August Read: A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber

 

Well, it's not a reading year for me unless Heather Webber has a new release and I get to enjoy it ahead of publication. A HUGE thanks to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this lovely book. I read it a few months ago; it was released on July 23rd, and here I am, finally getting my review out. 

This novel takes place in the small town of Starlight, Alabama. Addie Fullbright has returned to Starlight to help her beloved Aunt Bean in her bakery The Starling Cake Company. The building is undergoing renovations, so Aunt Bean has moved the operation out to the family home and farm building where it all began. Addie hasn't been back for years; she's afraid she'll spill a secret she agreed to with her best friend if she stays for too long. It's a secret that weighs her down. She's also terribly concerned about Aunt Bean's health, and the possibility that Bean isn't being truthful about how serious it is. 

Tessa Jane Wingrove has also returned. She's fighting self-doubt, a frosty Addie, and some family secrets that could impact her entire life. She's got a lot of heartache and pressure from her granddad to make a financial decision on her upcoming birthday.  That decision would benefit her grandad but potentially ruin the town's most popular tourist destination. 

What is that destination? Well, it's a field situated right near the Fullbright family farm, and it's been bringing people from all over to Starlight for a life-altering experience. Years and years ago, a star fell from the sky, leaving a huge crater that glows at night with colorful starlight. Folks who need a little help walk around the crater and into the magical lights and receive the gift of clarity. The effect it has on people's lives is profound. 

There's lots of family drama, secrets spilled (some that aren't so secret after all!), and magic everywhere you look. Second chances at love, forgiveness, and, yes, clarity for those who are lost. I can say this novel gives off a very peaceful, quiet vibe that I enjoyed so much. It's probably one of my top Heather Webber novels, and I've read them all. 

Rating: 5/6. Settle back, grab a pastry, and inhale this story. It's just lovely. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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August Read: A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber

May Read: Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden

 

I'm currently on a book reading vibe where everything I read has a bit of a magical element to it, and this lovely novel fit the bill. 

First of all, I love any novels that mix food and magic. Especially if that magic is some kind of gift the main character has due to a long line of female ancestors. Yup. my kind of novel. 

This novel takes place in two very different locations: Paris and the small island of San Juan off the coast of Washington state. It's a night and day difference for Georgia Jackson, an American chef living in Paris who has been dealt a blow to her love life and her chances at running her own restaurant. With one disastrous decision, she loses her job, her lousy boyfriend, and her reputation as an up and coming chef in Paris. 

With nowhere to go, she receives an unexpected email from her long estranged mother, Star: please come visit me on San Juan Island--I need to tell you something. 

Well, Georgia has nothing to lose, and everything to gain-hopefully, answers to why her mother left her on a dusty Texas ranch with her father and aunt when she was five years old. No communication, nothing for 30 years. Now it's her chance to find some peace, and hopefully heal her heart and her taste buds. For Georgia's biggest secret has crushed her: she has lost her extraordinary sense of taste. Everything tastes bitter. A death blow to someone who cooks for a living. 

Off to San Juan Island, which is a paradise: cool breezes, bountiful greenery, small yet oh so peaceful. Georgia meets Star, and begins the work of healing her broken heart. There are plenty of bumps along the way-especially running into Cole--one hunky dude who seems to have an immediate dislike of Georgia. As Georgia navigates her new relationship with Star, her growing feeling for Cole, and the possibility of never regaining her sense of taste, she's got a lot to cope with, but is in the perfect place for big change. 

I found the characters appealing, the descriptions of San Juan Island enchanting, and oh--the food sounded just divine. The magical element was not overdone and I throughly enjoyed all of it. There are a few big surprises, but they explain a lot of the background Georgia is missing. 

Rating: 4/6 for a lovely novel about moms and daughters, finding your passion once you've lost it, beginning again, and finding family. Not to mention the cover art is *chef's kiss*

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. I do have the author's previous novel The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie sitting on my bookshelf and it's now moved up to my summer read pile!

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May Read: Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden

August Read: The Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

 

I'm not going to lie: I've been in a whirl of new books lately. As in, trying to read a whole lot of ARCS, library books, and um...the bags of books I bought over the past few weeks. I had a book frenzy moment and now, in the aftermath, I'm trying to catch up. 

