The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly

Karen has led a relatively sheltered and scholarly life. On the verge of her graduation from university, she has a chance meeting with Biba, and she is immediately drawn to the free-spirited young woman. Soon, Karen is living with Biba and her brother Rex in their falling down mansion on the edge of the Queen’s Wood, and having a secret fling with Rex. Karen is thoroughly entranced by her new bohemian friends, and the summer is filled with non-stop parties and drama. It all comes to a shocking end one evening however, and everyone’s lives are forever changed.

Fast forward ten years, and Rex is released from prison, where he has done time for murder. He goes home with Karen, and nine-year-old Alice, and the little family tries to pick up the pieces. But the past continues to haunt Karen, and now she must risk everything to keep her family intact.

Taut, suspenseful, and a very compelling read. Couldn’t put this one down!

When Tito Loved Clara by Jon Michaud

Growing up in Manhattan, Clara had a tough time. Having been brought to New York from the Dominican Republic and her grandparents farm, it was a difficult adjustment. But, with hard work and determination, Clara was able to escape from her chaotic home life. She went to college, became a librarian, and is now making a quiet life with her husband and young son. She’s worked hard at putting her past behind her, and she’d like to keep it that way.

Clara’s grip on her well-ordered quiet life becomes tenuous though, when her pregnant 16 year-old niece moves in , and threatens to upset the balance. Not only that, but Clara’s unemployed husband is increasingly distant, and they aren’t making much headway into their fertility issues.

Enter Tito, the boyfriend from Clara’s senior year of high school. Tito loved Clara back then, and even though he’s a grown man in his 30’s, he still lives at home with his parents, and he can’t seem to make a relationship with a woman work out. He’s always trying to recapture the feelings he had with Clara. That is, until one day, when they were 18, she just disappears. Now, he’s found her again.

A very well spun story, told from differing viewpoints, and with a cast of lovable but very flawed characters.

Swamplandia by Karen Russell

The Bigtree family’s in trouble. The family owns and runs Swamplandia!, a gator wrestling theme park in Florida. They’ve recently encountered some major competition, in the form of a The World of Darkness, a mainland theme park. When Hilola, family matriarch and headlining act at the park dies, it seems that Swamplandia is doomed.

As if that weren’t bad enough, 17-year-old brother Kiwi has taken it upon himself to help rescue the family from impending foreclosure by taking a job with the competition. Sister Ossie is in love with a guy called the Dredgeman who may be a ghost. Chief Bigtree, patriarch, has gone on one of his “ventures” to the mainland, leaving thirteen year old Ava and her sister in charge of Swamplandia, 98 alligators, and a bear. When Ossie takes off  with her “boyfriend”, Ava sets out on a perilous journey through the swamps to find her.

Kind of a cross between McCammon’s “Boy’s Life” , with its child’s viewpoint of what may or may not be real, and Kinsolver’s “The Poisonwood Bible”, this one was thoroughly enjoyable.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

Early one morning, seven-year old Calli and her best friend Petra go missing. Their families wake up to find the girls gone, with no clues at all as to where they might be. Calli is a selective mute, and she hasn’t spoken out loud for four years, when at age three, she witnessed an unspeakable tragedy. Petra helps her to communicate, almost seeming to be able to read Calli’s mind.

Calli’s mother, Antonia, now finds herself questioning the wisdom of her decision to stay in her violent marriage, as she tries to defend her husband against allegations that he is the one responsible for the girls’ disappearance. Petra’s father fights an inner battle that has the potential to change all of their lives forever.

This one is well paced, unfolding family secrets slowly, never giving away too much, so that even right up to the end, you probably will be surprised at “who done it”. I can’t wait to read Ms. Gudenkauf’s new book!

Dirty Secret by Jessie Scholl

Jessie, a New York City writer, must return home to Minneapolis when her mother is diagnosed with cancer. While she’s there, she must confront the truth that her mother is a compulsive hoarder. In preparation for her mom’s surgery, Jessie tries to help her mom by cleaning up the house and getting her to own up to the problem, but, like many who suffer from this disorder, Jessie’s mom doesn’t see the problem. As Jessie struggles with caring for her mom, she also struggles with her own perceptions about hoarding, and tries to figure out how and why the problem started. Immersing herself in research about the disorder, Jessie connects with an online community made up of families and loved ones of hoarders, and for the first time in her life, she doesn’t feel alone. This story is told with compassion and gives the reader an insider’s look into the disorder without being exploitive.

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

Carol is sure that something’s up with her 21-year-old son. He’s not returning calls, he’s not at his apartment, and his girlfriend hasn’t seen him for a while either. While Carol, Jonas’s father, and his girlfriend try to figure out what’s going on, and try to reassure each other that everything’s fine, he’ll turn up, Jonas himself is in a safe house in Brooklyn, preparing himself. Over the next 31 hours, he will be pondering his faith, cleansing himself both mentally and physically.

The story is told through the eyes of each of the characters over the course of 31 hours. Taught, moving, and well paced, it brings the humanity into a situation so terrifying that, as a parent, I couldn’t even begin to know how you’d deal with it. This is definitely one that will stick with you long after reading.