Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan was a gem! No wonder it was voted the Goodreads 2022 Best Romance, but this book was more than a romance. Involving family dynamics between 2 sisters who grieve for their dead mother. Nora is a shark like protagonist, hard working in the book business as a hard driving book agent and younger sister, Libby, pregnant with 2 children. Libby urges Nora to take a 3 week vacation with her to a surprise destination & she grudgingly goes because Nora has sensed losing a little bit of Libby. Surprise surprise when she takes Nora to the setting for one of her romance author's books! There is so much good going on in this book, with hunky guys, the outdoors, THEIR LIST, and running into grumpy Charlie, who Nora worked for in NY. And from there it just gets better and better. I enjoyed the plot, the setting and the many characters seen through Nora's shark eyes. And it is so nice to listen to Julia Whelan as the shark becomes embroiled in small town histrionics & Charlie. A must read!!!

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The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to my librarian friend, MaryAlice Briggs for lending me her copy of this awesome historical fiction book! I loved the story of Belle de costa Greene and her life and her job as J.P. Morgan's personal librarian. Fraught with mystery and suspense and the time in history, Belle becomes as famous as her employer, with her love of books and artwork, and her study of humanity as she flirts, uses her mouth as both honest and hiding her real identity and famous for her style. This reader rooted for Belle as she maneuvered her way around those who admired and/or hated her. A part of history I was totally unaware of and prepared for, I could not stop turning the pages in this thoroughly researched book! A must read!!!

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The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this book!!! So many novels now in this time of the virus sometimes take me some time to read because I stop when the story becomes too heavy. But indomitable Nina who is a shy librarian who really loves books is optimistic, honest, and a romantic. Hustle and Bustle Edgbaston is a big city and now they have a new view of what a library should be...and her beloved job is not more because the library powers that be have a new vision called Mediatech Services. Nina's love of books has nurtured a secret wish, to have her own bookstore. When she decides to act on this, her life is forever changed---buying a van, loading all the books in her apartment and moving to a vast farming community in Scotland called Kirrinfief. The beauty is breathtaking, the people all know each other, and Nina is lucky enough to rent a gorgeous barn that has been refurbished. I loved Nina's pairing of books with her buyers, her ability to jump in and help others, and her crazy friend's romantic advice. Just a wonderful book about the beauty of books, farms, animals, and life in a new place, if you haven't read it and want to be uplifted and to laugh, now is the time! Highly recommended!

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Top 10 YA Books for 2010

http://animoto.com/play/FO7jD50fI5FWoJ3l702hKA?autostart=true


Thanks to Sue from the TLNing for creating this awesome Animoto of teen favorites from 2010

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

I have been thinking about this book a lot, musing about the characters and how society is being portrayed in this book. School, family, and friends were always important, a love of home and loyalty to oneself and others was always present in Werlin's world. I thought Lucy was such a strong character who worked hard as an athlete, was a good daughter to Soledad and Leo, a fast friend to Sara and like a sister to Zach as they grow up, and someone who knew what she was about...Even as the past and the curse on her family hurtles in to destroy the calm and security in her life. But in Lucy's world, everyone comes to her aid, doesn't judge her and asks "what can we do to help?" Pure evil manifested itself in Padraig Seeley---he had disdain for the simple beauty of their home, he mocked their goodness, but soon their "magic" is able to defeat him and oh how sweet it is! So what did I learn from this book? I felt that Lucy was sooo loved, she was able to use this strength to free her "family" from this wretched curse and live happily knowing that maybe her life wasn't what she would have chosen----but it was "pure joy-to have the normal problems of being a married teenage mom of a newborn. And count my blessings."