5 Glasses of Lemonade – Page 2

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay

Hello Kittens! If you need a break from the awfulness of the world right now, I’ve found a recommendation for you. This book isn’t deep or dark. It doesn’t have violence or harsh language. It’s just a story of regular people going about regular lives. They have hardships and hope. They help each other but also cause each other pain. If you just need a book to float your way through the week, then I think this will be a good option. I hope it brings you a measure of comfort if that’s what you’re looking for right now. It also might make you crave a warm beverage (made at home or purchased via safe methods from a local coffee shop). Enjoy!

Title: Of Literature and Lattes

Author: Katherine Reay

Author website: https://katherinereay.com/

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publish date: May 12, 2020

ISBN: 9780785222040

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

Picking up in the same town from one of her previous novels (The Printed Letter Bookshop), Reay returns readers to Winsome, Illinois. You do not need to read the first book in this series to enjoy Of Literature and Lattes, but there are allusions to story lines that I assume were introduced in more depth in the first book. In this book we are following two parallel story lines that eventually merge.

First we meet Alyssa, who is returning home to Winsome nearly three years after she left to go work for a Silicon Valley start-up. In the years since, that start-up has been closed down by the FBI for fraud and others illegal acts. Alyssa is technically still under investigation but has been allowed to move back home, which is good because her association with that start-up has made her persona non grata in her industry. With her bank account dwindling, she hopes that returning home will give her a few months to get back on her feet. Home is exactly the solace she needs right now, as long as she can avoid run-ins with her mother. They had a falling out that drove her away three years ago and Alyssa is not ready to make amends yet.

Then we meet Jeremy, who has recently moved to Winsome from Seattle to purchase and renovate a local coffee house. Turning the Daily Brew into the new and refreshed Andante (a musical term that means ‘a walking pace’) has been easier and more difficult than Jeremy could ever have imagined. Owning a place like this has always been his dream, but the locals aren’t warming up to the changes he has made as quickly as he had hoped. Add to that the troubles that he is having with his friend and employee, Ryan, and there’s a lot on his plate. One thing that is going right though, is the fact that this move has allowed him to be much closer to his daughter, Becca.

Jeremy and Alyssa have kind of a rough first meeting. Alyssa, who shows herself to be quick with her words, criticizes Andante and Jeremy isn’t in a receptive mood to hear that kind of criticism. This isn’t an enemies-to-lovers story by any means though. The two make up pretty quickly and they become good friends before the sparks start showing up. Their relationship is very chaste and respectful and their story together really pales in comparison to their separate stories of personal growth.

Both of their plans to move back to Winsome and have easier lives go awry. Their friendships and other relationships are tested, but they will both discover strength and maturity that they didn’t know they had. They help each other to get through these times and they both come out of it for the better. Along with the other townspeople, their stories deal with found families, guilt, redemption, and forgiveness. There’s something here for almost every type of reader. The story isn’t going to keep you on the edge of your seat, but it’s so sweet that you’ll glide right along reading it without realizing that an hour has gone by.

Why I liked it:

The characters had complex backstories and had lived in big cities, but they cherished the small town life rather than bringing it down. So many stories like this have characters that treat small towns as “less-than” and then have the characters awaken to the town’s charms. I appreciated that we didn’t have to deal with that trope with this story.

I also liked the fact that the characters are dealing with raw emotional issues but that the author doesn’t draw the reader too deeply into those. Some of the scenes really read more like therapy sessions but the reader doesn’t get drawn in as the therapist or the patient. I am grateful, especially right now, for a read that does not insist on emotionally destroying me.

I was also really nervous about the religious aspects of this book. When I first checked it out, I didn’t know much about it, but when I scrolled down through the description it listed it as a “Christian Romance.” I would argue that it is not overwhelmingly Christian nor is it super heavy on the romance. Both elements are there, but they are presented in a non-threatening manner that I think would welcome many different types of readers.

I also appreciate that the title was explained in the final chapters. I really like it when titles tie in to the story.

What I would like to change:

In the digital edition that I was reading there was no transition from one character to the next. We would be following one character, getting their inner thoughts and dialogue and then they would come into contact with another person and we would switch to that person’s inner thoughts and dialogue without any visible transition. That was confusing for me as a reader to adjust to. I don’t know if it is that way in the printed version (perhaps there’s extra spacing or something that makes it more clear).

