By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank

By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank
Published by William Morrow ISBN 9780062390820
Hardcover, $27.99, 390 pages

Nothing says summer like a new Dorothea Benton Frank book, but this season's By Invitation Only is especially appropriate this year. The protagonist has the same first name as me (Diane), and her son is getting married (so is mine) to a young woman he met at work, a fellow accountant. (My son met his bride-to-be at their accounting jobs too.)

So you can see why I would be excited to read By Invitation Only. Throw in the fact that Diane and her brother and mother run a peach orchard in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where they make and sell pies at their roadside stand, well, I am hooked. (I love books about food and family-run businesses!)

Diane is a somewhat concerned about meeting her son Fred's fiancee Shelby and her family. Susan Kennedy Cambria and her hard-charging hedgefund manager husband Alejandro live in a gorgeous Chicago penthouse and are conspicuous consumers, the one-percenters we frequently hear about.

When both families decide to host an engagment party for the happy couple, it is a major culture-clash. Diane and her brother Floyd throw a Southern BBQ, complete with a pig roast, to welcome the new in-laws. At first Susan is shocked, but when Floyd, who fancies himself a ladies' man, turns on the charm and offers Susan a taste of honey-flavored moonshine, it is Diane who becomes concerned. (As does Floyd's current girlfriend).

The favor is returned when Diane, Floyd, their mother and Diane's best friend head up to Chicago for the wedding, which is Susan's chance to go really over-the-top, over the objections of even her daughter. (Think Harry and Meghan's wedding.) A major snowstorm throws a monkey-wrench into Susan's plans, and adjustments must be made.

I absolutely adored By Invitation Only. The juxtaposition of the uber-wealthy, luxury brand-name droppers (shout-out to Tiffany's, the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Beach, Karl Langerfeld, and Gulfstream G550 private jets) and the hardworking farming family at the mercy of the elements, made for such a fascinating, fun story.

Reading about the delicious food at the BBQ (shrimp and grits, deviled eggs,  corn muffins, biscuits, bluefish spread on toast points) as well as the preparations for the family Thanksgiving dinner, had my stomach growling.

As with every wedding, things go wrong, and there are a couple of twists in the plot that have characters re-evaluating their lives. Benton Frank writes her characters so well that you feel like you could sit down next to them and have a juicy conversation over a glass of sweet tea. Her trademark humor shines here as well.

By Invitation Only might be my favorite Dorothea Benton Frank book, and I just hope my son's upcoming nuptials go a little smoother than Fred and Shelby's. I highly recommend it for your summer beach read, and if you know any upcoming MOBs (Mother-of-the-Brides) or MOGs (Mother-of-the-Grooms), this would make a lovely gift. (And the cover is gorgeous too.)

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Dorothea Benton Frank's tour. The rest of her stops are here:

Instagram Feature Stops

Tuesday, May 15th: Instagram: @theloudlibrarylady

Wednesday, May 16th: Instagram: @read.write.coffee

Thursday, May 17th: Instagram: @katereadsbooks_

Friday, May 18th: Instagram: @laceybooklovers

Saturday, May 19th: Instagram: @diaryofaclosetreader

Review Stops

Tuesday, May 15th: Instagram: @writersdream

Wednesday, May 16th: Instagram: @jessicamap

Thursday, May 17th: From the TBR Pile

Friday, May 18th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, May 21st: bookchickdi

Tuesday, May 22nd: 5 Minutes For Books

Monday, May 21st: Girl Who Reads

Thursday, May 24th: Instagram: @Novelmombooks

Friday, May 25th: Stranded in Chaos

Monday, May 28th: Broken Teepee

Tuesday, May 29th: Jathan & Heather

Wednesday, May 30th: Literary Quicksand

New in Paperback- Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank

Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank
Published by William Morrow ISBN 9780062390790
Trade paperback, $15.99, 374 pages

It's almost a shame that Dorothea Benton Frank's books always have such gorgeous covers because every year when I buy the newest one, I inevitably mar up the pretty covers with sunscreen. I guess she shares some of the blame, after all, her books are a summer right of passage. Summer has not officially arrived until I have the latest Dorothea Benton Frank book in my beach bag.

