Mother's Day Archives - AudiobooksNow Blog

Choices made…Consequences lived with…”Turning Point”, by Danielle Steel

In author Danielle Steel’s inimitable style, her novel, Turning Point, there is a healthy mix of intrigue and romance. Four esteemed doctors are chosen to participate in a mass-casualty training program in Paris, France. While they are there, the training quickly turns to actual trauma when an unspeakable act of mass violence occurs in The City of Light.

The main characters are four doctors who are each tops in their area of specialty medicine. Bill Browning is the head of San Francisco’s busiest trauma unit. He is a workaholic since his ex-wife and children live in London. Stephenie Lawrence is a teaching star, and has a frustrated stay-at-home husband and two young sons……she has no time for any of them. Harvard graduate, Wendy Jones, a trauma expert is locked in a dead end romance with a married cardiac surgeon. Then, there is lady’s man Tom Wylie, who is all about one night stands and avoiding any commitment. They all welcome the adventure and challenge that they are about to accept.

Turning Point has been compared by some as in the same vein as Grey’s Anatomy, as it focuses more on the doctor’s personal experiences, but with just enough outside activity covered to give a dramatic edge along with the romantic adventures. Their temporary life in Paris becomes a stark turning point, where they will make harder decisions than they ever have before, and will be living life with the consequences.

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Warm, Wise and Revelatory…”Becoming”, by Michelle Obama

Not many women get the opportunity to be the First Lady of the United States, so in her eight years in that position, Michelle Obama established herself as a powerful force for the issues that were most important to her. Michelle has written a book, Becoming, that gives an overview of her time as the wife of the first black President, Barrack Hussein Obama, expressing her intimate thoughts about the experience. She chose issues that were important to her and ones that would be good examples for her two daughters. She promoted healthier and more active lifestyles, and served as an advocate for women and girls.

She has been given glowing reviews by her fans as presenting a work of deep reflection and descriptive storytelling. She writes a chronological description of her world as she has lived it, beginning with her childhood in the South Side of Chicago, to the years she was an executive, trying to balance work and family, to the eight years she lived in “the people’s house”. One reader described her personal view of the book as warm, wise, and revelatory. The story of a black woman who always exceeded expectations.

In her own words……. “I was humbled and excited to be First Lady, but not for one second did I think I’d be sliding into some glamorous, easy role. Nobody who has the words “first” and “black” attached to them ever would. I stood at the foot of the mountain, knowing I’d need to climb my way into favor.”

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Don’t Look at the “It”….”Birdbox”, by Josh Malerman

Like some amusement park rides, perhaps this book needs a warning for those with heart issues. Author, Josh Malerman, has written a very suspenseful tale of a beyond odd occurrence happening to ordinary people in a world gone berserk. For five years people have lived in fear of “whatever ‘it’ is”. The person who sees the evil, immediately becomes deadly violent. Nobody knows whether it is man, alien, beast, or monster……it is just always out there waiting for the next victim.

“It” has been out there for five years, and just a few scattered survivors remain, among them is Malorie and her two young children. They live in an abandoned house close to the river, and she constantly thinks of some way to escape to a better place. The children are four now, so she feels it is time to try to escape. But, it must be very carefully planned, or they will all three perish. The journey will be beyond terrifying with a twenty mile downriver rowboat trip. Oh, and did I mention….blindfolded!

People rarely leave their houses, but when they do they are wearing blindfolds. That gives them some small protection by keeping them from seeing “It”. Violence and danger is fear creating enough, but add no sense of sight to the equation, and it becomes terrifying.

This has been described as among the best books to provide so much suspense in the writing style that you feel immersed in the storyline…….right there along with Malorie and her children…… a truly spooky thriller novel…. people wandering around in an apocalyptic world with only their sense of smell, touch, and hearing.

Movie adaptation, staring Sandra Bullock, was release in December on Netflix.

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Loyalty, Love and Determination…”A Dog’s Way Home”, by W. Bruce Cameron

We have all heard miraculous stories about lost animals who traveled miles and miles to get back to their owners, but American author, W. Bruce Cameron, has created an entire novel on the premise of one mixed breed dog going to great lengths to return to her person. It demonstrates loyalty and focused determination.

