From the Stacks
By Carol Ann Robb, PPL Reference Librarian
After the fear and isolation of COVID, readers gravitated towards books that were heartwarming and without the angst that permeated the domestic thrillers that were all the rage in 2019.
Now that we’re farther out from the pandemic, some writers are going back to darker themes, but lately I’ve seen an abundance of titles that deal with diverse individuals coming together, often forming what looks very much like a family unit. I suspect it’s a reaction to the after effects of isolation so many people experienced.
I learned how to gather a makeshift family from my mother, an only child with just two first cousins. Since neither she nor my father were from this area, we didn’t have big family gatherings so she included neighbors and friends at holiday dinners. That’s just the way we did things.
Which may be why I’ve gravitated to books that tell of individuals making their own circle of friends. Often, the person serving as the catalyst for the group is on the quirky side, which adds to the attraction of the book. And for some reason, many of them seem to be set in England or center around book groups or libraries. The very topics I love to read about!
Freya Sampson’s “Last Chance Library,” was one of the first books in this particular genre that I discovered in which a librarian leads a group of unlikely patrons to help save their village library from closure. See—a library in England; why wouldn’t I like it?
Which also explains why I really enjoyed “The Reading List” by Sara Nisha Adams, which has some of the same elements but the plot is richer and more multi-layered. Her second novel, “The Twilight Garden” is much the same but is centered around a neighborhood garden. Both are worthy of your time.
Clare Pooley is probably my favorite author of “coming together” books. I started out with “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting,” followed by “The Authenticity Project,” and most recently (as in last weekend), “How to Age Disgracefully.” Yes, they are very English but the themes are universal.
And lest you think there aren’t any set on this side of the Atlantic, I suggest you pick up “The Lonely Hearts Book Club” by Lucy Gilmore. The title sounds like it is a lightweight romance (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but it shows the struggles that so many people go through and how a support system can help you make it through the tough times. Her second book, “The Library of Borrowed Hearts,” just came out and I suspect it will follow much the same formula. I’ll know more after I read it this weekend.
Whether you’re blessed with a large, extended family or are on your own, remember what Paul and John said: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” That also applies to books.