DIXFIELD – The Adult Reading Group of the Ludden Memorial Library met on the first Tuesday of January in the downstairs Community Room. Tea and coffee were served.

The first book discussed was “50 Harbor Street” by Debbie Macomber, a new arrival in paperback and apparently the first in a series. The title of the series is “The Cedar Cove Series.”

The first book is a warm story with a mystery running through it. A young couple keeps getting mysterious notes and gifts, and they have no idea where they are coming from. The mystery is resolved at the end, but a new mystery is introduced, which will carry into the next book., “Six Ranier Drive,” expected to be published in the fall.

“At First Sight” by Nicholas Sparks, also on the new arrivals shelf, is about a newly engaged couple and relates to many of the problems that newly engaged couples face.

“City of Angels” by Peterson is book one of the “Shannon Saga.” The story begins with a young orphan in the 1800s. She decides to become a lawyer and struggles to reach her goal. It is a wonderful read in the Christian fiction category.

The “Regime” by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins was read by two members. It is book two in the new series that takes place before the “Left Behind Series” and goes into detail regarding events leading up to the first book in the “Left Behind Series.”

It is fast paced and connects the reader with several people who were among those left behind. It is based on the Bible and depicts the escalation of the negative behaviors that are being witnessed now.

“There is Something About Christmas” by Debbie Macomber is on the new arrivals shelf. It is a short, warm story about Christmas.

“700 Sundays” by Billy Crystal was the first nonfiction book discussed. It tells Crystal’s story with the same humor that one has grown to expect of him. The story gets its title from the fact that his father died when he was 11, and he figures that he had about 700 Sundays with his dad before that event.

The book is full of family stories infused with humor. His dad promoted jazz musicians and jazz clubs, and Crystal grew up with lots of famous people. This is also on the new arrivals shelf.

“A Wedding in December” by Anita Shreve starts with friends getting together to celebrate a wedding after they have been apart two decades. They have lots of catching up to do as they get together to help old friends unite after 28 years.

“A Bride Most Begrudging” by Gist takes place in the 1600s in Virginia during the tobacco plantation era. The heroine, Constance, is from a wealthy English family and has been kidnapped and sold to be a “tobacco bride.” In spite of its beginnings, it has a happy romantic ending.

“Sarah” by Holter is Biblical fiction based on the Book of Genesis. Sarah is a beautiful young woman who becomes the wife of Abraham and puts a smile on his face. She is unhappy because she is not fertile and is not able to bear him the many descendants that he wishes. “Zipporah” is another book in the series and was mentioned briefly as another wonderful read.

“Shadowed” by Jerry B. Jenkins is the third in “The Soon Series.” It is also Biblical fiction and is on the new arrivals shelf. In the novel, World War III has taken place. In the fall of 2009, it was determined by the new international government of Bern, Switzerland, that beginning Jan. 1 of the following year, the designation AD would be replaced by P3 (Post-World War 3).

“Shadowed” takes place in 38 P3. The practice of religion has been banned and believers have been forced to go underground in order to survive. It seems that evil is in control and life looks to become only harder for Christians. God reigns down a curse on all nonbelievers and, as in the days of old, all first-born males of nonbelievers instantly die. The devastation of loosing so many at the same time caused unbelievable consequences.

The last book brought up for discussion was “I Remember Running” by Darcey Wakefield. The book tells of Wakefield’s battle with ALS. It is on the new arrivals shelf. The author died shortly after the book was published.

The next meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. All are invited.