Regarding next year's reading list... we also collected the last of the book nominations and are working to have them organized and out to you for review within a week's time. We will plan to vote in our top 12 picks at our Apil 12th meeting, however, you may also choose to send your favorites to Susan or myself via e-mail, call and/or stop into the library with your selections, or there will also be a link on the library's website for online voting as well (we'll be in touch with when that's available). Keep in mind, there are 5 dedicated categories again this year that will require one of your votes, leaving 7 of your choices free for whatever you'd like. I've already gotten a head's start on getting the nominations organized, and there's a whole lot of good options already on the docket~ good luck, and happy voting!
Without further ado!
Deputy Shelby Lake was
abandoned as a baby, saved by a stranger who found her in the freezing
cold. Now, years later, a young boy is missing - and Shelby is the one
who must rescue a child.
The only evidence of what happened to
10-year-old Jeremiah Sloan is a bicycle left behind on a lonely road.
After a desperate search fails to locate him, the close bonds of
Shelby's hometown begin to fray under the weight of accusations and
suspicion. Everyone around her is keeping secrets. Her adoptive father,
her best friend, her best friend's young daughter - they all have
something to hide. Even Shelby is concealing a mistake that could
jeopardize her career and her future.
Unearthing the lies of the people in Jeremiah's life doesn't get the police and the FBI any closer to finding him. As time passes and the case grows cold, Shelby worries that the mystery will stay buried forever in the deep, deep snow.
It's a good thing Mr. Freeman did most of the talking during the meeting, as when the time rolled around to discuss it after he had signed off, we found that we all really liked it and had very little to critique. We liked his writing very much, especially his character development, and are interested in reading more of his work. There were several comments about what an excellent speaker Mr. Freeman is, how down-to-earth and approachable he seems, and how thoughtfully he answered our many questions.
The small criticisms we had for the read were there were areas that seemed a little far-fetched (think the entire scene of Jeremiah's accidental death, for example) and it was also said the neat and tidy ending felt a little too Hallmark (for example, in the end, the whole town wanting Shelby to be the next sheriff and Monica conveniently insisting on retiring and taking over Shelby's father's care).
Mr. Freeman shared that he has been in a pattern of writing three very different books at the same time for a few years now (the Stride and Jason Bourne series, along with The Deep, Deep Snow and it's sequel, The Ursulina~ just released February 1st, 2022) and enjoys the challenge it presents. He said he knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a writer, and noted a particular English teacher that spotted and encouraged his talent in the 8th grade~ to whom he is grateful.
Mr. Freeman shared that he considers The Deep, Deep Snow and The Ursulina one long book and his favorite project to date. He added that the ending of The Ursulina is his favorite ending that he's ever written, and continues to choke him up whenever he revisits it.
Speaking of The Ursulina, at the close of the meeting, Mr. Freeman expressed how much he enjoyed the meeting, and said if we were to choose The Ursulina for any future reading lists, he'd be happy to join us again to discuss it! Needless to say, it was unanimously nominated by the group to be added for consideration in this next year's line up!
Happy voting!
Did you love The Deep, Deep Snow? Fans of this book also enjoyed: The Stolen Hours, by Allen Eskens, Lightening Strike by William Kent Krueger, and Unsolved, by James Patterson. All of these titles are available in Viking~ reserve your copy today!
At the conclusion of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we
recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we
recommend this to a friend to read?
"NO"
Rate the
book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:
4 stars (a UNANIMOUS score from our attending members!)
