Mary M.

Beyond That, the Sea: A Novel By Laura Spence-Ash Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781250854377
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Published: Celadon Books - March 21st, 2023

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Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel By Ann Napolitano Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593243732
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: The Dial Press - March 14th, 2023

Kitchen Bliss: Musings on Food and Happiness (With Recipes) By Laura Calder Cover Image
$23.99
ISBN: 9781982194703
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - March 28th, 2023

Hang the Moon: A Novel By Jeannette Walls Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781501117299
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Published: Scribner - March 28th, 2023

Jenny's Law By Bobbi Loney Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781957184081
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Published: Onion River Press - October 11th, 2022

This is one of the most powerful books I have read recently, and I've read some great ones!  Jenny's Law is chock-full of beautifully drawn scenes of small town life and characters I want to be friends with, and wisdom, so much wisdom.  Highly relevant, this book raises vital issues to discuss and would be a terrific book to read with friends and family, including teens.  


The Lindbergh Nanny: A Novel By Mariah Fredericks Cover Image
$29.00
ISBN: 9781250827401
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Published: Minotaur Books - November 15th, 2022

 Honestly, I did not expect to be so drawn in as I was to this book; we've grown up knowing this story, so what would be new?.  But Fredericks delves in to (and imagines) the characters with engaging descriptions and dialogue, so my emotions and attention were completely hooked and I finished it quickly with the unrealistic hope that there might be a happy ending.  Tragic and yet so good to read! 


The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook: Sweet and Savory Comfort Food from America's Favorite Rural Bakery By Brian Noyes Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593234815
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Clarkson Potter - August 2nd, 2022

 Potpies, meatloaf, roast chicken, baked beans, cherry pie,, toffee bars ... are you drooling yet?!  We need this food now.


The Winners: A Novel (Beartown Series) By Fredrik Backman Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781982112790
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Published: Atria Books - September 27th, 2022

Holy cow, Backman has done it again!  This world of the towns of Beartown and Hed have come to life with typical Backman energy, detail, and drama.  You don't have to have read the earlier books in this series of three as he provides enough background for the reader to fully engage with the current events, but why skip them?  These books are so good!  


Beartown: A Novel (Beartown Series) By Fredrik Backman Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781501160776
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Washington Square Press - February 6th, 2018

The first in the series that includes the new release of The Winners, Beartown is about a small town in the northern woods that revolves around its youth hockey program - at least that is the plot's focus.  The beauty of Backman's writing, though, is that he develops characters with real flaws and assets who wrestle with important concepts and decisions.  Through a blend of action and reflection and beautiful description, this story drew me in; I had to finish it before I did anything else.  Not a fun, humorous read like his others, this story will stay with you long after you close the back cover.  I'm glad I read this before I read The Winners. 


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Ms. Demeanor: A Novel By Elinor Lipman Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780358677888
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Published: Harper Perennial - December 27th, 2022

 Naked sex on a NYC rooftop as a first date?  Yes.  And that's just the beginning!  Lipman's story of a lawyer under house arrest combines a little mystery and old-fashioned food with a lot of fun.  Then she wraps it up in a light-hearted love story.  Quick and fun!  


A World of Curiosities: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel #18) By Louise Penny Cover Image
$29.99
ISBN: 9781250145291
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Published: Minotaur Books - November 29th, 2022

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Case Histories: A Novel (Jackson Brodie #1) By Kate Atkinson Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316010702
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Published: Back Bay Books - October 17th, 2005

Three seemingly separate mysteries slowly weave together to form a terrific page-turner.  This is a perfect book for these days when you want to curl up and forget about the rotten weather. 


The House of the Scorpion: Special Edition By Nancy Farmer Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9781665917858
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Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers - September 6th, 2022

The dystopian world hooked me from the beginning.  There's a good reason why this book has been reissued and won so many awards: it's a fantastic story!  


The Bartender's Tale (Two Medicine Country) By Ivan Doig Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781594631481
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - August 6th, 2013

I am a huge Ivan Doig fan, and this delighted me as much or more than his others.  Life in this small, western town pivots around a highly charismatic, empathetic bartender who has his own mysteries to keep, and eventually release.  A love store, a family store, a small-town store - seems kind of close to home, eh?  


Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel By Bonnie Garmus Cover Image
$29.00
ISBN: 9780385547345
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Published: Doubleday - April 5th, 2022

Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals By Laurie Zaleski Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250272836
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Published: St. Martin's Press - February 22nd, 2022

These tender - some heartbreaking and many upbeat - animal stories inspire Zeleski's reflections on her upbringing.  The chapters blend stories of animal rescues with stories of her childhood.  Raised by a strong mother whose heart for animals drives her to fill their very humble home with abandoned and abused animals, Zelski inherits this same love.  Hence, she founds her "Funny Farm", a real farm in the pinelands of New Jersey.  I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir.  


