These six picks from local librarian Mary Wallace Moore include something for everyone. No matter your age or your favorite genre, one of these books is sure to spark your interest! Mary offers suggestions from local authors and titles sharing more about our city, our state, and our local history. Check out one of her suggestions at the Smyrna Public Library, find a book from your TBR list on the shelves, or stop by for an event to show your local library love!
1. The Mystery of the Love List by Sarah Glenn Marsh: This is a picture book that is great for ages 3-7! Pippa is the only porcupine in her class, and with Valentine's Day approaching, she feels lonelier than ever until she finds her name on a classmate's love list and sets out to find out her mystery friend.
2. Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi: This romance novel for teens is by a local Atlanta author. Imelda and Ambrose have forgotten why they got together in the first place. After a whirlwind courtship and a fairy-tale wedding, they embark on life together as royalty of “Loves Keep.” But when Imelda is in trouble, Ambrose sacrifices their love to save her life, little knowing that the loss of their love will jeopardize the entire kingdom.
3. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley: This romance novel for adults is by a local Atlanta author. Piper Parrish's life on Frick Island-a tiny, remote town smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay-is nearly perfect. Well, aside from one pesky detail: Her beloved husband, Tom, is dead. Oakley delivers a love story about an eccentric community, a grieving widow, and an outsider who slowly learns that sometimes faith is more important than the facts.
4. The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling: This romantic fantasy novel for adults is set in Georgia! A follow-up to the popular The Ex Hex, The Kiss Curse features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry. Erin Sterling is a pseudonym for bestselling Southern author, Rachel Hawkins.
5. By Her Own Design: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register by Piper Huguley: This is a great historical fiction book for adults by a local Atlanta author. The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy.
6. Mittie & Thee: An 1853 Roosevelt Romance by Connie M. Huddleston and Gwendolyn I. Koehler: This adult non-fiction tome is rich in local history. This true story, told through one year of courtship letters between New York City's Theodore Roosevelt (Senior) and Miss Mittie Bulloch of Roswell, Georgia, echoes through time. Roosevelt was the fifth son of a wealthy New York City businessman of Dutch heritage and father of future president, Teddy Roosevelt. Mittie and Thee’s courtship, conducted mostly through letters, provides the reader with an intimate peek into their personal love story. Transcribed and presented just as written, the letters tell the story not only of two young lovers but of the social mores of 1853. The authors allow the letters to stand on their own, presenting only the necessary background to the story, a glimpse of antebellum life, and explanations of persons and events as needed. You can visit Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Georgia, to learn more about the Bullochs and 19th century life.
About the Librarian: Mary Wallace Moore is the director of Smyrna Public Library in Smyrna, Georgia. Moore is the author of Smyrna, Georgia: "The Jonquil City,” Celebrating 150 Years (2022).
