"Dad is Fat" by Jim Gaffigan

This book is all about Gaffigan being a father to five children.  We learn their names, ages, how they were born (all home births), and how goofy they can be.  The comedian and his family live in a two bedroom, walk-up apartment in NYC and do not own a car, so you can imagine the craziness.  And he gives all the credit for making it work to his wife, whom he seems to worship.  Even though this book is completely about being a dad, his observational humor can still be appreciated by those of us without kids.  Gaffigan reads the audio version and has a great delivery technique.  I'd like to listen to more of his books.

Audio:  5.5 hours
Print:  288 pages

Yesterday by Fern Michaels

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Callie Parker's wealthy father brought a foster son and two poor girls to play with four-year-old Callie.  They grew close, and their lives make a wonderful story.

Audio:  13 hrs. 15 min.
Print:  460 pages

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Summary: "Hadley and Oliver fall in love on the flight from New York to London, but after a cinematic kiss they lose track of each other at the airport until fate brings them back together on a very momentous day."

Even though this is described as a love story between teenagers, in reality, it is a love between family, specifically a father and his estranged daughter. Hadley's father divorced her mother after moving to London to teach at Oxford. He has found a new love, and invited Hadley to his wedding. It is on her flight to London to attend the wedding that Hadley meets Oliver. But her constant flashbacks, fears and worries all center around her strained relationship with her father. As a daughter who can relate to a complicated father-daughter relationship, I was in awe of how raw and real Hadley's emotions were throughout the book. 

236 pages

"Always" by Kindle Alexander

Get your hankies ready for this tear-jerker about the nearly 40 year relationship between Avery Adams, the grandson of a U.S. president, and Kane Dalton, a successful chef from the south.  They meet in 1975 in Minneapolis where Kane has a famous restaurant and Avery has just returned to his home state to contemplate a run for the Senate.  The story covers some of the important milestones in their lives together and really pulls at the reader's emotions, especially at the beginning and end.  Although a bit long, it was easy to read and to root for these men to find happiness.  287 pages (Kindle edition).

"Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? Confessions of a Gay Dad" by Dan Bucatinsky

Bucatinsky and his partner, now his husband, had been together over 10 years before deciding to have children.  This book consists of short vignettes of their journey to adopt and their evolution as dads once they do.  Perhaps best known for his role as James Novak on TV's Scandal, Bucatinsky writes with a lot of candor and humor about raising a girl and boy in Los Angeles along with his personal doubts of being a good parent.  He relays cute dialog with his kids, his insecurities when they seem to favor his husband, and his worries about how they will deal with being adopted by two men as they get older.  Luckily, they have lots of friends and families who accept and love them unconditionally.  I found one of the most insight parts to be when Bucatinsky worries that his four-year-old son's "tough guy swagger" may indicate that he'll be a bully and terrorize kids as he was terrorized himself.  There are other serious issues, but the author writes with lovable humor and tons of self-deprecation.  Recommended.  245 pages.

"Never a Hero" by Marie Sexton

Owen Meade lives as a shut-in in his apartment in Tucker Springs, CO.  He's ashamed of his congenitally amputated left arm and his occasional stutter, so he avoids people as much as he can.  When he gets a new downstairs neighbor, veterinarian Nick Reynolds, Owen is drawn to him and realizes that he desperately wants to be his friend.  Nick is outgoing and funny and happens to have a sister, June, with the same amputation but on her right arm.  June is even more extroverted and talks Owen into taking piano lessons together.  But when Owen's severe and critical mother comes to visit, he feels like retreating back into his lonely life.  Then a surprise is revealed and Owen decides that he must stop hiding if he wants to be truly happy.  This was a lovely story with well drawn characters who must become their own heroes to get what they want.  This is the fifth book in the Tucker Springs universe but can be read as a stand alone.  167 pages (Kindle edition).

