I admit that it’s a bit unfair. You have got to write quite a book to keep me engaged and reading these days. If I find my mind wandering to the news or to worries about my kids, our country, our soldiers then I’m out. Book put aside.

I finished a book today that just smashed it out of the park. And I was so grateful to the book and to the author for managing to pull me away from my own worries and fears and to allow me to be immersed in the world of another. My dad and I have been on a good reading streak lately. Sometimes we find ourselves tossing books aside like hot potatoes and we sigh in frustration, searching for that winning title. Recently, however, we’ve been gleefully reporting on the great books we’ve found. And I figured it was time to share some of these treasures. So here we go:

The Other Side of Beautiful by Kim Lock: This was a tender look at a woman with acute anxiety who found her way through. It was written with such sensitivity and grace.

The Editor by Steven Rowley: Call me ignorant (I admit it) but I did not know that Jackie Kennedy actually worked as a book editor. Who would have thought with all that money and fame? This was a sweet, quite funny, fictional look at what it must have been like for a writer to show up at the publishing house and realize Jackie was their editor!

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns: I almost put this book down and had a hard time getting into it. I’m glad I didn’t abandon it, however, as it turned into a beautiful look at one family and their struggles.

The Heart of It All by Christian Kiefer: The writing was exquisite here and the story quite intriguing about small town American life, immigration, sense of self and family.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center: When I see a new book from this author, I can’t wait to get to it. Her feel-good stories are just so lovely and her characters endearing with their many foibles.

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson: I have no idea how I stumbled upon this book, but when I finished it, I went and signed up to read every single other book by this author. This is my favorite type of story – the one that quietly unfolds, revealing the pain and struggles of a few choice characters and the ways that they help each other to deal with their isolation.

I look forward to hearing about the great books you are reading! Let me know if you end up reading any of these (or other) recommendations that I offer. Happy reading!