The Drifter by Nick Petrie

My Rating: 4.9

After serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Peter Ash is discharged but has PTSD in the form on 'white noise' or claustrophobia any time he goes inside a building. When a friend from the Marines commits suicide, Ash returns to civilization to help the man's widow with some home repairs. Under her dilapidated porch, he finds more than he bargained for: the largest, ugliest, meanest dog he's ever encountered... and a Samsonite suitcase stuffed with cash and explosives. As Ash begins to investigate this unexpected discovery, he finds himself at the center of a plot that is far larger than he could have imagined... and it may lead straight back to the world he thought he'd left for good. 

This is hard to capture as it is gritty and rough and yet funny and has some potential romance thrown in. I loved the writing and how Ash came to life. Petrie did an amazing job of making us aware Ash's PTSD and vet challenges in returning after war without being preachy. I also loved the character of the smelly 150 pound dog named Charles Mingus. Definitely will continue reading this series. 

Stealing by Margaret Verble

My Rating: 4.9

In the 1950's, Kit, a Cherokee child is reported for socializing with an undesirable woman in the neighborhood. Sad events lead to Kit being removed from her home and put in a Christian boarding school where her life becomes horrific. 

Growing up in British Columbia (and visiting the Eastern Provinces), I was aware of the tragic forced schooling of Native American children - and the abuse that they endured before being kicked out on to the streets when they came of age. This books captures some of the abuse in a very calm factual way. So much sadness in the tragic circumstance but a story that needs to be told. Thanks to my book-twin Jeana shoegaljeana on Instagram for this recommendation.

Mad Honey by Jody Picoult

 My Rating: 1.0

Asher and Lily both know what it is like to start over. Asher and his mom Olivia left when Asher's dad showed his dark side. Lily says her father is dead but she just wants nothing to do with him. Asher and Lily dating seems so natural. 

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

I enjoyed the part about the bees and beekeeping. This had potential but....the characters were flat and then it took the twist south. WARNING SPOILER ALERT: They take two kids that could be an interesting story and half way in reveal that one of them is transgender. I get that part of the intrigue was springing "the twist" on us 50% of the way through. This is a very divisive topic that some people are VERY tired of having shoved down their throats. It was a deal killer for me and sure wish I had known before I picked up this book. Between the domestic abuse and the transgender it waivered between pandering and lecturing. So many things were wrong with this plot line. Gag.

Just The Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

 My Rating: 4.7

Nina and Lily are friends and co-workers. Nina's husband Jake turns up missing and, at first, Nina thinks it is due to a fight they had the last time she saw them. Soon she realizes that Lily may have been the last one to see Jake before he went missing. 

I loved the building of tension with the alternate view points. I have had a few misses with Kubica's novels but this makes me want to get back in to Kubica's books. A great fast read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommend the audio version so you literally, don't have to put it down. 

The Loudest Roar: Living In The Unshakable Victory Of Christ by Judy Dunagan

 My Rating: 4.7

Do you often feel stuck battling the same fears, temptations, lies, and doubts, wondering if you’ll ever overcome them? Learn how to stand in the unshakable victory the Lord has already won for you.

The Devil preys on all of us. If you recognize it, then you can use the tools that the Lord has given us to fight him and be victorious! This book is very uplifting and empowering. I particularly love the prayers that you can read out loud at the end of each chapter. 

Trust by Hernan Diaz

My Rating: 2.0

In the 1920s, everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask. He is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; she is the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together, they have risen to the very top of a world of seemingly endless wealth—all as a decade of excess and speculation draws to an end. But at what cost have they acquired their immense fortune? This is the mystery at the center of Bonds, a successful 1937 novel that all of New York seems to have read. Yet there are other versions of this tale of privilege and deceit.

This was a book club read, otherwise I may not have finished it. The novel superficially explores money is a social construct and a medium: We ascribe value to it in a complex system of social agreements - which is the connection between money and language. This is also the connex between the myth of the American dream and the cult of wealth. It really didn't say anything new. None of the characters are likable. I appreciated the creativity of the author with writing this four part series of a book within a book but the plot, as several others have mentioned, was very dry and boring. 

Part 1 - Wall Street tycoon Benjamin Rask marries brilliant Helen

Part 2 - Autobiography of Andrew Bevel who turns out to be Benjamin Rask

Part 3 - Ida Partenza, the ghostwriter of the manuscript in Part 2 who is tasked with writing Rask's autobiography

Part 4 - Mildred (aka Helen) Rask's diaries