This summer's book is Same Beach, Next Year set in her beloved Lowcountry of South Carolina. Each year Adam and Eliza and their young twin boys Luke and Max spend a few weeks at a vacation condo not far from home. Adam is a hardworking successful construction business owner and Eliza is a fabulous cook, who yearns to write a cookbook.

One year, a new couple takes the condo next door and it turns out the woman is Eve, Adam's first love. Eve is married to Carl, a hardworking, successful pediatrician and they have a young daughter, Daphne, about the twins' age, and they are joined by with Eve's mother Cookie.

The two couples get along famously, and although Eliza has her antenna up a bit about Adam and Eve, the fact that Carl is extremely handsome and shamelessly flirts with her distracts her somewhat.

The four become fast friends, and along with Ted, Adam's father, and Ted's girlfriend Clarabeth, it's one big happy family as they meet every year for two weeks and swim together, golf together and eat together.

Cookie likes to stir trouble, and she is hyper-critical of her daughter, which literally drives Eve to drink. Time flies by and Eve turns to Adam when she fears that Carl has been cheating on her. That sets in motion an incident that threatens two marriages and their friendship.

One of the things I love best about Frank's book is that she makes her characters relatable. Eliza has two sons (so do I), her dog Rufus is her best friend (mine was Malcolm, my late beloved basset hound) and Eliza loves to cook, as do I (well, most of the time).

This book is written from the perspectives of both Eliza and Adam, and I found it intriguing how Frank got into Adam's mindset. I have to say, though, I found his behavior and rationalizations puzzling, although I think each character makes some head-shaking choices here.

Since Eliza is a cook, we get some wonderfully descriptive foodie scenes, from Eliza's trip to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store to Eliza's family Christmas breakfast (I could almost smell the cinnamon on the page) to the feast that Eliza has with her Greek family in Corfu.

Same Beach, Next Year is another Dorothea Benton Frank winner, it's got everything you want in a summer beach read- great characters, sassy dialogue, interesting family and friend dynamics and a road trip to Greece. Maybe I should try covering my book in plastic so the sunscreen doesn't ruin the beautiful cover.

You may recognize the book's title- an homage to the Alan Alda-Ellen Burstyn movie, Same Time, Next Year, which if you haven't seen, you should. The IMDB link is here. (It was a play first.)

Good Neighbors by Joanne Serling

Good Neighbors by Joanne Serling
Published by Twelve ISBN 9781455541898
Trade paperback $13.99, 256 pages

Joanne Serling's novel Neighbors is set in a leafy suburb of Boston, where we meet four families, all in their forties. Their kids play together, they share dinners and parties and gossip and friendship.

The story is told through the point of view of Nicole, who is married to Jay, a man who loves to talk about the looming economic doom facing the world. Nela works long hours as a corporate attorney while her husband Drew, who owns a baseball card store, handles most of the socializing. Lorraine is a divorced mom of two, who dresses impeccably, loves tennis and likes to boss everyone around. She always knows the scoop.

Paige is unpredictable. She likes to run all the gatherings, has a spectacular home, and at a Leftovers Day celebration after Thanksgiving, announces that she and her husband Gene are adopting a four year-old Russian girl. Everyone is surprised, but happy for them.

When Paige and Gene bring Winnie home after a month in Russia, Nicole, Nela and Lorraine stop by their house bearing gifts. Winnie is a lovely, shy little girl, but when they arrive home, Paige seems very uptight. She has a lot of rules for interactions with little Winnie- don't say "real parents", say "biological parents". Don't say that Winnie was "given away". Don't talk about her lazy eye.

