Book Nook Cafe discussion

madrano wrote: "Alias, those are some very interesting entries to the mystery genre. I mentioned that i read The Maid--Nita Prose, which i liked. Therefore, i can endorse that sug..."

I put The Maid on my library hold list when you first mentioned it, deb. I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm #326 but they have 90 copies. That's okay as I have a mountain high TBR list and other library holds.

I know that feeling, Alias. Sometimes i add books to my wait list just so i'll remember it was quite important to me when i first learned about the title. Still, #326 on 90 is remarkable. Frankly, it wasn't that good, imo. Liked it, i did but that long a wait? I'm surprised.

madrano wrote: Frankly, it wasn't that good, imo. Liked it, i did but that long a wait? I'm surprised..."

The Maid by Nita Prose is # 8 on the Amazon bestseller list and #8 on the New York Times Best seller list. So no surprise there is a long wait list.

As i said, it was fine but i don't get the hoopla. Apparently i am out of touch with the popular reading world. :-) Or maybe other people enjoy reading about a woman who really likes her job.

-----The city in the middle of the night
Anders, Charlie Jane author.
"Sophie serves coffee at an underground cafe. She stays in the shadows and listens to the troubles of the parlor guests, but does not draw attention to herself for one simple reason: Sophie is supposed to be dead. When a nationalistic revolution forces Sophie from her safe haven, she must make a dangerous journey to a new city, one that revels in hedonism and chaos. After joining up with a band of smugglers, she finds herself on a long and treacherous path that will lead her far closer to the truth of her entire world---and to the dangers that lurk even in the light of day"


------- The writer's cats
Barbery, Muriel, 1969- author.
"A humorous and touching story that pays tribute to creativity, beauty, the poetry of the everyday, and to the ingenuity and sardonic humor of cats. 'The Writer's Cats' tells the story of four felines, each with a very distinct personality. There's Ocha, the leader of the gang, a tough guy with a soft heart; there's bandy-legged, affectionate Mizu; There's the phlegmatic and refined Petrus, lover of flowers; and finally, there's pretty Kirin, narrator of this bewitching story. Together, they have decided enough is enough! They deserve recognition for the assistance they have provided their owner over the years; they demand acknowledgment not as mere muses but as co-creators. Kirin, chuffed beyond measure to have been elected their representative in this important matter will present their case."


----- A spindle splintered
Harrow, Alix E., author.
"It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no-one has lived past twenty-one. Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate"-- Provided by publisher.


----- Hana Khan carries on
Jalaluddin, Uzma, author.
"Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners"-


----- Demystifying disability : what to know, what to say, and how to be an ally
Ladau, Emily, 1991- author.
"A guide for how to be a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more accessible place"


------ The five wounds : a novel
Quade, Kirstin Valdez, author.
"From an award-winning storyteller comes a stunning debut novel following a New Mexican family's extraordinary year of love and sacrifice. It's Holy Week in the small town of Las Penas, New Mexico, and thirty-three-year-old unemployed Amadeo Padilla has been given the part of Jesus in the Good Friday procession. He is preparing feverishly for this role when his fifteen-year-old daughter Angel shows up pregnant on his doorstep and disrupts his plans. Their reunion sets her own life down a startling path. Vivid, tender, darkly funny, and beautifully rendered, The Five Wounds spans the baby's first year as five generations of the Padilla family converge: Amadeo's mother, Yolanda, reeling from a recent discovery; Angel's mother, whom Angel isn't speaking to; and disapproving Tio Tive, keeper of the family's history. In the absorbing, realist tradition of Elizabeth Strout and Jonathan Franzen, Kirstin Valdez Quade conjures characters that will linger long after the final page, bringing to life their struggles to parent children they may not be equipped to save"



-----What it's like to be a bird : from flying to nesting, eating to singing--what birds are doing, and why
Sibley, David, 1961- author, illustrator.
"'Can birds smell?' 'Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?' 'Do robins "hear" worms?' In [this book], David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special, large-format volume is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than two hundred species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author"--


