This month we are reviewing the book He’s Gone by Deb Caletti

He’s Gone by Deb Caletti
The Sunday morning starts like any other, aside from the slight hangover. Dani Keller wakes up on her Seattle houseboat, a headache building behind her eyes from the wine she drank at a party the night before. But on this particular Sunday morning, she’s surprised to see that her husband, Ian, is not home. As the hours pass, Dani fills her day with small things. But still, Ian does not return. Irritation shifts to worry, worry slides almost imperceptibly into panic. And then, like a relentless blackness, the terrible realization hits Dani: He’s gone.

As the police work methodically through all the logical explanations – he’s hurt, he’s run off, he’s been killed – Dani searches frantically for a clue as to whether Ian is in fact dead or alive. And, slowly, she unpacks their relationship, holding each moment up to the light: from its intense, adulterous beginning, to the grandeur of their new love, to the difficulties of forever. She examines all the sins she can – and cannot – remember. As the days pass, Dani will plumb the depths of her conscience, turning over and revealing the darkest of her secrets in order to discover the hard truth – about herself, her husband, and their lives together.

Reviews
“I found this book to be very emotional.  I connected and identified with Dani from the very beginning.  I wasn’t expecting such a page turner.  Probably because I could not figure out how it was going to end.  Just when I thought I did, something happened to steer it in another direction.   It’s one of those books that stays in your mind long after you put it down, so you can’t wait to get back into it again to find out what actually happened.  It was eloquently written and thought provoking.” – Review by Susie

“This book started with a really great idea and in general had a good storyline but I found the main character, Dani, a bit frustrating. I kept wishing I could shake some sense into her. I didn’t like that she spends a lot of time either feeling sorry for herself or making excuses for the people that are treating her poorly. I wasn’t sure if she really missed him or if she was more concerned about how his disappearance reflected on her. I finished it because I wanted to know how it would end, but it turned out I had predicted it correctly in the first chapter. A good read but I just wasn’t a fan of the character.” – Review by Kelly

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.

This month we are reviewing the book The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
When Harold Fry leaves his house one morning to post a letter, with his wife vacuuming upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other.

He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof jacket or mobile phone.

All he knows is that he must keep walking.

To save someone else’s life.

Reviews
“I really enjoyed reading this book; I finished it in two sittings. At first, I didn’t have much empathy for either character. Harold’s sudden abandonment of his wife seemed very selfish, and Maureen was a bitterly unhappy woman taking out her unresolved anger on her husband. But as the novel progresses, details of their past are revealed and they grow as people, and you begin to see hope for them as a couple. ” – Review by Melissa

“Unusual and intriguing story about the reflections and regrets of one’s life. A simple introspective adventure with surprises around every corner.  Thoroughly enjoyed reading about Harold and the interesting people he meets along his journey that culminates with an unpredicted ending.” – Review by Janice

“I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At first Harold and his wife seem so unhappy and uninteresting both as people and as a couple, but as Harold embarks on his journey you learn about their past and how they got to such a place. They both begin to reflect and rethink about their past actions and to find hope for their future. I found myself cheering for them both.” – Review by Kelly

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.