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If I can’t be Nancy Drew, please make me Poppy Denby! I recently finished The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith, a British writer extraordinaire from Newcastle upon Tyne.  She began her writing career as a journalist; her writing style and insider knowledge are valuable assets.  This first book of a new series introduces us to Poppy Denby, a young

Every once in a while, I find a book that sparks inspiration, and often gratitude.  I love to tuck one of these volumes in my vacation book bag, especially when I know I will be in a beautiful place with family and friends.  The Way of Gratitude:  Readings for a Joyful Life is the book I included earlier this August

Summer in Maine…these are the days that carry me through the snow and slush and darkness of winter in Maine.  How then, could I imagine journeying to Cocoa Beach, Florida with Virginia Fitzwilliam to settle her husband’s estate?  Oh, easily! When we are introduced to Virginia, she is a Red Cross ambulance driver in World War I, serving in the

Vivian Witchell is rising through the ranks at WCHI, a Chicago radio station in the 1930s. From cameos on less sought after productions to a bigger role in the popular radio show “The Darkness Knows,”  Vivian’s potential seems to increase daily.  When she finds another star, Marjorie Fox, murdered in the station, she moves seamlessly into a new part: private

Before Reece Witherspoon made The Alice Network by Kate Quinn her summer online book group selection, my fellow barista was pointing it out to me on lists of anticipated summer novels.  Delighted to have The Alice Network in my vacation book bag earlier this summer, I eagerly began reading.  What I discovered was that though I was sold on advanced

  A popular summer conversation at the Library often starts with “what is in your vacation book bag?”  My colleagues and I spend hours curating the perfect tote, with new books we have been waiting for, favorite authors, a new try for if the mood strikes, and some back up books, just in case.  We have emptied suitcases and stocked

I’ve been on a historical fiction kick lately, paging through novel after novel stretched out in a chaise these first days of summer.  I discovered author Renee Rosen as a read alike while book browsing online.  A technique tip:  I love to use Minerva’s recommendations when searching books in the library catalog, and the customer also bought suggestions on Amazon

I am a fan of J. Courtney Sullivan’s novels:  Commencement, Maine, The Engagements and now Saints for All Occasions. Sullivan’s books are novels I become invested in, with characters for whom I  grow to care.  While I would love this author to be one who publishes each year, her books are worth waiting for.  Saints for All Occasions is no

Gail Honeyman has just published a gem of a debut novel:   Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine.  This unique story and its characters will linger with you long after you turn the last page.  Before I tell you that Eleanor’s life to date has been one of profound loneliness, I ask you to imagine a few other fictional characters:  Ove,

Ruby Proulx and her widowed father travel with medicine shows in the early 1900s.  Mr. Proulx touts “healing” remedies and often loses his profits through bad investments or even worse life choices; Ruby reads tarot cards.  Unfortunately, the two are always on the run, changing their identities and locations to outrun the last bad deal.  When Mr. Proulx invests everything they have