Disclaimer: No disclaimer needed. I borrowed this title using Hoopla from my library.

My library rating: This was a no-brainer. I won’t automatically give Christian Fiction a 5 glasses rating just for being Christian Fiction. In the past, I’ve found plenty of objectionable material in those types of books. This one earned it’s rating because of it’s treatment of relationships and it’s light-Christian messages. It’s a fluffy read that still offers value for lots of readers.

lemonade_icon 5 glasses of lemonade= you could recommend this book to anyone. There is nothing in here that is going to upset anyone and you could start handing it out on street corners. This kind of book is a Librarian’s dream. As much as we love good literature, suggesting a book for someone can be nerve-wracking work that can backfire BIG TIME.

My personal preference rating: I gave this title 3 stars. I liked it. It’s outside of what I normally read, but I appreciated the fact that it was an incredibly pleasant, uncomplicated read. I tend to read more dramatic, dark stories, but even I need a break from those every now and again.

Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

Huzzah huzzah, Kittens! A library near me (not mine yet) is opening for curbside this week and I might get a few books! Also, (for shame) I put in an order for 9 books that should be coming in soon. After 8 weeks of being good and only ordering 1 book from Amazon, I finally cracked under the pressure. Being home so much has given me too much time to peruse the internet looking for recommendations and since I have now discovered BookTube, my TBR is doomed. But in a round of kudos for me, today I am sharing a book that I already had on my shelves and had been meaning to get to for a few months! Go me! It’s a fantasy book that features a guy who’s not-your-average-hero/not-really-a-hero-at-all. It’s funny, beautifully written, and the start of a series. Give it a try if you thought you’d like Game of Thrones but were put off by all of the blood, gore, and general horrid nature of those characters.

Title: Fate of the Fallen Fate of the Fallen (The Shroud of Prophecy, #1)

Author: Kel Kade

Author website: https://kelkade.com/

Publisher: Tor

Publish date: November 5, 2019

ISBN: 9781250293794

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary:

This was a great re-imagining of the typical “prophesied hero saves the world” story. What do you do when the only “chosen one” dies and prophecy says no one else can save the world? You try anyway.

Aaslo is a Forester, literally a person whose job it is to care for and manage the forest in the land of Aldrea. His best friend is a multi-talented golden boy named Mathias. Aaslo and Mathias have been friends since they were children and do everything together as, “brothers in all things”. When Mathias is struck down before his time, Aaslo begins to learn that his friend was more than just an average man. Mathias had a destiny that has been disrupted and Aaslo cannot let his friend’s quest fail.

They are brothers in all things, so if Mathias cannot complete the quest, then Aaslo reasons that he’ll have to do it himself. He leaves the forest for the first time in his life and heads out on an adventure to save Aldrea from seemingly insurmountable odds. He’ll begin unintentionally building a band of followers as he goes about his business. For reasons he doesn’t understand, many of the people Aaslo meets believe in him and what he is trying to do and they won’t abandon him no matter how many times he tells them to go.

Fate of the Fallen is the beginning of a fantasy book series set in Aldrea, so don’t expect to have everything tied up in a nice pretty bow by the time you get to the end of this 344 page novel. Think of this novel as The Lord of the Rings, but told from Sam’s perspective. While Aaslo is way more than a sidekick, he’s constantly underestimated by the people around him and by himself. He didn’t ask for any of this, but he pursues this mission like his life depends on it, even while frequently lamenting the fact that doing all of this is probably going to get him killed.

At times Aaslo thinks he’s losing his mind, and not everyone he meets disagrees. He travels all over Aldrea seeking assistance, but finds defeated mindsets wherever he goes. The one prophecy that allowed for their continued survival has been destroyed, but Aaslo doesn’t think that’s any reason to give up without a fight. If they’re all going to die anyway, why not go down swinging?

I think readers will like the plucky hero/not-a-hero and the world that Kade has built. In terms of fantasy elements there is magic, prophecies, gods, multiple lands and kingdoms, and all manner of strange creatures (including at least one dragon so far). Fantasy readers should really enjoy this book, but I think it’s just compelling enough to attract non-fantasy readers as well. It’s fast-paced with plenty of twists brought about by bored, power-hungry, and occasionally well-meaning Gods.

