One-Paragraph Reviews (February/March)

Meatless : more than 200 of the very best recipes from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living
Beautifully photographed, of course--it's Martha, after all!-- and with a variety of levels of difficulty in the recipes, including quite a few quick and easies.

Days with Daisy by Nancy Hohmann
I read this book prior to Animal Communicator Nancy Hohmann's recent appearance here at HVL; I'm not sure I would have chosen to read it otherwise, but I'm very glad I did. Daisy, a dog diagnosed with bone cancer, decides that she has something to say to the world at large, and delivers her message via Hohmann. Sweet, funny, and touching, Daisy's musings on how animals and people could coexist more effectively certainly give one food for thought.

Teach Your Children Well : Parenting for Authentic Success by Madeline Levine
The lessons learned from Levine's years of experience as a therapist are substantiated by the results of recent research in this guide to creating mental and emotional well-being. This easy-to-read book helps parents of children from toddlers to teens.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
How does one become an adult when the future of life on earth is extremely uncertain? In this lovely coming-of-age novel, the grave consequences caused by the inexplicable slowing of Earth's rotation lend an air of urgency to Julia's adolescence, but do not prevent her from experiencing many of the joys shared by teenagers for generations.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
Renowned architect Bernadette Fox has gone missing after a series of confrontations with her wildly competitive suburban neighbors and acquaintances; her daughter tries to piece together the events leading up to her disappearance through emails, letters, memos, and magazine stories. A hilarious look at keeping up with the Joneses, Seattle-style.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
This absorbing story travels back and forth between present-day Hollywood and Italy, 1962, when a young American actress, diagnosed with cancer while filming Cleopatra, seeks refuge on the Italian coast. Complete with Liz and Dick!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Youth)
I loved, loved, loved this story encompassing Auggie Pullman's journey from a homeschooled, sheltered boy born with a severe facial deformity to one living a rich, full life, accepted by his peers. Sweet but not cloying, Auggie is an incredible character, and the other narrators (Auggie's friends, his sister, and her friends) not only lend perspective to the year's events, they truly enrich the story.

Arcadia by Lauren Groff
Follows Bit, the child of hippies living on a commune in upstate New York in the 1970s, through his unusual childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. A fascinating and detailed look at a failed social experiment, its aftermath, and the lasting effects on its children.

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (Young Adult)
Obsessive-compulsive Penelope (Lo) witnesses a murder after being in the wrong place at the wrong time; her disorder compels her to keep digging into the background of the murdered girl, despite a general reluctance on the part of law enforcement and increasingly disturbing signs that someone wants this story buried. Suspenseful and an eye-opening look at OCD.

The Witness by Nora Roberts
This is me keeping one of my resolutions--to read titles in the romance genre! 16-year-old Elizabeth flouts her mother's strictures and goes clubbing, with disastrous results that put her on the run until she meets good-hearted sheriff Brooks. I kept thinking I should like this more than I did, but some essential ingredient seemed to be missing that would have elevated it to one of those books you just can't put down.