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Check out our reviews and recommendations:
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Laura recommends: Cane River by Lalita Tademy What it’s about: This fictionalized family saga is the story of four generations of an African American family living in an isolated Louisiana community. Told from the perspective of three women as the family moves from slavery to the Jim Crow era to freedom, it chronicles the relationship between blacks and whites, enslaved people and slave owners, and later, between newly freed Blacks and the white people who control law and finances. A fascinating and tenderly depicted tale. Of special interest: Author Tademy quit a high-powered executive position to research and write about her family. Documents and photographs included in the text verify the stories depicted in the book, but it is her imagination and skilled storytelling that bring the stories to life. What to try next: If you want to further explore complex family relationships and the effects of prejudice, try Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis is a lyrical and bittersweet saga of a family facing hardships and discrimination.
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Misty recommends: The Other Queen [sound recording] by Philippa Gregory What it’s about: The young and beautiful Mary Queen of Scotts encounters many trials and endures great hardships and humiliations at the hand of her cousin Queen Elizabeth of England. Mixed in with this account of the time of Queen Mary's imprisonment under George Talbot’s watchful eye, the Earl of Shrewsbury, there is a tragic romance that gnashes at the very heart of the reader. I recommend this historical fiction novel to anyone who is interested in the uncertain and dramatic times of early England. Why you might like it: If you like historical fiction than you will LOVE any book by Phillipa Gregory!! You might also like: The next book in this series, The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.
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Kristin recommends: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel by Marie Benedict What happens: The famous mystery novelist Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days in 1926, and she never spoke about that time except to claim amnesia. This novel tells the story of those days from the point of view of her husband Archie, as well as imagines the story of Agatha’s and Archie’s marriage from Agatha’s point of view. As the story travels back and forth between these two timelines, the reader is forced to ask which narrator is reliable—or if neither is. Reviewers say: “Mystery lovers, especially fans of Christie's works, as well as those who enjoy period pieces, will find this an engrossing fictional answer to a real historical mystery” (Library Journal); “A compelling portrait of a marriage gone desperately sour” (Kirkus Reviews).
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Reviewers say: “Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide” (Elin Hilderbrand). What’s it about: Set in the Berkshires on Dragonfly Lake, three women come together to reassess their lives and, in the process, become fast friends. During a summer Natalie, Bella and Morgan struggle to reconcile their desires and dreams with the cards they've been dealt.
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Aimee recommends: Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan What it’s about: Tilly’s childhood was full of mystery, heartbreak, and mysticism. Her father died when she was a child. Her mother had an awful relationship with the bottle, and no one else seemed to be able to see her dog, Eli. Randomly, her mother uprooted their family to live and work with an old friend, Queenie, in her paradise hotel. Tilda, who is now an adult, has major resentment towards her now-dead mother. She finds a chest of her mother’s old diaries, and digs through them trying to figure out why she was suddenly torn from Queenie’s and sent away to boarding school. In the diaries, she learns some hard-truths and uncovers family secrets. Why you might like it: Hogan’s books are written with dual-narrative. In her two previous books, the narratives are 2 different people whose stories come together by the end. But in “Queenie Malone” the narratives are by the same person, one as a little girl, Tilly, the other as an adult woman, Tilda.
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Astrid recommends: Suspicious Minds by David Mark What it’s about: Betsy has been diagnosed with BPD and has run away from her abusive boyfriend. When she crashes her car on a country road, a local farmer comes to her rescue and she ends up staying with him to recover. Farmer Jude writes poetry, is mysterious and attentive, but also rumored to have killed his wife. Betsy is very happy with Jude but isn’t quite sure what to think... Reviewers say: “A chilling entry from a master of the dark psychological thriller--one that's uncharacteristically tempered by hope” (Kirkus Reviews); “Author Mark's way with words is the star here, describing clammy skin as ‘like a wild mushroom at dawn’ and a trophy wife with ‘costly breasts and teeth like sugar cubes.’ Questions abound until the end” (Booklist).
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Christine recommends: Tokyo Love Story : A Manga Memoir of One Woman's Journey in the World's Most Exciting City by Julie Blanchin Fujita What it’s about: Julie, a Frenchwoman, moved to Japan and spent several years living in different places. It’s an amusing visual guide exploring Japanese food and culture through a French lens. She learns Japanese, makes friends, enjoys going shopping, and even falls in love. Why you might like it: I especially liked the author’s guide to the 1970s-style apartments she lived in, especially the one with the bath out on the tiny balcony!
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Stacey recommends: The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask What it’s about: With in-depth research and a conversational style, Deirdre Mask takes the reader on a journey through streets and alleys and unnamed places. If, like me, you take street addresses for granted, this book will open your eyes to the reasons and systems that go into naming streets and numbering buildings—for better or worse. Why you might like it: If you enjoy investigating thought-provoking questions related to everyday things, this informative cultural history will delight you. Mask’s research delves into topics such as what happens when someone doesn’t have an address and how addresses have been used for good and evil.
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