ISBN: 9780593201459
Publisher's Synopsis:
Brooklyn has been happily settling into married life with her hunky husband, security expert Derek Stone, when a little black book arrives in the mail on a quiet Saturday afternoon. The book is a rare British first edition of Rebecca, and inside, Brooklyn finds a note from her old friend Claire Quinn, asking her to restore it to its former luster. The two women met while working as expert appraisers on the television show This Old Attic. Brooklyn appraised books on the show and Claire's expertise was in antique British weaponry, but they bonded over their shared love of gothic novels.The day after the book arrives, Claire shows up at Brooklyn and Derek's home--in disguise. She believes her life is in danger, and as soon as Derek sits her down and questions her, Claire reveals that in the last few weeks she has experienced two near-fatal attacks, along with weird notes left in her mailbox, hang-up phone calls, and one very scary car chase. She's afraid that her past is catching up to her. When Claire was only nine years old, she witnesed several men, one of whom was her father, planning a terrible crime. And now it seems that she's been followed, bringing the threats against her literally to Brooklyn's doorstep. Can Brooklyn page through the clues to keep her friend's past from destroying their future?
"How can I make you whole again?
How can I improve your life?"
MrsK's Review: Bibliophile Mystery
Meet Brooklyn a bookbinder who specializes in rare book restorations. She and her husband, Derek, has just returned from a trip to Dharma. Even though she was preparing to begin repairing the latest book in need of repair, her husband informed her that someone has sent her a book from Oddlochen, Scotland. What brought momentary joy became one of the most "life-threatening" journeys for both of them.
Derek is a security expert who is charming, considerate, and the one man you would want around when so many mysterious and murdering situations are part of your everyday life.
Alex is a former CIA operative who has her own business. She enjoys baking some of the "tastiest" cupcakes any friend in need would appreciate. As a neighbor who just happens to be as dangerous as Derek, obviously joins the hunt for those who are in a violent "race" to steal Rebecca.
Gwyneth is someone that worked with Derek. Why would she be sending Derek a book? It should have come for Brooklyn. Even though a first, British, signed edition of Rebecca is beyond value, a suspense novel is not necessarily a gift that Derek would be interested in. Until...
Claire once worked on a television show that featured treasured heirlooms, she and Brookly once shared a bookish comradery. It's a while since they were in contact with one another. Claire is an antique weaponry specialist. Why is she at their door looking for Derek?
Inspector Lee can be cynical, yet she is fair with precision instincts and will do what is needed to get these killers before anyone else succumbs.
Could a book in need of repair really cause murderers to begin showing up? Would any of Derek's Interpol contacts be of assistance? Will they locate Gwyneth? Why would an "odd and dramatic" gothic mystery be so important that killers would travel to and from Scotland? Evidently, it is true...
"Books can kill!"
"It's all about the book. Every time Brooklyn and Derek are dragged into something dangerous... well let's just say... even owning a book could cost you!
With excellent story-weaving threads, perfectly crafted characters, many moments of playful bantering, an intriguing Victorian castle by the Loch, and cryptographic codes... this book will fulfill your hours with every page turned.
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Golden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.
ISBN: 9780425242186
Publisher's Synopsis:
Lindsey is getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Lindsey’s friend Beth wants to sell the editor her children’s book, but Beth’s boyfriend, a famous author, gets in the way. When they go to confront him, he’s found murdered—and Beth is the prime suspect. Lindsey has to act fast—before they throw the book at the wrong person."There is nothing better than sharing..."
MrsK's Review: Mystery + Book about Books
Meet Lindsey, the director of the Briar Creek Library. Currently she is learning to knit during the "crafternoon" book club. The book club is discussing du Maurier's Rebecca and its comparison to Jane Eyre. Lindsey knows what is like to find out that there's another woman in a relationship. She will be the one who will help Beth uncover the truth about Rick's true identity.
Violet is a retired actress who volunteers at the Briar Creek Community Theater. She will be stepping in for Beth. As a Little Red Hen storyteller, she will captivate the fun of Storytime even when her young audience lets her know "she stinks."
