The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

Natalie, becomes the owner of the Lost and Found Bookshop after her mom passes away.  The bookshop is in trouble financially.  Trying to figure out a way out of the debt, Natalie discovers much about her past and her grandfather, Andrew, who raised her along with her mom. 

This book is like a hot cup of coffee on a rainy day.  It's comforting.  It reinforces why we have independent bookstores and just how important they are to our lives.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

It's surreal to read about the Count living in isolation in The Metropol Hotel, during our own isolation in the world because of COVID-19.  Of course, the Count's world is unlike anyone I know who is staying home, because we can't choose between restaurants for our meals.  Maybe we can choose between eating at the dining room table or eating in front of the television.

I did some research on the author to prepare for Monday Book Group and I found this wonderful presentation Mr. Towles did for the 2017 National Book Festival.  Here's the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_eUJOoMwYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_eUJOoMwY.  Listening him talk about how he got the idea for the book and how he actually wrote the book made the book that much more interesting for me.

A Gentleman in Moscow has been very popular since it was published.  Towles' first book Rules of Civility I enjoyed so very much.

In his presentation, he discussed his next book.  A title was not released, however, I look forward to its publication.

Fresh Air by Charlotte Vale-Allen

 

This was a nice summer read for our group. And I might add, a fun book--not disturbing, enjoyable, light.

The book summary: A New York Times Bestselling Author Lucinda Hunter has been alone in the Connecticut farmhouse that was once her mother's. Her life has become a small thing. One July morning as she sits near the window, something in the garden catches her eye: a little girl in shorts and a t-shirt, her bare feet in outsize sneakers. Taken with the girl's sweet nature and generosity of spirit, Lucinda gradually finds herself drawn back into the world.

Fresh Air was not exactly an in depth discussion, but it was a nice book.

~This post was originally on Thursday Night Book Group Blog from Butler Public Library's website.  From September 2008.

The Storyteller's Secret

I am enjoying this book so much.  Amisha marries Deepka, the man she was promised to, they have three boys.  Amisha wants to write her stories in English, but doesn't know how to write English.  She finds a teacher, Stephen who helps her learn English in exchange for Amisha teaching at the school where he works.  They fall in love.  Amisha's story is Jaya's mother's story.  Jaya recently suffered a miscarriage, her third and goes to India to spend time away from her husband, Patrick.  Patrick and Jaya are considering separating.  This is a step in that direction, but Jaya stays with Ravi her grandmother's friend and servant and finds out about her grandmother's life, as well as her mother's.

Love and Other Consolation Prizes

I just read Jamie Ford's most recent book, Love and Other Consolation Prizes for my book group and I absolutely adored it.  Bringing together the world's fair along with the immigration of Asians in the early 1900's, this book has history, love and so much more.  Ernest Young, the book's protagonist is a young boy when we meet him.  He has just come to American by boat and has a decent life with Mrs. Irving.  Things change for him when Mrs. Irving brings him to the AYP (Alaskan-Yukon-Pacific) World's Fair to be sold to the highest bidder.  And you thought slavery only happened to African Americans--not true. 

Lolita

Lolita is Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel, which tells the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze.  This is a book that I thought of as one I should read.  In being vaguely aware of what the book was about, it wasn't one that I would have read on my own, but reading for a book group is something that I would do.  Although I knew it was about a relationship of a much older man with a very young girl, it was not as difficult to read as I imagined.  It is truly a classic and I am embarrassed to say it's the first Nabokov book I read.  Thank you book group for the inspiration to read this classic.

The Orphan's Tale

Our Library book club read this book for our June discussion.  My preconception was another WWII Holocaust book--why are there so many?  After reading the book, my view changed and I was amazed as I usually am about how I can learn something new about the Holocaust.  For me, I didn't know that the circus went on during the war.  I wouldn't have thought was so, but I did look it up and it's true that the cirrus was used to boost morale and keep things normal looking.  Not only that, but the circus helped to hide and protect Jews.  Pam Jenoff, the author is new to me and I enjoyed the book very much.