Isola: a Novel by Allegra Goodman

26 Wednesday Mar 2025

Posted by in action, adventure, Biographical fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Travel

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In 1500s France, orphaned Marguerite is dependent on her guardian, who forces her to travel with him to New France (Canada). When she develops a relationship with another young man on their ship, her guardian abandons them on an uninhabited island as punishment. An intense, powerful novel about the strength of women, based on a true story.

“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history, Isola is an immersive journey through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque, who redefines what makes one a woman of worth and what the difference is between having a life and truly living.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Goodman writes with fluid beauty, deep empathy, and an emotional undertow that pulls you in and holds you from the first page to the last.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Goodman’s lush and enthralling castaway tale of betrayal and love, suffering and strength is magnificent in its beauty, mystery, fury, and redemption.”—Booklist, starred review

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Hidden Libraries: The World’s Most Unusual Book Depositories by DC Helmuth (Author), Nancy Pearl

22 Saturday Mar 2025

Posted by in Non-fiction, Travel

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“Discover 50 of the world’s most magnificent hidden libraries – each with a unique and uplifting story to tell – featuring a foreword by librarian, bestselling author, and literary critic Nancy Pearl.

Book swap your latest read in a cool 1950s style fridge in New Zealand or hike through the ethereal woodlands of Eas Mor in Scotland where a hidden library in a small log cabin awaits. Each entry shares the library’s mission and impact on the local community and offers fascinating stories from its resident caretaker.

Inside Hidden Libraries: 

  • 50 enchanting, obscure and astounding libraries from around the world
  • Fascinating insider knowledge and unique stories from each library’s resident caretaker
  • Captivating photos accompany every entry and the exact location of each hidden library is revealed
  • Featured libraries include: North America – Idaho: Little Free Library in a Cottonwood Tree; California: The Prison Library Project. South America – Argentina: The Weapon of Mass Instruction; Colombia: The Biblioburro. Africa – Egypt: St Catherine’s Monastery; Mali: The Timbuktu Manuscripts. Asia & the Middle East – China: The Lonely Library; Philippines: Reading Club 2000. Europe – England: Phone Booth Library; Norway: The Future Library. Oceania & Beyond – Antarctica: The Little Free Library at the South Pole; Outer Space: The International Space Station Library

Written by Diana Helmuth, an award winning author who writes about subjects including travel, nature, and philosophical trends”  (Amazon)

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Three Wild Dogs (and the truth): A Memoir by Markus Zusak

14 Friday Mar 2025

Posted by in adventure, anecdotes, Biography, memoir, Non-fiction

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“Now in paperback, this poignant, funny, and brutally honest memoir by one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book Thief, tells the story of his family’s adoption of three troublesome rescue dogs—a charming and courageous love story about making even the most incorrigible of dogs, family.” – Amazon

“Heartrending…With a soft heart and a fluid pen, Zusak delivers an elegy for three misfit creatures that will resonate even with those who’ve never picked up a leash.” — Publishers Weekly

“A self-deprecating tale of dog-ownership mayhem that is sure to win over many a reader.” — Kirkus

“Zusak’s garrulous style gives appropriate spotlight to his furry subjects (a few cats are involved too), celebrating their indomitable spirits in a convivial, all-but-exasperated tone. [His] innate humor jostles readers throughout, creating a wholly different page-turning experience from the epic nature of his fiction. Dog lovers will surely find a lot to chew on here as Zusak mines for the truth the title intimates that those touched by a dog will all agree: we are changed for having known them.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) will be enjoyed by readers of the best dog tales, such as The Art of Racing in the Rain, for its ability to evoke both the aggravation and deep love that dogs foster in those who build their lives around these creatures.” — BookPage

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Time of the Child by Niall Williams

05 Wednesday Mar 2025

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A rare jewel of a read.   “From the author of This Is Happiness, a compassionate, life-affirming novel about the Christmas season that transforms the small Irish town of Faha” – Amazon

“Although invisible to Church and State, it was women who knitted the country together, and in Faha, on Sunday morning after Mass, you could see the needles.” (Highlighted by 295 Kindle readers)

:Regret is a fruit of age. The longer you live the more you know its sour taste.”(Highlighted by 277 Kindle readers)

“To mask despair against God, he chose an old tactic: retain a semblance of order, and in this way meet the greatest challenge of life, which is always nothing more nor less than how to get through another day.” (Highlighted by 267 Kindle readers)

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Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David F Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson

28 Friday Feb 2025

Posted by in adventure, Fiction, Graphic novel, Travel, United States

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A BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, School Library Journal, Library Journal

So wonderful – I absolutely loved and highly recommend this graphic novel which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“A thought-provoking, profoundly moving adventure story. Not to be missed.”—Library Journal, starred review

“The book is an action-packed page-turner, with dastardly villains, narrow escapes, and a twist at the end that sheds a new light on the entire story.”—School Library Journal

“A vital reconsideration of an American classic.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

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The Wedding People by Alison Espach

22 Saturday Feb 2025

Posted by in Fiction, Humor, United States

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At a low point in her life, Phoebe books a trip to a beautiful Newport resort she’s always wanted to visit. When she arrives, she learns that every other guest at the hotel is there for a wedding, including a very strong-willed bride who convinces Phoebe to join in. This book was much more thoughtful than the title and cover made it seem, though funny as well, and I loved the writing and characters.

