August 1st, 2024
The Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library’s First Thursday Book Club met on Thursday, August 1, 2024 from 12 NOON to 1:00 PM in the library with 8 readers in attendance. At our last meeting, a member shared that her grandmother often served cake that included the powdered drink Tang as an ingredient and wondered if Tang was still sold and if recipes for the cake existed. Since the last get-together, another member did her research. She purchased Tang and made a delicious Tang cake with mandarin orange frosting. Another member made an outstanding zucchini bread, and others brought crostini, a savory cream cheese spread, fresh tomatoes and basil. We also talked about food we shared at the first Community Read (about The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons) last week. The book is set
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in England, so we shared delightful tea sandwiches, a Victoria sponge cake, digestive biscuits and more. Several members have asked for the recipes, so these have been shared at the end of these minutes!
Location of the Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library’s First Thursday Book Club meeting minutes:
The Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library’s First Thursday Book Club meeting minutes are published in “files” on the Marcellus Twp Library Book Club Facebook site. If you have not already joined this site, please do!
The Monthly First Thursday Book Club Quiz and Prize!
This month, note that a literary quiz can be found at the end of these meeting minutes. Share your responses with us at marcellusmichiganlibrary@gmail.com. Send an e-mail listing the correct responses (e.g., 1. A, 2. C, 3. D). You can also call the library or stop in at the library with your responses and we’ll let you know if you’re a winner! The first person to give us the correct answers will win this month’s prize—two bars of All Natural Soaps from The Soap Cupboard in Decatur, MI. The artwork on the packaging for each bar of soap depicts the cover of a book written by Eva Ortilla author AND soap maker!
New at the Library!
The next Community Read has been scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 6:00 PM. At the August Community Read, the group randomly picked Lisa Wingate’s The Book of Lost Friends as our next read. We’ll meet on September 19th, watch Lisa Wingate being interviewed about her book and then discuss the book itself. Light refreshments will be provided. If you would like to join us, just contact the library. We’ll order the book for you. Books will be ordered for those that attended the August 2024 First Thursday Book Club meeting on August 1, 2024, and we’ll notify attendees when their books are available for pick up.
The weblink to the Random House Publishing Books Book Club Discussion Kit for the Book of Lost Friends is included below. The kit includes comments from the author, research that she did when writing this book, and book club discussion questions that you can use while reading the book. We’ll use these questions and others when talking about the book at our Community Read.
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Link: https://www.randomhousebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/the-book-of-lost-friends-by lisa-wingate-book-club-kit.pdf
Book cover for The Book of Lost Friends Author Lisa Wingate
Title and author: The Book of Lost Friends: A Novel by Lisa Wingate
Description: A novel inspired by historical events: a story of three young women on a journey in search of family amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who rediscovers their story and its connection to her own students' lives. Lisa Wingate brings to life stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold off.
Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.
Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.
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Books discussed at the August 2024 First Thursday Book Club meeting:
Title and Author: The Girl from the Island by Lorna Cook
Description: A world at war. One woman will risk everything. Another will uncover her story. 1940: When the island of Guernsey is invaded by the Nazis, two sisters are determined to rebel in any way they can. But when forced to take in a German soldier, they are shocked to find a familiar face on their doorstep – a childhood friend who has now become their enemy. 2016: Two generations later, Lucy returns to Guernsey after the death of a distant cousin. As she prepares the old family house for sale, Lucy discovers a box of handwritten notes, one word standing out: resistance. Lucy’s search for the author will uncover the story of a forgotten sister who vanished from the island one night, never to be seen again. A timeless story of love and bravery.
Genre: Adult historical fiction
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): A dual time line historical fiction novel, this book immersed the reader in the experiences of those living on the Island of Guernsey during World War II when this and other islands were occupied by the Nazis. With history, mystery, and a bit of romance, this book had a lot to offer and was highly recommended to other historical fiction fans.
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Title and Author: The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight
Description: Home is not a place—it’s a feeling. Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame—the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina’s Low country hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share. What Casey doesn’t expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she’s never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide. Through the pages of her great-grandmother’s journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Low country soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story—if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind.
Genre: Adult fiction-inspirational
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): Written by an African American author about an African American woman’s transformational journey back to her family’s roots in South Carolina’s Low country. One of the most wonderful aspects of this book is the way the author portrays the main character’s grandmother. Nearing 100 years old, she remains physically and mentally active, embracing life, her faith, her family, and her community. Although the ending is somewhat predictable, the reader didn’t mind this aspect of the book because the reader wanted the main character move on with her life a better person for having met the
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family she had never known. This book is rich in historical detail and invites the reader to become familiar with traditional food prepared in this area of the country. A delightful book!
