A Love Letter to Libraries

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”—Jhumpa Lahiri.

Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Wished you could live inside the fantasy world you imagine so vividly while reading about it? What book would you choose? Would you travel to England to spend time in the regal world of Jane Austen or would you be drawn into the amazing adventures found in Narnia? There are so many astonishing places, but so little time. I’m glad I wandered into Kate Quinn’s new book The Astral Library—a fantasy adventure that acknowledges her childhood love of fantasy stories and serves as a “love letter to books and libraries, blending whimsical elements with a more serious, topical theme about the threats libraries face.”

Quinn overtly and covertly reminds readers that libraries are sanctuaries. When Alix Watson is having a terrible day (in a pretty bad overall life), she seeks refuge in one of her favorite places: the Boston Public Library. As she hurries inside to find a place where no one will see the tears she’s holding back, she happens upon a hidden library within the library where books are portals to other worlds. There she meets a stern guardian. Together they work to protect The Astral Library from an unknown enemy that pursues them through different literary worlds. Alix is a feisty, flawed character that has always found comfort and love within the pages of her favorite books. As a book lover myself, it’s impossible not to cheer for her.

The Astral Library is a complete 180 from previous books authored by Kate Quinn who is considered “a master of historical fiction” by many. As one who seldom seeks out the fantasy genre, I hesitated a moment before picking up this one. But Kate has never let me down, so I decided to give it a go. I was not disappointed. The rating on Goodreads is a little low, in my opinion. Fitting, I know, but I’d give The Astral Library more stars—at least 4, for the amazing classics Quinn inspired Alix to explore.

Posted by Sharee

An Ordinary-Not-So-Ordinary Story

“The best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event.” —Stephen King

Although I’m not a big horror girl, I am a fan of Annie Wilkes’ brainchild. He knows plenty about the best stories. I couldn’t agree more with The King of Horror on character-driven narratives. Take Theo of Golden, for example—the self-published, word-of-mouth phenom is remarkable largely because Theo is remarkable. Theo is the sun around which the story’s solar system revolves. The same holds true for Ariel Lawhon’s latest historical novel, The Frozen River. Martha Ballard is the polestar, the guiding light through Lawhon’s captivating pages.

Martha Ballard is a real-life protagonist. Born in Oxford, Maine, in 1735, Martha became a lighthouse for future midwives and healers. Despite not having any formal medical training, she delivered 800 babies that we know of and never lost a mother. Not one. Midwifery in the 18th century was a tough row to hoe, but Martha was a cool-headed pioneer. Her survival rate shines, even amid today’s rates. Because Martha was a faithful journal writer, Harvard historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was able to “transform what most considered ‘trivia’ into a groundbreaking micro-history” surrounding this ordinary-not-so-ordinary woman. No doubt Martha was the inspiration for Ulrich’s famous statement: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

Lawhon, a meticulous researcher and emotionally compelling writer, made sure we all feel doubly blessed and doubly fortunate by offering readers a “gripping blend of 18th century historical detail, intense murder mystery, and [a] compelling true-life story.” Bringing forgotten, sometimes misunderstood, women to light is her specialty. Who doesn’t want to learn about a quiet, strong, unsung heroine? Martha Ballard is an inspiration. If you’re still wondering whether this book is for you, consider this: “Atmospheric, unique and elegantly written, The Frozen River will satisfy mystery lovers and historical fiction enthusiasts alike.”

Posted by Tracy

Time for a Ghost Story?

Book club got me again! When my reading group picked Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, my first thought was I haven’t read a Nicholas Spark’s book in over 30 years, and M. Night is a little too spooky for me. Another book not really in my wheelhouse. What am I doing in this book club?  Several supernatural pages later, and I have to admit, I liked this book more than I ever imagined I would. A solid four stars for sure. 

Tate Donovan is a New York architect who’s struggled with depression since the death of his beloved sister. On her deathbed, Sylvia informs Tate that she can see spirits that are still tethered to our world. (A gift Sylvia maintains their family is blessed with.) Tate doesn’t think much of otherworldly connections—he’s just trying to find a way to keep his head above water. 

When Tate decides to head to Cape Cod to build his best friend’s dream house and give himself a fresh start in the game of life, he takes up residence in an old bed and breakfast that hasn’t had visitors for a very long time. Queue the spooky music. In the Cape, he meets Wren, the only person he’s noticed staying at the house. He’s drawn to her. Tate soon realizes that Wren may not be what she appears to be. The clock is ticking as he tries to uncover the gruesome truth that has Wren trapped. The twists and turns that follow will keep you spellbound, which is M. Night’s true talent. 

Ryan Steck, a well-established reviewer of mysteries and thrillers, had this to say about Remain: “Think The Notebook meets The Sixth Sense, Remain is an atmospheric, emotional ghost story that blends romance and the supernatural with mixed but memorable results.” If Steck’s review doesn’t pique your interest, then maybe knowing M. Night is currently working on the movie Remain with Jake Gyllenhaal as Tate Donovan will.   

