A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
The novel is set in the early 1900s and the main character is a young girl by the name of Mattie Gokey. She lives on a farm with her father and her younger sisters and dreams of being an author. She goes to school with her friend Weaver who is a black boy determined to be treated as an equal and together they plan to pass their entrance exams and move to New York City to go to college.
Plans are changed when they both find themselves working at a local hotel for the summer and Mattie speaks to a young woman named Grace who begs her to burn a stack of letters written to her beau. Later that same night Grace is dragged from the river in what looks like a boating accident gone horribly wrong.
Mattie reads the letters and uncovers a truth that changes the way she looks at her own life.
Penguin Luck by Kay Mupetson
The novel focuses on the life of Doreen Lowe, a junior law associate who lives in Manhattan with her father Max and three ghosts. Yep, you read that correctly, I did say ghosts – because Doreen is struggling to balance her personal needs and dreams with the ghosts of her father’s past.
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
Willow is born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (more commonly known as Brittle Bones disease) and after a disastrous vacation to Disney World her father Sean meets with an attorney. The lawsuit they are encouraged to file is one of wrongful birth – suggesting that Sean and Charlotte (the mother) should have been made aware earlier on in her pregnancy that Willow suffered from this life-threatening condition. The fly in the ointment? Charlotte’s OB is also her best friend! The story is based around the lawsuit and the devastating effect it has on Charlotte’s relationship with Piper (the OB), Sean, Amelia (her eldest daughter) and Willow.
More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland by David Koenig
I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first; maybe a part of me didn’t like to read stories that made Disneyland feel more like a normal business than a place where you can check your cares and worries at the door and immerse yourself in the magic!
The Drowning Girl by Margaret Leroy
I was drawn in to the story from the start – and the many twists and turns made it a satisfying read. For my UK readers you will understand when I say this would make a perfect ITV drama mini-series!
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