The Bird Hotel

 

The Bird Hotel, A Novel  by Joyce Maynard. New York: Arcade Publishing, 2023. 404 pages. *****

We can't let anyone find out who we are," Granny said. "You can't be Joan anymore." No one must know who her mother is and how she died. After a childhood filled with loss, loneliness, and grief, Joan grows up as Irene. Keeping her promise, Irene doesn't even tell her beloved husband who she  really is. Irene seeks a place where she can be herself, develop as an artist and find peace. Arriving at LaLonda, Irene finds her paradise and acceptance. 

There are many stories of love, acceptance, and survival within this one book. Maynard's gift is telling other's story within a story staying true to Irene. The lushness of the island is vividly portrayed while overshadowed by natural threatening elements. I was carried along by the colorful descriptions and the kindness of man forgetting the darker side in every situation. Maynard reminds the reader that not everything is as it seems. This journey of self-awareness and survival while maintaining integrity and choosing forgiveness will provide many discussion points for a Book Club. I recommend The Bird Hotel as a thought-provoking read and have added it to my suggested summer recommended reading list. 

From her website - "Joyce Maynard is the author of eighteen books, including the New York Times bestselling novel, Labor Day and To Die For (both adapted for film), Under the Influence and the memoirs, At Home in the World  and The Best of Us.  Her latest novel, Count the Ways —the story of a marriage and a divorce, and the children who survived it— was published by William Morrow in July, 2021, and The Bird Hotel (Arcade Publishing) was published May 2, 2023." She is currently at work on a sequel to Count the Ways, tentatively scheduled for publication in 2024.

Follow Joyce Maynard at https://www.joycemaynard.com.

Count The Ways review.

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#thebirdhotel 

Suggested Summer Reading List 2023

 Suggested Summer Reading List 2023

The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick

Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gramus

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

The Woods by Harlan Coben

Quilt Retreat 2023

 Quilt Retreat 2023

Brandywine Valley Quilt Guild held their Retreat at the Eden Resort in Lancaster from April 27th-April 30th, 2023. Eden resort is a perfect place - excellent food, comfortable rooms, nice employees. An outstanding retreat!

Packed and ready to go, everything but the kitchen sink!

The Lobby

'

My sisters and I shared a 3 queen bed Suite. It was spacious and comfy!

Mary's room

Galley 

Sharon and I shared this room.

Our Sewing Room easily accommodated all of the quilters (@54)

Our friends and the Guild add some swag to our sewing space. Thank you everyone!

My sister Sharon made us new shirts this year -- we look like Peeps!

Our Sewing Room - we each had our own table and could spread out.

There were cutting and ironing stations.

Sharon's quilt 

Breakfast and lunch was served in a private room for us each day. The selection of food and desserts was amazing and delicious!

Every day there were scrumptious desserts!

Door Prizes are always welcomed, especially when everyone wins one!

Thank you Door Prize Committee!

Deb won a sewing basket

Cheryl is a winner!

K

Retreat isn't complete unless we go fabric shopping! 

Thank you Old Country Store, Intercourse, PA for our discount coupons.

I spent the days working on two quilts - The Avenue and a heart log cabin. The same Tilda and neutral fabric is in both quilts to maximize using my fabric. Sewing curves is always a challenge!

A long way to go! 

The last day of Retreat, fun was had by all and so wonderful to spend time with my sisters.

Past Retreats

#ilovemysisters #quiltretreat #brandywinevalleyquilters 

Seven Girls Gone

 

Seven Girls Gone ( (A Quinn & Costa Thriller Book 4) by Allison Brennan. Ontario:Mira, 2023. 433 pages ***

St. Augustine, Louisiana, where the main activity in town is a bar with benefits is no stranger to fights and violence. Police detective Beau Hebert is the only one who cares when women are missing and show up dead. Amidst rumors of corruption in the police department, Beau calls in a favor from his friend on the FBI’s Mobile Response Team. LAPD detective Kara Quinn also arrives and works undercover to make friends with some of the local women and to hang out in the town's bars. When she is stopped by a local police office for coasting through a stop sign and is searched more thoroughly than is comfortable or allowed by law, she is determined take that officer down. When Team leader Matt Costa investigates the in-custody death of a witness, the case takes a new direction and begins to unravel. Beau realizes that he will need to solve the case quickly and cleanly or he will no longer be welcome or safe in his hometown. 

I received an ecopy for a review.

Even though I did not read the first three books in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The relationships among the main characters are complex and add to the suspense in the story. I suspect there is still a small- town mentality in existence where there are limited education and few job opportunities and where money is at the root of violence. 

From Amazon...

Allison Brennan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award winning author of three dozen thrillers and numerous short stories. She was nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers, had multiple nominations and two Daphne du Maurier Awards, and is a five-time RITA finalist for Best Romantic Suspense. Allison believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five kids and spends all her non-writing time as a sports spectator, chauffeur, and short-order cook for her munchkins. She has a dog, two cats, and three chickens. Allison and her family live in northern California.