----- Young Jane Young : a novel
Zevin, Gabrielle, author.
"Aviva Grossman [is] an ambitious Congressional intern in Florida who makes the life-changing mistake of having an affair with her boss, who is beloved, admired, successful, and very married--and blogging about it. When the affair comes to light, the Congressman doesn't take the fall, but Aviva does, and her life is over before it hardly begins. She becomes a late night talk show punchline; she is slut-shamed, labeled as fat and ugly, and considered a blight on politics in general. How does one go on after this? In Aviva's case, she sees no way out but to change her name and move to a remote town in Maine"--


---- The next ship home : a novel of Ellis Island
Webb, Heather, 1976 December 30- author.
"Disembarking on Ellis Island, Francesca arrives on the shores of America with her sights set on a better life than the one she left in Italy. That same day, aspiring linguist Alma reports to her first day of work at the immigrant processing center. Ellis, though, is not the refuge it first appears thanks to President Roosevelt's attempts to deter crime. Francesca and Alma will have to rely on each other to escape its corruption and claim the American dreams they were promised. A thoughtful historical story inspired by true events, this novel probes America's history of prejudice and exclusion-when entry at Ellis Island promised a better life but often delivered something drastically different, immigrants needed strength, resilience, and friendship to fight for their futures"-- Provided by publisher.


-------Taste makers : seven immigrant women who revolutionized food in America
Sen, Mayukh, author.
"America's modern culinary history told through the lives of seven pathbreaking chefs and food writers. Who's really behind America's appetite for foods from around the globe? This group biography from an electric new voice in food writing honors seven extraordinary women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today. Taste Makers stretches from World War II to the present, with absorbing and deeply researched portraits of figures including Mexican-born Elena Zelayeta, a blind chef; Marcella Hazan, the deity of Italian cuisine; and Norma Shirley, a champion of Jamaican dishes. In imaginative, lively prose, Mayukh Sen-a queer, brown child of immigrants-reconstructs the lives of these women in vivid and empathetic detail, daring to ask why some were famous in their own time, but not in ours, and why others shine brightly even today. Weaving together histories of food, immigration, and gender, Taste Makers will challenge the way readers look at what's on their plate-and the women whose labor, overlooked for so long, makes those meals possible"--



------ Other people's comfort keeps me up at night : poems
Parker, Morgan, author.
"The debut collection from award-winning poet Morgan Parker demonstrates why she's become one of the most beloved writers working today. Her command of language is on full display. Parker bobs and weaves between humor and pathos, grief and anxiety, Gwendolyn Brooks and Jay-Z, the New York school and reality television. She collapses any foolish distinctions between the personal and the political, the "high" and the "low." Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up at Night not only introduced an essential new voice to the world, it contains everything readers have come to love about Morgan Parker's work"-- Provided by publisher.


------ Into the planet : my life as a cave diver
Heinerth, Jill, author.
"From one of the world's most renowned cave divers, a firsthand account of exploring the earth's final frontier: the hidden depths of our oceans and the sunken caves inside our planet. More people have died exploring underwater caves than climbing Mount Everest, and we know more about deep space than we do about the depths of our oceans. From one of the top cave divers working today--and one of the very few women in her field--Into the Planet blends science, adventure, and memoir to bring readers face-to-face with the terror and beauty of earth's remaining unknowns and the extremes of human capability. Jill Heinerth--the first person in history to dive deep into an Antarctic iceberg and leader of a team that discovered the ancient watery remains of Mayan civilizations--has descended farther into the inner depths of our planet than any other woman. She takes us into the harrowing split-second decisions that determine whether a diver makes it back to safety, the prejudices that prevent women from pursuing careers underwater, and her endeavor to recover a fallen friend's body from the confines of a cave. But there's beauty beyond the danger of diving, and while Heinerth swims beneath our feet in the lifeblood of our planet, she works with biologists discovering new species, physicists tracking climate change, and hydrogeologists examining our finite freshwater reserves. Written with hair-raising intensity, Into the Planet is the first book to deliver an intimate account of cave diving, transporting readers deep into inner space, where fear must be reconciled and a mission's success balances between knowing one's limits and pushing the envelope of human endurance."

