Staff Choices

Every now and then, a book unexpectantly falls into your hands and ends up being the most pleasant surprise! Matt Cain manages to do that with his charming novel; The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. Albert is a 64 yeat old postal worker who, since his Mum died, lives a solitary life with his cat Gracie. With no friends, family or hobbies, the news of his forced retirement sends him spinning. He realizes he has no choice but to start truly living and emabarks on a painful yet exhilirating journey to do just that. He courageously starts to reveal himself to neighbors, co-workers and customers on his route, who unexpectantly teach him what love, acceptance and frienship are. Eventually he realizes he needs to go back and find a lost love from 40 years ago as he seeks the happiness that was once so cruelly denied him. The overarching message that it's never too late to find love, will touch you and remind you that joy is often just a journey away. Filled with humor and plenty of interesting, quirky characters, I loved this heartwarming feel-good book!

Love a good story about rich people behaving badly? The Social Climber by Amanda Pellegrino centers around the wealthy elite in a juicy revenge story. A domestic thriller about Eliza Bennett, an evangelical college graduate, who is set to marry Graham Walker, a wealthy Yale alum from a prestigious family. Eliza has many secrets from her past and as they start to unfold, we are left unsure of her true intentions. You get a sneak peek into Eliza’s college days in the dual timeline that reveal what shaped her into the woman she is today. The mystery behind Eliza’s secrets is slow to build yet keeps you in suspense.

The book reminded me a little of Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. Both books have plot twists that have me recommending them as must reads for domestic thriller fans. So strap on your Louboutin’s and hang on for a jaw dropping finish.

In 2022 I learned that my heart holds a special place for cozy fantasies. The year started with House in the Cerulean Sea and ended with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Without a doubt, if you enjoyed the former, you will adore the latter. 

Sangu Mandanna hit it out of the park with this warm, uplifting tale of a lonely witch on a path to self-discovery and love. It has found family, a fun magic system, romance and a twist I did not see coming.  

Mika Moon is a witch, but outside of a small group of other witches (whom she only sees a few times a year disguised as a book club), no one knows it. The only family she’s ever known is Primrose, the aging leader of their group who took Mika in when she was orphaned at a young age.  

Against Primrose’s ‘rules’ Mika starts an online account where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. However, one person doesn’t quite believe she’s pretending and invites Mika to tutor three young witches he is keeping hidden. Although she knows that Primrose would never approve, Mika accepts the offer and travels to Nowhere House. 

Upon arrival she learns she has only a few short months to help her new students learn to control their magic, or their family and everything they’ve ever know could be torn apart. What follows is heartwarming, quirky and 100% worth reading. 

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer tells a fascinating story of solving a medical mystery that contributed to the Other Dr. Gilmer murdering his father, the reason he is serving a life sentence in prison, and his pursuit of getting him appropriate treatment. It's also a human interest story of the unlikely bond that develops between the two Dr. Gilmers (no relation) over a 10 year period and whose lives are forever intertwined.

A Few Right Thinking Men is the first novel in the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, the title is also known as A House Divided. It is set in 1931 Australia during a time of political and social tumult. Rowland returns from England to discover his eponymously named uncle has been murdered and he simply can’t let this rest. Rowland belongs to a wealthy family but has an entourage of less monied, artistic friends that is frowned upon by his stuffy older brother. His friends are his soundboard as well as providing a wellspring of opportunities for getting into trouble. This is a character-based story, with plenty of drama, understated humor with a mystery being woven in.

Author Sulari Gentill is also the author of Woman in the Library. I recommend listening to this series as the narrator is excellent in voicing all of the characters. This series is best read in order and is for fans of amateur sleuth novels.

 I had a bit of a wait on a library list for this book--obviously there are quite a few Krueger fans out there waiting to read this latest installment of the Cork O'Connor series. It was worth the wait. Love the character of Wolf; the crossing of paths with the old mide, Henry Meloux, and all the action that follows. The heart of the story is really about a precious resource and the extreme lengths that men will go through to extract it. For some, it becomes a test of character or self-discovery. Fox Creek is a story about that journey.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is a fictional story wrapped around a real place in Japan. There, on a private residence, in a garden, one can find a telephone booth with a disconnected phone "that carries voices into the wind". It was installed there to help those grieving, to provide an outlet for the living, to perhaps say what you always meant to say to someone who you now mourn.

Yui is a young woman bereft from the tragic loss of both her mother and her daughter. She travels to this wind phone, far from her home, to find out for herself if it can help her find some solace. There, she meets another traveler, Takeshi. Together, they will find themselves visiting the phone booth many times over the course of years, meeting others who use the phone, and finding compassion with the family who tends it. 

Author Laura Imai Messina has written a beautiful, engaging, character-driven story. It is slow-moving, similar to the path of healing from loss. I was so moved and intrigued by this unique tribute, I found out several replicas of the wind phone have been built around the world.
 

If you love big messy family sagas like I do, you will really enjoy this new book by Jennifer Close. The story revolves around the Sullivan family who run a beloved restaurant in Oak Park, and find themselves at a crossroads when the family patriarch passes away.

With failed relationships, and careers on the rocks, sisters Gretchen, Jane and cousin Teddy all turn to the familiarity of the restaurant for comfort. Gretchen leaves the rock band she has been a lead singer with for decades. Jane finds the north shore life stuffy and small minded. Teddy leaves a successful restaurant in Chicago to get away form his love troubles.

JP Sullivan's has always been their foundation. Their place to land, their place to gather. As children the kitchen staff cooked them breakfast as their parents prepped for the lunch and dinner crowds. As teens and grown-ups the restaurant is the place they find comfort in for all the important events in their lives. Reminiscent of The Most Fun We Ever Had, Marrying the Ketchups is a delight.

It's officially that time of year again - time to binge watch Hallmark Christmas romance movies. It is the perfect way to evoke feelings of joy while destressing from the hectic holidays. I recently listened to B.K. Borison's holiday romance book Lovelight Farms and have to say it is gave me the same blissful feeling. This fake-dating, friends-to-lovers story takes place at a delightful small town Christmas tree farm that is struggling lately.  When the owner, Stella, enters a $100,000 contest run by a famed Instagram influencer, she mentions she owns the farm with her boyfriend. After becoming a finalist in the contest and finding out that the influencer is planning to come to the farm, Stella must quickly figure out where she is going to get a boyfriend.

Enter Luka, Stella’s best friend who has agreed to pretend to be her boyfriend. Both of them has harbored feelings for the other for years, but not wanting to ruin their friendship have never tried for more. The towns people and friends help them soon realize that the real thing is so much better than pretend.

I must mention that there is a little bit of steam to this romance, but it doesn't overshadow the story. Lovelight Farms is a cozy, sweet, heartwarming tale that will give you all the giddiness and happy feels this holiday season. I highly recommend listening to this first in a new series with a hot chocolate by the fire.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood was a pure delight. I enjoyed The Love Hypothesis but something about Bee spoke to a deep part of my quirky soul that cannot be denied. While there are certainly similarities, those that might have been put off by the uneven power dynamic between Olive and Adam in the Love Hypothesis, will love the equal footing of Bee and Levi.  

Sticking to several romance tropes, Hazelwood was able to put a unique spin on them that made them much less typical (and quite frankly frustrating). There were a lot of layers to this story and the characters’ developed backstories really upped the enjoyment factor. 

If you’re into quirky, whip smart female women in STEM leads, and respectful (swoon) and dedicated male counterparts, this is the one for you.