On a chilly April morning in a Brooklyn Brownstone, a family awakes to face another day. Dan,the husband, starts making coffee while Isabel, his wife gets ready for work. Isabella's brother, Robbie, joins Dan in the kitchen until it is time to wake up Nathan and Violet (the children). Isabel sits on the stairs avoiding all of them.

Isabel recalls being introduced to Dan by Robbie. As the three became friends, Dan fell in love with Isabel and asked her to marry him. Isabel had doubts but finally said yes. At first everything was fine but then the children were born and money became tight. Dan's dream of being a successful musician crashed and this led to drugs and recovery. Isabel is tired of struggling.

Isabel worries as Dan continues to write songs. Robbie wants to go to med school and hopes that they will honor the admission to med school that he received years ago. Meanwhile, he writes a blog about the adventures of a successful character named Wolfe that is followed by 35,000 readers. As Isabel reads the blog she thinks about how kind and funny Robbie can be. He pays attention to Dan and listens to his songs. He also plays and listens to Violet's worries and Nathan's problems.

Today he is moving out to his own apartment. What Isabel doesn't realize is that Robbie is the glue that is holding the family together as she falls apart.

Ambulance sirens are the voices of the night, hospitals are full and people are dying. Pandemic lock-down becomes the norm. The family in the brownstone are locked in together. They can no longer escape to school or work. It is difficult to find a spot to be alone. Violet is paranoid about keeping the windows closed.

Robbie has quit his job and gone on vacation to Iceland where he writes his blog and letters to his family. He is alone when the Pandemic lock-down arrives.

DAY unfolds slowly with deep understanding and compassion. There are many reasons why this family is breaking apart and no one is to blame. When the hopes and dreams of the young meet the challenges of life, without true love, there is no future.

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai is a spellbinding story of three women: grandmother, mother and daughter, who survived the Vietnam War. They presently live together in a run-down mansion in Florida under a Banyan tree in the Everglades. A house that Grandmother Minh purchased.

Each of the women's lives have been shaped by the impact of historic, political and individual events and have underlying similarities. There is friction between the three and as we continue reading we begin to understand each women's point of view.

The writing is magical in letting us into each women's thoughts as they seek to find their way. When Grandmother dies, Ann comes back and she and her mother try to reconnect. Ann finally shares her secret with her mother, changing the course of their lives.

I recommend Banyan Moon by Thao Thai for its sensitive way of confronting multigenerational issues, the resilience of immigrants, survival instincts, and other universal themes. This is a book that will make you think about the wonder of life and all its possibilities.

A Million Things by Emily Spurr is a novel that invites you into a world where every day is a challenge.

Rae, a precocious nine year old, has been abandoned by her mother. This time her mother will not return She has been in this situation before, so Rae knows how to take care of herself and her dog. She makes sure that the house is presentable and that she is clean. She keeps to herself and avoids attention. This is hard to do when her nosy neighbor watches her constantly and a new boy keeps seeking her out to play. When a tragic accident occurs, Rae has to share her burdensome secret.

A Million Things is a sensitive well-written book about a courageous young survivor whose heart is filled with love although her pain weighs her down.

A Million Things deals with painful topics but it also flows with compassion.

Small-time is a minutely researched biography of Russell Shortos grandfather's life and a history of Italian small town mobs. The author's grandfather was involved in a Johnstown, Pennsylvania's postwar mob which had evolved from Italy's Mafia.

The book succeeds both as a biography and as a history of small town mobs.

However, It is filled with too much detail and information making it difficult to read.

Michelle Gallen's Big Girl Small Town, a novel, is a fictional depiction of Majella O'Neill's life in a quiet Irish town in the aftermath of the Troubles. We see Majella as a good person but overwhelmed at the load she has to carry. It is a story told with compassion that makes you laugh and cry.

Majella grew up during the Troubles and remembers those days that led to the disappearance of her father. Her grandmother and her father were the only people who loved and guided Majella. It seems that Majella O'Neill is doomed to lead a life of servitude to her alcoholic mother and the Chip shop.

Majella accepts her life, until grandma's will gifts her with all of grandma's land and possessions, opening the door to new possibilities.