Who knew Snoopy was a reader? Cute graphic. 🙂

Barbara wrote: "Who knew Snoopy was a reader? Cute graphic. 🙂"

Absolutely ! The whole Peanuts crew are big readers. :)

------ Yonder
by Jabari Asim

What it is: a haunting and mystical story about enslaved people fighting to preserve their humanity and their dreams of freedom from the oppressive chattel slavery system they live under.

Starring: the Stolen, which is how the enslaved people of the Placid Hall plantation describe themselves as they share narration duties; the Thieves, which is how they refer to their White captors; and an itinerant preacher who provides an enticing glimpse of the possibility of freedom.

About the author: Multi-genre writer Jabari Asim is known for his short stories (A Taste of Honey), nonfiction (We Can't Breathe), poetry (Stop and Frisk), children's books (Preaching to the Chickens), and previous novel, Only the Strong.



----- Beautiful Little Fools
by Jillian Cantor

What it is: a richly detailed and intricately plotted adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby that gives the novel's female characters a chance to tell their own stories

For fans of: historical murder mysteries and tales of the Jazz Age.

Reviewers say: Beautiful Little Fools is an "admirably convincing act of literary skullduggery [that] offers many rewards" (Publishers Weekly).



------ The Queen's Men
by Oliver Clements

Series alert: The Queen's Men is the sequel to The Eyes of the Queen, which introduced readers to English mathematician and court astrologer John Dee.

This time: Always conscious of the insecurity of her throne, Queen Elizabeth I tasks Dee with recovering the long-forgotten recipe for the ancient napalm-like weapon known as Greek fire.

Did you know? The ingredients and production method of Greek fire were a state secret in the Byzantine Empire, and to this day modern historians have yet to discover the recipe.



------ Small World
by Jonathan Evison

What it is: a moving and intricately plotted historical epic, beginning in the mid-19th century and spanning decades, continents, and worldviews.

Featuring: Irish immigrants Nora and Finn, recently orphaned in Chicago; Wu Chen, who leaves China to seek fortune during the Gold Rush; escaped slave George, who works to build a new life in the shadow of fugitive slave laws; Miwok woman Luyu, who chafes under the expectations of the family who "adopted" her.

Read it for: the richly detailed and refreshingly diverse portrayal of American history and the skill with which author Jonathan Evison handles this sweeping tale.



----- The Leopard is Loose
by Stephen Harrigan

What it's about: a single frightening, thrilling summer day in 1952, when the escape of the Oklahoma City Zoo's leopard sends the city -- and one little boy's family -- into a furor.

Read it for: the compelling, innocent voice of narrator 5-year-old Grady McClarty, who provides an imperfect yet insightful perspective on adult issues like postwar anxiety, grief, and the city's simmering racial tension, which threatens to boil over.

Reviewers say: Leopard is a "likable, nostalgic yarn that explores how minor incidents can catalyze into bigger crises" (Kirkus Reviews).



----- The Last Dance of the Debutante
by Julia Kelly

What it is: the engaging, character-driven story of the final Queen Charlotte's Ball, where debutantes were presented to London high society before Queen Elizabeth ended the practice in 1958.

The setup: Lily Nichols wants nothing more than to go to university, but she agrees to "do the Season" of social events to please her tradition-minded mother. But underneath the glitz and glamour Lily discovers a complex web of scandals and secrets, including a devastating one that could destroy her own legacy-obsessed family.

About the author: Bestselling author Julia Kelly got her start with romance novels but now writes historical fiction, including The Whispers of War and The Last Garden in England.



----- The Family
by Naomi Krupitsky

What it's about: First bonding over the shared strangeness of their lives as the daughters of prominent Brooklyn mafiosi, Antonia Russo and Sofia Colicchio develop a deep, complex friendship in childhood that will be tested like never before when one of their fathers "disappears" after trying to leave the Family.

Read it for: the sweeping, character-driven narrative, which alternates perspectives as Antonia and Sofia tell their respective sides of the story.

Reviewers say: The Family is a "dynamite debut" in which "Mario Puzo meets Elena Ferrante" (Booklist).



------ The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher

What it is: a leisurely paced and character-driven story of Shakespeare and Company, the iconic Paris bookstore, and its equally remarkable founder Sylvia Beach.

