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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2021)
1. ‘No Off ense’ by Meg Cabot Continued from Page 6 4. ‘The Host’ by Stephenie Meyer “Yes, this is that Stephenie Meyer but this title is as far from Twilight as one can get and will appeal to science fi ction fans who shudder at the mention of vampires,” Grenfell said. “In this post-apocalyptic book, Earth has been invaded by a para- sitic alien race known as ‘souls.’ What hap- pens when an Earth ‘host’ refuses to give up to the alien intruder in her head? This is a wonderful story that has it all — science fi ction, romance and some new angles on how people (and aliens) get along with each other. I highly recommend it.” Ilwaco reads Ilwaco library director Amy Hitchcock shared her staff’s recommendations. “Our reading theme has been escapism,” Hitchcock said. “As the pandemic drags on, we’re looking for ways to take a break from the news and take a vacation in our minds.” “This contemporary romance for adults by the author of ‘The Princess Diaries’ and the ‘Heather Wells’ mysteries is a terrifi c escape,” Hitchcock said. “Set on fi ctional, tropical Little Bridge Island, this book has everything: a sweet and slightly steamy romance between a children’s librarian and the local sheriff; a light mystery to solve; and life lived in public at parties, restau- rants, resorts, and of course — the library. Cabot’s books are hit or miss, but this one is an unchallenging, welcome distraction.” 2. ‘The Giver of Stars’ by Jojo Moyes “I could not put this novel down once I started reading and I am so thankful for the hours spent in this world,” Hitchcock said. “‘The Giver of Stars’ is about a woman looking to escape her boring marriage and to do so she takes up being a pack-horse librarian in rural Kentucky. Alice learns from a self-suffi cient and quite indepen- dent woman named Margery and together they prove many wrong and overcome the weather and an accusation of murder all while building a rural library system.” 3. ‘Dead to Her’ by Sarah Pinborough “In this thriller from the author of the best-selling ‘Behind Her Eyes,’ much younger second-wives have to keep up appearances in Old Money social circles in Savannah, Georgia, where “bless your heart” really means something other than well-wishes,” Hitchcock said. “Despite fewer twists and turns than Pinborough’s previous books, ‘Dead to Her’ is nonethe- less a compelling, sucks-you-in story with a satisfying ending. I spent the day in my PJs reading this — as opposed to spending the day in PJs just because there’s nowhere to go.” 4. ‘Sounds Like Titanic’ by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman “This one is a couple of years old now, but if there’s one good thing about stay- ing home it’s having time to dig into my ‘to read’ pile,” Hitchcock said. “A memoir about a professional violinist in an ensem- ble who Milli Vanilli their way across the U.S. faking performances of music that sounds a lot like the theme to the movie Titanic, this book is both a reminder of a time when “live” musical performances were a thing and a funny, weird exploration of growing up in America and participating in a culture with blurry lines between real and fake.” 5. ‘Bake Sale’ by Sara Varon Lynda Layne Amy Hitchcock Jenny Grenfell “‘Bake Sale’ is a graphic novel for chil- dren about a cupcake and an eggplant who are best friends,” Hitchcock said. “Eggplant is going on a trip to visit his cousin Auber- gine in Europe and wants Cupcake to come along to meet the greatest pastry chef in the world, Turkish Delight. Cupcake, a baker by trade and by calling, holds bake sales to raise money for the trip. That’s it. That’s the book. But no child, caregiver, or reader of anything charming can escape this recom- mendation because I talk about it endlessly. We need sweetness in our lives and ‘Bake Sale’ hits the spot.” The Illahee Apartments Why Live Anywhere Else? 1046 Grand Avenue Astoria, OR 97103 503-325-2280 THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021 // 7
