July in Review.......................

I've managed to read 4½ books this month, which is about average for me since I went back to a full-time job.

The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney
This is the story of four friends in Washington, D.C. who have been meeting once a week for 10 years. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the ladies. They call themselves "The Saving Graces," after a dog they once hit with a car and then nursed back to health. The "Graces" share their lives, dreams and heartbreaks with each other.

The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts, which was our GRINS Book Club selection for July.
I enjoy Lett's writing and this was no exception. The book had a strange mix of characters; Caney Paxton, a Vietnam vet who had not set foot out of his cafe in 12 years, his waitress and substitute mom, Molly O, who had been married 4 times and had a wayward, Country music singing daughter, a beautiful young Crow Indian drifter, Vena Takes Horse, who starts working at the Honk and Holler as a car hop, her 3 legged dog, a Vietnamese refugee Bui Khanh, who also went to work at the cafe as a cook and handyman, and several other quirky characters. There was never a dull moment in this book.

Crazy Ladies by Michael Lee West
This book tells the story of several generations of ladies in a family from 1932 to 1972. The title of the book is very fitting. It was a fun read and I would recommend it.

Envy by Sandra Brown
This was my first book by Brown and I was a little disappointed. It was predictable and now that it's been a week since I finished it, I find it hard to remember what it was about. I guess that says it all for this book.

Now for the ½
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Very different subject matter, but interesting. I have a feeling that the second half will be better than the first. Anyway, I will finish this book in August and will include my review at the end of the month.

Another book that I am very excited about is South of the Guadalupe: A History of Nixon and Southern Gonzales County by Donald Hoffman. I have the draft of this book which is due out in a couple of months to coincide with Nixon's Centennial Celebration. I have skimmed through it and read a few pages. It's history, but written very interestingly. I am looking forward to reading the entire book. I am also designing a webpage for the author so that the books can be bought online. I'll post the web address as soon as it is up and running.

I hope that if you have read any of my July books, or have read any good books lately and would like to make a comment, that you will click on the "comment" button and fire away! Yes, I really want to hear from you!