Ann Patchett Receives Library of Congress American Fiction Prize, 4th of July Bookstore Display at Theodore's Books, A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Murray, Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee, Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus, and The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by Summer N England

Hello fellow book lovers, and welcome to sultry July. This spring and summer have been rough for me, medically, but I've also gotten a lot of reading done, and I'm looking forward to getting through August and on into the beauty and cooler temps of fall in the PNW. I've got a lot of reviewing to do, so sit back and enjoy!

 Though I'm not a fan of her books, I believe Patchett to be a worthy author and bookseller, and I'm glad she received this prize, which was well deserved. Congratulations! 

Ann Patchett to Receive Library of Congress American Fiction Prize

Ann Patchett, bestselling author and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn., will receive the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, which honors an American literary writer whose body of work "is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination. The award seeks to recognize strong, unique, enduring voices that, throughout long and consistently accomplished careers, have told us something about the American experience." Patchett will be honored on August 22 at a ceremony during the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen said Patchett "crafts moving, probing, tender novels. She has a talent for creating fiction that readers continually devour because she thinks deeply and writes evocatively about human connection."

Patchett commented: "The Library of Congress is one of our nation's noblest institutions, and it's full of librarians, who I consider to be the very noblest of people. I am grateful for this award and honored by the association."

Patchett is the author of 10 novels, as well as nonfiction and children's books. She received the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture, and was recently named this year's recipient of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation's Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award.

Patchett opened Parnassus Books 15 years ago, and "has since become an advocate for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores," the Library of Congress wrote. She was the inaugural ambassador for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) and founded the Parnassus Books Foundation, which gives books to children in Title I schools in Nashville.

Books shaped the American dream! 

July Fourth Display: Theodore's Books

Former Congressman Steve Israel shared a photo of the front window of his bookstore, Theodore's Books, Oyster Bay, N.Y., featuring an American flag book display for the holiday weekend. Israel wrote:

"As we celebrate the Fourth of July, we must remember that America's story has always been written by people willing to imagine something better. From the very beginning, they believed in possibility.

For two and a half centuries, the American story has been shaped by presidents and patriots, but most enduringly by teachers, dreamers, dissenters, and readers who believed that ideas have the power to shape history!

At Theodore's Books, we believe that books are one of the greatest expressions of the American experiment. They challenge us and unite us, despite our differences. Each story invites us to see the world--and each other--with greater understanding as we turn the page on to this nation’s next chapter together.

Whether you're spending the holiday with family, friends, or simply a good book, we hope you'll take a moment to celebrate the stories and freedoms that continue to define our country."

 

A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a languidly paced historical fiction novel about two women from different sides of the tracks, so to speak, who end up working together to bring down a very nasty mob kingpin in the 1930s. Here's the blurb: A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law—a prosecutor and a madam—who team up to bring down notorious Mob boss Lucky Luciano in 1930s New York, from the authors of The Personal Librarian.

Eunice Carter, assistant district attorney for the City of New York and Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor, has her sights set on the one and only Lucky Luciano, head of New York City’s five largest organized crime families. Other prosectors have tried to bring down Lucky, but they’ve all focused on the crime syndicate’s traditional businesses—bootlegging, gambling, loan sharking, and drug dealing—or tax evasion. No one has thought to approach the mob through its role in prostitution. Until Eunice. But she can’t get Luciano alone.

Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. Her client list is filled with well-known names, both the famous and the infamous, who all know her booze is top-notch, her music first-rate, her food exquisite, and her girls the best. But Lucky has gone too far, putting her girls in danger, and Polly finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all.

Together, Eunice and Polly fashion a case utilizing a network of women. Bridging the enormous divide between them and risking their own lives, they assemble evidence bit by bit, under the nose of the man they’re trying to convict. It is this very alliance—of two women from vastly different worlds—that launches the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen. 

While I wouldn't call it "gripping" in the thriller genre sense, this novel did have a momentum that kept me going through the drier, slower parts of the book. Speaking of those parts, there was too much info-dumping as to legal procedure and details about the mobsters business practices that I believe slowed the book down. However, the prose was sterling and made the plot seem smoother than it actually was. I'd give this important historical fiction book a B- and recommend it to anyone interested in black female attorneys of the past and in madams of the "skin trade" during the same era.