I gulped this novel down in just a few days (in between working and reading another book). If nothing else puts me in the mood for Fall, this book certainly did, and that's part of what made me enjoy it so much. 

Set in Virginia, this novel is about three sisters and their Aunt. The Flores sisters: Sage, Teal, and Sky all have gifts: Sage is the "plant whisperer"; Teal can summon up a thunderstorm or the sunniest of days, depending on her mood; and Sky has the gift of communicating with animals. It's been eight years since Sage was home, but now she's returning after losing her job. Returning home to her Aunt Nadia's house also means living with Teal and facing the grief from losing Sky eight years before. Only Sky is still around, haunting Sage every time she cries. Sky doesn't know why she's sticking around. 

Sage returns to her previous job at the Cranberry Rose Company, growing herbs and nurturing plants as only she can do. And unfortunately for her, Tennessee Reyes also works there--the very object of her love years ago in their teen years. Dang it all if he isn't even more handsome as a grown man! Tennessee sure likes the look of Sage, and has no idea all those years ago his AOL messenger pal was Sage. 

Sage has her work cut out for her: dealing with her feelings for Tennessee, trying to connect with her sister Teal, and figuring out why exactly Sky keeps hanging around, acting very un-ghostly. It's a homecoming that is an opportunity for healing, growth, and a happily ever after, if only Sage can hang on and see it all through. 

I loved Sage's gift with plants and Mother Earth. The best gift to have, in my opinion! I'll say Sky's story is a bit odd, and did throw me for a loop. Just keep reading and let the magic of the novel make you a believer. Teal is a pill and dang she is frosty as hell. Themes in the novel are embracing your gifts, not letting men push you around, and, of course, family. There's a couple of steamy sex scenes but otherwise it's pretty mild. 

Thanks to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC. This paperback will be out in the U.S. on September 12th. Also will be available as an e-book. Cover art is fantastic! 

Rating: 5/6 for an entertaining novel about a family of witches who struggle with everyday problems just like the rest of us. A magical novel about finding love again, healing old wounds, and accepting your own badass self. 

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August Read: The Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber

 

I thought I'd finally post something for November! It's been a very busy month at work and then I immediately got sick for a week. On the backside of that, and finally feeling better. I did read a few books while I was at home and I'll review those later. They are both YA historical novels for a high school library project. 

This is another delightful magical novel by Heather Webber. I've read all of her novels: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, South of the Buttonwood Tree, and The Lights of Sugarberry Cove. She's an author I immediately buy, no questions asked. I'm guaranteed a satisfying read. 

This novel takes place in Sweetgrass, Alabama. A typical small Southern town with old homes, solid lifetime friendships, and secrets that are bound to come to light. 

Emme Wynn arrives with just a suitcase to her grandmother Glory Wynn's home. Emma has lived her short life with a mother who was a con artist, always on the run. As soon as Emme turned eighteen, she was on her own. Now twenty-six, she yearns for a family and home to call her own. Emme's got an interesting gift-she can immediately see a person's strongest characteristic. In Glory, she sees loving. In Cora Bee her cousin, she sees softhearted. It's a talent that has saved Emme from some bad situations in her past. She doesn't feel like she belongs, and is a fake, but Glory and her friends immediately draw Emme into their circle. 

What's interesting about this special neighborhood is the garden that exists smack dab in the middle of, you guessed it, Hickory Lane. It's a magical place, complete with a bubbling spring water pool that sometimes reveals the past to those who stop to gaze. There's a vibration in the earth, and flowers that bloom way beyond their lifespan. It's also the place where a sinkhole opened up, revealing the skeletal remains of someone who died long ago. Could it be Bee Gipson, who disappeared fifty years before? Bee is the sister of Glory, and the grandmother of Cora Bee. She's the one who began the magical garden on Hickory Lane. 

Using bits of Bee's diary, her story slowly unfolds as Emme slowly lets her guard down and begins to enjoy living and learning with Glory, and becoming friends with Cora Bee. Each character's secrets slowly come to light--with a little help from Cora Bee's special skills at reading people's colors. You might say the women in the family all possess some magical skills, and all help them navigate their way into new possibilities.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mix of gardening, bees, family, sweet treats, and healing. I'm a sucker for any kind of magical tale that involves flowers, gardens, and, of course, bees. Emme is a character who definitely grows in confidence and opens up in spite of her terrible childhood. Cora Bee is also on a path of healing and has a chance at happiness, too. Glory is the glue that holds everyone together through it all. 

