Happy Tuesday! Today TTT’s topic is secondary, or as I like to call them, supporting characters. I see supporting characters as integral to creating a complete story. A reader gets an in-depth look at the struggles of the mains, as well as a richer reading experience. I’m not great at remembering secondary/supporting characters, so I did a search with the term in my blog reviews. I think you’ll find some great books to check out that have great supporting characters, and there’s a variety of genres that should appeal to any reading mood.
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT challenge is May Flowers. Since I’ve read only one book featuring Pilgrims 😉 , I decided to list books with titles that included things you could find in a southern garden, including things that have to be beaten back! I hope you find a book to catch your interest.
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is authors I wish were still writing. This could include those who have sadly passed away, those who for a variety of reasons are not writing, those who write in different genres now, or (I added this one) those who are writing, but haven’t published anything new in a while. This is a bittersweet post. My list does include two cozy mystery writers who have passed away. And I don’t know if or when any of the others will release in my preferred genre in the future. But . . . that’s what re-reading is for! I hope you find a book to love. And, if you have different info than me, please let me know!
Happy Tuesday! Today is a Freebie day on TTT — anything our heart desires! Today I am featuring book titles containing times of day, some of which are more poetic than actual positions on a clock. I hope you find one you want to read no matter what time it is!
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT is April Showers — interpreted as bloggers please. I have done this topic a few times, so I am going to be all over the place today! I hope you find a book from my list to pique your interest! There are a lot of genres to choose from.
I absolutely loved The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox. I think it’s my favorite of all her books, and that’s saying a lot! If you haven’t read it, put it on the top of your TBR. If you have read it and liked it as much as I did, or you enjoy character-driven novels and/or books with a strong sense of place, check out a few more book recommendations.
The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Just when her life comes crumbling down, she discovers secrets that could shape her future–and heal her past.
When Edie Gardner’s life in New York falls apart, her grandmother Adele “Punk” Cheramie coaxes her back to tiny Bayou du Chêne, Mississippi. Edie spent many happy summers there, a stone’s throw from untamed Horn Island, where she once found love. Can she now demystify the island’s strange new light?
Punk and her colorful friends introduce Edie to the Trove, a fascinating gallery and antique shop. Like Horn Island’s light, The Trove has appeared out of nowhere. Its proprietor, with a gift for discerning his customers’ needs, gives Edie a Victorian parlor game that asks players a series of personal questions, which is harmless fun at first. But Edie and her grandmother’s circle find that the game has a way of uncovering secrets, including a heartbreak that has haunted one of the women for decades. Banding together, this Southern sisterhood is determined to find answers that will bring healing, hope, and happiness–and maybe explain the transcendent illumination of a wild and windswept barrier island.
A Place to Land by Lauren K. Denton
Violet Figg and her sister Trudy have lived a quiet life in Sugar Bend, Alabama, since a night forty years ago that stole Trudy’s voice and cemented Violet’s role as her sister’s fierce and loyal protector. Now Trudy spends her days making sculptures from found objects and speaking through notes written on scraps of paper, while Violet runs their art shop, monitors bird activity up and down the water, and tries not to think of the one great love she gave up to keep her sister safe.
Eighteen-year-old Maya knows where everyone else belongs, but she’s been searching for her own place since her grandmother died seven years ago. Moving in and out of strangers’ houses has left her exhausted. After seeing a flyer on a gas station window for a place called Sugar Bend, Maya chooses to follow the strange pull she feels and finds herself on the doorstep of an art shop called Two Sisters.
When a boat rises to the surface of Little River in the middle of the night, the present and no-longer-buried past collide, and the future becomes uncertain for Maya, Violet, and Trudy. As history creeps continuously closer to the present and old secrets come to light, the sisters must decide to face the truth of what happened that night forty years ago, or risk losing each other and those they’ve come to love.
The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson
A small-town bookstore owner finds herself at odds with a newcomer bent on disrupting her quiet life in this Southern women’s fiction novel by award-winning author Robin W. Pearson.
Glory Pryor has carved out a life for herself in Gilmore, North Carolina, cultivating a community around her bookstore, By the Book. While her business is a success, she carries the weight of stories of her own she’s never told anyone. She holds out hope that one day her estranged brother will turn up on her doorstep so she can finally learn where he’s been all these years. Glory’s husband Eli thinks she has her arms wrapped too tightly around the could-have-beens, and that it’s time for them to let go of the store as they head into their retirement years. Glory has different opinions on that—she’s not ready to give up the dream she’s built just yet. Then Adelle Simonette shows up with her young son, Bennett, and Glory’s carefully controlled life begins to crumble.
Newly widowed Adelle Simonette is a single mother trying to find her footing and navigate parenting her young son. Lost in her grief, one thing she’s certain of is that she needs to confront Glory Pryor and everybody who knows her because the woman’s been living a lie. Adelle thinks it’s high time Glory made things right. But Adelle’s finding it hard to tell the truth . . . and there will be no going back once she does.
In the wake of deeply personal grief and loss, two women reckon with a lifetime of silence and secrets to find a path forward toward healing, hope, and restoration.
Happy Tuesday! TTT‘s topic today is bookish quotes. I regularly participate in First Line Friday hosted by Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower. What a great way to introduce new books to readers! So today, I am including some of the best first lines from the past few months. I hope you find a book to pique your interest.