Title and Author: Hidden in Snow by Viveca Sten
Description: The splendor of the Swedish mountains becomes the backdrop for a bone-chilling crime. On the day Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander’s personal and professional lives crash, she takes refuge at her sister’s lodge in the Swedish ski resort paradise of Åre. But it’s a brief comfort. The entire village is shaken by the sudden vanishing of a local teenage girl. Hanna can’t help but investigate, and while searching for the missing person, she lands a job with the local police department. There she joins forces with Detective Inspector Daniel Lindskog, who has been tasked with finding the girl. Their only lead: a scarf in the snow. As subzero temperatures drop even further, a treacherous blizzard sweeps toward Åre. Hanna and Daniel’s investigation is getting more desperate by the hour. Lost or abducted, either way time is running out for the missing girl. Each new clue closes in on something far more sinister than either Hanna or Daniel imagined. In this devious novel by the bestselling author of the Sandhamn Murders series, discover what it will take to solve a case when the truth can be so easily hidden in the coming storm.
Genre: Mystery
Availability:
In Library: Book.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook.
Club member comment(s): From the jarring opening few chapters introducing us to the murder victim to the ending the reader didn’t see coming, this is a thoroughly engrossing mystery. The author is Swedish, and the book’s setting is Sweden in the middle of winter—cold, snowy, and dangerous (for more than obvious reasons!). The reader will be looking for other books written by this author!
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Title and Author: The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman
Description: Iris Maynard lost her husband in World War II, her daughter to loneliness and, finally, her reason to live. Walled off from the world for decades behind a towering fence surrounding her home and gardens, Iris has built a new family…of flowers. Iris propagates her own daylilies and roses while tending to an heirloom garden filled with starts—and memories of her own mother, grandmother, husband and daughter. When Abby Peterson moves to Grand Haven, Michigan, with her family—a husband traumatized during his service in the Iraq War and a young daughter searching for stability—they find themselves next door to Iris, and are slowly drawn into their reclusive neighbor’s life where, united by loss and a love of flowers, Iris and Abby slowly unearth their secrets.
Genre: Adult fiction-literary.
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook
Club member comment(s): Readers that enjoy gardening will love this book. A flower becomes the theme for each chapter with that flower a part of the story. The novel’s setting is Grand Haven, MI, on the shore of Lake Michigan, and reading about this area of the state was quite interesting. The characters’ development over time is well crafted. An enjoyable read.
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Title and Author: Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame: A Novel by Olivia Ford
Description: A huge-hearted, redemptive coming-of-old-age tale, a love story, and an ode to good food. Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends’ lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had— Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes. Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever. With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?
Genre: Adult Fiction-general
Availability:
Library: Libby eBook
MeLCat: Book
Club member comment(s): The club member adored this book! If you’re a fan of TV baking contests, baked goodies, sifted together with mystery dating back decades in the main character’s life, this is the book for you. This book is set in England, so the reader is also treated to delightful descriptions of baked treats unique to those across the pond. The author seems to have immense insight into the experiences of older adults and couples that have been married for many years because she is gifted at describing the lives of the main characters in the book. The reader was surprised to see that the author is a young woman. Well written and poignant, the reader did not want this book to end.
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Title and Author: The Secret Book of Flora Lea: A Novel by Patti Callahan Henry
Description: In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own. But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves. Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years? As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance.
Genre: Adult fiction-historical
Availability:
In Library: Book; Libby audiobook; Libby eBook
MeLCat: Book; audiobook
Club member comment(s): The audiobook version of the book was chosen and the narration was good. The story discusses the evacuation of children from London prior to the bombing during World War II. These times
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must have been difficult for parents and children and the book covers this well. However, the book seemed too long, somewhat repetitive, and injected storylines and characters that seemed unnecessary such as the American Penny, her mother and Penny’s male friend. Some of the prose just seemed too sappy and over the top. Overall, the reader just could not connect well with any of the characters, and the book fell flat.
Title and Author: In the Shadow of the Banyan: A Novel by Vaddey Ratner
Description: For seven-year-old Raami, the shattering end of childhood begins with the footsteps of her father returning home in the early dawn hours bringing details of the civil war that has overwhelmed the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. Soon the family’s world of carefully guarded royal privilege is swept up in the chaos of revolution and forced exodus. Over the next four years, as she endures the deaths of family members, starvation, and brutal forced labor, Raami clings to the only remaining vestige of childhood—the mythical legends and poems told to her by her father. In a climate of systematic violence where memory is sickness and justification for execution, Raami fights for her improbable survival. Displaying the author’s extraordinary gift for language, In the Shadow of the Banyan is testament to the transcendent power of narrative and a brilliantly wrought tale of human resilience.
