"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman

"Love is a strange thing. It takes you by surprise."

Ove is the man that we all either know presently or have known in the past. You know, the older gentleman who everyone thinks is angry or crotchety, seeming to want to be left alone, and no one knows why. People don't seem to care either until, one day a family is moving in and there is an incident with a trailer. This is how Ove meets Parvaneh, Patrick, and their two daughters, ages 3 and 7. Parvaneh is one of my favorite characters, and you will figure out why as you read the book!

There was so much to "unpeel" in this book. Questions needed to be answered like, "Why is Ove so unhappy?" "Where did the mangy, loveable, caring cat come from?" There were also tough topics to deal with like, the idea of suicide, "coming out" to someone who doesn't understand, and forcing people to move from their homes into a "facility."

Come on and meet Ove, Sonja, Anita, Rune, Parvaneh, Patrick, Nasanin, the cat, Jimmy, Mirsad, Anders, Adrian, and all the others.  This is so worth reading!  =)

"The Waiting Room" by Leah Kaminsky

Ghosts of the past, memories of the Holocaust, and the present day come together in this new book by Leah Kaminsky. The novel takes place in a single day - one 24 hour period, yet the reader feels like they are moving through a much longer time frame. "The Waiting Room," haunting, full of emotion - a story told with the carefulness of a good friend. 

Dina is a doctor and she is also the daughter of holocaust survivors. She tries to manage her days as she cares for patients and for her own family, yet the ghosts of the past continually haunt her. What new coping skills are available? What else can she try? Then, a terror alert is issued for her area and it causes the ghosts to bubble up uncontrollably. Will Leah come through this unscathed? Will she be able to finally deal with those horrible memories and ghosts? Pick up the book and find out!

What a good book! Leah Kaminsky had me glued to the pages. I wanted to know what was going to happen, yet there was also a lot of emotion that I felt. If you enjoy books that make you think about the past and how it affects those who lived it; if you enjoy books that make you think, this book is for you. I can't wait for more from Ms. Kaminsky!