Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan

27 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by in 20th century, Fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Elisabeth is a new mother who has just moved with her husband to a college town in upstate New York. There, she hires a new babysitter named Sam, a college student who struggles to fit in with her wealthier peers. The two women share a close bond, but their different situations and backgrounds occasionally cause tension. This thoughtful, well written novel explores motherhood, class, and friendship.

 “Sullivan’s intimate, incisive latest explores the evolving friendship between a new mother and her babysitter… Readers will be captivated by Sullivan’s authentic portrait of modern motherhood.”—Publishers Weekly

“Sullivan… writes with empathy for her characters even as she reveals their flaws and shortcomings. And while the story she tells focuses primarily on two women from different backgrounds and at different stages of life, it also illuminates broader issues about money, privilege, and class; marriage, family, and friendship; and the dueling demands of career and domesticity with which many women struggle. This perceptive novel about a complex friendship between two women resonates as broadly as it does deeply.”—Kirkus, starred review

Find this book               large print                audio cd’s

The Mirror & the Light (Wolf Hall Trilogy Book 3) by Hilary Mantel

20 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by in England, Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

This book concludes the acclaimed Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel. These engrossing works of historical fiction follow Thomas Cromwell, an influential adviser to Henry VIII. In this final novel, Cromwell begins to lose favor with the king, who is on his fourth marriage and turning on many of the people around him. If you haven’t read the other books, be sure to read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies first.

“Deep, suspenseful, chewy, complex and utterly transporting―truly a full banquet. Most miraculously of all, it’s every bit as good as the first two books, both of which won the Booker Prize…. ―Elizabeth Gilbert, The Wall Street Journal Magazine

“The Wolf Hall trilogy is probably the greatest historical fiction accomplishment of the past decade.” ―The New York Times Book Review

 “This is rich, full-bodied fiction. Indeed, it might well be the best of the trilogy simply because there is more of it, a treasure on every page…The brisk, present-tense narration makes you feel as though you are watching these long-settled events live, via a shaky camera phone… Mantel has…elevated historical fiction as an art form… At a time when the general movement of literature has been towards the margins, she has taken us to the dark heart of history.” ―The Times (London)

Find this book              large print                 audio cd’s

 

 

Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi translated from the French by Shaun Whiteside

10 Friday Jul 2020

Posted by in Fiction, murder, mystery

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

A thrilling tale of murder that takes place in Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. The location provides a lush backdrop to this intricately plotted mystery that takes place over just 13 days in 2010.  The ending is astonishing and you’ll be desperate to find others to discuss the outcome!

One of France’s most celebrated crime authors and winner of more than 15 major literary awards, I rushed to read his first novel, After the Crash.

“A work of genius befitting the masterpiece by Monet at its heart…. Bussi cleverly breaks all the perceived rules of plotting in a story containing riddles within riddles…. But every loose thread is meshed neatly together in the final pages until the jaw-dropping big reveal at the end. The result is simply stunning.”―Daily Express (UK)

“Bussi’s portrait of the difficulties of investigating a closed community is fascinating, and the novel ends with one of the most reverberating shocks in modern crime fiction.”―The Sunday Times (UK)

Find this book

Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: the Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against Hitler by Lynne Olson

05 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Biography, Non-fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

This is the true story of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, a leader in the French Resistance who worked with many spies in France and the UK. The book offers a lot of information about the Resistance and challenges some of the incorrect assumptions about the movement, particularly how women’s accomplishments were often overlooked. A great addition to the many books about France during World War II.

“A brilliant, cinematic biography of resistance leader Marie-Madeleine Fourcade . . . Olson’s weaving of Fourcade’s diary artfully and liberally into her own writing and her heart-stopping descriptions of Paris, escapes, and internecine warring create a narrative that’s as dramatic as a novel or a film. Olson honors Fourcade’s fight for freedom and her ‘refusal to be silenced’ with a gripping narrative that will thrill WWII history buffs.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Incredibly absorbing and long-overdue . . . This masterfully told true story reads like fiction and will appeal to readers who devour WWII thrillers à la Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale.”—Booklist (starred review)

“A hell of a yarn . . . Why the heck have we never heard of [Marie-Madeleine] Fourcade? The only woman to lead a major French resistance network. A woman who in later life was elected to the European Parliament. And who, upon her death in 1989 at the age of seventy-nine, became the first woman to be granted a funeral at Les Invalides, the complex in central Paris where Napoleon Bonaparte and other French military heroes are buried. Olson posits a few possible reasons for Fourcade’s relegation to the footnotes of history. The inescapable one, though, circles back to where we began: her gender.”—The Washington Post

Find this book

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

28 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by in 20th century, Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Set in a Brooklyn neighborhood in 1969, this novel follows a large cast of characters, all of whom are connected in some way. The main one is Sportcoat, an older widower who drinks too much and mourns his late wife, along with his friends, members of his church, local criminals, police officers, and more. This book is really funny and well written, with surprisingly emotional moments too. I grew to love all of the characters, no matter how flawed each one is.