Why I liked it:
I really love seeing characters in fantasy series who are facing incredible odds, but don’t necessarily have “underdog” status. The main character in this book wasn’t even on anyone’s radar, but he still commanded respect where he went because his profession comes with status. He’s the unexpected hero and he doesn’t seek glory. He’s completely put upon for the entire novel and I love it.

Also, for some reason the meaning behind the title didn’t hit me until after I finished reading the book, but oh man did it give me some goosebumps. It’s packed with meaning and a really great title in retrospect. Sorry! I can’t tell you more than that without spoilers.

Plus, this book is written by a woman and fantasy in general is a very male-dominated genre. So…you know…girl power!

Favorite quote: “Our weakness is merely the vessel that holds our strength. If you choose not to look into the vessel, all that you will see is your weakness.” pg. 168

What I struggled with:
There are a lot of characters so far! There’s a “Cast of Characters” listed in the back of the book and it has 71 names on it. This does make things a little confusing for the reader. I’m pretty sure there were a few times in the story where a name came up that had surfaced before, but there were so many names that I couldn’t keep them all properly connected.

Disclaimer: None needed. I picked this book back in October for my Book of the Month selection, and finally buckled down to read it.

My library rating: Fantasy isn’t always everyone’s glass of tea, but I think that’s the worst that someone would say if you recommended this one to them. I don’t recall any major objectionable scenes and the storyline is complex without going over the reader’s head. There are humorous moments to balance the gravity of the story. I’ll be recommending this one pretty widely once I’m back in the land of the socially distanced library.

My personal preference rating: I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads, but honestly it’s 4.5 stars for me. I really loved it and eagerly await the next title in the series which is supposedly coming out this year!

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Hello Kittens! My read-a-palooza continues with a women’s fiction title this time. I came across Katherine Center’s work a couple of years ago and was blown away by it. I have a confession to make though…I picked out the first book because it had a stunning cover. Center had already published several novels at that time, but How to Walk Away had a unique cover style that has carried through with her last couple of publications. This title won’t be coming out for a few more months, but that gives you time to catch up on Center’s other titles. I admit that this wasn’t my favorite of her books, but it was still very good and I think that people will enjoy escaping into these types of novels right now.

Title: What You Wish For

Author: Katherine Center

Author website: http://katherinecenter.com/

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish date: July 14^th, 2020

ISBN: 9781250219367

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Katherine Center’s newest novel, What You Wish For, focuses on a young Librarian named Samantha who is working at a private school. When her boss, who is also a mentor and friend, passes away unexpectedly, Sam’s life is thrown for a loop. She’s barely recovered from the funeral when she gets the news that the replacement principal for her school is a man that she had a major crush on several years back. As in, a crush that was so bad that she fled the state to get over him. She remembers him as a goofy and lovable guy who was a great teacher, but she worries that once she sees him again, all of the old feelings are going to come rushing back.

As Sam struggles to adjust to so many changes in her life, Duncan (her former heartthrob and current boss) settles into his new position. This Duncan, however, is nothing like the person Sam remembers. This Duncan is hyper-focused on school security, increasing the school’s security measures at the expense of everything else. As Sam realizes that the school she loves and her mentor’s legacy is in danger of being destroyed by Duncan, she prepares to fight the battle of her life. She works to forget the man that she once knew so that she can stand up to the “new Duncan” and convince him that his efforts are misguided when it comes to this school. She’s ready to fight for her students and her colleagues, but when she discovers some things in Duncan’s past that help explain his demeanor now, she’ll have to fight just as hard to save the person he once was before he’s gone forever.

This book covers a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. It’s a quick read with a lot of emotional depth. The characters are all dealing with grief in different forms and both Samantha and Duncan have experience major transformations over the course of the story. The setting is a big part of the story, since most of the action takes place within the private school, but descriptions of the school and its history do not bog down the narrative. There’s even a lovable canine for readers who like that kind of thing.

Center’s books tend to focus on emotional development and characters who survive and thrive when the deck is stacked against them. The main character, Samantha, has epilepsy, and I appreciated how her emotional responses to how people treated her as a result of her epilepsy were just as important to the story as the disorder itself was. At the same time, the story only narrowly focuses on that plot line and thankfully doesn’t try to deeply educate the reader on the medical aspects of epilepsy (there’s a time and a place for that kind of reading.)

