The Two Family House by Loigman

The Two Family House by Loigman is making the rounds on some popular lit/mommy blogs, and I'd echo their sentiments that it's worth reading.

The writing is good, the plot is predictable.

Two women of the same family join together with a secret. Husbands pay attention to their women, or they don't. People figure out the secret. Or they don't. An overworked mother with an absent husband puts a lot of responsibility on her oldest daughter and this messes the oldest daughter up. Caring adults see the messed-up oldest daughter but they don't do anything to stop it. Kids grow up, parents get older, some family members get mad each other. Some get over it. Some don't. People make money. Or they don't. People stay healthy. Or they don't. And through it all, the secret has lasting consequences.

But I really read it, I didn't just skim it, and that's high praise coming from me.

If you are looking for a holiday read, a well-written story, give this one a try.

I don't remember anything offensive, but I may have just skipped it.

I'd read this again if a book club were doing it, but I wouldn't necessarily volunteer to hostess.

The One in a Million Boy by Wood

It's been a while since a book has just plain charmed me, but One in a Million Boy by Wood did. I read it all but the last ten pages, and then I just let it sit there on my nightstand for a week because I didn't want it to end.

It's about a kid who's a little different who finds a friend in a feisty old lady. Which sounds like a canned script, but here it is just charming.

Some adult content, but I wasn't mortified.

I think I'm going to buy this one.

I think you could do it for a church book group if you previewed it first and made sure that no one would be offended.