Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 104
JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.
On this episode, we discuss feel-good fiction. It’s one of the prompts on the Summer-Fall Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge!
Our picks include two summer-soaked novels set in New England; a classic mystery; and a cozy fantasy so good, it busted Michael out of his reading slump. Listen below!
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Carrie’s Picks
Best friends Bridget and Will are the two longest-running members of chamber music group the Forsyth Trio. They spend quiet summers together at Bridget’s country house in Connecticut, but this summer is more eventful than usual.
Not only are their lives in flux, so are the lives of Bridget’s family members—including her adult twins, who’ve moved in with her for the summer.
Told in multiple viewpoints, this amusing, upbeat novel has a large cast of mostly likeable, quirky characters. If you enjoyed Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny, you might like this book.
After her great-aunt Dot’s death, 39 year-old Laurie Sassalyn is back in her hometown of Calcasset, Maine, to clear out Dot’s house.
Amid her aunt’s boxes of Polaroids, letters, and collections, Laurie finds a painted wooden duck decoy. She believes this duck has a story to tell, and she’s determined to find out what it is.
If you like your feel-good fiction to include a mystery, libraries, and a touch of romance, you can’t go wrong with this charming story.
Pairing: Pair either novel with Homemade Maple-Sweetened Blueberry Muffins.
Jacqueline’s Pick
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
The first in the Miss Marple series, this 1930s mystery takes place in the quiet English village of St. Mary Mead.
When narrator and vicar Leonard Clement finds Colonel Protheroe murdered in the vicarage study, there is no shortage of suspects. Miss Marple says there are seven possible culprits. Is the vicar one of them?
Pairing: Tea Cakes.
Michael’s Pick
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
This feel-good fantasy opens with Viv, a battle-weary orc, finishing her final job. She’s ready to leave the life of swords and danger behind.
She opens Legends & Lattes—a cozy, welcoming coffee shop where people come for more than just a warm drink. It’s about connection, community, and starting over.
Perfect for Dungeons & Dragons fans, this low-stakes, post-quest story is about what happens after the dungeon crawling is done.
Pairing: Thimblets, a biscotti-like treat served at Legends & Lattes.