“Much is unpacked by the time the book reaches its lovely and heartfelt climax, as McBride shows what can happen when people set aside their differences. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“McBride has a flair for fashioning comedy whose buoyant outrageousness barely conceals both a steely command of big and small narrative elements and a river-deep supply of humane intelligence. An exuberant comic opera set to the music of life.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“While historical fiction fans will appreciate the richly detailed approach to Brooklyn’s grittiness, McBride’s neighborhood saga ultimately sets a new standard for multidimensional fiction about people of color.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

Find this book              large print                audio cd’s                     playaway

Stranger in the Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher

21 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by in Fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

“Set in northern Vermont in 1952, Mosher’s tale of racism and murder is powerful, viscerally affecting and totally contemporary in its exposure of deep-seated prejudice and intolerance . . . [A] big, old-fashioned novel.” —Publishers Weekly

“Reminiscent of both To Kill a Mockingbird and Anatomy of a Murder…absorbing!” – Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times

“A real mystery in the best and truest sense.”—Lee Smith, The New York Times Book Review

“Exciting and memorable…Howard Frank Mosher has made a small-town story into a universal one…and has carried it along with a rolling wave of suspense.” – Wallace Stegner

Find this book

 

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

13 Saturday Jun 2020

Posted by in Fiction, suspense, thriller

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

“What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?

-He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies.
-Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most.
-He anticipates her every need.
-He would never betray her like her first husband.

The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes. The question is, why?”  (Amazon)

“Mother doesn’t always know best in this thrill ride of a novel…gripping and twisted.” ―Karin Slaughter, bestselling author of The Good Daughter

“Plenty of twists…will keep you turning the pages as you guess…and guess again.” ―Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of After Anna

“An acute, sensitive portrayal of family love under extreme stress…[with] a touch of Hitchcock.” ―William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob

Find this book                     large print                      audio cd’s

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

07 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by in Biography, England, Non-fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

This new nonfiction book explores the early days of World War II in England, specifically Winston Churchill’s leadership during the Blitz. Even though we know what happened, this is a suspenseful page-turner filled with interesting stories and anecdotes about the key players in England, the United States, and Germany. In our current times, you may also find inspiration in reading about ordinary citizens facing a scary and challenging situation with courage and creativity.

“Through the remarkably skillful use of intimate diaries as well as public documents, some newly released, Larson has transformed the well-known record of 12 turbulent months, stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941, into a book that is fresh, fast and deeply moving.”—Candice Millard, The New York Times Book Review

“A propulsive, character-driven account of Winston Churchill’s first year as British prime minister . . . Readers will rejoice.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Larson’s skill at integrating vast research and talent for capturing compelling human dramas culminate in an inspirational portrait of one of history’s finest, most fearless leaders.”—Booklist (starred review)

Find this book            large print              audio cd’s

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

31 Sunday May 2020

Posted by in Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

This novel follows several members of an extended family living in New York’s Hudson Valley. The widowed matriarch of the family is in a surprising new relationship, her single daughter is expecting a baby, and her teenage granddaughter is living with her to escape troubles at her old school. These are just a few of the characters explored in this warm, charming story full of flawed but lovable people. This book is a nice mix of comedy and drama, and I loved the descriptions of the small town where they all live.

 “The perfect book to read during quarantine if your family is driving you crazy . . . a layered love story that examines, and ultimately celebrates, the modern, multigenerational family dynamic.”—Parade

“‘Literary sunshine’ is a good way to think of Straub’s work. Her writing and tone are consistently bright and straightforward; her approach to character is warm and generous……..”—The New York Times

“Undeniably pleasing . . . a kind of thinking-person’s beach read that’s maybe all the better for arriving in these strange, landlocked times.”—Entertainment Weekly

Find this book                 large print                audio cd’s

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

25 Monday May 2020

Posted by in Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Mrs. Tina Hopgood is an English farmer’s wife, and Anders Larsen a widowed curator at a museum in Denmark. Though a common interest in one of the museum exhibits brings them together, Anders and Tina soon begin sharing increasingly personal stories and thoughts from their lives, including some never spoken of before. It is touching and uplifting to follow along as their relationship develops, solely through their letters.  Slow down and take your time with this contemplative read.

“A thoughtful meditation on buried passions, regrets, love, grief, and loneliness. But Youngson’s debut offers hope for change in its tender exploration of what it means to have experienced a life well-lived.”―The Guardian

 “A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again.”―Rachel Joyce, New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

 “Precise, clear, funny, poignant, and truthful. This is a work of art, dear readers. Revel in its beauty.”―Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife and Lucia, Lucia

Find this book           large print              audio cd’s                 playaway