Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and JFK and his death were life-changing events in my life. I was 13 at the time of JFK's assassination. How much of the background events do you understand when you are 13 years old? Not much! Barbara Leaming allows the reader to relive the historic event while she lays out Jacqueline's life story. Shocking, riveting, spell-binding, gut-wrenching material that kept me glued to the pages. Jacqueline was not a wealthy girl yet she was smart enough to traverse the societal gap between her world and JFK's world to land him as her husband. Was that a good move? You will need to discern that for yourself. Jacqueline had a plan for her life, and she undertook academic studies needed to succeed in her plans. I passionately read about her dark, undaunted love for JFK, her loyalty during the political maneuvering, her determination to make her marriage last. Jacqueline had many influential friends who listened to her grief after the death of JFK, but they did not understand the horrible effects of what we know today to be PTSD. Jacqueline would relive the traumatic event; she would avoid situations that threatened to provoke memories of the event, feel numb, keyed up, and lived with suicidal thoughts. Jacqueline exemplified courage and strength beyond what the public gave her credit as she chose life instead of the easy way out death. Did Jacqueline betray us when she married Aristotle Onassis? I felt so at the time, but upon reading Leaming's book, I find I know why she agreed to be his wife. I keep thinking give her a break. Did she ever quit – NO. She knows she needs to do something for herself after Aristotle dies, so she signs on with Tom Guinzburg from Viking Press. How amazing is that? I could go on and on, but as you can see – I Loved This Book.

Rick Stanton invites me into his inner-life as I read his story. Witnessing his journey, pain, suffering, and moments of joy as he rescues Pax and bonds with him creates deep feelings within me. Rick grows his family by falling in love with Francesca and marrying her, but then his duty to country forces his path to change, and he heads to war. Broken in spirit and body he returns to his wife and home, but now Pax is on a tour of his own serving in the military as an Army K-9 Corp dog. He has a new handler named Keller.

Pax and Keller build a solid relationship during their tour of duty. Pax, severely injured during a battle, returns to Rick and Francesca, but what will happen to Keller's strong relationship with Pax? How can both men keep their relationship and love for Pax? What will Stanton, Keller, and Pax learn by sharing their lives, and healing both body and mind? Book groups, deeply drawn into their story, will present their own suggestions of how to get the relationships to work.

The opening line to this soul-searching first novel by M.L. Stedman begins, “On the day of the miracle, Isabel was kneeling at the cliff’s edge, tending the small, newly made driftwood cross. Questions come to mind immediately, why is Isabel tending the small, new driftwood cross? Why was the cross there? What could the miracle possibly be? Stedman, who was born in Australia, pulls you into the lives of Tom and Isabel Sherbourne, who have chosen to live a solitary life on the tiny island of Janus Rock, off the coast of Australia, where Tom tends the lighthouse.

The story of each person unfolds around a very difficult moral question. You, the reader, must decide what would you do, and do you agree with Tom and Isabel’s decision? How will their decisions affect other people around them? Are they ready for the consequences of the decisions they made in life? Stedman gives you enough background information about the main characters that allows you to build an understanding of who they are, and what experiences they have lived through that formed the choices they made.

I loved how the story created strong feelings of dread, fear, shame, anger, anxiety, sympathy, sadness, relief as you moved forward in time. I was rooting for Isabel even when I knew I would not do that in real life. The conclusion allows you to see how the choices each person made changed their lives forever. There is so many outstanding topics for the people in your book group to discuss that you will find the meeting will run late.

Rosamund Lupton, author of (Sister, 2011), begins the book with thick black smoke billowing from, the British private school, Sidley House, where Grace’s son, Adam, attends. While most of the students are outside for “sports day,” Grace realizes that she does not see her daughter, Jenny, who is the student assistant in the nurse’s office for sports day. Jenny is still in the school! The tension and anxiety escalates as Grace races across the lawn and plunges into the burning building to save Jenny. Now, you are hooked and begin turning the pages to find out if Grace can save Jenny. Next, Grace wakes up in a hospital and is unable to move or open her eyes. Lupton, uses and out-of-body experience for Grace to investigate what happened. During Graces search for the truth, she sees Jenny’s spirit hovering in the same state, and has found out from eavesdropping, the fire was arson not an accident. The paranormal observation is similar to Alice Seabold’s book “The Lovely Bones.” The ability to move around the hospital and investigate the arson with Jenny allows Grace to reflect on the mother-daughter relationship, family, best friends, and just how far are you willing to go to save your child’s life, which reminds me of Lisa Scottoline’s book “Save Me.” You will partner with Grace and Jenny as you speed through this excellent read in search of the arsonist. Book groups will enjoy discussing this book.

Bellingham Academy awaits Jason Kilian Prosper, a senior who experiences shame about his past at Kensington Prep, which gets him banished from the school, sexual confusion during a relationship with his best friend, Cal, and guilt about Cal’s suicide, hazing at a new boarding school, sailing competitions, love of Aidan, death, mystery, loyalty, betrayal, and the ability to forgive himself. Amber Dermont gives us a story that brings to mind The History Boys by Alan Bennett, or The Secret History by Donna Tartt. We are once again thrust into the life of a wealthy, exclusive, good ole boy private boarding school. Jason must navigate the dangerous waters of this new competition carefully even though he has a raw and damaged spirit. You will share his journey with the salty spray of sadness and depression and the warmth of sunny joy and love until Jason is able to find the right, true, starboard sea.

Chris Lowndes builds suspense and curiosity which makes you read with passion as he digs in the past to reveal the truth behind a murder committed fifty years ago in his present home "Kilnsgate", in Yorkshire, England. Peter Robinson's award-winning writing talents keep you glued to the story with each piece of the puzzle he uncovers about Grace Elizabeth Fox's murder of her husband. During the research, we learn of the work done during WWII by military nurses. The horrors of war, the compassion and skill needed to survive your surroundings. It is not until the end that you fully understand what happened and why.

Alice LaPlante writes a murder mystery interwoven with a heart-breaking journey of Dr. Jennifer White, who is an orthopedic surgeon, diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. LaPlante keeps the suspense high as I try to piece the puzzle of events together from the fog of Jennifer's diminished memory. I found that I had to pay attention and the desire to solve the murder kept me turning the pages. Book clubs would enjoy learning what this disease is like through the eyes of Jennifer, her daughter Fiona, and her son Mark. Each character has a different perspective of how Jennifer is able to function when she fades in and out of reality. Can Jennifer live at home? What does it feel like to have your mother not know who you are? Can you love someone who is not cognitively aware? How do you respect the woman, your mother, and keep her dignity when she can disappear out the door in the freezing snow with hardly any clothes on? Turn of Mind reminds me of the book Still Alice by Lisa Genova.