Nicole is delighted to meet Winnie, but soon it becomes apparent that there are problems. Paige tells odd tales of their time in Russia. She is short-tempered with Winnie, screaming at her for small things, correcting her behavior rudely in front of everyone.

Gene takes time off from work to spend time with Winnie, whom he clearly adores. But things go downhill quickly. Paige interacts less and less with Winnie, spending more time at yoga or shopping. She doesn't bring Winnie to the neighborhood gatherings, then fires her longtime nanny.

Soon Paige stops interacting with her friends. She locks herself and Winnie up in the house and refuses to speak to anyone. Nicole, Lorraine and Nela become worried for Winnie and Paige.

Since the story is told from Nicole's point of view, we also get a glimpse of Nicole's dysfunctional family. Her sister Penny is an alcoholic, and she calls Nicole crying about her life and asking for money. Nicole's mother calls and complains about Penny, and berates Nicole for not being a better daughter.

I found Nicole's family story very compelling, and wished there had been more about it. Nicole feels guilty for not being there for her mother and sister, but what she is doing is not helping their situation either.

Fans of Lianne Moriarty's Big Little Lies will enjoy Good Neighbors. Reading it made me feel like I was in the neighborhood, peeking out of my curtains watching this group of friends try to figure out what is happening to their friend.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Joanne Serling's tour. The rest of her stops are here:

Review Tour:

Monday, April 16th: Novel Mom Blog and @novelmombooks

Tuesday, April 17th: A Bookish Way of Life

Wednesday, April 18th: @readingandranunculus

Thursday, April 19th: 5 Minutes for Books

Friday, April 20th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, April 23rd: Clues and Reviews

Tuesday, April 24th: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, April 25th: Books a la Mode – author guest post

Thursday, April 26th: The Sketchy Reader

Monday, April 30th: Bookchickdi

Tuesday, May 1st: Eliot’s Eats

Wednesday, May 2nd: Novel Gossip

Thursday, May 3rd: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Monday, May 7th: Books & Spoons

Tuesday, May 8th: Jessicamap Reviews and @jessicamap

Wednesday, May 9th: 100 Pages a Day… Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Thursday, May 10th: Girl Who Reads

Two Great Spring Titles

Reprinted from the Citizen:

Spring is always an exciting time of year for readers. Publishers release some of their best books, and this year is certainly no exception. There are two authors who have a long body of outstanding work, and their newest books top the list of the best reads of the season.

March is the month for a new book in the popular Maisie Dobbs series by British author Jacqueline Winspear. Readers first met Maisie Dobbs as World War I had just broken out, and Maisie becomes a nurse on the front lines in France, where she is severely injured. 

She returns home to London and studies under her mentor, Dr. Maurice Blanche, a private investigator and psychologist. Maisie eventually opens up her own agency, and we meet several of her family, friends and coworkers in each successive book.

In the 14th book of the series, To Die But Once, Maisie is back in 1940 London as Britain is getting pulled into World War II. A family who owns the local pub has hired Maisie to find their son, who was last seen working for a company that uses flame-retardant paint on buildings to protect them in case they get bombed by the Germans.

Maisie and her team must discover what happened to the young man. At the same time, Maisie is in the process of finalizing the adoption of young Anna, an orphan from Spain who is currently in the care of Maisie’s father and stepmother. As Maisie is a widow, the powers-that-be are reluctant to allow the adoption.

The young men in the story — the two sons of Maisie’s investigator, Billy, and the two sons of her best friend, Priscilla — are of age to fight in the war. That frightens everyone who lived through the horrors of World War I.

The rescue of the British soldiers at Dunkirk plays out in the story. Priscilla’s son and his best friend take a boat to join the armada of British fishing boats and pleasure boats to help, and they are in danger.

Winspear always does a great deal of research for each of her books, and her father’s story of painting flame retardant to buildings inspired the main story. To Die But Once is vintage Maisie Dobbs, and it’s great to see Maisie interacting with Billy and Priscilla after the last few outings took her alone to Germany and Spain. We missed all of her old friends. Fans of historical mysteries and strong female characters will love this one.

