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Cherry Cola Book Club #1
The Cherry Cola Book Club
With its corrugated iron siding and cramped interior, the Cherico, Mississippi, library is no Antebellum gem. But for young librarian Maura Beth Mayhew, it's as essential to the community as the delicious desserts at the Twinkle, Twinkle Café. It's a place for neighbors to mingle and browse through the newest bestsellers, for the indomitable Miss Voncille Nettles to host her "Who's Who in Cherico?" meetings. The library may be underfunded and overlooked, but it's Maura Beth's pride, and she won't let the good ole boys on the City Council close it down without a fight.Which is why Maura Beth has founded the Cherry Cola Book Club--a last-ditch attempt to boost circulation and save her job. Over potluck dinners featuring treasured family recipes, the booklovers of Cherico come together to talk about literary classics. But soon it's not just Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee being discussed over chicken gumbo and homemade biscuits with green pepper jelly. Secrets are shared, old dreams rekindled, and new loves slowly blossom.Southern charm, wit, and warmth combine in this delightful novel about great books, true friends, and the stories that give life its richest meaning, on and off the page.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
167 people are currently reading
1770 people want to read
About the author
Ashton Lee
17 books67 followersAshton Lee was born in historic Natchez, Mississippi, into a large, extended Southern family which gave him much fodder for his fiction later in life. His father, who wrote under the pen name of R. Keene Lee right after WWII, was an editor and writer in New York of what is now called pulp fiction. As a result, Ashton inherited a love of reading and writing early on and did all the things aspiring authors are supposed to do, including majoring in English when he attended The University of the South, affectionately known as Sewanee. While there, he studied Creative Writing under Andrew Lytle, then editor of the Sewanee Review, and a member of the Southern Agrarians in the 1920s.
Ashton lives in Oxford, MS, enjoying the amenities of a university town that many writers have called home.
Ashton lives in Oxford, MS, enjoying the amenities of a university town that many writers have called home.
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August 17, 2025
“With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one – no one at all – can tell you what to read and when and how.” – Doris Lessing
I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, so I didn’t include it on my Goodreads reading shelf. Some reviews for this book were abysmal.
But I am usually attracted to books about books, and there is so much going on these days about books and libraries and the fight to keep libraries in our communities, that I wanted to give this one a chance.
Speaking of libraries.
My cousins Larry and Susan had a fight on their hands. They live in Huntington Beach, California which also made the national news, when their Trump loving majority Huntington Beach City Council continued to misinterpret the 1st Amendment — often invoking freedom of religion while ignoring the foundational principle of separation of church and state when making decisions on behalf of the city and its citizens.
Residents reacted to the latest council overreach and collected more than 13,000 signatures to get Measures A and B on the ballot (June, 2025) to protect their city library. This special election went beyond library content. It was about protecting freedoms, the community’s quality of life, and the 1st Amendment rights of all its residents. It became a referendum on how the community expected the City Council to govern — respectfully, lawfully and with due consideration.
Measure A would repeal a City Council ordinance that created a 21-member panel to oversee children’s books — an unelected, unqualified group overriding trained library staff. Measure B would protect the public library from privatization by requiring voter approval from being outsourced.
Interestingly, a local newspaper letter to the editor fighting the city council commented that “Hitler did not start with ovens — he started with books. First banned, then burned — then came the people.” These feelings made sense, especially in today’s climate of hate. The fight waged by my cousins couldn’t help but feel personal (we are Jewish), or to the citizens of their community, whether they were Jewish or not – hate is a powerful divider – and, their obvious message to convey was that hate wasn’t welcome in their community.
Why do I share this?
Because this book starts with the City Council coming to our main protagonist, Maura Beth Mayhew, the Librarian with the intention of closing down the town library.
Since this is the first in the series you can imagine that the library will most likely survive to the next book, but I don’t have to tell you ALL the details of how that will happen. (No spoilers from me.)
But I can share that the citizens of Huntington Beach did defeat the City Council overwhelmingly (60/40) with Measures A and B to save their library! That shows the power of community voice!
Now granted, it may not have been political reasons that motivated this book’s City Council’s need to shut down this community library when this book was written and published in 2013. It seems to be a shame that most community services are the first programs to be targeted when city budgets are threatened. Still, emotions do run deep when it comes to community services that matter to community members – like our libraries. And, that is the core of this story.
