Romance Novels With Mature Couples

December 9, 2015November 19, 2015 / Linda / 2 Comments

It seems that in most of the romance books I read, the couples are very young. The average age of heroines in romance books today is 24-26. The average romance reader is 44, and the number of readers over 45 is 44%. Sometimes I find it hard to connect to the stories because I’ve long passed my twenties. Are you finding yourself with the same dilemma? The good news is that the industry is aware and romances are no longer about the young, perfect couple with perfect jobs and perfect lives. Stories have become more like real lives with all the real issues and hardships, and that includes stories with more mature characters. If you’d like to read romances with more mature characters, here is a small selection of titles.

Black Rose – Nora Roberts – Roz, a wealthy and independent woman who believes that love is behind her, is stunned when unexpected romance comes into her life.

Julie and Romeo – Jeanne Ray – Julie Roseman and Romeo Cacciamani had been born to rival florist families in Boston, but it is love at first sight when they spot each other across a crowded lobby.

Hannah’s Courtship – Emma Miller – Amish widow Hannah Yoder never intended to marry again. Yet when her friendship with veterinarian Albert Hartman begins to bloom into something more, Hannah wonders if perhaps she’s finally ready for a new love.

Taken With You – Shannon Stacey – Even though he is her complete opposite, librarian Hailey Genest finds herself falling for rugged, outdoorsy game warden Matt Barnett, who is renting the house next door.

Wild Man – Kristen Ashley – When DEA agent Brock walks into Tessa O’Hara’s bakery, she thinks she’s found the man of her dreams, until the details of his mission jeopardize what they have together.

Honeysuckle Summer – Sherryl Woods – Raylene Hammond, who is shielded from the world by her best friends as she recovers from a disastrous marriage, falls in love with sheriff’s deputy Carter Rollins, but wonders if she is strong enough to accept what he is offering.

This Heart of Mine – Susan Elizabeth Phillips – When children’s book author Molly Somerville acts on her crush on Chicago Stars quarterback Kevin Tucker, she sets in motion a chain of events that will alter the lives of everyone it touches.

Delicious – Sherry Thomas – A rising political star, Stuart Somerset gets more than he had bargained for when he meets his talented new chef, Verity Durant, and finds himself attracted to more than just her cooking abilities.

Catch of a Lifetime – LuAnn McLane – While making her aunt’s diner the go-to place for gourmet down-home fare, Jessica Robinson, a single mother and world-class chef, catches the eye of former major leaguer Ty McKenna who, no stranger to her cooking, tries to convince her that he is a one-woman man.

Sources:  Booklist Reader, Dear Author, Romance Writers of America

On Our Shelves: Cozy Mysteries

November 13, 2015October 21, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Grab your hot chocolate or hot tea, a blanket and curl up in your favorite chair with the latest cozy mysteries.

A Gala Event ( An Orchard Mystery) – Sheila Connolly
The Fall harvest may be over, but orchard owner Meg Corey is busier than ever planning her wedding to Seth Chapin. And even though the happy couple has invited most of Granford, Massachusetts, to the ceremony, they might have to make room for one more guest…Ex-con Aaron Eastman has unexpectedly reappeared, searching for answers to the tragic fire in his family’s past that put him behind bars twenty-five years ago. Moved by his sincerity, Meg vows to do everything she can to help him solve the cold case.

Floral Depravity ( A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery) – Beverly Allen
The daughter of a local historian is getting married in a medieval-themed, hand-fasting ceremony, and Audrey, co-owner of the Rose in Bloom Flower Shop, is responsible for providing period-accurate blooms. But making sure she gets her roses right turns out to be the least of Audrey’s problems. Shortly after the vows are exchanged, the father of the groom suddenly drops dead. When Audrey discovers the man’s death stems from monkshood poisoning, it’s a clear-cut case of murder.

