Together At the Table

By Hilary Manton Lodge

Julliette D’Alesi is the third generation of a French-Italian restauranteur family in the Pacific Northwest. Following the discovery of an antique photo in her grandmother’s possessions that looks remarkably like her brother, but that is obviously not related to the grandfather she knew, Julliette continues her search for the truth behind her family secrets begun in previous books, A Table by the Window, and, Reservations for Two.

Ms. Lodge tantalized me with the tastes and imagery of the Pacific Northwest, as well as recipes and intrigue as her heroine searches for meaning in her own life, and finds the roots that link her to her past.

This is the most recent book in a trilogy set in the present day Pacific Northwest, and World War II France.


~ Sally

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee

By Agnes Martin-Lugand

Set in Paris and Ireland, this is the story of a woman facing tragic loss, and her journey back to life. Diane is part owner of a Paris Literary Shop by the name of ‘Happy People Read and Drink Coffee’. I admit that I picked this book up because of the title and the cover! Diane’s life takes a tragic turn that leads her to leave her charming life in Paris and find peace and solace in a tiny, isolated Irish village.

This is a beautiful story of hope and fulfillment that I read in one sitting. It was originally self-published and became a best seller in France. It is being made into a movie here in the U.S.


~ Sally

The Murder of Mary Russell

By Laurie R. King

King returns us to the world of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. This time the focus is on Mrs. Hudson. You will enjoy this book even if you have not read the previous books in this series.

Mrs. Hudson's son appears from the unknown and triggers a traumatic series of events. King reveals the motherly housekeeper's background and how it contributed to the current situation. These revelations show a totally different side of this much loved character. A wonderful twist that was so unexpected!

~ Rochelle

The Queen of the Tearling

By Erika Johansen
Audiobook CD format
Read by Katherine Kellgren

Do you enjoy historical fiction set in medieval times? Or futuristic dystopian stories? You can experience both of these worlds within The Queen of the Tearling. This book was recommended to me by a patron and I really enjoyed the interaction between the characters and the imagery of the country-side during their quest. It intrigued me as certain clues were revealed about the history of The Crossing that divided the world.

This is the first book in the Trilogy by this first-time author. I have the second book on hold!

~ Paula

The Obsession

By Nora Roberts

Watch out for this one, and plan a few hours to sit without being able to tear yourself away! I’ve read plenty of Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb books, but this one grabs you in the first ten pages and doesn’t let go. A young girl experiences tragedy in her life. She grows up and lives with that memory. That’s all I can say without giving more away. The romance parts are very typical Nora Roberts, she uses her usual words like “you matter” and “I’ll stick,” but the rest of the writing is the exciting J.D. Robb part of her that gives us a great mystery.

~Becky

French Twist Series - #3: Piece de Resistance

By Sandra Byrd

Having earned her chef's hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship outside of Paris and returns to her hometown of Seattle, Washington. There she's put in charge of a high-end catering bakery called Bijoux, which should be her dream job, but there's a catch: She has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months, which will require more than her ability to make an amazing wedding cake. Lexi learns that she must trust the dreams in her heart and the God who put them there.

~Crystal

Crimson Shore

By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
(Special Agent Pendergast series #15)
Audiobook CD format
Read by Rene Auberjonois

Set in the murky marshes near Salem, Massachusetts, FBI Special agent Pendergast finds an antique medallion of Morax, a demon. There is a forgotten community of Salem witches, a sunken cargo ship from 1884, and hidden burial chamber. Rene Auberjonois does a fantastic job of narrating these stories.

The first two-thirds of this mystery possess the dark humor and awkwardness between the characters of Pendergast and his ward Constance Greene that I have grown to love, but the last third feels as if the authors wanted to lengthen the book after the"real" conclusion resulting in an unbelievable and contrived ending. I will keep reading, or listening, to this series in the hopes that the next installment will be better!

~ Paula

French Twist Series - #2: Bon Appetit

By Sandra Byrd

Lexi Stuart is risking it all. Saying au revoir to the security of home, her job, and could-be boyfriend Dan, Lexi embarks on a culinary adventure in France to fulfill her life dream of becoming a pastry chef. Determined to gain her footing, she finds a church, meets a new friend, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine-as well as Celine's attractive, widowed father, Philippe. Lexi discovers that as she leans more on God the choices become a little clearer- and making them, well, c'est la vie!

~Crystal

French Twist series - #1: Let Them Eat Cake

By Sandra Byrd

Lexi Stuart is done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job. 

Combine her degree in French and love of baking then enter a new French bakery that needs an extra person and things seem to be working out for her. But how long can she afford to work at a part-time minimum wage job she loves?

~Crystal

If You Could See Me Now

by Cecelia Ahern

Elizabeth Egan's life runs on order: Both her home and her emotions are arranged just so, with little room for spontaneity. It's how she counteracts the chaos of her family--an alcoholic mother who left when she was young, an emotionally distant father, and a free-spirited sister, who seems to be following in their mother's footsteps, leaving her own six-year old son, Luke, in Elizabeth's care. When Ivan, Luke's mysterious new grown-up friend, enters the picture, Elizabeth doesn’t know quite what to make of him. With his penchant for adventure and colorful take on things large and small, Ivan opens Elizabeth's eyes to a whole new way of living. But is it for real? Is Ivan real?

~Crystal

When Hitler Took Cocaine and Lenin Lost His Brain: History’s Unknown Chapters

by Giles Milton

The first installment in Giles Milton's outrageously entertaining series, History's Unknown Chapters: colorful and accessible, intelligent and illuminating, Milton shows his customary historical flair as he delves into the little-known stories from the past.

There's the cook aboard the Titanic, who pickled himself with whiskey and survived in the icy seas where most everyone else died. There's the man who survived the atomic bomb in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And there's many, many more.

~Crystal

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

by Anthony Bourdain

A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material.

~Crystal

Healthy Meals for Less

Great-Tasting Simples Recipes Under $1 a Serving

by Jonni McCoy

In this easy-to-use, make-it-from-scratch cookbook, Jonni McCoy, the original Miserly Mom, demonstrates that inexpensive meals can be both nutritious and mouth-watering. She offers proof that living well without spending is doable. Originally published as Miserly Meals, every recipe includes the price per serving and a nutritional analysis. Kitchen tips are an added bonus with every recipe. Simple soups, slow-cook dishes, breakfast ideas, vegetarian options, snacks, gifts from the kitchen, and more will make this the busy mom's most-used cookbook.

~Crystal

The Last Anniversary

By Liane Moriarity

I am making my way through all of Liane Moriarity's books since reading Big Little Lies, which I loved! This is an earlier book by the author with the same signature style: humorous, thought-provoking, mysterious, frightening.

The story is set in Australia on Scribbly Gum island. It switches between 1932 when the "Munro Baby Mystery" occurred and present day when Sophie is shocked to discover that she will inherit her ex-boyfriend's aunt's house - the same house that was involved in the mystery.

This is a real page-turner that is hard to put down. Try it if you have enjoyed other books by Liane Moriarity or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

~ Paula

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Music CD

I first saw this group on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Their performance blew me away, and I knew I had to hear the entire album.  It did not disappoint. The CD is listed under "rock" but the sounds are a combination of R&B, Bob Seger, James Brown, & Classic Rock. You could leave this on in the background looping, and it's just good for the soul. Fantastic group!

~Becky