So, is this story told well? That is also key. What will our librarian do to save her library?
A book club. Of course. Consider the title of the book. Why not bring the community in to discuss books? And, some yummy 😋recipes, too. There are even a few at the back of the book.
This is truly a fun, leisurely-paced (this may have been what concerned other reviewers), light-hearted, easy-to-read story with likable characters and a mission that anyone who loves books and libraries can get behind.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, so I didn’t include it on my Goodreads reading shelf. Some reviews for this book were abysmal.
But I am usually attracted to books about books, and there is so much going on these days about books and libraries and the fight to keep libraries in our communities, that I wanted to give this one a chance.
Speaking of libraries.
My cousins Larry and Susan had a fight on their hands. They live in Huntington Beach, California which also made the national news, when their Trump loving majority Huntington Beach City Council continued to misinterpret the 1st Amendment — often invoking freedom of religion while ignoring the foundational principle of separation of church and state when making decisions on behalf of the city and its citizens.
Residents reacted to the latest council overreach and collected more than 13,000 signatures to get Measures A and B on the ballot (June, 2025) to protect their city library. This special election went beyond library content. It was about protecting freedoms, the community’s quality of life, and the 1st Amendment rights of all its residents. It became a referendum on how the community expected the City Council to govern — respectfully, lawfully and with due consideration.
Measure A would repeal a City Council ordinance that created a 21-member panel to oversee children’s books — an unelected, unqualified group overriding trained library staff. Measure B would protect the public library from privatization by requiring voter approval from being outsourced.
Interestingly, a local newspaper letter to the editor fighting the city council commented that “Hitler did not start with ovens — he started with books. First banned, then burned — then came the people.” These feelings made sense, especially in today’s climate of hate. The fight waged by my cousins couldn’t help but feel personal (we are Jewish), or to the citizens of their community, whether they were Jewish or not – hate is a powerful divider – and, their obvious message to convey was that hate wasn’t welcome in their community.
Why do I share this?
Because this book starts with the City Council coming to our main protagonist, Maura Beth Mayhew, the Librarian with the intention of closing down the town library.
Since this is the first in the series you can imagine that the library will most likely survive to the next book, but I don’t have to tell you ALL the details of how that will happen. (No spoilers from me.)
But I can share that the citizens of Huntington Beach did defeat the City Council overwhelmingly (60/40) with Measures A and B to save their library! That shows the power of community voice!
Now granted, it may not have been political reasons that motivated this book’s City Council’s need to shut down this community library when this book was written and published in 2013. It seems to be a shame that most community services are the first programs to be targeted when city budgets are threatened. Still, emotions do run deep when it comes to community services that matter to community members – like our libraries. And, that is the core of this story.
So, is this story told well? That is also key. What will our librarian do to save her library?
A book club. Of course. Consider the title of the book. Why not bring the community in to discuss books? And, some yummy 😋recipes, too. There are even a few at the back of the book.
This is truly a fun, leisurely-paced (this may have been what concerned other reviewers), light-hearted, easy-to-read story with likable characters and a mission that anyone who loves books and libraries can get behind.
February 17, 2016
I really didn’t like this book. I really wanted to – it’s the story of a small town librarian, Maura Beth, who has been told by the city council that she has until the end of the year to show the worth of her library or it will be closed. There is a cast of small town characters – a restaurant owner, an elderly genealogist, a retiree, a cooking show host – who rally around as Maura Beth starts the Cherry Cola Book Club in an attempt to boost library usage and secure their future funding.
Given the current state of library funding as a priority throughout the country, and the importance of libraries to their communities, this book could’ve been so much more than what it was – a sweet story with likable characters of a town pulling together to save their library – at least temporarily.
My frustration with the book was the author’s apparent lack of knowledge about libraries and librarians and what they actually accomplish in their communities. Maura Beth has been the director for six years, has virtually no one using the library, and this is the first time she’s trying to do something about it?! Reading this book I had a hard time understanding why she’d been getting paid at all for the past six years – the author made it seem like all she did was sit in her office and occasionally order some books. But now that her job is in jeopardy she thinks it might be important to do something more? And her miraculous plan is to start a book discussion group? Don’t get me wrong, book discussion groups are great – almost all libraries already have them along with computers, internet access, early literacy programming, summer reading programs, entertainers, movie nights, author presentations, computer classes, art classes, writing groups, teen groups, job hunting and continuing education resources, reference resources, GED and ESL classes…
The problem that libraries have is not a lack of use – many libraries are seeing increased usage year after year – the problem is a lack of public funding as budgets continue to shrink and public libraries attempt to support greater need with less resources – the problem is a lack of understanding about what libraries actually do and why it’s so important to our communities. Someone should write a book about that.
