Need you Now By Beth Wiseman

Need You Now is set in rural Texas where the Henderson family has recently moved from Houston in hopes of protecting their teenage children from certain aspects of big city life. Brad and Darlene's marriage has always been solid, church has been important, and their home has always been one of love. But beyond minor parenting issues, the family's faith and foundation have never truly been tested up until now. Suddenly changes, discoveries, and emotional distance threaten to tear them apart. I enjoyed this book, it was the first book I have read by her and I am sure I will pick up another.

The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark

Mariah Lyons arrives at her parents house to her worst nightmare; finding her Father murdered and her Mother in a closet covered in blood and holding a gun!
The police want to charge her mother who suffers from dementia.  Mariah wonders if the murder has to do with a missing letter reputed to have been written by Jesus to Joseph of Arimithea that her father may have found.  Did he tell one of his friends about the rare parchment? How is his mistress involved?  This is vintage Mary Higgins Clark.  This mystery kept me guessing to the end.  A good read!

A Blaze of Glory by Jeff Shaara

A Blaze of Glory: a novel of the Battle of Shiloh is a compelling and very readable novel about the Battle of Shiloh in April, 1862.  As Shaara has done with his other novels, he makes the story personal by focusing on the stories of individual soldiers from both sides of the conflict.  The details of troop movements, battlefield geography, and army life are meticulously researched and enhance the story.  Shiloh was truly horrific battle with high casualties, and Shaara has succeeded in depicting this reality.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all readers, not just Civil War buffs.

7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

This is a non-fiction book written by a minister's wife. She got the idea to radically make herself aware of the excess in her life with a drastic method. Her family was invovled, as were some members of her church. She chose 7 because it is a biblical number. For seven months she concentrated on a topic and began reducing. The topics were: clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media and stress.For one whole month she wore just 7 articles of clothing, another month she ate only 7 foods, one month she and her family gave away 7 things a day, one month they spent money at 7 places only, one month they gave up 7 types of media, etc. The book is a diary of how it went day by day. At the end of every month she evaluated their activities and what effects it had on her and her loved ones. Ultimately it altered her life forever. Her new thoughts are different than her old ones. She feels her actions have left room for the Spirit to move - and she is excited about the future. Want to try it?

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Luke Warren, a wolf biologist, suffers a traumatic brain injury from an accident while driving his daughter, Cara, home from a party where she had been drinking.  Luke, famous for his research on wolves, is comatose, on life support, and doctors say he will not recover. His son, Edward, though estranged from his father for six years, returns after receiving a call from his mother.  Luke always put wolves ahead of his family which caused the collapse of his marriage.  He did have a strong bond with his daughter, Cara.  Edward and Cara are at odds over which direction to take with their father.  Cara expects a miracle; Edward, based on what the doctors have told him, feels they should let their father go and donate his organs.  A legal battle begins.  This book deals with many hurts of the past in this family.  It also deals with a lot of wolf behavior and the comparisons between wolves and humans.  Though I didn't care for some of the characters and the ending involving another character was strange, I found the book interesting and emotional.

Wicked Business

Lizzie just wants to be normal.  Unfornately she isn't.  Lizzie has special powers that she doesn't quite understand but, other people want it.  With the help of her beach bum guardian angel, Diesal, she just might be able to help save the world from a mysterious man named Wulf.  This is a really cute and fun, fast, easy book to read.  Janet Evanovich has done it again and it looks like this is going to become an ongoing series.  I really enjoyed this book.
                                                                             

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Here is the saga of one Lexi Baill, a child bought up in the foster system, whose mother was really no mother at all. Lexi gets a break when she is taken in by her Aunt Eva, whom she didn't know existed.On her first day of high school Lexi meets, first Zach Farraday and then Mia Farraday. Mia becomes her immediate and much loved friend. Zach is the twin of Mia and tries to ignore his feelings for Lexi out of respect for his fragile sister. By the times they are seniors in high school, Zach and Lexi have become a couple. The three teens are best buds.
This is where the story takes a turn for the worse. Just a few days before graduation, the three go to a party where Zach and Mia get drunk and Lexi has also consumed. Zach was supposed to have been the designated driver, but Lexi decided to drive because she is the least inebriated of the trio. They are only a mile away from home, but the accident happens. The result is injuries all around and death for Mia.
Next we find Lexi in prison having been found guilty by the courts. While in jail she learns she is pregnant with Zach's baby. This story is wrought with misfortune for the young Lexi Baill. The end of the story is a culmination of the relationships between the Farraday family, Lexi , and the child Gracie.
The story hits hard on the disparity of the social classes, the tragedy of alcohol abuse, and the grief of losing a loved one. A lot of sad situations and quite depressing much of the time. Another tear jerker from Kristin Hannah.