Monthly Archives: November 2010

by | November 24, 2010 · 2:39 pm

Nicholas Sparks. Safe Haven. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2010.

Erin is a young woman on the run from an abusive husband. When she arrives in Southport, North Carolina she adopts the name Katie and begins to make a new life for herself. Her job as a waitress doesn’t pay much, but people are kind and she has a nice place to live. Katie hopes that by keeping to herself she will avoid discovery and entanglements that would necessitate revealing who she is. But the heart has a mind of its own.  Katie becomes close to widower and his two young children, falling in love with him and the children. Katie knows that her husband Kevin, a police officer in Massachusetts, will not let her go and that his possessiveness and violence could endanger not just Katie but Alex and his children.  The reader knows this too since the author takes us inside Kevin’s mind as he makes his way to Katie and a climatic encounter of desperation and violence.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2010, 2010-2019, Brunswick, Coast, Romance/Relationship, Sparks, Nicholas

by | November 18, 2010 · 5:01 pm

Jean Reynolds Page. Leaving before It’s Over. New York: Avon, 2010.

The illness of Lola’s mother changes the Vines family in ways that no one could have ever imagined. When her parents, Rosalind and Roy, married against the wishes of his parents and left Virginia for good, they assumed that they would never have to revisit that painful time. They moved to Linton Springs, North Carolina, made a family with their two daughters, Lola and Janie Ray, and have a happy life.

Unfortunately, Rosalind begins to notice strange rashes on her arms and legs and discovers that she has a blood disorder. Roy, heartbroken that he cannot afford her medical costs, makes a desperate plea to his parents to loan him money. They are still bitter about the way that he severed their relationship years ago, and they strike a deal with him: take home Luke, the grandson that they assume is his child, in exchange for the resources. Although this is an impossible decision, Roy is determined to save his dear wife.

No one in the Vines family anticipates the upheaval that Luke’s arrival causes. The parents and children ignore the small-town gossips who pounce on the story and quickly figure out how to function as a content family. However, Roy and Rosalind have a difficult time accepting the ongoing manipulation of Roy’s family, especially his twin brother, Mont. Although Lola, wise at sixteen, figures out the truth of Luke’s background, her parents go to great lengths to protect Luke’s feelings. Knowing the facts, they fear, would crumble his sense of self, and, because the family becomes so attached to him so quickly, they are especially protective of him.

Although change comes quickly to the Vines, they maintain the core values of  their family: support and love.

This story is told through the observations and feelings of Lola, Luke, Rosalind, and Roy.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2010, 2010-2019, Novels Set in Fictional Places, Page, Jean Reynolds, Romance/Relationship

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by | November 13, 2010 · 10:45 am

Cynn Chadwick. Babies, Bikes & Broads. Ann Arbor, MI: Bywater Books, 2008.

After five years teaching literature and carpentry at a girls’ school in Scotland, Cat Hood returns home to Galway, North Carolina. Unfortunately, her homecoming is for the sad occasion of her sister-in-law’s funeral. Although Cat believes this will be a short trip back, she quickly discovers that she has more reasons to stay in the Blue Ridge Mountains than to go back to Edinburgh.

First, there is the matter of helping her brother and his twins cope with the death of Marce. Cat realizes that the three of them need her, which is a strange feeling for someone so solitary. However, she quickly falls in love with her niece and nephew and appreciates the youthfulness that they bring out in her. Second, she finds herself drawn to the people and the places of Galway. Cat has missed her friends and being a part of the community. She secures odd carpentry jobs and work at OzGirlz, the lesbian bar, supplementing her income as she continues writing novels. Third, Cat decides to end her destructive relationship with Isobel, her Scottish married lover. Getting over Isobel is made easier by the return to town of Janey, a former flame. Feeling comfortable around each other again takes time, but eventually Cat finds that she can trust Janey and becomes willing to accept her love.

If the old adage that “home is where the heart is” is true, Cat belongs with her friends and family in Galway.

Babies, Bikes & Broads is Cynn Chadwick’s third novel in the “Cat Rising” series.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2000-2009, 2008, Chadwick, Cynn, Mountains, Novels in Series, Novels Set in Fictional Places

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by | · 10:43 am

Mark Schweizer. The Diva Wore Diamonds. Hopkinsville, KY: St. James Music Press, 2009.