Lightning Strike: A Novel (Cork O'Connor Mystery Series #18) By William Kent Krueger Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781982128692
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Published: Atria Books - July 5th, 2022

Once There Were Wolves: A Novel By Charlotte McConaghy Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250244154
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Published: Flatiron Books - May 3rd, 2022

Wow - what a terrific read on so many levels!  Using the controversial but successful effort of reintroducing wolves to lands from which they had once been purged, McConaghy tells a powerful story of family relationships, town politics, and the struggle between biologists and farmers.  The descriptions of the outdoor world are visceral, and the relationships - both human and wolf - are beautifully developed.  I confess to skimming one scene of violence, but that did not temper my enthusiasm for this book.  Migrations, McConaghy's first book, is on my list to read soon.  


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The Rose Code: A Novel By Kate Quinn Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780062943477
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - March 9th, 2021

I have read several WWII historical novels - and loved them - so I wondered if this might be repetitive, and it was not!  The determination of these women to be meaningfully engaged is inspiring, and I enjoyed the romance tucked between the intrigue of Bletchley Park.  I tore through this one.  


Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel By James McBride Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780735216730
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - February 2nd, 2021

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The Baker's Secret: A Novel By Stephen P. Kiernan Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062369598
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Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - April 3rd, 2018

I was drawn to this by the title since I love bread, but of course this book is so much more than baking.  Set during WWII in a small French town near Normandy trying to survive the brutality of the Nazi occupiers, the village baker develops ingenious ways to outsmart them.  Through a broad array of well-drawn characters, the town comes alive in our minds, so we wince at each cruel strike and cheer when the townspeople score even a small victory.  The descriptions of the Normandy invasion are told from a fresh, and well-researched perspective.  As the real survivors of this war pass on, these historical stories feel ever more valuable.  The Baker's Secret is one worth sharing.  


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The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780307744432
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Anchor - July 3rd, 2012

Just like the world created by the author, this book is magical.  The creative narrative line weaves among years and continents, through magic and reality, and lands in a love story.  I know I'll notice more details with a second reading, too, as the book is packed with details, innuendos, and connections, some that I probably missed the first time.  Reminding me of the novel Life of Pi, every page brought an impossible but somehow believable situation.  Completely satisfying.   


Plainsong (Vintage Contemporaries) By Kent Haruf Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780375705854
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage - August 22nd, 2000

Small town life comes alive in this short and beautifully written novel, the first in a trilogy.  These characters drew me into their lives, and I found myself thinking about them during quiet times in my day, hoping the best for them.  As the back cover describes, this is "a novel of wisdom and grace" and it lifted me as was promised.  


The Sentence: A Novel By Louise Erdrich Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9780062671134
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper Perennial - September 6th, 2022

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It: A Novel (The Finlay Donovan Series #1) By Elle Cosimano Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250830449
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - January 4th, 2022

Year of Wonders: A Novel By Geraldine Brooks Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780142001431
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - April 30th, 2002

Sometimes we need a beach read, and then... sometimes a jolt.  Brooks is a master of research, so her telling of the plague of 1666 through the experiences of one young woman is both moving and inspiring.  As some of the comments on the book cover claim, this book is timely as we continue to wrestle with this generation's pandemic.  This is a book I am re-reading and re-loving.  


March: A Novel By Geraldine Brooks Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780143036661
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Penguin Books - January 31st, 2006

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A Man Called Ove: A Novel By Fredrik Backman Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781476738024
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Washington Square Press - May 5th, 2015

Ove becomes the most lovable and wise curmudgeon you will ever meet.  I love this book for the humanity and community Backman builds among his highly diverse, memorable characters.  through the kindness and honesty of others, Ove rediscovers his purpose for living and will inspire readers to do the same.  


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The Elegance of the Hedgehog By Muriel Barbery, Alison Anderson (Translator) Cover Image
By Muriel Barbery, Alison Anderson (Translator)
$17.00
ISBN: 9781933372600
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Europa Editions - September 2nd, 2008

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Perestroika in Paris: A novel By Jane Smiley Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780525436096
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Anchor - November 2nd, 2021

Yes, these animals have authentic personalities and live in a book written for adults.  They don't exactly talk but through Smiley's writing become characters you will want to have for friends.  The relationships among them are warm, genuine, and honest.  They take risks to care for each other and give of themselves in charming and delightful ways.  I want a sequel because these characters are simply so fun.  


Hamnet By Maggie O'Farrell Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781984898876
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage - May 18th, 2021

History and Shakespeare fans, this is for you!  The author has researched and then imagined Shakespeare's "better half" and family.  This novel draws us into the plague of 1580 through a unique perspective and poetic narrative threads.  And by the way, You don't need to love Shakespeare to enjoy this book.  He actually plays a relatively minor role!  


I Am the Messenger By Markus Zusak Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9780375836671
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers - May 9th, 2006

Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process By John McPhee Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780374537975
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Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - September 4th, 2018

An American Marriage (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel By Tayari Jones Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781616208684
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Algonquin Books - February 5th, 2019

The Book of Longings: A Novel By Sue Monk Kidd Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780143111399
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - March 23rd, 2021

Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel By Louise Penny Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780312541538
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - September 30th, 2008

Bruno, Chief of Police: A Mystery of the French Countryside (Bruno, Chief of Police Series #1) By Martin Walker Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780307454690
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage - April 6th, 2010

Salt to the Sea By Ruta Sepetys Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9780142423622
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Philomel Books - August 1st, 2017

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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel By Kim Michele Richardson Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9781492671527
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Sourcebooks Landmark - May 7th, 2019

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