Cameos by: Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce, who Sylvia supported in more ways than one after his controversial book Ulysses was banned in the U.S.

You might also like: Tenderness by Alison MacLeod; The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin.


------- The London House
by Katherine Reay

What it's about: Faced with the possibility that her great-aunt and namesake was a Nazi collaborator; Caroline Payne travels to London to search for the truth.

Read it for: the intricate plotting and atmospheric tone, which keep things moving along at a steady pace as the story switches between each Caroline's perspective.

Reviewers say: Author Katherine Reay's "fast-paced foray into the past" that readers who "enjoy engrossing family mystery should take note [of]" (Publishers Weekly).



------ Our Kind of People
by Carol Wallace

The setup: Impeccably bred Helen Wilcox (née Maitland) is preparing to launch her daughters Alice and Jemima into New York high society, hoping to salvage their social position through advantageous matches to compensate for her own decision to "marry down" for love in her youth.

The problem: Alice and Jemima's already precarious social standing is put into even more jeopardy as they await the fallout of their father's questionable business gamble, and as they each find themselves drawn toward men their mother is sure to reject.

About the author: Bestselling author Carol Wallace wrote the social history To Marry an English Lord, which partially inspired Downton Abbey, and her Ben-Hur is a retelling of the classic novel of the same name, originally written by her great-great-grandfather General Lew Wallace.

The first book listed, The City in the Middle of the Night--Charlie Jane Anders, sounds like an intriguing science fiction entry. Several others do, as well, but i like this title.

I read the last book in that first group, Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver and liked it. Jill Heinerth tells her own story and how she developed into one of the top cave divers in the world. It's fun to read about her adventures into the coldest cave, the longest, and, if i recall correctly, the deepest. Her writing is fine but her stories are fascinating.

I have not read any of the historical fiction selections you shared, Alias, but am drawn to a couple. First, The Leopard Is Loose because i lived in Oklahoma City in the '50s that Stephen Harrigan writes about but am a wee bit younger than him, so don't recall the leopard story. In that vein, i will add that i recall the OKC zoo and the lake into which i fell trying to feed the ducks.

Since i first heard about Sylvia Beach, i have wanted to read a lively account of her time at the Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Paris. It was mentioned in many of the bios about ex patriots of the 1920s, including the Fitzgeralds (F Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce and more. I look forward to this story.

Thanks for fun reading already, Alias.

madrano wrote: " i will add that i recall the OKC zoo and the lake into which i fell trying to feed the ducks.."

Oh no ! :)

From the above list,
------ The five wounds : a novel
Quade, Kirstin Valdez, author.

This book was a Brooklyn borough wide read. The library had a no wait list for the book.

The current book is


Mars was once similar to Earth, but today there are no rivers, no lakes, no oceans. Coated in red dust, the terrain is bewilderingly empty. And yet multiple spacecraft are circling Mars, sweeping over Terra Sabaea, Syrtis Major, the dunes of Elysium, and Mare Sirenum—on the brink, perhaps, of a staggering find, one that would inspire humankind as much as any discovery in the history of modern science.

In this beautifully observed, deeply personal book, Georgetown scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson tells the story of how she and other researchers have scoured Mars for signs of life, transforming the planet from a distant point of light into a world of its own.

Johnson’s fascination with Mars began as a child in Kentucky, turning over rocks with her father and looking at planets in the night sky. She now conducts fieldwork in some of Earth’s most hostile environments, such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and the salt flats of Western Australia, developing methods for detecting life on other worlds. Here, with poetic precision, she interlaces her own personal journey—as a female scientist and a mother—with tales of other seekers, from Percival Lowell, who was convinced that a utopian society existed on Mars, to Audouin Dollfus, who tried to carry out astronomical observations from a stratospheric balloon. In the process, she shows how the story of Mars is also a story about Earth: This other world has been our mirror, our foil, a telltale reflection of our own anxieties and yearnings.

Empathetic and evocative, The Sirens of Mars offers an unlikely natural history of a place where no human has ever set foot, while providing a vivid portrait of our quest to defy our isolation in the cosmos.

Deb, I thought this one would have caught your eye. Are you familiar with this poet?

