North Carolina Fiction: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon The adventures of Claire and Jamie Fraser continue in Colonial North Carolina on the cusp of the revolution. Claire knows the results, as she did about Colloden, but not the details. Excitement and laughs. Light from Heaven by Jan Karon Reading a Jan Karon book is like visiting old friends and meeting a few new ones. She has a way with words. All of her books are recommended reading. The Last Noel by Michael Malone A great story! I enjoyed it. Catbird by Stephen March A good tightly woven narrative. The author manages to convey the bleakness and the “southerness” without a lot of extraneous wordy sentences. Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron • So much fun to listen to as we travel to the Outer Banks. All about Harker’s Island and Carteret County. • Good plot – wanted to find out who “dun it.” Southern Discomfort by Margaret Maron Good book – liked reading about places in NC. The Three Mrs. Parkers by Joan Medlicott The first book I’ve read by this author and I found it fast paced. Good character studies. But, does everything always come out fine in the end in her books? I will read more to find out. Christ the Lord – Out of Egypt by Anne Rice A sensitive and believable depiction of Jesus Christ as a child. I felt his presence as I read. Impossible Dreams by Patricia Rice Great read – page turner. Miss Julia Hits the Road by Ann B. Ross Entertaining and funny. NC author. Best to read “Miss Julia” books in order to get the characters straight. Miss Julia School of Beauty by Ann B. Ross Miss Julia fears she and Sam are not married. Hazel Marie forms a beauty pageant to raise money for K-9 unit. Of course, she gets the whole house in a tissy. Sam sets out to prove they were married by a man of the cloth. Julia will not share his bed until all is settled. Miss Julia runs into Rev. Abernathy at the pageant. She has him marry Sam and her in a school room in the high school. At last she and Sam can get on with being Mr. & Mrs. Murdock. Miss Julia Stands Her Ground by Ann B. Ross Miss Julia sets out to prove Little Lloyd is her late husband’s child. Without having to dig him up. Miss Lillian has some of his items that DNA can be obtained from. Good read. At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks • Mr. Sparks can always make me cry with his novels. This one didn’t fail. I loved Lexie, Jeremy & Doris. And Jed, what a guy. • Of course, any book by Nicholas Sparks is very well written, but I enjoyed this one especially. It is a lesson in life – how blessings can come from tragedy. A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks Another great book by Nicholas Sparks. Very enjoyable book about love, relationships and life. 2 The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks • A different story plot for this author. Slow to start but a great finish. • This book was a real thriller. It involved a psychotic killer who invaded a small town, Swansboro, NC. He stalked the main character in the book who was ultimately saved by her dog, “The Guardian” who was a gift to her from her deceased husband. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks • Read this prior to 4th of July trip to Rodanthe hoping to glean some info about the village. Really kind of a trite book and nothing basically about the area. • Another intriguing love story by Nicholas Sparks. Interesting from the beginning to the middle to the end. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks This is a book I think everyone should read. It was a true love story in every sense of the word. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. A real tear-jerker! The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks Great story , interesting characters and details. An enjoyable book by our hometown author Nicholas Sparks. Pearl’s Pork Palace by Bill Thompson What a walk down memory lane! Small towns like this really do exist. (or they did in the past.) A ‘must read’ for anyone who has never lived in a really small town! 101 Borden Street by Susan Walker I was glad this was a short story because the plot kept getting more weird as the story progressed. 3 Non-Fiction: The Highland Scots of NC, 1732-1776 by Duane Meyer In the second half of the 18th century thousands of Scottish Highlanders streamed into the American Colonies (including NC). The author discuses their situation and also why the majority of them supported and fought for the King of England. Very interesting and easy to read. Hugh Morton’s North Carolina by Hugh Morton (with forward by William Friday) Hugh Morton might well be considered the photographic poet laureate of his beloved state. His recent death makes this collection of memorable photographs and commentary must viewing. Although his photos of people and events and sports are excellent, his passion for the natural world draws one back again and again. The North Carolina Continentals by Hugh F. Rankin Provides well-researched and documented account of the soldiers from NC in the Revolutionary War. Author is a professor of history at Tulane University. Could benefit from the addition of maps and illustrations of battles. 4.