I’ve read Katherine Center’s last two books, How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire, so I had an idea of what I was in for. This book doesn’t rank as high for me as her previous two did. Samantha’s story did still pull at my heart strings, and I made it almost all the way through the story before I was reduced to tears (a feat that happened much earlier in the previous novels). Ultimately, I felt that we spent too long being primed to hate Duncan in this book. He is portrayed and cold and isolated for more than half of the book and it made it hard for me as a reader to want to root for him in the end. This was partially due to how the passage of time was utilized in the book because the first half of the book took place over the course of a few weeks while the second half of the book, especially the parts regarding the efforts to rehabilitate the old Duncan, felt like we were fast-forwarding through weeks and months to reach the conclusion. I also really liked the drama that Tina and Kent’s characters added to the story, but I felt like their conclusions were rushed as well. It seemed unlikely that Tina would have such a significant change of heart regarding Samantha.

Honestly though, those issues are minor. This was a great read that is an easy recommendation to patrons. Center’s backlist constitutes solid recommendations as well and I fully expect that Katherine Center will remain an author whose releases are go-tos for me.

Disclaimer: I received an electronic galley of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 5 glasses of lemonade= you could recommend this book to anyone. There is nothing in here that is going to upset anyone and you could start handing it out on street corners. (This kind of book is a Librarian’s dream. As much as we love good literature, suggesting a book for someone can be nerve-wracking work that can backfire BIG TIME.)

While there is a brief discussion of school violence here, I don’t think it is graphic enough to put off the majority of readers. I think this title is recommendable on a grand scale. The romance isn’t overwhelming and the story is sweet.

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall-Smith

What up Kittens? I am in a fabulous mood after a weekend full of truly excellent reading. Finally, I have found for you the elusive 5 glasses of lemonade rating for a satisfying mystery that is NOT a cozy! Yes, you read that right. It is not a cozy…at least not in the traditional sense. The Department of Sensistive Crimes by Alexander McCall-Smith has been billed by his publishers (and presumably himself) as “Scandi Lite” or “Scandi blanc”. Supposedly it is a new subgenre in crime fiction and we’ll have to see if it takes off. I, for one, think people are really going to like this, but I’m not sure how it will play with hard-core mystery fans. For the time being, I like to think of Gretchen Wieners and “fetch” from Mean Girls whenever I think about McCall-Smith coining this new term. I also have to say that this book helped expand my vocabulary in a non-intimidating way. Here is a selection of the terms that I had to check the definition of from this book: concomitants, philately, auto-didact, abstruse, locus, solipsistic, perfidy, sinecure, and profligacy. For such a short book, it was quite the vocabulary lesson, but that only adds to the charm of this book for me.

Title: The Department of Sensitive Crimes

Author: Alexander McCall-Smith The Department of Sensitive Crimes (Detective Varg, #1)

Author website: https://www.alexandermccallsmith.com/

Publisher: Pantheon (division of Penguin Randomhouse)

Publish date: April 16^th, 2019

ISBN: 9781524748210

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Alexander McCall-Smith is probably best known for his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels, so starting a new series is likely no easy feat. In The Department of Sensitive Crimes we meet Ulf Varg, a detective who works as part of a small team to investigate the crimes that are deemed “sensitive” and therefore are diverted from the regular field police to this special unit. Varg drives a charming car and lives alone, his wife having left him some years before. He is an unassuming but thoughtful detective who might have a little bit of a crush on a coworker but would never act upon it. Throughout the course of the novel he will investigate a stabbing, multiple missing persons cases, and a concerning incident with a possible werewolf. Through it all, he maintains his calm and pleasant demeanor, even when working with those whose nonstop chatter might ruffle his feathers a little bit.

The Sensitive Crimes unit is charming and easy to like. In the unit we are introduced to the full range of characters we have come to expect in these situations, including the weekend angler whose just trying to collect a paycheck until he retires and the overeager workaholic who somehow manages to maintain a perfect home life. The reader may be expecting a dark turn any moment if they’re accustomed to Nordic Noir but **spoiler alert**, it never comes. This book is a comforting read and will appeal as much to fans of travel as it does to fans of cozy mysteries. Think of this title as what would result if Jan Karon wrote a mystery novel.