------ Other people's comfort keeps me up at night : poems
Parker, Morgan, author.
"The debut collection from award-winning poet Morgan Parker demonstrates why she's become one of the most beloved writers working today.

A library posted this on FB and I thought I would share. I added a few more from Amazon.





Ukraine and the Art of Strategy
by Freedman, Lawrence
Book - 2019
Ukraine and the Art of Strategy



A Short History of Russia
How the World's Largest Country Invented Itself, From the Pagans to Putin
by Galeotti, Mark
Book - 2020
A Short History of Russia: How the World's Largest Country Invented Itself, from the Pagans to Putin



The Gates of Europe
A History of Ukraine
by Plokhy, Serhii
Book - 2015
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine


In Wartime
Stories From Ukraine
by Judah, Tim
Book - 2016
In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine


Chechnya
From Past to Future
Book - 2005
Chechnya: From Past to Future



Border
A Journey Around Russia : Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and the Northwest Passage
by Fatland, Erika
Book - 2021
The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway and the Northeast Passage


The Folly and the Glory
America, Russia, and Political Warfare, 1945-2020
by Weiner, Tim
Book - 2020
The Folly and the Glory: America, Russia, and Political Warfare 1945–2020


Petrostate
Putin, Power, and the New Russia
by Goldman, Marshall I.
Book - 2008
Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia


Winter Is Coming
Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped
by Kasparov, G. K.
Book - 2015
Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped



Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine
by Wood, Elizabeth A.
Book - 2016
Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine


Maidan: Uprising in Ukraine |
The Maidan Uprising, Separatism and Foreign Intervention: Ukraine's Complex Transition



The Revenge of Geography
What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate
by Kaplan, Robert D.
Book - 2012
The Revenge Of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate


Red Famine
Stalin's War on Ukraine
by Applebaum, Anne
Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, 1921-1933

Putin's People
2020
Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West


The Man Without a Face
2012
The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin

Putin's Playbook
2021
Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America


The New Tsar
2015
The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin

Weak Strongman
2021
Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin's Russia

Alias Reader wrote: "From the above list,
------ The five wounds : a novel
Quade, Kirstin Valdez, author.

This book was a Brooklyn borough wide read. The library had a no wait list for the book. ..."

I actually checked that one out from Overdrive but, suddenly three other books which had been "on hold" arrived, so i returned it unread. I liked that i could get it immediately. The Stewart book, The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World sounds good.

Re. the Morgan Parker poems, i forgot to add that. I've not heard of her and when i looked it up after reading your post, i could only find this Morgan Parker, who did nothing for me. Then, i just forgot to re-search. Thanks for the reminder. GR comments were delightful.

Alias Reader wrote: "A library posted this on FB and I thought I would share. I added a few more from Amazon...."

We can't say we weren't warned, i guess. Right after the election of Donald Trump, i read Masha Gessen's The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, which told me about all i wanted to know about his younger days.

Alias Reader wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Who knew Snoopy was a reader? Cute graphic. 🙂"

Absolutely ! The whole Peanuts crew are big readers. :)

"

Ha ha ha. 😄

The Putin book is very timely. It would be good to know how he thinks.

There is also Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin by Hill and Gaddy. It is important read to the second edition, because "Fiona Hill researched and wrote the additional material for this second edition, which moves the narrative frame of the original book from its focus on the Russian domestic scene to the international arena." Fiona Hill, of course, provided important testimony during Trump's impeachment hearings.

We appreciate the note you added with regards to the second edition, Larry. Such changes can make most books even more relevant.

Thanks for the important follow-up, Larry !

madrano wrote: Right after the election of Donald Trump, i read Masha Gessen's The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, which told me about all i wanted to know about his younger days...."


Deb, I've had this book on my TBR list for awhile. Would you recommend it? How was the writing style ? Thanks !

Alias, the Gessen book filled my need. I didn't want a heavy bio, just get a sense of Putin, particularly growing up. It was easy to read but knowing she wasn't a fan of his has me thinking it probably wasn't as balanced as one might hope. That written, i didn't notice it as i read, for whatever that means. :-)

madrano wrote: "Alias, the Gessen book filled my need. I didn't want a heavy bio, just get a sense of Putin, particularly growing up. It was easy to read but knowing she wasn't a fan of his has me thinking it prob..."