It seems as though things are getting back to normal in (fictional) St. Germaine, North Carolina. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, which was destroyed in a fire nineteen months ago, has been rebuilt.  Various ecclesiastical bigwigs will be present for the re-dedication, as will most of the townspeople in this little mountain village.  Hayden Konig, town police chief and choir director at St. Barnabas, is looking forward to the festivities, which will include the opening of a time capsule that was placed in the church’s foundation in 1900. Konig and everyone else is shocked by the time capsule’s contents.  Diamonds!–and a note that refers to the location of more diamonds on nearby land. Soon, the hunt for diamonds consumes some of the locals, but that is not the only thing stirring up the little town: a referendum to allow the sale of liquor by the drink on Sunday has brought in protesters whose powerful prayers may have caused lightning to strike The Bear and Brew, a church camp is the scene of much mischief under the excitable new youth minister, and a man who might have been both a land speculator and a blackmailer is murdered.

This is the seventh novel in Schweizer’s Liturgical Mysteries series.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2000-2009, 2009, Mountains, Mystery, Novels in Series, Novels Set in Fictional Places, Schweizer, Mark, Watauga

by | November 7, 2010 · 10:17 am

Diane Chamberlain. Summer’s Child. Don Mills, Ontario: MIRA, 2010.

Daria Cato thought of Rory Taylor as her best friend.  Their family had summer houses on the same cul-de-sac in Kill Devil Hills.  Daria and Rory would run on the beach together and play all kinds of games. Rory, three years older than Daria, told himself that he was “letting”  Daria win, but she was a spirited and feisty child who could hold her own against her fun-loving playmate. But when Rory became a teenager, their relationship changed.  Daria developed a crush on Rory just as Rory gravitated to friends his own age.

Daria briefly had Rory’s attention–and everyone else’s–the morning of her eleventh birthday when she found a newborn baby on the beach.  This shocking event had the community abuzz for weeks.  When the baby’s mother could not be found, Daria’s parents adopted the child.  As the girl, Shelly, grew, it was evident that the circumstances of her birth affected her development.  Daria, always protective of Shelly, moved with Shelly back to the Outer Banks since that is where Shelly is most at ease.  At twenty, Shelly works for the local Catholic Church, and Daria is a carpenter and EMT.  It’s a comfortable, if not joyful, life that Shelly upsets when she contacts Rory, now the producer of a hit television series, True Life Stories. Shelley wants Rory to uncover the truth about her birth.

Rory’s arrival back in Kill Devil Hills unsettles Daria, her sister Chloe, and other locals.  Daria worries that Shelly will not be able to absorb the truth, if Rory finds it, but Daria should be worried about herself.  Daria is struggling with guilt over a failed rescue and with sadness at the end of a long-term romance.  Daria needs someone to confide in, but those closest to her have secrets to hide–both in the past and the present. Those secrets eventually come out but the passage of time allows most of the characters to forgive the mistakes of youth–their own and others.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2010, 2010-2019, Chamberlain, Diane, Coast, Dare

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by | · 10:09 am

Cynn Chadwick. Girls with Hammers. New York: Harrington Park Press, 2004.

Lily Cameron has always done things her way. While she followed her father’s footsteps in her career choice of contracting, she did not join the family business. Instead, Lily founded her own all-female construction company, Girls with Hammers, with her best friend, Cat. The youngest child – and only girl – of seven siblings, Lily is still a tomboy. She drinks, smokes, punches, and curses, although she still has a soft spot. And Lily is in a devoted relationship with Hannah in (fictional) Galway, North Carolina, a small town where homosexuality is discussed in hushed tones.

Lily’s life takes a sudden turn with three events: Cat’s decision to take a teaching position in Scotland, Hannah’s distance – both emotional and physical – as she accepts a fellowship in the Netherlands for a few months, and the unexpected death of Lily’s father. Although Lily would crawl underneath a rock to avoid addressing these changes, she is pushed to action with the reading of her father’s will. Of all of his children, she was the only one who showed interest in the business, so he left Cameron Construction Company to her.

Lily is faced with many challenges in her new role, including the unwillingness of men to work for a woman. Banding together a motley crew of musicians-turned-construction workers, Lily tries to keep the company together. Unfortunately, a spree of vandalism and arson cause the collapse of the company. Lily was happier and less stressed with her small company, so when the opportunity arises to sell the family business, she takes it.

