Little lending libraries

One of the many writing tips I received from my writing group was read, read, read—especially in the genre that you’re writing in. But finding a good bookstore these days is not as easy as it once was because many of the small diverse bookstores have gone out of business, and purchasing on line is not the same as holding that book in your hand.

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Keigo Higashino’s—Malice*****

If you’re a mystery buff, you’ll want to read Malice.

When Nonoguchi’s friend, successful author, Hidaka is murdered in his home office, Detective Kaga is assigned to the case. He was once a teacher at the same school as Nonoguchi, and it doesn’t take him long to suspect Nonoguchi murdered the friend he has known since his school days. But Detective Kaga needs a motive otherwise the case will not hold up in court. What could Nonoguchi’s reason be to murder a friend who has helped him during his middle school years and introduced him to an editor so his children’s stories can be published? Detective Kaga is persistent, but can he outwit Nonoguchi?

Pip Williams’—The dictionary of lost words *****

Motherless Esme hides under a desk in the Scriptorium where her father works surrounded by words. He is one of the lexicographers working on words to include in the first Oxford English Dictionary. When careless lexicographers drop chits, Esme collects the words and their meanings written on pieces of paper and hides them in a trunk. As the years pass, she comes to realize that many words are excluded because the lexicographers believe words for the dictionary should have written examples. So begins Esme’s personal research, collecting excluded words—words of profanity, words commonly used only by women but not men—words she hears in the markets. But what will she do with her collection and how will her life change once she begins working in the Scriptorium? A fascinating tale inspired by the lexicographers who actually worked on producing the first English dictionary back in the late 1800s.

Sandrine Collette’s—The Forests ******

At age five, Corentin is foisted on to his great-grandmother, Augustine by his unloving mother whom he never sees again. He grows up in a small village surrounded by trees, but when he’s older leaves for university where he becomes enchanted by city life. The days grow hotter, and droughts become more common until one day, the earth seems to explode. Corentin and his university friends stay hold up underground until they believe enough time has passed for them to reemerge. Above ground, everything appears to be destroyed and all Corentin can think about is returning to Augustine. Will she still be alive? Will the charred trees ever come back to life? Will they ever be able to safely drink water from a stream again?