See more on my blog at www.watchingthewords.com!
Given the current state of library funding as a priority throughout the country, and the importance of libraries to their communities, this book could’ve been so much more than what it was – a sweet story with likable characters of a town pulling together to save their library – at least temporarily.
My frustration with the book was the author’s apparent lack of knowledge about libraries and librarians and what they actually accomplish in their communities. Maura Beth has been the director for six years, has virtually no one using the library, and this is the first time she’s trying to do something about it?! Reading this book I had a hard time understanding why she’d been getting paid at all for the past six years – the author made it seem like all she did was sit in her office and occasionally order some books. But now that her job is in jeopardy she thinks it might be important to do something more? And her miraculous plan is to start a book discussion group? Don’t get me wrong, book discussion groups are great – almost all libraries already have them along with computers, internet access, early literacy programming, summer reading programs, entertainers, movie nights, author presentations, computer classes, art classes, writing groups, teen groups, job hunting and continuing education resources, reference resources, GED and ESL classes…
The problem that libraries have is not a lack of use – many libraries are seeing increased usage year after year – the problem is a lack of public funding as budgets continue to shrink and public libraries attempt to support greater need with less resources – the problem is a lack of understanding about what libraries actually do and why it’s so important to our communities. Someone should write a book about that.
See more on my blog at www.watchingthewords.com!
March 29, 2013
Honestly I wanted to give this 1 star, but I can't be that mean to any book that supports libraries. The dialogue was horribly fake, the characters flat... and even I (a librarian) was a having a hard time getting behind their goal of saving the library because nobody was using it in the first place! Only when it was threatened did the librarian make an effort to get people to use it, telling the town council how important it was. Honestly, it was just ridiculous. Also, while Lee clearly did more research on what librarians do than most authors bother to, he still had her hiding in her office ordering books and doing nothing else. Pretty lame. I'm sad, because I was looking forward to pushing this book on lots of patrons so they would have thoughts on standing up for the library on their back burners. Alas.
April 12, 2013
This book has a really cute premise, and I wanted to love it. The southern foods, and characters, the importance of community and the small town feel...it should have satisfied. But it didn't. Each character was shallow, you didn't really get to know anyone ...everything happened really quickly, (except for those never ending book discussions which I did not enjoy at all) nothing seemed to matter. I couldn't care about any of them. It was just flat. Kinda like Becca's cherry cola punch made with flat cola. blech. I really liked the cover though.
June 17, 2013
As I am a librarian, I anticipated this novel about a young librarian fighting city hall to save the
Iibrary from being closed down, would appeal to me. UnfortunateIy, i found the dialogue stiff and the plot bland. Disappointing.
Iibrary from being closed down, would appeal to me. UnfortunateIy, i found the dialogue stiff and the plot bland. Disappointing.
June 16, 2020
After thinking about this book today, I realized my rating was only two stars. If I had to describe this book in one word, I would say “insipid.” The plot is predictable and the characters are banal.
I wanted a light read, but I didn’t want to lose IQ points.
2 stars because I finished it.
I wanted a light read, but I didn’t want to lose IQ points.
2 stars because I finished it.
April 21, 2013
Lovers of small town Southern novels full of quirky characters, this one's for you. When a city councilman decides to close the shabby, under used local library in favor of building an industrial park, a few colorful folks rally around the young librarian to save the institution. Their solution: a book club discussing Southern classics to bring more people into the library, and they feed these people well as each meeting starts with a buffet (recipes at the end of the book, a feature everyone loves).
While I admit I wondered why the librarian, Maura Beth, sat on her hands for six years before trying to breath life into her library (where was her friends group and book club all those years?), I did enjoy the good-humored charm of this novel with all the little side plots about the town characters, an elderly romance, a health crisis involving the husband of a foodie celebrity, a wife's competition with her husband's fishing fetish. Of course the library is saved - but only temporarily. Sequel pending.
