Dear Friends,

Are you ready for the holidays? I am looking forward to a quiet time here at Casa Bookgirl. I don’t think we have any family coming to visit although my family tends to surprise me every once in a while. Hopefully I will get to see one of my dear friends next week but other than that, I’m kind of looking forward to some down time.

I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday. Take time to read, rest and enjoy the moments. I think between now and Christmas I may brave the bookstore again just for a cup of mocha and a bit of browsing along the stacks.

After Christmas I plan to have up my post on my favorites of the year and also I want to do a round up on the reading challenges I participated in this year. I know a lot of you are still working on your favorite reads as well so I can’t wait to find out which books made your favorites.

Whatever you may be up to, I hope Santa brings you lots of bookish goodies and Happy Holidays!

Hugs,
Iliana

“If you blinked you would miss it, but that pause spoke to her, as if to convey, any question you have is important and I’m going to give it serious consideration before answering. He had an intensity that, when directed at you, made you feel like you were the only one in the room.”

The Good Mother
By Karen Osman

Three women at different stages of their lives find themselves keeping secrets from their friends and families. For once they feel like they are in control and are living out their lives but their actions will have serious consequences.

The story opens with Catherine who has decided to volunteer by corresponding with a man incarcerated for murder. She’s supposed to help him adjust to what life will be like once he’s back out but what would her family think of her actions?

Another woman is Kate who finds herself at her wits end with young children and a husband who works long hours and is never home. She longs for the days when they were dating and everything seemed possible. When she decides to take a writing course at a local college, she finds herself basking in the glow of the attention and thinking she could actually be on to a new direction in her life.

Finally there is Alison who is a first year law student and living away from home. Classes all of a sudden seem much harder than what she was used to and she questions if she’s really made the right career choice but with the help of one of her charming professors she may just be ok.

Despite the change in narrator every chapter it was easy to keep track of the action as every woman faces some very different situations but the closer we get to the middle, it is clear that all are in over their heads with their relationships. This was a fast and addictive read. I sort of had it figured out but it was still an “aha” moment when all the pieces fell into place.

Source: Advance review copy