Genre: Adult literary fiction
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): The book is a fictionalized story of the author’s own experiences in Cambodia as a child when the Khmer Rouge captured, exiled and murdered her family. The prose itself is beautiful which is amazing because the story is so horrifying. Raami, the child, and her mother become knit together as the story unfolds. Raami’s memories of her father are endearing. This was a great read.
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Title and Author: Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting: A Novel by Clare Pooley
Description: Nobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It’s a rule. But what would happen if they did? Every day Iona, a larger-than-life magazine advice columnist, travels the ten stops from Hampton Court to Waterloo Station by train, accompanied by her dog, Lulu. Every day she sees the same people, whom she knows only by nickname: Impossibly-Pretty-Constant-Reader and Terribly-Lonely-Teenager. Of course, they never speak. Seasoned commuters never do. Then one morning, the man she calls Smart But-Sexist-Manspreader chokes on a grape right in front of her. He’d have died were it not for the timely intervention of Sanjay, a nurse, who gives him the Heimlich maneuver. This single event starts a chain reaction, and an eclectic group of people with almost nothing in common except their commute discover that a chance encounter can blossom into much more. It turns out that talking to strangers can teach you about the world around you—and even more about yourself.
Genre: Adult fiction-romance
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): The reader enjoyed this book. It was funny, heartwarming and a light read—a good book if one needs a break from books with heavier themes. Iona was a closed off, isolated person who, through one unexpected occurrence on a train, found herself opening up to a group of strangers and her life changed as a result. The book emphasized the concept of community and how even strangers can come together and help one another.
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Title and Author: La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith
Description: With a failed marriage behind her, La—short for Lavender—moves to the Suffolk countryside on the eve of the Second World War to nurse her broken heart. Lonely and at a loss, a friend encourages her to bring together the villagers and the men from the local airbase by forming an amateur orchestra. One of her musicians is Feliks, a handsome and enigmatic Polish refugee, and when a close friendship blossoms between the two, La finds her feelings stirring to life again. Poignant, tender and inspiring, La’s Orchestra Saves the World celebrates the power of love, friendship and the extraordinary healing power of music in the tragic shadow of war.
Genre: Adult fiction-literary
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook
Club member comment(s): The audiobook version of this book had mediocre narration. The narrator had an English accent, appropriate for the setting, but little change of inflection or voice was utilized for the various characters—male or female. The reader picked this book because the title seemed to indicate that the orchestra would be a large part of the story. Indeed, La (short for Lavender) was instrumental (no pun intended) in starting the war-time orchestra, but there was little information about what was played and why. Since this was an audiobook, injecting some orchestral music into the narration would have added to the experience. Then there was the relationship between La and the Polish refugee on the farm where she works. He was possibly a spy? Maybe not even Polish? This storyline built and then fizzled. The reader gave this book an “ok” only.
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Title and Author: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
Description: In Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler, eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis. It's a big one. Isabelle wants Dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, to drop everything to drive Isabelle from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. With no clear explanation why. Tomorrow. Curious whether she can unlock the secrets of Isabelle's guarded past, she agrees, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives. Over the years, Dorrie and Isabelle have developed more than just a business relationship. They are friends. But Dorrie, fretting over the new man in her life and her teenage son's irresponsible choices, still wonders why Isabelle chose her. Isabelle confesses that, as a willful teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell deeply in love with Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the black son of her family's housekeeper―in a town where blacks weren't allowed after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences makes it clear Dorrie and Isabelle are headed for a gathering of the utmost importance and that the history of Isabelle's first and greatest love just might help Dorrie find her own way.
Genre: Historical fiction.
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook
Club member comment(s): The reader listened to the audiobook which has two narrators—one was the character of Isabelle, the 89 year old woman who is telling her own story, and the other was Dorrie, the 30ish African American hair-dresser who is driving Isabelle to a funeral in Ohio. The narration was excellent. The person who has died and for whom Isabelle is travelling to Ohio is not revealed until the end which creates a mystery for the reader. Isabelle tells her story to Dorrie on the drive to Ohio in a series of flashbacks. Dorrie has issues in her own life and shares these with the reader and Isabelle on the drive. Isabelle’s story focuses primarily on her forbidden love of Robert, a young African American man who works for her family in Kentucky during the 1930s. The reader gets a detailed description of Isabelle’s desire for freedom from societal restrictions on women at that time and her growing feelings for Robert over time. One thing that the reader desired more of was a viewpoint from Robert’s perspective. In fact,
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having Robert as the other narrator to give a parallel story of what he was feeling and experiencing during this time would have added nuance to the story. Dorrie’s experiences as a single mother, business owner, and girlfriend seemed like a side-line. The reader just wanted to get on with Isabelle’s story as it was more compelling. Overall, the reader would highly recommend this book.
