Last Saturday was the book tasting at Canal Winchester Branch Library when two librarians talk about books, and then the book group shares what we’re reading. There was so much conversation that the staff forgot to share what books they’ll talk about on April 18th But, they did put out a list of the four books a little later. I know you’re always as curious as I am.
This title and author are new to me; I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue. It was a bestseller, but I missed it. In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues’ private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job—a laugh-till-you-cry romantic comedy debut you’ll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text color to white so no one can see.That is until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.
When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favor, convince HR she’s Supershops material, and beat out the competition.
I read Janice Hallett’s The Appeal a couple years ago. I totally disagree with the blurb that says it’s perfect for fans of Ruth Ware. The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.
But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy—nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material—emails, messages, letters—with a growing suspicion that the killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered. A wholly modern and gripping take on the epistolary novel.
In Katherine Faulkner’s The Break-In, Alice, a professional mother of one, is hosting a playdate with friends at her upscale London home when a disturbed man breaks in. With her child in the next room, Alice panics and kills him—an act later ruled to have been in self-defense.
Everyone tries to encourage Alice to move on with her life—but with strange comments appearing online, a mysterious phone call telling her all is not as it seems, and her husband, nanny, and friends behaving strangely, Alice finds herself drawn to the mystery of who her intruder really was. As she digs deeper, she discovers a trail of dark secrets that spiral closer to home than she ever could have imagined.
Here’s the description of Emma Pattee’s Tilt. Last night, you and I were safe. Last night, in another universe, your father and I stood fighting in the kitchen.
Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk.
Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.
If I can get a copy of I Hope This Finds You Well, I think I’ll try that one. It sounds a little like Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments, but we’ll see. Any of these titles jump out at you?
Not really. I’ve tried Janice Hallett a couple of times, as I like epistolary novels, but I couldn’t get involved with either and decided she is just not for me.
I agree. I read The Twyford Code (I think it was her first) and rated it pretty low, so I haven’t tried a Janice Hallett book since.
I agree about the Janice Hallett books. I read two. More than enough.
I Hope This Finds You Well might be interesting but none of these really grabs me.
I agree, Sandy. One of the librarians loves psychological thrillers, which I don’t read. The good thing is, we’re exposed to books we might not have picked up, and we’re under no obligation to read them. However, we get to talk about what we’re reading, and we all know how we all love to share our recent favorites!
I entered for but didn’t win Tilt, I would still would like to read it. I would not read the Break In. I surprised two men who broke into our apartment long ago. I opened the door and then heard a window break! I thought it was the construction crew that had broken the same window one week ago. So, I was not afraid when I went in our bedroom, and then I saw a man with a red shirt and jeans climbing out the window. I had PTSD after that. Every time I saw the back of a man wearing a red shirt I freaked out. Two days later, at the grocery store, a man wearing a shirt the same shade of red. I had a panic attack. I couldn’t deal with it. I wanted to leave my shopping cart in the checkout line and go home. But my husband was with me, and I stayed in line with my heart racing and frozen in place. We got the groceries, but I was so upset that I couldn’t even put the groceries away.
Oh, my gosh, Carol! I can’t imagine how terrifying that must have been. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Here in Ohio, you would have seen a lot of red shirts since we’re Ohio State Buckeye fans. Good thing you’re not here!
I enjoyed I Hope This Finds You Well. I also read TILT. It was good too but I felt it needed an epilogue chapter. Thanks for sharing these book talks. I might suggest it to my library.
They’re fun, Sharon. Once they built up an audience, they get regular attendees who want to talk and hear about books. And, as I said, they had some new, younger members this past month.
I have read all of these but to be honest I skimmed the last half of The Break In and I Hope This Finds You Well. I did not find any of these books particularly memorable but that might just be me. Your library did a good job of picking different plots.
I don’t know, Susan. None of them appealed to me, although I might have picked the Hallett if I hadn’t read it. They did a good job with variety, though.
I put a hold on I Hope This Finds You Well. None of the others really interested me.
Me, too, Bev. I’m going to give it a try.
I read The Appeal, which got a lot of attention, and disliked it, as several of you say you did, too. The other three books might be interesting, but the descriptions don’t inspire me to run out and buy them. But it still sounds liked a fun event.
It is fun, Kim. I agree with you. None of the books are exciting, but I see it as a chance to hear what others are reading.
I love the term “book tasting.” I will have to pass it on to our library’s Nevermore Book Club which we say is a “free form book club.” Everybody reads what they like and tells the group. Some books get passed through multiple members. I have highly recommended it to people who don’t want to have to read a book they know they won’t enjoy but who like being part of a club.
Jeanne, With all the book discussions I’ve led and book clubs I’ve participated in as a librarian, this is my favorite type. I used to do one when I’d talk about 10-15 books every couple months, and then others would chime in with what they’re reading. It was really popular with the staff because they were eager to talk about their books. I love the sound of your “free form book club”. I’m no longer interested in a group where everyone reads the same book. It feels like school. But, reading what I want, and hearing what others like? I’m all in.