Thanks, deb. I'm also looking for a basic bio that is not a million pages.

This is the one, then.

Re: The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin

Thanks, Deb !

:-)

March is Women's History Month !


----- We Should All Be Feminists
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi
With humor and levity, Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century—one rooted in inclusion and awareness. She shines a light not only on blatant discrimination, but also the more insidious, institutional behaviors that marginalize women around the world, in order to help readers of all walks of life better understand the often masked realities of sexual politics. Throughout, she draws extensively on her own experiences—in the U.S., in her native Nigeria, and abroad—offering an artfully nuanced explanation of why the gender divide is harmful for women and men, alike.


----- When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today
Armstrong, Jennifer Keishin
It was the Golden Age of Radio and powerful men were making millions in advertising dollars, reaching thousands of listeners every day. When television arrived, few radio moguls were interested in the upstart industry and its tiny production budgets. Expensive television sets were out of reach for most families. But four women, each an independent visionary, saw an opportunity and carved their own paths, and in so doing invented the way people watch TV today.


---- The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free
Bren, Paulina
Story of the first women-only residential hotel in New York City. Opened in 1927, it catered to women looking for careers in the arts and housed many now famous authors, actresses and activists.


----- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Brontë, Anne
The mysterious new tenant of Wildfell Hall is a strong-minded woman who keeps her own counsel. Narrated by her neighbor Gilbert Markham, and in the pages of her own diary, the novel portrays Helen Graham's eloquent struggle for independence at a time when the law and society defined a married woman as her husband's property. Largely considered to be the first feminist text written in English.


----- Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement
Burke, Tarana
From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the "me too" movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words--me too--and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in American history.


------ Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace
Chiaverini, Jennifer
A fictionalized telling of the life of Ada Byron King, the world's first computer programmer.


----- Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Criado-Perez, Caroline
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender by treating men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems.


----- The Conductors
Glover, Nicole
Featuring the indomitable Hetty Rhodes, who escaped life as an enslaved woman, acted as a conductor for the Underground Railroad, and continues to work for racial and economic justice after the Civil War.


----- The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History
Holt, Nathalia
This is the untold story of the women of Walt Disney Studios who shaped the iconic films that have enthralled generations. While battling sexism, domestic abuse, and workplace intimidation, these women also fought to transform the way female characters are depicted to young audiences.


----- Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism
hooks, bell
A classic work of feminist scholarship, this book has become a must-read for all those interested in the nature of Black womanhood. Examining the impact of sexism on Black women during slavery, the devaluation of Back womanhood, Black male sexism, racism among feminists, and the Black woman's involvement with feminism, hooks attempts to move us beyond racist and sexist assumptions. The result is nothing short of groundbreaking.


----- Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World
Lee, Mackenzi
The title says it all! Stories of women from across the world and across history who defied cultural and gender expectations to get things done.


------ Mother of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored in an Economy Built for Men
Marçal, Katrine
Our traditional notions about men and women have delayed innovations, sometimes by hundreds of years, and have distorted our understanding of our history. Marçal takes us on a tour of the global economy, arguing that gendered assumptions dictate which businesses get funding, how we value work, and how we trace human progress.


------ The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women -- and Women to Medicine
Nimura, Janice P.
New biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman in American to receive her M.D., and her sister Emily, also a skilled physician in her own right.


----- The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace
Povich, Lynn
On March 16, 1970, Newsweek magazine hit newsstands with a cover story on the fledgling feminist movement entitled "Women in Revolt." That same day, 46 Newsweek women, Lynn Povich among them, announced they'd filed an EEOC complaint charging their employer with "systematic discrimination" against them in hiring and promotion.


----- The Alice Network
Quinn, Kate
Brings to light the contribution of Allied women who faced danger and made huge personal sacrifices by acting as spies during World War I.


----- Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
Roundtree, Dovey Johnson
The autobiography of Ms. Roundtree, who broke racial and gender barriers in the military and in her work as a civil rights attorney.


----- Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Shetterly, Margot Lee
Before John Glenn orbited the earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation.


