Stories I Only Tell My Friends Autiobiography by Rob Lowe

 My Rating: 4.6

A teen idol at fifteen, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at twenty, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-seventies Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood.

His whole career was pretty incredible. I love how Lowe comes across - very down to earth, no ego and genuine. It was also wild how he moves to a new neighborhood and his neighbors are Charlie and Emelio and their Dad Martin - wow! 

Godpretty In The Tobacco Field by Kim Michelle Richardson

 My Rating: 4.8

Rubylynn is growing up on her Uncle's tobacco property in the late 1960s. Her uncle is very strict. Rubylynn does paper fortunes which have a lot of the townfolk thinking she has more knowledge of the future than she does. There is so much captured in this book – poverty, racial divides, fair grounds

Just like Richardson's other books this captures so much of the backwoods life and it's people. Her familiarity with the South brings it to life with her beautiful writing. Will definitely be reading more by her.

The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

 My Rating: 4.9

Helena has two grown daughters, loves her husband, goes picking in the forest to collect berries for the artisan jams she sells and by all appearances, has a peaceful normal life. Then her father escapes from a nearby prison and we find out her history that no one else knows. Her mother was kidnapped by her father and two years later birth to her in a remote cabin where she was raised with no concept that her 'family' was anything but normal.

This had me completely memorized throughout. The unfolding through flashbacks of how she was raised and how her current completely separate idyllic life came to be was beautifully told and really made you think about how all of this could come to be. Riveted. Will definitely read more by this author.

Purgatory Ridge (Cork O'Connor Mystery Series #3) by William Kent Krueger

My Rating: 4.6

When an explosion kills the night watchman at wealthy industrialist Karl Lindstrom’s nearby lumber mill, it’s obvious where suspicion will fall. Former sheriff Cork O’Connor agrees to help investigate, but he has mixed feelings about the case. For one thing, he is part Anishinaabe. For another, his wife, a lawyer, represents the tribe.

It is nice that Cork is back with his family. Really enjoy WKK's writing and will continue reading this series.

The Last House On The Street by Diane Chamberlain

 My Rating: 4.7

1965 Ellie doesn't want to follow her well to do upbringing and, instead, one summer decides to volunteer to help black voters register. 

Current day: Kayla and her husband – both architects - designed their dream house. Her husband dies in an accident in the house prior to it being finished. Kayla is torn as to whether she and her young daughter should move in to their dream house that is now marred.

This book captures so much including naivety, stereotypes, racism, the klan and more. I quite enjoyed this particularly the 1960's piece of the book.

NPR: Driveway Moments All About Animals

 My Rating: 2.0

This claimed to be short stories that would make you laugh or sometimes tear up. Nope. These were cheezy fillers that didn't resonate with either of us. Definitely not worth our time...or yours.