Thanks to Netgalley, which provided me with a pre-release copy, I recently read The Bridge from Me to You, by Lisa Schroeder. In this story, Lauren has recently moved in with her aunt and uncle to their small town from Seattle. She came with a deep secret. Colby has lived in this small town all his life, and though his life may seem charmed, he has some problems of his own. When Colby and Lauren meet, they begin a friendship that helps each of them through the hardships they've been carrying on their own. This is a sweet story of friendship that could be more. Despite what the characters are going through, this book ends on a promising note. It's a great feel-good read!
I was also able to read The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm thanks to Netgalley. This was a short and very entertaining read about a girl named Ellie, who has just begun the sixth grade. One day, her mom brings home a teenage boy who proclaims to be Ellie's grandfather. The boy, Melvin, has found the fountain of youth, but now that he's a teenager, he can't get into his lab to save his work. He enlists Ellie's help to try to save his work and bring his cure to aging to the world. Ellie gets to know her grandfather in a way she never did before - and she learns a lot about herself as well in this humorous mis-adventure. This is another light-hearted and feel good kind of book.
Netgalley also provided a copy of first-time author Esther Erlich's new book, Nest. In this story that takes place in the early 1970's, Chirp is 11-years old and lives year-round in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She is watching her former-dancer mom fall apart before her eyes. Her mom's physical health is in decline and because of that, her mental health is suffering as well. When her mom has to go stay in a mental institution for several months, it's all Chirp can do to help hold herself and the rest of her family together. She's trying to navigate the changes in her own life without the help and support of her mother, and it's not easy. She finds solace in watching the birds in the forests and near the ponds near her home, as well as in her troubled neighbor and classmate, Joey. This story is a sometimes humorous, sometimes deeply sad story of triumph and the power of family and friendship. I absolutely loved Nest and Chirp is a character who I won't soon forget.
Nest reminds me of one of my favorite books that I read a couple years ago that also took place in the 1970's. I think I read it before I started this book blog, so I've never written about it on here. It's called Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt. It's about a 14-year old boy named Doug Swieteck who is basically a loser from a family of losers...at least that's how it appears to everyone around him. When his dad gets fired from his job and they have to move, Doug is not happy. When they move into a small town into a small, cruddy house, he knows that people will still look down on him. His dad is abusive, one brother is fighting in Vietnam, and the other is a huge bully and juvenile delinquent. Doug has problems of his own without even adding his family into the equation. However, some key people take an interest in Doug and prove that a person is more than just the family they come from. Every person has the capacity to excel and soar. Honestly, writing about this book makes me want to read it again...it's just that good. Don't take my word for it...read it yourself! 
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