Anna Quindlen writes contemporary fiction, and her latest is Alternate Side. Nora, her husband, Charlie, and their twin children, Rachel and Oliver, live in a lovely home on a rare dead-end street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. 

Charlie is in finance, but the time has passed when he will become top-tier in his world. Nora is the director of a small museum of jewelry, and the twins are seniors away at college.

The most exciting thing to happen to Charlie is that he has finally been awarded a coveted parking spot in the small outdoor lot on their street. All of the men on the street want a spot there, and those that have one have a certain level of prestige.

One of the neighbors, George, takes it upon himself to be the mayor of the street, dropping off missives at everyone’s home with instructions on everything from parking to what kind of flowers to plant. Nora and most of the other women can’t stand him.

Ricky is the handyman on the street, taking care of everything from a clogged drain to a furnace that needs to be replaced. George and another man frequently yell at Ricky when he parks his van on the street, partially blocking the entrance to the parking lot.

After an incident with Ricky, things spiral out of control. Sides are taken, with neighbor against neighbor, and even husband against wife.

Quindlen’s story is relevant in today’s world. We see how Nora’s interactions with Ricky, her housekeeper, Charity, and Phil, the not-really-homeless guy outside her office, reflect her conflict with the haves versus the have-nots in society. Charlie does not share her concerns, and that causes problems in their marriage.

Alternate Side is one of Quindlen’s best novels. Her commentary on marriage, parenting, identity and privilege are thought-provoking and insightful, and you feel that you could run into her characters on any street on the Upper West Side of New York.

If you read

BOOK: "To Die But Once” by Jacqueline Winspear

GRADE: A

PUBLISHER: Harper

COST: Hardcover, $27.99

LENGTH: 336 pages

---

BOOK: “Alternate Side” by Anna Quindlen

GRADE: A+

PUBLISHER: Random House

COST: Hardcover, $28

LENGTH: 288 pages

Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com.

Beauty in the Broken Places by Allison Pataki

Beauty in the Broken Places by Allison Pataki
Published by Random House ISBN 9780399591655 (Publication date- May 1st)
Hardcover, $26, 244 pages

Allison Pataki's moving memoir Beauty in the Broken Places opens with a foreward by Lee Woodruff, a writer whose journalist husband Bob Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury covering the Iraq War. Woodruff has experienced what Pataki is about to recount in her book- her life changing in an instant.

Dave and Allison are heading out for a lovely Hawaiian vacation four months before Allison is set to give birth to their baby. Dave has a grueling schedule as a third year resident, and Alli is preparing for the publication of her new historical novel.

While in flight, Dave turns to Allison and says he can't see out of his right eye. She sees that his pupil is severely dialated, and Dave has a stroke right there on the plane. Three medical professionals assist Dave, and the pilot lands the plane in Fargo, ND where Dave is rushed to a hospital.

Allison takes us on the frightening whirlwind of calling his parents, brothers and then her family. She spends the night alone watching as her strong, vibrant husband lies hooked up to machines keeping him alive, praying he will live.

Dave has suffered a severe stroke, and his road to recovery will be long and difficult. In addition to his physical impairments (she has to feed him, shave him, he has to learn to walk), he has short term memory loss.

He goes from a long stay at the hospital to a rehabilitation home, and finally home to the new apartment they had rented for when the baby came. Allison's family and friends were there for her, unpacking for her, shopping, and most importantly, praying for and with her, but most of the responsibility for helping Dave rests on her shoulders.

Allison's strong faith, a touchstone for her since childhood, plays a large role in the book. Her faith guides her, and when she sends out an email asking people to pray for her, she can feel the strength that those prayers gave her and Dave.

She also wrote a series of letters titled "Dear Dave" to her husband, detailing everything that was happening and everything that she was feeling. As a writer, this was how she coped.

