I STILL DREAM ABOUT YOU, by Fannie Flagg

As the still-beautiful former Miss Alabama, Maggie Fortenberry has come to a decision point in her life. Everything that she loved about her hometown of Birmingham is gradually being replaced by strip malls, big box retailers, and cookie-cutter mini-mansions. I Still Dream About You is a life-affirming story about growing older and maturing--not always the same thing. There's also a mystery involved, which resolves in a way that surprised me.

Peopled with characters you'll wish lived in your hometown (well, except for one of them), I Still Dream About You is a delightful story written with Flagg's trademark humor and insight. For example, here's a terrific quote from page 97: "They say envy is a coal that comes hot and hissing straight from hell." What a great word picture.

I Still Dream About You was recommended to me by a friend, and in turn I recommend it to you. Maggie is a heroine who is easy to relate to and love. I hated to see the story end. It's definitely a book I’ll read again just to savor the details.

THE AMISH MIDWIFE, by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

Nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger has always known she was adopted, but her world rocks when on his deathbed her father gives her a carved box containing fragments of her history before her adoption.
With both of her adoptive parents dead, Lexie is spurred to seek her birth family. She leaves her Oregon home to travel to Amish country in Pennsylvania. What follows in The Amish Midwife is a gripping drama about intertwined secrets between generations. Lexie's stubborn quest for the truth puts her at odds with the very people who hold the keys to her past.
The Amish Midwife is a compelling read, written with authenticity by the collaboration of Clark and Gould. I appreciated the geographical details each author contributed to the story.
I couldn't put this book down until I'd read every page. I know you'll feel the same way.

WONDERS NEVER CEASE, by Tim Downs

In Wonders Never Cease, nurse (and egotist) Kemp McAvoy believes he's found a perfect way to make a million dollars without having to work for the money. When a famous, if over-the-hill, movie star is injured in an automobile accident, Kemp is assigned to her care in ICU.
His money-making scheme involves the movie star's agent and the publisher of a runaway bestseller called Lattes with God. His idea seems foolproof, but then surprises arise. Wonders Never Cease is written with Downs' trademark humor, and at the same time it touches on some serious issues concerning our modern tendency to lean toward feel-good spirituality.
Wonders Never Cease is a quick read, and an enjoyable one. It's a perfect choice for a relaxing weekend in the easy chair.