Beth is the perfect children's librarian. If I was back in the classroom/library, I would take her Mrs. Potts Storytime into a real book-stomping experience. Currently, Beth has just finished her picture book. Given that her boyfriend, Rick, is an author, she was hoping he would help her get her treasured story published, yet that unfortunately becomes a challenge... especially since he is found dead! Now Beth is determined to find out "who" she was really dating.
Finally, there's Ms. Cole, the librarian who has lived out her life in Briar Creek. As with every older and steadfast librarian, well let's be kind and just say she is very set in her ways of how all employees should be following the protocol and steps that were designed years ago. I wonder, will Lindsey's kindness create a new measure of possibilities to Ms. Cole's daily routines?
Sydney is an editor, which just happens to be Rick's editor. A friend of the library mentioned Beth's book and set up a lunch date for Beth to discuss publishing her book. Unfortunately, this editor believes that Beth is not the author of the picture book she's looking at. Why would an editor have such a strong reaction to an author's manuscript? What does she know? Will she be willing to reveal "who" Rick really is?
Can anyone resist the joy of discovery when you first enter a public library. So many books, quiet contemplations, whispering discussions, the enticing book spines... just awaiting its newest reader.
Match a library + a reader and add a dash of murder.
Is there a better way to curl up in your favorite spot for an evening of sleuthing?
MrsK
"Perhaps no place in any community
is so totally democratic as the
town library.
The only entrance requirement...
is interest."
Lady Bird Johnson
Meet the Author:
 Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with books, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
ISBN: 9780593724729
Publisher's Synopsis:
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.
"Yet within these pages, like specimens threaded with pins
and trapped behind glass...
is every species of faerie yet encountered by man..."
MrsK's Review: Fantasy
Emily is not an easy character to figure out, especially since she tries to be self-sufficient with a streak of stubborn focus that leads to many difficulties. Granted, I knew nothing about fairies beyond Tink. Yet, spending a lifetime exploring the "Hidden Ones," their cultural homelands, their folklore, and some of their magic explains Emily's newest exploration of Hrafnsvik, Ljosland (a five-day journey from London). Though she is an excellent researcher, a scholar from Cambridge, and an authority on Dryadology, she is not at ease around people. Emily is at her best with her books, research, as well as her devotion of her quest in completing the first encyclopedia of faeries.
Shadow is Emily's faithful companion and protector. With what appears to be an "accusatory resignation," he will be more than an overgrown... slightly blind... boarhound.
Finn is the landowner's son. He is kindhearted, willing to help Emily in the rough weather of winter (especially with the wood-cutting), and the one who will gather the villagers when Emily is in dire straits. Finn's understanding of the "Wee Folks" is that they are child sized. The "Brownies" are the ones that involve themselves in the lives of mortals (thefts, curses, or blessings). The "Trouping Fae" is those who travel in groups, especially the winter ones. Then there are the "Tall ones," who are more than unkind to the humans. Finn will be the one who introduces Emily to Aud, the village headwoman.
Bambleby is Emily's coworker, co-author, and prolific professor at Cambridge. Even though he appears entertaining, there is much about him that Emily doesn't trust. Self-assured and extremely knowledgeable about the most unknown Fae behaviors, he tends to tell Emily what she shouldn't do. Why he has decided to come and "stay" with her is beyond what Emily wants. He has an extreme way of irritating her to the point of distraction. Will he try to be the sole author of her research? Will he be a guardian over Emily or will Emily be his guardian?
Aud, the headwoman in the village. Displease her, and everyone will follow her decision. She is more than wise; she knows firsthand the way of the Faes. She is wise about healings and curses. Will she encourage the village to welcome Emily and discuss their stories of the Hidden Ones, or will she shun Emily? She will be needed for Emily to be accepted and out of danger.
Poe is the first brownie that Emily meets in Ljosland. He admires Emily's coat and becomes willing to barter with her for his fresh baked bread (a staple that her landlord doesn't have any chef ability other than burnt). Poe's tree is not far from where Emily is staying. He has met Bambleby and isn't comfortable around him. Poe will be instrumental in the knowledge about the hidden ones. As he fellowships with Emily, he becomes the most endearing of characters.
