Joyce's Choices

BY JOYCE B. WILCOX

Curling up with a good book this winter is just what the doctor ordered to ward off cases of seasonal stagnations, March melancholies, or even beach boredom blues. You can turn the corner on humdrum by turning the pages of any of this issue’s fabulous finds; or read them all, as there’s something for everyone. Choose from this eclectic assortment of Joyce’s Choice’s: sports fiction, Southern fiction, fantasy, light murder mystery, and thriller. Trust me, you will not be bored, and spring will be here in the flip of a page.

Sooley

by John Grisham

With March Madness soon underway, what better time than now to read John Grisham’s skillfully written and slam dunk bestseller? Once again Grisham steps out of his comfort zone of the courtroom and into the world of sports and manages to score big time. This time he casts his spotlight upon the basketball court and weaves his incredible story of intense drama and courage about one of the sport’s struggling underdogs. With gripping action on and off the court as only Grisham can construct, readers are forced to follow through right down to the buzzer beater.

Sooley is the compassionate story of a seventeen-year-old South Sudanese student: a basketball player scouted in a tournament by college coaches from the United States. He is an amazing athlete in desperate need of just a little polish and happens to reside in a country in desperate need of a hero. His team selection presents an extraordinary opportunity for his future and for the survival of his family struggling in a country torn apart in a raging civil war. As Sooley matures on the court and in the college classroom in Durham, North Carolina, he must learn to grow and accept word of the further devastation and carnage back home. His life as a determined hometown hero and an impulsive adolescent student are skillfully presented in this emotional coming-ofage novel. Sooley seldom misses a basket and as readers, you shouldn’t miss out on his incredible story.

With a talented narrative voice all of her own, rich southern dialogue that pops, and a unique transitioning method linking the chapters of her story, Andrea Bobotis emerges as an established professional in her debut novel, The Last List of Judith Kratt. Bobotis manages to evoke enduring images which are emotionally similar to the works of Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, all the while remaining true to her own multilayered storyline. The reader genuinely senses the world of southern secrets, family fidelities, and continuous cover-ups.

In 1989 at the age of seventy-five, Judith Kratt decides to take stock of her life and all of her years spent in her family home in Bound, South Carolina. She does this through conversations with family members and by creating an inventory of items remaining in her home which she deems significant. Years ago when she was just a child, her father built his mercantile empire and ruthlessly ruled supreme over his estate, his store, his family, and the town. With the stock market crash in 1929, the Kratts also crashed. Everyone struggled as their world changed with the loss of the business, the loss of status, and the loss of family members. Judith remained in the home, presiding over the house and its contents throughout the family’s misfortunes.

Complex family ties and relationships are revealed through well-written flashbacks and conversations throughout the novel. Pieces of the legacy are interwoven as stories are told, townsfolk interact, and with the return of Judith’s younger sibling after a sixty-year absence. Tension, turmoil, and traditions abound in this southern saga making it well worth reading.

by Paula Brackston

I have to admit that I’m not usually much of a fantasy fan, but I found The Little Shop of Found Things was well worth the read. This novel made an impossible fantasy seem fantastically possible. What’s not to enjoy about a beautifully written story steeped in romance, set in an antique store which also includes timetravel? Add to that a ghost as one of the main characters and you’ve definitely piqued my interest. Well crafted, so as to entice the reader, this bewitching tale is both beguiling and believable.

Leaving London to begin new lives in Marlborough, Flora and her daughter

Xanthe take over a remarkable antique shop with unique and historic finds. Xanthe possesses a fascinating ability to ascertain a connection to various antiques and is able to decipher the facts and stories of their past upon touching them. This special ability culminates with a seventeenth century chatelaine (woman’s belted chain key) transporting her back in time and permits her to communicate with a spirit who currently inhabits the shop. The spirit forces her to try and save a young girl, the spirit’s daughter, amid the tumultuous and violent times in 1605. Of course while she time travels, Xanthe also stumbles upon a romantic interest causing her to think twice about returning to the present. If you’re looking for an enchanting romance with touches of fantasy and history, you may just find it in The Little Shop of Found Things

by Richard Osman

If you read last issue’s reviews, you’re fairly familiar with my affinity for author Richard Osman. You also know that I was head-over-heels excited with the first book from his murdermystery series, The Thursday Murder Club, and that as no surprise to anyone, I purchased his other two books of the series. You probably speculated correctly that I’ve already read both of those recently purchased books and loved them as well. I can’t review every book of Osman’s, but rest assured, I’ll probably read them. Who couldn’t pass up a good murdermystery which contains both wit and humor? For these reasons, I’ve decided to give a thumb’s up to book two, The Man Who Died Twice, but thought it best to review the latest book in the series, The Bullet that Missed. Especially since rumor has it that book four of the series is due out in 2023.

Senior citizen sleuths Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are at it again as they and other residents of Coopers Chase are in for another harrowing adventure as they try to solve a tenyear-old cold murder case. This time the action is in and out of their retirement community, on and off the local television news set, and on either side of prison cell bars. Lives are threatened, the KGB is involved, and retirees go under cover with intrigue and flourish. This gaggle of golden-agers sets out to set the story straight and crack the case, all the while flaunting their flare for foiling a felon. Who says that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks? Osman’s old-timers disprove that theory while demonstrating that The Bullet that Missed actually succeeded in hitting its target audience.

