The Book Whisperer Discovered a New Cozy

Thanks to BookTrib, I often discover authors who are new to me. Wendy Sand Eckel is one of those authors. She has published four mysteries starring Rosalie Hart. Usually, I begin with the first in a series, but I can attest that one does not always have to begin with the first book to enjoy a story. I read the latest Hart mystery, Killer in a Winter Wonderland.

The story centers on Rosalie Hart, divorced mother of Annie, a college student. Rosalie inherited her aunt’s organic farm near the small town of Cardigan, MD, on Maryland’s eastern shore. Tyler, Rosalie’s hunky boyfriend, manages the farm. Bini is another helper; she tends to the goats and is learning to make goat cheese. Rosalie also owns the Day Lily Café in Cardigan where her employees are Glen, Crystal, Nathan, and Custer who is the chef always trying to “elevate” the menu. I will add that this small staff works hard, but I find it a little hard to believe they can run a café all day and into the dinner hour with only one day off per week. Clearly, Rosalie needs more staff for the café!

Readers will no doubt be hungry as they read Killer in a Winter Wonderland because Custer invents delicious dishes, and Rosalie gives readers mouth-watering descriptions of those dishes. Of course, Rosalie has another talent as well: solving mysteries, particularly murders.

As the owner of the café, Rosalie overhears conversations that can lead to clues about a murder. Rosalie is also the kind of person others trust and will confide in, another way she develops clues to solving a murder. As I read the story, I had a theory on the murderer because the person would benefit significantly from the man’s death. However, I admit to being surprised by the ending. I hope other readers are surprised as well.

Readers won’t be surprised to learn that Wendy Sand Eckel has a passion for creating good food. That is evident in Killer in a Winter Wonderland. Book club members will enjoy discussing the murder and talking about who they thought committed it. Other topics for discussion will include co-parenting after divorce, building a new life, and community.

The Book Whisperer Is Enthralled With a Debut Novel

I’m always looking for a good book to read. Recently, I picked up a copy of One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley.  When I read the quick note on the back of the book, I knew I wanted to read the whole story. Here’s part of what intrigued me: “I kept your secret, Lucy. I’ve kept it for more than sixty years.”

Be forewarned, Edie, the narrator, is now eighty-two and in the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. She tells readers two stories: present day as she tries to hold on to memories as well as knowing what is going on today and the past when Lucy and Edie were teenagers in school together. Lucy went missing in 1951; now, it is 2018, and Edie is determined to find out what happened to Lucy.

Readers will sympathize with Edie, her son Daniel, and her granddaughter Amy as they navigate this new world with Edie’s life-changing dementia taking hold. I found myself completely immersed in the story and eager to find out what happened to Lucy. Without giving any spoilers, I will say I was surprised by the ending.

The story is poignant, sad, and moving. I highly recommend One Puzzling Afternoon because it is the kind of book I longed to discover the ending, but I also hated to finish the story.  Book club members will have much to discuss: aging, dementia, poor parenting, mystery, bad teachers, and good teachers.

The Book Whisperer Recommends Dr. Wimberly’s Sage Advice

Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly has quite a story to tell. Her book My Sunday Best: Pearls of Wisdom, Wit, Grace, and Style depicts “an eighty-two-year-old Black lady wearing her Sunday best.” Her selfies went viral! During the pandemic, Dr. Wimberly, along with the rest of her congregation, moved to online services.

As Dr. Wimberly writes, “I was raised to present myself to the Lord wearing my very best.” Therefore, even though she was home alone and attending virtual church, Dr. Wimberly determined she would always look her very best.

That meant dressing up in her finest clothes, hats, and jewelry.  As she dressed for that first virtual church service, Dr. Wimberly thought it would be fun to take a selfie and post it on Facebook. Little did she realize at that moment that she was starting a trend, a trend that would go viral.

For the next fifty-two consecutive Sundays, Dr. Wimberly dressed in her best clothes, hats, and jewelry as noted above, and took a selfie. She then posted that selfie on Facebook. In Tulsa, OK, Dr. Wimberly’s hometown, Kim Jackson, local TV reporter, asked to interview Dr. Wimberly. That story was picked up and repeated over a number of outlets. Soon, Dr. Wimberly was featured on Anderson Cooper’s show, Fox News, The Washington Post, Tulsa World, ABC News, MSNBC, CBS News, the Today Show, Trevor Noah, and Dan Rather even mentioned her on Twitter!

The book is delightful with a picture of Dr. Wimberly on each page followed by bits of wisdom from her storied life. For example, she reminds readers that “learning is an ongoing pursuit.” On another page, she says, “Preparation is the key to success. Plan your work and work your plan.”

Readers will enjoy the pictures of Dr. Wimberly and her sage advice.

The Book Whisperer Read Kristin Hannah’s Latest Book: The Women

I have read several of Kristin Hannah’s books. The Nightingale remains my favorite. Hannah tackles difficult subjects in her stories. She writes of war, PTSD, abuse, and relationship woes. She also provides her characters with resilience, determination, grit, and resolve, particularly her female characters. The Women, Hannah’s latest release, is no different.

In The Women, readers will learn about how hard the female nurses worked alongside doctors, medics, and soldiers in Vietnam. The trauma the women endured certainly equaled that the men experienced. Frankie McGrath signs up to join the Army as a nurse and go to Vietnam even though she is fresh out of nursing school. She hopes to make her father proud the way he is proud of her brother who graduated from the Naval Academy and went to Vietnam.

Unfortunately, Frankie finds her father is incensed that she has joined the Army and is going to Vietnam. The wall of honor in his office is for the MEN in the family, not for Frankie. Still, Frankie has made a commitment, and she leaves for Vietnam. Frankie is naïve; while she has had good training in nursing school and has had high marks, she is not prepared for what she encounters once she is in-country.

