The story of Atonement by Ian McEwan is deceptively simple, beautifully written and emotionally devastating. Beginning on a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen year old Briony Tallis witnesses the attraction between Robbie Turner, the son of the cleaning lady and her sister Cecelia Tallis, both recently returned from university. When a tragedy occurs, Briony misinterpreting events... Continue Reading →
That Old Black Magic
Stories about magic are as old the first humans gathered about the campfire, we read fairytales to children and teens gravitate to fantasy novels, but somehow no matter how old we get the fascination with magic and the otherworldly remains. Whether it is the magic of love, of food or of birth, the link between women... Continue Reading →
It’s all in my Letter
In these days of texting and email, the art of the letter with each word thoughtfully chosen and sent with feeling may be passing but our love for letters goes on. A recent example of this is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The letters begin in... Continue Reading →
The Thirteenth Tale or the return of the Gothic
An isolated mansion, a heroine in danger, the unravelling of a secret, the possibility of love; these are all elements of a classic gothic tale. In her debut novel, Diane Setterfield takes all these elements and makes them new again. The story begins when aging iconic novelist Vida Winters invites a shy and nearly unknown... Continue Reading →
Back to the Future
Henry De Tamble, a rather dashing librarian at the famous Newberry Library in Chicago, finds himself unavoidably whisked around in time. Finally,he drops in on beautiful teenage Clare Abshire, and a lifelong passion is born. The problem is that while Henry's age darts back and forth according to his location in time, Clare's moves forward in the... Continue Reading →
The Lottery and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night
The joy of reading has always been the ability to experience a new perspective, by seeing through the eyes of another. These two novels take characters that see the world very differently from the norm can challenge us to examine ourselves anew. Mark Haddon's bitterly funny debut novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in... Continue Reading →
Time for a Spring Romance
Knight in Shining Armor Jude Deveraux Dougless Montgomery is abandoned by her fiance during their English vacation. She is then swept away by her "Knight in Shining Armor" - Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck...who - according to his tombstone - had died in 1564. A lovely romance novel with a time-travel twist. The Secret Julie... Continue Reading →
Ancient Mysteries Solved or Stonehenge Decoded by Gerald S. Hawkins
The fascination with the mysteries of the past has built careers and consumed lives; few puzzles have fired the imagination more than the great monoliths of Stonehenge. Around the questions of Stonehenge, have legends of sacrifice and pagan ritual developed, yet for hundreds of years few answers were found. Finally in 1963, using pen and... Continue Reading →
“Annie Freeman’s fabulous traveling funeral” by Kris Radish
When Katherine Givens receives a package from UPS she sets out on an amazing adventure. Inside the package is a pair of red sneakers containing the ashes of her beloved friend Anne Freemen. A set of instructions guides her to gather other pallbearers for the traveling funeral and they set out on a cross country... Continue Reading →
Anne Perry or Welcome to the world of Victorian mysteries
The night is dark and quiet, the fog thick and wet, clinging to your skin, chilling both your bones and your spirit. The only light is the faint glow of the gas street lamps, their gentle sizzle the only sound you hear outside of your own footsteps and the beating of your heart; suddenly you... Continue Reading →