A masterfully written story that takes the reader through a series of colorful and often times painful snapshots illustrating the history of the modern woman's role in society from the 1920's to the present. At first I was struck by how different the role of yesterday's woman is compared to the apparent strength and freedom of today's. But then as I read on I realized that all of us, no matter the year of our birth, at some point share the burden of pain and the glory of transcending pain to become more of who we really are. The Sisters should be read by all women whether they are struggling to find their voice or not. I was a little frustrated that the whole story balanced on a simple miscommunication and I did not get the closure I was hoping for but the importance of the message more than makes up for this.

Heat Wave is an enjoyable book that deals with love, loss, and moving on. New widow Carley learns to transcend loss with the help of friends, family and a new love. Starting a new B&B in her home adds a different dimension of warmth and strength that I enjoyed. The ending seemed a bit rushed, but all in all a good beach read.

I enjoy reading books that teach some kind of spiritual lesson, so I was eager to read this book to find out what the author learned by working at a radio station in a Buddhist nation. While I believe the epiphanies she arrived at were profound and relevant to my life, they didn't take up much of the book. Radio Shangri-la reads more like a travel memoir offering sights, sounds and a rich atmosphere of a place the reader will never experience in real life. I enjoyed it more for this reason.