Book Review: "Is This A Cry for Help?" by Emily Austin

This was a very moving and thought-provoking book. It felt tremendously current given the issues being dealt with across the country.

Darcy is a librarian at a local library. She loves her job, even if not every patron is kind or appreciative. She and her wife Lou have a relatively idyllic life, complete with two loving cats. Darcy has just returned to work following a medical leave, the result of a mental breakdown after she heard that her ex-boyfriend Ben has died.

She hasn’t seen or spoken to Ben for years, since their breakup. But Darcy feels tremendous guilt and sadness about Ben’s death, the way their relationship ended, and the fact that she was never completely honest with him about her sexuality.

Now that she has returned to work, she and her colleagues start dealing with protestors who believe the library is harmful to children. The leader is a particularly vociferous critic who believes the library shouldn’t carry any materials dealing with sex or race or any of the issues these conservatives believe to be “dangerous.” While Darcy is still a bit mentally unstable, she’s also outraged about this attack on the library.

“I find it grating when attention is focused on seedy, unconstructive things, while so little focus is put on all that’s good.”

Emily Austin skillfully combined grief, love, guilt, and the periodic insecurity we feel in relationships. I definitely cared about Darcy and hoped her life wouldn’t go off the rails as she returned to work. I really loved the way her wife and her colleagues made her feel protected.

Book Review: "Seas the Dating Coach" by Laura Langa

I think my heart grew two sizes larger while reading this book! I love a small-town romance, and this was such a sweet, fun, and emotionally rich read.

Vivian grew up in the small town of Wilks Beach, and all of townspeople are tremendously protective of her, as is her twin sister, Brynn. Vivian is kind, a talented tailor and designer, but she is painfully shy and often stumbles over her words when she gets nervous.

She’s had a crush on Atticus, a handsome accountant, for some time now, but he’s never seemed to notice her. Every time she tries to muster up the courage to talk to him, she fails. And then one morning, she is ready to make her move at her sister’s coffee shop, and she slips on a puddle of coffee and falls into the arms of Finn, a handsome newcomer to town.

People in Wilks Beach don’t have a lot of trust in “mainlanders,” but Finn in particular is very unpopular. As the new director of the town library, his plans to improve everything are met with resentment, even though they will make everything better. So when Finn realizes that Vivian can’t seem to approach Atticus, he offers to be her dating coach. In exchange, she’ll start to correct the misconceptions about Finn and his plans.

Vivian has no idea how beautiful and how brave she is, and Finn delights in helping her realize that. For his part, Finn has never let anyone get too close for fear they’d hurt him, but the more he coaches Vivian, the harder he falls. But he has to keep reminding himself that she wants Atticus, not him.

I first became familiar with Laura Langa when I read her holiday novel that took place in Wilks Beach. I was so glad to go back to that setting, and I look forward to more books in this series!! It seems like a terrific small town.

Book Review: "The Night of Many Endings" by Melissa Payne

I thought The Night of Many Endings was a heartwarming, poignant, and powerful story about finding the strength to carry on.

Nora is a librarian in a small Colorado town who believes it’s her mission to help anyone in need. Her older brother has struggled with homelessness and addiction for as long as she can remember. She’s always dropped everything when she thinks there’s a chance to save him, but those chances are fleeting, so she’s always willing to lend a hand or an ear or shelter to those she thinks can use it.

One night, a fierce snowstorm strands Nora in the library along with several patrons. There’s Marlene, the elderly woman whose blunt, critical demeanor masks real physical and emotional pain; Jasmine, a teenager who seems to be hiding at least one secret; Lewis, a homeless addict who doesn’t want Nora’s help—or anyone’s for that matter—and Vlado, the library’s security guard, who loves learning—and Nora, from afar.

Over the course of the evening, they will trade criticisms and accusations, and reveal the stories and pains they’ve kept hidden. They’ll face threats from the weather but also deal with physical and emotional setbacks. And at the same time, they may find, among their cohorts, the strength they need to take on their greatest challenges.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while and it really moved me. I love stories where people help each other through tough times, and while some of the crises seemed to be solved a little easier than you’d imagine they would be in real life, some very real struggles occurred too. Nora was my favorite character—I was irritated by the “meanness” of some of the characters. (I’ve had enough curmudgeons to last me a lifetime.)

I will never get tired of books that use libraries as a hub, and deal with the healing power of books and reading.