The Brave by Nicholas Evans

Told in two parallel storylines at two different points during Tom Bradford's life, this book tells both the story of a boy growing up and the tale of a man growing mature.

Growing up in England, Tommy is obsessed with American TV cowboys. The lessons they teach concerning bravery, strength, and honor help him navigate a confusing world - until Tommy meets one of his heroes and learns that real life may be a kind of different story.

Modern-day Native American history scholar Tom is struggling to bridge the divide between himself and his estranged Marine son, who the military has returned to California and accused of Middle-East war atrocities.

I have always enjoyed Evans' books - they're creative, and filled with beautiful geography and well-drawn characters struggling with real-life demons. Until the very end, I wasn't quite sure I knew where the story would lead me: a major kudo to any author that can keep me guessing.

High on Arrival by Mackenzie Phillips

Surprisingly, this is a well-written, thoughtful and extremely interesting look at the ups, the downs, and all-around upside-down life of a famous family through the eyes of a actress/daughter/addict.

When this book was published, the media immediately latched on to Mackenzie's stories of incest with her famous father, Papa John Phillips. I was going to skip past that part, avoid the infamous drug stories ... and go directly to what I was searching for (I was interested in one particular ex-boyfriend). But I was surprised by how quickly I got wrapped up in the storytelling: I ended up going back to the start and reading the whole book, despite the fact I'd picked it up just to read a couple pages.

She's smarter than I thought - or had an excellent ghost writer. Either way, it's a great look at rock-and-roll excess and the trials of a junkie.

Nothing but trouble

by Rachel Gibson

Gibson returns to her hockey theme with another star athlete in the Chinooks organization. This time it is former captain Mark Bressler. Now out of the hospital and facing a life off the ice Bressler's on ice persona has found its way into his daily life. No longer the cheerful man he once was, Mark must learn to accept that his independence is temporarily gone.
Along comes personal assistant Chelsea Ross. Chelsea has put up with some very challenging celebrities, so Mark should be no problem. Unfortunately, she needs the money. The two butt heads frequently until they discover a mutual attraction. Suddenly, the magnetic pull becomes very difficult to resist.