While I admit I wondered why the librarian, Maura Beth, sat on her hands for six years before trying to breath life into her library (where was her friends group and book club all those years?), I did enjoy the good-humored charm of this novel with all the little side plots about the town characters, an elderly romance, a health crisis involving the husband of a foodie celebrity, a wife's competition with her husband's fishing fetish. Of course the library is saved - but only temporarily. Sequel pending.
October 11, 2019
I totally get that I'm not the intended audience, but even so I was really disappointed they only read two books and one of them was To Kill a Mockingbird.
July 17, 2020
I like a fluffy audiobook once in a while...I only finished because it was all I had at that moment. Skip this book.
Read
April 6, 2013Funny and upbeat cozy read complete with quirky characters that nevertheless addresses a timely and serious subject: library budget challenges in the present economy. In real life, libraries are cutting hours, purchasing levels and programs/services due to slashed budgets. Even when times are good, libraries are challenged to create a sense of value within their communities. In this novel, a small library in a small southern town is fighting for its place in the community. The young and rather inexperienced director is up against some good old boy local politicians. The story reveals how important a library can be to its people as the characters connect in important ways such as employment, health, friendship, retirement and even romance. A light story that will create a few smiles. -Gloria
Click here to place a hold on The Cherry Cola Book Club.
An excellent cozy mystery on this same subject of library value is Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay.
Click here to place a hold on The Cherry Cola Book Club.
An excellent cozy mystery on this same subject of library value is Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay.
April 27, 2013
I just finished reading 'The Cherry Cola Book Club.' My favorite bookstore, Knoxville, Iowa's The Next Chapter is hosting Ashton Lee in June! I agree with Michael Morris's comparison to Jan Karon's 'Mitford'. I will now recommend both authors to those of us who live in small towns and love them! Like Karon, Lee has created characters who are believable and unique. The "characters" in the town come to life; each page is an opportunity to spend time with the characters in their daily lives. I look forward to seeing these characters in Lee's sequel and meeting new ones. This book is pertinent to our economy -- will there be enough money to go around? As a book club member, I was rooting for the Cherry Cola Book Club to succeed and grow. I liked Ashton's quote on page 240 that "...we have already become more than just an ordinary book club.... You're like a real family to me." I look forward to meeting Ashton Lee in Knoxville, Iowa in June!
April 13, 2013
Not only did this book introduce me to several wonderful characters that I truly grew to care about, but I also found a couple of recipes in the back that I simply must try. I am looking forward to a lively discussion about this book with some friends. Well done, Mr. Lee, and I will happily read along if you should offer a sequel to this novel. I will also be on the look out for future writing from this author. This was a good read indeed!
September 3, 2013
Entertaining light read. Young librarian, members of a book club, and their neighbors in a small Mississippi town unite and bond as they fight to save their public library when local officials threaten to close it down. The book's author, Ashton Lee, will be speaking at our Friends of the Jackson-Madison Co. Library meeting in September.
April 30, 2013
Another quick and easy read with predictable happy ending. As a retired librarian and patron of a very small community library I could relate to story very well. For me it was a fun read.
January 8, 2014
Cheer on the libraries. Some of my earliest and most favorite memories are of time spent in a library. Libraries are a very important part of a community.
October 3, 2013
It's a pretty safe statement to make that I'm not in possession of a "cozy" personality. I haven't the temperament or inclination to be a "cozy" person. Sure, I'll curl up with a good book, but chances are that it's gonna be a glass of wine next to me, and not a cup of tea. And the book is more likely to be American Psycho than anything by Lilian Jackson Braun.
But alas, I've already read American Psycho. And my in-real-life cats are jerks enough to make me want to avoid their literary counterparts wherever possible. And this book came onto my radar back in the springtime, and it was on my list, and so I read it. Or rather, I tried to. Twice. And failed. Its twee-ness was overwhelming, and I just couldn't take it. But the third time was a charm, and all that, and I spent a part of my day off resentfully plowing through it to get 'er done.
