Once We Were Family by Nancy Saling Graham

 

Once We Were Family is the story of a family living in Berlin as the Hitler regime rose to power. It's told from the viewpoint of Annalise, one daughter of Axel Klaus. Annalise and her father sympathize with the people who are being abused and sometimes help them, but not enough to ease their guilt.

Annalise’s siblings represent a range of responses to their authoritarian government, from resisting quietly, while working with the Nazis to the younger ones who are fully indoctrinated in school. Annalise also has one sister who is only concerned with her appearance and marriage potential.

About halfway through the story, Germany loses and Hitler takes his own life in the bunker. Now the plot becomes the story of a young German woman living in West Berlin. There are still some horrible situations to get through, but there is also hope.

Whitewater by William McGinnis

Whitewater is a fun novel, a thriller that can be a little predictable, but always entertaining. I loved the descriptions of the area around the Kern River and of riding its waves. But there's also an exciting plot involving a drug cartel and what happens when the bad guys find out that the main characters: Adam (a former navy seal) and Tripee (an undercover FBI agent) have learned too much about the cartel’s activities. There were times when I had to suspend disbelief, but that’s true with most thrillers. Overall, the book is interesting and a good summer read.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

 I loved this book. I bought the audio and listened to it on a long trip I was taking. It made the travel time go by quickly.

When I first was looking into this novel, I thought it would be about the children in the school. It turned out to be more about the parents, about their gossip, their egos, their false assumptions and group think. It also has a message that becomes clear at the end. I recommend this book to anyone who likes character driven novels.