Since it has been decreed that six more weeks of winter are our weatherly lot, it’s a good thing that I started my Book of the Month Club subscription right back up this February!
Having a pile of good books on hand does make the colder seasons fly by indeed and while I was eager to get my BOTM groove back on, this month’s main selections weren’t really speaking to me.
Fortunately, they also offer Member Favorites (books from prior months) to choose from instead, so I went with The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark. The title character is Olivia Dumont, who is requested by her late father Vincent Taylor to complete his final book.
Vincent, in addition to being a popular horror writer, also has a past terror of his own dating back to the summer of 1975. His two siblings died tragically, with rumors insisting that Vincent was the one responsible for their mutual demise. No proof was ever found to make that notion true or false.
Olivia kept the fact of her connection to Vincent secret for personal and professional reasons but with this big assignment that could really help her out financially, she’s about to get way more than she bargained for here.
I’ve heard great word of mouth regarding this book and glad to have a chance to enjoy this chilling thrill ride for myself:
As for the add-ons, my first pick was How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson.
Jamie Prescott is a film student focusing more on her horror movie thesis than any form of social life when her roommate Lauren asks her to join in on a speed dating session.
Figuring it might be good to blow off some study steam, Jamie decided to go but soon enough regrets her choice of wardrobe and footwear. When a slasher strikes the dating event, she’s willing to use her scary movie knowledge to survive but a dress with pockets and comfortable shoes would certainly make this situation a little easier!
I like the notion of a horror romcom and with Valentine’s Day coming up, this dark comedy sounds ideal. After all, what’s more scary than speed dating, am I right?:
For something much more sentimental, my last choice was Libby Page’s This Book Made Me Think of You.
A few months after the death of her beloved husband Joe, Tilly Nightingale gets a phone call from her local bookstore that there’s a birthday present waiting for her.
The owner, Alf, explains that Joe had set aside twelve books for Tilly, each one with a handwritten letter included . Since she had stopped reading due to Joe’s illness, going back to books for pleasure seemed pointless. However, since this was his last gift to her, Tilly decides to try again.
Between the books and a new found friendship with Alf, Tilly starts to appreciate both books and life once more yet she wants to do more. By setting out on a couple of book based adventures, can she connect more to the wider world or should Tilly know when to put a bookmark in her page turning progress there?
This just feels like a charmingly bittersweet read and with the author noting that one of her inspirations for this novel is You’ve Got Mail, how could I resist?:
Between the bitter cold and the bitterness in our daily headlines, this is a hard winter for sure. It does good to have something positive to look forward to as well as keep your mind from getting too bogged down by stress.
For example, this year happens to be the 100 year anniversary of BOTM and they’re doing certain things to celebrate such as release special Centennial Editions of past picks- the first one out this month is All Quiet on the Western Front-and free bookmarks that highlight past favorites to boot.
The bookmark that I received this month was for a 1981 novel called Heading West by Doris Betts. It tells the tale of a small town librarian being swept up into a journey with a mysterious stranger and a hitchhiker that changes all of their lives in one way or another.
I don’t know if this particular book will be reissued by BOTM or not but I am curious about it and might see if my local library has a copy available. At any rate, it’s good to have a new interest on the horizon as we head towards warmer (and hopefully better) days to come:
