Better than Eggnog

“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”

Friday just called—she’ll be here tomorrow and she’s bringing the Coke Zero with limes. Thank Heavens!! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m up to my eyeballs in pressing stuff and I’m suspiciously devoid of the Christmas spirit at the moment. I’m sure if I turn on a few Christmas tunes and peruse the Holiday gift guide I’ll feel better.

Listening to The Song of Achilles felt a whole lot like holiday cheer. (Granted the Greeks are all about the tragedies, but it was such a good listen.) I had no idea Circe’s brainchild created, “a thrilling, profoundly moving and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War” years ago. How’d I miss this? Thank the Heavens again for my savvy niece who clued me in on the Orange Prize winner. Even if you’re not a huge fan of Homer, you’ll love Miller’s backstory. Hers is a quiet love story that is both inspiring and heartbreaking. You’ll be hard-pressed to feel anything but admiration for the ardent devotion between Achilles and Patroclus. The first-time novelist by night, Latin/Greek teacher by day grabbed me from the very beginning and never let me down. If you find spare minutes this holiday season, grab a book by Madeline Miller—it might be better than eggnog, peppermint bark, and all the Christmas trimmings (minus Rachel’s ginger snaps, of course).

Posted by Tracy

Holiday Gift Guide 2021

OUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!

Crack Open a Cold One

“Strength and Beauty must go hand in hand.” Louisa May Alcott

Holy Mackerel! It’s been a month and change since I’ve posted. A month and change!!! I’ve been on a big ol’ rollercoaster. I’m hoping the holidays will rescue me. (Should I be nervous that I’m looking for some kind of liberation from the busiest time of the year?) Hmmm. Good thing I’ve got my own grown-up Christmas list: No more lives torn apart, way more books to start—and time to heal this workin’ momma’s heart. Of course, visions of Doerr and Towles have already begun to dance in my head. Anticipation of good reads to come is a gift in and of itself, no?

Okay, back to the present. I need to tell you about We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin. Like Jane Harper, Heaberlin comes from a journalism background.  She’s won awards for her work and all of that good stuff. Interestingly, she’s been called a writer hiding in plain sight. And this detail caught my eye: “Heaberlin anchors her books with troubled but badass women. Think Amy Schumer’s character in Trainwreck, except with guns and greater possibility of redemption.” But I didn’t read that female’s-got-pride comment until after I closed the cover on We Are All the Same in the Dark; the truth is I stumbled on the title somewhere and I’ve been on a bit of a psychological thriller bender lately. (Blaming Michealides for that.)

Chances are, if you like a cold case, you’ll like We Are All the Same in the Dark. It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving behind a bloody handprint. While younger brother, Wyatt Branson, was legally cleared of the murder conviction, he was found guilty in the court of public opinion. (His stint in a mental institution only perpetuated harsh judgments and treatment.) Wyatt’s high school girlfriend, Odette (daughter of the late police chief and now a detective herself), was determined to crack the cold one wide open.  There are twists and turns and a parallel story to run alongside this atmospheric mystery. Were there a few loose threads? Yes. But overall, Heaberlin achieves something far bigger than solving a crime—she effectively underscores the fact that, for females, strength and beauty must go hand in hand.

Posted by Tracy

Long Live Curmudgeons

“I love me a Curmudgeon.” –Rachel

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a bit of a sucker for a good story built around a quirky curmudgeon. Olive Kitteridge, Miss Benson’s Beetle, A Man Called Ove…I love them all. When the second installment of The Emmy Lake Chronicles came out this summer, I couldn’t imagine Woman’s Friend magazine continuing without the formidable Mrs. Bird.

Yours Cheerfully continues Emmy’s wartime story after parting ways with Mrs. Bird. It follows her progression as a journalist, activist, and soon-to-be married woman. Although slightly predictable, author A.J. Pearce manages to keep you cheering for Emmy and all the female factory employees diligently working to maintain home and family while trying to seriously aid the war effort.

Pearce has done it again—she’s captured charm and locked it away in her pages. Simon and Schuster had this to say about her latest offering: “Every bit as funny, heartwarming, and touching as Dear Mrs. Bird, Yours Cheerfully is a celebration of friendship—a testament to the strength of women and the importance of lifting each other up, even in the most challenging times.” If I’m passing out stars, I’d hand over 4 bright ones for Emmy’s latest exploits. Keep ‘em comin’ A.J.!

Posted by Sharee

Lightning in a Book

“I’m gonna read a book. From beginning to end…in that order.” — George Costanza

It’s high time, people. Time to dub this The Summer of Rachel.  First, she formed a book club with the cutest nephews around. Nolan, Jude, and Tate have effectively stolen my heart with those shiny faces. (I love a missing tooth.) Their awesome picks would make even Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker proud! Second, she captured lightning in a bottle. I’ve been begging the Universe for time away where the only sounds I hear are crisp pages turning and sturdy aspens quaking. All I get are crickets. As summer comes to a close, I can’t help but wonder what else Rae’s got up her sleeve? I’m sending that woman a block of cheese!

Reading Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce this summer felt like my time for a minute—like tasting the fruits and letting the juices drip down my chin. Who can resist “a hilarious jaunt into the wilderness of women’s friendship and the triumph of outrageous dreams”? I could tell you how Margery Benson, a bit of a cipher in her own right and wrestling with despair, gets a wild and desperate hair to fulfill her decade-old self’s dream: discover the golden beetle of New Caledonia. In an effort to hire a French-speaking assistant, our dowdy Marge interviews a quirky but lovable floozy named Enid Pretty. Flamboyant Enid (who doesn’t speak a lick of French) also has pull with the universe. She sort of lands the job and the friendship of a lifetime.

