What Momma's Reading

I have read some great books lately (and one dud), so wanted to share.

Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, And Moving Forward by Lisa Neimi Swayze

Summary: Lisa Neimi and Patrick Swayze were married for 34 years. They first met as teenagers at his mother's dance studio - he was older and just a bit cocky: she was the beautiful waif who refused to worship the ground he walked on. Through the years their marriage strained under the pressures that many do, but it was always a uniquely passionate and creative partnership. For the first time, Lisa shares the details of Patrick's 21 month battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, and she describes his last days, when she simply tried to keep him comfortable. She writes with heartbreaking honesty about her grief in the aftermath of Patrick's death, and she openly discusses the challenges that the years without him have posed.

My review: I technically shouldn't review this one, as I am only about one third through. But so far, I really like it. Obviously I know how it ends, but the author does a great job of detailing all the events of his diagnosis along with inserting antidotes from their life together. I didn't read the first one she wrote, but this book has made me want to go back and read it. You can tell in her writing the love that she has for Patrick. It is a really sweet love story.

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Summary: A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions in stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose. And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.

My review: I love these books. I haven't read all of them, but anyone that I pick up, I instantly love. This one was one of my favorites. It was different since it told the story from different perspectives. But it kept my attention and there were some twists at the end that I truly didn't see coming. I look forward to the next one!

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

Summary: The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married - and the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day - she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays. But the wedding isn't Gaby's own surprise - she has one more gift for the children, and it could change their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, the Christmas Wedding is a fresh look of family and the magic of the season.

My review: Boring! I have honestly never read a James Patterson book, but I guess I was expecting something to at least keep my attention. About half way through, I realized I could really care less who this woman picked. And even now, when I was typing the review, I have no idea what the "one more gift" was. Granted it was a few books back, but still. Not recommended.

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Summary: For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outside, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. Their beachfront property, won on a barroom bet after the war, sits on three acres of sand and pine nestled between stretches of rocky coast, with one tree bearing the initial's "A.H.". At the cottage, built by Kelleher hands, cocktails follow morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and decades-old grudges simmer beneath the surface.

The Review: I adored this book. I didn't write the whole summary, but it is basically about different generations of women all meeting at this house one summer. All of the characters were intriguing, it kept my attention throughout, and I am still wondering about the ending. I look forward to reading more from this author. (I love finding new authors that I love and going back to find previous books).

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Summary: Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug, the development of which has already cost the company a fortune. Nothing about Marina's assignment is easy: not only does she not know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person who was sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infected jungle in hopes of finding her former mentor as well as answers to several troubling questions about her friend's death, the state of her company, and her own past.

My review: I still think about this book. My review would not even do it justice. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. I actually read one of her other books Truth and Beauty a few years ago and liked it as well. But this book was so intriguing. I'll try not to give too much away, but the stories from the Amazon, Dr Annick's condition, and the last chapter were freaking awesome. If you are still reading my reviews :), this is the best book and the most recommended of them all.

Leave me a comment if you have read any of these and what you thought!