Enchanting New Book by Sarah Addison Allen

Featuring characters from her first novel, Garden Spells, Sarah Addison Allen's new novel First Frost picks up ten years after that eventful summer when Claire Waverly's wild half-sister Sydney returned to Bascom and Claire met her now-husband Tyler. Things have settled down and Claire finds she has slipped back into a place of tightly sequestered sameness. It's comfortable. She likes it. But when her father Russell shows up he brings with him information that Claire doesn't want to hear and that will challenge everything she thought she knew about herself.

New to Sarah Addison Allen? Allen's heart-warming fiction centers around southern gals and their families with a touch of magic thrown in. Fans of Alice Hoffman, Rebecca Wells and Jane Smiley may also enjoy Allen's books. Other books by Sarah Addison Allen include:

Garden Spells (2007):

A successful caterer in Bascomb, North Carolina, Claire has always remained tied to the legacy of the Waverly family, until her peaceful life is transformed by Tyler Hughes, an art teacher and new next-door neighbor, and by the return of her prodigal sister, Sydney.

The Sugar Queen (2008):

Quiet, awkward Josey Cirrini's peaceful life (caring for her elderly mother, enjoying romance novels, and indulging in her secret passion for sweets) is turned upside down when Della Lee Baker, a sassy, confident, and bold waitress fleeing an abusive boyfriend, decides to hide out in Josey's home. As Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time - even for her. 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2009):

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew--a reclusive, real-life gentle giant--she realizes that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life.

The Peach Keeper (2011):

Willa Jackson of Walls of Water, North Carolina, has lately learned that an old classmate--socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood--of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored her family's Blue Ridge Madam home to its former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. But when a skeleton, found buried beneath the lone peach tree on the property is found, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families.

Lost Lake (2014):

Seeking solace in a Georgia lakeside cottage with her eccentric 8-year-old daughter, recently widowed Kate wonders if the area's almost-magical ability for sparking romances has been imagined before experiencing a poignant renewal.

Happy Birthday Margaret Atwood

Today, November 18, is Margaret Atwood's Birthday!

As the author of over 30 books, "Margaret Atwood's literary fiction often incorporates mythical/fairy tale images into past, present, and future worlds that remain recognizably modern. Her protagonists are primarily women (often artists or writers) in difficult situations but who are never passive victims. Graceful, polished prose describes complex characters and story lines. There is always more beneath the surface, which allows readers to appreciate her novels on a variety of levels. Atwood weaves serious feminist concerns into highly readable stories, leavened by wit and humor." (NoveList)

Here are a selection of Atwood's novels available at the library.

Author Spotlight on Cecelia Ahern

Cecelia Ahern, the daughter of an Irish Prime Minister, received a journalism degree but published her first novel, P.S. I Love You, at age 21. P.S. I Love You went on to become an international bestseller and was adapted into a motion picture of the same name starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler.  Ahern also was the writer and producer of the TV series Samantha Who? and another one of her novels (Where Rainbows End (aka Rosie Dunne)) was recently adapted into the upcoming movie Love, Rosie.

Ahern's books feature sassy humor, Irish settings, strong young female characters, and a sense of whimsy. While her first two novels were Chick Lit, her more recent books have a fairy-tale, magical quality about them. (NoveList)

Interested in reading a few? Here are her novels listed in publication order:

P.S., I Love You (Feb 2004): Devoted to her husband, Gerry, Holly has always depended on him to keep her going and is lost when she loses him to brain cancer, until a package arrives containing ten envelopes filled with practical and impractical advice for carrying on her life.

Rosie Dunne (Feb 2005): Best friends since childhood, Rosie and Alex's relationship gets closer by the day, until Alex gets the news that his family is leaving Dublin and moving to Boston. Devastated, the two make plans for Rosie to apply to colleges in the U.S. Everything falls into place until Rosie gets news that will change their lives and cause them to go their separate ways. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel, structured as a series of clever e-mails, letters, notes, and a trail of missed opportunities, Alex and Rosie find out that fate isn't done with them yet.

If You Could See Me Now (Jan 2006): Elizabeth's life is an organized mess. The organized part is all due to her own efforts. The mess is entirely due to her sister, Saoirse, whose personal problems leave Elizabeth scrambling to pick up the pieces. One of these pieces is Saoirse's six-year-old son, Luke. Luke is quiet and contemplative, until the arrival of a new friend, Ivan, turns him into an outgoing, lively kid. And Elizabeth's life is about to change in wonderful ways she has only dreamed of.

There's No Place Like Here (Jan 2007): Sometimes it takes losing everything to truly find yourself... Tracking down missing persons as a way of purging lingering demons about a childhood friend who went missing, Sandy Shortt finds herself increasingly consumed by a growing obsession with understanding how and why people disappear.

Thanks for the Memories (Jan 2008): How can you know someone you've never met? That's the question haunting Joyce Conway these days. Recovering from a terrible accident and with her marriage in pieces, Joyce is suddenly plagued by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu that makes her feel as if the life she's living is not her own. During the day she has vivid memories of things she's never seen and at night she dreams of a little girl she's sure she's never met. Joyce is convinced she's lost her mind . . . until a series of coincidences leads her on a journey to meet the one person who may hold the answer she needs.

Mrs. Whippy (Nov 2009): Emelda is 46 years old. Her husband, Charlie, has left her for a 23-year-old dancer. Her five difficult sons worship their father and blame Emelda for his leaving. On top of everything else, she has to struggle with a new job at the local supermarket. For comfort she turns to her only true friend - ice-cream. But lately there's a handsome man driving the ice-cream van. Could romance be about to blossom?

The Gift (Jan 2011): Despite job stress and a crumbling home life, workaholic businessman Lou Suffern gives Gabe, a homeless man, a job in his company's mail room; but the mysterious Gabe seems to be in two places at once and he's meddling in Lou's private affairs, in a story where Gabe eventually teaches Lou a valuable lesson.

The Book of Tomorrow (Jan 2011): Forced into a humbler life with relatives in Ireland after the sudden death of her father, spoiled sixteen-year-old Tamara Goodwin discovers a diary of future entries written in her handwriting that she hopes will reveal the truth about her mother's troubling health.

The Time of My Life (Apr 2013): A woman who has devoted herself to her friends, her cat, her family and a job she doesn't love is forced to examine the choices she has made when Life literally shows up on her doorstep demanding that she makes changes.

One Hundred Names (May 2014): After her dying mentor leaves her a mysterious list of 100 names, journalist Kitty Logan tries to locate the people and uncover their connections in a story of secrets, second chances, and the hidden connections that unite our lives—a universal tale that will grip you with its emotional power and mesmerize you with its magic.