What Chicks Are Reading

Bend In the Road by Nicholas Sparks

Now here's a "curl up and read book." In typical Sparks fashion, this is a love story set in a small town. Miles Ryan (the town's deputy sheriff) and his young son, Jonah, have their lives turned inside out when Missy, their wife and mother, is the victim of a hit-and-run driver. Sarah, Jonah's teacher enters their lives as Jonah is struggling at school and for once Miles begins to reawaken to life in this small North Carolina town. The author weaves you through the book with comments and thoughts of the yet-unknown driver of the car who killed Missy. Good book and a quick read. Chick Susie
  

Another Kennedy book on the market? This is a cradle to grave account but, until now, all previous JFK biographies have been based on media files and personal recollections. This one is based on extensive personal diaries, taped conversation and all of the recently declassified government documents and family correspondence that had been sealed for the last forty years. (This also explains the rash of new Kennedy books recently published.) While there is no new or revolutionary material, it was intriguing to reread portions of "Camelot" and to be reminded of the sordid details of the Kennedy family history. Chick Susie
 

Nine Minutes and Twenty Seconds: The Tragedy and Triumph of ASA Flight 529 by Gary  M. Pomerant

This is not a book about plane crashes but rather the human interest side of the story of a propeller plane heading for Gulfport, Mississippi from Atlanta, Georgia. You not only learn about the lives of the passengers and crew, but about the young mechanic who inspects the faulty propeller that's ultimately responsible for the crash. The author makes all involved more than statistics; they are truly human beings. This is a very touching story about strength, character and how this singular event impacted people's lives. This actually is a book that didn't frighten me about airplanes (any further), but is a story that will stay with me for a long time. Chick Susie
 

The Summons by John Grisham

Law professor Ray Atlee and his prodigal brother, Forrest, are summoned home by their ailing father to discuss his will. But when Ray arrives, the judge (Dad) is already dead. The one-page document dividing his meager estate between the two sons seems clear and simple, but what that will doesn't reference is a cash stash of $3 million which is hidden in his father's home. This novel definitely does not have the pace of The Pelican Brief or The Firm, but it does provide interesting characters. Even if the book moves slowly, it is a quick read. Chick Susie
 

A Trial by Jury by D Graham Burnett

This book is the author's true account of his experience as a jury foreman. This is not, as I originally anticipated, another Twelve Angry Men but rather what I supposed to be an accurate portrayal of the intensity and emotions which develop during jury deliberations. (I wouldn't know; I have never served on a jury.) The author is quite critical of his fellow jurors (they all seem to be a bit strange and not overly bright) but admits his own confusion and frustration. The judge was certainly not very helpful and seemed actually hostile to the jury. This is not what you would call a "fun" or delightful book, but purposeful. Chick Susie