I am currently in Mexico enjoying some respite from the cold Minnesota winter. January is a cooler month here too and the locals find it chilly at around 70 degrees with a slight breeze. Sometimes it drops way into the 50’s overnight. Brrrr……. I hope the worst of the cold is over at home now that we’re moving into February!
Being here does afford me plenty of time to read and I have been doing quite a bit of that in recent days. I’ve read The Promise by Damon Galgut (set in South Africa), Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (set in Scotland), Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (set in Australia), The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (set in England), and have just started Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood (set in various locations including Paris, Cuba and the US). Even if you are not able to travel far from home, you can go anywhere in the world in a good book!
It’s been very popular, so many of you may have already read The Thursday Murder Club; I found it delightfully amusing with rather complex murder mystery-solving with many potential suspects to consider. I’ve heard it is wonderful as an audio book too as it is read by a great reader with a fine English accent. Check out our store’s connection with Libro.fm if you are interested in an occasional audio book.
All of the books I’ve finished lately were really excellent; very different from each other with complex characters, interesting information new to me (social norms during apartheid in SA, environmental issues and efforts to reintroduce wolves into the highland areas of Scotland, family dynamics between parents and four adult children when the mother goes missing in Sydney, and quirky friendships and humor among those living at a retirement village in the Kent Countryside) and more knowledge and interesting tidbits about each of the various countries. I’m sure I have more books with me than I can possibly get through on this visit, but it would be really awful if I should run out!
I’m sure many of you were surprised with the news that Cherry Street Books will have a new owner as of May 1st. It’s all good! I am very pleased to have Emily take over and am sure you will continue to enjoy the store much as it has been over the almost 15 years since we opened in June 2007.
Same name, same great staff, plus some fun, new ideas to come, I’m sure. There will always be plenty of great books on the shelves and friendly, helpful staff to assist you. Emily is already spending some time in the store learning everything she can, so I hope you’ll greet her when you get a chance.