----- Girl Waits with Gun
Stewart, Amy
A novel based on the forgotten true story of one of the nation’s first female deputy sheriffs.


----- Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion
Telfer, Tori
A thoroughly entertaining and darkly humorous roundup of history's notorious but often forgotten female con artists and their bold, outrageous scams.

Yay for Women's History Month. 🧡🌟🎈

Wonderful start to the month, Alias. I've read a couple of those but see others i'm eager to delve into, as well.

I've had The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free--Paulina Bren on my list because when i first started reading about young women moving to NYC to begin their careers, this was where they stayed. It must have been quite a place with the vibrant residents.

I was unaware there was another Dr. Blackwell, so look forward to reading The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine--Janice P. Nimura. I've only heard of Elizabeth, due to her status as "first".

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/im...


---- Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to...
by Tracy Borman

What it is: a sweeping history of the British monarchy, chronicling the reigns of its 41 kings and queens from the 11th century to the present.

Read it for: an accessible and page-turning narrative rife with gossip and plenty of court intrigue.

About the author: Historian and novelist Tracy Borman is the Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust.



----- The Doomsday Mother: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family
by John Glatt

What it's about: In July 2020, nearly a year after they disappeared, the bodies of seven-year-old J.J. Vallow and his sister, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, were discovered in the backyard of their stepfather, Chad Daybell.

What happened next: Daybell and the children's mother, Lori Vallow, both members of a doomsday cult called Preparing a People, were charged with the siblings' murders and are scheduled to be tried in 2023.

Who it's for: Fans of nail-biting true crime stories will appreciate this disturbing tale of a case that's still making headlines.



----- The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup
by Evan Hughes

What it is: a sobering history of pharmaceutical startup Insys Therapeutics, whose manufacture of the fentanyl-based medication Subsys spurred the opioid crisis and whose founder, John Kapoor, was sentenced to five years in prison on racketeering charges.

Why you might like it: National Magazine Award finalist Evan Hughes' thought-provoking tale of hubris and corporate malfeasance unfolds in a fast-paced narrative worthy of a courtroom drama.

For fans of: Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain.



------ South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation
by Imani Perry

What it's about: Princeton professor Imani Perry, who was born in Alabama, traveled throughout the American South using the region's history and culture as a lens to view the country as a whole.

Why you might like it: Blending travelogue, history, and memoir, South to America weaves together musings on race and place and details about Perry's family and life.

Reviewers say: a "saturated, gorgeously written, and keenly revelatory travelogue" (Booklist); "a rich and imaginative tour" (Publishers Weekly).



------ The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and...
by Ben Raines

How it began: In 2019 Mobile, Alabama, environmental journalist Ben Raines discovered the burned remains of the Clotilda, the last known ship to carry enslaved people to America.

What happened next: Raines investigated the history and legacy of the Clotilda's journey, including the post-Civil War settlement of Africatown, a thriving community established by the ship's survivors.

Further reading: Zora Neale Hurston's Barracoon, which chronicles the life of Cudjo Lewis, a Clotilda survivor and Africatown founder.


******* Ancient History ******


------ The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic
by Mike Duncan

What it is: a fast-paced and engaging history of the years 146 to 78 B.C.E. in the Roman Republic, a period whose developments hastened the empire's fall.

Read it for: an accessible account of a lesser-known period in Roman history, supplemented with maps, timelines, and primary sources.

Author alert: Mike Duncan is an award-winning history podcaster who created and hosted The History of Rome and Revolutions.



------ Alexander the Great: His Life and His Mysterious Death
by Anthony Everitt

What it is: a riveting, richly contextualized chronicle of the Macedonian conqueror's life that de-mythologizes history's prior depictions of him.

Chapters include: "First Blood;" "The Empire Strikes Back;" "Show Me the Way to Go Home."

Book buzz: In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews says Alexander the Great is "a story for everyone" that "reads as easily as a novel."



------ The Story of Egypt: The Civilization That Shaped the World
by Joann Fletcher

What it's about: the evolution of ancient Egyptian civilization from 55000 B.C.E. to 30 B.C.E.