Already Home by Susan Mallery

(Posted for Diann Stark)

Jenna moves back to her home town after her marriage ends. She supported her husband’s dreams for so long she forgot about her own dreams. Jenna leases a building in town to start her own dream, she wants to teach people to cook. It didn’t take her long to realize she was in way over her head. With the help of a streetwise store manager and her adopted mom she was able to start making it work. Then walks in her biological “hippie” parents who want to reconnect with her. Jenna tries to balance starting her new business, getting to know her birth parents and siblings, having a new love interest, and dealing with her ex. Jenna always wanted the ‘perfect family’, she soon realizes there is no such thing.

Audio book 9 hrs. 10 minutes, 384 pages.

"After the Sunset" by Mary Calmes

This follow-up to "Timing" begins two years after that book ended and finds Stefan Joss living in Texas at Rand Holloway's ranch.  Due to suspicious timing and an odd rodeo rule, Stefan, the ultimate city boy, ends up taking the ranch hands to a rodeo where they all must compete or lose part of the ranch.  Unfortunately, Rand, the alpha cowboy, is away helping family and doesn't know that part of his beloved ranch is in the soft hands of Stefan.  As with "Timing," events were implausible, so a real suspension of disbelief was needed with all the drama at the rodeo and then with family near the end of the book.  It was enjoyable for the most part.  180 pages (Kindle edition).

"Timing" by Mary Calmes

Stefan Joss goes to Texas to be the man of honor for his best friend's wedding and to wrap up a business deal for his company.  Unfortunately, his best friend's brother is sure the be there, probably to insult him as he has since they first met 10 years ago.  However, Rand Holloway has had a change of heart where Stefan is concerned and no longer wants to antagonize him but to win him over.  That's the main storyline in this book, but there was much more going on for Stefan - surviving a big Texas wedding with drunk friends and relatives, helping a cow give birth, nearly being run over while jogging, and being locked in a burning house.  It was really too much to take place over less than a week's time.  There were also some disjointed parts that weren't really fleshed out, but I am planning to read the follow up to it.  230 pages (Kindle edition).

"My Cowboy Heart" by Z.A. Maxfield

Malloy is the ranch foreman for his foster parents in New Mexico.  He's been with them since his drug addicted mother died when he was 14.  Now 32, he's settled into a contented life taking care of the animals for the two people he loves most.  But when new ranch hand Crispin Carrasco arrives, Malloy's life slowly changes in ways he could never imagine.  Crispin left a ranch in Wyoming after being harassed for his sexuality and has returned to help out his aunt, the town's librarian.  Having visited the ranch as a boy when Malloy was away at college, Crispin is welcomed by the owner to help out while he and his wife are in Florida.  Although they seem very different, both Crispin and Malloy have tragic pasts that bond them together.

This was a sensitive and touching portrayal of contemporary ranch life focusing on two strong and melancholy characters and the impacts they have on each other.  Although not main characters, the ranch's owners play important parts in Malloy's and Crispin's lives.  Lovely stuff.  266 pages (Kindle edition).

"Love Lessons" by Heidi Cullinan

This book takes place at a small, private college in Illinois where freshman Kelly Davidson gets an unexpected roommate, junior Walter Lucas.  Kelly is introverted and suffers from massive allergies, while Walter is a loud extrovert with a wicked reputation.  The only thing they have in common is that they're both out, but they bond over silly things and eventually come to depend on each other through tough times with families, classes, and bullies.  This was another cute story by this author, who lives in Iowa.  Walter was not very likable at first, but his relationship with Kelly calmed him down and made him a better person.  Kelly was adorable.  299 pages (Kindle edition).

"Family Man" by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton

Vincent Fierro is approaching 40 with three failed marriages behind him.  His large, Italian family is worried that he'll never find the right woman, and so is he.  While on a service call at the home of a gay, married couple, he overhears a tearful but tender exchange that stirs a deeply buried longing to connect with another man.  But he can't be gay, can he?  Is he even willing to find out?  If he is, will his family disown him?  Vince confides his inner turmoil to family friend Trey Giles, a twenty-five-year-old college student who is out but doesn't date.  He works two jobs to support his alcoholic mother and elderly grandmother, so his life is complicated, but he likes Vince enough to help.

