MrsK Books: 04/01/2025

Friday, April 4, 2025

Spring Retreat for Seasoned Readers

Sara Nisha Adams

ISBN: 9780063025288

Publisher's Synopsis:

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

"Everyone needs to ask for help sometimes..."

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction

Meet Mukesh, a gentle man who is in a season without his beloved Naina. Not really alone since his daughters have lives that are full. Yet, there is a cloak of loneliness that covers him in aloneness. Until the day he chooses to step forward. Those steps lead him to the small library in his community. Naina's books kept her company, he never took the time to "enter" into her world of books... maybe it's time?

Meet Aleisha, she has taken a summer job at the Harrow Road library. Her brother, Aiden, always claimed that this library was peaceful, the people were "endlessly fascinating," and that he could find a "sense of quiet companionship" within its endless shelves of journeys. Currently, her "Mum shift" was all she did outside of the library job. Aiden and she shared the care of their mother, well truth be told Aiden did the most for her Mum, he always had.

Meet Priya, who is carrying on her grandmother's legacy. Naina had encouraged her desire for good books. Now, her grandfather is opening his life to her as he discovers his relationship with her. Is there an avenue for them to grow together?

Meet Nilakshi, Naina's friend. It's been so long since she had seen Mukesh. Out of concern, she has decided that it was time for her to move beyond her grief and reach out to Mukesh. Companionship is valued when grief has moved on.

Meet Indira, Izzy, Chris, and Zac those whose life will become interwoven by the book list and the "Big Library Get-Together." Their journey repairs the foundation for the Harrow Road Library. When a community center, an area's hub, seems to be "outdated" how can those who value its existence keep its doors open for tomorrow's readers?

Once in a while a book is in hand, a book that proclaims, "Here is a journey... crying open me... experience the journey within these pages." To be read by those who know the power of sharing... "in case you need it!"

MrsK

With a "quiet" gentleness of uniqueness,

this book list weaves its characters' lives through their own reviews of these titles.

As a book reviewer, I applaud Karen Hawkins for the crafting of this endearing journey.

" A Bookish Wonderland"

Meet the Author:

Sara is a writer and editor. She lives in London and was born in Hertfordshire to Indian and English parents. Her debut novel The Reading List is partly inspired by her grandfather, who lived in Wembley and immediately found a connection with his granddaughter through books.

Karen Hawkins

ISBN: 9781982195960

Publisher's Synopsis:

When an antique tin of love letters is found hidden in her family home, noted historian Tay Dove rushes home to Dove Pond to investigate. Tay is still reeling from a romantic betrayal, so she’s relieved to refocus her energies on her latest a biography of her great-great-grandmother Sarafina, a star reporter who began her career in Dove Pond in the late 19th century before abruptly leaving town.

Tay believes the letters could be the key in solving what happened, but they only add to her questions—especially when they reveal a forbidden love affair with William Day, a wild youth who took part in a notorious train robbery. Some answers might be found in eighty-year-old Rose Day’s bookshop, which doubles as a town archive, but Rose is curiously resistant to give Tay access. Just when Tay thinks she’s reached a dead end, she finds an unlikely ally in Rose’s grandson, Luke, a fellow puzzle lover. Together, they set out to uncover what really happened all those years ago…and find the truth behind a love story that could be more precious than gold.

"I'm without you, and it's as if my soul has lost its way...

I think of you and all the darkness disappears,

because you are my brightness, my light..."

MrsK's Review: Mystery

Tay is dedicated to her writing, her research, and to her love for literature. She has a PhD in history and works at a University in Boston. Yet, an unexpected circumstance derails her current assignment. When Tay learns that her sisters discovered an antique tin of love letters belonging to her great-great grandmother Sarafina Dove, she feels "called" to return to Dove Pond. With such a delightful and intriguing discovery, the allure to the possibilities of a new research project might just be the distraction she needs to refocus and begin a better path. Who wouldn't want to know more about a famous ancestor? Will Tay be able to use the Dove family "gifted" talents to discover who and why someone was writing love letters to her "married" great-great grandmother?

Rose's Bookshop is a generational bookshop in Dove Pond. Every reader knows the "calling" of an established book shop. The smell of the "welcoming" pages that greets you when the bell over the door announces that arrival of a new discovery. Rose is the perfect guardian of the town's archives. At 82, Rose is perceptive, willing to let her readers wander the shelves, can match a reader with a book that is desperately needed, and is always "turning pages of her ever-present book" at the checkout counter.

Will Tay uncover the "hidden" truth of her ancestor William Day?

Luke is Rose's grandson. Currently he has returned to Dove Pond to help Rose raise Lulu, his sister's little, yet inquisitive daughter. Luke had received a full scholarship to Georgia Tech and graduated early. Everything seemed to come easily to Luke. For the present, his leaving his career to look after his niece was an unexpected characteristic. What will he do with this new journey home?