“Witty dialogue is just a bonus in this engrossing read centering on complex women making life-changing decisions. Recommend to readers who enjoy Sally Rooney, Curtis Sittenfeld, or Elizabeth Berg.”―Library Journal (starred review)

“The Wedding People is so much more than a funny story (though it is very funny). Espach has penned a keenly observed novel about depression, love, the ways women make themselves small, and how one woman got over it. Fully realized and completely memorable.”―Booklist (starred review)

“A collision of diametrically opposed life events and general drama, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Maggie Shipstead’s Seating Arrangements. . . . Espach has an eye for the full gamut of emotions that go hand in hand with lifelong commitment, from humor to self-involvement to pathos.”―Elisabeth Egan, The New York Times Book Review

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Annie Bot: a Novel by Sierra Greer

14 Friday Feb 2025

Posted by in Fiction, Future, romance, United States

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Annie is an expensive, lifelike robot purchased by Doug to act as his “girlfriend.” The more she learns and develops, the more conflicted she feels about her identity. As AI expands, this thought-provoking novel asks questions about what the future may hold.

Named a Best Book of the Year by Scientific American, Harper’s Bazaar and NPR. Named a Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Year by the Washington Post and Elle. Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in Science Fiction…..For fans of Never Let Me Go and My Dark Vanessa, a powerful, provocative novel about the relationship between a female robot and her human owner, exploring questions of intimacy, power, autonomy, and control.  (Amazon)

“This nuanced novel provides a fascinating look into a future we may never wish for.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Searing…dazzling…a coming-of-age thriller, a sexbot bildungsroman page-turner, a book that I excitedly described to anyone who would listen while I was reading it.” — Scientific American

“A brilliant and enraging exploration of ownership and love, and the way our creations have of growing far beyond us. Sierra Greer raises questions as current and pressing as our present-day anxieties about AI, and as ageless and enormous as the territory of Mary Shelley, about what constitutes humanity and what we owe to each other. Annie is a glorious creation– and self-creation– and I will never forget her, or this sharp and astonishing book.” — Clare Beams, author of The Illness Lesson

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Orbital: a Novel (2024 Booker Prize Winner) by Samantha Harvey

05 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Fiction, meaning of life, Science fiction, Travel

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Wondrous – like no other book I ever read. 207 pages. Can’t get it out of my mind now that I closed the last page.

“Harvey takes readers on board a cramped space station with six members of an international mission as they rotate the earth 16 times in 24 hours. Through their eyes, we watch typhoons grow in the Pacific, packs of noodles float in zero gravity, and continents whir by. A meditative novel that reveals our changing planet with a new urgency, and its inhabitants with a new and profound love.” —Oprah Daily, A Best Book of the Year

“Orbital is as beautiful as it is profound. It’s not a long book, but I made the final chapters last for weeks because I didn’t want the book to end.” —Emily St. John Mandel, author of Sea of Tranquility

“A short novel of cosmic proportions.”—Financial Times, A Best Book of the Year

“Coming from five different countries, the space travelers represent a microcosm of humanity. This is a beautifully written, deeply thoughtful meditation on planet Earth and our place in it.”—Library Journal, Starred Review“

Luminous and profound, Orbital is hard to put down and even harder to forget.” —Booklist, Starred Review

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The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

25 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by in England, Fiction, Historical Fiction

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This novel follows a group of siblings growing up in an English estate near the sea as World War II approaches, where each sibling will play an important role. I loved the writing and characters in this family saga.

“Gorgeous . . . Delightful . . . Absolute aces . . . Reading it is like plunging into a tub of clotted cream while (or whilst) enrobed in silk eau-de-Nil beach pajamas . . . Quinn’s imagination and adventuresome spirit are a pleasure to behold, boding more commanding work to come.” —The New York Times

“Dazzling and imaginative . . . Peacetime whimsy gracefully segues into scenes of unbearable tension and heart-wrenching suspense . . . Combining elements of I Capture the Castle, Brideshead Revisited, and Charlotte Gray, this is a reading experience to be long cherished.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Destined to become a classic . . . Elegantly written and totally immersive, this is escapism fiction at its very best . . . Quinn’s debut is a wonder.” —Daily Mail

“In an astonishing debut, Quinn creates an enchanting world and a cast of thoroughly endearing characters whom readers will be sorry to leave behind . . . A genre-bending delight.” —Booklist (starred)

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There is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish by Anna Akbari

17 Friday Jan 2025

Posted by in Biography, Non-fiction, suspense, United States

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Three women separately all meet a man named Ethan online, and slowly discover he may not be who he presents himself to be. This suspenseful true story reads like a mystery novel.

“There is no putting this book down… A riveting story that puts into perspective the dark dangers of forming online relationships. A truly terrifying cautionary tale for anyone involved in the online dating world.―Kirkus Reviews

“[R]iveting account of deception and emotional abuse in the early days of online dating.”―Publishers Weekly

““There Is No Ethan” is billed as a memoir, and it often reads like a true-crime thriller, but I think it is most meaningfully assessed as a piece of investigative journalism…..I did not expect to be shocked by There Is No Ethan. Online deception has become so ubiquitous that it’s boring…But the twists and turns in Anna Akbari’s book are outrageous. I read it in one sitting, then spent days recounting her story to anyone who would listen, unable to shake off my indignation on behalf of the author and her fellow victims.”—New York Times

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