Romantic Comedies

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Our Summer Reading Program, Book Your Backyard Adventure, begins today. If you’re in the mood for something light and entertaining, here’s a list of new and forthcoming rom-coms, or romantic comedies. Sounds good to me right now.

Romantic Comedies

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fensker
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren
Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
Ghosting: A Love Story by Tash Skilton
A Highlander in a Pickup by Laura Trentham
Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

Happy reading! Brenda

Spindled

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Spindled by Shanna Swendson

Lucy Jordan works in an ice cream shop and creates costumes for her high school’s musicals. Her friend Dawn, who loves to sing, hopes they can make a living on Broadway after graduation. But Dawn’s aunts won’t even let her attend Lucy’s party on their shared sixteenth birthday, so that dream seems unlikely. After Lucy, Dawn, and their friend Jeremy celebrate early, Lucy gets kidnapped while wearing Dawn’s necklace. Mistaken for a princess, she escapes a castle with the help of Sebastian, a young soldier. Jeremy and Dawn search for Lucy in a land with talking animals, ending up with a troupe of traveling entertainers. In a fast-paced adventure with a bit of romance, this modern adaptation of Sleeping Beauty is an entertaining read. The author’s Enchanted, Inc series is a good readalike. Spindled is available from Media on Demand, our Overdrive/Libby collection.

Brenda

 

Virtual Book Discussion: America for Beginners

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I have missed hosting monthly book discussions at the library. We are taking our book discussions online, using Zoom. Our next book discussion is on Tuesday, May 26, at 7:00 pm. We will be talking about the novel America for Beginners, by Leah Franqui. My earlier review is here. This first novel, which is both poignant and funny, is about Pival Sengupta, a widow from Kolkata, India, who books a private tour from New York to California, to find out what happened to her estranged son, Rahi. Her tour guide, Satya, has never traveled west of New York City, and her companion, Rebecca, is an aspiring actress. Please register here. The book is available to download at Hoopla and from our Libby/Overdrive collection, Media on Demand.

Happy reading! Brenda

A Memory Called Empire

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A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Young Mahit Dzmare, fond of the poetry and epics of the vast Teixcalaanli empire, is the new ambassador from Lsel, a space station. She has just begun exploring the outdated memories of the former ambassador, Yskandr, when her neural implant malfunctions. Her liaison, Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea, Seagrass’s friend, are the only Teixcalaanli she can rely on, and perhaps trust. Mahit must find out Yksandr’s fate and if recent dangerous accidents are connected and aimed at her. After Mahit meets the elderly emperor Six Direction she receives an encrypted message from Lsel with implications almost as powerful as the poetry that can rescue Mahit, Three Seagrass, and Twelve Azalea from a riot and kidnapping. With excellent world-building and an ever-intensifying pace, this is an absorbing read that’s perfect for right now; and a good readalike for Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, and the very entertaining Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold. Mahit is viewed as a barbarian by the Teixcalaanli, but some aspects of their culture shock her. A thought provoking read, this novel is nominated for the upcoming Hugo and Nebula Awards, and the ebook is available from Media on Demand/Libby. A second book, A Desolation Called Peace, will be published next March.
Brenda

Small Town Life

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Small Town Life

These are novels set in small towns, usually with a contemporary setting, many featuring a woman coming home again to start over, often with strong female friendships, and a bit of romance. Character driven, these books are usually heartwarming or cheerful in tone. All of these titles are available at the library and at Media on Demand.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson
Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck
Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber
Sisters by Choice by Susan Mallery
Herons Landing by JoAnn Ross
Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis
Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne

Enjoy! Brenda

 

A Useful Woman

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A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde

This is the engaging first book in a mystery series set during the Regency period in London. In 1817, a few years after her family’s fortunes changed for the worse, Rosalind Thorne lives on the fringes of London society as a personal secretary for fashionable ladies, helping to organize events, shop, and plan debuts for young ladies. When Rosalind’s godmother, Lady Blanchard, is late leaving a meeting with the other patronesses of Almack’s Assembly Rooms, Rosalind finds a body in the ballroom. The dead man’s sister asks Rosalind to look into his death, along with Adam Harkness, a Bow Street Runner. A former beau reappears in Rosalind’s life, and she must balance uncovering secrets with keeping her good reputation. A pleasantly diverting read, followed by A Purely Private Matter, then And Dangerous to Know, which I plan to add to my reading list. All of these titles are available from Media on Demand, our Overdrive/Libby collection. A fourth book is expected in November.

Brenda

Light Changes Everything

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Light Changes Everything by Nancy E. Turner

Readers of Turner’s historical novels These Is My Words and Sarah’s Quilt will be eager to read about Sarah’s niece, Mary Pearl Prine. Mary is 17 in 1907 and lives on her family’s pecan farm in Arizona Territory. She loves to read and draw, and is invited to study art at Wheaton College in Illinois. May’s mother would rather see her get married, and Mary does have a likely suitor. Family life on the frontier contrasts strongly with life at Wheaton College, where society girls care more about parties and dresses than studying. Mary, with her horse and pistol, doesn’t exactly fit in. She discovers a talent for photography, and a photograph of lightning becomes especially valuable to her family. A personal crisis sends Mary home straight into a ranger war, with her younger brothers in grave danger. Full of drama and adventure, Mary’s coming-of-age story is a memorable, compelling read.

Brenda