Reading in the Garden

Family Is Where the Heart Is This book will tug your heart in so many directions.  A mother sells her daughter to the circus where she becomes part of a freakshow.  In an alternating storyline years later, a young woman tries to puzzle together the mystery surrounding her family and discovers the heart-wrenching past she never knew about or could possibly imagine.  You can’t help falling in love with tragic Lilly, the giant, docile elephants, and other circus performers who form her family unit.  You’ll also find three of the most vile villains you’ll ever come across: Lilly’s mother, the circus owner, and the man in charge of the freakshow.  Don’t miss this oh-so-good book! If you enjoy books about the circus you may want to consider: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin Happy Reading! And stay safe in these crazy times! A...

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian Good! Good!! Good!!! This is a smart, tangled, and  timely  thriller!  When a man goes missing on a vacation in Vietnam, his girlfriend is left to unravel his lies that unknowingly put her in serious danger.  What do his lies really mean?  How terrible could his secrets be?  The answer, she’ll discover, is worse than she could possibly imagine!   A fast read with a jaw-dropping, heart-pounding ending!   Happy Reading! Annette

The Secret of Hygge.    I blew right through this book. It’s a highly interesting and entertaining insight to a foreigner in Denmark learning what gives it the designation as the happiest country despite having one of the highest taxes.  I learned so much.  -The Danes pay the highest taxes in exchange for a social welfare system that provides security in jobs, schooling, healthcare and general peace of mind.  -In a country where winters are looong and dark, the Danes get cozy in their minimalistic homes, light candles, and embrace hygge (which you’ll learn all about in the book.) -This country of 406 island embraces hobbies/clubs, porn on public TV, shorter work weeks, and a lack of political corruption.  I could go on and on, but Helen Russell tells it best with her wry humor intermixed with statistics and personal impressions, both good and bad.  Find out what a “Princess Stick” is and how bee stings can help during labor!...

The Art of Navigating Relationships and Indian Customs. I  loved  this story that made me feel like I just stepped off the train right into the heart of the Pink City of Jaipur, India. An enthralling tale of sisters navigating their relationship with each other and Indian customs in the 1950s. I got absorbed in this foreign country set in a vibrant background of rich colors, foods, a culture of traditions, superstitions and the caste system, and of course beautiful henna patterns!    I was also excited about the extras in this book—the list of characters at the beginning, the glossary of terms, a few paragraphs about henna and the caste system as well as a couple of recipes at the end.  It’s like a total India immersion kit—makes it all the more satisfying and unforgettable.  Happy Reading! Annette

An Exceptional Memoir This book exceeded all my expectations—an exceptional memoir!  A woman cobbles together her father’s enigmatic past to build a clear picture of the progression of restrictions and brutality against Jews in WWII.   The author never even knew her father was Jewish when she began digging into his past after his death.  What she discovered was bone-chilling.  After years and years of research she learned the fate of her family members, the systematic oppression and obscure laws, and the extermination of loved ones. “…the process of separation and dehumanization emerges. In dizzying increments, the rules become devastating in their absurdity, in their horror…They had to surrender their driving licenses—and, eventually, their cars and bicycles. Their radios. Their cameras. Their stamp collections. Their sewing machines. Their umbrellas. Their pets.” (Ariana Neumann,  When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Fath...

The future of dating is here! Soooooo clever! Five people are matched with their soulmates through DNA—what could go wrong? This book is a true page-turner.  Each chapter left me hanging and grappling for more.  It had me distracted in the real world while I contemplated what was happening with the characters in the book.  Flawlessly far-fetched—or is it?  LOVED IT!   Hollywood is missing out if they haven’t optioned this for the big screen yet.  My book club raved about it too!  Unanimous votes of thumbs-up. It’ll give you something to think about. Happy Valentine’s Day! ha. Annette

What would you do if it was YOUR sister?  What would you do if your sister was a serial killer?  Our book club had a great discussion about this book.  Where does sisterly love end?  To what ends would you go to protect your loved one?  There were so many interesting questions this book raised. What would bring one to kill?  Does loving your sibling mean you should give up your own grasp at happiness?   When is it too late to stop covering for a sister who shows no remorse, nothing but selfish, self-centered traits?  This “dark comedy” was a quick read that was a big hit with my book club! –So out of the norm, and so memorable.  :)  Annette