Morristown Book Festival has announced their author line up for the festival. October 10th, they will have their keynote speaker Rick Atkinson, and the one day festival will be on October 11th.
I’m excited to meet Lisa Scott online and her daughter Franschesca. I see some awesome thriller authors I haven’t met yet.
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.
Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.
My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars
This is an unforgettable story about a woman’s courage as she fights to give voice to the silenced. Imagine having to abandon your family, not for a crime, but because of your heritage and the innocent poems that others twisted out of context. Fighting your way to freedom while holding on to the hope that your words and those of the families whose children were taken away get a chance to share their story. Margaret, a Chinese American poet and mother to Bird Gardner, watches her world shatter in an instant. She always followed all of society’s rules, yet her identity marks her as a target. Through heartbreak and hope, Margaret and her son unite, and she is determined to reclaim the truth. Their bravery lights a path through the darkness of prejudice and the pain endured by the Asian community. This story will pull at your heartstrings and open your eyes to the racism and oppression the Asian community and others have gone through in the United States. I loved that the librarians played a role in helping collect information about all the children who were taken and that Asian folktales helped Bird in his travels to locate his mother.
Author Biography
Celeste Ng is the author of three novels, Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts.
Her first novel, Everything I Never Told You (2014), was a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book of 2014, Amazon’s #1 Best Book of 2014, and named a best book of the year by over a dozen publications. Everything I Never Told You was also the winner of the Massachusetts Book Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and the ALA’s Alex Award. It has been translated into over thirty languages and is being adapted for the screen.
Her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere (2017) was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1 Indie Next bestseller, and Amazon’s Best Fiction Book of 2017. It was named a best book of the year by over 25 publications, the winner of the Ohioana Award and the Goodreads Readers Choice Award 2017 in Fiction, and spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list. Little Fires Everywhere has been published abroad in more than 30 languages and has been adapted as a limited series on Hulu, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
Her third novel, Our Missing Hearts, will be published on October 4, 2022.
Celeste grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Shaker Heights, Ohio. She graduated from Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Michigan (now the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan). Her fiction and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, and many other publications, and she is a recipient of the Pushcart Prize, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, among other honors.
A young woman longing for a child happens upon a Christmas miracle. Investigative journalist Scottie Darden is photographing the homeless for her Lost Souls Series when she makes a discovery that changes her life forever. Under a makeshift tent in subzero temperatures in a downtown city park, she discovers a woman’s dead body and her infant child. Without her cell phone to call for help, Scottie makes the split-second decision to take the baby home. Her intent is to provide the baby with food and shelter until her family is located. But as her fondness for the baby grows, she finds herself facing a life on the run. Or worse—prison time for abduction. Curl up with Merry Mary this holiday season. A heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Won this book from GoodReads. I couldn’t put the book down until I finished. It was such a touching story. I was so worried for what could happen to Scottie when the cops found out she had the baby. I loved how her family was there to help her make the right decision. This is a story that will touch your heart and make you teary-eyed. It a story with a conflict of protecting a baby and doing what she felt was right for the baby to come to realization that the baby did have grandparents and they were kind people. When life puts you in a difficult situation, you will find the right solution. Great book that touched my heart dearly.
Author Biography
Ashley Farley writes heartfelt stories about women navigating life’s challenges. Her characters—mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives—face real-life struggles with resilience and grace. Best known for her Sweeney Sisters series, Ashley’s books have touched the hearts of readers far and wide.
A wife and mother of two young adults, for more than two decades, Ashley has split her time between Richmond and the Northern Neck of Virginia. Yet, a piece of her heart will always belong to the South Carolina Lowcountry, where she draws inspiration from the moss-draped oaks, coastal cuisine, and the warm, welcoming spirit of its people.
Cassandra Peterson AKA Elvira – Book/Ticket – Elvira’s Cookbook from Hell – Tues. Sept. 30th @ 6pm. Each person needs a book.
About the Book:
New York Times bestselling memoirist and pop culture icon Cassandra Peterson, as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, delivers the definitive guide to ghoulish hosting all year round.Hello darling, it’s me, Elvira–the afterlife of the party–here to bring the “Hell” to your next Hell-raising gathering! Ready to unleash your inner party monster? Well, I’m here to prove that the devil is in the details. Shock your fiends with sinister snacks, demonically delicious dishes, and cocktails so wickedly good they’ll make your head spin! But this isn’t just a cookbook–think of it as your Necronomicom of party planning. Between these pages lies everything you’ll need to make your next get-together a graveyard smash!From a “Beastly Bloody Brunch” to a “Romantic Graveside Picnic” to a “Creepy Cocktail Party” to “Having Your Friends for Dinner”– Elvira’s Cookbook from Hell is a volume bound to raise any party from the dead!
Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.
With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.
Let’s face it. Every girl has a little big cheese in her.
Louise Cheese is no different. Night and day, Louise dreams of the limelight, lots of fuss, the red carpet, and more than anything to be the one and only “Big Cheese.”
Finally, Louise gets her chance when her teacher, Mrs. Little, announces a casting call for the role of Cinderella in the school play. It’s Louise’s chance to be a star…or is it?