Title and Author: The Lemon Jelly Cake by Madeline Babcock Smith
Description: A surefire cure for the headaches and stomach upsets of the twenty-first century, The Lemon Jelly Cake carries readers back to kinder, gentler times in a small town at the turn of the last century. Evoking a forgotten America of lush lawns, bountiful summer picnics, and shady front porches, the tale is set when the day's toughest decision might have been what to serve for dinner or which suit or dress to wear.
Genre: Adult fiction-historical
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): Described as a quick read, the reader shared that the book title alludes to the fact that life occurs in layers over time just like the cake and that “no layer ever won a prize at the fair. It has to be the whole cake or nothing at all.” The book takes place in the early 1900s in a simpler time. Two young girls, one the daughter of the local pastor, hear their father lament that he mistakenly married a couple that lives out of state rending their marriage null and void and that the couple is not aware of this. The two girls decide to search for the almost married couple, and their search takes them to interesting places. This book is steeped in small town intrigue. Out reader said the book is fun and “Mayberry-like.” The reader noted that the author, Madeline Babcock Smith, had her first novel, this book, published in 1952 when she was 65 years old. She died of cancer four months after the novel’s release and The Lemon Jelly Cake never reached its full commercial potential. It went through 5 sold-out printings and Paramount pictures was interested in the film rights; however, after the author’s death, the novel slipped into oblivion.
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Title and Author: The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club: A Novel by Helen Simonson
Description: A timeless comedy of manners—refreshing as a summer breeze and bracing as the British seaside—about a generation of young women facing the seismic changes brought on by war and dreaming of the boundless possibilities of their future. It is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or—horror—a governess, she’s sent as a lady’s companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. Despite having only weeks to find a permanent home, Constance is swept up in the social whirl of Hazelbourne-on-Sea after she rescues the local baronet’s daughter, Poppy Wirrall, from a social faux pas. Poppy wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women, and runs a ladies’ motorcycle club (to which she plans to add flying lessons). She and her friends enthusiastically welcome Constance into their circle. And then there is Harris, Poppy’s recalcitrant but handsome brother—a fighter pilot recently wounded in battle—who warms in Constance’s presence. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked. Whip-smart and utterly transportive, The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is historical fiction of the highest order: an unforgettable coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a portrait of a nation on the brink of change.
Genre: Adult fiction-historical
Availability:
In Library: Large print book; Libby audiobook.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): This book offers the reader a glimpse at the experiences of women in England after the end of WWII. While the country’s men were at war, women backfilled many jobs traditionally only held by men and performed admirably; however, at war’s end, the men returned to the jobs they left
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and women were sent back home jobless. The reader enjoyed reading about that time period and what women had to go through. Good story!
Title and Author: The Museum of Lost Quilts: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini
Description: Summer Sullivan, the youngest founding member of Elm Creek Quilts, has spent the last two years pursuing a master’s degree in history at the University of Chicago. Her unexpected return home to the celebrated quilter’s retreat is met with delight but also concern from her mother, Gwen; her best friend, Sarah; master quilter Sylvia; and her other colleagues—and rightly so. Stymied by writer’s block, Summer hasn’t finished her thesis, and she can’t graduate until she does. Elm Creek Manor offers respite while Summer struggles to meet her extended deadline. She finds welcome distraction in organizing an exhibit of antique quilts as a fundraiser to renovate Union Hall, the 1863 Greek Revival headquarters of the Waterford Historical Society. But Summer’s research uncovers startling facts about Waterford’s past, prompting unsettling questions about racism, economic injustice, and political corruption within their community, past and present. As Summer’s work progresses, quilt lovers and history buffs praise the growing collection, but affronted local leaders demand that she remove all references to Waterford’s troubled history. As controversy threatens the exhibit’s success, Summer fears that her pursuit of the truth might cost the Waterford Historical Society their last chance to save Union Hall. Her only hope is to rally the quilting community to her cause. The Museum of Lost Quilts is a warm and deeply moving story about the power of collective memory. With every fascinating quilt she studies, Summer finds her passion for history renewed—and discovers a promising new future for herself.