As Antonia Vega begins a life after her retirement as an English teacher, she is overwhelmed by her husband's unexpected death. All she wants to do is grieve and withdraw into her shell.

Life, however, has other plans for Antonia drawing her out of her comfort zone to face unexpected problems. Her humanity will not allow her to stay on the sidelines.

Afterlife is a beautifully written novel that deals with death, family and immigration. It asks the question: How much do we owe others?

I enjoyed reading " The Girl in White Gloves" by Kerri Maher. I questioned whether the actress really had the affairs that the author depicted. I also question the idea that Grace questioned her own abilities. I am sure that Kerri Maher did her research but she did come to conclusions on her own. The letters between Grace and Prince Rainer are pure fiction to fit the story line. We do not know what was really written.

If you read the book as a fictional biography (which is what it is), it is interesting and entertaining. It is a made up story based on some facts and a lot of imagination. It is not a biography but a novel and as a novel I recommend it.

In Stephanie Marie Thornton’s historical novel The American Princess, Theodore Roosevelt’s first daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth comes alive as she reminisces about her life. We can actually feel Alice maturing in her thoughts as we read - although not always in her actions. This page turner is well written and researched.

Alice Roosevelt was a woman who made front page news. When she makes her debut at the White House her sparkling “Alice-blue” gown captures not only Washington’s but the world’s attention. The color “Alice-blue” became the rage of the fashion world.

Trying to capture her Father’s attention, Alice smoked and drank in public, rode in cars with boys and played poker. Once she even jumped in a pool with her clothes on. At a time when women could not vote and were urged to stay in the background, Alice kept on attracting the news media.

It is during a political trip that Alice and congressman Nicholas Longworth became engaged and later married. The marriage was unhappy but divorce was out of the question - even for Alice. It is during this period that Alice became even more involved with politics. She advised her father and set up a political circle inviting like minded Republicans to discuss the issues of the day. Her group tried to influence the government and included women.

Alice experienced health problems and personal heart brakes as she grew older but she kept her sense of humor. The pillow on her couch read: If you haven’t anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me”. At the same time, she also became a noted socialite, politician and writer. Alice died in 1980 at the age of 96 leaving her beloved granddaughter, Joanna. Alice Roosevelt Longworth was the last surviving child of Theodore Roosevelt.

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman is a joyful, witty and deeply insightful book. Filled with quirky characters and useful gardening tips.

Three years after her husband's death, Lilian is adjusting to being a widow and mother of two precocious girls. While working as a text book illustrator, Lili is chosen to illustrate a gardening book. To acquaint herself with gardening, she is requested to take a course at the botanical garden. Her supportive sister and her daughters join her where a charming instructor and a group of quirky students teach her about gardening, friendship and life.

I laughed, cried and did not want the book to end. The characters were interesting and real and I will miss them.

This is a treasure of a book that will both enrich and delight the reader.

Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein is a heart wrenching book written by a mother to her son. Karen Neulander, a political consultant, has a limited time to live having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She begins to write a memoir of her life, her son's life and advice for the future.
Karen's world revolves around her son Jake. After her death she has made legal provision for Jake to move from New York to Mercer Island to live with her sister Allison's family. In preparation for the future, she and her son are spending the summer on Mercer Island.
We learn that Karen cared deeply for Dave, her boy friend, and was shattered when he told her he did not want a child. She doesn't want Dave to know about Jake
and has kept him a secret. She is perplexed when Jake tells her that he wants to meet his Dad.
Karen's love for her son leads her to reconnect with Dave who has remarried and wants to meet Jake.
When father and son meet, they not only look alike but instantly connect.
Karen struggles with her animosity for Dave and her son's desire to see his Dad. She admits that Dave has changed and likes his wife but anger still boils over when she thinks of raising her son alone.
We only learn at the end whether Karen bends to Jake's and Dave's wishes or forbids their relationship to continue.

Upon the death of a wealthy unconventional father, the thread that holds the blended family together begins to unravel. Long surpassed feelings of resentment begin to appear fueled by a conniving new family member. This page turner is full of surprises and told with humor and poignancy.