The Bookmark: Reading suggestions and snow days
By SUSAN CRUTCHFIELD, Special to The Paper
Being born and raised in Georgia I absolutely love getting snow because it feels so rare. Well, honestly, I am done with snow for a couple of years! So, what did I do with my snow days in January? I will give you one guess! You are correct: I read a huge stack of books!
Here is a list of books I recommend adding to your to be read list in 2025!
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Although this book will not be released until June you need to put this on your list! This upcoming novel is a fictional account of the 1980s Space Shuttle Program. It follows Joan and her fellow astronauts as they move through the program hoping for a chance to go to space. This was such a beautiful book. The lyrical musings about the heavens and earth were one of my favorite parts. The story was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. This was a family drama that wound around several different family members and stretched across continents. Just like her first book, the writing was excellent and the story so moving. I wept several times while reading this book. There was also a lot of interesting history included and I plan to check out some of books that were included in the author’s note.
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. This was a mysterious book that had elements of magical realism in it. It is one of those atmospheric books that I really love. It was full of woods, magic, mystery, love, anger and spookiness. There was so much lovely depth to these characters and their story.
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan. Annabel Monaghan does it again! She spins the most beautiful, heart wrenching love stories. I am always so captivated by her characters and Jane and Dan are no exception. I also love the chaos of Dan’s family. There was nothing about this book I didn’t love. I highly recommend all of her books. This book won’t be out until May but add it to your list!
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. This was a historical fiction book about the intensive writing of the Oxford English Dictionary. As someone who is obsessed with words and used to read the dictionary I found this book fascinating. This was a beautifully written book that swept me away into this fictional world based on true events.
Cher the Memoir Part One by Cher. I thought I knew who Cher was, but I didn’t know anything about her. This memoir was a fascinating and in-depth look at the pop icon. She was very open and detailed about her life from the beginning to 1976. Part two will be published later this year with the rest of her story.
Don’t forget the Carnegie has amazing programs year-round including our Literary Circle book club that meets on the 4th Monday of the month at 10 am. Check out our online calendar for upcoming programs. I hope to see you at the library soon!
Susan Crutchfield is the director of the Carnegie Library in Historic Downtown Newnan. She also is a professional photographer and enjoys volunteering with the Newnan ArtRez and the Newnan Theatre Company.