Bread of the Dead ( A Santa Fe Cafe Mystery) – Ann Myers
Life couldn’t be sweeter for Tres Amigas Cafe chef Rita Lafitte, decorating sugar skulls and taste-testing rich, buttery pan de muerto in anticipation of Santa Fe’s Day of the Dead bread-baking contest. That is, until her friendly landlord, Victor, is found dead next door. Although the police deem Victor’s death a suicide, Rita knows something is amiss. To uncover the truth, she teams up with her octogenarian boss, Flori, the town’s most celebrated snoop.

Ghost of a Potion ( A Magic Potion Mystery) – Heather Blake
When her boyfriend’s mother is accused of killing architect Haywood Dodd during a costume ball, shop owner Carly Beth Hartwell employs her keen skills of detection to clear her name while dealing with a group of ghosts who need her help, including the deceased.

Death, Taxes and Chocolate Cannoli (A Tara Holloway Novel) – Diane Kelly
True crime doesn’t pay… taxes. IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway has risked her life to take down drug cartels and other dangerous tax frauds. But going after the mob is one offer she can’t refuse.

Faux Paw (A Magical Cats Mystery) – Sofie Kelly
Painted into a corner after stumbling upon the body of a visiting curator, librarian Kathleen Paulson, her detective boyfriend, Marcus, and her magical cats, Owen and Hercules, must track down a murderous art thief before someone else has a brush with death.

Flipped for Murder (A Country Store Mystery) – Maddie Day
Robbie Jordan is trading in her life on the West Coast for the rolling hills of southern Indiana. After paying a visit to her Aunt Adele, she fell in love with the tiny town of South Lick. And when she spots a For Sale sign on a rundown country store, she decides to snap it up and put her skills as a cook and a carpenter to use. Everyone in town shows up for the grand re-opening of Pans ‘n Pancakes, but when the mayor’s disagreeable assistant is found dead, Robbie realizes that not all press is good press.

Florist Grump (A Flower Shop Mystery) – Kate Collins
Stopping to smell the roses should be a must for flower shop owner Abby Knight, but stress has turned her into a major grump. While their house is under construction, Abby and her new husband, Marco, are living with her parents, who are driving her nuts. Not to mention that everyone has babies on the brain, and Marco’s mother is dropping hints that she expects a new sprout from Abby and her son—as soon as possible! But things get even thornier after a flashy former banker pushes up daisies.

The Silence of the Chihuahuas (A Barking Detective Mystery) – Waverly Curtis
Pepe, aspiring P.I. Geri Sullivan’s muy clever Chihuahua, has stopped talking. But why now, with Geri’s best friend Brad missing and her ditzy sister in grave danger? Geri’s lost without Pepe’s dogged detective work, especially when a client of Brad’s expires under very murky circumstances. Luckily, Pepe turns out to be an excelente blogger, and his nose for clues soon has the detective duo chasing down leads.

November is Aviation History Month

November 6, 2015October 13, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Connecticut is rich in history when it comes to aviation. Some of the biggest aviation manufacturers are located in Connecticut including: Sikorsky, United Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and Pratt & Whitney. There are dozens of smaller companies that supply all sorts of parts and support to the aviation industry. Connecticut is not only home to Bradley International Airport, but to many small local air fields as well. There is Candlelight Farms Airport in New Milford, Groton-New London Airport, Markham Municipal Airport in Meriden, Ripley Field Airport in Litchfield to name a few, along with many heliports throughout the state. Most of the larger hospitals have heliports, and many companies also have their own heliports.

Connecticut is fortunate to have a wonderful air musuem – The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks. And the Cheshire Library is fortunate to offer a pass for reduced admission to this museum, courtesy of the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library. For more information on this pass, click here.

The library also offers an extensive collection of materials about aviation. For a list of titles, click here. Below is a tiny sampling:

Chasing Icarus

Area 51 Black Jets

Fly By Wire: the geese, the glide, the miracle on the Hudson

Birdmen: the Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss and the right to control the skies

The Aviator’s Wife – Melanie Benjamin (Fiction)

Fly By Night – Ward Larson (Fiction)

Against Wind and Tide – Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Biography)

The Aviator (DVD)

If you are interested in building paper airplanes, the library offers these titles.

