Reading by Booklight

Greetings from my reading corner!!! I had quite a time picking what I would talk about this week. There are always books (multiple) that I am in the middle of reading; some I finish within a night ( Little Bee) and some I may never finish ( Tale of Two Cities, sorry Betsy) but many of the ones on my nightstand are somewhere in between that. I picked a little bit between my categories for these...

Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano - This book I easily could have read in one sitting had life not gotten in the way. It took me 4 days to finish this book and the time in between reading it drove me nuts. Another one of our booksellers, Jenny, had suggested this one and I had our in-store bookclub read it because it sounded so good. It wasn't just good, it was addicting because it was so fast paced. It is about a 26 year-old girl named Melody who has been in WITSEC (Witness Protection Program) since she was very young. She is so tired of hiding and being the person she isn't and doesn't want to be that when she meets/taken hostage by a man who claims he can give her the life she never had she has a big decision to make. Did I mention he is the son of the Mafia man that killed her parents??? Need I say more??? So my book club argued quite a bit about this book, they're a more serious bunch so I figure this is an awesome vacation or "I need book candy that is highly entertaining and not toooo deep". Either way this is a great book, definitely a must read if you want something awesome and quick.

Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak - For starters this author will always hold a place in my heart because her first book, Turk and My Mother, takes place in Bayview, WI and was also the first event we had at the Schwartz Bayview location. Cailiffs is a really fun story, which of course I didn't realize until yesterday morning when I was finally able to start it. It is about a young teacher named Miss Spivey who arrives in a very small southern town in 1938 and that little town is never the same again! I'm already half way through it and love it! Miss Spivey is a very well-traveled lady who decides that their little town of Baghdad, GA needs some culture and culture it gets. Her favorite book is the Thousand and One Nights and a Night and much to the dismay of the community she creates a school curriculum around it. Readers will either want to be Miss Spivey or have a friend just like her because her zest for learning and life is so contagious that she is able to get the most straight-laced citizens of the community to loosen up and contribute to her many colorful ideas. A must read for fans of To Kill a Mockingbird and the Help; this would make a great gift book as well! Mary Helen will also be in our store on October 21st at 7pm!

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto - You think you've done a lot in your life?? Try having written yoru first novel at the age of 14!! Halo is Alexandra's second book and she is only 18; I wish I could say that about myself! Before I even began Halo I was impressed that someone could be a successful writer so young and even from another country. Readers will continue to be impressed with the knowledge Alexandra has about Angelology and how to write so well. I am only in the beginning stages of the book still but I know this is going to be a big one, Twilight style. Alexandra is able to balance impressive writing with angelology facts in a way that keeps readers highly interested and wanting more. I can't wait to read more of this book; the main character, Bethany, is so sweet and human even though she is an angel that you root for her from the start. For fans of Twilight and Beautiful Creatures. We also have the honor of having Alexandra Adornetto at Next Chapter this Friday, September 24th at 7pm.

Sweet dreams and happy reading everyone!!

~ Morgan

P.S. Don't forget to mark your calendars to see Alexandra Adornetto on Friday, Sept. 24th at 7 pm and Mary Helen Stefaniak on thursday October 21st at 7 pm at Next Chapter Bookshop!!