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Jan 7, 2025 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn |Alex Michaelides |Abbi Waxman |Nicholas Sparks
What prompted the need for some feel-good books? It was an exceptional book, but one that left me with a feeling of distress. Perhaps that’s the mark of a good thriller. Whatever it was, I followed it with two feel-good books to put me back on an even keel. This plot was particularly twisted. That’s something I should have remembered from reading “The Silent Patient,” several years ago. This acclaim from author David Baldacci is the first line in the Amazon description.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
northfulton.com | Kathy Manos Penn |Alex Michaelides |Abbi Waxman |Nicholas Sparks
What prompted the need for some feel-good books? It was an exceptional book, but one that left me with a feeling of distress. Perhaps that’s the mark of a good thriller. Whatever it was, I followed it with two feel-good books to put me back on an even keel. This plot was particularly twisted. That’s something I should have remembered from reading “The Silent Patient,” several years ago. This acclaim from author David Baldacci is the first line in the Amazon description.
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Dec 20, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn
Twice this year, I’ve reviewed books by Jonathan Santlofer. I read a review of his second Luke Perrone suspense novel, “The Lost Van Gogh” and decided to begin with the first in the series, “The Last Mona Lisa.” Both are intriguing mysteries that mix in art history and the modern world of art. The main character, Luke Perrone, is an art history professor and an artist who sets out to learn more about his French grandfather.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn
Ever since I read Mary Stewart’s King Arthur trilogy when I was in high school, I’ve been a King Arthur fan. I suspect “The Crystal Cave” was one of the many books I snuck into class to read between the covers of textbooks. It was followed by “The Hollow Hills” and “The Last Enchantment.” Described as the Merlin trilogy, the books are told from his perspective. Until this year, the last King Arthur book I read was “Finding Camlann” by Sean Pidgeon.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn |Sulari Gentill |Anthony Horowitz
These mysteries have two things in common. Given my love of murder mysteries, the obvious commonality between the settings of Kansas and London is, of course, murder. I must admit, however, that what I enjoyed most about them was that they both involved writers. I recall reading “The Woman in the Library” by this author and marveling at that mystery set in Boston. Her latest is set in Lawrence, Kansas.
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Nov 1, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn |Colleen Cambridge |Bruce Beckham
Quite often I hear from Crier readers that they’ve enjoyed a book they discovered in my columns. Recently, though, I received an email from a Crier reader with a request:“Please consider reviewing books that take place elsewhere. Not everyone is infatuated with the dark, dreary, depressing world of the UK. It's a big world out there! Maybe try a sunny destination with great food, like Italy.”My reply? “Thanks for taking the time to drop me a line.
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Oct 9, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn |Madeleine Kate Henry |Jonathan Santlofer
This week’s reads were, of course, mysteries, as I rarely read any other genre. In both, the protagonist embarks on a search, though one is seeking a missing author while the other is searching for a lost painting. Both start in New York City before the clues lead them to another locale. This is a new-to-me author, and I’m delighted to have discovered her. That this novel came out in May 2024 and has garnered 7,000+ reviews speaks volumes about what an intriguing tale the author weaves.
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Oct 3, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn |Jacqueline Winspear
As I write this column, I’m heartbroken because I’ve just finished reading the final installment in the eighteen-book Maisie Dobbs series. The first book came out in 2003, and I’ve read every one. Some I’ve owned. Others I’ve picked up at the library. I’ve recommended them to friends who’ve become hooked on them, too. At the moment, I have a bag of Maisie Dobbs books ready to share with a friend who’s in the middle of the series.
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Sep 18, 2024 | 
appenmedia.com | Kathy Manos Penn
What better time for a library book sale than when the days are turning cooler? Take this opportunity to stock up on books to get you through the fall and on into the winter. Can you picture yourself snuggled up by the fire with a soft blanket, reading to your heart’s content? Then this sale is for you. The FODL library sales are a fact of life here in Dunwoody, but unless you are one of the organization’s volunteers or a regular attendee, I predict you’ll find some of these fun facts surprising.
