Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!
Tina’s Staff Picks
The Friends by Fredrik Backman
This book. How does Backman do it? After doing the Beartown series, which he says took everything out of him, he has come back with a book that is sure to touch your heart in a different way. Showing the value and worth of friendship, Backman drives this plot forward with incredible lyrical and descriptive language through the relationship between a painting, friendships against all odds, and a feisty, quick witted foster child of 17—wait, 18! That part is significant. Small things in our lives can become big things and worth far more through the lens of friendship rather than through temporal earthly definitions.
You won’t want to put this down and you WILL fall in love with Louisa!
The Women’s Room by Marilyn French
Although this was first published in 1977. It was until a girlfriend quoted from the book after the birth of my first baby, that I really thought to buy it and read it. I had just graduated from university with honors, married and had a baby. As I rocked my newborn with my foot and made an apple pie, she commented “Life turns out to be just sh*t and green beans”.
The Women’s Room also addresses wider social, political, and cultural issues of the time, such as the civil rights movement, sexual liberation, and the Vietnam War and how these larger societal forces intersect with the everyday lives of women through the eyes of Mira, as we travel with her through the 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s, ad 1970’s. She begins as the somewhat independent daughter to the dutiful housewife and then to self realizations about her whole being. The character development of each character is incredible, and it is left up to the modern day reader whether this has had the massive influence on feminism that it claimed to have had in the late 1970’s. I was once again enthralled and read it just as hungrily now as I did then.
Becky’s Staff Pick
Weyward by Emilia Hart
What might happen when the real world collides with that of witchcraft? Emilia Hart weaves the stories of three women, over five centuries, celebrating female resilience.
Altha is accused of murder in 1619.
Violet is trapped in her family’s crumbling estate in 1942.
Kate is living under cover in her family cottage in 2019.
All three women find solace in powerful connection with nature and the need to combat life changing power of very bad men. Hart has created a work of historical fiction and modern feminism taking the reader on a journey of family secrets as the women seek to extricate themselves from dire circumstances to discover their secret strengths. And yes, there is a Bookshop!
Wendy’s Staff Picks
I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis
This charming and lyrical tale accompanied by beautiful illustrations is currently my favorite book to read to my little grandson! At the end of the day, A young boy and his friend, the Moon, venture together on a magical journey throughout their town. Full of nature and sweet observations, this is the perfect bedtime story, and one you will enjoy with your special little one – over, and over again.
Wild Hope by Donna Ashworth
Most of us are experiencing some form of angst right now – whether your concerns are for a loved one, your own physical or mental health, the planet or world politics, there is certainly plenty to be worried about. This collection of lovely and relatable poems is the perfect balm – in turns uplifting and grounding, like a great conversation with a wise friend. Everyone can find a message here that brings serenity, validation and inspiration.
Skye’s Pick
The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook by Food Network Magazine
The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook by Food Network Magazine is a lively, easy-to-follow guide that makes cooking exciting for kids. With colorful photos, step-by-step recipes, and fun extras like games and trivia, it turns the kitchen into a place of creativity and learning. Perfect for young chefs, the book offers a great mix of simple meals and sweet treats that kids can make with minimal help. Overall, The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook strikes an excellent balance between education and entertainment. It’s a great gift for budding cooks and a fun way for families to bond over food. Even college level students who struggle with finding quick meals could enjoy this fun cookbook!
