This was a pretty good month for reading. I read 7 books. A total of 2,575 pages. An average of 83 pages a day. I read some really great books. And some not so great books. So let’s get to it!
The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano (360 pages). This was my December Once Upon a Book Club book, so gifties on social (per usual). In 1886, concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant awakens to find herself in a bed at Hurstwell Asylum, being called by the name Cora Fletcher. She learns that when her father died, he left her with the care of a patient there. A patient that the asylum has no record of. So Vivienne decides to go work at the asylum and see what she can uncover. The longer she is there, the more she seems to belong. And quickly finds herself a patient. She finally uncovers the secret of the missing patient and learns the power of music therapy. Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite book. I found it a little hard to follow at times. I finished in 3 days.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (330 pages). In January 1906, 26 year old Belle da Costa Greene begins a new job. As the librarian for the newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Hired personally by JP Morgan, her job is to curate the world’s most amazing collection of rare manuscripts, books and artwork. But Belle hides a secret. Her mother is a member of the Fleet family of Washington DC. And her father was the first black student to graduate from Harvard (he also graduated from USC Law and was the first black professor there). So Belle spends her life passing as a white woman, thanks to her light complexion. Her life was astonishing. She never married but did have lovers (JP Morgan himself rumored to be among them). And when Mr Morgan passed away, he left Belle $50,000 in his will and a job for life with his library. She convinced his son to turn the library into a public institution, world famous for its rare manuscripts. I absolutely loved this book! I finished in 6 days.
Lucy’s Coming for You…by Ashley Beegan (242 pages). Summer is an advocate at a mental hospital. And one patient in particular seems to have a hold on her- Lucy. But when Lucy disappears from the ward, Summer is told by everyone that there has never been a Lucy at the hospital. But Summer knows she’s not crazy. And it turns out that Lucy is now looking for Summer. And Lucy might not be the only one. This story had a lot of promise but the book just wasn’t great. I finished in 2 days.
The Story of Raine by Glenda J Brown (422 pages). My mom taught with Glenda in Charlottesville back in the early 1970’s. Glenda was inspired by the floods that struck Charlottesville in 1969 during Hurricane Camille. In the 1930’s, Lana meets Sloan. And immediately marries him and moves back to his home outside of Charlottesville. They have a beautiful daughter named Raine. Raine eventually marries Anthony and they have a daughter named Angel. Through it all is the family’s connection to their estate, Shaddeau, and their connection to each other. There is drama, there is love, there is tragedy. I’m super proud to know Glenda! I finished in 4 days.
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore (367 pages). The del Cisne sisters could not be more different. Older sister Blanca is golden and obedient while younger sister Roja is dusky and rebellious. But both sisters know that their family is cursed and one of them will eventually be turned into a swan. When young men Page and Barclay meet the sisters, they are drawn into the waiting game of which sister will remain and which will become a swan. And can falling in love actually save either sister? This was a retelling/reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red. And I did not like it. At all. I finished in 4 days.
Cake Eater by Allyson Dahlin (452 pages). This was a random YA Once Upon a Book Club box from August 2022. It’s May of 3070 and Duchess Maria Antonia is on her way from Austro land to Franc to marry Dauphin Louis-Auguste. She is famous on social media and he is a reserved and private young man. Once they are married, they become a powerhouse young royal couple. But troubles in Paree lead to revolution. And as Marie Antoinette tries to help her husband navigate their people turning against them, they soon realize that there is no hope for the crown. Marie learns that there was another Marie Antoinette in the past. But all history vanished with the cataclysmic Event that almost destroyed the world. Honestly, the book ended up making me think a lot more than I thought a YA book would. Yes, if Marie Antoinette had been born in the future, she probably would have been a social media influencer. But it’s also an interesting observation that when we lose or forget our history, we are doomed to repeat it. I finished in 7 days.
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan (402 pages). In 1838, the steamship Pulaski, the Titanic of the South, sank off the coast of North Carolina. Among the survivors was Savannah native Augusta Longstreet. And among the lost was her niece Lilly Forsyth. Everly Winthrop grew up with stories of the Pulaski. And when the wreck is finally found in 2018, she is the perfect person to be chosen to curate a special exhibit at the museum. Her research skills and old Savannah connections help her learn the truth about the one victim she was always fascinated by- Lilly. Through learning the truth about the Pulaski, Everly also learns to come to grips with her own personal loss. I finished in 6 days.
This month’s favorite was…..The Personal Librarian.