If you're looking for a gentle read, this is it. Perfect for gifting to a friend, or for yourself. Settle down, take a break from the whirlwind of the holidays, and enjoy! You'll want to have a sweet treat, FYI. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel that doesn't hold many surprises, but was a delight to read. The setting, the characters, and the plot all flowed easily and it was a refreshing break from a busy month. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber

Probably Not the Best Idea to Read A Book About Pie When I'm Trying to Eat Healthier... Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

I'm not a huge fan of pies; I'd rather have a piece of cake. But, gosh darn it the pies in this novel sound completely delicious, along with all the other food (hello fried chicken and biscuits) that glides through the lives of the folks in Wicklow, Alabama. I am a lover of biscuits. Lord I love biscuits. But they are on the "think twice before I stuff my mouth" list as I attempt one more time to be more mindful of what I eat and why I eat it. Trying hard to eat more protein and less not-so-great-for-me carbs. Basically, lots of lean protein (greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, chicken breasts, lean beef) and lots of veggies. I've even said goodbye to my summer gin and tonic and am either not having a cocktail at all, or one that comes in at 100 calories instead of 200. And having one instead of two. I'm starting my third week, and I sorely miss pasta. Thankful my Bud is along for the ride, and willing to eat what I make, and willing to find alternatives to our higher calorie weekend cocktails. 

So yes I read a book that features food very prominently, and a lot of the action takes place in a cafe. It was a great summer read, however-just the kind of tale I like to read as a mental break when life gets a bit too busy or I'm avoiding household chores. 

Anna Kate Callow returns to the small town of Wicklow, Alabama to settle her Grandmother Zee's estate. That estate includes the Blackbird Cafe, a Wicklow favorite, and one that has an interesting legacy: a slice of Zee's pie will give you messages from deceased loved ones the night after you've eaten it. What folks don't know is that Anna Kate, her mother, her grandmother, and generations past all are gatekeepers for the blackbirds that sit in the mulberry trees behind the cafe. At night-midnight, in fact-the blackbirds sing sweetly. What they're singing are the messages from loved ones on the other side. And now it's up to Anna Kate to continue that legacy. Only problem is Anna Kate plans to return North, to continue her quest to become a doctor. She has to run the cafe for 90 days, per Zee's will, before she can put it up for sale. 

There's a whole lot more to the story, of course. Anna Kate's mother, Eden, left Wicklow before Anna Kate was born, under a cloud of grief and suspicion. Anna Kate's return to Wicklow is a surprise to many of the townsfolk, especially the Linden family. As it turns out, no one realized Eden had a daughter, and boy oh boy Anna Kate looks a lot like AJ Linden, who was tragically killed in a car accident with Eden at the wheel, all those years ago. AJ's mother, the overbearing Seelie Linden, despised Eden, and her grief at losing her son has kept Seelie from having any kind of good relationship with her daughter Natalie, who has returned to Wicklow to start over again. Natalie, harboring anger, guilt, and grief of her own, struggles to be even civil to her mother. She grew up with a mother who was cold, strict, and overbearing. 

Anna Kate is the key to a whole lot of healing that needs to take place in the town of Wicklow. Not just herself, but the Linden family, and the whole town have suffered over the years. But word of the blackbirds brings bird enthusiasts in to witness the astounding midnight singing, and that, along with Anna Kate's reopening of the cafe, may just be what Wicklow needs to thrive. But will Anna Kate stay? If she goes, what will happen to the mulberry trees, and the blackbirds? 

The big message of this book is about the toll grief can take on a person, and even a community. Grief may seem endless when you're in the throes of it (I speak from experience), and the pain can wear you down. But that is the price you pay for loving others, and loving them with all your heart. All those years of love are worth it. But you can't continue to live in the past. If anything, grief should empower you to live your life to the fullest, and embrace every day. 

Another theme is making choices for yourself, instead of doing what everyone else wants you to do, or expects you to do. When it all comes down to it, keeping promises to others that will keep you from what you love is a sure way to be miserable. Follow your heart. 

