Some excuses are better than others...


Sometimes you say you were stuck in a traffic jam. Sometimes the dog ate your homework. However Suzy Becker's excuse tops most of ours, so she called her memoir - I had brain surgery, what's your excuse?"

Becker, who was already a successful author, had a life that seemed to be going really well. She was in a great relationship with her new girlfriend, Karen. She had just won a prestigious Bunting fellowship at Harvard. Then she had a seizure and mass in her brain changed everything.

The surgery is successful in that the mass is removed; however her speech is impaired when it is done. How she tackles the challenges - sometimes well and sometimes not, over the next year or so, comprise this comic, poignant book with humourous illustrations polka dotting the text! Becker rediscovers who she is and you will discover a great book.

Broken Dishes

Benni Harper finds another mystery to solve while out at the Broken Dishes Ranch. The owner is the daughter of her father's best friend. Trying to keep the ranch in the family, the ranch is now a brand new dude ranch and all of Benni's friends have pitched in to help. However the discover of bones may spoil the guests fun and ruin the ranch's chance.

This is not my favourite Benni Harper, but that is like saying this pile of gold is not as shiny as the last one. A minor quibble. Fowler has a web page Read one and become addicted. The first novel is Fool's Puzzle, if you are ready to become a new fan.

Ladies with Prospects

Cynthia Hartwick's first book about the women's investment club in Larksdale, Minnesota was a wonderful book about women's friendship and their successful saving of their town. I loved
Ladies with Options, so I was looking forward to the sequel.

I enjoyed Ladies with Prospects, but must admit that it fell short of the first novel. It seemed to rely on a few too many strokes of luck for our ladies to triumph. However if you loved the first book, take a quick minute to catch up with the ladies. :)

The author maintains a web page