Jencey's Writer's Corner

  Mary Alice Monroe released her latest adult novel, Where the Rivers Merge, earlier this summer.  Over the past couple of summers, she has focused on middle-grade novels.  This new book is not a Beach House novel, but a standalone novel.  The first part has been released, and the second part is scheduled for release in 2027.  As always, Mary Alice features the environment, plants, and animals.  This book will focus on the ACE basin and various birds featured in the Low Country. About the Book:  “1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. A free spirit, she refuses to be confined by societal norms and spends her days exploring the vast property, observing wildlife, and riding horses. But the Great War, coastal storms, and family turmoil bring unexpected challenges to Eliza, putting her on a collision course with the patriarc...

Blessed in the Mess by Joyce Meyer was released in the fall of 2023.  This book offers helpful advice on navigating problems with a positive attitude, providing perspective on how to handle various circumstances. Can you do it with a good attitude while also trusting God?   About the Book: Life is often messy. We hear people say, “My life is a mess,” or “This situation is a mess.” What they mean is that life has become difficult, painful or confusing. But God never promised us a trouble-free life. In fact, His Word tells us to expect the opposite. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV). In Blessed in the Mess , beloved Bible teacher Joyce Meyer shows us how to be blessed in the midst of life’s most challenging circumstances. The Bible is filled with instructions on how to handle ourselves when difficulty comes our way, and Blessed in the Mess shares that wisdom through poignant and practical teachi...

  Megan Abbot’s next book comes out soon!  Her next book, El Dorado Dr., will be published by G. P. Putnam and Sons.  Her new book will explore: “ Inspired by the dramatic rise of women involved in get-rich schemes during the pandemic, as well as real-life cases like Murder at Middle Beach , a true crime docuseries about a group of Connecticut women involved in a pyramid scheme, Abbott dove headfirst into researching various money-making ventures (many of which are insidious multi-level marketing schemes) that attract suburban women for a variety of personal and financial reasons. Abbott’s hometown of Grosse Pointe—an area once home to auto barons like the Fords that changed as the industry moved overseas and Detroit fell into decades of hardship—is the perfect setting to explore these complex dynamics. Abbott delivers a sharp, witty, and sinister novel no other author can match.”   About the Book:   The three Bishop sisters grew up in privilege in the...

 I appreciate all those who have followed me at Writer's Corner.  I am going to be making some changes to the blog.  I will still cover book reviews but I will add other posts too.   My hope is that the posts that I will share from my life might provide a way to minister going forward.    I want to focus on joy in both reading and living.  We should enjoy our lives and what we read.  The way to start is to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.  Only by following his path can we really know the joy he meant for us to have.   What are you grateful for?  What brings you joy? I hope you will join me going forward. :)

 My favorite book that I have read so far in 2023  is The Last Book Shop In London by Madeline  Martin.   This book follows the life of Grace Bennett during World War II in London.   Grace journeys to London after being put out of the family home that she grew up in by her uncle and his family.   The initial journey to London leaves Grace with uncertainty about her future.  " August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London. Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war."(Goo...

  By Jencey Gortney,  Adult Services Librarian,  Wrightsville Beach Public Library, Public Libraries Online, jlgortney@crimson.ua.edu published on  July 31, 2022                                 Discoverability is defined as a ” problem for content creators to find an audience given an abundance of choice.”         We at the Wrightsville Beach Public Library feel that discoverability is important and impacts the services we offer our patrons.  We implemented a plan to increase discoverability by promoting and increasing visibility and access to reference resources, on the library website. It all starts with the catalog which shows the resources that the library has.  In the article   Thirteen Ways  of Looking at Libraries , Discovery, and the Catalog: Scale, Workflow, Attention  by Lorcan Dempsey  explores the way t...