I have only a few minor criticisms of the novel itself, nothing that should dissuade readers in the least. First, Varg references the story of the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke. A little light digging on the Internet reveals this to be a largely American story that isn’t well known in Scandinavia, so it diminishes the setting a little bit for me. The second concern that I had was that the novel treats the presumed disappearance of a young lady somewhat lightly. It fits in with the theme of the entire novel, but it is a jarring turn of events from the traditional mystery novel which would treat that type of thing with urgency. The whole book gives the impression of a forced slow-down if the reader is a crime buff, and it does take some adjustment. Lastly, the book references the fact that the detective’s name translates to Wolf Wolf over and over again, but if there is any other connection to that, I missed it. Possibly it is a build up to a future novel, but it gets really repetitive after a while.

Nonetheless, I would have no trouble recommending this title to patrons. I can’t think of anything that would be a cause for significant complaint. I intend to start pulling this one out for people who are looking for a good easy read.

Disclaimer: No disclaimer needed on this one. I checked it out from my local library.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 5 glasses of lemonade= you could recommend this book to anyone. There is nothing in here that is going to upset anyone and you could start handing it out on street corners. (This kind of book is a Librarian’s dream. As much as we love good literature, suggesting a book for someone can be nerve-wracking work that can backfire BIG TIME.)

There’s no cursing, no gore. This book is nothing but charm and good humor set in a place that many people would love to visit. It will make you want to pop down to a cafe and have a warm beverage. Comfort reading at its best, but still with plenty of twists to keep you entertained.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Hello Kittens! This is my first Sci-Fi recommendation for the site. Part of my goal with this site was to motivate myself to read genres that I don’t normally engage with, and Sci-Fi is one of those genres that I didn’t think I liked. I heard about this book on the All the Books podcast from Book Riot and requested it from my library. It’s been out for a while, but the rest of the series is upcoming. As I was reading it during my lunch break, I found out that not one, but two, of my co-workers had recently finished the book and also loved it. If there is someone in your life who doesn’t think they like Sci-Fi, then this is the novella for them. Best of all, the entire series will be published by the end of the year. The second book, Artifical Condition, is already out, with Rogue Protocol (#3) expected in August, and Exit Strategy (#4) expected in October.

Title: All Systems Red All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Author: Martha Wells

Author website: http://www.marthawells.com/

Publisher: Tor.com

Publish date: 05/02/17

ISBN: 9780765397539

Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

All Systems Red is the first book in the 4-book Murderbot Diaries series. It chronicles the adventure of a security robot who has renamed itself Murderbot, who has hacked its protocols after a traumatic event and is acting in secret as a free agent. Set on a distant planet and featuring an expeditionary crew of scientists, this story starts with a bang and the pacing doesn’t let up throughout the story. There is intrigue, secrecy, corruption, and sabotage.

Wells doesn’t spend a ton of time on world-building in such a slim book, and that makes for an incredibly exciting story where the reader’s imagination is free to fill in the gaps. Murderbot breaks free from the system that controls its every move but has to hide in plain sight, never revealing its liberated abilities to the humans it is providing security for in an effort to avoid the scrap heap. When things on their mission begin to go dangerously awry, Murderbot is left with no choice but to open up a little in order to keep these humans alive. There are forces on this planet that mean them harm, and no one’s entirely sure who to trust. Murderbot knows its only choice is to keep these humans safe until they can all get off this planet ASAP.

You experience the entire story within the mind of Murderbot which can come across cerebral at times. While the reader is unlikely to forget at any time during this short plot that they are dealing with a non-human protagonist, the character’s development endears Murderbot to the reader. The pacing is so quick that there is no chance to anticipate any of what is going to happen next, so readers who always think they’ve got the plot figured out will enjoy the challenge of this storyline.

Bottom line: This was short, sweet, and unexpected. I will definitely be using this one as a recommendation for my Sci-Fi enthusiast patrons from now on. I will be picking up the rest of this series throughout the year, and I will be trying some additional Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors over the next few months. I love a book that changes my mind. Well done, Murderbot.

Disclaimer: Not really needed this time. I got this book from my library.

My rating:

lemonade_icon 5 glasses of lemonade= you could recommend this book to anyone. There is nothing in here that is going to upset anyone and you could start handing it out on street corners. (This kind of book is a Librarian’s dream. As much as we love good literature, suggesting a book for someone can be nerve-wracking work that can backfire BIG TIME.)