Some will call this book "chick lit", but men reading it will learn a lot, not the least of which is that there is always room for change, and often for the better.

"Kissing Games---" is the story of the 3 Goddard "boys" who have left or been left by the loves in their lives. Trust is a key issue for each. After the death of his father Harris, Nate goes back to the home town he left after the death of his wife, mother of his young son Christopher, and learns there's more to life than being in the fast lane. He has to deal with Jamie and her son Arley who were "house mates" of Harris. There are many funny moments as Nate learns to parent, taking his young son Christopher on business trips, while still trying to carry on his love life. Sandi Shelton's writing is very humorous, but she also conveys with sensitivity the hurt that had taken over Nate's life. Her descriptions of Christopher's behavior was spot on!

I read the book in one evening, thought the ending was just right, and can't wait until the author comes out with her next book.

I've always been fascinated with India and watching shows on PBS, but this 600+ page novel involved me intimately in the lives of Sivakami and her family and taught me much about colonial times in India and the fight for independence.

Widowed at age 18, Sivakima used her strength to survive by going against accepted mores to lead 2 generations of her Brahmin family, even as the caste system was undergoing great changes in its outmoded provincial prejudices and superstitions. I gave this book a 5, but I felt it was a little long and lagged in the center, however the beginning and the last third were riveting . Having an Appendix with the Family Tree and perhaps more translations of Indian words would have been an aid to me, too. Upon finishing the book, I felt an emptiness at having to say goodbye and leave Sivakami's extended family.