Genre: Adult fiction-general
Availability:
In Library: Book.
MeLCat: Book; large print book; audiobook.
Club member comment(s): Our reader enjoyed this book stating that it made her want to go out and seek out old quilts. The quilts in the book were linked to people with interesting and troubling stories in the town. Our reader highly recommended this book to the other noting that it is also part of a series.
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Title and Author: You Like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King.
Description: “You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again. “Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful. King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
Genre: Adult fiction-horror.
Availability:
In Library: Book; Libby audiobook; Libby eBook.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook.0
Club member comment(s): Stephen King short stories. One of our members read the book and another listened to the audiobook. One reader found the short story about rattlesnakes attacking young boys to be just a bit too creepy for her. If you like Stephen King, you’ll like his short stories.
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Title and Author: Darling Girls: A Novel by Sally Hepworth
Description: For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life. But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects? A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder.
Genre: Adult fiction-mystery
Availability:
In Library: Book; Libby audiobook.
MeLCat: Book; large print book; audiobook.
Club member comment(s): Our reader told the group that given the opportunity, she would likely not select this book again because it was just too creepy.
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Title and Author: The Guest: A Novel by B. A. Paris
Description: Some secrets never leave. Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and again: sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris' clothes, even rearranging the furniture. Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure's mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll. Iris and Gabriel's only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past. Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.
Genre: Adult fiction-mystery
Availability:
In Library: Book.
MeLCat: Book; large print book; audiobook.
Club member comment(s): A mystery and okay.
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Title and Author: The Sweet Blue Distance: A Novel by Sara Donati
Description: A young midwife travels west to the New Mexico Territory to care for women in need and faces dangers more harrowing than the ones she’s fleeing in this epic tale of survival, redemption, and love from Sara Donati, the international bestselling author of the Wilderness series. 1857: In a bid to outrun her past, Carrie Ballentyne accepts a nursing position with a doctor in the New Mexico Territory. She knows the journey from New York to Santa Fe will not be easy, but she relishes the adventure. However, nothing could have prepared her for the wilderness she encounters. Its vastness and power are awe-inspiring, stunning in both beauty and brutality. To endure, she must learn to rely on her fellow travelers—and one enigmatic man in particular. As the small, tight-knit group tackles challenge after challenge, she feels her heart opening to this rugged land—and the people willing to risk so much for one another. The trip west is only the beginning of Carrie’s challenges, though. In Santa Fe, she compassionately helps women bring new life into the world, making her beloved among new mothers. Soon, however, she realizes that her employer and his wife are keeping secrets from her, and she must ferret out the truth to protect their young daughter. But to save the little girl she’s come to cherish, Carrie will have to confront the demons in her own past—a feat that will take all of her bravery with the help of the man she’s grown to love and depend on above all others. With its vivid descriptions of the breathtaking western landscape and its irresistible characters, The Sweet Blue Distance is the unforgettable story of one woman’s courage to heal herself, her family, and the women entrusted to her care.
Genre: Adult fiction-historical.
Availability:
In Library: Book.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook.
Club member comment(s): Having read several books on our list this month, our reader liked this book the best—her favorite. Well written and an interesting story.
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Title and Author: A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
Description: When we go through something impossible, someone, or something, will help us, if we let them . . . It is October 1966 and William Lavery is having the night of his life at his first black-tie do. But, as the evening unfolds, news hits of a landslide at a coal mine. It has buried a school: Aberfan. William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job as an embalmer, and it will be one he never forgets. His work that night will force him to think about the little boy he was, and the losses he has worked so hard to forget. But compassion can have surprising consequences, because - as William discovers - giving so much to others can sometimes help us heal ourselves.
Genre: Adult fiction-romance
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): Descriptions of this book heavily focus on William’s work as an embalmer at Aberfan and how this experience influences his life. The reader chose this book to learn more about what occurred at Aberfan. However, essentially, this is discussed only in the first 50 pages of the book. The reader referred to this as a “bait and switch.” The rest of the book is primarily devoted to William’s past history with his family, experiences at the boarding school, his life with the Finches (a family he lived with while attending embalming school), and his interactions with his uncle and his mother. The reader wanted more information about Aberfan and less about William and his issues. When the book finally circled back to Aberfan and tied up loose ends, it did not seem to resonate with the reader. The book got a mediocre review from the reader.
