Chicago native Claire Lombardo’s debut novel is an entertaining family saga exploring the delights and perils of parenthood and sisterhood. Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson found true love back in college and now are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Even though their marriage had its ups and downs, their love for each other never wavered.…
J. Ryan Stradal follows his excellent debut novel, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, with an equally delightful family saga filled with Minnesota characters, beer and pie. Stradal grew up in Minnesota so understands how the locals think, talk and act. He is gifted at writing about hard-working, seemingly ordinary people, revealing how they are extraordinary.…
One of the perks of working at a library is access to what we call pre-pubs, which are advance reader copies of books coming out in the next few months. So many terrific books are coming out this summer, and here are just a few I’ve enjoyed. Evvie Drake Starts Over is the delightful debut…
Weretigers. Ghosts. Missing fingers. Yangsze Choo artfully weaves Asian folklore and the supernatural throughout her haunting new book, The Night Tiger. Part of the story is told through the eyes of an 11-year-old orphan, Ren. He dearly misses his dead twin, Yi, who often appears to him in dreams. Ren works as a houseboy for…
When Princess Elizabeth announced her official engagement to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947, the news came as a welcome distraction to the harsh reality of post-World War II England. Jennifer Robson’s new novel, The Gown, takes the reader to this period when citizens had to maintain a stiff upper lip in the…
