Kathy's Staff Picks
"What an incredible and touching story! Kristin Hannah writes with such heartfelt expression and attention to detail that I felt as it I was right next to Frankie, the main character in the novel. Frankie is a young nurse who decided to enlist in the army during the Vietnam war. She was so courageous, saved many lives and comforted many more. When it was time for her to return home, she realized how forgotten and abandoned she was. This novel paints a clear and precise picture of all the emotional turmoil that the war had on our young people. You just have to read this!"
"What if you always knew how long each of your relationships would last? Would that make it easier or harder to navigate? Daphne is given a note with a name and length of every relationship she enters until she receives a paper with no end date. Rebecca Serle does it again with a novel that celebrates love! Great premise and good twist!"
"Molly is back and this sequel did not disappoint! Molly is the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel when a world-famous author drops dead as he is about to make a big announcement. She now has a mystery to solve and the backstory about Molly and her Gran is my favorite part! So, grab a cup of tea and settle in -- just delightful!"
"Inspired by historical events, "Unsinkable", combines two stories based on two courageous women. Violet Jessop survives three separate shipwrecks including the Titanic. And Daphne Chaundanson joins the Special Operations in WWII as an agent in France after her mother died when she was a child. Adversity for these women only made them stronger, more resilient and unsinkable. Great book club pick and excellent for historical fiction fans!"
"What a fabulous memoir by Henry Winkler! Henry is gracious, heart-warming, funny and a just all-around likeable guy and all of this comes through loud and clear in the book. Henry starts with his childhood and goes up to present day, talking about self-doubt that he had his entire life. There is a lot to learn from him about being appreciative and getting past weaknesses that you struggle with. This would make a wonderful gift for the holidays!"
"Because of the pandemic, Lara’s three grown daughters return home to their orchard. She is with her three grown daughters watching this mega-famous guy, Pater Duke, on the television. Her husband walks in and says “Mom used to date that guy”. And there the story begins, going between the past and the present, Ann Patchett, a masterful storyteller takes us on a journey of Lara’s two different worlds. Great characters and even better relationships – you need to pick this book up!"
"This dynamic author team of Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray continues their excellence with “The First Ladies”, a story of a relationship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. This unlikely friendship is one of mutual respect and is so inspirational! And all of this at a time when we needed to see the First Lady in the White House reach her hand out to work with Mary McLeod Bethune and fight for equality! Amazing Story!!"
"Kathleen Grissom found another remarkable woman, Goes First (or Crow Mary) to be the center of her newest novel, CROW MARY. This sweeping historical fiction title is inspired by the true story from Crow Mary’s great granddaughter. Crow Mary is an Indigenous woman from the 19th century in the Montana area that with the blessing of her family marries a white man. She, then finds herself caught between two worlds, one of her Native American family and the other of the white settlers in the area. What ensues in a powerful novel that highlights her strength and resilience."
"Sam returns to her family’s beach house on Long Island with her amazing fiancé, only to find Wyatt, her first love at the beach as well. Lots of memories and feelings re-surface and now Sam finds herself at a crossroads. Loved Annabel Monaghan’s first romance novel, 'Nora Goes Off Script' and found this one to be just as good! Perfect Summer Read!"
"For the Summer Romance Fan, this book is for you! Carly Fortune has a knack for writing characters and relationships that you root for the entire book. Fern and Will had a chance meeting one summer and the attraction was certain – dreams and hopes shared. They agreed to meet one year later but Will did not show up. Can these two find their way back to each other when they both need it? Entertaining and fun and great for sitting by the lake or the beach!"
"Lucky Red is my kind of western – character driven with a strong female protagonist who matures right in front of your eyes. It is set in Dodge in the 1800’s at a whorehouse and each character is more colorful than the next. Thrilling, exciting and several twists! This was quite a ride!"
"'The House of Eve' is a compelling historical fiction set in Philadelphia and Washington DC in the 1950’s where two women’s choices are made to hide something from others. There are themes of racism, class privilege, keeping secrets and the fact that motherhood is never easy. This heartrending novel had me in the first chapter and I quickly sympathized with the two main characters, Eleanor and Ruby. Great book club pick!"
"Harriet and Wyn pretend to still be together so they don’t ruin one last group vacation with their friend group. But can they really pull this off? Great second chance romance story that is very touching! I was definitely in my Happy Place while reading Emily Henry’s new book!"
"In “Loyalty”, Lisa Scottoline perfectly combines her suspense novel skills with a historical fiction tale of the beginning of the Mafia in Sicily. Her descriptions of the beautiful countryside, lemon groves and the delicious food are only surpassed by her masterful storytelling. The novel explores the themes of corruption vs honor and loyalty vs betrayal. Fast-paced and extremely interesting, you just have to read this!"
"Pineapple Street is a heartfelt novel that follows three women from a tight-knit affluent Brooklyn family. The three women along with their families are living privileged lives but are not finding happiness. With an abundance of humor, these characters go through some changes that make them all question the way they are living. I felt myself rooting for each of the women and privileged or not, we are all always learning something as go along. Fast-paced, heartwarming – just a gem!"
"Daughters of Nantucket follows three different but equally strong and compelling women before and after Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846. The characters are fascinating, the setting feels so real, the story is captivating and the writing is amazing! What a fantastic DEBUT!!!"
"A Washington Journalist befriends a centenarian, Charlie White, who is now his neighbor. Charlie, who was born in 1905 shared many stories about his full and long life with David Von Drehle. Imagine what this man saw in his 109 years and David Von Drehle captures this on these pages. I found the book to be fascinating, touching and entertaining – very interesting read!"
"Jamie Ford is back with his amazing storytelling. This novel tells the story of 7 women from different generations of the Moy family spanning from 1836 to 2086. The first of these women, Afong Moy, is the first Chinese woman to come to the US where she suffers greatly at the hands of others. The question is does this trauma that Afong endured pass down from generation to generation and can it be stopped? In 2045, Dorothy Moy is also suffering and undergoes an experimental treatment to save herself and her daughter. Powerful story on the love between family members and just how far we will go to save them."
![Violeta [English Edition]: A Novel By Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle (Translated by) Cover Image](https://images.booksense.com/images/books/220/496/FC9780593496220.JPG)
"Isabel Allende tells an incredible story of Violeta Del Valle’s life that spans 100 years starting with the Spanish Flu in 1920 and ending with our pandemic in 2020. We see Violeta’s struggles and triumphs, heartbreaks and joys all told through a letter that she writes to a close relative. Making the story even more compelling is the history that this woman witnesses in her 100 years! Just AMAZING!"
"This is a deeply moving novel about a Ghanaian family living in Alabama and their struggles with depression, addiction, grief and racism. Gifty is a PhD student who is the voice of the book, living through her current struggles as well as looking back at her family history. Science, religion and their faith play a big part in the story.
I can’t say enough about this book – it is powerful, amazing, well-written – just BRILLIANT!"