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The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

Kate Turner has moved back home to the little town of Blexford, England, where she finds contentment in her designing career and baking for the local Pear Tree cafe. But her life begins to change drastically when her best friend convinces her to sign up for a holiday dating event: twelves dates with twelve different men to help her find love for the holidays. But as the drama and hilarity of the dates begin, Kate realizes that she might find love much closer to home.

Light-hearted and humorous, The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss was the perfect romantic-comedy to curl up with this holiday season. Unlike many Christmas books, it shied away from overly-dramatic angst and sentimentalism while still remaining heartfelt and sincere at its core. Is it predictable? Yes, but in the best way. The reader immediately guesses who Kate will end her story with, but the fun of the book is watching how it all comes about.

For anyone looking for an entertaining book to read this season, look no further than The Twelve Dates of Christmas. It is sure to make you laugh and smile all the way through.

Review by Jackie, Circulation Librarian

In an uncertain 2020, many are finding it hard to read this year, even with more time on their hands. If reading feels more like work than a reward lately, give these short, quick reads a try. Each of these books is under 250 pages and little commitment.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
163 pages

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
226 pages

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
231 pages

Slade House by David Mitchell
241 pages

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
110 pages

Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
129 pages

The Girl Who Lied by Sue Fortin
244 Pages

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
242 pages

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
64 pages

Chemistry by Weike Wang
224 pages

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
182 pages

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
178 pages

Reflecting on 9/11

by Tom Taylor, Director Andover Public Library

I was only several months into my library career on September 11, 2001. That morning I turned on the radio on my short drive to work. Instead of the typical mundane banter, I heard Peter Jennings’ voice mentioning that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. As soon as I got into the library, I asked my coworker if it were true. She said it was. Someone on staff wheeled out the TV into the main floor of the library and turned it on. People coming in to the library watched. Many, including myself, in tears. Our internet speed was really slow that day due to all of the traffic worldwide. We did our best to answer people’s questions.

Soon books about first responders, terrorism, Islam, Iraq and Afghanistan were checked out and had waiting lists. Later we ordered many books about the attack, terrorism, conspiracy theories and George W Bush. When copies of the Quran disappeared from the Library, the local Islamic society donated more. That is the role of the Library, connecting people with information. A role libraries continue to fill to this day.

This attack and our country’s response were the defining moments of the time and reverberate to this day. Those of age likely have their own stories of where they were when they found out. Personally, I was worried for a friend. My college friends and I were emailing back and forth rapidly (this was before Facebook and mass adoption of texting). Didn’t S____V____ work there? Yes he did. A few days later we received an email from S____V____ stating that he had felt ill that day so he stayed home. Providence smiled on him that day. Many others were not so lucky. In honor of them and those that they left behind, we remember.

See the libraries holdings on 9/11