If you haven’t been to the City of Light, this thriller is your opportunity to experience Paris in her full glory. But be prepared: it’s as though you were riding a runaway roller coaster in the dark. Hang onto your hats because just like the twists and turns of that possessed amusement park ride, The Paris Diversion manages to sustain its frantic pace throughout each chapter. With unrelenting villains to undaunted heroes, and from the Louvre to Notre Dame to the Tour Eiffel, the reader is riveted and this novel is magnifique! suelakesrealty@gmail.com

Chris Pavone has created an interwoven plot including Kate, an expatriate housewife and mother leading a clandestine life as a leader of government operatives. She’s accompanied by her risky and greedy investment broker husband, Dexter, who is trying to make his own fortune, regardless of the cost to others. There are also a crooked tech CEO trying to cover his tracks; a desperate dying man threatening to blow up the Louvre; and an intriguing assortment of other villains and heroes sprinkled in the mix as the clock ticks. The author not only succeeds in implanting the reader into each scene, Pavone also embeds his readers into the minds and hearts of his main characters, causing readers to experience empathy for the good, the bad, and the unlikely. The Paris Diversion is thriller fiction at its very best: frantic, forceful, and fascinating.

By the way, I guarantee you that as you turn the pages of these five books this winter, it’ll be spring before you know it!

ALL Members are required to have this sticker affixed to the windshield of their vehicles

(Cars, Trucks, Vans, etc.) and visible from outside the vehicle. It is non-transferable.

Greetings to all from your Safety Team, with winter in our rearview and spring in sight, our focus once again begins to change. From the winter wonderland with ice fishing, snowmobiling, and sledding, to thoughts of swimming, boating and ORV use. To help alleviate confusion when the summer months arrive and get you outside faster, I thought I would take this time to speak about registration of vehicles, watercraft, ORV, golfcarts, and guest passes.

CLPOC Membership Stickers – A CLPOC member who is in good standing must provide the CLPOC with a valid vehicle registration in order to be issued a current year CLPOC membership sticker to be placed on the member’s vehicle, including cars, trucks, vans, trailers, all-terrain vehicles, golf carts, RV’s, snowmobiles and/or watercraft, in order to establish that the member is in good standing for that year. The CLPOC membership sticker is non-transferable.

The CLPOC membership vehicle sticker issued for a member must be affixed to the windshield of cars, trucks, and vans. The CLPOC membership registration sticker must also be affixed to other vehicles, trailers, golf carts, snowmobiles, watercraft, etc. so that they are visible. Any vehicle not displaying a current year CLPOC Membership sticker, current year issued CLPOC guest hanging placard, or a daily/weekly guest pass is subject to violation and possible towing from Canadian Lakes common properties.

This is the annual sticker for all nonmotorized boats, golfcarts, ORV’s, snowmobiles, trailers, and RV’s. It must be affixed next to the registration sticker in a highly visible permanent location.

This is the Registration sticker for ALL motorized watercraft. Watercraft MUST be registered to the member. You will receive two stickers with the same number, both need to be attached permanently to the watercraft near the bow (front) one on each side, near the MC#’s. The annual sticker is attached immediately next to this sticker on the watercraft.

This is the Registration sticker for ALL non-motorized watercraft. You will receive two stickers with the same number both need to be attached permanently in a highly visible position to the SAME watercraft, one on each side of the hull near the bow (front). The annual sticker is attached immediately next to this sticker on the watercraft.

Your Safety team wishes to make your summertime experience in Canadian Lakes as enjoyable as possible. You can assist us in making that happen by being sure to acquire and affix the proper registration stickers/guest passes for your summertime fun prior to usage.

This is the registration sticker for ALL golfcart’s, ORV’s, snowmobiles, trailers, and RV’s. It must be affixed in a highly visible permanent location.

This is the annual sticker for all motorized boats. It must be affixed immediately next to the registration sticker in a highly visible permanent location.

Watercraft not showing the proper State and Canadian Lakes registration will not be allowed on any lake in Canadian Lakes. Guests are prohibited from launching or operating watercraft that is not properly registered through CLPOC to a member in good standing.

Your Safety Team wishes to make your summertime experience in Canadian Lakes as enjoyable as possible. You can assist us in making that happen by being sure to acquire and affix the proper registration stickers/guest passes for your summertime fun prior to usage.

Your Canadian Lakes Safety Department is happy to hold a key to your residence secured in our office in the event you lock yourself out or have a contractor that needs in when you are not home. We can also store a key if you sign up for the Winter Watch Program. The keys are stored in a locked cabinet and are labeled with a code unique to your property and not your address. The policy in place is that all keys are signed out, whether you sign it out yourself or have a contractor sign it out. With over 1,000 keys held at any given time, you are responsible for making sure the key is returned if you take it out or your contractor signs it out. Remember, if you authorize a contractor to sign out your key, and they fail to return it, it is not the responsibility of the CLPOC to track the contractor down or locate your key that has been signed out.