Since We Last Spoke by Brenda Ruffener, 287 pages

This was a hard book to read subject wise but you know that's a possibility by the blurb on the back.  I kept putting the book down but then almost instantly picking it back up because I had to know what happened. I didn't cry until the end of the book at which point I started sobbing. It's the type of book that I hope everyone will read. It brings to light things people don't always want to talk about but should. Grief should never be bottled up. Teen readers and adults readers will both get a lot from this book.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman (translated by Neil Smith), 432 pages

Swedish author Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors.  He tends to write sweet tales about eccentric characters who find love and validation through friends.  That is not this book.

Beartown is a dying town deep in a forest and they have one point of pride - the hockey club and its various teams.  Something bad happens to someone and the aftermath threatens to destroy the club and the town.

Yowza, this was brutal and powerful.  Racism, rape, bullying and peer pressure are all explored.  I loved this in a whole different way from my normal awe of Fredrik Backman.  We have this in print, ebook and on audio at the library, and if I have my way we'll have it as a book club selection soon too.

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg, 402 pages

The Whole Town's Talking tells the story of the citizens of Elmwood Springs, Missouri, somewhere not too far from Joplin.

The story begins in the 1880s with Lordor Nordstrom, the founder of the little community of Swedish immigrants.  By the time the story ends it is 2021 and we've learned the life and death stories of generations of community members, along with the life and death of the community itself.

I am not often a reader of gentle fiction and I would put this book in that category, but I do enjoy Fannie Flagg.  I doubt someone less than 40 would enjoy the story, but since I breezed by that a decade ago, I was good.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, 394 pages

Sara travels from Sweden to Broken Wheel, Iowa to visit her friend Amy who shares a love of books.  Only Amy isn't around and the town of Broken Wheel is broken down and dying and grieving.

Sara, who has had few friends and experiences in life, ends up being the glue Broken Wheel needs.  Except her tourist visa is only good for 3 months.  So the townspeople do what any of us would do, start conspiring to figure out a way to keep her there.

Eccentric characters, lots of good will and a book about books.  This little charmer charmed me. 

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling, 503 pages

“A Casual Vacancy” is J.K. Rowling’s first adult fiction novel. The story is set in the small town of Pagford. It is a beautiful town where many of its residents feel it is their ordained birthright to control and preserve its heavenly beauty. Unfortunately, if you happen to be the less than blessed in this small town, beware, because it is the poor that has the local parish council in an uproar.

The story begins with Barry Fairbrother dying. Barry had held a seat on the parish council and was a champion for the less fortunate. With his death, there is a fear that the council will have the power to pass a vote to separate the town of Pagford from what is known as the Fields. The Fields would be similar to what we would call public assistance housing. Get rid of the responsibility of the residents of the Fields, and the town will be saved from the savages that many on the council believe live there. 

But the fighting in this small town doesn’t just revolve around the parish council, no, in this story you become a fly on the wall of all of the varied residents of Pagford. You will find a battle for power festering behind every door, be you rich or poor.

Although the story did start out slow, I was glad I stuck with it to the end. Rowling’s does a beautiful job with character and setting detail. The ending was not what I had expected, which I always enjoy. And Krystal, a teenager who lives in the Fields, will always be one of those characters I will never forget.  I felt Rowling’s challenges the reader to question their views on what makes a town beautiful. Is a town beautiful because of its buildings and natural splendor, or is the true beauty found among the diverse residences that live on both sides of the track? 

Plainsong by Kent Haruf, 320 pages

Plainsong was a book club selection this year and the Downtown group just had the pleasure of discussing it.  Everyone gave it a hardy thumbs up.                             The story is set in the high plains of rural Colorado in the small town of Holt.  Several towns people are part of the story Tom Guthrie, his estranged and depressed wife, Ella and their two sons Ike and Bobby.  The other set of brothers, Raymond and Harold McPheron were, hands down, everyone's favorite characters.  I thought these two saved the book from being too depressing.  Other major characters were Victoria Roubideaux, a pregnant teenager and kind teacher, Maggie.                        I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys literary fiction.  

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh 302 pages

The Weight of Blood is set in the fictitious town of Henbane, Missouri deep in the Ozark Mountains. When Lucy Dane was a baby her mother disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Twenty years later Lucy’s friend Cheri also disappears but then her body is discovered in a tree. Lucy, seeing several similarities between the two crimes decides to investigate. With the help of her friend Daniel, Lucy will uncover long buried secrets most especially within her own family.  

There were several reasons besides the actual story why I really liked this book. Sometimes I like knowing right off the bat who the bad guy is. And while the author didn’t come right out and tell us who done it, she did nothing to misdirect our thoughts. Plus I would have had a hard time believing that a 17 year old still in school, having lived all her life in a small town, and having had very little life experience would know how to crack a 20 year old cold case .Fortunately she didn’t have to. All it took were a few bumbling attempts at detection to bring to light the town’s secrets, secrets that everyone knew about but chose not to talk about. And most mysteries end with the protagonist in a fight for his or her life just before they get the bad guy. The Weight of Blood was resolved with barely a whimper and I might add in a very satisfying way.

The Weight of Blood is well written, the subject matter is intense and sometimes not easy to deal with and the characters are real enough to relate to. Really good read!

The Absence of Mercy by John Burley 328 Pages

Dr. Ben Stevenson medical examiner for the small Midwestern town of Wintersville is called in when the body of a teenager is found  murdered. Ironically enough Stevenson had moved his wife and two sons from the dangers of big city living in Pittsburgh to the relative safety of a small town where everybody knows everybody else. Or so he thought. When another teen is attacked, Dr. Stevenson’s investigation will eventually uncover long buried truths and secrets that will alter all their lives forever. A great debut novel. A book that hangs around long after the last page is read.