 

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee is a YA historical fiction novel about the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, told from the perspective of a smart young Chinese woman. Here's the blurb: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown, San Francisco in 1906, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. Now she’s forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

 

I loved the fact that Mercy didn't let the grief of losing her mother and brother keep her from organizing a free food kitchen for her fellow survivors, and that she made her way through all the racist/sexist BS of the time to help thousands of displaced people in the Bay area after the quake. She was able to organize her fellow snobbish classmates as well, getting them involved in helping others. I've read one other of Lees novels, which was also compelling, and with the clean and well thought out prose and plot, I'd say she's got a winner here, too. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone interested in the San Fransisco earthquake at the turn of the century. 

 

Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus is a humorous/satirical fiction novel that is a big departure from the much heralded "Lessons in Chemistry" that won her many an award and had a TV movie made from it. Feminists rejoyced at the success of Lessons, and I would bet they will assume that this book follows the same architecture. Fortunately, it doesn't, as its about a poetry publishing house full of crazy characters and drama. Here's the blurb: The bestselling author of global sensation Lessons in Chemistry returns with an irresistible, delightful, and tender story about a young man whose life turns upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive, and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck of New York City.

Batter Gray is worried about his future. Even when he was eleven, his classmates seemed to have settled on a goal: doctor, lawyer, broker, engineer. Good jobs that automatically command respect, security, 401Ks. Now Batter is in his early twenties, living in New York City, and he wants something different; something that alienates some readers and bores most. Poetry. And yet—to him and exactly thirty-nine editors at a company called Peck & Peck—poetry not only represents the power of humanity but holds the key to its survival.

Batter is named after his mother’s heroic dog. An identical twin who lost his brother at birth, he finds himself confronted by the everyday dualities that make up life: right vs. wrong, truth vs. lies, rejection vs. acceptance. It’s almost as if his dead brother is a reminder: there are always two sides to every story.
No, wait. Make that three.

 

Owing to the fact that our protagonist's mother is a type designer, I was able to indulge my squealing inner font nerd throughout the book, while also enjoying the discussions of kerning and serifs, a rare treat. Garmus's prose is delightful, and it helps keep her labyrinthine plot from stalling several times when things turn on a dime. By the end I wasn't sure who I should be rooting for, but I was thrilled the the grasping, evil brother/editor was jailed for his crimes. This is not a book to read quickly, but if you are at all interested in words and their power to change lives, I highly recommend that you grab a copy and stick with it, even through the head-scratching parts. I'd give it an A-, and again, recommend it to word nerds and typeface afficionados.

 

The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by Summer N England *(yes, we are assured in the bio section, that really IS her name!) is a lovely cozy LGBTQ romantasy that will endear itself to you on page one. Here's the blurb: Most stories end with a happily ever after. But mine? Well, it begins with one ...
 
After a lonely childhood, Clara Thorne is living out her happy ending as the magically gifted gardener for the town of Moss. Sure, her closest companion is a surly hedgehog, and she’s forever stuck on the first line of her novel, but she has a home. That is, until The Goddess chooses Clara for an important quest—travel to the cursed town of Dwindle and grow them a garden. In less than a month.
 
Only Clara’s hiding a terrible secret: her magic doesn't work outside Moss. Worse, The Goddess has assigned the absurdly sexy, annoyingly cheerful Hesper Altanfall to keep her safe. Clara would rather eat thorns than accept help—especially since Hesper insists that Clara’s magic is bound to her heart, not her home.
 
Nevertheless, the two can't help growing closer as they traverse enchanted woods and share tavern beds. But with an ancient evil threatening from the shadows, saving Dwindle will require more than enchanted crops. Clara will need to unearth a magic she’s always believed impossible.  

 

I loved the "coming of age" aspect of this novel, and  the way that Hesper believes in Clara when she doesn't believe in herself. The prose is delicate and pretty, and the plot breezy yet substantial. All in all, a great beach read for those who love lesbian fantasy romances. I laughed at the people of Dwindle, yet I adored their cheery faith in the face of terrible odds. I also loved the ending, and Clara's Hedgie, who was ancient and magical. I'd give this sweet novel a B+, and recommend it to TJ Klune fans and cozy magic lovers who enjoy slow-burn romances.