18 Jan 2012

Books read recently

I'm stuck here in the boondocks - at least where books are concerned. There are no good bookstores in Malacca. What passes for a bookstore is Popular Bookstore which sells mainly school texts, revision and examination books as well as outdated popular novels. Afte two trips and returning with nothing I decided to at least get one or two books, even if they are outdated or even worse, expensive! So I came home with one Nora Roberts (she's always a good one if you have nothing to read) and The White Queen which I had wanted to read before but didnt want to pay through the nose for.

Anyway the Nora Roberts was new -its called The Next Always and one of her family/relationship stories which she is very good for.The book is centred in a small town called Boonsboro where 3 brothers have bought over an old hotel and renovating it. The hotel had been there for centuries, surviving war and peace, watching the town grow and now that it is very old, the Montgomery brothers have bought it and they are going to turn it back into what it once was - a beautiful classic looking hotel. But the old hotel has its secrets too and its own ghost, staying there. Beckett Montgomery is the architect and is the only one of his brothers who had seen the ghost. Clare Brewster is the owner of the local bookshop, as well as the girl Beckett dreamed of long ago in his student days. Now she's a young widow with 3 boisterous boys to bring up.She does not believe in ghosts or spirits but one day when she was visiting with Beckett at the slowly developing hotel she 'sees' the ghost and is quite shaken by the experience. Her relationship with Beckett is also getting closer and she's even thinking of marrying again - until one day a crazy suitor traps her and plans to elope with her!

Nora Roberts is at her best writing about family and relationships and this book is no different. Boonsboro comes alive with details of the characters and their lives with a little adventure and mystery thrown in.

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