Cold Sassy Tree, published in 1984, is one tall glass of sweet Southern storytelling. With strong themes of love, compassion, spirituality, and family (with more than a dash of humor and gossip), it’s easy to see why this historical fiction novel was a bestseller in its time. Continue reading
Author Archives: mmelland
“A Book for Every Kid” Children’s Book Drive
Hello, everyone. The U.S. is currently experiencing a literacy crisis, and my daughter, Hayley, and I are sponsoring a children’s book drive to help develop young readers and do something to help solve this crisis. Continue reading
Reader Recommendations Page Has Been Updated (Finally)!
One of the purposes of the Book Thoughts from Bed blog is to give and receive book recommendations. I try to capture the book recommendations my blog readers leave in the comments section on the Reader Recommendations page of the blog, which has recently been updated after two years. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, Narrated by Lesley Sharp
Wrong Place, Wrong Time is a riveting and cleverly constructed novel of suspense that has a mother traveling back in time to discover the events leading up to a murder committed by her beloved son. Can she change history and save her son? Continue reading
Book Review: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Furiously Happy is Jenny Lawson’s candid and humorous memoir about her struggles with mental illness. Lawson, an award-winning blogger, holds nothing back in describing her disorders, her coping mechanisms, her family life, and her opinions on everything from the Australian outback to cats that yawn too much. Continue reading
Book Review: All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
All Good People Here is a terrific murder mystery that will leave you guessing until the end (and then some). The novel follows crime reporter Margot Davies as she pieces together the connection between a recent child abduction and a 25-year-old murder. Continue reading
Book Review: Semper Fidelis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie
Semper Fidelis is the fifth book in Ruth Downie’s Medicus Novels series. It’s set in England (formerly known as Britannia) during the Roman occupation somewhere around 122 AD. The time period, setting, characters, and plot make it a light and entertaining read. Continue reading
Book Review: A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
A Test of Wills is a satisfying, traditional English mystery with a nontraditional main character. Ian Rutledge is trying to rebuild his career at Scotland Yard following World War I, but PTSD, lack of clues, and secretive villagers are making it difficult to solve a high-profile murder. Continue reading
10 Fascinating Nonfiction Books that Will Leave You Wanting More
In the right author’s hands, true stories can be just as engrossing as fiction. Plus, the best nonfiction books teach you about a number of topics, including history, famous and non famous people, and both well-known and obscure events and locations. Continue reading
Book Review: The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr
The Shell Collector is a collection of short stories by Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Doerr. Each story is the same sublime quality of All the Light We Cannot See, but packaged as delicious bite-sized nuggets. These short stories pack a powerful literary punch! Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 