When I wanted to turn real pages, I bought three hardbacks when they were first published. They have been stacked and acting as my stand to raise my laptop during zoom calls. Finally, I read them.
Mad Honey
Although this was a collaboration of two authors, the plot twist had Jodi Picoult’s fingerprints. If you are a fan, you will enjoy; if not, you will learn a lot about bees. Bees and honey are mixed with a murder trial and heavy notes on transgender issues. A happy ending with lessons learned and bias exposed.
Lady Clementine
Marie Benedict already has a new novel targeting the Mitford sisters, and as one of her fans, I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this one. Clementine Churchill is the focus of Lady Clementine, from her first meeting with Winston and his subsequent proposal at Blenheim Palace. Through two world wars, a changing Britain, and everything in between, Benedict reveals Clemmie’s feisty charm and intellect, as she navigates being Winston’s steadying influencer.
I always think of the British actress Dame Harriet Walter in her role as Lady Clementine in Downton Abbey, so an added perk of buying the hardback was the inside cover of Clemmie in her younger days.
The Boys From Biloxi by John Grisham
Grisham delivers this legal thriller with a long- winded introduction in Part 1, with the two childhood buddies winding up on opposite sides of the law. If you have the patience to read on into Part 2, the pace quickens and you will be rewarded with Grisham’s tense courtroom dramas.
Finished them all in a week. Now I need to find something else to read between commercials.
Before the pandemic started I read a book by Benjamin Black about two young English princesses evacuated to Ireland during World War II – The Secret Guests. I meant to pass it on to an old friend who likes war stories with a little romance and intrigue. As it sat on my shelf over the months, I wondered how I would get it to her, since she is now protected from having visitors, and I was reluctant to stand in a post office line to mail a book. Suddenly, I saw Black’s book on a paperback list, and I mailed it to my friend from one of my favorite independent bookstores. At once, I was able to support a small business and thrill an old friend.
How to Find Love in a Bookshop 
Love at first sight? Only one true love? Josie Silver’s One Day in December combines the what if scenarios of Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie Sideways with a big dose of John Cusack’s search for his one true love in Serendipity. As one of Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks and a Book of the Month, the story carries a little more weight than the typical romance novel, while staying true to form. If you are looking for love this Valentine’s Day, this story will satisfy, and if you have nowhere to go, or noone to be with, you could do no worse than to pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in to read it in one sitting.
For more easy distraction and romance, I am currently listening to Sophie Kinsella’s I Owe You One. The posh English accent of the reader and the funny shenanigans of the heroine are putting me in a good mood.
The No Charge Book Bunch 