The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier

One Friday evening, the Illumination happened. People's wounds, injuries or pain began emitting a light - from the slightest dull twinge to the bright blinding light of life slipping away - no one was immune.

The book follows several very different people, who, on the surface, have nothing in common, but all share both the pain that seems to be the constant human condition as well as the desire for connection, no matter how fleeting. The story centers around a diary in which a wife recorded the little love notes she received daily from her husband. The book travels from person to person, affecting each one in a slightly different way.

This is a quiet little book that can be difficult to read, as each character struggles with their own very personal pain. Underneath it all, however, is that pull to reach out to others, resulting in an ultimately hopeful story.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Silas "32" Jones is the constable of a tiny town in rural Mississippi. His childhood friend, Larry Ott, still lives in the house he grew up in and "operates" his father's automotive business - a business that hasn't had a customer in years, as Larry has long lived under suspicion in the disappearance of a local girl when he was a teenager.

When a similar crime takes place, Larry is at the center of suspicion when he himself is the victim of a violent crime. Silas reluctantly gets involved, knowing that Larry is innocent of the crime. As Silas digs deeper into the crime wave hitting his tiny community, he starts letting go of his own secrets - secrets that provide important details in the girl's disappearance so many years ago.

Franklin has written a quiet and thoughtful southern novel that studies friendship, secrets and justice. The majority of the characters are not all that likable overall, which made for a rather slow read for me. However, the interest in the crimes and hope for reconciliation kept me reading until the end.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

Retired teacher Martha lives a solitary, yet she believes, fulfilling life on the farm that she shared with her now-deceased husband. One night, during a wicked storm, her life is altered forever when an odd couple show up on her porch, looking for shelter not only from the storm - but also from the "school" officials from where they had escaped from.

Lynnie and Homan are not only running to hide themselves - but also to hide a newborn baby to which Lynnie had given birth. When the couple is discovered, Buddy escapes into the storm, but Lynnie is taken back into custody, but not before hiding her baby in Martha's attic, hoping that Martha will shelter and care for her until they can be reunited. As Lynnie, who is developmentally disabled, is returned to the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded and Homan, who is hearing impaired, fends for himself in the world, Martha takes little Julia under her wing, becoming a refugee herself as she keeps her promise to Lynnie to hide her baby from the authorities.

This is a story of love, hope and loyalty that spans the ages. It is lovingly written and one of those books I just did not want to put down! Lynnie, Homan and Martha, among others, are such lovable and wonderful characters, you will root for them until the very satisfying conclusion.

Audio Book Review by Jennifer

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag: Audio-CD

While running away from the class bully and his toady, 5th graders Tommy Crane & Wendy Morgan stumble literally into a dead body, a half-buried woman, with her eyes and mouth glued shut. Their teacher, Anne Navarre, is also pulled into the series of frightening events as she tries to help her students deal with finding a body, the escalating bullying from Dennis Farman, who happens to be the son of a police officer, the possibility of a serial killer hunting young women in the small town, her relationship with her father and a new romance on the horizon. Tony Mendez, one of the local detectives, calls in FBI agent Vince Leone, a pioneer in profiling which is still a newer technique in 1985.

After another woman goes missing and everyone circles around and around the small group of local suspects, mostly including the parents of the children who discovered the first body. As a thriller, this book really does pull you in. As I listened, I could not decide for sure who the killer was. Red herrings are thrown out every time you decide on a definite suspect. I was intrigued by most of the main characters, with few exceptions, even the suspects are likeable. A few of the characters feel as if they are just there to ‘be there’, but most of them are filled out enough to be believable. One of the most interesting things about this book is the point of view from the children’s eyes, the inner workings of their families from the inside, rather than the public face, the ‘perfect family’.

I often found myself sitting in my car in my driveway, listening to the last bit of chapter, only to find the next part just as exciting and then having to force myself to stop listening. This is not a read for everyone, though. There are some graphic descriptions and foul language. A few of the loose ends are not wrapped up as neatly as I would have liked, but on the plus side, there is a sequel, so perhaps they will be wrapped up there! The next book in this series is Secrets to the Grave.