The main human character, Lucas Ray is walking on one ordinary day, when a sweet puppy literally lands in his arms as it falls from a building. Lucas loves animals, and decides to take a chance on letting the puppy, who he has named Bella, live with he and his mother in their apartment. Of course, their apartment does not allow pets. But Lucas Mother, a disabled veteran, is so happy to see the new addition.

Alas, Bella, a pit bull mix, gets picked by Animal Control and is sent to a foster family over 400 miles away from Arizona. The VA patients where Lucas works were very sad to see Bella moved so far away. It is a well documented fact that the human-animal bond is very beneficial to both human and animal. Bella and her human both miss each other very much.

A Dog’s Way Home is beautifully narrated and presents a charming story of Bella, a dog who is facing and overcoming great challenges to find her way back to her person, Lucas! A bonus story within the story is about a plan to help provide shelter for feral cats. Author Cameron is an animal supporter and master at keeping the reader entertained and surprised at what happens next! This second book about Dogs has also been produced as a full feature movie.

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A Look Through a Window…”One Day In December”, by Josie Silver

We all wonder if some things are true or have validity. One such query is…..does love at first sight actually exist? Author, Josie Silver has written a charming romance novel that describes the story of two people whose eyes meet through the fogged window of a bus in London. For some unknown reason, it affected both of them and was a moment they would both remember.

Laurie was not looking for love……she was just riding a bus to her destination, but in one brief encounter, she sees Jack through the bus window, and he sees her. They truly connect for a brief moment, then the bus moves on. Laurie finds herself constantly looking for Jack at bus stops and cafés. It would be a whole year, then her friend Sarah introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie…….you guessed it……it was Jack from the bus stop a year prior. They both repeat their attracted look and the saga begins.

Josie Silver has written a book that readers describe as addictive and hard to put down. It describes the next ten years of the three characters and their friendships, their heartbreaks, those missed opportunities, and their undeniable connection. The readers seem to root for the couple to overcome all the odds against them to find true love as a couple.

One Day in December was charming, complex and romantic. Laurie and Jack are perfectly flawed and the kind of well written characters that feel like friends you want to shake and yell at for not being honest about their feelings. Every romantic needs this book in their life”.

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Great President, Even Better Father…”41: A Portrait of My Father” by George W. Bush

Only twice in history have a father and a son both served as President of the United States. As an admirer suggested to “W”…….. You and John Quincy are the only sons of former Presidents to become President…..I think you should write a book about your father.

It is in this vein that the 43rd President wrote a very personal biography of his father, the 41st President in his book, 41: A Portrait of My Father. It should be stressed that it is a personal account of family stories and experiences, not any type of foot noted biography. “W” had one purpose in writing, and that was to show the love, respect, and admiration that he had for his father.

There will be many books analyzing the professional aspect of President George H. W. Bush, from his life events to his political policies. But, it is very special to have a book written by your son, who walked in your same shoes in the most powerful job in the world. According to “W”, “this book is a personal portrait of the extraordinary man who I am blessed to call my dad”. His purpose was to show why George H. W. was a great President, and an even better father.

There were several rare circumstances where this father/son were connected. One being that the father and mother were present when their son was sworn into office as President. The only other instance of that occurring was when Joseph and Rose Kennedy were present at the oath ceremony of President John F. Kennedy. A truly special occasion for both the Kennedy’s and Bush’s. And then there was the record set by the elder Bush’s of surpassing John and Abigail Adams once they passed their 54th anniversary. Another milestone in Presidential history came when the elder Bush’s were still living as Bush ’43 left office. The only time that has happened in history.

As George W. would explain, this book by a prominent political figure is in no way political. He also adds some humble self- deprecation, and tells some hilarious stories about his first visit to the White House and other anecdotes. He relates how his father influenced his life from childhood, to campaign trips, to his decision to go into politics resulting in a two-term Presidency. John Quincy quote might have influenced the writing of this book…….

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Life Changing Decisions…”Every Breath” by Nicholas Sparks

American romance novelist, Nicholas Sparks, has written many award winning novels, with several having been adapted to film. His work has been enjoyed by millions all over the world. In his newest offering, Every Breath, the age old dilemma of making choices from the heart or from reality hits home. Almost everyone has had to make a similar decision, and it is never an easy choice.
Hope Anderson has been with her orthopedic surgeon boyfriend for six years, and does not see any signs of a commitment being made. She is thirty-six years old, and had always thought she would be married by now. And to make matters even worse, her father has been diagnosed with the life ending disease, ALS. Hope must now go to their Sunset Beach, North Carolina cottage to refresh it to begin the sale process. She will use the time to think about possible decisions she must make about her future.

