Bedside Table Books

A little over a month in to 2024 and I can report that I’m three for three in the keeper-reads department. All of these were excellent! Each quite different from the other but still a love story of some sort. Heartbreak and optimism and stories well told. So … just popping in to share in the event your book club or just little-old-you is seeking something new.

This is Happiness by Niall Williams – Set in a tiny fictional Irish town, as electricity is arriving on the scene for the very first time. A lovely introduction to a small cast of memorable and delightful characters as they discover and grow through explorations of old and new loves. Irish storytelling, deep sigh, at its best. You will be stopped in your tracks by the most evocative descriptions – we all know most of the same words but some writers can just weave them into a masterpiece. Enjoy!

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey – This looks like a lite beachy read but brace yourself, there is more to it. You will definitely laugh as there is a self deprecating charm around the main character, giving you Anne Shirley vibes as she finds herself getting into “scrapes” but rather than a red haired freckle faced teen, we’re dealing with an auburn-haired forty-something recently widowed mother as she decides whether she’s prepared for a new love in her life. Your giggles will be matched with heartfelt tears and back again. The author’s bio gives you a hint at the authenticity of this writing – she, herself, is a young widow and mother, and while this is not her own story (being a novel) you will appreciate how she captures rollercoasting emotions deftly.

The Postcard by Anne Berest –  This novel has been a longstanding bestseller in its native France and only recently arrived in North America, to the same warm reception. Another workout for your heart as this one follows along while a family seeks the origin of a postcard which mysteriously names their relatives who were all lost to prison camps in the Holocaust. Creatively shared, we learn the history of the family and what brought them to Paris and how War and the Holocaust have woven themselves into the tapestry of generations.

Happy reading!