Spell the Month in Books – December 2024

Can you spell the month in books?

Daughter of Lir by Diana Norman (1988). This was an outstanding historical novel set in 12th century Ireland that is funny in some parts and harrowing in others. Irish-born Finola (you know I like orphans) is abandoned and then brought up at a famous French convent and renamed Sister Boniface.

Fontevraud Abbey, France

At 18, she is put in charge of an abbey in Ireland where she makes a serious enemy, who tries to destroy her (this is the traumatic aspect but who expected the medieval world to be fair to women?). My review.

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones (2010). A lesser-known DWJ title focuses on yet another orphan, a boy this time, who runs away from foster care and is taken in by a sorcerer in a small town full of magic, doppelgangers, and boundary disputes. I was especially amused by a grumpy housekeeper who serves a cauliflower cheese casserole whenever she was annoyed (I would definitely be ordering pizza on those evenings!). My review.

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper (2023). What would you do if you saw a photo of a friend’s husband embracing a stranger in the Maldives when he is allegedly in Tokyo on a business trip? Telling the friend vs. not telling her both have pros and cons but as Lucy dithers the woman in the picture goes missing . . . . My review.

The Edge by David Baldacci (2023). This is a sequel to The 6:20 Man, in which Travis Devine, former Army Ranger, tried to turn into an ordinary commuter to a finance job in Manhattan but gets drawn into a murder investigation. In this book, he is sent to a small town in Maine to investigate the murder of a CIA agent. I would have liked this better if Travis (a) had more personality and (b) hadn’t got involved with one of the suspects. Not one of Baldacci’s most riveting and I've read dozens at this point.

Does this say Maine 
to you?

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles (2024). Jessie Carson, a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library in 1918, is flattered when Anne Morgan, daughter of the most powerful financier in America's history, J.P. Morgan, invites and pays her way to France to help with war relief work. It was refreshing to read about WWI instead of WWII for a change, although Jessie, despite (or because of?) being based on a real character comes across as somewhat one-dimensional.  On the other hand, it's all about books!  My review.

The Birthday Girl by Sarah Ward (2023). A new series by the talented Ward involves a London detective taking a new job at a boutique hotel on a remote island in Wales. As a storm hits, the guests are cut off from the mainland – marooned with a serial killer, which provided an Agatha Christie feel to the story. Looking forward to the sequel! My review.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (2024). Georgia and Eli had a bad breakup but can’t go on avoiding each other when their mutual best friend Adam is getting married. Enlisted to help with last-minute details, they are thrown together and slowly work out their problems. I put this on hold at the library because it was well-reviewed and there were some cute moments but the primary things keeping them apart were Adam’s stressful job and their lack of communication. Georgia’s neediness had made the situation worse and I got tired of her.

Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford (2016). Maisie is unemployed and down to one pound, thirteen shillings, and ninepence when she finally gets offered a job! It’s at the new British Broadcasting Company and this historical novel brings the reader into the early days of television news, featuring some fascinating real-life characters. This was one my book group also enjoyed. My review.

Have you read any of these?   Of the above, my favorites were Radio Girls and The Birthday Girl.