When their baby Lilly is born, now Allison has to take care of Lilly and Dave. The strain is incredible, and Allison takes the reader along with her on this difficult journey. Her feelings of being overwhelmed leap off the page.

Allison also takes the reader through her and Dave's courtship in college, and they were only married for eighteen months when they were tested by Dave's stroke. It takes a strong, loving relationship to make it through such a trial.

One thing that I found particularly relatable- Allison said she always felt so lucky in her life, that she was waiting for the shoe to drop. I think many people probably feel that way.

I read Beauty in the Broken Places through teary eyes for much of the first few chapters.  It is hard not to feel her fear and pain. Pataki is a wonderful writer, and after reading this emotional story of the resilience of the human spirit, I will be looking to read her fiction next.

Allison Pataki's website is here.

You All Grow Up and Leave Me by Piper Weiss

You All Grow Up and Leave Me by Piper Weiss
Published by William Morrow ISBN 9780062456571
Hardcover, $25.99, 352 pages

I don't remember much about the 1993 true story told in Piper Weiss's memoir You All Grow Up and Leave Me. Weiss grew up in the wealthy enclave of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and although her family did not come from money, she and her older sister attended one of the tony private girls' schools that dot that section of New York City.

Piper was not tall and blonde like most of the girls; she was barely five feet tall, and her wild curly hair stood out from the crowd of stick straight hairstyles of her classmates. Piper's mom wanted her to have something to give her confidence, like her sister, who studied acting. When a popular local tennis coach agreed to give Piper private tennis lessons because he thought she was a good tennis player, Piper's mom was excited.

The coach was Gary Wilensky, who taught tennis at the prestigious Brearley School, and gave private lessons to girls whom he thought had potential to go professional. This was the era of Monica Seles and Stefi Graf, and Wilensky wanted to coach a girl who could be that good.

Wilensky worked hard to get the girls and their families to like him. He would take the girls out to lunch after Saturday lessons, sent them Valentine's cards, and ingratiated himself to their families.

He was also argumentative, and high school friends recalled that his girlfriends sometimes had unexplained bruises. He was fired from several jobs, including from tennis camps in the Catskills. He was an odd, lonely, unmarried 50 year-old man who longed to have a family of his own.

In 2016, Piper Weiss is a journalist, and she decides to investigate Gary's 1993 death and the incident that preceded his death. It involved two women- a teenage girl he coached and her mother. Slowly, Weiss reveals more information about the incident, until the end, when she describes in detail what happened. It is heart-pounding.

You All Grow Up Without Me is also about Piper in 1993, and how difficult her teenage years were for her. I think most women can relate to her insecurities and anxieties she talks about. One incident when a boy she likes calls her for date only to discover that he called the wrong girl is heartbreaking, and again, something relatable to all.

Weiss writes honestly and from the heart, and she looks for answers as to why Gary Wilensky ended up the way he did as well as to why she, at age 38, is still unmarried with no children. I live near the neighborhood where this story took place, so I had an added level of interest here, but people who like true crime and coming-of-age memoirs should put You All Grow Up and Leave Me on your to-be-read list. I can also guarantee that you will Google Gary Wilensky to discover more about him.

Piper Weiss' website is here.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Piper Weiss' tour. The rest of her stops are here:

Tour Stops

Tuesday, April 10th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Wednesday, April 11th: 5 Minutes For Books

Thursday, April 12th: bookchickdi

Friday, April 13th: Instagram: @Novelmombooks

Friday, April 13th: Thoughts On This ‘n That

Monday, April 16th: A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, April 17th: Jessicamap Reviews

Thursday, April 19th: Lit.Wit.Wine.Dine.

