| All The Lost Places by Amanda DykesWhat it is: A lyrical dual-timeline novel that takes place in a vividly depicted Venice in 1904 and the early 1800s.
What happens: Discovered floating in a basket in a canal, Sebastien Trovato is raised by Venetian guild members, but ponders his origins. Years later, San Francisco ex-con Daniel Goodman finds himself in the city searching for answers about a rare book connected to Sebastien.
Reviewers say: This latest from Christy Award winner Amanda Dykes is "magical" (Booklist) and "an epic tale of beauty and redemption" (Library Journal). |
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The setup: Making the trek from Texas to Indiana, Yvonne Wilson has just one goal in mind: to convince Amishman Jake Lantz to sell her client a rare book from his collection. But Jake promised his grandfather to never sell the book Yvonne wants to buy - a promise he plans to keep. The complication: Eva Graber has loved Jake since he hired her to work in his bookstore years ago, but he doesn’t seem to notice she’s blossomed into a beautiful woman. When Yvonne shows up and seems like she might turn Jake’s eye, Eva suggests she and Jake should read the book together to find out what’s so special about it. What happens: Reading the book leads the trio deep into mysterious questions about life and death, love and loss, and the impenetrable purposes of God. |
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| The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn GreenDerby, Maine, 1942: Just before her librarian brother heads to war, newlywed Avis agrees to run their hometown library in his absence.
What happens: There's some opposition, so to prevent the library's closure, non-reader Avis starts a book club featuring current and classic books. The women members band together as the war hits close to home and their friendships are tested by secrets.
For fans of: Leisurely paced bookish reads, stories about small-town friendships, and World War II historical novels centered on women's experiences. |
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The setup: When their father’s death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers convinces her sisters to open their seaside home to guests to provide for their ailing mother. Emily and Georgiana agree, but Viola, who wears a veil to cover a scar, detests the idea. What happens: Determined to stay together, the sisters begin the new venture. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family. Meanwhile: The new situation exposes Viola’s scars - both the visible and those hidden deep within - and her cloistered heart will never be the same. |
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Books You May Have Missed
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| Harvest Moon by Denise HunterLife-changing events: When friends die in an accident and leave behind a young daughter, a divorced couple move in together to care for the girl and end up realizing they still love each other.
Why you might like it: This heartwarming story takes place across three different time periods: present day, the period when the couple's marriage was ending, and when they were high school sweethearts.
Series alert: Part of the Riverbend Romance series that centers around a small town along the Appalachian Trail, this heartwarming third novel can, like the previous entries, be enjoyed on its own. |
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Calcutta, 1886: Adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, Ottilie Russell belongs to both and neither. To support her little brother Thaddeus and her grandmother, she relies upon her embroidery skills that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women. What happens: News arrives that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman. Shattered by the secrets that come to light, Ottilie refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes and Ottilie and is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home. But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn’t forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land. |
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The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda CoxPresent day: After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother, Rosemary, announces that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a pact to save the store, but Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons - but she'll certainly never reveal the real one.
1965: Confessing to her family that she's pregnant with her deceased fiancé's baby, Glory Ann is pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve the family reputation. Vowing never to love again, Glory Ann finds some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.Why you might like it: This dual-timeline story deftly explores the complexity of a mother-daughter dynamic, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives of others, and the healing power of telling the truth. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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