Catherine Coles
Coles Notes
The staff of the County of L&A Libraries are avid readers and always eager to share their favourite books. Here we bring you a list of some of the reads we’ve enjoyed this month. Some are brand new, and some are old but timely; there’s fiction and non-fiction and even YA. Hopefully you’ll find something that piques your interest!
-Kristin suggests Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley-
“Bellewether has been selected as the One Book, One L&A for 2018. We at the County of L&A Libraries are encouraging everyone to read this book during the summer before we host Susanna Kearsley at our fifth annual Author Gala in the fall.
If you are looking for a romantic-driven historical novel, with a tad bit of mystery and a splash of nostalgia mixed in, then you need to get your hands on this book right away! It won’t take you long to realize this author is a master storyteller who plays very close attention to sensory details.”
-Karen N. suggests Educated by Tara Westover-
“In this remarkable memoir, Tara Westover tells of her journey through education, which only begins at the age of 17. Until this point, her father (a Mormon fundamentalist) had kept her, along with his wife and their seven children “off the grid,” living in rural Idaho, away from doctors, dentists, and teachers.
He stockpiled ammunition and hoarded food, waiting for the end of days. Each night she went to bed with a “head-for-the-hills” bag packed and ready. Her curiosity and questions grew as she did.
At 17, Westover taught herself enough math and grammar to break away from her isolated life, and to gain admission to Brigham Young University. She went on to study at Cambridge and Harvard, earning a Ph.D. Similar to The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls) and Wild (Cheryl Strayed), Westover’s story is an extraordinary account of the struggle for self-invention.
It is a tale of fierce family loyalty, and of the grief that comes from severing one’s closest ties. With acute insight, Educated gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes, and the will to change it.”
-Caitlyn suggests Trouble Never Sleeps by Stephanie Tromly-
“Fast-paced excitement, swoony romance, suspense, and all the characters you’ve come to know and love. Welcome back to Planet Digby. Zoe and Digby have just made a deal with DeGroot to steal top-secret government intel that could lead to charges of treason and conspiracy in an effort to find out what happened to Sally, but neither of them expect what’s about to come.
Are you ready to laugh and fret more over a ragtag group of teens than you ever have before? Read Trouble Never Sleeps, Stephanie Tromly’s final installment in the Trouble series for teens. Haven’t read the first two yet? Put a hold on them! – Trouble is a Friend of Mine and Trouble Makes a Comeback.”
-Karen S. suggests The Memory Shop by Ella Griffin-
“Nora is at a crossroads in her own life when she is called to Dublin to settle her grandmother’s estate. She finds she has inherited all of her grandmother’s worldly possessions – of which there are many, her grandfather having brought them back from his world travels – and has no way to keep them, so she opens the Memory Shop to match each item with the right new owner.
Through the shop, we meet all the wonderful people of the neighbourhood, and learn their stories and how they intertwine. Along the way, Nora finds notes her grandmother had written about the various items, and these inspire ideas for window displays – as well as helping Nora learn more about her grandmother’s life, and the rift between her grandmother and her mother.
I love the descriptions of Nora’s window displays, and wish I could see them! Uplifting, warm, and vibrant, and perfect for fans of Cathy Kelly and Maeve Binchy, as well as Elin Hilderbrand and Dorothea Benton Frank, despite the different setting.”
-Andree suggests The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer-
“The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer is an action-packed thriller. Zig a civilian mortician deals with the bodies of soldiers killed during secret missions. When the corpse of Nola Brown, a childhood friend of his daughter, arrives he knows it is not her and begins a search. But she does not want to be found or helped. Thrown together, they end up fighting for their lives in this fast-paced read.”
-Erin suggests In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It by Lauren Graham-
“This short and sweet non-fiction read from actress Lauren Graham caught my attention right away. I enjoyed the author as Lorelei Gilmore on television’s Gilmore Girls and wanted to give the book a try.
In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It, is an expansion of Graham’s 2017 commencement speech at Langley High School. I liked this positive book that is filled with useful advice, not just for recent graduates, but for anyone.
We live in a time where many of us constantly worry that we are not doing the right thing or progressing quickly enough in our lives. This book helps to throw away those worries and provide some comfort to its readers. The content was very relatable and I believe it would be for anyone else who tends to worry at all! If you’re looking for a very quick and easy read with an inspirational and positive message along with a few laughs, this book is for you.”
You can reserve any of the titles mentioned here at your branch of the County of Lennox & Addington Libraries or online at countyliibrary.ca.