I enjoyed visiting the town of Wicklow. I like to think somewhere there's an actual place just like it, just down the road and around the bend. 

Rating:  4/6 for an enchanting little town, memorable characters, and a thoughtful look at living on when our loved ones leave.  

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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Probably Not the Best Idea to Read A Book About Pie When I'm Trying to Eat Healthier... Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

The Goodenough family moves to Ohio in 1838 after leaving Connecticut and all of their relatives behind.  James and Sadie are one dysfunctional couple, and their dislike for each other makes you wonder how they got married in the first place.  James is determined to establish an apple orchard, and works day and night to keep his orchard of "spitters" and "eaters" from being destroyed by the Black Swamp.  James cares more for his precious apples than he does for his children and his wife.  Sadie is a drunk who has come to loathe the apple trees; she only cares about the spitters, and how much apple jack they can produce.  It is a vicious cycle of resentment, hard work, and struggle that has turned James and Sadie against each other.  

John Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed is not the jolly young man we remember from childhood; he is a bit of a wild man, spending the year traveling via canoe around what at that time is wild territory, selling seedlings to pioneers and loudly preaching the word of God.  Sadie looks forward to his visits because he brings apple jack; James buys seedlings from him, but doesn't appreciate John's dislike of grafting trees in the pursuit of growing the perfect apple.  The stench of the swamp, the dreaded swamp fever that has claimed five of their ten children, the constant tension in the air...all make for an explosion just waiting to happen.  

The story jumps into a series of letters from Robert, the youngest Goodenough, who leaves Ohio and travels West doing odd jobs.  He writes letters back home for years, but never gets a response.  The letters are a transition that at first feels a bit jerky, but soon makes a lot of sense, as the story moves forward 15 years.  After reading the whole novel, I liked this method of transition, because it kept me wondering about why Robert left Ohio at such a young age (12!) and what happened to the family.  Robert, most like his father in his love for apple trees and a talent for grafting, runs into William Lobb, an Englishman who is collecting seeds and seedlings from redwoods and giant sequoias to send to England.  Finding in Robert a perfect partner, William sends Robert traveling through California in the waning days of the gold rush, furthering Robert's love of trees and the wonder of the majestic redwoods.  Yet Robert's past is catching up to him...

I don't want to give anything else away, but the story does include another batch of letters, this time from a family member to Robert.  He never gets the letters, but we travel back to 1838 Ohio, and witness what has become of the Goodenough family, and what happened after Robert left.  I felt a big "ah!" reading this part of the novel, and it all came together.  I have to say I finished the last page, and was surprised to feel a bit sad to end the story.  The Goodenough saga was one of extreme dysfunction, abuse, betrayal, and bitterness.  James and Sadie are awful to each other; it makes me wonder where the vicious cycle of anger and resentment began: was it because Sadie drank too much, or did she begin drinking because she felt ignored by James, who loved his trees more than anything else? Did James become more obsessed with his trees in order to escape Sadie, thus driving her to drink? Would their lives have been different if they had never left Connecticut?  

I've left out some big bits of the story, but that is for you to discover.  I found the apple tree cultivation to be very interesting, and the descriptions of the redwoods to be awe-inspiring.  Tracy Chevalier perfectly conveys the awesome beauty of nature; it has the power to inspire, and the power to destroy.  It can enrich our lives, or it can drive us mad.  The Goodenough family experiences both sides of Nature.  

Rating:  7/10 for a look at the struggles of farmers in early Ohio, establishing an orchard in an hostile environment, and a small slice of botany history.  Some people may find the sudden change in the story line jarring, but I felt it worked for the story and kept me waiting for the inevitable return to the past and the Goodenough family troubles.  

Available in hardcover, e-book, and audio.  

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At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

Grand Central: An Anthology

  

I'm not one for anthologies.  I like to dive into a book and get a good long story out of it.   But I've discovered that short stories do have a benefit, and in an increasingly busy life they can give me a bit of relief when I want to read but just can't sit down for long and enjoy a 400 page novel.  And I've realized they are perfect when I'm reading in bed at night--my ability to stay awake and read more than a few pages has diminished over the past year.  I'm still hoping I'll find the magic solution to getting by on 5 hours a sleep each night, yet still have oodles of energy to cruise through the day.  

