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 recently enjoyed. This month you’ll find a riveting thriller, funny memoir, and heart wrenching novel of historical fiction.
Julie suggests The Last Flight by Julie Clark
“Plotting to get away from her “perfect” marriage, Claire Cook manages to switch plane tickets with another woman at the airport. As she lands safely in her new destination she learns the plane she was supposed to be on has crashed in the Atlantic Ocean and there are no survivors. Now that she is presumed dead, she should be able to carry on with her new life but nothing is as easy as it seems. Especially when her husband doesn’t seem to believe that she was actually on the doomed flight and will not give up until he finds out the truth. This is a perfect page turner for the cooler fall evenings.”
Kristin suggests American Royals by Katharine McGee
“To start with, I suggest getting comfy and cozy. Perhaps block out a few spare hours for yourself when you start this book because it is fun, fantastic and extremely hard to put down. American Royals by Katharine McGee is an entertaining story that takes place in an imaginary world where the United States of America has a royal family instead of a capitalistic democracy. I was entirely absorbed by this book from the first few pages. The author has created a fascinating story that reminds me so much of the Windsor’s, but it also has many meaningful “human” themes woven into the overall story. If you are a fan of the British royal family, a certified Royal Watcher, or are just looking for an addictive story to escape into than be sure to pick up this glittering novel on your next trip into the library.”
Marg suggests The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman
“Set in an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood in 1918 at the start of the Spanish Flu epidemic, The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman is a timely and terrifying story you won’t want to put down. The Orphan Collector centers on the Lange family who had emigrated from Germany a decade ago. When her mother succumbs to the flu, 13-year-old Pia is devastated but she is the only one left to care for her infant twin brothers Max and Ollie. Running low on food Pia makes the difficult decision to leave her sleeping brothers in their apartment while she scours the streets to find supplies. Unbeknownst to Pia, her neighbour Bernice Groves sees her breaking quarantine and goes to investigate. Bernice is very bitter towards German people since her husband was a casualty of the war and she is grieving the loss of her own infant son from the flu. She finds the twin boys alone and crying in the apartment with their dead mother and makes the fateful decision to take them home with her. She decides to raise the boys as her own and makes a vow to rid the streets of immigrant children, thus becoming the Orphan Collector. Considering the epidemic we are currently facing The Orphan Collector can at times be a difficult read but I found it to be a totally captivating and heart wrenching story of resilience I won’t soon forget.”
Coleen suggests Bad Axe Country by John Galligan
“A dark thriller set in a small town setting of Wisconsin, with cows, baseball and secrets — waiting to be solved by interim Sheriff Heidi Kick. I thought of a pastoral setting when I read Wisconsin, but John Galligan takes us to the dark corners, where corruption, drug dealing, poverty and human trafficking, hide and flourish, that is, until Sheriff Kick begins her quest to save a young woman and take down the corruption plaguing her own hometown. Although the content is dark, it is reality-based and the characters way of adapting to overcome their personal tragedies are formidable and inspiring. If you like the character of Olivia Benson of Law & Order SVU, you will enjoy getting to know Sheriff Heidi Kick.”
Kate suggests A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost
“This self-deprecating, hilarious memoir is written by SNL writer and Weekend Update personality Colin Jost. Here, he discusses his upbringing on Staten Island, how he got into comedy, and his accomplishments and setbacks in his personal life and career. This book is funny, but also very unexpected.”
All of these items are available in digital formats and can be reserved County of Lennox & Addington Libraries online at www.CountyLibrary.ca.