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#msystery #psycholgicalfiction 

Earth's the Right Place for Love

 

Earth's the Right Place for Love: a Novel by Elizabeth Berg. New York: Random House, 2023. 288 pages. Publication Date March 21, 2023. ****

Growing up in Mason, Missouri, Arthur Moses has spent his life in a town that he loves, living his dream. When he is sixteen and sharing a bedroom with his older, worldly, brother Frank, Arthur seeks advice on attracting the attention of the prettiest girl in school, Nola McCollum. Nola has a crush on Arthur’s older brother, Frank, who is busy pursuing his own love interest and avoiding the boys’ father, a war veteran with a drinking problem who loses his job. Nola gives Arthur her phone number to give to Frank, however, Frank is busy pursuing his own love interest and coaches Arthur in the way of love. When a sudden tragedy strikes the family, Arthur tries to make sense of it all and finds comfort in nature. Trying to get Nola to see him as something besides a friend proves to be his biggest challenge.

I received an copy for a review.

Berg can make me laugh, cry, despair, and be hopeful, all at the same time. I know so many people like Arthur, kind, gentle, loving, trying to fit in without losing himself. He's comfortable with his choices and knows what he wants in life while trying to understand his parent's relationship. Berg drew me in, and I savored every morsel of this story. Arthur earns money by helping his elderly neighbors who share their stories with him. I can relate to where his neighbors are in their life, wanting someone who will see them and listen. Berg does a beautiful job in the portrayal of the characters and their acceptance of Arthur. Fans of Arthur Truluv will love this book and so will Book Clubs.

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From Amazon - Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including The Story of Arthur Truluv, Night of Miracles, The Confession Club, Open House (an Oprah’s Book Club selection), Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures, as well as the short story collection The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year. She adapted The Pull of the Moon into a play that enjoyed sold-out performances in Chicago and Indianapolis. Berg’s work has been published in thirty-one countries, and three of her novels have been turned into television movies. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community. She teaches one-day writing workshops and is a popular speaker at venues around the country. Some of her most popular Facebook postings have been collected in Make Someone Happy, Still Happy, and Happy to Be Here. She lives outside of Chicago.

#kindness #lovefiction 

Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine

Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (Stephanie Plum Book 29) by Janet Evanovich NewYork: Atria Books, 2022. 324 pages. ****

In this latest Stephanie Plum novel, Connie and Vinnie are kidnapped, and held for the return of a coin. Grandma attempts to help Stephanie locate them and to keep Bella, Morelli's Grandmother at bay. Bella has a warrant out for her failure to appear in court and threatens anyone with the "eye" who attempts to bring her in. Throw in a car and office explosion, Ranger, Morelli, and Lancelot try to protect Stephanie each in their own way to humorous results. 

I view a Janet Evanovich book as a palate cleanser. The situations that Lula and Stephanie get themselves into makes me laugh out loud. I know that when I start one of her books, I will read it in two days and thoroughly enjoy it. I will be in a good mood afterwards and won't tire of the doughnut eating and stops for fried chicken. Even though this is her 29th novel in this series and somewhat formulaic, it is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, a comfort food kind of book. You know what you are getting and it's something that you need right now.  If you are a Stephanie Plum fan, you will not be disappointed. 

From Amazon - Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the co-authored Fox and O’Hare series, the Knight and Moon series, and the Lizzy and Diesel series as well as twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels, Troublemaker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the co-authored Fox and O’Hare series, the Knight and Moon series, and the Lizzy and Diesel series as well as twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels, Troublemaker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.

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#bookstagram #stephaniePlum #mystery

As Bright As Heaven

 

As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meisssner. New York: Berkley, 2018. 387 pages. ***

It's 1918 and the Bright family moves from Quakertown to Philadelphia in search of a better life for their three girls. Uncle Fred, an undertaker, invites them to live with him and he will teach the trade to his nephew and pay for the girls' schooling. Reeling from the death of their infant son, the plan provides hope for all of them until the 1918 Spanish Flu invades the city. Many of the young men have left to fight in the Great War and no family is left untouched by the flu. Bodies pile up at the mortuary and given the unsanitary conditions, masks are ineffective against this pandemic. How anyone survived is a miracle and the Bright family is no exception in their loss. 

This story may be too soon for some readers after Covid. Having experienced life during a pandemic, I have been curious as to how my family survived in Philadelphia in 1918. Blue collar workers of modest means, I have seen pictures from that time and marveled that here we are. Meissner touches on the parade which caused a resurgence of cases and deaths. While a sad tale, love and hope prevail. Each of the girls adapts to their new environment and disappointments, while finding love and a purpose in helping others. The first half of the book was stronger than the second half, a strong start and weak finish. 

From her website-

Susan Meissner is a USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction with more than three-quarters of a million books in readers' hands and translations in eighteen languages. She is an author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Nature of Fragile Things, which earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly; The Last Year of the War, named to Real Simple magazine’s list of best books for 2019; As Bright as Heaven, which earned a starred review in Library Journal; Secrets of Charmed Life, a Goodreads finalist for Best Historical Fiction 2015; and A Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for 2014.

She attended Point Loma Nazarene University in California and makes her home with her husband and yellow Lab in the Pacific Northwest.

Visit Susan at her website: https://susanmeissnerauthor.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/susanmeissnerauthor/ on Twitter at @SusanMeissner or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/susan.meissner

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#historicalfiction #bookstagram #spanishflupandemicof1918