Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

What can I say?  I love, love, love this book!  I was only able to listen to the audio version as the ebook was not available, but I was hooked from the first few lines.  Imogene Church does a magnificent job of narrating, and I made good use of my new airbuds (Thanks D and L)! 

Loveday Cardew found books at an early age, and since her childhood was a bit traumatic, she could hide within the safe pages of books from the library.  Books were her escape, and books also helped her survive.  Loveday has tattoos of the first lines of books on her body as each line tells part of her life story because "First lines did not define last pages in real life the way they did in books." Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, and many other books helped define her as a woman when she grew too old for The Railway Children. She finds work in a bookshop after she finishes school, and thus is able to spend her days with words.  Loveday also can blend in and not be noticed in a bookshop.

As much as Loveday wants to hide, she finds that her past can no longer remain in the past, and she is forced to deal with the wounds that haven't healed. And now, someone knows her secrets.

I found myself laughing aloud, nodding in agreement, and crying as I listened to Loveday's story told in a series of flashbacks, as well as the present.  Loveday doesn't particularly like humans as "This is why I don't like talking to people.  I never think of anything interesting to say.  I need time to find words, and that's hard when people are looking at me.  Also, I don't like people much.  Well, some are okay.  But not enough to make it a given." 

The characters are well developed,  such that I didn't want the book to end.  They are people that I want to get to know better and attend the weekly Poetry Read with them.  This is a book that I will add to my personal collection.  I want to savor the words this time.  I recommend you do the same.

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

It is January, and winter storm watches and warnings have been the norm for the last two weekends where I live.  As I sat down to read this book, I was preparing for a possible ice storm, as well as up to several inches of snow.  There is nothing better than a good mystery book on a snowy day.  So snuggle up in your blanket, and grab a copy of this whodunit. 

It is also winter in the Catskills, and several people from New York City are headed to Mitchell Inn for a much needed getaway.  There is no internet, and the hotel is in a remote location, so it is the perfect place to recharge, or hide - that is, if you are a killer. 

We all have secrets, as do the characters staying at the Mitchell Inn.  What secrets are worth killing to keep? 

This book reminded me of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians, as there were some similarities in setting and characters, but the book was a fun and easy read.  I figured out the murderer, but I was completely sure until the very end of the book, and even then, there was a slight twist that I didn't expect. 

If you would like a light mystery with solid characters, sit down with this book during the next winter storm.  (probably next weekend)

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

You find the love of your life, and you plan to spend the rest of your life with him.  You marry, and head off to a fabulous vacation in Bora Bora where you will spend time swimming, diving, and enjoying time together - just the two of you.  

The honeymoon is heavenly until Erin and Mark find something while on a dive.  They decide to move forward instead of walking away, and this decision changes their lives forever.  They can never go back to the way things were....before.  

Decisions must be made, and risks must be taken in order to live the new lives they have chosen for themselves.  But is it worth it in the long run?

I have to admit, I cringed sometimes when the characters in this book would make a hasty decision.  Jumping into a life altering decision isn't something that I often do, and there are many risk-taking decisions in this novel. It is also interesting to think about what I would do if I were put in the same circumstances as the book's characters.  Would I make some of the same choices?  

If you enjoy books that twist and turn, this is a book for you.  Once you feel like you have figured out the plot, another development occurs, and once again, we try to figure out the antagonist.  

The Twelve Days of Books - 2018

Happy 2019! We are running a bit late this year for our Twelve Days of Books, but life sometimes turns us in other directions.  However, here are the books that have been recommended by the experts!  By the way, we have way more than twelve books to choose from!  Happy reading!


1.  The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland. "A jaded bibliophile comes to terms with her dark past and learns to live in the present."  (Kirkus)  Recommended by Erin

 2.  We Have No Idea:  A Guide to the Unknown Universe by Jorge Cham  ?In We Have No Idea, they explore the biggest unknowns in the universe, why these things are still mysteries, and what a lot of smart people are doing to figure out the answers (or at least ask the right questions)."  (Goodreads)  Recommended by Kelly

3.  "Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future." (Goodreads)  Recommended by Kelly.

4.  I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara.  "A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case."  Recommended by Rita

5.  Calypso by David Sedaris  Sedaris realizes that it is impossible to take a vacation from yourself.  "Deeply personal and darkly hilarious."  (Goodreads) Recommended by Rita.

6. Eat Up:  Food, Appetite, and Eating What You Want by Ruby Tandoh.  Celebrate the fun and pleasures of food.  Recommended by Rita.

7. Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith.  A collection of essays broken into five sections that pose important questions.  Recommended by Rita.

8. The Silence of the Girls  by Pat Barker.  A retelling of the Illiad through the eyes of Briseis.  Recommended by Jess.

9. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - An interesting whodunit take on the identity of the Ripper. Recommended by Jess.

10. The Crossover - Kramer Alexander  All novels are written in verse.  He is a phenomenal speaker for students!  Recommended by Corey.

11.  Before We Were Yours - Lisa Wingate
12.  Daughters of the Dragon - William Andrews
13. While the World is Still Asleep  (The Glassblower Trilogy)  Petra Durst Benning
14.  All the Wonderful and Ugly Things - Bryn Greenwood
15.  The Librarians by Christy Sloat
16.  Dumplin' by Julie Murphy  (All recommended by Brittany)

17. Gamache Novels - Louise Penny
"Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec digs beneath the idyllic surface of village life in Three Pines, finding long buried secrets--and facing a few of his own ghosts. Louise Penny's highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling mystery series has won the New Blood Dagger." (Goodreads)  Recommended by Tara.

18.  The Next Person You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom  Recommended by Korinne.

19. Expeditionary Force - by Craig Alanson "The main character is an Army grunt so as a former grunt myself, it felt like a old friend telling war stories. Well, at least, it DID until they got into space and all that. It's a fantastic series full of action, wit, and peril. Military Sci Fi is a wonderful genre that is not often appreciated in the book world."  (Goodreads)  Recommended by James.

20. The War that Saved my Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley   It was a Newbery Honor in 2016. Just gut wrenchingly excellent. The sequel is even better. I just sucked in the characters and setting. FYI - the abuse was difficult to read through.  Recommended by Lynn.

21. Tools of Titans -Tim Ferriss  " Well worth the time to crawl into the head of some of the US's biggest movers and shakers."  Recommended by Brian.

22. Sally Ride:  America's First Female in Space by Lynn Sherr " It was a fascinating look at the challenges that women in aeronautics have had to overcome."  Recommended by Brian.

23. The Decision Book - Michael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler not a cover to cover read, but rather a book that outlines fifty models for strategic thinking and decision making. Also recommended by Brian.

Here they are!  The best books of 2018 recommended by some of my favorites!