I hope everyone is making progress with Montana Sky by Nora Roberts!

So far, I have enjoyed getting to know Willa and the hardships she has endured being the one to grow up on the ranch with her father and having her mother die at a young age. He doesn't seem like an overly caring individual but that doesn't stop her from trying to gain his approval and respect.

Once the other sisters arrived for the reading of the will, I immediately took the side of Willa and can't blame her for flipping out. But getting to know Lily and glimpses of her abusive background had me feeling sorry for her.

However, Tess is one tough character to swallow and has still not gotten on my good side. Since I don't know how far along you all are, I'm not going to touch on relationships that start happening around the ranch, but I can't wait to hear your take on them.

I don't know about you, but I have a crush on Nate and wish I could scream at the characters in the book about Lily's abusive ex-husband working at the ranch next door. 

It’s time for me to pick my top two favorite books by Roberts and share them with you. First, I would have to pick The Witness. This book kept me on the edge the entire time. It had a strong leading lady and she set up the backstory very well. The main character, Liz, witnesses a double murder and gets put into protective custody.

When her safety is compromised she has to go on the run and the book picks up on the story twelve years later. Still on the run, she settles into a very small southern town hoping to not attract any attention. However, the local chief of police takes an interest in her and sets his sights on fixing her problems.

Black Hills is my other must read by Roberts. It is set in South Dakota with two young kids, Lil and Coop, that grew up on neighboring farms. After they are adults and Coop moves away to New York to become an investigator, while Lil stays home and opens a refuge. After twelve years, fate has brought Coop back to Black Hills and into pranks and destruction that threaten Lil.

After I read this, I put a vacation to the Black Hills on my bucket list. Roberts does a great job of making you feel like you are standing right there watching the actions and seeing the beautiful landscape.

There are events and some book releases happening in September. The one that I am most excited about is that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is releasing her new book, The Casual Vacancy, on September 27th.

Rowling wrote this book for adults and it won’t be fantasy like the Potter series. Many (including myself) are looking forward to reading what she has in store for us.

Stuart Woods is having a luncheon fundraiser where he will discuss and sign his new books. It is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26th at 12:00 at The Garden Plaza in Lawrenceville (230 Collins Industrial Way, Lawrenceville 30043). Tickets are required to attend; they are $12 if you buy in advance or $15 at the door. You can purchase them at your local branch, online, or by phone at 770-978-5154. Book and ticket sales will benefit the Gwinnett County Public Library.

• What are your thoughts on the book so far?
• Do you like Willa? Can you relate to her?
• What about Tess?
• If you would like to add a discussion question, post it in the comments!