The Reading Room

Leonard Pitts Jr. Backlist Project

Who’s looking for a winter project??

Leonard Pitts Jr. is one of the most underrated authors of our time.

I first read Freeman way back in 2015, pre-bookstagram. Freeman was a masterpiece, I knew I had stumbled upon someone special. Fast forward to 2020 when I read a second book by him, The Last Thing You Surrender which may have impacted me even more?!

AND I RARELY (if ever) SEE ANY OF HIS BOOKS HERE.

Library of Unruly Things

“But that there was such a building, and that it was a library, a temple of learning and dreams, was something Gwen wouldn’t have dared imagine, let alone hope for”.

We loved this book.

Summary - The Library of Unruly Treasures follows 11-year-old Gwen, who, after being sent to stay with her Great Uncle Matthew, discovers tiny winged creatures called Lahdukan in the library that shares her last name. Gwen, a seemingly unremarkable girl, must embrace her destiny as a Qalba (caretaker) to help the Lahdukan find a new home when their library is slated for renovation. With the support of her uncle, a lively dog named Pumpkin, and a local child, Gwen overcomes her feelings of being unwanted to embark on a courageous journey that reveals her true worth.

English teacher

“Was it possible in any relationship to not disappoint, to do anything more than only briefly rekindle the initial fatal illusion?”

Summary - Fifteen years ago Vida Avery arrived alone and pregnant at elite Fayer Academy. She has since become a fixture and one of the best teachers Fayer has ever had. By living on campus, on an island off the New England coast, Vida has cocooned herself and her son, Peter, from the outside world and from an inside secret. For years she has lived largely through the books she teaches, but when she accepts the impulsive marriage proposal of ardent widower Tom Belou, the prescribed life Vida has constructed is swiftly dismantled.

Poppy Fields

“There is only one reason anyone would sleep at the Poppy Fields. Love. Love makes people do wild things, things they can’t understand, things they might have sworn they would never, ever do.”

Summary - A speculative novel about grief and healing, centered around a controversial treatment center in the California desert where people can sleep through their pain. Four strangers with unique pasts embark on a journey to this facility, hoping to heal from heartache. Their individual secrets and motivations threaten to derail their trip, as they search for Ellis, the enigmatic founder of the Poppy Fields.

Vanderbeekers

“Nothing was certain in this world, Laney thought as she gazed at the magical snow and the crowds of people who had come to be a part of this day. Laney breathed it all in and gathered it into special place in her memory. Each day, each moment, felt so much more precious, especially after the past few months. It was all the more important to know that on the journey before her, she could always count on the people she loved and the place she called home. A home that was, and always would be, the brownstone on 141st street.

Maine Characters

Parent trap for adults?!

Summary - The story of two half-sisters, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster, who meet for the first time after their father’s death. Vivian, a New York City sommelier, and Lucy, a small-town Maine teacher, are brought together at their father’s lake house to scatter his ashes and confront a web of family secrets.

The novel explores themes of grief, family, and forgiveness as the sisters navigate their newfound relationship and the complexities of their father’s past.

These Summer Storms

Why I read this book:

1. Sarah MacLean spoke at the NEIBA book conference I attended and she was a delight
2. It takes place at the Rhode Island shore, which is where we vacation each summer

It also has a plotline that I don’t usually love but I was willing to give it a go because not too many summer books take place in RI.

Summary - The story revolves around Alice Storm, who returns to her family’s private island off the coast of Rhode Island after her father’s death, only to find herself entangled in an inheritance game. The novel is described as a blend of family drama, mystery, and sizzling romance.

Heartwood

Every human being imagines, but few disclose. Children are quick to share their strangest thoughts and inventions. They cease to do so only after the shaming or baffled reactions of adults, portraits of which the child hangs on her inner walls, until at last, she closes the gallery.

Summary - Heartwood tells the story of a nurse, Valerie Gillis, who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine. The novel intertwines the narratives of Valerie, who writes letters to her mother during her ordeal; Beverly, a game warden leading the search; and Lena Kucharski, a 76-year-old birdwatcher who becomes an armchair detective. As the search intensifies, the characters’ complex relationships with mothers and motherhood are explored, revealing a suspenseful mystery with themes of survival, loss, and self-discovery.

Dinner for Vampires

“I found out that when the numbness lasts for long enough it bears a striking resemblance to peace.”

Summary - Dinner for Vampires is a powerful and personal account of one womans journey through the darkness of cult involvement and her journey to recovery. Bethany Joy Lenz has crafted a memoir that is both a warning and a beacon of hope, offering readers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a cult while also providing a roadmap for healing and self-discovery. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of spiritual manipulation and the resilience of the human spirit.

Death of the author

A genre-blending gem…

“Stories were the greatest currency to us, greater than power, greater than control. Stories were our food, nourishment, enrichment. To consume a story was to add to our code, deepen our minds. We felt it the moment we took it in. We were changed. It was like falling. It was how we evolved.”

Summary - In this exhilarating tale by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrativea surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything youve read before.