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Title and Author: How to Age Dis-grace-fully by Clare Pooley
Description: When Lydia takes a job running the Senior Citizens’ Social Club three afternoons a week, she assumes she’ll be spending her time drinking tea and playing gentle games of cards. The members of the Social Club, however, are not at all what Lydia was expecting. From Art, a failed actor turned kleptomaniac to Daphne, who has been hiding from her dark past for decades to Ruby, a Banksy-style knitter who gets revenge in yarn, these seniors look deceptively benign—but when age makes you invisible, secrets are so much easier to hide. When the city council threatens to sell the doomed community center building, the members of the Social Club join forces with their tiny friends in the daycare next door—as well as the teenaged father of one of the toddlers and a geriatric dog—to save the building. Together, this group’s unorthodox methods may actually work, as long as the police don’t catch up with them first.
Genre: Adult fiction-general.
Availability:
In Library: Book.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): One of the main characters in this book is celebrating her 70th birthday, and so was the reader sharing her review of the book. She told us she felt this was karma. The book is laugh out loud funny and a thoroughly enjoyable read!
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Title and Author: The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Description: What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life? From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit, Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than she has with the living. After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process. Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a road trip to uncover a forgotten love story—and perhaps, her own happy ending. As she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants, and whether she’ll have the courage to go after it. Probing, clever, and hopeful, The Collected Regrets of Clover is perfect for readers of The Midnight Library and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine as it turns the normally taboo subject of death into a reason to celebrate life.
Genre: Adult fiction-general
Availability:
In Library: Book; large print book; Libby audiobook; Libby eBook
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): Our reader shared that the main character, Clover, at 36 years old has no friends and has never heard anyone tell her “I love you.” Her parents have both died and weren’t parental material anyway. Clover was raised by her grandfather who loved her but never put his love into words that she needed to hear. Because of this, she retreats from living a life of her own, becoming a death doula and focuses on ensuring that each of her dying patients has a good death. Our reader told the group that she found Clover’s life to be so sad that midway through the book, she skipped to the end (last 50 pages) to see if Clover experienced any happiness. She did! The ending was great, so our reader went back to where she left off mid book and read the rest of the book to the end. She found the book to be enjoyable and did recommend it to the others.
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Title and Author: All This & More by Peng Shepherd
Description: An inventive new novel about a woman who wins the chance to rewrite every mistake she’s ever made… and how far she’ll go to find her elusive “happily ever after.” But there’s a twist: the reader gets to decide what she does next to change her fate. One woman. Endless options. Every choice has consequences. Meek, play-it-safe Marsh has just turned forty-five, and her life is in shambles. Her career is stagnant, her marriage has imploded, and her teenage daughter grows more distant by the day. Marsh is convinced she’s missed her chance at everything—romance, professional fulfillment, and adventure— and is desperate for a do-over. She can’t believe her luck when she’s selected to be the star of the global sensation All This and More, a show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants the chance to revise their pasts and change their present lives. It’s Marsh’s only shot to seize her dreams, and she’s determined to get it right this time. But even as she rises to become a famous lawyer, gets back together with her high school sweetheart, and travels the world, she begins to worry that All This and More’s promises might be too good to be true. Because while the technology is amazing, something seems a bit off.… Can Marsh really make her life everything she wants it to be? And is it worth it?
Genre: Adult fiction-science fiction.
Availability:
In Library: Book.
MeLCat: Book; large print book; audiobook
Club member comment(s): In this unique novel, the reader gets to choose what direction the main character’s life will take her. The book offers alternative pathways for the reader in several key spots. This is a sci-fi novel and does have some adult content.
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Title and Author: Funny Story: A Novel by Emily Henry
Description: A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common. Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak. Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them? But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?
Genre: Adult fiction-romance.
Availability:
In Library: Large print book; Libby audiobook and eBook.
MeLCat: Book; Large print book; audiobook.
Club member comment(s): Our reader enjoyed this book stating that she’s read several books by the same author and believes that the author’s writing skills have improved consistently over time. This book too has a bit of adult content.
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Title and Author: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Description: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka. It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
Genre: Adult fiction-romance
Availability:
In Library: Book; Libby audiobook and eBook.
MeLCat: Book; Large print book.
Club member comment(s): Enjoyable book. The author has written several books in the Part of Your World Series and has a knack for having characters from previous books pop up in new relationships and roles in her next books. This book has some adult content.
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Title and Author: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Description: Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch. Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife. But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
Genre: Adult fiction-romance
Availability:
In Library: Book; Libby audiobook and eBook.
MeLCat: Book; audiobook
Club member comment(s): Enjoyable read. Has some adult content.