The basic premise: Maura Beth is the director of a public library in the tiny, cash-strapped town of Cherico, Mississippi. She's young and naive and she's been a Library Director ever since she graduated with her Library Science Degree, and if that's not a mistake on her part and the part of the council who hired her, I don't know what is. She's been running the show for six years, and now she's gotten the news that the Council--a smarmy group of (what else?) smug white guys in ties--are going to shut down the Library, because the budget is tight and the circulation numbers stink. So Maura Beth kicks into gear and does what she should have been doing all along--boosting numbers, being proactive, raising public awareness, planning programs, networking, whatever. As you may have guessed from the title, her main efforts at saving her library are geared towards starting a book club. Does it work out for her? Well, this is a cozy story, NOT American Psycho, so chances for a bleak ending are pretty slim.
For the record, I am not opposed to cozies. I absolutely do love the Mitford series. THAT is the standard to which cozies should aspire--gentle yet honest and NOT TWEE. My main issue with cozies are their complete "gosh golly" removal from my reality. My reality is kind of rough and tumble, and I have adapted accordingly. Cozies are, by implicit definition, not rough and tumble. They are pleasant and reassuring. And you know what that says to me? It says that there is an implicit blandness to them, so the author has to work hard to combat that.
I wasn't impressed with this author's efforts.
There was a fair amount of surprisingly accurate depictions and reflections of libraries, politics, politicians, and the role that citizens play in all of these arenas. There was also a lot of positive (and true) depictions of how a Library can become a very essential hub of a community. Also, while it's ridiculous, the idea of hiring a fresh graduate to run a library, it's not unheard of, I'm sure. Heck, a lot of small rural libraries have directors who technically are not degreed librarians. So there were plenty of facts and representations within this book to inform the layperson. There was also a somewhat intelligent discussion about race, discrimination, Jim Crow, but somehow, it felt forced, as though the author knew he had to confront the elephant in the room. And while it was a noble effort on his part, it threw off the consistency of the book's tone. Is it a cozy with a social message? It could have been--it tried to be, but it ultimately failed.
Yet the fact that the author genuinely tried to tackle a subject of that magnitude is hugely commendable. And I've learned that this book is to be the first in a series. There were enough redeeming points, and enough promise, in this book for me to keep my eye out for the next in the series. The world (not me) needs more decent cozies, and this series certainly has the potential to become one.
But alas, I've already read American Psycho. And my in-real-life cats are jerks enough to make me want to avoid their literary counterparts wherever possible. And this book came onto my radar back in the springtime, and it was on my list, and so I read it. Or rather, I tried to. Twice. And failed. Its twee-ness was overwhelming, and I just couldn't take it. But the third time was a charm, and all that, and I spent a part of my day off resentfully plowing through it to get 'er done.
The basic premise: Maura Beth is the director of a public library in the tiny, cash-strapped town of Cherico, Mississippi. She's young and naive and she's been a Library Director ever since she graduated with her Library Science Degree, and if that's not a mistake on her part and the part of the council who hired her, I don't know what is. She's been running the show for six years, and now she's gotten the news that the Council--a smarmy group of (what else?) smug white guys in ties--are going to shut down the Library, because the budget is tight and the circulation numbers stink. So Maura Beth kicks into gear and does what she should have been doing all along--boosting numbers, being proactive, raising public awareness, planning programs, networking, whatever. As you may have guessed from the title, her main efforts at saving her library are geared towards starting a book club. Does it work out for her? Well, this is a cozy story, NOT American Psycho, so chances for a bleak ending are pretty slim.
For the record, I am not opposed to cozies. I absolutely do love the Mitford series. THAT is the standard to which cozies should aspire--gentle yet honest and NOT TWEE. My main issue with cozies are their complete "gosh golly" removal from my reality. My reality is kind of rough and tumble, and I have adapted accordingly. Cozies are, by implicit definition, not rough and tumble. They are pleasant and reassuring. And you know what that says to me? It says that there is an implicit blandness to them, so the author has to work hard to combat that.
I wasn't impressed with this author's efforts.
There was a fair amount of surprisingly accurate depictions and reflections of libraries, politics, politicians, and the role that citizens play in all of these arenas. There was also a lot of positive (and true) depictions of how a Library can become a very essential hub of a community. Also, while it's ridiculous, the idea of hiring a fresh graduate to run a library, it's not unheard of, I'm sure. Heck, a lot of small rural libraries have directors who technically are not degreed librarians. So there were plenty of facts and representations within this book to inform the layperson. There was also a somewhat intelligent discussion about race, discrimination, Jim Crow, but somehow, it felt forced, as though the author knew he had to confront the elephant in the room. And while it was a noble effort on his part, it threw off the consistency of the book's tone. Is it a cozy with a social message? It could have been--it tried to be, but it ultimately failed.
