Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber #38

Light reading; very predictable but entertaining in a fluffy way. Hannah died leaving a letter for her husband to read on the first anniversary of her death. In the letter she tells him to move on with his life and she presents a list of three women she recommends he consider for marriage. The plot unfolds as he begins to date the three women, each of whom have quirks of their own. Enjoyable but very light reading.

The Red Thread by Ann Hood #37

This is the story of several American families who are considering adoption of Chinese baby girls. At the same time in China baby girls are being given up for adoption. Well written.

Best Intentions by Emily Listfield (#36)

Loved this book! Living in New York City, Lisa is a busy mother of two daughters, working in a stressful industry, feeling unsure of many things in her life especially her marriage. Quickly we get involved in her situation, identifying with the complexity, deeper and deeper until shocking events occur that change everything. I became obsessed with this book! Very well written, clearly defined characters, an engrossing plot......What could be more perfect! I wish all the books I pick up could be as interesting.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen (#35)

This is a totally awesome book about a seemingly average family living their lives when unseen tragedy hits them. Ms. Quindlen is one of my favorite authors. She has great skill in describing the ordinary leading to the extraordinary. Very highly recommended.

The Quickening by Michelle Hoover (#34

The Quickening by Michelle Hoover is a beautifully crafted though very sad book set in the early 1900's Great Plains. Eddie and Mary are two wives who develop a relationship based on their proximity in spite of their very different personalities and backgrounds. Their lives intersect in so many ways as they meet the challenge of taking care of their families, dealing with the Great Depression, and a situation affecting both of them profoundly and from which they never fully recover. I loved this book, and I will think of it often, but it is very sad. Makes me think about the grandmothers and great grandmothers I never knew and what they must have endured and suffered.

The Passage by Justin Cronin (#33)

Everyone is raving about this book; it's been called the book of the summer. However, I was not impressed. For my taste it was too unrealistic, complicated with many characters, and a story line that just keeps going relentlessly without tidying up loose ends. It is the first book in a series of three and has been optioned for a movie so I think we will be hearing a lot more about it. I particularly enjoyed the first couple hundred pages (out of 766) where the story is concerned with a little girl named Amy coming from a dysfunctional situation. After that the story meanders and twists and I'm sorry to say I just didn't enjoy it.
The book is set in the future when a virus infecting people and turning them into vampires (virals) has gotten out in the country causing millions of deaths and leaving just isolated pockets of people without modern conveniences. People are trying to find each other and find protection from the virals. A little girl named Amy seems to have special powers that offer protection from the virals.