When Hannah returns after six months overseas, Lily is not sure what the state of their relationship will be. However, the time apart brings them closer together, and they begin to consider starting a family. With Hannah back, Girls with Hammers back in business, and plans for an exciting future ahead, Lily finds relief in a return to doing things her way.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2000-2009, 2004, Chadwick, Cynn, Mountains, Novels in Series, Novels Set in Fictional Places, Romance/Relationship

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by | November 4, 2010 · 10:03 am

Shirley Damsgaard. The Seventh Witch. New York: Avon, 2010.

Ophelia has mixed feelings about going to the Blue Ridge Mountains for her great-aunt’s 100th birthday party. Although she spent part of her childhood at the family homestead there, she feels more at home in her quiet village of Summerset, Iowa, where she lives with her grandmother and serves as the librarian. Ophelia would prefer to lead a normal life, but her status as a psychic witch dictates that she interact with the extreme – curses, ghosts, and even murder.

In North Carolina, Ophelia expects a carefree vacation, but she quickly discovers that her family’s secrets have put them in danger. Her quirky aunts, who are all witches and healers, help Ophelia piece together reasons why another witch in the area wants to do harm to their family – and to kill her beloved grandmother, Abby. By using her psychic abilities and with the assistance of her love-interest, Ethan, Ophelia exposes a crime committed against the people of the community, sets some family history straight, and saves Abby.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2010, 2010-2019, Damsgaard, Shirley, Mountains, Mystery, Novels in Series, Science Fiction/Fantasy

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by | · 9:32 am

Cynn Chadwick. Cat Rising Series.

Cat Hood and Lily Cameron have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Although they occasionally argue about matters such as women, the two are always supportive of each other. For example, Cat helped Lily get her business, Girls with Hammers, started, and Lily celebrates Cat’s literary achievements. Although being a lesbian is not always easy in rural Galway, North Carolina, the pair stand by each other with compassion and honesty. Their friends and families, though ever changing, also provide Cat and Lily with guidance, respect, and love.

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Filed under 2000-2009, Chadwick, Cynn, Mountains, Novels in Series, Novels Set in Fictional Places, Series

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by | November 1, 2010 · 4:55 pm

Steve Cushman. Heart with Joy. Vilas, NC: Canterbury House Publishing, 2010.

Julian’s mother has just left to help run her family’s motel in Florida and to focus on her writing. Although she and her husband say that it is just temporary, Julian – wise beyond his years at fifteen – knows that his parents’ marriage has been strained for some time.

The plan was for him to finish his sophomore year of high school in Greensboro, North Carolina, and to then move to Florida to live with his mother. However, in the four months since his mother left, Julian has changed in many ways. For one thing, his relationship with his father has improved greatly. Whereas before he was a “mamma’s boy,” Julian begins to see his dad in a new light and to realize the sacrifices he made for his family. Because his father works full-time as a nurse, Julian becomes responsible for the cooking and cleaning around the house. He also establishes meaningful friendships with “Old Lady Peters,” their elderly neighbor who shares her love of birds with Julian, and with Tia, a grocery store cashier who picks up on his passion for cooking on his weekly shopping trips. With Tia, he hones his culinary skills and finds a true partner.

When Julian visits his mother in Florida, he begins having serious doubts about staying there indefinitely. Although he and his father have made pleas for her to return, she will not make any commitments. She admits an infidelity, and Julian recognizes her selfishness. As he considers his options, Julian remembers a question that “Old Lady Peters” asked him when they first met: What fills your heart with joy? With that in mind, he makes a difficult decision.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

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Filed under 2010, 2010-2019, Cushman, Steve, Guilford, Piedmont

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by | · 4:50 pm

Lois Gladys Leppard. The Mandie Collection, Volume Four. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2009.

Mandie and her grandmother, along with Mandie’s friends Celia and Jonathan, and Mandie’s kitten, Snowball, are out of state for these five novels as they continue their European tour.  They find adventure in Italy (Mandie and the Silent Catacombs), Switzerland (Mandie and the Singing Chalet), Germany (Mandie and the Jumping Juniper), Belgium (Mandie and the Mysterious Fisherman), and Holland (Mandie and the Windmill’s Message).

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library.

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Filed under 2000-2009, 2009, Children & Young Adults, Leppard, Lois Gladys, Mystery, Novels in Series