Grand Central is an anthology about the famous Grand Central Station in New York City, just after World War 2 has ended and servicemen and women are finding their way home.  Each author--and there are 10  in all--writes a story that centers around September 20-21, 1945.  Each is about the after effects of World War 2 on both civilians, survivors, and battle weary servicemen and women who just want to go home to their families.  Each story is poignant and moving; from the Jewish holocaust survivor who is paraded around at fund raising events, to the British war bride and her child waiting under the big clock to greeted by her American husband, to the female pilot who struggles through her painful grief.  Each story is remarkably different, but all have the same themes of love, forgiveness, and forging a new life in a very different world.  So many stories echo the sentiment "don't look back, just move forward".  I can't imagine how the world managed to move forward after such enormous upheaval; I guess that speaks to the courage and determination of those who lived through it all.  

I think all the authors did a remarkable job with very different takes on this theme.  And in the middle of it all, the Grand Central Station shines as a crossroad for so many different lives.  And it speaks to the talent of the writers that in every story there are reminders of the stories you've just read; a glimpse of a  previous character, an echo of a violin; the oyster bar that is a setting in many of the stories. 

A great book to take with you when you can't focus on a long story, but want something you can read for a bit then put down and pick up.  That is the beauty of an anthology.  And it does take talent to write a fully developed short story.  You'll find yourself picking this one up quite frequently!  

Rating:  7/10 for talented writers who all wrote a distinctly different short story on the same theme.  The characters will tug at your heart.  

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

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Grand Central: An Anthology

Vintage by Susan Gloss

I just had to take some time to read a book that would help me de-stress from school.  April is like last October, when everything is due and there is lots to be done.  Since these next 5 weeks will be full of research on library topics and, dare I say, mummies (for a paper on the body as a document--trust me, it makes sense), I won't be getting too much time to read for fun.  And that makes this book lover a slightly cranky and bummed out woman!

Vintage, by Susan Gloss, is a perfect read for anyone who wears clothes.  That would be all of us.  Why, you ask?  Because it reminds us to enjoy how we dress ourselves everyday, and how each of those pieces of clothing is a clue about who we are and how we feel.  Spending time in a university town these past 6 months has been a breath of fresh air for me.  It reminded me that people are imaginative, eclectic, and artistic.  And most importantly, that I don't have to be matchy-matchy in what I wear.  I do, however, draw the line at wearing yoga pants and, more horribly, pajama bottoms to class.  That is just not okay.  

Violet owns Hourglass Vintage, a lovely store located in Madison, Wisconsin.  She sells vintage clothing, and works long hours to fulfill her dream.  In her late 30's, she's divorced and lives alone.  Married young to her high school sweetheart, it took her years to realize her life wasn't what she wanted it to be, and she was living it for others.  Leaving her drunk husband and her small town, she moved to Madison and through a lot of hard work, became a success.

Enter April.  She's 18, barely out of high school, and pregnant.  She lives a few blocks down the street from Violet's store, and she's alone after the death of her mother.  Through a mutual acquaintance, April begins an internship at Violet's store, and their friendship begins.  Two other customers--Amithi and Lane soon become friends and we learn about their stories and what's brought them into the store to sell their clothing to Violet.  

This is a fast read but an enjoyable one.  It's about friendship, leaving your past behind, and creating a new life.  It's about letting go and accepting that some things just don't work and that's okay.  And the clothes!  I'm the last person you could say was a fashionista.  My clothing taste is nil.  But, reading the descriptions of the vintage clothing in Violet's shop--well, it makes me want to own something pretty and happy and female.  All things I've ignored for years.  If anything, this novel has made me want to make an effort in my everyday appearance, and appreciate a well-made piece of clothing.  I won't be so quick to shop the "cheap" stores because I don't have much time, and I don't really care what I wear.  It is true that wearing something flattering and pretty makes you feel wonderful.  I'd like to have that feeling again.  And it will help me get through the remaining weeks of my school semester while I run around frantically researching and furiously writing my papers.  Looking fabulous of course, sweeties!  

Rating:  7/10; a visit to a vintage clothing store is always inspiring, and April's journey is the heart of this novel.  

Available in hardcover, audio,  and e-book.

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Vintage by Susan Gloss