Rachel Joyce, you are a genius. You made me laugh (out loud.) You made me cry. You made me care deeply about characters that sprung out of your fantastic head. Miss Benson’s Beetle was an intoxicating listen. (As always, Juliet Stevenson is brilliant.) I’ve recommended this book regularly throughout The Summer of Rachel—I’ve now lost count of how many readers returned to say thanks for sharing some serious portable magic.

Posted by Tracy

What's in a Name?

"I’ve never met someone who is so perfectly my favorite person.”

Friends, summer is sadly coming to an end. Your kids, neighbors, nieces and nephews may be starting school again and the sun’s starting to set a lil’ bit earlier. Here’s a last-ditch effort to keep that summer glow around: head to the beach…literally or figuratively.

Beach Read by Emily Henry follows romance author January Adams and her move to North Bear Shores, Minnesota. Not only is January reeling from the death of her father, she’s also trying to cope with his shocking death-bed confession about his mistress. In an attempt to extend an olive leaf, January’s dad leaves her the beach house in Minnesota where he and his mistress lived during their weekends together. She most certainly does not want to move in, but she’s been left with no choice: her boyfriend left her, she hasn’t sold a book in months, and she owes her publisher a full-on juicy novel in six weeks that she’s yet to write a page for.

She moves, meager belongings and all, only to discover that her collegiate rival (and now best-selling author of books without happy endings), Augustus Everett, is her next-door neighbor. Through a series of unfortunate events, “Gus” and January end up in a competition: Gus must write a romance novel and January’s next book has to be somber and serious. The loser has to endorse the other’s book publicly. Big yikes.

In order to make the competition fair, both January and Gus plan outings for the other that helps them understand the genre further. Can January set aside her anger to best the beast? Will she be able to resolve her writer’s block and deliver something to her publisher on time? Can she withstand the tall, dark and handsome temptations of Gus? Can all of these questions be answered in one novel?

Some say to never judge a book by its cover. I say judge away with this one! The title appropriately sets the reader’s expectations—a fun story that will keep you entertained while you catch some rays. Four out of five sunny stars in my summer-lovin’ book!

Posted by Michelle

A Fall Resplendent in New Reads

“I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them—with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself.” —Eudora Welty

Came to the mountains carrying more books than I’ll have time to read. Just the heft of them reassures me. I’m wishing my days here could be as long as their pages. The universe knew I needed this time away where the only sounds are the aspens quaking and pages turning. And did it also know, I wonder, how much I needed a fall resplendent in new reads from some of the best to put pen to page? Because boy, did it deliver. In the biggest of ways. Here’s a sneak peak so you all can rejoice along with me.

Coming 9/28

Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See won the pulitzer and a permanent place in our Top 10 of all time. We are forever fans. Read Tracy’s review here. A new release from him brings with it all the magic of childhood Christmas eves. Here’s an advanced review:

“This is a glory of a book. As its cast of characters moves us across continents and ages from ancient Greece to the present and beyond, we fall in love with the best of them—and the worst. Cloud Cuckoo Land is impossible to put down and once finished, life-changing, the kind of book you hope will come your way but almost never does. An absolute masterpiece.”—Betsy Burton, The King’s English Bookshop

Coming 10/5

Mon Amour, Amor, is back just in time to save 2021. He had me at Rules of Civility and sealed the deal with A Gentleman in Moscow. You can read my review here. From the sounds of this Kirkus starred review, our relationship is destined to remain on solid ground.

“Towles’ third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [The Lincoln Highway] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Already on Chapter 24

Were my life going according to plan, I’d have purchased this book from Myrna’s bookshop and be curled up in front of a roaring fire at the Bistro, reading its pages while snow quiets the already quiet village of Three Pines. Next to me, enjoying a licorice pipe and some hot cocoa, would be my dear friend Bonnie—who has celebrated every Penny release with me until this year. Oh how I miss her. I hope she’s in her version of heaven, one that includes the best food, the best books, and a never-ending supply of cupcakes.

Have yet to join the Penny fan club? Read my sales pitch here and here. And 24 chapters in of her latest, I already wholeheartedly agree with Amazon’s review: “Urgent, yet thoughtful, philosophical and suspenseful, The Madness of Crowds proves Penny just gets better with each novel.” —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

Posted by Rachel

The Boys are Back in School

Thinking of my book club besties today and hoping they have the best first day of school. I’ve no doubt those smarties will take the year by storm! As for me, I’m feeling pretty gleeful over the raving reviews our last round of books garnered. Just hoping Tate’s Grandma Pam doesn’t find out I sent him a book with a couple swear words in it.

This bookclub has been the highlight of my summer and I’m nowhere near ready for it to end. So as long as these boys keep reading what I keep sending, I’ll share their reviews here. A fun update from Nolan: he took a while to read The Wednesday Wars because he was so busy reading the follow up books to The False Prince and Circus Mirandus. Now that makes my book-and-Nolan-loving heart sing.

Tate(11): I liked this book a lot! The monster is my favorite character. This monster can shape-shift and it helps the boy by telling him stories and becomes his friend. The end is really sad but I still really liked it. I would give it 5 stars! Beware: there are two cuss words in it.

Jude(7): I was really happy to get this book because I like comics a lot and it was long. I liked how the character, Claudette, wanted to be a warrior. And it was cool that Gaston wanted to be a sword maker. I give this book 5 stars for sure!

Nolan(9): I thought this book was really funny! There is a little adventure but more humor. I give this book 4.5 stars. I would tell my friends to read this book. Even though the main character doesn’t like school, reading this book still gets me excited about my school starting Monday!

Posted by Rachel