Yet the fact that the author genuinely tried to tackle a subject of that magnitude is hugely commendable. And I've learned that this book is to be the first in a series. There were enough redeeming points, and enough promise, in this book for me to keep my eye out for the next in the series. The world (not me) needs more decent cozies, and this series certainly has the potential to become one.
April 5, 2013
Anyone with a passion for books, cherry cola, or sweet, southern towns is sure to take find a friend in Ashton Lee and his latest book, The Cherry Cola Book Club. Librarians are sure to get a kick out a book like this, in which the town pulls together to try and spare the local library. The local Councilman, Durden Sparks, gives the town librarian, Maura Beth Mayhew, five months to improve her situation or else the librarian has to be torn down. Maura Beth isn’t quite sure how she is going to fix her problem, but she knows the best place to start is with her best friend, Periwinkle Lattimore, and her charming, little café, The Twinkle. With the help of Periwinkle and some other charming southern guests visiting the café, Maura Beth thinks she has found a way to save the town’s library!
Maura Beth Mayhew and Periwinkle Lattimore make the greatest team I have ever witnessed. I was so enthralled with their friendship and the uniqueness that each of them brings to the table. They made me laugh so hard that I had to wipe my eyes, and their friendship is surely a tribute to the hospitality of southern women. Sometimes the books I love the best are the one in which the secondary characters stand out to me more. Between the library, the café, and the book club I couldn’t tell you which place became my favorite because they were all filled with laughter, new friends, and that sweet southern charm that I am so used to.
The idea of a book club or any kind of club for that matter, has always stood out to me when trying to decide which novel I will read next. There is something about the unity and friendship that can be found within them that draws me in. In this novel, the book club starts off by reading To Kill A Mockingbird. This book is a classic and one of my absolute favorite, so of course I loved seeing how these fictional characters responded to it as well. I think that anyone with even a sense of literary genius in them, bibliophiles included, will find pure pleasure in reading this novel!
***A HUGE thank you to the publishers at Kensington for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***
Maura Beth Mayhew and Periwinkle Lattimore make the greatest team I have ever witnessed. I was so enthralled with their friendship and the uniqueness that each of them brings to the table. They made me laugh so hard that I had to wipe my eyes, and their friendship is surely a tribute to the hospitality of southern women. Sometimes the books I love the best are the one in which the secondary characters stand out to me more. Between the library, the café, and the book club I couldn’t tell you which place became my favorite because they were all filled with laughter, new friends, and that sweet southern charm that I am so used to.
The idea of a book club or any kind of club for that matter, has always stood out to me when trying to decide which novel I will read next. There is something about the unity and friendship that can be found within them that draws me in. In this novel, the book club starts off by reading To Kill A Mockingbird. This book is a classic and one of my absolute favorite, so of course I loved seeing how these fictional characters responded to it as well. I think that anyone with even a sense of literary genius in them, bibliophiles included, will find pure pleasure in reading this novel!
***A HUGE thank you to the publishers at Kensington for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***
July 11, 2014
If you love your library and reading books, this is an excellent take on keeping a library going. This story is witty, informative, and full of southern small town charm. The Cherry Cola book group in Mississippi, was born out of desperation when librarian, Maura Beth Mathew finds that a crotchety city councilman wants to close down the library and use those funds to start a commercial area. If numbers of library users and library events don't raise, the library closes.
The characters who make up the book group are quite interesting and diverse. Their discussions of Gone With The Wind and To Kill A Mockingbird cover everything from history to personal issues, with great warmth and lots of humor. Of course, the councilman's contributions are definitely meant to foil the fun.
I really enjoyed this book, learning a lots about libraries and librarians, but mostly I enjoyed all the characters and their creative efforts to keep their library the center if their community and a treat in their lives. I listened to the audio version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The characters who make up the book group are quite interesting and diverse. Their discussions of Gone With The Wind and To Kill A Mockingbird cover everything from history to personal issues, with great warmth and lots of humor. Of course, the councilman's contributions are definitely meant to foil the fun.
