Banned Books and Spicy Wine preparing you for Fall

Book: The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks

Author: Shauna Robinson

Published: November 1, 2022

Wine Choice:  Maryland Wine, either Sweetland Cellars Wassail or Far East Shore Winery Dragonfly

Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Series ( new book Drops 2024)

Type of book: Novel

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

How long did it take me to read this book:   7 days

Overall rating:🍷🍷🍷and a glass of water.

Can I confess something? I brought a book. I know, I know, I was not supposed to buy any books. Well, I did, so what are you going to do?   Now that my confession is out in the world.  Let’s talk about this book.  This book introduces us to Maggie Banks, a free-spirited person trying to find her place in life. She gets to help a friend in a unique small town in Maryland.   I fell for this story when they said it’s a small town in Maryland within driving distance of Baltimore and DC.  I was sold.  The book is filled with quirky characters and memorable moments.  While reading the book, I could imagine this book as a Hallmark movie. It had all the elements of a Hallmark movie a grumpy character with a secret, a micromanager Manager who only wants their way or the highway.  Add in small-town folks who desire a change and Maggie Banks’s free spirit, and you have a feel-good novel.

Now Crimes Against a Book Club hi-jinks was linked to a semi-good cause (it was a bit selfish but still a good cause.)  Maggie is doing the same thing. She creates a secret bookshop and book club under the guise of helping her best friend. Through for a good cause, and it does provide the help Maggie desires for her friend’s bookshop. I know this is fiction, and I love the storytelling, but in the real world, Maggie would not be so beloved, and may have faced actual consequences once everything was discovered.  I digress.  Again, three of the antagonist characters were right to an extent about Maggie. I enjoyed reading about someone who needed clarification about her life purposes—having a chance to find it without pressure, except for themselves.  There is a love story as a secondary plot; it’s a cute Enemy lover plot that you root for towards the end of the book.

Overall, it’s a great book to read Summer or Fall!  I love this book for a weekend beach trip, a Sunday afternoon, in October with soup and a whiskey cocktail.  It’s a quick read, I think it took me a week to read, and I found myself sitting in a parking lot to find out if Maggie was going to be discovered.

Also, Hallmark, it would be best to turn this book into a Movie. You can film it in a quaint town in Maryland, with a cute scene or two in DC.  I have suggestions on who should play Maggie, Malcolm, and Vernon.  I know this is a diverse cast, and I want to keep it diverse. 

I have a new rating system for books.  This is three glasses of wine with a glass of water.  I liked the plot; I love the storyline and small mystery elements.  However, I didn’t see character growth from Maggie and others.  I wanted a little bit more input from Rochelle. I think Rochelle would have asked more questions about the boom in book sales, but for all it’s worth, it’s a good book that will not disappoint as an escape from real life.  

If you decide to drink wine with this book, I suggest a Maryland wine from Far Eastern Shore Winery, either in Summer, it’s a bit of dryness with citrus notes, or in Dragonfly with tropical Kiwi, raspberries, and subtle pear notes.  Due to the fact this book took place in the Fall, and if you want a wine to complement the season, Boordy’s Vineyards Sweetland Cellars Spiced Wassail. This wine is dry and warm, but once you warm it up and make spiced Sangria with it, you will fill the warmth of the Bell Hooks community and want to visit this fictional town for the Apple Cheddar biscuits.

Until Next Time,

Che Michelle

P.s. Here a recipe from http://www.sweetlandcellars.com/varietals.html

FIRE & SPICE

3 parts Spiced Wassail,
slightly warmed
1 part Triple sec
2 oz Fireball
Splash of club soda
Bucket glass

Enjoy 😁