The Cat Sitter’s Whiskers John and Blaize Clement March 31st

Dixie is back with another of her wonderful adventures. This time she is mixed up with the death of her paper delivery boy who is her age so calling him the paper boy seems wrong. In addition one of her clients gets her caught up in an art smuggling ring, only Dixie would get caught up in such things. Michael and Paco and Ella are there with great meals, Cora shows up for a bit and Judy and Tanisha are still keeping the village dinner running. We see a bit more of Dixie’s past in this novel and we also see her start to develop her relationship with Guidry’s replacement, and with Ethan Crane as well. Another great adventure with Dixie and her cast of sidekicks that will not disappoint her follows and will catch new ones as well.

 

The One that Got Away by Bethany Chase March 31st

What would you do if you had a chance to reconnect to that person that you never got over, that you never had closure with? When Sarina a successful architect crosses paths with Eamon her one that got away, a professional swimmer who is moving back to Texas and hires her to renovate his new home. Her steady guy Noah is out of the country on a work project and Sarina is having a bit of trouble keeping a line in the sand and staying on the right side of it. Noah makes it clear he needs to move forward, but the closer they get to an engagement the more unsure of things Sarina becomes until she must choose between a second chance with Eamon and the future Noah has offered her. I felt for Sarina she is pretty, hip and successful so why should she not have what she wants, but I can also understand not being sure of what that might be, and also not wanting to have to give up one thing to get another. I got the impression that Noah did truly care about her, but I didn’t think they had the same kind of connection that Sarina has with Eamon. A touching and heartfelt novel that keeps you thinking as the pages turn and left me happy for Sarina when I turned the last page.

The Year My Mother Came Back by Alice Eve Cohen Out March 31st

Alice tells her own story in the autobiography. In a matter of months Alice must battle breast cancer, send her older daughter Julia to college and prepare her younger daughter Eliana for surgery. Alice’s mother battled breast cancer and the battle changed her life and her relationship with Alice, but as Alice fights her own battle her memories of her mother become almost surreal and she is able to take a fresh look at their mother daughter dynamic. This story is beautifully told and like all the stories about a life it is full of the emotional rainbow.

Sea of Darkness by Brian Hicks March 24th

Sea of Darkness is the story of the search for the H.L. Hunley submarine that sank during the Civil War.  It took out The Housatonic but was never seen again, for years there were theories that The Hunley and the crew went down with The Housatonic, during the war residents of Charleston speculated that the sub washed out to sea, or that it escaped and was still fighting to win the war.  Clive Cussler was always interested in the story of the Hunley but never expected to find it.  He was a key part of NUMA searches for lost ships, but his search for the Hunley took him in new directions.  Sea of Darkness is told in alternating chapters allowing the stories of both The Hunley and the search for it to unfold piece by piece.  I was able to visit the restoration building for The Hunley last spring and see the sub and the artifacts in person, but I was very glad to read this book because it gave me much more detail and a much better feel for the men of the Hunley and the crew that eventually found her on the bottom and brought her back bringing her story back to life and giving her crew the recognition they deserved.  One would think that finding the sub was the end of  the story but it turns out to be just the start of the adventure as they must figure out how to raise it and keep it intact, they must provide a burial for the crew members and they also must decide who and how and where they will preserve the sub for future generations.  It gave the residents of Charleston a chance to find a piece of their lost history and embrace it agian so they could pass it on.   I want to thank the publisher for giving me a sneak peek of this book.  A great book for fans of submarines, the civil war,sunken ships and Charleston.

 

A reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell Out March 24th

A reunion of ghosts is the story of the Alter family and it is told from the view of the present generation of the Alter family which would be the fourth, as well as giving us the history of the family and the curse that seems to plague it. Delph, Lady and Vee decide to commit suicide on New Years Eve, and they create a group note to be left behind. The story is beautifully written and the past and present are beautifully woven together. The sisters remind us that love and family make other things in life pale in comparison. While the sisters are very different they have found a way to use their strong points to compliment each other and I enjoyed the dynamic between them. This novel made me laugh out loud, cry and wonder as I read. A great family saga and sister story.

Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum Out March 24th

This is Anna’s story. Anna is a house wife and mother in a foreign land and she keeps trying to find a way to feel at home, she finds herself unable to connect with the parents of her children’s classmates and does not have much more success when she signs up to learn a language with other adults. Anna is really trying to find her place, but it eludes her and she keeps trying wrong things until life forces her to make a choice that may turn out to be the right one even if it is one she would never have chosen. Anna has aspects of so many mothers and wives I could definitely relate to her and sometimes when I pictured a scene in my head it was vivid and real. Anna is a character we can all identify with even if we have never been in shoes close to Anna’s I am willing to be we know someone like her, and her story is beautifully and lyrically told. A great read.

What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross March 10th

This is a beautifully written and touching story of one of the worst tornado outbreaks in the United States.  It chronicles the storm and it’s progress from April 23rd 2011 to April 27th 2011.  It is told in chronological order and it moves us around states and towns but at the center are a few key figures that we follow from the start of the storm through it’s conclusion.  The story unfolds through weather reports, warnings, text messages and phone calls.  Once the storms hit the danger is palpable as the pages unfold.  We learn first hand about the devastation and   the casualties and then we get to watch towns and schools and families rebuild.  If you like non fiction books about weather or disasters and like to be left with a positive feeling despite the somber subject this book may be a good one for you.  Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the free copy I received in exchange for a review.  This book takes a tragedy and shows us the people who stepped in to help, the people who deal with loss and sorrow and how all of them moved on and are stronger now because of the tragedy.  It is told with grace, sensitivity and beauty.

New Uses for Old Boyfriends by Beth Kendrick

I loved this book. Lila is spunky and her mom finds some spunk of her own when Lila helps her expand her comfort zone a bit. Both ladies find that life has dealt them a bad hand. Lila has lost her job and her marriage and her mother is unable to cope with the aftermath of her father’s unexpected death on many levels, yet somehow they muddle though and are reminded of who they are, who they want to be and what really matters. I loved the characters and the small hometown feel of Black Dog Bay.