Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell August 16, 2013

There’s a heatwave going on in London in July 1976. Gretta’s husband gets up bright and early to go for the paper like he does every morning. When he doesn’t come back, she gets worried. Eventually the children, now adults with lives of their own, are called in to help. The brother is on the brink of divorce, the two sisters haven’t spoken to each other for years. In the midst of a family crisis, secrets are revealed that may hold clues to their father’s whereabouts and bring the family back together or tear them apart.

This was a quick read and a solid realistic fiction about families and their secrets. I would recommend this to adults who like family dramas.

4 out of 5 stars

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan August 14, 2013

Jim Gaffigan, comedian famous for his Hot Pockets routine, has written a book about being a father. He and his wife have five young children in a two-bedroom New York City apartment. He talks about the different aspects of raising children, especially in a big city.

This book had its laugh-out-loud moments, but overall it wasn’t as funny as I’d hoped. It also had some sentimental parts about how special it is to have children. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had kids of my own.

3 out of 5 stars

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

In 1970, twelve-year-old Bean and her fifteen-year-old sister, Liz, figure their mother has just left for another one of her trips to find herself. She left them money to buy enough pot pies for a couple weeks and everything is fine for awhile. When she doesn’t return after a month, the girls start to wonder. When Bean comes home to find a police car in the driveway, Liz comes up with a plan. They spend the last of their money on two bus tickets to Virginia to visit their uncle.

When they arrive in Virginia, their reclusive uncle reluctantly welcomes them into his home. Bean meets nearby relatives and learns the truth about her father; she fits in at their new school while Liz struggles to find her place. For extra spending money, the girls find a job babysitting and doing odd jobs for powerful mill foreman, Jerry Maddox. When something happens that changes Liz forever, Bean realizes she must be the one to step up and take charge for the first time.

This story was a wonderful coming-of-age story. This is my first time reading a Jeannette Walls book and it won’t be my last. I would recommend this to those who like realistic fiction.

5 out of 5 stars