Posted by Sharee

A Million Tiny Sparks

“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”—Plato

Some books should come with a warning label. You know the ones that tear you apart and stitch you back up? (Think Transcendent Kingdom or The Snow Child.) While others should come as a total surprise—the kind that develop a reputation for exceeding all expectations. Think about the last time pages unexpectedly gripped you. I have yet to recover from The Silent Patient’s massive twist. Years later, Project Hail Mary still grabs my heart. (Long before Ryan Gosling got involved.) O Hamnet, O Hamnet, wherefore art thou? Let’s be honest, the wheels on Doig’s bus make the world go round and round. It’s hard for me to explain the way books like All the Glimmering Stars or The Nightingale, doused in deep raw emotion, give more essence to my tiny but personal universe. Books like Theo of Golden are a million tiny sparks. They’re All the Light We Cannot See. I do not exaggerate when I say Allen Levi just molded my soul some.

If Rae gets her wish and a required reading list for life materializes, Theo of Golden should be on it, no question. Here are the bones of this blessed book: an enigmatic elderly Portuguese man shows up in a small Georgian town named Golden. Theo is private but pleasant. When he visits the local coffee shop, he’s enchanted by the framed pencil portraits that line the shop’s walls. All 92 of them. His inspiration to purchase the renderings and gift them to their rightful owners leads to sincere, meaningful exchanges where the transformative power of kindness is on full display. Theo embodies Levi’s belief that, “The best portion of a good person’s life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” To witness it is to feel wonder. Theo shakes the world in the most gentle way. By time you close the cover, you’ll want to be like Theo. You’ll want to do the same.

There’s much more to the story than I’ve described. Things I didn’t anticipate. I just can’t stop basking in pages fraught with real wisdom. Wisdom about sadness. About friendship. About how to treat people who are vastly different than you. About what marks success. About beauty and stillness. About the pure unadulterated magic of kindness. About how to live life. I shudder to think of a world void of books that give soul to my universe and wings to my mind. And, more importantly, clarity to my heart.

Posted by Tracy

Cozy Comeuppance & Just Desserts

“After a long day, there's nothing better than some cozy slippers.” –Carly Pearce

“Cozy crime novels offer the perfect escape, blending suspense with comfort, where villains always get their comeuppance and the only thing to fear is running out of snacks.”

Last weekend, Rachel and I were among some folks who like to get away. Why you ask? We were in a Nashville state of mind. Mouth-watering tacos, late-night convos, and gripping books were consumed. It shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows us that we spent time in Ann Patchett’s Parnassus Books. The Green Hill’s bookstore was quiet and quaint. It had the literary luminary’s fingerprints all over it. (Hints of Nemo’s presence lingered too.) It’s safe to say, that Parnassus Books felt like a cozy haven. And while I’m not here to debate with the Grammy-winning country singer, comfy slippers can’t compete with a cozy read in a clean, well-lighted place.

I know because I just finished a cozy crime novel that I absolutely loved. (Yes, that is a real subgenre of mystery fiction.) The year is 1910. Haley’s Comet is set to make an up-close and personal appearance in our cosmic backyard, including the small tidal island off the Cornish coastline named World’s End. Lord Conrad Stockingham-Welt, the pompous Viscount of Tithe Hall, believes it is the end of times. And for him it is. He’s found murdered in his sealed study. I can’t wait for you to meet the most unlikely amateur detective duo in second footman, the unlucky but loveable Stephen Pike, and the brilliant, brash, science-minded Great-Aunt Decima. (She cracks me up. And while she does drop F-bombs, they’re merely emphatic, I promise.) This page turner supplied twists and turns and laughs out loud. I’m with the reviewer who gushed, “I was immediately charmed by the unexpected crime-solving duo at its core, and I’ll happily follow foul-mouthed Miss Decima and steadfast Stephen Pike through many more mysteries; their dynamic is utterly delightful.”

P.S. This one is definitely worth a listen—theatre-trained Joe Jameson did a fantastic job of bringing Montgomery’s memorable characters to life. He’s one of my new favorite narrators.

Posted by Tracy

Just The Tip of a Literary Mystery

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.”—W. Somerset Maugham

For me, reflection always blows in with the new year. What worked, what hurt—I’ll deliberate a bit about it all. No need to waste time baggin’ on 2025, but I wouldn’t want to relive it. The good news is it was a great reading year. If you can believe it, we may have an even more promising year ahead. Tayari Jones, Jane Harper, Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett, Maggie O’Farrell, and Marie Bendict all have new releases in 2026. Sounds like literary bliss to me.

