Spring Reads

Feeling some distance between them, city dwellers and sisters, Libby and Nora, decide to spend a month in a small town that is featured in a book they both love, in hopes of reclaiming their closeness. So, begins, Booklovers by Emily Henry. Libby, lover of romance novels, sees the town as the backdrop for every novel and Hallmark movie she’s ever read or seen. Already married herself, Libby is hoping this month-long vacation will mean romance for her big sister. Nora feels a fish out of water. She yearns for the city, but is determined to please her sister by agreeing to a list of activities straight out of a romance novel, even if she’s miserable doing it. It is witty, tender, satisfying and full of references to books! It’s as fun as a Nora Ephron rom-com. A great way to spend a rainy weekend.

It’s Berlin in the early 1990’s just after the Wall has come down. Intelligence agencies from around the world are scrambling to get their hands on the secrets the East Germans have been keeping. Emil Grimm, a Stasi officer, is trying to leverage what secrets he has and those he can find to flee to the west before he is prosecuted. As East Germany disintegrates, CIA agent Claire Saylor is sent to Berlin to meet a high-ranking Stasi officer and get those secrets. The resulting tale is based on true events. As the thriller unfolds, Emil and Claire must forge an unlikely bond as they find themselves fighting for their lives against a common enemy. Winter Work is a real thriller. Written by award-winning journalist, Dan Fesperman, this book has multi-dimensional characters and suspenseful plotting. It is a wonderful addition to his other highly acclaimed novels.

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick is the story of Liv Green. Mother of two, Liv barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So, she can’t believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, mega bestselling author

Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse.

When Essie passes away suddenly, Liv is astonished to learn that her dying wish was for Liv to complete her final novel. But to do so Liv will have to step into Essie’s shoes. As Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women—one that will change Liv’s own story forever

Two years into World War II, the citizens of Britain are struggling mightily to survive on their food rations. To encourage creativity among the housewives of the nation, the BBC radio program, The Kitchen Front, holds a cooking contest. The grand prize is a job as the program’s first female co-host. For four very different women, winning this contest could change their lives dramatically for the better. They intend to give it their all. The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan was named one of the best books of 2021 by Good Housekeeping. This sweet and heartwarming novel is inspired by true events. Some of the recipes made by the ladies are included in the book!

Nobody knows what happened to Sarah Cook. The beautiful blonde teenager disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her parents were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend Brad Stockton—black and from the wrong side of the tracks—was convicted of the murders and is now on death row. Though he’s maintained his innocence all along, the clock is running out. His execution is only weeks away when his devoted sister insists, she spied Sarah at an area gas station. Willing to try anything, she hires Private Investigator Roxane Weary to look at the case and see if she can locate Sarah. The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka was a best first novel nominee for the Anthony and Macavity Awards. It is the first of several mysteries featuring PI Roxane Weary who is equal parts tenacious and troubled. n

By Jackie Koch

She has been a certified Master Gardener for years and became certified as a Master Rain Gardener last summer after designing and installing a rain garden on the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church of Tecumseh. The project was part of the church’s Earth Care Congregation pledge to integrate environmental practices and thinking into the worship, education, facilities, and outreach of the congregation.

They broke ground the first week of May 2022 and removed 400 square feet of turf to make the rain garden, which was filled with native plants to help manage groundwater pollution as well as attract and feed pollinators. The idea grew as a result of conversations between Walsh and the Reverend Cathi King about how to make the church grounds more earth friendly.

“The church grounds are pretty extensive with lots of parking lots, and there was an existing low spot where the runoff from the parking lot drains, so it was the ideal place for a rain garden,” Walsh said.

How can rain gardens help the environment? “First and foremost, a rain garden is meant to solve a problem, because you put them where either rain pools naturally like if you have a ditch or a low area, or where you direct water, like from a downspout,” said Walsh. “If you site it in the proper area then it’s going to be able to do its job, which is to filter that rainwater and allow it to soak in gradually.”

Using native plants in a rain garden is crucial because the root system of a native plant is much longer and denser than plants that don’t naturally live in the environment. Those roots help slow down the water that collects in the garden, filtering pollutants from roads, driveways, and lawns. “Particularly nitrogen, because that’s what causes the toxic algae blooms in water bodies like Lake Erie,” she said, noting that nitrogen comes from lawn treatments and agricultural runoff. Water bodies in the Tecumseh area have also suffered from toxic algae blooms.

Walsh likes to promote planting native species in a section of one’s yard to replace turf grass, as well, which helps save resources. She says that grass lawns use many resources, such as large amounts of water, lawn chemicals, and effort, while native plants are easy to care for. “There are lots of things you can do to make your yard greener. Getting rid of lawn or reducing lawn is one of them,” she said. “If you’re not willing to do that, just stop fertilizing it and watering it. One-third of the freshwater resources in this part of the country go to lawn watering. That’s more than goes to crops.”

Native plants attract native pollinators, such as insects that are the natural food source for native birds. They are an essential part of the ecosystem, said Walsh.

To help others think about adding a rain garden to their yard, Walsh will lead a program called “Soak up the Rain: An Introduction to Rain Gardens” Monday, April 3 from 7-8pm at the Tecumseh District Library. She will speak about how a rain garden improves water quality and provides habitat for pollinators, as well as where and how to build a rain garden, what plants are recommended, and common mistakes to avoid. Those interested in attending may call 423-2238 to sign up. In addition, later this spring she will speak on the topic of alternative lawns for Tecumseh Parks and Recreation at the AJ Smith Recreation Center. n

• Stop using chemical treatments and fertilizers

• Spot-treat weeds with a less-toxic weedkiller (or dig them out)

• Stop irrigating

• Never use pesticides

• Use a mulching mower that returns grass clippings to the soil

• Set your mower height to four inches or more

• Switch to an electric lawn mower, or a reel mower

• Allow violet, a native wildflower, to remain if it crops up spontaneously in your lawn

• Overseed existing lawn with white Dutch clover

• Replace turf grass with no-mow native grass

• Reduce lawn area by adding flower beds containing native plants, adding a rain garden, and/or adding a native prairie or meadow