@ Your Library
It’s the middle of July! Jumping Jehosephat, how did that happen! I need to get to the beach and spend some time reading! Or maybe I’ll just stay in my backyard and read beach books like the two new Robyn Carr books Sunrise on Half Moon Bay or The Country Guesthouse. The covers of both make me think about the idyllic world of vacations and getting away, so maybe that will work as my vacation this summer.
Charles Todd has a new mystery starring Bess Crawford called A Cruel Deception is set in the aftermath of World War I as Bess is sent to Paris on a personal mission. These historical mysteries are such a wonderful way to learn a bit while exploring a world that no longer exists (and really shouldn’t).
Kathy Reichs is a bestselling authors whose favorite character is Temperance Brennan a forensic anthropologist, currently recovering from meurosurgery for an aneurysm and battling nighmares, migraines and possibly hallucinations. Why was she sent mysterious text messages and why does a dead man have her cell number?
Home, what makes a dwelling a home? How do we find the personal touches to make our residence ours? Lauren Liess has written a beautiful book entitled Down to Earth with a variety of laid back interiors for modern living. Nature both inside and out can really help one feel comfortable in our space. But that means we have to take care of those plants. How to Houseplant by Heather Rodino is a beginner’s guide to making and keeping plant friends. The book opens with fifty pages of tips, guidelines and advice for general care of houseplants followed by 100 pages of suggestions for plants and specific care of each plant listed.
Have you gotten into the succulents craze? These exotic beautiful plants can be an easy option for houseplants, often requiring less care and fussiness. The Gardener’s Guide to Succulents: a handbook of over 125 exquisite varieties of succulents and cacti by Misa Matsuyama may provide you with ideas for plants and planting.
Armchair travel seems to be in my future and The Dog Went Over the Mountain by Peter Zheutlin looks like a good choice. Mr. Zheutlin last traveled across the country more than forty years earlier and he decides it is time to take a measure of America again, this time with his rescue dog Albie.
I’m going to end this week with two non-fiction. They are very different, but both reached out and grabbed me. If You Tell by Gregg Olsen is ‘a true story of murder, family secrets, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood.’ Caroline Fraser is the author of Prairie Fires: the American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book has won numerous awards and is often called the definitive biography of the beloved author of Little House in the Big Woods. From the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl, Wilder’s dramatic life provides a perspective on American history and our national quest for self-reliance.