeps trying to figure out ways to get it back. Plus she’s confused by the feelings she having for her ex-husband and the man who bought the house.

This is an okay read. The plot was a little thin for me, but I did enjoy the descriptions of Portland, which rang true to me. I’m curious since the jacket says the author lives in northern Virginia why the novel is set in Portland and what led her to that.