Did you read any of Baldwin Bookworms' June picks?
From romance, mystery, religion, historical fiction and self-help, there were plenty of genres to choose from.
Because that's what a …
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Did you read any of Baldwin Bookworms' June picks?
From romance, mystery, religion, historical fiction and self-help, there were plenty of genres to choose from.
Because that's what a library is. An endless supply of interests and opportunities to learn, escape or dive deep into a new or longtime topic or story that pulls you into its world.
This month's picks are all fiction, ranging from historical to juvenile to religion-based.
Library staff gives Gulf Coast Media three books that we run the first Friday of each month in The Baldwin Times, online at www.GulfCoastMedia.com/bookclub and promote throughout the month on both our social media pages.
If you do choose to read one of these books, we'd love to know what you think of it. What did you like or not like about it?
Readers are encouraged to share their thoughts on the books they choose to read by emailing kayla@gulfcoastmedia.com or messaging either the paper or library on social media.
If you enjoyed one — or all three — of last month's picks and are ready for their next, or if you're just joining now, here are the Baldwin Bookworms picks for July.
Picked by: Vicky Gonzalez
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Pages: 112
Goodreads rating: 4.18
Description:
The magic tree house has whisked Jack and Annie to the Himalayas in Nepal. They're searching for the mysterious Gray Ghost. Well, they're supposed to be. Jack does not want to find a ghost. But he and Annie are excited about all the amazing animals they see. So excited, in fact, that Annie and Jack get lost in the mountains! Can they make their way to safety before the Gray Ghost finds them? Magic Tree books are perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books.
Why did you pick this book?
I've always loved Magic Tree House books and think they are so interesting.
Why do you like this genre?
I love fantasy, and mystery books are my favorites.
Picked by: Erin Brown
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 370
Goodreads rating: 4.15
Description:
Seduced by her employer's son, Evangeline, a naïve young governess in early 19th-century London, is discharged when her pregnancy is discovered and sent to the notorious Newgate Prison. After months in the fetid, overcrowded jail, she learns she is sentenced to "the land beyond the seas," Van Diemen's Land, a penal colony in Australia. Though uncertain of what awaits, Evangeline knows one thing: the child she carries will be born on the months-long voyage to this distant land.
During the journey on a repurposed slave ship, the Medea, Evangeline strikes up a friendship with Hazel, a girl little older than her former pupils who was sentenced to seven years transport for stealing a silver spoon. Canny where Evangeline is guileless, Hazel — a skilled midwife and herbalist — is soon offering home remedies to both prisoners and sailors in return for a variety of favors.
Though Australia has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years, the British government in the 1840s considers its fledgling colony uninhabited and unsettled and views the natives as an unpleasant nuisance. By the time the Medea arrives, many of them have been forcibly relocated, their land seized by white colonists. One of these relocated people is Mathinna, the orphaned daughter of the Chief of the Lowreenne tribe, who has been adopted by the new governor of Van Diemen's Land.
In this gorgeous novel, Christina Baker Kline brilliantly recreates the beginnings of a new society in a beautiful and challenging land, telling the story of Australia from a fresh perspective, through the experiences of Evangeline, Hazel and Mathinna. While life in Australia is punishing and often brutally unfair, it is also, for some, an opportunity: for redemption, for a new way of life, for unimagined freedom. Told in exquisite detail and incisive prose, The Exiles is a story of grace born from hardship, the unbreakable bonds of female friendships and the unfettering of legacy.
Why did you pick this book?
"The Exiles" is my favorite book because it brings together everything I love about historical fiction — powerful storytelling, strong female characters and a setting that feels both distant and immediate. The novel takes you into the world of 19th-century Australia through the lives of women who were exiled from England and forced to survive in a harsh, unfamiliar land. I was completely drawn into their struggles, resilience and growth.
Why do you like this genre?
Historical fiction offers the perfect blend of learning and escape!
Picked by: Lauren Buchanan
Genre: Historical Christian fiction
Pages: 400
Goodreads rating: 4.45
Description:
In the heart of ancient Persia, the empire's Jewish citizens face an ominous edict that threatens their very existence. Roxannah, the daughter of a once-privileged but now impoverished Persian lord, is devastated by the news. Her father sees this edict as a stroke of good fortune, an opportunity to settle his mounting debts by killing the Jewish physician, Adin, and seizing his belongings, but instead he meets his own untimely end, leaving Roxannah destitute and adrift. Desperate and determined to support her mother while settling the debt, Roxannah approaches Adin — the man whose kind eyes still haunt her — to help her find employment in Queen Esther's kitchens.
In the opulent palace of Susa, Roxannah strives to overcome prejudice and adversity as she ascends through the ranks in the royal kitchen. Her culinary talent earns her the trust and mentorship of Queen Esther herself, a woman of grace and wisdom, who is navigating treacherous palace politics and whispers of her inability to produce an heir after six years of marriage. Amid this unfolding connection, Roxannah and Adin uncover a sinister plot against Amestris, the king's most powerful wife and Esther's archenemy. As secrets unravel and alliances are tested, the fate of Amestris and Esther's reign hang in the balance.
Why did you pick this book?
It was my most recent book read, and I love everything this author writes.
Why do you like this genre?
I like to know what it may have been like in history.
