Join the Oxmoor Page Turners on Tuesday, July 10th

Join the Oxmoor Page Turners on Tuesday, July 10th as we discuss Birmingham's very own Gin Phillips and her new novel, Come In and Cover Me. 

Light refreshments will be served. 

For more information please call 205-332-6601 or email Judith Wright.

Here is a little more information about Come In and Cover Me from the publisher.

When Ren was only twelve years old, she lost her older brother, Scott, to a car crash. Since then, Scott has been a presence in her life, appearing as a snatch of song or a reflection in the moonlight. Now, twenty-five years later, her talent for connecting with the ghosts around her has made her especially sensitive as an archaeologist. More than just understanding the bare outline of how our ancestors lived, Ren is dedicated to re-creating lives and stories, to breathing life into those who occupied this world long before us. Now she is on the cusp of the most important discovery of her career, and it is ghosts who are guiding her way. But what do two long-dead Mimbres women have to tell Ren about herself? And what message do they have about her developing relationship with a fellow archaeologist, the first man to really know her since her brother's death? Come In and Cover Me is the moving story of a woman learning to let go of the past in order to move forward with her own future.
Written with the same warmth and depth of feeling that drew readers to The Well and the Mine, Phillips's debut, Come In and Cover Me is a haunting and engrossing new novel.

Better Than Therapy Book Club (Fiction) meets June 27!

Join us as we explore Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. It is the final summer in Maine for the Kelleher family, and its four strong-willed women are dreaming of bare feet, cocktails at sunset, and that magical ocean air. Over the course of this summer, long-held secrets are revealed, embarrassing crushes bloom, and gallons of vodka are consumed. Long buried tragedies bubble to the surface, life decisions must be made, fears are faced, as the women scramble to try to maintain the image of a perfect family.

The Better Than Therapy Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 2pm in the Boardroom. For more information contact Leslie West at lwest@bham.lib.al.us or call 205.332.6620.

This book is available in several different formats: large print, eBook, downloadable audiobook, and book-on-CD. Get one here!

See you then!

An Available Man by Hilma Wolitzer

     In An Available Man, Edward Schuyler is a sixty-two year old middle school teacher and an avid birdwatcher who is dealing with the death of his beloved wife, Bee. Though his world has stopped with Bee’s death, the rest of the world is still carrying on. According to his friends and even his children it is time for Edward to move on and find a new love.  Edward is finding out that being a widow means that you are quite a catch and he must suffer through endless matching making schemes. His stepchildren even put a newspaper personal ad out for him. Suddenly, Edward is swarmed with women.  To most men, this seems like a dream come true, but Edward is still dealing with the fact that he is an available man. In this tender and witty novel, Edward must learn to not only to accept his new single status, but also that it is ok for him to move on.

   Though this sounds like a real downer of a book, author Hilma Wolitzer creates a warm and humorous setting that leaves you feeling anything but sad. As Edward deals with the new stream of women in his life, children who mean well, nosy friends, and an old flame that resurface you began to understand his process of letting go and dealing with Bee’s death. There is one woman that I was waiting for her to go all Fatal Attraction on poor Edward. I just knew she was crazy and kept waiting for her to show her true colors. The women that come into Edward’s life, not just from a romantic angle, will have you cracking up to no end. Though Edward has his ups and downs with these women his story wraps up nicely by the end of the novel. This isn’t an impossibly long read, but you want to take your time so you understand the beauty of Wolitzer’s writing style.



Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

I enjoyed reading this first title in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. Hannah owns the Cookie Jar-bakery and coffee shop. She has always been good with baking and even developing recipes for cookies so her job is just perfect for her. Her brother in law, Bill, is police chief of Lake Eden, a small town in Minnesota. When Ron was killed very near her shop and shortly before he was to make a delivery to the Cookie Jar, Hannah was shocked and saddened. Then curious and also concerned that they actually had a murderer on the loose in their quiet little town. Bill asked her to help him investigate the crime but don't let anyone know she was snooping around. As she considered the possible motives and people involved she proceeded to make inquiries. Hopefully the guilty party would not realize what she was doing or her life would also be in jeopardy. Before all was done Hannah had enlisted the help of Bill's wife and the man she found was really funny, Norman the dentist. Of course, free cookies were given to everyone she would "visit" and all who helped her. I learned I can read the story without reading the enticing recipes and getting too hungry. I will continue with this series and see what Hannah cooks up next.

Find Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder in our catalog in book, large print and Playaway formats.

~Beth