For the Love of Books | Currently Reading October 2022

Thank You For Listening | Julia Whelan | Kindle | Two audiobook narrators find love in this meta take on contemporary publishing. Romance enthusiasts always roll their eyes when critical readers mock the “predictability” of the genre. In her long-anticipated second novel, top-tier narrator Whelan (Educated, The Great Alone, and 2022’s Book Lovers) takes us deep into the world of the field she knows so well.

Actress-turned-narrator Sewanee is still recovering from an horrific accident that scarred her inside and out when she’s cast alongside the sexy and secretive Brock McKnight in a coveted project. Whelan clearly enjoys playing with the genre’s familiar themes – snowed in, just one night, mistaken identity. With wittily named chapter titles (don’t miss them) and great supporting characters, this sometimes steamy romance shows our heroine forgiving herself and finding true love.

Whelan also wrote My Oxford Year.

What The Wind Knows | Amy Harmon | Kindle | I am not usually a fan of fantasy, with the exception of Outlander, so I was surprised to discover that I loved this and have added it to my Favourite Reads of 2022 list.

Anne Gallagher is a bestselling author in New York City. She’s been mainly raised by her grandfather, Eoin, who came to America from Ireland when he reached adulthood and Anne has been curious about his life in Ireland her whole life, but he’s always been reluctant to talk about it.

And then, on his deathbed, Eoin gives Anne a stack of unsent letters, a journal, and some photographs of his parents, along with a plea for her to take his ashes to Ireland and spread them on the lake near the home he grew up in … And then when she goes out in a little boat to spread his ashes, things go badly awry. She gets lost in a mist, tumbles into the water, is shot, and then rescued by her great-grandfather’s best friend. Who, naturally, should be dead but . .  . it’s 1921.

A Shoe Story | Jane L Rosen | Kindle | I could identify with heroine Esme Nash as she grapples with deciding if what she once desired is still the life for her in this charming, clever and irresistible tale. Trust me, you’ll want to walk a mile or more in Esme’s shoes.

Rosen also wrote Nine Women, One Dress and Eliza Starts A Rumor.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill | Abbi Waxman | paperback | If books are your love language, this book about Nina, who works in a bookstore and lives a solitary life, is for you! Her whole world is turned upside down when the father she never knew dies and she suddenly discovers a large family she didn’t know existed. Is there life beyond her bookshelves or is it better to stay home and read?

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