Sarafina showed talent in New York City, she had left Dove Pond for the big city and her dream as a writer for the New York World newspaper. All that anyone could remember about her move, was that at 19, in 1897, a young lady heading to New York to become a writer was quite an extraordinary decision. After a series of reports, as an "undercover" reporter, she gained high notoriety for being likened to Nellie Bly.

William, everyone in Dove Pond in 1890, knew how William and two other men had robbed a train ending in a gun fight. All three of the men went to prison. Why would a train robber write notes to a female reporter, especially one who was married to a wealthy man?

Such a delightfully crafted story. Within these pages, a story unfolds. One in which the main character will "hone" her craft, as well as her ability to discover relationships that will fulfill her heart's desire Another that recognized that living involves taking a risk when truth sends you on a pathway that must be derailed. Courageously crafted... a reader's delight with book quotes that must be remembered,

MrsK.

Rose's was special... "the thousands of books that waited for new homes,

all carefully selected by the meticulous curator."

Meet the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible.

Percival Everett

ISBN: 9780385550369

Publisher's Synopsis:

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

"Waiting is a big part of a slave's life...

Waiting for demands. Waiting for food. Waiting for the ends of days.

Waiting for the just and deserved Christian reward at the end of it all."

MrsK's Review: Excellent Rendition of Huck Finn and Jim

James, a man who meets life with courage, sincerity, and determined hope. Secrets are a given part of life. For many, they learn situational translations. Some learn to read and write. Some learn to "read" others... and then there are those who secretly must do what they must do.

This journey creates a woven backstory to Twain's classic tale of Huck and Jim. What I discovered was heart-warming. Revisiting characters that had planted seeds of explorations, daily adventures, and a common understanding of "goodness" in each other. When childhood matures into adulthood, there remains a hardship against the wrongs we meet in our world.

When Jim must leave Sadie and Lizzie, it's not a runaway that is selfish, it's a grander love that signifies a determined hope. When Jim meets Huck on the island, it's a courageous friendship that helps them survive the escape. When Jim meets with evil... that's when what matters most must be action that will bring a renewed safety. Commonality can only become grace... when we seek to do what's right, life becomes a value statement of decency.

In life, there are some who enter into our seasons, they experience our moments that we aren't sure we can get through... that someone speaks volumes into your story... blessing or not.... they are etched within your heart. Gratitude is an aged seasoning that becomes a fondness that is lifeless...

MrsK

"I kin keep me a secret, Huck. I kin keep yo secret, too."

Meet the Author:

There might not be a more fertile mind in American fiction today than Everett’s. In 22 years, he has written 19 books, including a farcical Western, a savage satire of the publishing industry, a children’s story spoofing counting books, retellings of the Greek myths of Medea and Dionysus, and a philosophical tract narrated by a four-year-old.

James Patterson and Dolly Parton

ISBN: 9780759554344

Publisher's Synopsis:

From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller—a thriller about a young singer/songwriter on the rise and on the run and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.

Every song tells a story.

She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.

She’s also on the run. Find a future, lose a past.

Nashville is where she’s come to claim her destiny. It’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her. And destroy her. Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire—a story that only America’s #1 most beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.

"Is it easy... No, it ain't.

Can I fix it... No, I cain't."

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction

Meet AnnieLee a spirited and talented songwriter. She is fleeing someone, someone who will hunt her, someone who haunts her, someone who is a dangerous reminder of a life she had to leave. As long as she can remember, she's been making melodies. Her story begins when the "dazzling" red brake lights offer her a ride to her Nashville destination.

Meet Ruthanna, one of country music's "grandest queens." She's determined to remain retired, yet her writing songs and gathering her small group of musicians into her home for her "recording" of songs is baffling since... she would never release them to the public. Would she even agree to receive another honor award at this year's Country Music Awards?

Meet Ethan, a guitarist who is grateful to be hired by Ruthanna for her "recording" sessions. Often times, Ethan, plays at Ruthanna's bar. When he hears this young girl with a borrowed guitar, he knows that Ruthanna must hear her "celestial" voice. What he isn't prepared for is the job he is given. A matter of life or death.

When AnnieLee steps into the perfect dive bar... she is determined that this will be her Nashville debut. "Will you be the one to give me my first big break?" Boldly, she has entered the Cat's Paw Saloon. Would anyone recognize that she sang for joy? This was the moment that she would "woman up and take like a man." Her life depended on it!

AnnieLee's story is a true country melody. From rags to promised riches. From a fear that causes a leap beyond faith. From a bold acceptance to an acclaimed future. However, you, the reader, interprets this story... I'm sure you will discover a melody that is endearing...

MrsK

"But I sure ain't gonna take it lyin' down."

Meet the Authors:

Dolly Rebecca Parton is a Grammy Award-winning country music singer/songwriter, author, actress and philanthropist. To date, she remains one of the most successful country artists, with 25 number-one singles (a record for a female performer) and 42 top 10 country albums (more than anyone else).

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster Eruption. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)