This was a very well written story about two men with family responsibilities that make their lives harder than they should be.  I won't say more to prevent spoilers but it was sweet, and the authors did a great job.  262 pages (Kindle edition).

"The Other Brooks Boy" by Diane Roth

I don't know why but this is the second book I've read recently about a young widow falling for her dead husband's brother.  Greg Brooks has been helping Cara, his brother's widow, with her teenagers and household repairs in the year and a half since his brother was killed in a car accident.  He and Cara have known each other a long time and have always been friends; they even graduated from high school in the same class.  But as Cara's grief starts to fade and she accompanies the divorced Greg to several social events, they begin to feel more than familial love for each other. 

I really enjoyed this story.  It was well written and had a few twists that made this romantic trope seem fresh.  The author did a good job conveying Cara's kids' reactions to their mother's changing relationship with their uncle, too.  I'd definitely read more from this author, and since this book is the first in a series, I probably will.  276 pages (Kindle edition).

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Enzo the dog is owned by a race car driver Denny Swift. Enzo believes that he will be reincarnated as a human because he associates so well with them. There is a family and job troubles, child custody problems, and a happy ending for this smart dog and his humans.

Audio:  9 hrs. 11 min.

Print:  321 pages.

"Puppy Love" by Dick King-Smith, Illustrated by Anita Jeram

Wonderful illustrations are the main draw of this book in which a family fondly remembers some of the puppies they've had over the years.  32 pages.

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

I first read this classic many years ago as an undergraduate and really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd pull it out and reread it now that I'm more "mature" and have read many historical romances of that period written by modern writers.  However, I really can't compare them since the language and phrasing was so different when Austen wrote it in 1813.  I kept picturing Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet from the 1995 BBC miniseries which was made after I read the book the first time.  I was surprised to read that Darcy was bewitched by Elizabeth so early in the novel; I certainly don't remember that.  It seems quite wordy but is still compelling in how it conveys the idea that sometimes our first impressions of others are all wrong.  292 pages.

"The Soldier" by Grace Burrowes

After fighting in the Napoleonic wars in Spain and France for eight years, Devlin St. Just, the new Earl of Rosecroft, moves into a neglected estate he's been given in the English countryside for his military duties.  His new neighbor is a young lady who makes her living by baking for the townspeople who otherwise look down on her for her family's social station and past sins.  Emmaline Farnum meets St. Just when she is looking for her six-year-old cousin, Winnie, who has a habit of roaming the countryside on her own.

This is an unusual historical romance that's a bit difficult to describe.  The three main characters, Devlin, Emmie, and Winnie, are fully formed but not the stereotypical ones usually found in these types of books.  Devlin suffers from PTSD and tries to work through it.  We're given details of the brutality he saw while fighting the French.  Emmie also suffers from mistakes she's made in the past, and does what she thinks is best for Winnie's future even though it may break all three of their hearts.  This was a lovely book, and I'm hoping to read more by this author.  403 pages.

Until Again and Blue by Lou Aronica

Until Again (72 pages) and Blue (378 pages) combine to bring us the touching story of Becky, a youth who is confronted with the reality of cancer and the divorce of her parents. When the real world has no answers for her, will she find solutions in the fantasy world of Tamarisk? People complained about the inability to change the font size on the digital versions, but I didn't find this to be an insurmountable problem. I was looking for a well-written fantasy and this series delivered.

Christmas in Cedar Cove

Guess the snowfall and cold temperatures still have me in a Christmas mood! In Christmas in Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber we are presented with two Cedar Cove love stories to enjoy. The first, 5-B Poppy Lane, tells the story of Helen Shelton and her adventurous life during the Second World War where she met her first and second husbands. In A Cedar Cove Christmas, we hear how Mack and Mary Jo met one Christmas Eve in a story that has several allusions to the original Christmas story, the birth of Jesus. (304 p.)

I think the most interesting tidbit is about the author: Debbie Macomber has dyslexia and didn't learn to read until 5th grade--and now she is a bestselling author of heartwarming stories involving family life, friendships and small towns.