I really enjoyed this book, learning a lots about libraries and librarians, but mostly I enjoyed all the characters and their creative efforts to keep their library the center if their community and a treat in their lives. I listened to the audio version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 2, 2014
Book #1 Read in 2014
The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee
A southern, small-town library is in danger of being closed due to lack of funding. The young librarian decides that the library must be saved, as it is an integral part of the town, at least in her mind. To try to boost circulation and membership numbers, she establishes a book club where southern fiction is discussed and pot luck dishes are shared. As an added bonus, the book club members forge strong friendships.
I loved the writing of this book and the characters were like friends. I have already pre-ordered the sequel which comes out in March. I was surprised that the author is male; he writes female characters very well and they are complex and strong. I enjoyed this book a lot.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee
A southern, small-town library is in danger of being closed due to lack of funding. The young librarian decides that the library must be saved, as it is an integral part of the town, at least in her mind. To try to boost circulation and membership numbers, she establishes a book club where southern fiction is discussed and pot luck dishes are shared. As an added bonus, the book club members forge strong friendships.
I loved the writing of this book and the characters were like friends. I have already pre-ordered the sequel which comes out in March. I was surprised that the author is male; he writes female characters very well and they are complex and strong. I enjoyed this book a lot.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
September 25, 2018
This book was recommended to me. I looked it up and saw that it was compared to Fannie Flagg, so I knew I had to pick it up. It was an enjoyable book. Any book about books, book clubs, libraries, etc., is right up my alley. However, it didn't have the level of down-home humor that you find in Fannie Flagg's books, and it was rather predictible. I did really enjoy the characters and setting though. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
July 3, 2021
Love it so much
August 31, 2018
I didn't feel like this book was very deep, and I kept getting distracted by the dialogue. I just didn't think it was a realistic. I didn't completely dislike the book but I didn't feel like the writing was as interesting as it could have been. I wanted to really like this novel, but it felt like it was very surface and there wasn't anything further. I also felt like there was a lot of summary as a result I just didn't get a feeling for the characters. At the end of the novel I found that while the issues the book touch are important to me this book didn't make me care about them.
May 29, 2022
I was under the mistaken impression that The Cherry Cola Book Club was going to be an introductory cozy mystery. Nope, it is about a little library and its librarian fighting the town council for its very existence.
I do believe the murder of smarmy Councilman Durden Sparks would have certainly livened up this story.
A mild and light, nothing offensive or very intriguing, read.
I do believe the murder of smarmy Councilman Durden Sparks would have certainly livened up this story.
A mild and light, nothing offensive or very intriguing, read.
May 12, 2025
I enjoyed reading this fun book about a group of people that decided to save a library by starting a library. While trying to find ways to save the town library from being closed for a few ladies decide that the best way to start was to start a book club. The book club begins to go and even some men start to join as well. New friendships are formed along with some romantic relationships. I enjoyed reading about their decisions of some of the classics as well as their plotting to save the library. If you enjoy books, classics, book clubs and library you will enjoy this chicklit book.
May 31, 2020
Cute story. A nice little escape as I went on my daily walks.
August 30, 2014
You had me at book club. ~ Sheila
I discovered this little gem while browsing audible.com for an audio to go on my phone while I was working outside. Initially as the story started, I had a strong feeling my review was going to include the words “predictable” but sweet.
I have to admit though, I was surprised at the depth behind this story. Maybe it was because of my involvement in our local library and City Library Board, but Maura’s fears of budget cuts and the community not being aware of the value of the library were all to real fears for our own town and perhaps that made me appreciate this one even more. I actually found some of her ideas to present the value of the library to the community to be good ideas and my own mind started turning these ideas to how they could fit in our own community.
All in all, I really appreciated this audio. I enjoyed the fun diverse characters and I have to say the discussion on To Kill A Mockingbird made me want to insist that my own book club review this classic so we can have such a discussion.
Those who appreciate Libraries I feel will like this book. I also feel book clubs could have a lot of fun with this one as there is a lot of food mentioned with recipes in the back of the book (they were read out loud on the audio). I really want to make that Cherry Cola drink with lime they mention… and the tomatoes and okra sound interesting too….
For more on this review and others like it - come and see me at Book Journey! http://bookjourney.net/2014/08/29/che...
I discovered this little gem while browsing audible.com for an audio to go on my phone while I was working outside. Initially as the story started, I had a strong feeling my review was going to include the words “predictable” but sweet.
