Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei

SALTCROP by Yume Kitasei (The Deep Sky and The Stardust Grail ) has a beautiful cover. The story centers on three sisters living in a dystopian world. I listed to the audiobook which is narrated by Eunice Wong and she did an excellent job of relating the story. Unfortunately, it just seemed really slow and rather sad. Two of the sisters, Carmen and Skipper travel around the coast in search of their missing sister Nora. No one has heard from her in a long time and their only clues point to extending the dangerous voyage with little hope of success. Instead, they will potentially be sacrificing access to much needed medical help and a steady job for Carmen. The publisher describes this text as “an epic journey spanning oceans and continents and a wistful rumination on sisterhood, friendship, and ecological disaster.” It is all that – just too slow and potentially heartbreaking for me. Kirkus (“the sisters’ world is one full of both darkness and hope”), Library Journal ([about] “family bonds and ordinary people fighting corporate greed, sure to appeal to fans of Carrie Vaughn's Bannerless and Cory Doctorow's Walkaway”) and Publishers Weekly (“moving portrayal of sibling dynamics set in a disturbing near future”) all gave SALTCROP starred reviews so have a look (or a listen) and decide for yourself.

Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne

SNOW KISSED by best-selling author RaeAnne Thayne is a sweet romance filled with the spirit of the Christmas season. Hard-working proprietor of a flower shop, Holly(!) is a single Mom to five-year-old Lydia who has special needs. Shortly before the holidays she meets Ryan, a military helicopter pilot and brother to one of her employees. As they say, “sparks fly” and their mutual attraction grows quickly even though he will have to return to his base in San Diego. There’s drama with an ex-husband and extended family, but the real focus of the story is how Holly and Ryan come to care for and respect each other. This is a terrific holiday tale (set in small town Idaho so plenty of seasonal snow) and will certainly appeal to Thayne’s many fans as well as readers of authors like Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Fern Michaels, Nora Roberts, and Susan Wiggs.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

THE SECRET OF ORANGE BLOSSOM CAKE by Rachel Linden is a novel about family and community and caring. To save her online cooking show featuring vintage recipes, thirty-year-old Jules Costa heads (with her fifteen-year-old estranged half-sister, Alex) to her grandmother’s home in Italy. There, Nonna Bruna has a magical cookbook with pages that only show recipes that can help the person doing the cooking or baking. Many have benefited from the cookbook over the years, but Jules can’t seem to see anything. That is true in many ways – she is blind to the loneliness and needs of her sister; to the attraction felt by Nicolo, a neighbor and Jules’ first love; and to her own best interest and family obligation. Poor Jules struggles to “come of age” even though she is an adult and Linden shares with readers all of Jules’ confusion, insecurity, and fear in a repetitive manner. The Italian setting is described beautifully as are the mouth-watering recipes. The characters, however, seem stiff and uncomfortable as they come to grips with the idea that “Fear can rob you of the life you are meant to live. It does not keep you safe, it keeps you small.” Discussion questions are included for this cozy mix of secrets, romance and magic.  

The Gales of November by John U. Bacon

THE GALES OF NOVEMBER by John U. Bacon delivers “The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald” as well as numerous facts about piloting ships on the Great Lakes. I found it fascinating to learn how much more dangerous it was to navigate the lakes and their weather as opposed to sailing on the open oceans. Bacon has written multiple best sellers on a variety of fields (e.g., sports, business, health, and history). In this case, he has spent numerous hours interviewing and researching events regarding the 1975 loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a long, narrow ship (729 feet long and 75 feet wide) designed to navigate locks while simultaneously being able to carry tons of ore around the industrial Midwest. In addition to information and personal details about crew members and their families, Bacon also provides plenty of background about the famous ballad which Gordon Lightfoot wrote and performed. THE GALES OF NOVEMBER received a starred review from Kirkus (“superb education in geography, seamanship, and history.... A gripping account of a maritime disaster.”) and the Wall Street Journal review said of this story “never has it been told better.”

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTUNE by Richard Osman is the latest Thursday Murder Club Mystery, the first of which is already a movie. Once again, readers are united with four pensioners: Elizabeth (former spy), Joyce (former nurse), Ron (union activist) and Ibrahim (psychiatrist), beginning at the wedding of Joyce’s daughter. It is there that a friend of the groom asks Elizabeth for help because he is scared someone is trying to kill him. Well, someone does die soon after and the foursome are off to find a murderer and a missing person while some criminal elements are planning a big heist, and Ron’s children are threatened due to a domestic abuse situation. With so many details and coy observations (“it was probably nothing. But everything was nothing until it was something.”), Osman keep readers guessing and laughing. He's also working on a new We Solve Murders story. THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTUNE received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal as well as appearing on The Washington's Post's extensive Fall Preview list.

Crochet a Quiet Book by Ariana Wimsett

CROCHET A QUIET BOOK by Ariana Wimsett is designed to “Create a Soft Book Full of Playful Pages.” Wimsett is a crochet designer and blogger who runs the Crafting Happiness website and YouTube channel. What a variety of cute projects! I especially like the 3 in 1 baby blankets on her site – my great-grandmother crocheted a baby blanket for me decades ago! Wimsett’s recent book is just 48 pages, but it is filled with pictures, charts, and helpful instructions to crochet a book/toy for a favorite baby. In addition to turning pages to look at the animals, the baby will have some wonderful tactile experiences – feeling a horse’s mane, moving a duck up and down, or flying some “busy” bees. The creation does not appear to be too difficult, and the colorful book could make a memorable family keepsake, too.

My Beloved by Jan Karon

MY BELOVED by best-selling author Jan Karon is book fifteen in the Mitford series featuring Father Tim Kavanaugh and his many parishioners in a small town in North Carolina. It was refreshing to return to Father Tim’s simple truths (I understand. Thank you. I'm sorry. Love you.) and the endearing cast of characters who make up his friends and extended family. They always seem ready for a challenge – whether it is running a bookstore or rehabbing a derelict building. I especially enjoyed the scenes with (former mayor) Esther and Ray Cunningham as they get ready to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. And then there is the mystery of the disappearing love letter – will it be found/returned in time for Christmas? In between, Karon sprinkles observations (“They say you fall because you're old. You do no such thing. You fall because you're not payin’ attention.”) and mini-homilies (“That's one of the things friends are for - to listen to our repeat stories.”). Jan Karon puts her heart into these books and of MY BELOVED, written after her daughter’s death, she says, “The characters are essentially the same, but the author is different. In MY BELOVED, I opened up like I hadn't done since Candace's diagnosis. Opening up can be scary but I didn't run - I surrendered. … I was laughing, hard. And crying, hard. And I knew I was home.”