Curbside

This week I went to the library for the first time since early March. This visit, as you might have expected, was a little different than usual. This was no spontaneous trip on my way home, but a scheduled appointment I made the day before. Instead of making a beeline to the new releases section, I sat in my car and waited for my order. Rather than perusing covers and reading plot summaries, I opted for the "Grab Bag (surprise me!)" option.   

Here’s what my local librarians picked out for me:

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

I probably wouldn’t have picked this book based on either the title or cover, so I was pleasantly surprised by both the unique story and character development. Anna is an artist chosen to paint a post office mural during  the early 1940s. Morgan is an art student chosen to restore the mural eight decades later. Despite their different circumstances, art becomes the outlet with which they wrestle with their personal demons.

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel

Despite, or perhaps to spite, her popularity, Danielle Steel hasn’t been an author I’ve ever read. Although I don’t regret the afternoon I spent with this book, I probably won’t seek out others she’s written unless I happen to be in an airport or doctor’s office waiting room.

Treason by Stuart Woods

I have to admit, I enjoyed the snappy dialogue. It was also mildly entertaining to read how one goes about buying a private jet. But the endless Caesar salad lunches and objectification of women got tiresome. By the third phone call (of roughly 300) in the novel, we understood it would be scrambled, but were told again anyway.