You are who you are, whether you like it or not, so why not like it?

Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells

 I must admit that I love it when I find a new author and they have several books that I can read. So, while I usually will talk about a particular book, today I thought I would recommend an author. The author’s name is Sarah Addison Allen.

Sarah Addison Allen is from North Carolina. She has written 5 books – the latest one was released on January 21, 2014. The titles of her books are as follows:

1.       Lost Lake (2014) 
2.       The Peach Keeper (2011)
3.       The Girl Who Chased the Moon(2010) 
4.       The Sugar Queen (2008)
5.       Garden Spells (2007 

There is also a free story that you can download for your kindle (or kindle app) from Amazon.  Here is a link to that page.

I found this author several years ago. I don’t know how I happened across her work but once I read one of the books, I had to read them all.  Recently, I was going through the list of books that I had bought on an e-reader and came across her books.  I had forgotten about her books. I looked her up and found the free story and that a new book was available.  I will tell you that I didn’t even read the summary of the new book, I just bought it.  (Something I have to stop doing!)

Her books have an air of the South and a bit of fantasy. The central character is generally a woman and there is a family history that has affected her, a little bit of magical power, and love. These are not stories of witches casting spells. They are more stories of people trying to live their quiet lives and there is just some magic around them.  The stories generally take place in a small town in the South and the character’s abilities are not a secret in the town.

I will admit that I love a good story about crazy Southern women. There is nothing finer. I am thinking about Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, and The Help. There is just something so delightful in reading about the crazy things that these women do and how society allows it.

The characters on the Sarah Addison Allen books are not as wildly crazy as the women in the other books. They are well drawn characters that will have you cheering them on to win and have a happy ever after.

Sarah Addison Allen also has a nice author web site. (You can use this link to the web site.) I particularly liked that when you click on the author tab that there are Seven Things About Sarah. If your thirst for information is not quenched there, you can click to learn 100 more things. It is so much more interesting than a simple biography.  Many of the items just make me think that we could be friends.  

Who wouldn’t want to read an author who makes you feel that way? I suggest that you check out Sarah Addison Allen’s books.  They are widely available in hardback, paperback, and ebooks.  You can even get them at the library!

Here is a short interview with Sarah Addison Allen talking about her writing.

Thanks for reading!