Throughout the weaving of the story, you will be delighted that Emily has provided foot notes to educate you about all things dealing her faerie research. For a reader like me, this proved beneficial, especially on the pages in which your mind swirls around the lore of the Hidden Ones. A brilliant addition to Emily's research is the inserted tales from the village. These are delightful folklore that helped you stay connected to the thread that the village knows life with the Hidden Ones.
If fantasy, folk tales, and fairies have been your reading destination. You can't miss this series. If you once enjoyed Disney's Tink or Lady Cottington's Fairy Album or Fairies by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, then you will want to add this series to your forever shelf...
MrsK
"The forest has a different quality now, girded with winter.
It no longer dozes among its autumn finery...
but holds itself in tension, watchful and waiting."
"A faerie stone with a crack running down it, has been spent and is thus harmless.
An intact stone should be left untouched..."
Meet the Author:
I'm the author of books for adults and children, including Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Even the Darkest Stars, Ember and the Ice Dragons, The School Between Winter and Fairyland, and more.
ISBN: 9780593594391
Publisher's Synopsis:
From dealing with your mean teenage daughter to rebelling against the latest diet trend, America’s newest standup sensation packs a hilarious punch with her real talk about what it’s like to be a regular woman today. For a long time, no one pulling the strings in the comedy world thought that an over-fifty woman from rural Tennessee could make it in the industry. But Leanne Morgan has defied the odds, reaching millions with her musings on menopause, Weight Watchers, and her opposites-attract relationship with her husband, Chuck. In her charming, Southern-accented voice, Morgan brings readers inside her quest to find her calling after so many years trying to figure out what that meant. Along the way, she discusses everything from growing up as a butcher’s daughter, to her strategy for landing a husband with health insurance, to the glories of aging and the comfort of wearing big old grannie panties. Equal parts warm and hilarious, this book is a must-read by one of comedy’s rising stars—reminding you that every time life leaves you asking, “What in the world?”, something good is going to come out of it someday."Is there a more beautiful sight than thousands of darling,
women laughing so hard they wee-wee themselves?"
MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction/Humorous
Were you someone who took home economics back in the day? Do you talk enough for you and your spouse? Have you ever been to a convention or comedy hour in which it was pure wisdom that you were wearing a pad? If so, this could be the book that brings a smile, an outright laughing spree, or a moment in which you discover you really aren't as off balanced as others might think you are!
In her mid-fifties, Leanne has found her calling as a Grand Ole Opry and Netflix comedian. She has an unabashed outlook on life. She is a southern woman who has "ridden the roller coaster" of life. Family life on a ranch brought many skills, including stocking shelves, watching her daddy butcher their livestock, and sitting at the cash register to spin her tales.
She was influenced by Clorox TV ads, Vanna White's ability to turn those letters, and Paul Lynde's dazzling wit. In college, she was influenced by Erica Kane, crazy right? With a failed marriage she began searching for her future. With a degree and husband, what comes next... babies with maybe a side career in showbiz.
While Leanne begins believing in herself, she was still being a mom. Sometimes we are in a wait room for God's timing. Sometimes there's a reason that interrupts our journey, yet when all is aligned the past pathways always makes sense as we grow into our new seasons. As a mother of three, doing comedy clubs where college-aged kids enjoyed her take on life as a T-Ball mom and jokes about "confusing poop with chocolate" were funny.
This was a gift of joy and giggles. We all reach those seasons when we can get "stuck" in the corners of our minds. If you need an uplifting, straight talking discovery, you will enjoy these short passages of hope, can-do, and definitely relatable moments of truth. We aren't in this alone, sometimes it takes an honest voice to get us going for it...
MrsK
"I needed to learn to be grateful for the valleys because
God had me there for a reason... and Hallelujah,
it gave me great stories to tell."
