FRIDAY POTPOURRI: DREAMING BOOKISH THOUGHTS — JAN. 18

Now that the holidays are behind us, what thoughts of the upcoming year insert themselves into your dreams?

I know that I am vowing to read more books from my stacks and from the library, thus avoiding the downward spiral of the whole bookshelf-toppling thing.

But we can still load up our gadgets, can’t we?  Sparky is welcoming the downloads, and I just went online to order a book due out in May…from an author whose previous book was so captivating that it was a favorite of mine last year. (Saving CeeCee Honeycutt). (click for my review).

Looking for Me, by Beth Hoffman, is that book.

What drew me to this book, other than my enjoyment of Hoffman’s prose?  Well, the cover for one thing.  And then there’s this blurb:

A Southern novel of family and antiques from the bestselling author of the beloved Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Beth Hoffman’s sparkling bestselling debut Saving CeeCee Honeycutt won admirers and acclaim with its heartwarming story and cast of unforgettable characters. Now, she rekindles her flair for evocative Southern settings and the inimitable eccentrics in her compelling new novel, Looking for Me.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky.  She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and opens her own graciously-appointed shop in Charleston. Breathing new life into these discarded objects gives Teddi purpose, but has never alleviated the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to find him. It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last.

Looking for Me is an unforgettable novel that is full of Hoffman’s signature heart and humor—and a grown-up love story to boot. It is destined to make her a bestselling novelist readers will want to read again and again as they have with Adriana Trigiani, Fannie Flagg, and Dorothea Benton Frank.

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I can’t wait to read this one!  I’ll be featuring it on posts from now until its release.

As for the present—yes, we have to read while waiting for new books!—I’m enjoying Gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson; this is my second read from this author, and I borrowed the book from the library (see, I’m following some of my rules!).

I excerpted from this book in my Tuesday Sparks:  Intros/Teasers post.

And next, I’ll be reading another author that is relatively new to me; I read one previous book from his works (Midwives).  My up-next read is:  The Sandcastle Girls, by Chris Bohjalian.

What current or upcoming reads are capturing your book love this weekend?