The story chronicles Frankie’s time in Vietnam and the strong friendships she develops with Ethel and Barb, two other nurses. The story leaves little to the imagination as Hannah describes the horror everyone there sees on a daily and nightly basis.

Once Frankie and her nurse friends return home from their stints in Vietnam, they face the divisiveness in the nation. Frankie is suffering from PTSD, a condition not yet fully defined or identified. When she seeks help at a veterans’ center, the doctor there tells her, “There were no women in Vietnam.”

The first half of the book deals with Frankie’s time in Vietnam and the friendships she makes there. The second half of the book takes readers through Frankie’s adjustment to civilian life along with the horrors she suffers. The battles she faces once she is home are just as real and traumatic as the ones she faced in Vietnam; they are simply less bloody.

Many reviews will be posted about The Women. Suffice it to say, that readers must read for themselves. They will surely feel sympathy for Frankie and the other women like her who DID serve in Vietnam. Certainly, book clubs will find much to discuss. Those topics will include family dysfunction, redemption, betrayal, and recovery.

The Book Whisperer Rediscovers Another Old Favorite

Recently, I reread another book for a book club discussion. Such is the case for The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali. I read the book some time ago. I found on rereading it that I noted points I had forgotten or overlooked the first time. I don’t often reread books because there are so many I haven’t read that I want to read. However, I can say that I am glad I reread The Stationery Shop.

Kamali tells the story of enduring young love with the lovers torn apart by forces they don’t recognize until they are both in their seventies. Each thinks the other broke off the engagement of their youth. They both go on to marry other people and have successful lives.

The story begins in 1953 in Tehran. Political upheaval creates tensions and dangers. Those who turn out to be on the losing side face many dangers. Roya and Bahman meet quite by accident in Mr. Fakhri’s stationery shop. Mr. Fakhri sells beautiful writing materials, paper, pen, and ink. He also stocks books. Both Roya and Bahman are interested in poetry, especially the poetry of Rumi. When the two meet, they find an instant attraction despite their young ages.

When Roya and Bahman are poised to elope, they fail to meet one another. Why? That is the crux of the story. Why do the two not find each other at the appointed time and at the appointed place? It will take years for both of them to know the truth.

Read The Stationery Shop because it is a good story. Read it for your book club because it will create a lively discussion about love, loss, and betrayal.

The Book Whisperer Rereads a Favorite

Recently, my book club reached into the past to read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. I reread the book since it had been some time since I read it originally. I was moved by the story again and discovered points I had forgotten from the first reading.

Harold and Maureen live together in a tidy house, but they lead separate lives without much communication between them. Readers will have to discover the reason or reasons for their estrangement. When he receives a letter from Queenie Hennessy, a former workmate, Harold upends his life along with Maureen’s. Harold learns Queenie has terminal cancer and is on hospice care.

Harold writes Queeny a postcard and sets out to mail it at the first mailbox near his home. There, he finds he cannot post the card; instead, he keeps walking despite the fact that he is not prepared for much of a walk, especially not for 600 miles. At each postbox along the way, Harold decides he will go one further. At a stop at a convenience store, a young clerk encourages him to go see his old friend. Harold resolves to see Queeny in hopes of keeping her alive.

Along the route, Harold attracts other walkers who drop in and out with him. These strangers tell him their stories, and he listens offering advice.

The story is excellent for book clubs because of the number of topics for discussion. The estrangement between Harold and Maureen is one topic. Why Harold undertakes his long walk is another. Ultimately, the story is about redemption.

The Book Whisperer Discovers a GEM!

As an avid reader, I enjoy books set in bookstores, libraries, and/or book clubs. When I stumbled across The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn, I knew I wanted to read it. This delightful story is a German story translated into English by Melody Shaw.

Words like charming, delightful, appealing, and enjoyable come to mind when I wish to describe the story found in The Door-to-Door Bookstore. Carl Kollhoff works for a bookstore in a small town. He delivers books to special customers by going after the store closes and taking the books directly to the readers. While Carl knows the people’s real names, he gives them literary names that only he uses in his head.

Carl, 72, is overdue for retirement, but he loves his job and finds pleasure in recommending just the right book for the right reader. One day as he is delivering his books, Carl is joined by Schascha, a nine-year-old girl who upends his life with her inquisitive nature and her friendliness. Despite Carl’s attempts to shoo the girl away, she persists in accompanying him as he delivers the books. She also asks questions and offers opinions, intruding upon Carl’s quiet life.

When Schascha no longer appears to walk with Carl pestering him with questions, he is bereft. He tries to find her, but he is unsuccessful. What happens next will cause readers to cry, hope, and ultimately find happiness! Read The Door-to-Door Bookstore; you will be glad. Books unite us!

The Book Whisperer Discovers a Novel by a Comedian

As a fan of the comedian Steven Wright, I was intrigued when I saw him on a recent late-night talk show, and the host mentioned Wright had written a novel, Harold. As a fan of Steven Wright, one might expect that Harold is not a traditional novel. Instead, readers find themselves in seven-year-old Harold’s head as he navigates his way through life, mostly in his classroom with his classmates and teacher, Ms. Yuka.

Various birds of all types fly into and out of Harold’s head, leaving him with provocative thoughts which he mutters under his breath, or he wisely keeps to himself. Indeed, these thoughts in Harold’s head are much like Wright’s standup routines: random thoughts which he does express in the comedy routines. Harold’s thoughts are truly of the stream-of-consciousness type.

Readers will find themselves constantly entertained by Harold’s musings. However, readers should also be aware that Harold is not a typical novel at all. Going into the reading with this knowledge will help readers. It is funny.