Book talk for October 8 2024
Sanibel Dreams
by Hope Holloway
"When 53-year-old Eliza Whitney loses both her beloved husband and her high-powered job in the same month, she's uncertain what the next chapter of her life will look like. Then her estranged father's widow contacts her and asks her to come to Sanibel Island to help settle his affairs. Eliza sees the trip to a place called Shellseeker Beach as a distraction from her loss, and maybe a way to get some closure on the difficult relationship she'd had with her father. For seventy years, Theodora Blessing's sole purpose on this earth has been to heal the hurting, and to run Shellseeker Cottages, a cozy beachfront resort that has been in her family for decades. But Teddy no longer owns the gorgeous property, and Eliza is her only hope to get it back. Will Eliza help Teddy and save the family business ... or claim it as her own and sell it to developers? Together, the two women begin to unravel the mystery of Eliza's father, the late, great "Dutch" Vanderveen, an enigmatic pilot who led multiple, secretive lives. With the help of Teddy's healing heart, Eliza discovers a family she never knew she had, a purpose she never knew she needed, and a life she never dreamed was possible. Come to Shellseeker Beach and fall in love with a cast of unforgettable characters who face life's challenges with humor, heart, and hope. For lovers of riveting and inspirational sagas about sisters, secrets, romance, mothers and daughters ... and the moments that make life worth living."--OCLC. Some strong language.
DB119582
The Screwtape letters And Screwtape proposes a toast
by C. S Lewis
A shrewd old devil, Screwtape, writes letters of encouragement from hell to a less experienced devil who is on earth hunting for those susceptible to temptation.
DB12395
A Long Way from home
by Cathy Glass
The Swamp Fox How Francis Marion saved the American Revolution
by John Oller
"In the darkest days of the American Revolution, Francis Marion and his band of militia freedom fighters kept hope alive for the patriot cause during the critical British "southern campaign." Like the Robin Hood of legend, Marion and his men attacked from secret hideaways before melting back into the forest or swamp. Employing insurgent tactics that became commonplace in later centuries, Marion and his brigade inflicted losses on the enemy that were individually small but cumulatively a large drain on British resources and morale. In The Swamp Fox, the first major biography of Marion in more than forty years, John Oller compiles striking evidence to provide a fresh look at Marion, the man, and how he helped save the American Revolution." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB115956
The Cafe At Beach End
by RaeAnne Thayne
"When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved. Now she's returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn--though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It's a place to work and earn a little money. That's if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters--until Meredith chose her neglectful parents' expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn't setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly. While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne's kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past--and maybe, claim a surprising future..."--Page 4 of cover. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB122975
15 Summers Later
by RaeAnne Thayne
"Ava Howell's husband leaves her after she publishes a best-selling memoir that describes what happened to her and her sister and must rebuild her life with her sibling, who is in love with a man whose dad died protecting her."-- From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB122377
The Demon of Unrest a Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
by Erik Larson
"On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter. Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln's election and the Confederacy's shelling of Sumter-a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were "so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them." At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter's commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable-one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans. Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink-a dark reminder that we often don't see a cataclysm coming until it's too late"-- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB120675
Black death at the Golden Gate The Race to Save America from the Bubonic Plague
by David K Randall
Narrative of what happened in San Francisco in 1900 after a health officer noticed a swollen black lymph node on a dead Chinese immigrant's groin--which is a sign of bubonic plague. Racism and cover-up attempts hindered federal health officers efforts to save the city from a gruesome fate. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB97899
Peril at End House
by Agatha Christie
Though Hercule Poirot has plenty of suspects for three near-fatal attempts on the life of Miss Nick Buckley, none of them seems to have a motive. Poirot must find a motive quickly if he is to foil the would-be killer.
DB12344
The Wishing Game
by Meg Shaffer
"Make a wish. . . . Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability. But be careful what you wish for. . . . Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy. For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever. . . . You might just get it." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB115232