2020 Holiday Book Catalog List

“I feel that Dennis-Benn is unparalleled in writing the insidious unforgivables. The mother who can't find love for her daughter, the more-than-friend who takes everything you give them and never gives back, the daughter told to be a "good girl" who finds difficulty doing either of those things for the woman who ends up raising her. Like her debut, this novel is filled with characters tormented by the compromises they made but whose character Dennis-Benn refuses to compromise. The painfully recognizable humanity of everyone in Patsy asks us all to reach inside for the empathy we're capable of for people we wouldn't normally think to give it to.”

“I so wanted to read this slowly and savor every page since this may be the last time we get to venture into this world of magic and the Owens family. But as if entranced by Alice Hoffman’s magic, the pages were turning faster and faster and I devoured this book in two sittings. No one tells a story like Alice Hoffman, and I only hope she finds a way to bring this magical family back to us again in the future. I simply loved this book. It’s everything you want from Alice Hoffman — a great story of love and magic!”

“I could hardly wait to get in my car and start the audio of Sue Miller reading her novel Monogamy, a welcome relief from radio news! The story of Annie and her marriage -- before, during, and as a widow -- it is also a perspective on other loyalties, besides the one to a spouse: friendships, "steps and exes," children, neighbors, even Annie's husband's loyalty to the bookshop he owns. The author's gentle reading invites thoughtful reflection on Annie's tale.”

“To be candid, I sure that The Exiles wasn't going to be my cup of tea. Boy, was I ever wrong. The Exiles is a powerful and unforgettable novel that is beautifully written. I will warn you, some of the scenes portrayed were so raw and haunting that the visuals took a while to leave my mind. But they were warranted and made the story much more believable. The narration was definitely a star in its own right. Every accent was on point. Christine Baker Kline has now become one of my favorite authors. If you enjoy historical fiction with depth this book is for you.”

“Le swoon. I feel so healed. This book is pure and wonderful and and hilarious and utterly charming. Talia Hibbert has made a fake-dating trope convert out of me - her execution was just that perfect. Dani Brown is the career-focused nerd so many women have been told not to be and I felt so seen in her struggles to balance her needs in a relationship. Zafir Ansari is one of the kindest souls and his mental health and grief struggles were all too relatable. Add a dash of smash the patriarchy, all the sarcasm, and a hint of steam and I do believe you have a perfect concoction to escape the 2020 madness.”

“Schwab has a masterpiece on her hands with this title. I loved it from the beginning, and that love grew until the very end. Addie needed to find a way to escape the life she is supposed to live as a woman in France, 1714. “No matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” As the sun sets, she is praying to any god that will listen to help her be free, someone eventually hears her... and they answer. 300 years later Addie walks into a bookstore to find a young man at the counter. Upon her return she realizes he remembers her...”

“Alix Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book last year, so I had incredibly high expectations when I picked up The Once and Future Witches. This book is very different, but I adore it just as much! Set in the late 1800s in a world with a slightly alternate history from ours, women are fighting for the vote and losing. Three wayward sisters decide to challenge the patriarchy by bringing back witchcraft. Told through familiar stories twisted in new ways, this book is incredible. You will not be able to put it down, from the beautifully written introduction to the pulse-pounding ending!”

“My husband and I have had the pleasure of seeing Jerry Seinfeld live on two occasions. Obviously, we are big fans. When I learned that Seinfeld was releasing his book at the same time as a cross-country road trip that we had planned, I was ecstatic. Jerry did not let us down. The miles flew by quickly as we laughed our way through Connecticut. I highly recommend this book - especially if you are planning a road trip during the holidays.”