Tru Walls is on an adventure of his own. He received a message from a man claiming to be his father. He was invited to Sunset Beach to meet this man to find out if he was the father he had never met. He made the long trip there from Zimbabwe, to lear
n more about his mother’s early life. She passed away before he was able to find out details from his mother.
When Hope and Tru cross paths, it seemed to be love at first sight. Neither ever imagined that such a connection would ever happen, but here they both were at a most vulnerable time. Every Breath explores that mysterious time when each character has life changing decisions facing them, and now, how will their new found love influence those decisions?

In the same romantic tradition as previous Nicholas Sparks novels…….The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe…….a chance encounter becomes a touchstone for two vastly different individuals. Readers will wonder if this novel will follow the previous two mentioned, to become an extremely popular movie. Time will tell.

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Climbing His Way out of the Ruins to Save His Family…”In His Father’s Footsteps”, by Danielle Steel

There have been many stirring novels about the holocaust, and this novel by Danielle Steel, In His Father’s Footsteps, is a very poignant story about two holocaust survivors, and their struggle to rediscover life. The question is…..will the second generation of these survivors have an easy time in their own lives, or will they also face challenges.

Friends Jakob and Emmanuelle have gratefully survived a horrible ordeal, and now they moved to New York’s Lower East Side. They could only find jobs that were very physically grueling, and the pay was terrible. But, they flourished and had a son, Max, whom they never wanted to have to ever start from the bottom as they did.

Max becomes extremely successful. He is a well-educated Harvard graduate and uses the wise advice that came from his father to build a very successful real estate venture. He also finds who he thinks is the love of his life, which led to an elaborate ceremony and a magnificent wedding. Along the way, Max is burdened to the point of stress, as he finds out his wife is not the person he thought she was.

Max finds himself faced by challenging situations which make him consider re-evaluating his plan for his life and his children. The irony is a struggle like his parents before. He must climb his way out of the ruins to save his family.

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Good Enough For The “Crazy Rich Asians”, by Kevin Kwan

For those, like me, who have never heard about the Asian rich, the novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians, will be a real eye opener. It is presented with a lot of humor and drama, so according to many readers, it is a true page turner. The whole story is based around one of the most prestigious heirs in a wealthy Chinese family who brings home his American-born Chinese girlfriend to attend the wedding of the season.

Rachel Chu, who is an ABC girl, agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend and his family. She is expecting a normal family atmosphere, of which she is familiar. What she finds upon her arrival in Singapore is not in any way normal. She finds that her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, is a member of one of Singapore’s wealthiest families. He is one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors. His family home looks like a palace, travels in planes more than cars, with more wealth than can be imagined. The problem for Rachel is that nobody, including Nick’s mother, thinks Rachel is good enough for Nick.

There are many characters in Kwan’s book to be remembered. His choice to cover this accurate phenomenon in Asia through humor, contributes to the enjoyable, quick read. This culture in Asia has been described as
” uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw dropping opulence”. “Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian Jet-Set…….a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money……between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese. A humorous depiction of what it is like to be young, in love, and crazy rich!

Film adaptation, which is directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh was released on August 15th.

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Love Finds Them…”The Family Gathering”, by Robyn Carr

As with most stories about families, author, Robyn Carr, writes with such expression to describe the many complex situations that are found when a family comes together for an extended visit. There will always be laughter, and then shedding of tears, as pent up emotions are revealed.

The central character, Dakota Jones decides to visit with his family before heading on to the next phase of his life and adventure. He has every intention of visiting Sullivan’s Crossing, then moving on. But then he meets Sid, who has moved in to help her brother with his two children. She also tends bar at an establishment owned by her brother. She accepted the opportunity presented to her to try to recover from a very nasty divorce. As Dakota stops by the bar quite frequently, he quickly develops a friendship with Sid. Neither are in any hurry to leave after their meeting.

Author Carr is very adept at telling her stories in such a way that the reader can identify with the characters and their situations. Dakota is searching for his place in the world after military life. And, Sid is searching for her place in the world after an emotionally charged divorce. Neither were looking for love, but somehow through blended families, mental illnesses, betrayal, stalking, adoption, death, and so much more……love finds them.

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