Here I am letting yesterday and tomorrow use up too much of my post. Patti Callahan Henry is calling me back to the present. I’m so glad the best-selling author took her own advice to “find the stories and subjects that startle you, change you, and challenge you.” If not, we wouldn’t have The Story She Left Behind. Callahan Henry set out to write a book about Beatrix Potter—she was enticed by the fact that Bea developed her own secret language, so her mother couldn’t snoop and read her private diary. This sent CH down a rabbit hole. (Wink, wink.) She then discovered a child prodigy, Barbara Newhall Follett, who published novels at ages 12 and 14. She too developed a new language and vocabulary. (You’ve gotta love these female creatives!) That was just the tip of the mystery. After an argument with her husband, Follett (age 25) walked out of her apartment with 30 dollars in her pocket and vanished, never to be seen again. A literary mystery was born—one that wouldn’t let go of CH when she heard it.

You’ll be captivated by the way Callahan Henry treats this real-life literary mystery. The novel’s setting pulled me back into a few otherworldly study abroad days spent in the splendor of the Lake District. It made me crave a visit to “the loveliest spot man has found.”  

P.S. If you need more incentive to run grab a copy of The Story She Left Behind, take it from one of Rachel’s imaginary besties, Louise Penny, who gushed—“Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down."

Posted by Tracy

Nothing Beats a Book Hangover

“The things that we love tell us what we are.”

The clock has yet to strike midnight, and I’ve already got a hangover. I haven’t had a drop of alcohol. Not a sip of liquor. The only ever source of my “hangovers” comes from reading the best books. As it happened last night, I told myself I’d turn out the lights after I finished the chapter; I just didn’t realize I meant the final chapter. I suppose Rachel is to blame for my 5 a.m. bedtime. (Bless her generous, sterling, book-lovin’ heart.)  Last month, out of the blessed blue, Rae sent me the source of my book hangover—she sent me Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. “A deeply compassionate book,” it turned up in my life when I needed it most.

So, before the ball drops and the party horns blow, let me say if you want to ring in the new year with some amazing pages, look no further than Bonhomie, Ohio. Set in small-town America, Bonhomie is not immune to the effects of World Wars, or the Vietnam War, for that matter. Ryan’s story revolves around two married couples whose lives intersect in surprising ways. When Margaret Salt walks into the town’s hardware store to see if they have a radio, she meets Cal Jenkins for the first time. Such a simple initial moment combined with impulsivity breeds all sorts of complications, not to mention secrets. But it also creates some stunning opportunities to accept, even embrace, the fact that relationships are messy. For me, Ryan’s brilliance shines brightest in his message that love and forgiveness are ultimately synonyms—they’re forces that transcend mistakes, hardships, deceptions, secrets, and grief. A message that had me crying in the tired hours. What a beautiful, brilliant book. I couldn’t agree more with Emily Fridlund, “Patrick Ryan tells a story we very much need right now; how forgiveness might creep up—despite everything—over time, tender and elusive and ever-complex. I was taken in by this book, utterly transported.”

Posted by Tracy

Sometimes Home Is A Good Book

“At Christmas, all roads lead home.” –Marjorie Holmes

I’m with Marjorie: “At Christmas, all roads lead home.” And sometimes home is a good book. I love when bricks and mortar wondrously transform into a safe haven, into a comfort zone—that’s when a house becomes a home. I’m equally enamored with pages that become a comfortable place. Where I can escape and connect with newfound friends who feel more like family than fictional characters. I just finished Mona’s Eyes. As I read the epilogue, it felt like being warmed by the fire.

Hailed by Barnes & Noble as their 2025 Book of the Year, Mona’s Eyes is different from other books you’ve read. It’s an art history lesson disguised as a novel. If you love art, you’ll love this journey across five centuries of tour de force masterpieces. The story surrounding the art lessons is a tender one. When 10-year-old Mona lost her sight temporarily—the blindness incident lasted 63 minutes—her family frantically searched for answers. Her grandfather, lovingly referred to as Dadé, is an intelligent art history manque. He worries that if Mona loses her sight permanently, her visual memories will be devoid of wonder. A grandpa on a mission, he determines “to fill [his granddaughter’s] eyes with beauty for all time.” He volunteers to take Mona to a therapist every Wednesday after school. For one year. Turns out, the therapist is secretly named Art.

For fifty-two weeks, Dadé and Mona venture first to the Louvre, then the Musee d’Orsay, and finally, Beaubourg. (Good thing Mona’s gifted or this therapy would’ve failed for the average 10-year-old.) Together, they share keen insights. But their time is so much more than that. Their relationship is the heartbeat of the story. Their love and admiration for each other, their shared understanding, is, quite possibly, the most breathtaking art of all. Love that heals is light in Mona’s darkness. And that’s why I felt right at home. Home is simply wherever you’re surrounded by people you love.

Posted by Tracy