The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber

THE FORGET-ME-NOT LIBRARY by Heather Webber is a LibraryReads selection for November 2025 (“Perfect for readers who want a cozy, magical read to soothe away the troubles of the real world.”). Library Journal says THE FORGET-ME-NOT LIBRARY is for readers who enjoy “Stephanie Perkins, Fannie Flagg, and Karen Hawkins.” To that I would add authors like Katherine Center, Ruth Hogan, Susan Mallery, Karen White, and Susan Wiggs. This novel is a tender story of friendship, found family, small town-community, and second chances. The main characters are Juliet, a young nurse who has lost some memories due to an accident, and Tallulah, a recently divorced young mother of two sweet girls, Katie June and Mary Joy. Juliet’s car breaks down in the enchanted town of Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, where Tallulah works in the local library and lives with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Romance is on the horizon for both women, and they bond over caring for the girls and some of the town’s older residents with their wise sayings. Truly gentle and delightful.

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 Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD STORIES is the latest from Julia Alvarez (In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents). Alvarez focuses on four sisters, particularly Alma, the second eldest and a writer. She decides to retire and to bury her untold stories in some land she inherits in the Dominican Republic.  A sculpture friend works with her to install statues and a local caretaker, named Filomena, is hired. With a touch of magical realism surprising stories are shared. They build on themes of family, secrets, and prejudice and seem to link the local caretaker, Alma’s father, and the ex-wife of dictator Rafael Trujillo, named Bienvenida. THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD STORIES received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus (“a rich and moving saga of Dominican history emerges, embodied in the lives of irresistible characters”). The audiobook (from Recorded Books) lasts almost nine hours and is narrated by Alma Cuervo who also contributed to readings of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, plus Alvarez’s Afterlife and multiple titles written by Isabel Allende and Robert Jackson Bennett.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

OTHER BIRDS by Sarah Addison Allen is a LibraryReads selection for August 2022. Allen again combines a Southern family tale with the magical realism for which she is known in novels like The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Lost Lake, and First Frost. The main character, Zoey, is a young adult who moves to a home her mother left her on Mallow Island, off of the South Carolina coast. The story begins a bit slowly, but that also reinforces the mood of tentativeness which is shared by Zoey’s neighbors. They include Charlotte, a henna artist; Mac, an excellent chef; Lucy, an older recluse and sister to Lizbeth who died recently; plus Frasier, the complex’s manager. Gradually, friendships develop and the characters become more appealing as they reveal background about themselves. Many had a troubled childhood which is linked to the various “ghosts” who haunt Mallow Island. Ultimately, this is a tender story with elements of mystery. Allen is a master at evoking peaceful, positive feelings.  OTHER BIRDS received a starred review from Booklist who recommended it especially for readers of Fannie Flagg and Karen White.

The Cat who Saved Books

THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS by best-selling Japanese author Sosuke Natsukawa has a very clever cover which instantly conveys both the Asian influence and the fantasy element of this story.  The main character (aside from the talking cat) is a young, immature high school aged boy, Rintaro Natsuki, who lives in Japan and inherits his grandfather’s bookshop. He struggles to adjust to life without much adult support and follows the magical cat to multiple labyrinths where books are imprisoned, severely edited, or discarded if they are unlikely to be profitable.  An introvert who is wise beyond his years, Natsuki encourages those involved to see books from a different perspective and to appreciate them for the power they have.  That part of the book is lovely, thought-provoking, and even somewhat humorous.  However, a neighborhood girl begins to share the adventures and that blossoming attraction adds little to the story of Rintaro’s coming of age and willingness to take risks.  The premise is intriguing, especially for book lovers, but the pace is a bit slow and the ending less dramatic than it could be. Overall, THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS is a fun, undemanding read – it was an Indie Next pick and a December 2021 LibraryReads selection.