Monday, April 23rd: Stranded in Chaos

Tuesday, April 24th: Tina Says…

Wednesday, April 25th: Kahakai Kitchen

Thursday, April 26th: Caryn, The Book Whisperer

Friday, April 27th: Instagram: @happiestwhenreading

Monday, April 30th: Openly Bookish

That's What She Said by Kimothy Joy

That's What She Said by Kimothy Joy
Published by Harper Wave ISBN 9780062796769
Hardcover, $21.99, 103 pages

March was Women's History Month, and I had the opportunity to review Karen Karbo's In Praise of Difficult Women, (my review here) profiling 29 women who made broke the rules and contributed to society.

This month, I had the chance to review Kimothy Joy's That What She Said- Wise Words From Influential Woman, which is a wonderful companion piece to In Praise of Difficult Women. Joy is an artist and social activist, whose signature style combines watercolor and ink pen with hand lettering.

That's What She Said perfectly combines Joy's art with her social activism. In the introduction, Foy credits her mother, the oldest of eight children born to a Mexican-American family. Her mother was the first in her family to go to college and earn a master's degree. She was an entrepreneur, a schoolteacher and a spiritual leader, and she imbued her daughter with the idea that women's "strength and resilience are limitless".

Joy profiles dozens of strong, resilient women in her book. Each woman gets two pages- one a very brief profile of her accomplishments, and the other a vibrant drawing by Joy, accompanied by a quote from that woman.

There are the usual suspects here- Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt, and some that may be new to the reader- Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, mathematician and computer scientist Grace Hopper, young German student Sophie Scholl who led a German Nazi resistance group, and British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

A few of my favorite quotes here are:

• "I only move forwards, never backwards, darling."- Grace Jones
• "I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other." - Harriet Tubman
• "I am building a fire, and every day I train I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match."- Mia Hamm
• "Do we have to know who's gay and who's straight? Can't we just love everybody and judge them by the car they drive?"- Ellen DeGeneres 

At the end of this beautifully designed book, there is a place to write about a woman who inspired you, making this a perfect book to give as a gift to your Mom for Mother's Day or a graduation gift for a young lady you'd like to inspire and encourage. It would be great to see some of these drawings and quotes made as posters for sale. I could see them on many a dorm room wall.

Kimothy Joy's website is here, where you can see a video about the creation of the book.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Kimothy Joy's tour. The rest of her stops are here:

Tour Stops

Tuesday, April 3rd: A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, April 4th: G. Jacks Writes

Thursday, April 5th: bookchickdi

Friday, April 6th: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

Monday, April 9th: Instagram: @jackiereadsbooks

Tuesday, April 10th: Leigh Kramer

Wednesday, April 11th: Literary Quicksand

Thursday, April 12th: Instagram: @thats_what_she_read

Wednesday, April 18th: Stranded in Chaos

Thursday, April 19th: A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, April 20th: Staircase Wit

The Other Mother by Carol Goodman

The Other Mother by Carol Goodman
Published by William Morrow ISBN 9780062562647
Trade paperback, $15.99, 336 pages

Carol Goodman writes mysteries usually set in the Catskill Mountain/Hudson Valley area of New York State, where she resides and where my husband grew up. It's a unique setting, where she paints a picture of spookiness and dread amid the beautiful mountains and valley.

In her latest novel, The Other Mother, before the story begins, we know that it will be about a woman who is diagnosed with Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which means that she will have thoughts about harming her child. The reader is uncomfortable right away.

As the story begins, Daphne Marist has taken her baby daughter Chloe and is hiding from her husband. Is she a victim of domestic violence? Daphne has taken a job as an archivist for Schuyler Bennett,  who happens to be Daphne's favorite author. When Schuyler greets Daphne, she calls her Laurel. Why?

From Daphne's journal entries, we discover that Laurel is her best friend from a mommy support group. Laurel also has a young daughter named Chloe, and Laurel helps bring Daphne out her shell. She spruces Daphne up, getting her new clothes and a new haircut, similar to Laurel's. She even finds her a babysitter so that the two ladies can go to yoga class.

