The Late Bloomers’ Club by Louise Miller

A delightful novel about two headstrong sisters, a small-town’s efforts to do right by their community, and the power of a lost dog to conjure up true love

Nora, the owner of the Miss Guthrie diner, is perfectly happy serving up apple cider donuts, coffee, and eggs-any-way-you-like-em to her regulars, and she takes great pleasure in knowing exactly what’s “the usual.” But her life is soon shaken when she discovers she and her younger, free-spirited sister Kit stand to inherit the home and land of the town’s beloved cake lady, Peggy Johnson.

Kit, an aspiring–and broke–filmmaker needs to generate funding for her latest project, and is particularly keen when they find out Peggy was in the process of selling the land to a big-box developer before her death. The people of Guthrie are divided–some want the opportunities the development will bring, while others are staunchly against any change–and they aren’t afraid to leave their opinions with their tips.

Time is running out, and the sisters need to make a decision soon. But Nora isn’t quite ready to let go of the land, complete with a charming farmhouse, an ancient apple orchard and clues to a secret life that no one knew Peggy had.
Troubled by the conflicting needs of the town, and confused by her growing feelings towards Elliot, the big-box developer, Nora throws herself into solving the one problem that everyone in town can agree on–finding Peggy’s missing dog, Freckles.

When a disaster strikes the diner, the community of Guthrie bands together to help her, and Nora discovers that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean giving up your dreams.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Started with beautiful language and unique natural setting but started to have problems with Kaya’s attitude with regard to wanting to fit in with people in town. I was expecting more given all the hype – it was a fine book.

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

I loved the interweave of story line, characters, and behind the scenes admissions drama in this highly entertaining book. Kate Pearson is an endearing heroine as she overcomes adversity (eventually) in those very difficult post college years. The novel uses a fabulous narrative technique of multiple view points, letters and emails, to meter out details and information. Loved it.

Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris

You don’t have to be a writer or lover of The New Yorker to enjoy this incredibly accessible and entertaining dive into the life of a copy editor. Mary Norris had me laughing learning and loving her quirky humor and intelligent wit. Going to give a copy to so many in my life!

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman

I loved this book. Maybe it was because I read it while traveling in Hong Kong and Asia, maybe because I am the author’s age and also spent 1986 abroad, or maybe because my daughter is about to graduate from college and embark on adventures of her own, but there was something else. This memoir was written with humility, perspective, and humor. The writing was wonderful as were the descriptions. I was in China right along side Zsa-Zsa and Genevieve!