62. The Other Family by Loretta Nyhan

Listened on Audible
narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal  (who is excellent, does different voices really well)
Unabridged audio (8:56)
2020 Lake Union Publishing
285 pgs.
Adult CRF
Finished 4/9/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.71 - 3802 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Chicago suburb

My comments:  An intense look at a family that hits you from all different directions.  Solid setting in a Chicago suburb.  Excellent reader (she does different voices really well).  Two parents nearing the end of divorce proceedings.  A sweet 10-year-old daughter who has spent her life dealing with a debilitating series of food allergies.  A grandmother who fiercely protects her adopted daughter.  A just-discovered aunt, full of love and family history and her own extended family including Indian husband, black foster daughter, and 90-year-old best friend.  Throw in a bridal boutique for older women, a school board election, a woo-woo hippie doctor, and even a tiny bit of online dating and ....voila....you've set the scene for a very interesting story.  Quite memorable.

Goodreads synopsis:  From the bestselling author of Digging In comes a witty and moving novel about motherhood, courage, and finding true family.
          With a dissolving marriage, strained finances, and her life in flux, Ally Anderson longs for normal. Her greatest concerns, though, are the health problems of her young daughter, Kylie. Symptoms point to a compromised immune system, but every doctor they’ve seen has a different theory. Then comes hope for some clarity.
          It’s possible that Kylie’s illness is genetic, but Ally is adopted. A DNA test opens up an entirely new path. And where it leads is a surprise: to an aunt Ally never knew existed. She’s a little wild, very welcoming, and ready to share more of the family history than Ally ever imagined.
          Coping with a skeptical soon-to-be-ex husband, weathering the cautions of her own resistant mother, and getting maddeningly close to the healing Kylie needs, Ally is determined to regain control of her life. This is her chance to embrace uncertainty and the beauty of family—both the one she was born into and the one she chose.

Horace and Morris Say Cheese (which makes Dolores sneeze!) - James Howe

Illustrated by Amy Walrod

Ginee Seo Books (Atheneum) 2009

$16.99

Rating: 4

Endpapers: Dark aqua

The title of this book doesn't work. Dolores is getting shortchanged - this is her book, not Morris'! I'd have kids give it a better title. Kids frequently have a tough time coming up with an appropriate, catchy title - so this would make for a great writing lesson.

It's also full of alliteration, rhyme, dialogue boxes, a great story, and all-color pages. And the characters are all...mice.

Dolores loves loves loves cheese - any kind of cheese - but becomes very allergic to it. It's difficult to find replacements for cheese, and she keeps slipping back, which makes her break out in a horrible rash. She finally discovers that if she tries different combinations of cheeseless food, she's all set. Cute story written in a clever way. And kids will love the illustrations. I do.

"Horace and Morris but mostly Dolores loved to eat cheese. They ate string chees and Swiss chesse on Sundays. Thet ate Muenster with mustard on Mondays."