The women bond over their children and the fact that they both lost their parents at a young age. They both have degrees in library science  (and Laurel is an archivist as well) and Laurel says that it's because they "both wanted to put the world in order after it had fallen to pieces."

The story goes back and forth from Daphne's journal entries to her new job with Schuyler. Schuyler lives in a old stone home, replete with a tower, on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital that her father, a reknowned psychiatrist, founded.

Daphne becomes intrigued by a patient whom Schuyler's father treated, who many years ago left her baby in a dumpster at college and has lived at the hospital ever since. But Daphne's interest in this woman draws the attention of a doctor, and that causes trouble.

As the story progresses, we find out why Daphne is using Laurel's name. We also get journal entries written by Laurel that give us a surprising new perspective on Laurel's life. No one and nothing is as it seems in this spooky novel.

The Other Mother reminds me of those trippy 1970's made-for-television movies that would star Linda Blair or Kim Darby as a woman in jeopardy. A woman would be made to believe that she was going crazy by people around her to hide a sinister plot. It definitely has that 1970's vibe for me, and if you spent your Friday nights watching those movies, The Other Mother is for you.

I have to admit that I found the ending a little contrived, I'm not sure I buy the way it all tied together. But the women's stories of their postpartum issues were very real and emotional, and I think any mother will feel for Daphne and Laurel and their struggles.

Carol Goodman's website can be found here.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Carol Goodman's tour. The rest of her stops are here:

Tour Stops

Tuesday, March 27th: Into the Hall of Books

Wednesday, March 28th: Write – Read – Life

Thursday, March 29th: The Book Diva’s Reads

Friday, March 30th: bookchickdi

Monday, April 2nd: Jessicamap Reviews

Tuesday, April 3rd: 5 Minutes For Books

Wednesday, April 4th: A Splendid Messy Life

Thursday, April 5th: Doing Dewey

Monday, April 9th: Caryn, The Book Whisperer

Tuesday, April 10th: Tina Says…

Tuesday, April 10th: Novel Gossip

Thursday, April 12th: A Bookish Way of Life

Weekend Cooking- A New Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe

This post is part of Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking.  If you have anything related to food, cookbook reviews, novel or non-fiction book reviews, recipes, movie reviews, etc., head over to Beth Fish Reads and add your post. Or, if you want to read food related posts, head over to read what some interesting people have to say about food.

When my sons were growing up, on Fridays during Lent we either had fried fish sandwiches from a popular locally-owned place, Seafood Express, or I made tuna noodle casserole.

My husband loves tuna noodle casserole, but I recently found out (many years later) that my sons dreaded tuna noodle casserole night. They really enjoyed going with their dad to pick up the fish, joining a long line of our friends and neighbors to get the best fish sandwich in town.

I never knew that they didn't like tuna noodle casserole, they kept that information to themselves and ate it without complaint.

Now that they have their own households, they never have to have tuna noodle casserole again, but my husband still enjoys it. I recently saw actress/Food Network host Valerie Bertinelli (from the original TV series One Day At A Time) on The Chew, and she made a tuna noodle casserole that looked much better than my old recipe so I thought I'd give it a try.

My husband was skeptical at first (he doesn't like to mess with a good thing), but when I explained that this recipe doesn't have peas in it (he hates them, I love them), he was willing to try it.

It turned out fabulous and now it is a frequently requested menu item on Fridays during Lent. I like the mushrooms in the recipe, and Bertinelli uses medium shells instead of egg noodles which I enjoyed too. She also uses crushed potato chips as a topping (I chose the salt and vinegar variety), and that turned great as well.

Photo from The Chew

There's no can of soup in the recipe (she uses whole milk and chicken broth), so it has a fresher taste to it as well. If you like Tuna Noodle Casserole, give this recipe a try. I highly recommend it.

You can get the recipe here and watch Bertinelli make the recipe as well by clicking here.

