Port Anna by Libby Buck

PORT ANNA by Libby Buck is a gentle story about starting over and second chances. Set in small-town coastal Maine (Port Anna is named for Anna Vale, a long-ago lighthouse keeper), this debut features Gwen Gilmore whose younger sister Molly drowned several years ago. Having lost a teaching position, Gwen decides to move back to Maine and encounters friends from her childhood and youth; later musing that “the defining moments of our lives happen before we turn 18.” She struggles to make peace with past events and to overcome hardship, including housing challenges, while gradually amassing the start of a new life with elements of romance, friendship, protectiveness towards a runaway teen, and developing a shared community at the local high school, her new employer. Throughout the story, Gwen reflects on love and grief and how “You cannot have one without the other. … In the middle of grief, there were also gifts: a smushed loaf of banana bread from a friend who knew she forgot to eat, the caress of a man covered in blue paint, and the skinny girl’s indomitable spirit.” When reviewing this novel, Publishers Weekly said, “Readers looking for a sweet, summery outing … will want to check this out." Overall, PORT ANNA is an engaging, feel-good read enlivened by Buck’s strong affection for Maine, as she says, “I am deeply grateful for its many gifts -- the bounty and diversity of the land and seascape as well as the fascinating, complicated people who call it home.” 

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross

HAZEL SAYS NO by Jessica Berger Gross is certainly a roller coaster of a read. Set in Riverburg Maine, the novel features a family transplanted from Brooklyn: high school senior Hazel Greenberg Blum; her middle school brother, Wolf, who loves to act; professor and frustrated writer Dad named Gus; and Claire, fashion designer Mom. Settling in over the summer, things seem to be going well, but during the first day of school Hazel is propositioned by the high school principal and that event sets off a cascade of reactions. There’s plenty of hate mail and self-questioning; shunning of both kids; parenting crises and career angst for Gus and Claire… and then (that roller coaster) … media interest, trips to New York, local support, and new friends. The audiobook, excellently narrated by Emma Galvin, captures the shock, the sadness, the anger, the self-doubt, the creativity, the joy, the relief… This debut novel deftly explores societal themes (#MeToo; white privilege, antisemitism, small town insularity) while telling a coming-of-age story – mostly for Hazel, but for her parents and younger brother, too, as they all mature and change. In fact, Berger Gross makes the point rather obviously: “it was Wolf’s big monologue [in Charlotte’s Web] and he remembered, he FELT every word: Whatever will happen, will happen. I may not live as long as I'd like, but I've lived very well. A good life is much more important than just having a long life. So starting now, I'm going to stop worrying about myself. There are more important things than just thinking about yourself all the time.” HAZEL SAYS NO could be triggering; it contains some difficult moments and sensitive content; this title received a starred review from Booklist. 

Hazel's reading list:  “Remembering how good reading made her feel - grounded and alive. She’d read as much as she could before college. Virginia Woolf and bell hooks. Jhumpa Lahiri and Lauren Groff. Celeste Ng and Lorrie Moore, Curtis Sittenfeld and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Elena Ferrante and Sheila Heti and Min Jin Lee and Jennifer Egan and more Zadie Smith.” 

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB by Tom Ryan is set in Maple Bay, Nova Scotia which is a seaside town and the “treasure” they are hunting is called Obelisk Treasure, from a pirate chest left long ago belonging to Captain Barnabas Dagger. Told in part in the present day, the story also shifts a generation or two back in time to when the club “members” (Henry Bellwood; Archie Jinx, “Junior” French, “Red” Oakley and Elmer Feltzen) stumble upon the treasure and decides to hide it again until they come of age. That would have turned their lives around, but instead the discovery acts as a curse of sorts which results in multiple deaths and a club member facing a long prison sentence. The treasure is stolen and hidden yet again, and future descendants try for forty years to find the treasure without luck.  It takes yet another generation to solve the complicated riddle. There is a beautiful old house called Bellwood which was fun to imagine and I liked the treasure hunting aspect, but so many characters were involved and the connections became confusing: “As she tries to wrap her head around the countless relationships that have played out here over the years, and the interactions and conversations and arguments and love affairs that spiraled out from them, it almost makes her dizzy.” The story starts out slowly since there is a great deal of backstory to explain, but the characters gradually come into focus and at about eighty percent of the way there is a crazy twist in the story, too. THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB received a starred review from Library Journal who described it as having, “the cozy charm of Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove, with almost as many murders.”

