Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. “I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across…
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Dear Mrs. Bird
London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down. Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, or…
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American Panda
An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate. At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies. With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs,…
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By the Book
An English professor struggling for tenure discovers that her ex-fiancé has just become the president of her college—and her new boss—in this whip-smart modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Persuasion. Anne Corey is about to get schooled. An English professor in California, she’s determined to score a position on the coveted tenure track at her college. All she’s got to do is get a book deal, snag a promotion, and boom! She’s in. But then Adam Martinez—her first love and ex-fiancé—shows up as the college’s new president. Anne should be able to keep herself distracted. After all, she’s got a book to write, an aging father to take care of,…
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Labyrinth Lost
I was chosen by the Deos. Even gods make mistakes. Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo she can’t trust, but who may be Alex’s only chance at saving her family. Jenny O’s Review: 4 out of 5 Stars Labyrinth Lost was a fun, vibrant novel. The fact that it’s full of brujas, brujos, a rich mythology based in Latino-inspired culture, and vivid imagery, only makes it better. My favorite part of…
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Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum bitches
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a story about the United States after a coup has abolished democracy and established a theocratic and patriarchal dictatorship. The book has been translated into more than 40 languages. Now it’s a Hulu miniseries starring Elizabeth Moss. We are four episodes into Hulu’s miniseries The Handmaid’s Tale and it is terrifying, thought provoking, mesmerizing, and deeply disturbing. The Handmaid’s Tale was originally published in 1985, and at its core it is a parable about a dystopian post-revolution America in which women have been reduced to property, natural resources in North America have been all but destroyed, and neighbors spy on each other, looking for signs…
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A Million Worlds with You (Firebird #3)
A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny. The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation. Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never…
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Fall 2016 Reads
Happy First Day of Fall! Here in Seattle, it’s felt like Fall for the last few weeks. We’ve had crisp and cool days, which makes me yearn for cozy afternoons spent on the couch reading a book. In addition to this list of 10 must-read books for Fall 2016, I also created my own Dogwood Books Fall 2016 Bookmark, which you can download for free here. Enjoy! “But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will…
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Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
Author: Kerry Greenwood Kerry Greenwood has worked as a folk singer, factory hand, director, producer, translator, costume-maker, cook and is currently a solicitor. When she is not writing, she works as a locum solicitor for the Victorian Legal Aid. She is also the unpaid curator of seven thousand books, three cats (Attila, Belladonna and Ashe) and a computer called Apple (which squeaks). She embroiders very well but cannot knit. She has flown planes and leapt out of them (with a parachute) in an attempt to cure her fear of heights (she is now terrified of jumping out of planes but can climb ladders without fear). She can detect second-hand bookshops…
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Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Author: Naomi Novik (www.naominovik.com) Naomi Novik was born in New York in 1973, a first-generation American, and raised on Polish fairy tales, Baba Yaga, and Tolkein. Her first novel, His Majesty’s Dragon, was published in 2006 along with Thorne of Jade and Black Powder War, and has been translated into 23 languages. She primarily writes within the genres of Historical Fantasy and Alternate History. Genre: Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Literature & Fiction Read on… the bus in Seattle while… traveling to and from work. Music I listened to while reading this book: Radio Rivendell (playlist available on Spotify)…