Arlie's Books

05/23/2026

05/23/2026

First new pile of the day!

05/23/2026

Our found in a book postcard from yesterday has generated a lot more interest and questions.

I have posted photos of the book it was located in which has tons of local references.

05/22/2026

Our latest book review!!

Rick read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls ...here are his thoughts!!

The Glass Castle: Brilliantly Dysfunctional! Jeanette Walls is a wonderful storyteller that I would rank right along side Bill Bryson. Crying one minute and laughing your keester off the next. I would say that the entire family (except maybe Maureen) has an average IQ of around 150. The parents were brilliant as well as quite eccentric. The children were homeschooled with a twist. I would say that the parents were hardcore Anarchists that wanted their children to grow up a) self sufficient and b) able to make their intelligence work for them. Personally I probably would have tried to leave home at 10. All said and done, I’ll read it again for sure.

05/22/2026

We are always getting asked for Author and reading recommendations so we thought we would start popping in some Author biographies and highlight their writing styles, their books and if you like "X" you might want to try "Y" recommendations.

Here is our first featured author:

FEATURED AUTHOR

V. C. Andrews

(Virginia Cleo Andrews)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in 1923, V. C. Andrews became famous for dark family sagas filled with secrets, inheritance battles, forbidden romance, gothic mansions, and psychological drama.

Her breakthrough novel, Flowers in the Attic, became one of the bestselling gothic novels of all time.

After her death, additional novels continued to be published under her name by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman.

WHAT KIND OF BOOKS ARE THESE?

Genres

Gothic Fiction

Family Saga

Psychological Drama

Southern Gothic

Domestic Suspense

Common Themes

family secrets

inheritance & wealth

betrayal

isolation

forbidden love

survival

manipulative parents

dark coming-of-age stories

Writing Style

fast-paced

emotional

addictive cliffhangers

atmospheric

dramatic

highly character-driven

START HERE

Essential Reads

Flowers in the Attic

Petals on the Wind

If There Be Thorns

My Sweet Audrina

IF YOU LIKE V. C. ANDREWS,

TRY THESE AUTHORS

Similar Authors

Shirley Jackson
Dark psychological tension and unsettling family dynamics.

Daphne du Maurier
Gothic atmosphere, secrets, and haunting estates.

Barbara Michaels
Accessible gothic suspense with strong emotional drama.

Jennifer McMahon
Modern gothic mystery with generational trauma themes.

Lois Duncan
Teen suspense with emotional and psychological elements.

READ THIS IF YOU WANT…

MoodRecommendationCreepy family dramaFlowers in the AtticTwisted coming-of-ageMy Sweet AudrinaHaunted mansion atmosphereDaphne du MaurierDark secrets & suspenseShirley JacksonAddictive multi-generation sagasBarbara Michaels

05/22/2026

A very cool " found in a book today" treasure!!

Anyone have any information on the author, recipient or Inn?

05/22/2026

Happy Friday!

Here is the first incoming pile of the day :)

05/21/2026

Wow...and this is just what came in today!! 😁

05/21/2026

More Cussler today!!