Em and the Big Hoom:Jerry Pinto

This was a heartbreakingly beautiful novel. It was sad, but the humor made it uplifiting at the same time. The book starts gradually where the mother says things that shock you, but you don't think of her being ill, which is probably how it was in real life meeting her. Eventually the author comes out and states that the mother is mentally ill, not just brash. I loved the quote from the father " you must pay your debts, even those that you can never fully repay. Anything less makes you less". The story ends with the death of the mother and the mixed emotions one has, guilt for feeling relieved and guilt because you always wanted to be a hero and one day make up for things you did as a child. I liked how mom was never really cast in a bad light, and how stoic the father was able to stay until he lost her. She was such a presence in their life that her passing would have left a huge hole and the book is able to capture that. Excellently written.

Last Man Standing: David Baldacci

Web, an FBI agent is part of a group assigned to take out a drug operation. Upon entering the ally a little boy is sitting there and says "Damn to hell" which causes Web to freeze as his men are all shot to death by automatic machines. Digging deep into the criminal underworld, Web finds out his psychologist was in on the raid and had his office bugged. He implanted the phrase so Web would freeze, though he was supposed to die too. The little boy at the entrance is kidnapped so the Drug lord the group was trying to frame could be manipulated. Everything ends at a horse farm that Web ends up on protecting a family from the past because a white supremist who was responsible for killing the couple's son was freed and people involved with the trial were getting killed. Turns out the wife was responsible for the deaths of the lawyer and judge, but was unaware of the little boy being kept at her house. By the end all the bad guys/ girls are dead and the little boy make it back to his drug dealing father, who we assume is getting cleaned up.

Playing for Pizza: John Grisham

This book was very different from Grisham's other books. A football player makes a mistake in a game and wakes up in the hospital after his injury. It seems like the entire country hates him and his agent finds him a job in Italy, playing semi-professionally. He chases after women for a while, but then comes to love the game, his teammates, and eventually falls in love with another young American in Italy. The story was heartwarming as Rick, the football player, comes to understand himself and what is important in life.