With humor and heart and just a little attitude, Elise Primavera and Diane Goode tell a story that will inspire the inner big cheese in all who read it.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It is a very glitzy book that is perfect for young children. They learn that friends stick together forever no matter what circumstances they go through. Louise realized that not getting the part for Cinderella still gave her a chance to shine. Cute illustrations and story.
Charlie Sheen – Ticket/Book – Star from Platoon, Wall Street and More – Meet, Greet, Photo-op, Pre-Signed Book- Fri Sept. 19th @ 6pm.
Each Person Needs a Book
For the first time, Charlie Sheen, the star of Platoon, Wall Street, Major League, and Two and a Half Men, writes the story of his extraordinary life in an unfiltered memoir.
“We can live the stories or hear about them later from others. I choose the former.”
Charlie Sheen should not be alive to write this book.
But in The Book of Sheen, the movie and TV star, who has defied the odds, finally presents his story, in his own words.
Charlie Sheen was born the third of four children to actor Martin Sheen and his wife, Janet. He grew up on film sets—from his father’s all over the world, to his own in Malibu. There he made ambitious Super 8s, with a roster of friends who went on to become household names themselves, including his brother Emilio, Sean and Chris Penn, and the Lowe brothers.
Sheen broke into movies in the 1980s, playing a hoodlum in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a young soldier in Platoon, and an ethically compromised trader in Wall Street. But somewhere along the way, despite a successful transition to TV leading man in Spin City and Two and a Half Men, Sheen descended into a vortex of extracurricular activities.
Now sober, Sheen delivers a clear-eyed narrative of his highs and lows with humor, candor, and a vivid, captivating writing style that is uniquely his. The Book of Sheen reads like a far-fetched, overstuffed novel of Hollywood life—yet it is all true.
Location: Bookends 211 E Ridgewood Ave Ridgewood, NJ
Princess Sasha of Sergenia was born to rule, not change dirty diapers. But after threats force her family into exile, Sasha becomes “Sara” a nurturing nanny in Chantaine. Now, rather than having servants wait on her during holiday festivities, Sasha is caring for construction specialist Gavin Sinclair’s children for Christmas. Baby Adelaide and five-year-old Sam win her heart, but their father makes her pulse pound.
For Gavin, “Sara” is a holiday miracle. Since his late wife died in childbirth, Gavin has struggled to keep his life afloat and his family together. This unexpected addition has brightened his world–and made him wonder if love might be on the horizon. He knows the mysterious nanny has secrets aplenty. But is true love enough to create a fairy-tale ending under the mistletoe for the sexy single dad and the lovely royal?
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It was a splendid story that touched my heart. Two princesses who are sisters had to change their identity and move to another country because of economic downturn, and the citizens were attacking the family. Princess Sasha (Sara) is a character that everyone would fall in love with in romance novels. She follows rules and is very loving and caring. She puts others before herself and expects nothing in return. Princess Tabitha (Jane), on the other hand, breaks all rules and does what pleases her. Gavin was the perfect character for Sara. She was able to help the family with their loss and cheer them up for the holidays. She grew attached and fell in love with her boss. As I read through the book, my heart was broken for all the turmoil they had endured, and not knowing what happened to their brother kept my nerves out of edge. It was wonderfully written and has a beautiful book cover. Highly recommend this read for the holiday season.
Author Biography
Leanne Banks was born on 14 May 1959 in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology, which she claims she can only use on fictional characters. When her first book was published in 1991, she used the money from her advance to take her family to Disney World.
Leanne is known for telling a story with strong emotion, characters with whom everyone can relate, a kick of hot sensuality, and a feel-good ending that lingers. She believes in creating stories for her readers that will allow them to escape into a place filled fun, emotion and sensuality. She believes that she has the best readers in the world because they understand that love is the greatest miracle of all.
Leanne is the recipient of Romantic Times Magazine’s career-achievement awards in Series Sensuality and Love and Laughter, and her books have been recognized by the Award of Excellence Contest, the Romance Writers of America RITA Award contest and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. She is grateful for awards and reviews and was particularly moved by a letter from a reader remarking that Leanne’s book got her through a chemotherapy session. The reader’s letter inspired a favorite turn of phrase: Never underestimate the power of a romance novel.
Leanne lives in her native Virginia with her husband, two teenage children and a Pomeranian. She also has a little condo in South Carolina where she writes in the off-season. She loves music, chocolate, quotes, and new adventures.
Horses can’t tell tales-or can they? Horses for sale! It’s a horse auction and cow pony, Gunpowder, is thrust onto the auction block for sale to the highest bidder. And his biggest fear is that bratty kid with brand new spurs! But when the auction ends, and the dust settles, Gunpowder finds himself flung headlong into the biggest adventure of his life…
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It is truly a perfect book for children to enjoy. I loved the plot of this book, where animals are able to talk and communicate with each other. Gunpowder was sold to another family for their young son. He was very scared of not being close to home and worried that the young boy would not treat him well. At the end of trying to go back home, he finds out his owner is in a home and sold all his property and came to realize that all he wanted was right there all this time, family, love, and friendship. The illustrations throughout the book made the story come to life. Truly touching story for the whole family.
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