On Our Shelves: Romance

October 26, 2015October 13, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Now that the kids are back to school, find a comfy chair, put your feet up and lose yourself in a sizzling romance!

Contemporary

Home by Morning – Kaki Warner

Truly Madly Montana – Fiona Lowe

I Want You To Want Me – Erika Kelly

Truly Sweet – Candis Terry

Trouble When You Walked In – Kieran Kramer

Made For Us – Samantha Chase

The Name of the Game – Jennifer Dawson

All Wrapped Up – Kimberly Kincaid

Snowflake Bay – Donna Kauffman

Love Somebody Like You – Susan Fox

Playing with Fire – Kate Meader

All I Want – Jill Shalvis

Historical

The Daughter of an Earl – Victoria Morgan

The Duke Can Go to the Devil – Erin Knightley

Put Up Your Duke – Megan Frampton

The Highlander Takes a Bride – Lynsay Sands

All The Ways to Ruin A Rogue – Sophie Jordan

The Earl Claims a Bride – Amelia Grey

The Legend of Lyon Redmond – Julie Ann Long

Some Like It Scot – Suzanne Enoch

Tall, Dark and Wicked – Madeline Hunter

Romantic Suspense

Exit Strategy – Lena Diaz

Hard to Let Go – Laura Kaye

Hot Point – M.L. Buchman

Claimed – Elle Kennedy

Paranormal

Flight From Death – Jasmine Galenorn

Vipers Rule – Stephanie Tyler

Earth Bound – Christine Feehan

Binding TIes – Shannon K. Butcher

Taking Care of Your Houseplants

October 21, 2015October 13, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

I am probably not the right person to write a post about houseplants – I mentioned in a previous post that even though I love flowering houseplants, I just don’t have much luck with them. A few months ago, a co-worker presented me with a beautiful begonia plant for my new home. I was thrilled, but apprehensive, and asked my co-worker not to get upset should the plant not survive. Much to my amazement, the plant flourished and grew so many new, big, luscious leaves, it needed to be repotted into a bigger pot.

“Ok”, I said to myself, “I can do this.”

I bought a beautiful new pot and some potting soil, spread out some newspaper on my kitchen counter, tipped the plant over to gently remove it from its pot and…..nothing! It wouldn’t budge. I ended up taking a dinner knife and gently running it around the inside of the pot and was able to loosen the soil enough to pull the plant out. (Later I found out using a knife in this manner is quite common). I put the plant into its new pot, added soil and water, stepped back to look at it only to see what was once a proud, erect plant, was now drooping, its leaves touching the counter.

I consulted my co-worker, who told me the drooping was expected and the plant should perk up on its own. And she was right! The plant eventually began standing up tall and was producing many new leaves. Success! Or so I thought. Not having much experience, I did one of the worst things you can do to a houseplant – I over watered it. Old stems started to rot and the new growth was very puny.

Once again, I consulted with my co-worker who patiently explained the best way to water my plant and suggested a wonderful book that the library had on houseplants. After reading this book and several others I checked out, I realized I should have handled the repotting and watering differently.

Here is the moral of this story – if you’re not experienced in a particular area, it’s a really good idea to read up on the subject before you plow ahead! The library is a great place to gather the information you need on almost any subject. When I looked at our library’s selection of books on houseplants, I was able to check out some wonderful books that helped me learn how to care for my plant. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to revive my plant, but in case it doesn’t bounce back, I got some great ideas on what types of houseplants would work best for my home and experience. By taking advantage of the library’s resources, I’ve gained some confidence in my endeavor to have houseplants in my new home.

Now that winter is approaching, would you like to have some houseplants to brighten up your indoor living space? Here’s a sampling of books the library has to offer.