Review of Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs

Rating - 3 1/2

Maureen Davenport is Avalon's town librarian. She is totally devoted to the library and her patrons, but she's just received word that the library will be closing unless funds can be raised to operate it. Although she is devastated by this news, she is also excited about the fact that she will be the director of the town's annual Chritmas pageant, a dream she's always held. The only rub is that her co-director is Eddie Haven, a former child movie star, who is perfiorming court ordered community service. Maureen and Eddie clash from the very beginning. she is too prim and proper for him and he is too untraditional for her. Soon, as they get to know each other better, they see the strengths that each one brings to the project. But both Maureen and Eddie have secrets that could nip their growing relationship in the bud. As they work together on the pageant and on raising money for the library, the spirit of the season surrounds them and after all, miracles do happen and angels walk among us.

This is the 6th offering in the Lakeshore Chronicles. Many characters from previous novels in the series appear in this one, so it feels just like coming home for readers who have been following the series. Since it's a holiday-themed entry, it doesn't "feel" like a full novel; it feels more like coming together to celebrate with the characters we know while waiting for the next installment in the series.

Library Loot - December 1 - 7

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire from The Captive Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, head over to Marg's or Claire's, register, and e check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I'm a librarian, so I usually have a pile of books from the library ready to read. Usually I have to keep renewing them or pay overdue fines since I can't ever get caught up!  Today, I picked up Ape House by Sara Gruen (author of Water for Elephants).  I can't wait to read it!

An excerpt from Publisher's Weekly:

"...[The story begins with] the bombing of the Great Ape Language Lab, a university research center dedicated to the study of the communicative behavior of bonobo apes. The blast, which terrorizes the apes and severely injures scientist Isabel Duncan, occurs one day after Philadelphia Inquirer reporter John Thigpen visits the lab and speaks to the bonobos, who answer his questions in sign language. After a series of personal setbacks, Thigpen pursues the story of the apes and the explosions for a Los Angeles tabloid, encountering green-haired vegan protesters and taking in a burned-out meth lab's guard dog. Meanwhile, as Isabel recovers from her injuries, the bonobos are sold and moved to New Mexico, where they become a media sensation as the stars of a reality TV show."