Leanne Morgan is a comedian, actress, writer, producer, wife, mother, and grandmama. Her first Netflix special, I’m Every Woman, was one of the most-watched specials on Netflix in 2023. Leanne has been named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list and Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch list. When she’s not on the road, Leanne loves to be at home in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband, three children, two grandbabies, and beagle.
ISBN: 9780312571429
Publisher's Synopsis:
"A truly inspiring story, in gorgeous prose, about one family's journey into blueberry farming. Delicious reading.", Naomi Wolf, author of "The End of America". The Blueberry Years is a mouth-watering and delightful memoir based on Jim Minick's trials and tribulations as an organic blueberry farmer. This story of one couple and one farm shows how our country's appetite for cheap food affects how that food is grown, who does or does not grow it, and what happens to the land. But this memoir also calls attention to the fragile nature of our global food system and our nation's ambivalence about what we eat and where it comes from. Readers of Michael Polland and Barbara Kingsolver will savor the tale of Jim's farm and the exploration of larger issues facing agriculture in the United States like the rise of organic farming, the plight of small farmers, and the loneliness common in rural America. Ultimately, The Blueberry Years tells the story of a place shaped by a young couple's dream, and how that dream ripened into one of the mid-Atlantic's first certified-organic, pick-your-own blueberry farms."They come to fill buckets and pans, canning jars, freezer bags,
pie crusts, and always the ever-waiting tongue. They come to visit
and eat, to sate the hungers of loneliness and body."
MrsK's Review: Memoir/Autobiography
Once in a while a book's cover attracts your attention and you pick it up to see what journey would await you. This wasn't a typical find, I wasn't considering it as a summer read, and yet since my days with Blueberries for Sal... my absolute favorite berry of the summer... and our garden's need for rejuvenation... this book came to our small-town home.
Meet Jim and Sarah... two young schoolteachers who purchased ninety aches of dirt. They began with six varieties of blueberries that would bloom throughout the summer of 1991. With grit and dreams of staying home and enjoying the "good life," they purchase land and moved to Floyd County, Virginia. Their farm had creeks, a spring, and a long history. Of course, a long history might suggest ready to farm, or it could mean that they would begin their first seasons with the same type of hard work that the early homesteaders experienced (this is when I began my delightful summer journey... a few chapters at a time... eating our own blueberries on our patio swing).
Preparing the land, falling trees, bees or no bees, watering systems, planting, all they knew with confidence was that their blueberries would be organic, pesticide free. The long-long days of prep began. So did their investigation with their neighbors, with other blueberry field owners, with many research items and hope that they could keep their newly planted bushes alive for their first season of pickers.
"The field...became the course work... so heavy and complex..." Tucked in between their story you will discover: choosing the type of blueberries; blueberry history, research about roots and fungi; the National Organic Standards; as well as my personal favorite insight... Henry David Thoreau's Faith in a Seed and Wild Fruits.
So much goodness in such a small fruit. Jim's writing entices you with every page turned. His and Sarah's passion for their blueberry fields lays dormant amongst a world "plugged in." Treat yourself to an endearing journey that should not be over-looked... it is an essential summertime discovery,
MrsK
"The blooms, those beautiful hanging cups of white.
Oh, just for an hour to be a bumblebee and buzz through
this fragrance-filled air!"
Meet the Author:
 Jim Minick is the author of five books, including the novel Fire Is Your Water (Ohio UP, 2017), and The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family (St. Martin’s, 2012), winner of the SIBA Best Nonfiction Book of the Year Award. Minick has also written a collection of essays, finding a Clear Path, two books of poetry, Her Secret Song and Burning Heaven, and he edited All There Is to Keep by Rita Riddle. His honors include the Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Appalachian Writing, and the Fred Chappell Fellowship at University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He has also won awards from the Southern Independent Booksellers Association, Southern Environmental Law Center, The Virginia College Bookstore Association, Appalachian Writers Association, Appalachian Heritage, Now and Then Magazine, and Radford University. His poem “I Dream a Bean” was picked by Claudia Emerson for permanent display at the Tysons Corner/Metrorail Station. Minick’s work has appeared in many publications including Poets & Writers, Oxford American, Orion, Shenandoah, Encyclopedia of Appalachia, The Sun, Conversations with Wendell Berry, San Francisco Chronicle, Appalachian Journal, The Roanoke Times, and Still. He completed an MFA in fiction from UNC-Greensboro, where he was Fiction Editor for The Greensboro Review. Currently, he teaches at Augusta University and in Converse College’s low-residency MFA program.
