Granted, the chilling winds howling outside my window right now seem to be announcing March's arrival(soon to be followed by April) yet my keen interest in the new seasonal cycle is for the books.
This set of upcoming titles have plenty of spring fever vibes; love in the air, a touch of history and something tasty to savor:
Lissa Evans brings forth the early struggles of twentieth century feminism in her latest novel,Old Baggage.
Living in 1928 London, Mattie Simpkins is no longer on the front lines of the suffragette movement. Instead, she and her good friend Flossie are leading calmer lives, although she does miss some of the excitement from those days.
However, Mattie finds herself called back into action as an encounter with a former ally alerts her to a new generation being manipulated into supporting the cause of fascism. Teaming up with Flossie, she forms a group who call themselves Amazons, determined to encourage young women into seeking higher education rather than getting the traditional "Mrs." degree.
While this new group revives Mattie's spirits, one of their latest members, a woman named Inez, threatens to quickly undo all of her fresh efforts. This look at the old school fight for women's rights sounds as if it can teach us modern gals a little something about our struggles today(April):
Alice may not be as prim and proper as some might expect her to be but her offbeat approach to life made her relatable to others. From livening up a diplomatic mission by jumping into a pool fully clothed to taking an empress of China out for a good time,she proved to be a formidable asset to her family's political ends.
The one thing that came close to tripping Alice up was love,particularly her charming rogue of a husband whose ambitions in Washington didn't get in the way of his straying from his wife's side. Despite those personal heartaches, she continued to keep her head up and fight whatever good fight came her way.
Thornton's take on this Roosevelt diva offers us a new look at a woman who forged new paths for those that came long after her and promises to be a fun ride in the bargain(March).
BOY MEETS WORLD AND THEN SOME
That's not as easy as it sounds, given that his mom and her boyfriend Lyle are small time drug dealers, his older brother August can only communicate by writing odd phrases in the air and Eli's best friend is Slim, a career criminal.
Nevertheless, Eli does his best to roll with the punches and life gives him plenty such as his mother landing in prison,leaving him and August to live with their alcoholic father. Over the years, Eli uses the lessons that experience and Slim have taught him to seek a way out of the dead end route set before him and comes close to breaking free.
The price for that ,however, is strongly connected to his past and might take away more than just his own future. Dalton made quite a splash with this blend of humor and pathos back in his homeland and should be well appreciated in this corner of the world as well(April):
THE STORY OF A GIRL OR TWO IN LOVE
In Tracy Garvis Graves' The Girl He Used To Know, the woman in the title is Annika, who runs into her former college sweetheart and wonders if this is a second chance for both of them at love.
Annika's status as a person on the autism spectrum made it hard for her to connect with people during her childhood but finding a good friend at college and playing chess opened up the world to her.
Jonathan was smitten with Annika at first sight during their first game(which he lost) and their relationship grew by degrees. Upon his taking a job in New York after their senior year, the two of them broke up but was that the real reason for their romance to end as it did?
With Jonathan newly divorced, the way seems clear for them to try again but is that an opportunity worth taking or was their reunion at the local grocery store simply a chance encounter at best? Graves gives his heroine the proper emotional respect that her condition deserves and gives the reader a compelling tale of modern love to appreciate(April).
Holly manages to reassess her issues in life but is determined to get Addison away from his online isolation,where only his possessive girlfriend Claudia is in control of his choices. With some help from their mutual friends, Holly and Addison might make a cute couple in the best sense of the term.
Colgan is pretty much an expert at creating engaging characters with quirky charms and slightly grand schemes at improving their lives and loves, so this sounds like a truly sweet treat from her playful pen. It also has the flavor of a charming romcom from the era that gave us My Best Friend's Wedding as well as Four Weddings and a Funeral, one of which is better due to Hugh Grant, if you ask me(March):
A GOURMET FEAST OF WORDS
Her intent was to bring the high end foodie magazine into the modern world of food by making their features old school elegant yet appealing to regular folks by offering internet accessibility and highlighting new trends such as food trucks and street eats.
Reichl's periodical tales include making a Thanksgiving Turkey chili for firefighters dealing with the aftermath of 9/11, publishing a controversial article on the most humane way to prepare lobster and dealing with writers of foodie fact and fiction.
Her work gives you the feeling of being by her side as she dishes up a delicious taste of life with the added bonus of sampling some glossy great page turning goodness to boot(April):
It will be good to have some decent outdoor weather again, especially since that will be the best excuse to go out and get new books. Yes, going to the library counts as you might make a mysterious new friend while you browse,just as long as that person doesn't bite down on your bookmark!:
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