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark

FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark immerses its readers in nature by evoking a beautiful setting in Maine. That is the long time summer retreat for 80 year old Agnes, a writer of children’s books and (under a pseudonym) adults novels filled with observations about social class and women’s strengths and perceptions. Her best friend, Polly, also summers at Fellowship Point and the two older Quaker ladies devise a plan to set up a land trust, protecting the area as a sanctuary for birds. Polly’s self-centered husband (who is beginning to experience signs of dementia) and their sons’ families object, of course. Meanwhile, Agnes is coping with inquiries from a young editorial assistant named Maud who is encouraging Agnes to write a memoir. Their correspondence contains exquisite summaries like: “What does it mean to be a writer? … That I have developed a system of logic that resembles reason while containing my emotions which are by nature unreasonable. That I know I can express myself clearly if and when I need to. Above all, that I have a private space where I can wander and play and dream, where I can be scathing and cruel and reprehensible, where I can love and expose myself completely, without any interference from anyone other than my private projections.” Readers will need to be patient and savor the slower pace; this is a novel filled with contemplation and quiet reveals as well as numerous ethical questions (e.g., “She was always loyal – but how to choose between the entities that deserved her allegiance?”). Anyone who loves the woods will be delighted to walk the land with Agnes or Polly. Teeming with commentary on female friendships and on the relationships between mothers and children, FELLOWSHIP POINT received starred reviews from Booklist (“psychologically fluent, funny, and intricately and meaningfully plotted”), Kirkus (“the rare 592-page novel you'll be sorry to finish”), and Publishers Weekly (“a remarkable achievement”). 

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes

Unfortunately, FLYING SOLO by Linda Holmes did not live up to the standards of her debut novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over. Both stories are set primarily in the same small town in Maine and they share references to the baseball team and cereal box races, but FLYING SOLO seemed very repetitive and self-centered since it focused on almost forty year old Laurie Ellen Sassalyn and her persistent waffling between nurturing a relationship with Librarian Nick Cooper or maintaining a truly independent lifestyle on the West Coast. She has come to Maine to sort out a beloved aunt’s belongings and the mystery over a decoy duck she finds is amusing and adventuresome. If you are in the mood for on again off again romance mixed with mystery, try FLYING SOLO; it received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal as well as being a LibraryReads selection for June.

Christmas Themed mysteries

These Christmas themed mysteries offer a light, quiet diversion and chance to send part of the holidays with favorite characters. 

CHRISTMAS SWEETS by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier is another collection of three novellas by prolific mystery writers: The twelve desserts of Christmas; Nightmare on Elf Street and The Christmas thief, respectively.   Fluke’s story takes place at a boarding school where a few students are spending the holidays with two romantically inclined teachers. Hannah Swenson, of course, makes an appearance along with several holiday recipes. Levine’s nightmare story involves a murdered Santa with one of his elves as a key suspect.  And, Meier transports Lucy Stone from Tinker’s Cove, Maine to Florida where her own daughter is embroiled in a puzzling theft. Familiar characters and the holiday theme (plus some great recipes!) make this a fun read – cozy up by the fire and enjoy! 3.5 stars

CHRISTMAS CARD MURDER by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Peggy Ehrhart was just recently published and contains a collection of three stories by these authors: Christmas Card Murder; Death of a Christmas Carol; and Death of a Christmas Card Crafter. As I often do (guilty pleasure), I enjoyed escaping reality for a bit with the Lucy Stone story which involved a threatening message on an old Christmas card found during a house renovation. Frankly, though, I gave up in the midst of Death of a Christmas Carol after a human character “barked” for about the tenth time; who says that?  Ratings on amazon and GoodReads are more positive for this set of stories so maybe I missed a clever play on words instead of the editor missing a chance to improve the writing? 2.5 stars

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS ON TRADD STREET by Karen White is a blend of mystery, history, and romance with a dash of paranormal spirits.  Technically part of a series set in Charleston and featuring Melanie Trenholm, this title can be read alone. Disturbed by some construction, the spirits are related to a long ago spy ring. Melanie deals with their attempts at messaging as well as current day rivals, business concerns, and holiday entertaining obligations. A light and undemanding, entertaining read.  3.0 stars