The Reading Circle

Ashton Lee, author of The Cherry Cola Book Club, was born in historic Natchez, Mississippi, into a large, extended Southern family which gave him much fodder for his fiction later in life. He currently lives in Oxford, Mississippi.

"This lighthearted, cozy read brought a smile to my face. Lovers of small town fiction are going to fall in love with The Reading Circle." --Marie Bostwick, author of Between Heaven and Texas Welcome to the quirky town of Cherico, Mississippi, where potluck meetings at the local library provide a feast for mind and stomach alike. . .If some folks had their way, the Cherico library would have shut down long ago. Councilman Durden Sparks aims to divert funding to a cause dear to his heart--and his wallet. With the aid of gumption and good friends, librarian Maura Beth Mayhew has finagled a one-year reprieve, and the burgeoning book club is raising the library's profile one mouthwatering meeting at a time. But more members mean more opinions. . .While the Forrest Gump-themed shrimp dishes are a universal hit, meetings don't always go according to plan. Between spirited debate over book choices and surprising revelations and relationship hiccups--including Maura Beth's fledgling romance--there's a lot to discuss. And just when bad luck threatens to finish the library for good, the Cherry Cola Book Club may learn that the best stories have twists--and heroes--you never expected. . .Praise for Ashton Lee's The Cherry Cola Book Club"Lee's buoyant David-versus-Goliath tale zestfully illuminates a real problem confronting libraries and cities of all sizes." --Booklist "Clever, sassy and as tasty as an icebox pie, The Cherry Cola Book Club is a rare treat." --Erika Marks, author of The Guest House