Karon creates an enchanting world in the small town of Mitford, with lovable characters, gentle humor and a dose of inspiration. It left me feeling warm all over and wanting to read the rest of the series!

Recommended by Andrea

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sat%20home%20in%20mitford%20karon__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl

Heartbreaking and uplifting, this book tells the story of a Filipino nanny and her upper-middle-class employers in L.A. Class distinctions, parenting issues, and strong characters make this a great read!

Recommended by Andrea

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Rose is an eccentric heroine and an outcast in her New Mexico town, a place that survives on exquisite embroidery. I loved the flawed and insecure characters, all looking for connection.

Recommended by Connie

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Billy Lynch’s family and friends gather at a Bronx bar and remember the good times before drink took over Billy’s Life. Well, it’s an Irish Catholic family with all the love and flaws and loss evident in teach character. That’s why I loved it.

Recommended by Connie

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A touching, tender story of love, loss and family set against the backdrop of the French countryside. Beautiful.

Recommended by Andrea

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Recommended by Ellen and Jo

Ellen's review: Middle aged couple whose marriage is rocky have to deal with the impact of the lives and deaths of their parents and the impending marriage of their daughter. Ultimately, hopeful. Beautifully written and characters well-drawn.

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sold%20cape%20magic%20russo__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl

Recommended by Susie

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Recommended by Ellen and Susie

Ellen's review: This is a book about acceptance and forgiveness and about the often uncomfortable ties that bind families together for better or worse. It would be great for a book group---lots to discuss.

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Smaine%20sullivan__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl

This story kept my heart in my throat for the two days it took me to read it (apologies to my family for things I forgot to do.)

Lynnie and a man named only #42 are adults institutionalized in a state school for the feeble minded in Pennsylvania in the 1960s when they fall in love and she gets pregnant. Their attempt to escape is disastrous, except that they are able to give the baby to a kindly woman before the authorities come looking for them.

I have never read a book with such fully developed characters with developmental disabilities before. It was a breath of fresh air to meet Lynnie and her friends who experience the full range of emotions, play jokes on their monitors and ultimately are released into the world as institutions across the US are closed in the 1970s.

The stories of Lynnie, #42 and their baby are unforgettable, and since the author is so well-versed in this shadow world, they are also quite believable.

This would make an excellent book for discussion and might be of interest to teens in high school. Highly recommended.

Recommended by Ellen

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A 2013 staff fiction favorite recommended by Connie and Jo

Connie's review: It's not often that I purposely put off finishing a book because I don't want it to end. In Truth in Advertising, it was just sheer appreciation of the writing, the humor, and the loveable characters. I loved it.

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Struth%20in%20advertising%20kenney__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl