Classic Art with Bold Fonts One of the joys of lingering for hours in bookstores is looking at the cover art. Such fun! All those books...

Timothy Egan's, Fever in the Heartland, about the rise of the KKK in Indiana in the 1920s, is a powerful account of D.C. Stephenson and political power gone awry.

The story of Mission Thirteen illustrates many facets of WWII that you might not know, but it also explains the fate of the downed airmen and how some were saved by the Belgian Resistance movement.

Fredrik Backman's, My Friends, is a poignant, funny, beautiful story of art, youth, and the redemptive power of love. You will laugh, cry, and be glad you read it!

Sheila Williams' Novel, "Things Past Telling," is a moving, memorable story about the wrongs committed by slavery as well as a tribute to the survival of one hundred+ year old woman named Mama Grace.

The Correspondent focuses on an older woman who has spent her life writing letters, dribbling out her story in missives to others, a lasting legacy of a complicated woman.

Amity Gaige's novel, Heartwood, is the story of Valerie Gillis, a hiker lost on the Appalachian Trail, and the dedication of other women who work to find her.

So it's no surprise that a book about a family on an isolated island, caretakers of a global seed bank and observers of a harsh but stunning natural environment filled with penguins and seals, grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.

Elena Ferrante's Novel I met Sandy Budd in third grade, and while I don't remember the exact circumstances of our introduction, I do know...

The story of Mary Magdalene in Magda Revealed by Ursula Werner is a decidedly, unapologetic, unabashed feminist retelling of what we know as the Jesus story. The language is lovely. The characters are strong. The tone is modern, and the conclusions made me squirm. Read it and decide for yourself whether it's a faith-strengthener or a faith-buster.

Bojhalian's The Jackal's Mistress has plenty of "big issues." The book is set in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia during the Civil War.

Exciting things are happening in India where tens of thousands of young people are attending literary festivals. Hope it happens in America!