You know those books that have such great characters that they crawl into your heart and settle there? The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline is one of them. Spanning years and distance and set against the backdrop of British colonization, it tells the stories of three women on the receiving end of that brutality.Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna are memorable for their stories, but they tug on your heartstrings even more so because they are based on real people. There’s Evangeline, a governess sentenced to prison after her pregnancy is discovered; Hazel, a young midwife also sentenced for a minor infraction; and Mathinna, an orphan ripped from her home as an experiment in “taming the natives” by the wife of the new … Keep Reading
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‘Midnight Library’ and the Power of Regrets
Do you ever think about where you’d be if you did that ONE thing differently? If you, say, changed your major to match your passions, rather than your expectations? Or if you’d taken that leap of faith and moved to that far off city where you knew no one? The possibilities for how your life could have unfolded are endless, and it's hard not to think about them, sometimes. That's the premise of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and it's a good … Keep Reading
‘The First Day of Spring’ is a Powerful Debut Novel
When Chrissie was 8, she killed a little boy. Twenty years later, she’s a mom trying to do what’s best for her daughter. But how do you forgive yourself for something so awful? Or are some acts so terrible that there’s no coming back? Do the standards for redemption change if you killed someone as a child, rather than adult?Equal parts disturbing and heartbreaking, The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker is told through alternating points … Keep Reading
‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ Infuses Freshness Into the Familiar
Let me start off by saying I really enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. My last few books have been duds so I was nervous about continuing my “losing streak”, but this one hit the spot. On its face, the story is tried-and-true: girl meets boy, boy has secrets, girl seeks truth and surprises abound; but Dave infuses freshness into it by going in an unexpected direction. Her approach strikes a balance between the familiar and the … Keep Reading
From the Archives
TLC Book Tours: The First Phone Call From Heaven
Do you believe in miracles? The people of Coldwater, Michigan certainly did when several people began receiving phone calls from the deceased claiming to be in heaven. But was it true? Was it possible? Or, was it a hoax? These questions, along with those of faith, family, and moving on are all explored in Mitch Albom's new book, The First Phone Call From Heaven. Punctuated with the history of the invention of the telephone and a man seeking the … Keep Reading
‘Eve in Hollywood’ is Enticing
Oh, how I love Amor Towles. Granted, I've only read two things by him, but I've loved both of them. Last summer I raved about Rules of Civility and it made my Top 13 Books of 2013 list without a fight, so when he released this novella as a follow-up on my birthday, I was thrilled. Even though it took me a few months to get around to reading it, I devoured it in one sitting and can say that his incredible writing was not a one-time … Keep Reading
Far As the Eye Can See by Robert Bausch
There are times when I read outside of my comfort zone and it goes horribly wrong, but then there times that it goes incredibly well and makes it worth my while. Far As the Eye Can See by Robert Bausch was one of the times it was well worth it and I may have to reconsider my feelings about westerns. Although this may not be a western in the traditional sense of the genre's definition, the book takes place in the midwest during a time of struggle … Keep Reading