Book talk for October 8 2024Sanibel Dreamsby Hope Holloway"When 53-year-old Eliza Whitney loses both her beloved husband and her high-powered job in the same month, she's uncertain what the next chapter of her life will look like. Then her estranged father's widow contacts her and asks her to come to Sanibel Island to help settle his affairs. Eliza sees the trip to a place called Shellseeker Beach as a distraction from her loss, and maybe a way to get some closure on the difficult relationship she'd had with her father. For seventy years, Theodora Blessing's sole purpose on this earth has been to heal the hurting, and to run Shellseeker Cottages, a cozy beachfront resort that has been in her family for decades. But Teddy no longer owns the gorgeous property, and Eliza is her only hope to get it back. Will Eliza help Teddy and save the family business ... or claim it as her own and sell it to developers? Together, the two women begin to unravel the mystery of Eliza's father, the late, great "Dutch" Vanderveen, an enigmatic pilot who led multiple, secretive lives. With the help of Teddy's healing heart, Eliza discovers a family she never knew she had, a purpose she never knew she needed, and a life she never dreamed was possible. Come to Shellseeker Beach and fall in love with a cast of unforgettable characters who face life's challenges with humor, heart, and hope. For lovers of riveting and inspirational sagas about sisters, secrets, romance, mothers and daughters ... and the moments that make life worth living."--OCLC. Some strong language.DB119582The Screwtape letters And Screwtape proposes a toastby C. S LewisA shrewd old devil, Screwtape, writes letters of encouragement from hell to a less experienced devil who is on earth hunting for those susceptible to temptation.DB12395A Long Way from homeby Cathy GlassThe Swamp Fox How Francis Marion saved the American Revolutionby John Oller"In the darkest days of the American Revolution, Francis Marion and his band of militia freedom fighters kept hope alive for the patriot cause during the critical British "southern campaign." Like the Robin Hood of legend, Marion and his men attacked from secret hideaways before melting back into the forest or swamp. Employing insurgent tactics that became commonplace in later centuries, Marion and his brigade inflicted losses on the enemy that were individually small but cumulatively a large drain on British resources and morale. In The Swamp Fox, the first major biography of Marion in more than forty years, John Oller compiles striking evidence to provide a fresh look at Marion, the man, and how he helped save the American Revolution." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB115956The Cafe At Beach Endby RaeAnne Thayne"When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved. Now she's returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn--though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It's a place to work and earn a little money. That's if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters--until Meredith chose her neglectful parents' expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn't setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly. While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne's kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past--and maybe, claim a surprising future..."--Page 4 of cover. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB12297515 Summers Laterby RaeAnne Thayne"Ava Howell's husband leaves her after she publishes a best-selling memoir that describes what happened to her and her sister and must rebuild her life with her sibling, who is in love with a man whose dad died protecting her."-- From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB122377The Demon of Unrest a Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil Warby Erik Larson"On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter. Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln's election and the Confederacy's shelling of Sumter-a period marked by tragic...
