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You drive into a town that you’ve never visited before and suddenly, without a smidge of doubt, you know there’s a diner around a certain corner. You walk in, squeeze into a booth, and look at a menu that’s so familiar, you barely need to read it. You’ve been there before, but that’s impossible. Déjà vu or — if you cotton to that sort of thing — a past life?

In the new novel “The Gargoyle” by Andrew Davidson, a horribly injured man isn’t sure what to believe. But he’s about to believe in love.

In his past life, the one before the accident, he was a brutally handsome adult movie star. With no family to shame but money to make, he had women for work and for hobby. Drugs and alcohol were easily-available, constant companions.

And then there was the accident.

Drunk and high, he was driving down a mountain road when he saw arrows, or thought he did. He lost control of the car, which flipped end-over-end and caught fire with him inside. He remembered the crackle as his skin roasted.

No more career, no more fair-weather friends. Suicide was appealing. Twenty-four hours after his release from the hospital, whenever that would be, he would end it all.

And then Marianne Engel showed up.

She was obviously a psychiatric patient but she must have spoken with his doctors: when she came to see him, she knew everything about him. Marianne Engel had a “cute figure”, eyes that changed color, and long, wild hair. She carved gargoyles, wore odd clothes, had Biblical tattoos, and told him she had Three Masters and many hearts. Her job on earth was to get rid of the hearts.

And then she said it was his third time burned. She began to tell him stories.

Once upon a time, she said, they met in a cottage at the edge of a monastery. She was a scribe. He was a for-life mercenary. After he was burned in battle, she cared for him and healed him and they fell in love. But love wasn’t enough to save them, and she needed him to understand. Marianne Engel knew that they would be reunited someday, and she’s lived for that moment.

For more than 700 years.

More than a love story but not quite a romance novel, “The Gargoyle” is beautiful and gruesome but soars with devotion and redemption. The main character, a man that author Andrew Davidson never names, is an interesting study of chip-on-shoulder, and Marianne Engel is the perfect enigma.

I especially enjoyed the way Marianne Engel teases out her stories; it reminded me of my favorite story books with the squirmy twist of adult meanness and a dash of Medieval history. These grim fairytales ain’t Grimm fairytales, but they’re compelling reading and they put a nice polish on the story.

If you or your book group is looking for a fanciful, historical novel with a modern twist, you can’t go wrong with “The Gargoyle”. For you, this book is monstrously good.

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Ever since you were a kid, you’ve been told that you could do anything. Now you’re wondering if someone’s been lying to you all these years.

You set your sights on business, you got the “right” degree, and you landed a great job. As hard as you work, though, it seems like the “glass ceiling” is quadruple-paned and you’re not getting ahead.

You’re a minority at work. Even in this day and age, could that be the issue?

Maybe. Maybe not.

In his new book “Good is Not Enough” (with Sonia Alleyne), author Keith R. Wyche says that you can get ahead in business, no matter your gender or ethnic background. It’s just going to take a little more work at work.

Congratulations, the job is yours. Sweet words, aren’t they?

But hold up. Long before you sign an acceptance letter, Wyche says, be sure that the corporate culture is going to be a good fit for you. Have you done your research about this particular business? Are you willing to do what it takes to assimilate?

On the job and off, never underestimate the power of networking. Nurture your contacts and look for a mentor (someone you choose) and a sponsor (someone who chooses you) to help navigate this job and beyond. Utilize those people to garner inside information, and be ready to sponsor or mentor someone when it’s your turn to do so.

Be willing to stand out and be seen. You may already be visible by virtue of your minority status, but Wyche says you should also volunteer for extra work and off-hours events, and seize every opportunity for face-time with senior-level management or out-of-town corporate visitors.

Demand (nicely) a quarterly progress report and heed it. Make sure you and your boss are in agreement with how your job should be performed. Be willing to make lateral moves Always prepare better than do your colleagues. Be ethical because you won’t get a “second chance”. If all else fails, have a good exit strategy and never give up.

When I got my copy of “Good is Not Enough”, I was intrigued. Here’s a book expressly for young minorities, written by an African American man. There must be some in-the-trenches, in-the-know, double-secret information in here, right?

Yes and no.

Author and president of U.S. operations for Pitney Bowes Management Services Keith R. Wyche uses personal stories and those of friends and colleagues to illustrate paths and pitfalls for passionate people eager to move up in business. The interesting thing is, although he includes plenty of information specifically for non-white as well as non-male professionals, much of the advice he offers is useful for anyone of any race or gender who wants to get ahead in the workplace.

Be aware that this isn’t a book for someone who just “wants a job.” Instead, it’s heavy on corporate America-type careers. But if you’ve got your eyes on the corner office and the salary to go with it, reading “Good is Not Enough” is a pretty good start.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.