Two Terrific Mysteries That Will Have You Guessing Until the Very End

Reprinted from the Citizen:

Sometimes a novelist will write a story that, when published, often more than a year later, is so topical that you wonder if the author has a crystal ball. Two recent novels, filled with nail-biting suspense and an end twist that will stun you, fit that bill.

Author Chris Bohjalian has written nearly two-dozen books, and what sets him apart as a writer is that he writes in so many different genres. He has written historical fiction (“The Sandcastle Girls," “A Light in the Ruins”), a ghost story (“The Night Strangers”), mystery (“The Double Bind,” “The Sleepwalker”), romance (“Trans-Sister Radio”) and a coming-of-age story (“Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands"). What they all have in common is that they make you think. 

His latest novel, “The Flight Attendant,” begins with flight attendant Cassie waking up hungover in a stranger’s bed in Dubai. While most people might be frightened by this fact, Cassie is used to it.

Cassie frequently drinks until she passes out or blacks out and sleeps around. This morning, she vaguely remembers that she came back to Alex’s hotel room, got drunk on vodka and had wild sex.

She painfully opens her eyes and looks over to find that Alex, a man who flew first-class on Cassie’s flight, has had his throat slit from end to end, and is covered in blood. Cassie panics: Did she do this? She has never been violent before.

Cassie quickly showers the blood off herself, tries desperately to wipe away any fingerprints she may have left behind, and rushes to get back to her hotel and her flight back home. Calling the police in Dubai is not a good idea.

The flight home to New York was stressful, and Cassie’s friend, another flight attendant, notices that Cassie is crying and upset. When the police begin to question the airplane crew about Alex, someone tells them that Cassie and Alex got very chummy.

Cassie remembers that a female work acquaintance of Alex’s showed up that night. What she doesn’t know is that the woman, Elena, is a Russian assassin who works for some oligarchs whom Alex supposedly stole money from.

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The tension is racheted up as Cassie tries to figure out who Alex was and who killed him, and Elena monitors Cassie, hoping she doesn’t have to kill her in this cat-and-mouse game that will have your heart in your throat until the crazy twist at the end. Anyone who is a fan of TV’s “The Americans," about Russian spies among us, should put “The Flight Attendant” on their list.

Alafair Burke is a former prosecutor turned author. Her newest novel, “The Wife,” tells the story of Angela and Jason Powell and their teenage son Spencer. Jason is a media sensation, author of popular nonfiction book “Equalnomics," NYU professor and owner of a consulting company that advises other companies on “how to make corporate decisions based on principles of equality.” He is the darling of the liberal 1-percenters. 

Angela was from the other side of the tracks on Long Island. She worked as a caterer to wealthy Hamptonites, where she met Jason, who swept her off her feet. Jason loves Angela and her young son Spencer, and they made a happy home in Chelsea, with Spencer at a private school and Angela at home caring for both of them.

All is well until the day a young intern accuses Jason of sexual harassment. He quickly becomes persona non grata until a police investigation is completed. His name is splashed all over the media, and the family comes under the spotlight, something that frightens Angela.

There is something in Angela’s past that she doesn’t want to come to light. She has gone to great lengths to begin a new life with Jason, and this incident could jeopardize that.

Then another woman accuses Jason of rape, and Angela now begins to doubt Jason. Could he have done what these women said he did?

A dogged female police detective is determined to get to the bottom of this when the woman who accused Jason of rape suddenly disappears. She believes there is more to the Powell family’s story.

There are so many layers to this gripping story. Burke keeps you guessing at to what the real story is, and there is more than one twist that will leave you breathless. By the time you get to the end, your head will be spinning. “The Wife” is a first-class mystery from a fantastic writer.

If you read

BOOK: “The Flight Attendant” by Chris Bohjalian

GRADE: A

PUBLISHER: Doubleday

COST: Hardcover $26.95

LENGTH: 368 pages

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BOOK: “The Wife” by Alafair Burke

GRADE: A+

PUBLISHER: Harper

COST: Hardcover $26.99

LENGTH: 352 pa

Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com.