ISBN: 9780618219131
Publisher's Synopsis:
GOSSIP FROM THRUSH GREEN returns readers to the delightful English village, neighbor to Fairacre, for a golden summer. But this sleepy, pristine setting conceals a flurry of activity amongst the villagers. Rumor has it that Mr. Venables is considering retirement just as the village's teacher is about to make an important decision. Molly Curdle prepares for a new baby. The kindly vicar, Charles Henstock, works on his sermon -- quite unaware of the disaster that will overtake him. However, there is never any doubt that all will end well in this very English village."Taking tea is a highly civilized pastime, and fortunately
is still in favour at Thrush Green,
where it has been brought to a fine art."
MrsK's Review: Fictional/Historical/Village Life
Almost everything you would want to know about this journey and its author is found in the above quote. Everything except for the purity of a delightful storyteller and her universally unique characters.
Venture with me... in the days of yesterday, Miss Read is a delightful narrator. She is gracious, steadfast, and very eloquent in her observations of her village and her village characters. She would never presume what her characters are thinking, yet she is profoundly insightful about their choices, their personalities, as well as their good-natured quirks.
In the peaceful village of Thrush Green, you will visit the Village school in which the Headmistress, Miss Watson is considering retirement and Miss Fogerty is considering the daily school matters, and Betty Bell is cleaning up the school day mess.
On Lulling High Street, the three Lovelock sisters (Violet, Ada, and Bertha) are always delightfully entertaining during all afternoon teas. Set in their ways, always on the search for delightful household items, and very unique "treasure" like characteristics, these ladies are called to provide their village with their support.
Of course, the village's rector and his wife (Charles and Dimity) live in Thrush Green's most hideous Victorian eye sore. They are about to take a vacation and will be pondering how their future will be unfolding. St. Andrew's has Sexton Piggott, whose gloom can be felt by his congregation. His daughter Molly tries to look after him while taking care of her husband Ben and young George. If only Sexton Piggott wasn't so obstinate his digestion and personality might bring an answer to the prayers of many.
Every village must have their wise and aging "Tea Ladies," Winnie and Ella. Who else would gather others for tea? Who else would have the perfect recipes for tea delectables? Who else will, with concerned hearts, know what their village community is experiencing, thinking, as well as in need of guidance? These ladies are truly the dearest of friends and precious to all in Thrush Green.
Small town life is comforting, chaotic, supportive, and full of troubles. How could a vacation create a mishmash of chaos? Who are the temporary borders at Tulliver's? Will there finally be a proposal and wedding for two of the villagers? What will happen to the Village school if Miss Watson retires?
As Jan Karon has stated, "relish a visit to Thrush Green..."
MrsK
"Now, we'll just get this place to rights, and
have a quiet evening with our knitting..."
Meet the Author:
She wrote a series of novels from 1955 to 1996. Her work centered on two fictional English villages, Fairacre and Thrush Green. The principal character in the Fairacre books, "Miss Read", is an unmarried schoolteacher in a small village school, an acerbic and yet compassionate observer of village life. Miss Read's novels are wry regional social comedies, laced with gentle humor and subtle social commentary. Miss Read is also a keen observer of nature and the changing seasons.
Her most direct influence is from Jane Austen, although her work also bears similarities to the social comedies of manners written in the 1920s and 1930s, and in particular the work of Barbara Pym. Miss Read's work has influenced a number of writers in her own turn, including the American writer, Jan Karon. The musician Enya has a track on her Watermark album named after the book Miss Clare Remembers, and one on her Shepherd Moons album named after No Holly for Miss Quinn.
In 1996 she retired. In 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She died 7 April 2012 in Shefford Woodlands.
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