I have to admit though, I was surprised at the depth behind this story. Maybe it was because of my involvement in our local library and City Library Board, but Maura’s fears of budget cuts and the community not being aware of the value of the library were all to real fears for our own town and perhaps that made me appreciate this one even more. I actually found some of her ideas to present the value of the library to the community to be good ideas and my own mind started turning these ideas to how they could fit in our own community.
All in all, I really appreciated this audio. I enjoyed the fun diverse characters and I have to say the discussion on To Kill A Mockingbird made me want to insist that my own book club review this classic so we can have such a discussion.
Those who appreciate Libraries I feel will like this book. I also feel book clubs could have a lot of fun with this one as there is a lot of food mentioned with recipes in the back of the book (they were read out loud on the audio). I really want to make that Cherry Cola drink with lime they mention… and the tomatoes and okra sound interesting too….
For more on this review and others like it - come and see me at Book Journey! http://bookjourney.net/2014/08/29/che...
February 12, 2013
The writing wasn't bad, but I felt that it was slow going.
I didn't quite understand the main character Maura Beth. She showed an abundance of confidence in her actions, but not in her thoughts. Everything she did was extremely successful, but she still constantly worried. So I felt that her character wasn't balanced quite right.
Other than that, I liked the plot and that's what drew me into the story. I have a friend who is going to school to be a librarian. She's learning just how important it is to match the needs of a library's patrons, and to keep up with the way books are changing to digital.
This book expresses how I feel about the library. It's not just a place to read and get books, it's a place for the community to come together. And a library needs librarians that care about the community and its needs.
When you read this book, you should think of the question "How important is the library to you?"
I didn't quite understand the main character Maura Beth. She showed an abundance of confidence in her actions, but not in her thoughts. Everything she did was extremely successful, but she still constantly worried. So I felt that her character wasn't balanced quite right.
Other than that, I liked the plot and that's what drew me into the story. I have a friend who is going to school to be a librarian. She's learning just how important it is to match the needs of a library's patrons, and to keep up with the way books are changing to digital.
This book expresses how I feel about the library. It's not just a place to read and get books, it's a place for the community to come together. And a library needs librarians that care about the community and its needs.
When you read this book, you should think of the question "How important is the library to you?"
June 9, 2013
I liked The Cherry Cola Book Club. A small town librarian takes on the ‘nasty’ town Councilman who is threatening to do away with the Library and her position because he doesn’t think the community needs or uses the Library and feels the money could be better spent elsewhere.
I found myself quickly invested in the story. I loved Maura Beth’s ability to bring the community together, not just to support the Library, but each other as well. I grew up in a small, rural community in the northeast. There wasn’t a Library, I never belonged to a book club, and I never felt the sense of community that I ‘experienced’ in this book. This story made me want to live in Cherico, be a part of the book club, and help Maura Beth save the Library.
The Cherry Cola Book Club is a really enjoyable summer read. And don’t forget the wonderful recipes at the end of the book! I’m so glad this is going to be a series.
I found myself quickly invested in the story. I loved Maura Beth’s ability to bring the community together, not just to support the Library, but each other as well. I grew up in a small, rural community in the northeast. There wasn’t a Library, I never belonged to a book club, and I never felt the sense of community that I ‘experienced’ in this book. This story made me want to live in Cherico, be a part of the book club, and help Maura Beth save the Library.
The Cherry Cola Book Club is a really enjoyable summer read. And don’t forget the wonderful recipes at the end of the book! I’m so glad this is going to be a series.
March 10, 2017
I had really high hopes for this book. It was about saving a little library and a group of gals who start a book club in hopes of drumming up enough interest to make the local politicians take notice: how sweet is that? But unfortunately it was soooo slow. It was written primarily in dialogue, which is one of my pet peeves. I was in the mood for a lite, wholesome little story about women who read, and this was definitely that, but it just wasn't the book for me. (I didn't finish this, I only made it about a third of the way through, so this review is based on only that much of the book. Maybe if kept going, things would have picked up???).
May 29, 2013
Warm, downhome Chick Lit deals with the universal plight of libraries. Cherico, Mississippi may have a library made out of corrugated iron and supported by the shear will of the Maura Beth Mayhew, but don't underestimate it's staying power. Maura is determined to keep the library open in the face of corruption, sexism, and indifference. Can Maura save the library with a book club and lots of comfort food? Surprising things can happen at a book club, friendships kindled, love renewed, and lives shared.
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