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Title and Author: Ward D by Freida McFadden
Description: Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward. Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital’s inpatient mental health unit. There are very specific reasons why she never wanted to do this required overnight rotation. Reasons nobody can ever find out. And as the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced something terrible is happening within these tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger. Amy’s worst nightmare was spending the night on Ward D. And now she might never escape.
Genre: Adult fiction-mystery
Availability:
In Library: Not available.
MeLCat: Book.
Club member comment(s): Suspenseful and enjoyable book.
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This month’s tidbit!
Types of Historical Fiction
Upcoming Events at the Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library Wednesdays:
Support Group for Parents of Challenging Kids, the 2nd Wednesday of every month—August 14th and September 11th at 9:00 A.M as well as the 3rd Friday of every month—August 16th, and September 20th at 3:00 P.M. Parenting isn’t easy. If you are feeling overwhelmed, join others to gain valuable support coping strategies and information about community resources.
Last Wednesday Family Game & Movie Night with Popcorn. The last Wednesday of each month, August 28th starting at 6:00 PM. We’ll have fresh popcorn and a movie during game night! All ages are welcome.
Wednesday Summer Crafts in August. Crafts were chosen from the books that are written in parentheses). Starts at 12 Noon. August 14th: “Hand” Made Tree (Tap the Magic Tree); August 21st: Tissue Box Guitar (Abiyoyo); August 28th: Handprint Heart (The Kissing Hand).
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People in Places. Wednesday, August 28th, 2024, starting at 6:00 PM. Ruth Andrews will present on the process of creating the Pokagon mural and share briefly about her work in Cassopolis and Dowagiac. This presentation is hosted by the Marcellus Home Arts Club.
Artist Ruth Andrews (right) with painting contractor Ron McAdam taking
a break from painting the new mural on the old grain tower on South Centre
Street. This is Andrews’ fourth large mural in Cass County and McAdam’s
fourth time working on the tower.
(photo credit: https://marcellusnews.com/history-vs-story-tower-mural-gets-it-right-this-time/) Thursdays:
First Thursday Book Club 2024, September 5, October 3, and November 7, 2024, 12 NOON-1 PM. Join others to chat about what you have been reading or to get suggestions from others.
A Trail of Money and Death. Thursday, September 26th, starting at 5:00 PM. Join us for author William G. Kohler’s virtual presentation about his book entitled A Trail of Money and Death as he takes a closer look at the unsolved murders of Charles and Esther Morris and their unborn child. These murders occurred on September 28th, 1879, in Decatur, Michigan. Come and listen at the library or join online at home through Zoom. Meeting ID: 779 0054 6342; Passcode: uA2avS.
Fridays:
Lego at the Library, Fridays 3:00-4:30 PM. Build & create with our Lego & Duplo collections! All ages are welcome!
Throughout the Year:
Smokey the Bear Reading Challenge. January 1st-November 28th, 2024. Help Smokey by learning how to prevent wildfires and help the environment. Read 3 books and earn 4 badges to complete the challenge
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and earn your prize. Badges are earned by completing at least one activity per section. Bring your completed sheet into the Library for your prize. One prize per person.
2024 Reading Challenge. Let’s read 2024 books as a community this year! When you finish a book, come and fill out a leaf. The leaf will be put on the tree in the children’s area. When we reach our goal, we will have a surprise celebration for all of our readers!
Additional noteworthy literary events in the area:
Southwest Michigan Reads 2024-Tobin Buhk, author of Killer Women of Michigan. Tuesday, September 24th, 2024, starting at 6:30 PM at the Arclight Brewing Company, 544 North Main Street, Watervliet, Michigan, 49098. Join for an evening with Tobin Buhk, a Michigan freelance author specializing in historic true crime. Book signing to follow. Food will be available for purchase from Hendo’s BBQ beginning at 6:00 PM.
Author Tobin Buhk
The next meeting of the Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library’s First Thursday Book Club will be held on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 12 NOON in the library. We look forward to seeing you here!
/es/Tammy Terpstra
Library Technician
Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library
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August 2024 QUIZ!
Instructions: Match the literary term in the left column with its definition in the right column. Share your responses with us by e-mailing them to: marcellusmichiganlibrary@gmail.com. You can document your responses in your e-mail by listing the numbers 1-10 and placing the letter before the correct response after the number (e.g., 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, etc.). You can also call the library and read off your responses. We’ll tell you if you’re right! The first respondent with all of the correct answers will win this month’s prize.
