Based on historical facts about the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, Wingate weaves a compelling and sometimes horrifying story about two young girls who were adopted from the orphanage. Each chapter takes you from present day to the 1930’s making the story easy to follow. I couldn’t help but researching Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. It’s not pleasant to read about, but it enticed me to check out “Mommie Dearest,” since Joan Crawford adopted two of her children from this orphanage.

Probably every family has dysfunction, definitely some more than others, and needless to say, the brother and sister who spent much of their formative years in the “Dutch House,” have quite a bit of dysfunction to deal with. The children have a very close relationship throughout their lives, mostly because they only had each other. How their feelings get manifested though, is what makes this story an excellent read. It's a bonus that Tom Hanks reads the audio version of the book.

The unique narration from the point of view of a ghost watching Frankie in the Chicago Orphanage where she and her sister were left by their father temporarily leaves a haunting impression. Surviving the Great Depression with absolutely no control over their own lives, Frankie and her sister navigate teen years and the adult issues brought on early by poverty, war, and the new woman in their father's life. What will happen to Frankie? The ghost in her room is watching, eager to know and lend a hand as she is able.

World War II historical fiction meets suspense in this page turner. Sixteen-year-old Chaya is a Jewish girl living in Poland in 1942. She looks more Polish than she does Jewish. That makes her a great courier who smuggles food and documents to the isolated Jewish ghettos in southern Poland. When a mission goes wrong she joins forces with someone she doesn't quite trust and finds herself on a journey to Warsaw. Now all they have to do is survive, for themselves, and for their people.

Honestly, I wouldn't say I'm a huge Demi Moore fan, but I did walk away from this audio book with some newfound respect! Despite becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood and her stunning good looks, she hasn't had the easiest life!

If you have enjoyed the writing of Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron, you will enjoy this book by Cathy Guisewite, the creator of the "Cathy" comic strip. Every essay will give you something to laugh about, relate to, or a bit of a life lesson. The humor and wisdom that was relayed in her comic strip is evident throughout the book.

In the style of several of Bill Bryson's other books, namely "At Home" and "One Summer," this book goes into great detail about our most precious gift, our body. Packed with information, statistics, and descriptions, it's the kind of book you'll need to read at least twice just to absorb the text. I am a huge Bill Bryson fan and books like this keep me coming back for more.

Genius cartoonist Chris Ware delivers yet again with the monumental Rusty Brown. Ware's meticulous illustrations and evocative text shine a light on the pathetic shortcomings and revelatory triumphs in the lives of five disparate individuals at a Omaha high school.

In Troublemaker, Leah Remini recounts her upbringing in the church of Scientology. She pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the church and some of the bizarre practices and personalities involved. Ultimately we see her break with the church and consequently what this means for her and her family and friends. She becomes an outspoken critic of the church when she demands to know the whereabouts of her friend and the wife of the leader of Scientology, Shelly Miscavige. This inquiry is the beginning of Leah's constant harassment and slandering by the higher ups of this cult masquerading as a religion.

This Blessed Earth follows a Nebraska family for one year and details the struggles and successes of running a family farm. Amid the corporate takeover of land and livestock, fluctuating markets and the unpredictability of weather, family farms have the deck stacked against them. Genoways gives readers an intimate look into what it takes to survive year to year in an increasingly demanding occupation.