I deeply regret to confirm that your son Lance Corporal Mark James Taylor died in Vietnam 1 November 1968.
All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee
Viola Chambers had always wondered at what point in the dying process a person understood they weren’t long for this world, and now she’d give anything to unlearn it.
The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox
“The sea never gives back what it claims . . .”
Deadly Currents by Elizabeth Goddard
A shrill sound pierced the night, sweeping through the house like the unearthly wail of a banshee.
Dragonfly Ashes by C. C. Warrens
Lizbeth Bennet clutched the handle of the wicker basket with hope.
The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt
No one knew that Carol Langstrom hated Christmas.
Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson
Natasha shifted uncomfortably on the rock floor of the icy cave, shoving her gloved hands under her armpits to keep warm.
Queen of Hearts by Heather Day Gilbert
Death had always been fashionable.
Specters in The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright
Pandemonium has broken out in the streets of New York City.
Under The Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
When I was eight, I watched my mother disappear in fading pixels.
I have loved every book I have read by Amanda Cox, so it’s hard to choose a favorite. But I believe that my most recent read, TheBitter End Birding Society, is now my favorite. I loved everything about it! It’s my book club’s February selection — can’t wait to discuss it.
Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt get her house ready to sell. Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she’s desperate for respite from her community’s attention and unwarranted admiration. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird watchers take her under their wing—a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.
But when Ana’s adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree—one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner’s daughter and a preacher’s son—what began as a quest to study Appalachian birds becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.
Immerse yourself in the lyrical prose and layered plotting of award-winning novelist Amanda Cox as she offers up an engaging story of finding belonging, reconciliation, and new beginnings in the most unexpected places.
Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda Cox spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.
A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 18 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.) You can stay connected with her latest writing updates at http://www.amandacoxwrites.com. You can find her on social media by searching Amanda Cox Writes.
My Impressions:
My book club loves a story with well-developed characters whose struggles are true-to-life. Amanda Cox is one of our favorite authors because she consistently introduces us to relatable characters that we grow attached to. You know the ones — characters that become friends. TheBitter End Birding Society has several that captured my heart. The novel takes place in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee. The story is told from a present day perspective that has been influenced by the 66 year old tragedy told through flashbacks. Ana has come to Bitter End to escape her present life as much as to discover her family history. There are others in Bitter End who want to escape the pain of their past as well. But ignoring the past does not make it go away. The characters in the book struggle with identity, guilt, and a sense of helplessness that their past experiences engendered. As they join together to form the loosely organized birding society, they find the answers they search for and the peace that comes from reconciling the hard things of life with the hope for a different future. I liked that not everything is tied up with a neat bow — life is still uncertain, yet it is secure. The author draws more than a few analogies from nature, especially the various birds the group encounters. I love that there is emphasis on the care and provision of God in all aspects of life. The spiritual thread is very strong, but naturally woven throughout the narrative. This book is never preachy.
The Bitter End Birding Society is a book that stayed with me long after the last page was read. It was a quiet yet powerful story that I won’t soon forget. I can’t wait to talk about it with my book club.
Highly Recommended.
Great for Book Clubs.
Audience: Adults.
(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is books for the armchair traveler. Isn’t it great that a book can transport you to another place and time? I love it when a book makes me feel I am really there. I also love to add places to my travel bucket list after reading a book. I have had great experiences visiting places I first traveled to while reading — Alaska, the Shetland Islands in Scotland, Yellowstone, Zion National Park. Today I am listing a few books that make me want to get up out of my armchair and really experience in person their settings. Will I be able to go everywhere on my list? Probably not, but these books really make me want to! (I have 3 books set in Washington State — looks like I should really plan a visit.)
Happy Friday! Today I am featuring my book club’s February selection, The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox. We are big fans of Amanda’s stories and are excited to discuss this book. Have you read it yet? We would love to know your thoughts.
Here’s the first line:
Viola Chambers had always wondered at what point in the dying process a person understood they weren’t long for this world, and now she’d give anything to unlearn it.
Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt get her house ready to sell. Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she’s desperate for respite from her community’s attention and unwarranted admiration. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird watchers take her under their wing—a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.
But when Ana’s adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree—one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner’s daughter and a preacher’s son—what began as a quest to study Appalachian birds becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.
Immerse yourself in the lyrical prose and layered plotting of award-winning novelist Amanda Cox as she offers up an engaging story of finding belonging, reconciliation, and new beginnings in the most unexpected places.
Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda Cox spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.
A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 18 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.) You can stay connected with her latest writing updates athttp://www.amandacoxwrites.com. You can find her on social media by searching Amanda Cox Writes.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that I earn a small percentage of the sales from products purchased through links on my site. I NEVER recommend a book in order to receive a profit. Proceeds from affiliate sales help to defray operating costs of the blog.
Giveaways are open to persons 18 years or older. All winners are picked randomly. No purchases are necessary to enter a giveaway. All giveaways are for US entries only and are void where prohibited.
GDPR compliance -- the email address you leave when you subscribe to the blog or leave a comment, is used only to notify winners of giveaways or to send an email whenever a post goes live. That's it.
For a more detailed privacy policy for Wordpress sites, go to https://wordpress.org/about/privacy/.
Recent Comments