Literary Term Definitions
_____1. Playright a. Long narrative prose with fictitious characters/events. _____2. Epilogue b. Things seen as symbolic of something else/abstract. _____3. Sonnet c. Person who writes dramatic literature or drama. _____4. Tragedy d. Comparing two things that are otherwise unlike. _____5. Epic poetry e. Japanese poetry form consisting of 5+7+5 syllables. _____6. Haiku f. Poetic form with 14 lines and strict rhyme scheme. _____7. Couplet g. Piece of writing at the end of a literary work. _____8. Novel h. Group of lines of meter in poetry.
_____9. Metaphor i. Long poem narrating the adventures of a hero. _____10. Analogy j. Form of drama based on human suffering.
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Recipes
Tang Cake
Ingredients for cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup Tang powdered drink mix
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Directions:
Get a yellow cake mix that uses the same amount of oil, egg, and water as above. Add the Tang powder when blending ingredients. Blend and bake at time/temp per the cake mix instructions.
Ingredients for cake frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
¾ cup orange juice
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 tbsp. sugar
1-8oz. can mandarin oranges, drained and broken into smaller pieces
1-8 oz. container Cool Whip
Directions:
Beat cream cheese and orange juice together. Add pudding and sugar, beat well. Fold in mandarin orange pieces. Fold in Cool Whip. Make sure cake is completely cooled before frosting.
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Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp nutmeg
1-8 oz. can of crushed pineapple-well drained
1 cup chopped dates (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all dry ingredients together. Reserve ¼ cup of the dry mix. Add the dates and nuts to the ¼ cup dry mix and stir, coating the dates and nuts. Set aside. In separate bowl, beat eggs then add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix the zucchini and pineapple alternately with the dry mix, blending well. Add the dates and nuts and blend well again. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Use a toothpick or sharp knife to determine if the bread is thoroughly baked. If done, the sharp knife or toothpick when inserted into the bread should be clean when removed. If using a metal loaf pan, the loaf usually takes 1 hour to bake. If using a glass pan, the loaf usually takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to bake. If baking mini loaves, baking time is approximately 40 minutes, and if baking cupcakes, 30 to 40 minutes.
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Cucumber Tea Sandwiches (the spread can be used separately)
Ingredients:
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (English cucumbers preferred for this recipe) 1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup mayonnaise (may substitute Miracle Whip for mayonnaise)
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion salt
1 dash Worchestershire sauce
1 (1 pound) loaf sliced bread, crusts removed
1 pinch lemon pepper (optional)
2 tbsp. shredded carrots (optional)
Directions:
Gather the ingredients. Place cucumber slices between 2 paper towels set in a colander. Allow liquid to drain, about 10 minutes. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion, salt, and Worchestershire sauce in a bowl until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on one side of each bread slice. Divide cucumber slices over half of the bread slices. Sprinkle lemon pepper on cucumber. Stack the other half of the bread slices spread side down over cucumber to make sandwiches. Slice into rectangles or triangles.
Carrot, Pineapple, and Cream Cheese Triple Stack Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated carrots
1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
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½ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
9 slices very thin whole-wheat bread
Garnish: Carrot curls
Directions: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, grated carrot, pineapple, cardamom, and pepper, stirring until well blended. Spread a thick layer of cream-cheese mixture onto 2 bread slices. Stack one on top of the other, spread sides up. Top with a third slice of bread to create a triple-stack sandwich. Repeat with remaining cream cheese mixture and bread slices. Using a serrated bread knife, trim and discard crusts from sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 3 long rectangles. Garnish each with a carrot curl, if desired.
Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients for cake:
Baking spray
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsps. baking powder
1 tbsp. cornstarch
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
½ cup strawberry or raspberry preserves
Ingredients for vanilla whipped cream:
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Fresh strawberries or raspberries for garnish
Directions: Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray; line bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly spray parchment paper with baking spray. Sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Whisk in salt and set aside. Beat sugar and
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butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. (The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color). Beat in eggs, one at a time on medium speed, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next, 1 to 2 minutes total. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. With mixer on medium-low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk and beating until just combined after each addition. Evenly divide batter between prepared pans and spread into an even layer using a small offset spatula. Firmly tap pans on the kitchen towel-line counter several times to help get rid of any large bubbles in the batter. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Let stand, parchment side down, on wire racks until cooled completely, about 1 hour. Remove and discard parchment paper. Place 1 cake layer on the serving plate. Stir preserves in a small bowl until mostly smooth. Spread in an even layer over cake. To make vanilla whipped cream, whisk heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract by hand in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Dollop over jam, then spread into an even layer. Top with remaining cake layer. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with strawberries or raspberries (if using).
