Reading Goals 2018

Update: February

This month I chose from my reading goal list: a book whose setting is in a bookshop or library.

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy was a perfectly cozy read for February.  It was heartwarming to read about the struggles of librarian Hannah Casey, who plots and strategizes to save the library from the clutches of self-serving local politicians and greedy land developers.

image from Google

Hannah has returned home to her mother Mary after a disastrous marriage and has found safety and comfort managing the Lissbeg Library. Besides functioning as chief librarian in the brick and mortar library, Hannah rambles around the fictional Finfarran Peninsula of Ireland (oooohhh just love that country) as she delivers books in the mobile library van to the far-flung citizens. The scenery is lovely. It's Ireland for goodness's sake! The plot even features an old thatched cottage, complete with peat-burning fireplace set right on the edge of the ocean....just yummy. Let the dreaming begin.

personal photos from 2002 family trip to Cork and Ring of Kerry

In addition to the Gaelic setting, part of the book's charm is the many quaint characters that populate the peninsula, including an irascible builder (aptly named Mr. Fury), an equally stubborn nun, and a fledgling librarian who gently tries to push Hannah into the technology era.  Does Hannah's bruised and battered heart have the strength left to fight the political machine that threatens to destroy the tenuous new life she is making for herself? Can she adapt to even more changes in her life and embrace the techno age? Or will she discover it is easier to concede in the face of superior foes?  

I empathized at times with Hannah and felt her fears. It is not too far fetched to envision a time when books are no more, replaced with digital files and fancy e-readers. It is not too unrealistic to think her role as a librarian could become obsolete. This is just one of the many things I pondered as I read The Library at the Edge of the World. I'd love to know what thoughts it made you think about.

HAPPY READING!

October Reading Roundup (Part 3)

This month I have been sharing with you, the places and resources for books to read.  Reading can be costly if you feel you must purchase and own every book you read.  I've tried, in these October posts, to share with you ways you can economize and still read, read, read.

The last resource is the most obvious...your local library.  I signed out all of the books below from my county library.  Sometimes, I just look up titles in the online card catalog and add them to my reserve list. The library calls me when they've gathered them and all I have to do is go pick them up. A great time saver if you are busy.

Here are the titles I read this month:

Belong To Me by Maria de los Santos

 

This was a follow up to Santos's Love Walked In and as most follow ups go, it wasn't quite as good. It follows Cornelia, the main character from LWI as she and her husband Teo move from the big city to the suburbs in hopes of starting a family. The sub -story of Lake (a single mom) who tries to find the perfect school for her genius son Dev is interesting and provides surprising connections to Cornelia and Teo, but the inclusion of Cornelia's bitchy, Stepford wife, neighbor Piper seems unnecessary. The message of the book is in the title.  Everyone needs someone to belong to them, just as much as everyone needs to belong to someone else.

The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza

This was my favorite read of the month. The Knockoff is a fun look at the fashion industry and how much social media and technology has impacted the traditional ways of advertising especially in fashion magazines. The main character, Imogen Tate, editor-in-chief of Glossy Magazine returns from medical leave to find her magazine has gone digital and has been taken over by millennial-bitch -personified Eve Morton. Millennials do not come across in a favorable light in this book.  They have the attention span of a gnat and speak (or rather not speak) in text bites like LOL, ROFL and FOMO. At one point Imogen wonders, "have we all become so desperate to share everything that we've stopped enjoying our lives?" Though super entertaining, the book makes one stop and think.

Two books by Sarah Addison Allen

Whenever I need a relaxing yet interesting read, I turn to Sarah Addison Allen.  Her books never fail to capture my imagination.  They are always set in the South and are filled with mystery and a little bit of magic.  The two I read this month are no exception...delightful.  I'm glad she is a prolific writer. This month I read...

The Peach Keeper

and Lost Lake

 

Airs and Graces by Erica James

I love books set in England.  This story takes place in Cheshire England and follows Ellen, a recent divorcee who was duped and then blackmailed by her philandering husband.  The story seems to be a cliche, but it is made fresh by the mix of characters.  Ellen is best friends with her neighbor, a very elderly Hermione, who is as feisty and independent as can be.  Ellen also befriends a young homeless girl, who was turned out of her parents home because she was pregnant.The lives of these three generations intertwine and provoke much thought from the reader about life and the contributions each stage of life has to offer.

That's it for October...Where do you find books to read?  I'd love to hear how you manage to find books to read without breaking the bank.  Leave a comment.

October Roundup (part 2)

The other day as I was getting a coffee at a local shop ( housed in a former pottery foundry...such charm) I passed a structure on my way into the shop that looked like an ornate mailbox. I didn't stop to inspect because I needed my caffeine, but on my way out I stopped to get a closer look at it.  It turned out this "mailbox" was a library! Maybe you have seen them or heard of them, they are apparently popping up all over the country. They are called Little Free Libraries and can be built by anyone, even you!

This particular Little Free Library was dedicated to the memory of a local farmer, Les Hoffman.  The tribute on the side of the library structure was sweet and touching.  What a wonderful way to honor a friend.

The Little Free Library is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote literacy and the love of reading.  That Simple! But any one can build a library.  Some people even put them on their own property for their neighbors to use.  For more details on how to build one or where the nearest Free Little Library is to you, visit  this site.

So, these free mini libraries are another source for your reading adventures. I picked up The Wonder Spot my Melissa Bank and left a Nicholas Sparks book in its place.

I chose The Wonder Spot because I had really enjoyed The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing that Bank's wrote a few years ago.  I was a bit disappointed in The Wonder Spot.  It lacked the charm of The Girls Guide.  The novel was actually 8 separate vignettes in the life of Sophie Applebaum as she matures from an awkward twelve-year old to an adult who at 49 is still trying to discover who she really is. I must admit, Sophie is very likable, but a bit frustrating in her slow pace to self-discovery.  Sophie's father, the judge, on the other hand, was a totally cool and noble character.  His character alone is worth the read. The reader gets attached to Sophie, too, but you just want to shake her sometimes for her choices!

I realize I am running out of October for sharing my October reads...YIKES! I'll post this quickly and finish up October Roundup  Part 3, before you can say Trick or Treat.

Have you seen any Little Free Libraries near you?  Would you like to build one?