Nevermore: First Frost, Never Have I Ever, Book Charmer, Redhead by the Side of the Road, Rodham, My Lovely Wife

Reported by Kristin

Our first Nevermore reader reported on the joys of using Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. for ebooks. From the historical sage of A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan, a multigenerational store of the Orchire family, to a story collection entitled Strange Trades by Paul Di Filippo, a look at humanity through their daily work, the world of ebooks has opened up many more reading possibilities as many readers stay safe at home. Our reader effused the joy of jumping back and forth between different genres, and especially noted as “absolutely fabulous” the Virginia mountain tale of Ivy Rowe in Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith.

Another reader continued with her enjoyment of Sarah Addison Allen novels, this time with First Frost. The Waverley sisters were first seen in Garden Spells, and the tale of the family with a mischievous and moody apple tree has captivated several readers in the group. Set in Bascom, North Carolina, Claire Waverley has begun a new business, creating candies with herbs and a hint of magic. Our reader said that this entertaining tale was exactly what she needed.

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson took our next reader a little further south to Florida. When Angelica Roux arrives at a suburban book club, she quickly turns Amy Whey's world upside down. Amy has created a normal life which some might even call boring and blasé, but she loves it—raising her baby son and her stepdaughter, being a loving wife to her husband. But Roux knows something about Amy's past, and she has her own agenda of destruction. Our reader said that it kept her on the edge of her chair waiting to see what would happen next.

Next up was The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins, featuring Sarah, a librarian in a small southern town called Dove Pond. With her particular gift, Sarah is able to hear the books whispering to her as she matches stories to readers. This quirky little book was touted as a happy, nice story.

Another highly recommended novel was Anne Tyler's newest release, Redhead by the Side of the Road. Micah Mortimer is the very organized manager of his Baltimore apartment building and is rather set in his ways, some might even call him rigid. His life is thrown into more confusion than he likes when his “woman friend” may be getting evicted and needs a place to stay and a teenage boy shows up on the doorstep claiming to be his son. Our reader found this to be full of beautiful writing, and well worth reading.

This day full of fiction also included a title which sounds like it should be non-fiction, but isn't. Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld is a speculative novel which asks the simple question: What if Hillary hadn't married Bill? Taking Hillary Rodham's potential as a law student, activist, and proponent of women's rights, this novel imagines what could have been if she had diverged from her real life path. Our reader enjoyed the novel and recommended it to others.

Finally, My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing is a debut thriller told from the point of a husband who really loves his wife and their nearly perfect life. Millicent feeds her family healthy food and maintains their high social standing in their upper middle class community. Their fifteen year marriage seems perfect, except that to spice it up, Millicent has begun to murder people. Our reader said that she really wasn't sure how to feel about this book because of this extremely unusual premise, but that it was amusing and unique. 

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

She finally understood that, no matter how hard you try, you can’t make someone love you.  You can’t stop them from making the wrong decision.

There is no magic for that.

~Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

Reviewed by Jeanne

October in Bascomb, NC isn’t exactly like October in other places, at least not for the Waverleys.  It’s a restless time when everyone feels itches they can’t quite scratch.  Things will settle down after the first frost, when the contrary apple tree will perversly bloom and fill the air with spring petals.  Until then, Claire will work obsessively on her new business of creating candies that bring heart’s ease or fond memories, while her sister Sydney longs for another child. Sydney’s daughter Bay has the gift of knowing where things belong and knows she belongs with Josh Matteson, one of the most popular boys in town.  Unfortunately, Josh doesn’t seem to feel the same way—especially not after the way Bay humiliated herself by giving him a note in front of his friends, proving that she’s just another one of those weird Waverleys and a girl trying to rise above her station.

The Waverleys have long had a reputation for oddness and a whiff of magic about them.  Not spells or incantations type of magic, but there’s a bit of strangeness there.  Claire works wonders with her cooking, settling feuds or igniting romance while a trip to Sydney’s hair salon can transform one’s life.  Even Cousin Evanelle has a talent:  she gives people things they don’t know they will need. 

Now a stranger has come to town, a man who seems to be taking a great interest in the Waverleys in general and Claire in particular.  He says he knows a secret, one which might destroy all that they’ve built. 

I fell in love with Sarah Addison Allen’s writing when I read The Girl Who Chased the Moon.  I wasn’t sure any other book would measure up, and then I read her first novel, Garden Spells.  The blend of sisters in conflict, a wonderfully realized North Carolina setting, an apple tree which became one of my all-time favorite characters, and the lush sensory details made for a perfectly delectable story as far as I was concerned.  When I learned that Allen had finally written a sequel to that nearly perfect book, I was torn.  On the one hand, I wanted to revisit some old friends and find out how they were doing; but I was also afraid that the return visit would be a letdown.  

I’m happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed First Frost.  The magic was back though I want to be quick to point out that you don’t have to have read the first book to enjoy this one.  It’s a sparkling confection, much like Claire’s special candy; I want to linger on some of the passages to read the descriptions of love, longing, and crisp autumn days even as I want to rush through the pages to find out what happens next.  

When I turned the last page, I could have easily turned to page one and started all over.  Instead I decided to return the book so someone else could experience that Waverley magic.  I know I’ll be going back to it again.