BOOKS
The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld
Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as “the Child Finder,” Naomi is their last hope.
Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too.
As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?
Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind…
Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn’s happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father — Pikeville’s notorious defense attorney — devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.
Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a lawyer herself — the ideal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again — and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized — Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it’s a case that unleashes the terrible memories she’s spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won’t stay buried forever…
Packed with twists and turns, brimming with emotion and heart, The Good Daughter is fiction at its most thrilling.
SHOWS
I was thrilled this month to find a Netflix-binge-watch-worthy show that I could enjoy with my girls, and one that I could watch with my selective husband (hey, we know he has discerning taste…he married me, right?) The first is Once Upon a Time, which is the perfect balance of tween and mom entertainment, and the second is How To Get Away With Murder. We loved both Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal for their first few seasons, so another Shonda Rhimes creation seemed like a safe bet…and it’s so good!
BEAUTY
Biore Strips: Yes, these have been around for years, but I started picking them up again a couple of months ago and now I’m rehooked. There’s a sort of perverse joy that comes after you remove the strip and see what has been dislodged from your pores…and even more joy week after week when there is less to be dislodged!
Eyeliner: I asked my Facebook followers for their creamy (not liquid), easy-to-apply eyeliner suggestions, and boy, did they come through!
I’ve had a chance to try two of the many suggestions I received, and would definitely recommend both Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl and Annabelle Smoothliner. Although I usually wear brown, I bought the Rimmel in Black ($5), simply because it was the only shade the store had when I was shopping, and I purchased the Annabelle in Brownie ($8) and both go on so smoothly – way better than the pencils I was trying to use. I will definitely sample some of the other recos as I find them as well!
Have a great November!