"The Women" by Kristin Hannah, "Squeeze Me" by Carl Hiaasen

I have found that many readers of this blog appreciate book suggestions.

My wife's book group read "The Women" by Kristin Hannah and I read it aloud while she did puzzles.  I thought the book was one of the most gripping I have ever read.  I have learned quite a bit about women and their psychology from my mother and sister, from schoolmates and from the tv show "Call the Midwife".  Within in the last few years, I read about a maturing young woman who expressed a fear that someone, anyone would dislike her.  I was astounded and I still am, at least somewhat. As a guy who stood, scantily clad, before hundreds of people who saw me as the opponent in high school and college wrestling matches, I certainly understood that many people in that crowd wanted me to be pinned, to lose.  I am not sure about hatred but I certainly expected it.  "The Women" is about a young woman from a wealthy family who joined the US armed forces and served in Vietman.  Tending to horribly wounded young men was bad enough but to come home and find boiling groups that hated her and her service was much harder.  

"Squeeze Me" by Carl Hiaasen is much lighter.  A rather nice old lady winds up squooze to death by one of those Florida pythons, an event that enables several different groups and agencies to "explain" what happened using different stories, lies and misunderstandings.