For Readers: Blog

A bouquet of books

A mixed bouquet for your reading pleasure, stories to make your bookish mind bloom.

FICTION

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A chronicle of the rise and fall of a fictional 70s rock group. When singer Daisy Jones meets Billy Dunne of the band The Six, the two rock-and-roll artists are catapulted into stardom when a producer puts them together, a decision that is complicated by a pregnancy and the seductions of fame. Adapted as a TV miniseries. [e-book | print | audiobook]

Murder in Rose Hill by Victoria Thompson

In Victorian era New York, a reporter researching the dangers of patent medicines is found strangled in New Century Magazine's lobby after interviewing midwife Sarah Malloy, who investigates with her PI to catch a cold-blooded killer. [print]

The Darling Dahlias and the Red Hot Poker by Susan Wittig Albert

In this cozy historical mystery taking place in 1935 Darling, Alabama, the members of the Darling Dahlias garden club, while facing the Great Depression with courage and grace, are plagued by an arsonist, an oncoming hurricane, a visit from a much-loved-much-hated senator from Louisiana, and romantic entanglements. [print]

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach

When Dr. Ravi Kapoor's cousin sets up a retirement home in India, Ravi's father-in-law is one of its first guests, but what the renovation lacks in promised amenities and luxury, it makes up for in adventure, stunning beauty, and unexpected love. Adapted as a feature film. [e-book | print]

Scarlet Carnation by Laila Ibraham

In 1915, May, a young white woman whose dreams are shattered in an instant, and Naomi, the leader of the NAACP whose white-majority neighborhood is conspiring against her, support each other's quest for liberation and dignity, finding the strength to confront injustice and thrive on their chosen paths. [print]

The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews

A Victorian romance in which a confirmed spinster and equestrienne, Lady Anne Deveril, in exchange for a favor, agrees to attend a holiday house party with Felix Hartford during which their unrequited feelings are at last laid bare as she loosens the reins and lets him take control. [print]

My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorse

Newly divorced, Iris Prince moves to a new neighborhood where she, a proud second-generation Mexican American, is plunged into a climate of fear and hate-fueled violence after the launch of a mandatory identification wristband, forcing her to confront how far she'll go to protect what matters to her most. [print]

Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux

The complex story of Jocelyn Minton, daughter of a privileged mother and a handyman father. Cast out of high society when her mother dies and father remarries, Jocelyn finds friendship with the elderly Miss Edi. When Miss Edi dies, she leaves Jocelyn everything, including a mysterious link to a small Virginia town. Unbeknownst to Jocelyn, the Virginia townspeople have plans for Miss Edi's benefactor, including who she'll marry. [print | audiobook]

Peony in Love by Lisa See

In seventeenth-century China, three women become emotionally involved with "The Peony Pavilion," a famed opera rumored to cause lovesickness and even death. [e-book | print | large type]

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery

Estranged by their mother's abandonment and their own secrets, sisters Kelly and Olivia harbor longtime crushes for popular brothers Griffith and Ryan, whose return a decade after high school leads to embarrassing memories, unexpected disillusionment, and romantic closure.[e-book | print | audiobook | large type]

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

In 1876 London, two Irish sisters struggle to survive by selling flowers and watercress. Abused by their father and eventually orphaned, the girls have a heartbreaking existence, with little food to eat and nights spent huddled in doorways. But when the girls accidentally become separated, their lives are changed forever. [print | large type]

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

After staying with their aunt in Nsukka, Nigeria, Kambili and her brother return home changed by their newfound freedom. At home, they deal with their father, a religious fanatic, who has high expectations of them and his wife. And eventually Kambili tries to keep their family together after their mother commits a desperate act. [print]

Poppy Harmon Investigates by Lee Hollis

Poppy Harmon and her friends find that life after retirement can be much busier--and deadlier--than any of them ever anticipated. A cozy mystery with a theatrical theme and a group of quirky characters. [print]

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The story of a woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own past. [e-book | print | audiobook | large type]
 

Nonfiction

The Encyclopedia of Cut Flowers by Calvert Crary

A look at the world of fresh-cut flowers, featuring entries for 143 different varieties of commonly available cut flowers that readers can buy at their local grocery store or flower market. Each flower entry offers authoritative tips for conditioning methods as well as scientific and common names, best seasons for buying and fascinating facts about each bloom, as well as beautiful photographs. [print]

Eat Your Flowers by Loria Stern

California chef Stern uses botanicals to craft eye-catching dishes. She starts with a guide to edible botanicals, outlining their flavor profiles and typical uses, and many of her recipes come with the option for several variations. [print]

Embroidering Plants and Flowers for Beginners by Charlene Pourias

With ready-to-use patterns, step-by-step instructions, helpful diagrams, stunning photography, and more, this book is the perfect source of inspiration for crafters, both beginner and advanced alike! [print]

 

⏤Lillian