Seeking relief from reality with a Library Haul

I know that a lot of folks are busy stocking up on supplies right now(which is understandable) but my priorities happen to include a true life giving essential; new books to read.

With that in mind, I made my regular trip to the library this past weekend and hopefully, it won't too long before another visit there can happen. First on my list was Brewed Awakening, the latest Coffee House Mystery from Cleo Coyle.

 Coffee house owner Clare Cosi seems to be living her best life as her beloved police detective Mike Quinn has finally asked for her hand in marriage. About two months later,however, she wakes up on a bench near Washington Square Park with no idea of how she got there or how much time has passed.

Clare is suffering from a trauma induced form of amnesia, which has wiped out the past fifteen years of her life. She still thinks that her grown daughter Joy is only a preteen and that's she recently left her ex-husband Matteo, not to mention having no idea who Mike even is!

That memory loss is particularly troubling at the moment, due to the fact that Clare was the last person seen with Annette Brewster, an heiress that has gone missing for several days. Since there is a strong possibility that Clare is being set up to take the fall , it's up to her family and friends to save the day in her stead.

I've read the first couple of chapters and clearly Cleo Coyle has done her homework when it comes to amnesia, a well worn plot device, giving Clare's confusion some strong emotional resonance. Also, this allows the other supporting players a chance to step forward into the spotlight, such as her former mother-in-law and mentor Madame Blanche(a woman not to be easily gainsayed!), which makes the main mystery all the more interesting.

 Plus, I love how Clare may not know who she is at this point in time but one thing that's firmly embedded in her memory is the need for a good cup of coffee:

This next book practically leapt off the shelf at me and my only regret is that it's the fourth book in the series when I haven't read the third one yet.

Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit by Amy Stewart takes the title heroine into truly choppy waters and I don't mean the waves she's battling in the cover art. This time, she and her mentor Sheriff Heath have to deal with politics as the latter is running for a seat in Congress with his record being constantly attacked by a ruthless rival who loves to bring up Constance Kopp's past crime fighting capers as proof of Heath's failings in law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Constance is working on a case where a woman is being sent repeatedly to a mental asylum more for her cheating husband's convenience than out of real concern for her well being. Can she keep this poor lady safe while not making things worse for Sheriff Heath as well?

With the current status quo so precarious right now, I decided to order the third book online(Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions-what a great title!) but hope to catch up with the rest of the series at the library in the near future. It's times like these when solidly smart leading ladies are most wanted and author Amy Stewart really delivers the goods on that fictional front:

Finally, I promised myself a few posts back that I would try to get one of the novels that the writers' team of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White have published. Well, there was one on the shelf and it's on my library loan list now.

The Glass Ocean follows three different women, two within the same time line, as their stories are connected by the ill fated voyage of the luxury liner known as the Lusitania in 1915.

Modern day writer Sarah finds her great grandfather's possessions from when he was a steward onboard the ship and seeks to learn more about what happened back then with the help of another descendant who may have information about a possible spy mission that lead to that fatal catastrophe at sea.

Two women are passengers on the ship, Caroline, whose husband is acting more secretive than usual and Tess, traveling in the steerage section with the chance to make some easy money by aiding her sister Ginny in a risky forgery scheme. How all of these worlds collide when an act of sabotage changes history like this certainly makes for a compelling tale of heartbreak and adventure indeed.

Granted, cruise ships are making headlines these days for very different reasons yet I think a book like this will be fine as it could help put some much needed perspective on how to handle a crisis in situations where you have no control over the outcome.  Not to mention that checking out the creative collective at play in these pages promises to be a true bonus feature here:

As I said earlier, I do hope that my next library visit will be sooner rather than later but I have to accept the possibility that it might be awhile before things have settled down enough for that. It's a wait and see deal at best, due to more important issues at hand now.

Let's face it, people-we're in a bad spot with a certain illness going around and not much reliable information and/or guidance from those charged with the public good here. What we all should do is follow the sensible advice that is available(pick your favorite hand washing song,please!) and be more on the alert when it comes to our family, friends and neighbors who may need some extra assistance during this situation. Perhaps it will get better soon but we really will have to rely on the kindness of others to get through this, which I sincerely hope is not in short supply.

In the meanwhile, if you have to spend more time at home due to what's going on, use this as a chance to catch up on some good reading . Self care is just as important as physical is, so treat yourself to a nice binge read to get that page turning relaxation mode to kick in: