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The Rural Diaries

Hilarie Burton Morgan's book The Rural Diaries (2020) is like catching up with an old friend over coffee.
I have been a fan since she played Peyton Sawyer on One Tree Hill. I didn't follow her personal life much until a year ago when I started following the cast on Instagram. Hilarie seemed well-grounded and normal. I wondered if it was an act for Instagram or if this was actually her.

After reading her book, I'm pleased to say, it's all her. She's so normal. It's refreshing. Her words are real and authentic. She uses bad four-letter words occasionally. Her stories are heartwarming and relatable. She shares tips for gardening, recipes, and home improvement. And speaking of home improvement, she loves Home Depot—a girl after my own heart. She talks about being a friend, a mother, a wife, and a woman.

She is married to actor, Jeffery Dean Morgan, who I had a mad crush on when he played Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy. And, she co-owns a candy store in a small New York town with actor, Paul Rudd. How did this all happen? I don't want to spoil it for you. Read the book. It's just another one of the heartwarming stories that she tells. Trust me; you'll enjoy it.

I'm so glad I listened to Hilarie narrate the book. I think hearing her words, spoken by her, made her stories more enjoyable. Like I said, catching up with an old friend over coffee.

If you're a fan of Hilarie, read (I mean, listen to) the book. Even if you're not a fan, it's a truly enjoyable memoir that in a nutshell, is about a girl, her life, and a farm. Check out The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm today. Visit Overdrive to listen to the audiobook or read the ebook.



Tags:
memoir nonfiction
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Girls in Trouble by Caroline Leavitt

Girls in Trouble by Caroline Leavitt (2003)
Caroline, a pregnant teenager, makes the decision for an open adoption and ends up losing all contact with her baby. We “grow-up” with Caroline during her quest to be reunited with her now teenage daughter. Leavitt has written a touching, realistic story.

Visit the author's website for book discussion questions, interviews with the author, and essays about the novel.
Tags:
fiction women's fiction
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Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center

Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center (2009)
Lanie's life is not turning out how she expected. When she is uprooted from Texas to live in the Northeast, she finds her life more out of control than ever. Lanie takes the opportunity to get control and ends up finding herself in the process. A light, funny read.

Read reviews at Amazon.com, visit the author's web site, and watch a YouTube video.
Tags:
chick lit fiction
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Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (2009)
Libby Day was seven when she testified that her brother murdered their family in a brutal rampage. Years later, she begins to question her recollection and sets out to uncover the truth. A can't-put-down read!

Listen to the author talk about her first book Sharp Objects, read reviews at Amazon.com and visit the author's website.
Tags:
fiction suspense/thriller
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Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen (2010)
Told in the perspective of the mother, a family is tragically affected by a shocking act of violence. A riveting read.

Listen to Diane Rehm interview the author and read the New York Times review.
Tags:
fiction
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The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo (2012)

This is a coming of age story of 17-year-old Marjorie, the only child of parents who are basically illiterate. Her family is caught up in a bizarre church (cult), where the infliction of humiliating punishments on children is demanded.  It is a moving and intense story, but uplifting.  I couldn’t put it down!

Check the library catalog for The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo.
Tags:
fiction
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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)

I just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn...it was the best book I have read in a LONG time. This captivating story unfolds in alternating chapters. A woman disappears from her home on the morning of her 5th wedding anniversary and her husband is the prime suspect. The truth is revealed in a tale with twist and turns up until the very end. This book kept me turning pages long into the night! I highly recommend it!
Tags:
fiction suspense/thriller
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Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Hansen (2012)

Cathy Bailey’s new boyfriend seems almost too perfect to be true. Their “perfect” relationship quickly becomes a nightmare. A portrayal of obsession and recovery make this a can’t-put-down thriller to the last page.

Check out Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Hansen today.
Tags:
fiction suspense/thriller
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After Her by Joyce Maynard (2013)

When Rachel and Patty were kids, their dad was the detective hot on the trail of the Sunset Strangler, a serial killer who preyed on young women in their neighborhood. Thirty years later, Rachel is still searching to capture the killer. This is a can’t-put-down whodunit and a story that explores deep family bonds in a coming of age tale. Check out After Her by Joyce Maynard.
Tags:
fiction suspense/thriller
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The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer (2016)

girlinredcoatA mother and daughter are separated at a crowded fair and suddenly 8-year-old Carmel vanishes.  Kate Hamer’s book alternates perspectives between Carmel and her mother, Beth. The Girl in the Red Coat captures the heart wrenching effects of such a tragedy from both Carmel and Beth's perspectives.  This book is suspenseful, deeply emotional, and very engrossing – twists and turns in the plot kept me riveted until the end.  If you have anything else to do, don't start this book as you won't be able to put it down until it is finished.
Tags:
fiction suspense/thriller
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Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard (2016)

undertheinfluenceDrinking cost Helen the custody of her son. While working to overcome her addiction, an eccentric wealthy couple, Ava and Swift Havilland, befriend her. The Havillands are wealthy philanthropists who established a charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, expensive art, and over the top parties. As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands’ influence by running errands and doing chores for them, Ava and Swift promise to help Helen regain custody of her son—but at what cost?

Joyce Maynard’s Under the Influence is an engrossing, can’t put down read until the very last page.
Tags:
fiction
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The Couple Next Door by Sheri Lapeña (2016)

couplenextdoorAnne and Marco Conti leave their newborn baby at home alone and go to a party at the neighbor’s house. Despite them checking on the baby every half hour, the baby is missing when they get home.

Sheri Lapeña’s The Couple Next Door is a gripping, can’t-put-down tale of deception, betrayal, and unfaithfulness that will keep you in suspense until the final twist.
Tags:
fiction suspense/thriller
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Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (2013)

dadisfatI just listened to Dad is Fat on audio. Read by author Jim Gaffigan, it is a laugh-out-loud collection of essays of what it is like to be the father of five kids and their adventures of living in New York City. The humor is universal and the love for his family comes through in each chapter.
Tags:
audio essays humor nonfiction
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The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds (2015)

boyblacksuitThey always say, "don't judge a book by its cover," but it's hard not to do so sometimes. My eyes were first drawn to The Boy in the Black Suit because of the crinkled look that reminded me of a photo that had been passed around often without protection. All I wanted to do was smooth it out. I was warned that it was kind of a sad book, but I loved it.

I think many of us can relate to Matt who quietly faces the struggle of losing a loved one—that feeling of loneliness when nobody can relate, and they're not sure how to act around you. He ends up working as a pallbearer at the local funeral home. Most people turn to work to keep their mind off the grief, but Matt slowly finds comfort from his job, which allows him to sneak into funerals and listen to people who he can relate to in loss.

The novel also explores his imperfect budding romantic relationship with Lovey, plus his interactions with his boss Mr. Ray and his best friend Chris.

Jason Reynolds did a great job of making Matt a relatable character—he didn't have special powers, he wasn't super attractive or talented, he was just a regular kid living in real life. That's what this book was about: real life with all the ups, downs, and those little moments that make it all worth it.
Tags:
fiction teen
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Run by Ann Patchett

Run by Ann Patchett (2007)
A beautifully written story that proves several themes tied around relationships. A prominent man has raised his son and two adopted African-American sons since his wife’s death years ago. His relationship with his oldest son is lacking and his plans for his adopted sons are at odds with what they want for their lives. The tangle of feelings within the family, including the hole left in their lives when the mother died, are brought into focus when an accident brings new people into their world. In fact, their world is turned upside down. The characterizations are wonderful. I didn’t want the book to end.
Tags:
African American fiction literary fiction
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