Who it's for: General readers and fans of Toby Wilkinson's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt will appreciate British archaeologist Joann Fletcher's accessible and comprehensive history.

Don't miss: Fletcher's focus on the women rulers whose accomplishments have often been overlooked.



------ The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
by Peter Frankopan

What it's about: the Silk Roads, the Central Asian trading routes that bridged East and West and facilitated social, political, economic, cultural, and religious exchange beginning in the 2nd century B.C.E.

Reviewers say: "A vastly rich historical tapestry that puts ongoing struggles in a new perspective" (Kirkus Reviews).

Further reading: Oxford historian Peter Frankopan's follow-up volume The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World.



------ Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age
by Annalee Newitz

What it does: explores four so-called "lost" (abandoned) cities and analyzes their "common point of failure" (political instability plus environmental disaster).

Includes: the Neolithic Anatolian settlement of Çatalhöyük; the Roman town of Pompeii; Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire; and Cahokia, North America's largest city prior to European invasion.

About the author: Annalee Newitz is a journalist and science fiction writer who co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct with novelist Charlie Jane Anders.

Good list of books. I was almost sold on The Story of Egypt: The Civilization that Shaped the World--Joann Fletcher but the reviews were iffy. One included the fact it's more a political book which i probably want but not strictly. So, i'll pass.

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World--Peter Frankopan sounds thorough and long. However, GR reviewers state that it's worth the effort, not biased and readable.

But it's Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age--Annalee Newitz, which calls to me, mostly due to the Cahokia inclusion.

I'm grateful for the list, Alias.

I hope you find a winner among them, deb.

------ Inside out : the prints of Mary Cassatt
"Inside Out: The Prints of Mary Cassatt examines Cassatt's printmaking from the perspective of the artist herself. It focuses on intersections between her prints and her personal concerns with identity and selfhood, family and child care, creativity and making."--Colby Museum of Art website.


------ In every mirror she's Black : a novel
Akinmade-Akerström, Lola, author.
"Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people. Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation's largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A killer at work but a failure in love, Kemi's move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life. A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege-a life she's not sure she wants-as the object of his unhealthy obsession. And Somali refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home."


------ Little family
Beah, Ishmael, 1980- author.
"A powerful novel about five young people, struggling to replace the homes they have lost with the one they have created together, from the internationally bestselling author of A Long Way Gone. Hidden away from a harsh and chaotic outside world, five young people have cobbled together a home for themselves in an abandoned airplane, a relic of their country's tumult. At seventeen, Elimane, the bookworm, is as street-smart as he is wise: the group's father figure. Clever Khoudimata is mother by default, helping scheme how to keep the younger boys-athletic, pragmatic Ndevui and thoughtful Kpindi-and especially little Namsa, their newest and youngest member-safe and fed. When Elimane makes himself of service to the shadowy William Handkerchief, it seems as if the small group may be able to keep the world at bay and their ad hoc family intact. But when Khoudi comes under the spell of the "Beautiful People"-the fortunate sons and daughters of the powerful and corrupt-the desire to resume an interrupted coming of age and forge her own destiny proves impossible to resist. A profound and tender portrayal of the connections we forge to survive the fate we're dealt, Little Family marks the further blossoming of a unique global voice"-


------ The day may break
Brandt, Nick, 1966- photographer, writer of supplementary textual content.
"'The Day May Break' was photographed in Zimbabwe and Kenya in late 2020. It is the first part of a global series portraying people and animals that have been impacted by environmental degradation and destruction. The people in the photos have all been badly affected by climate change--some displaced by cyclones that destroyed their homes, others such as farmers displaced and impoverished by years-long severe droughts. The photographs were taken at five sanctuaries/conservancies. The animals are almost all long-term rescues, victims of everything from the poaching of their parents, to habitat destruction and poisoning. These animals can never be released back into the wild. As a result, they are habituated, and so it was safe for human strangers to be close to them, photographed so close to them, and photographed in the same frame at the same time. The fog is the unifying visual. We increasingly find ourselves in a kind of limbo, a once-recognizable world now fading from view. Created by fog machines on location, this often renders the animals almost a dream, or a memory of what the people once experienced in their lives. It is also an echo of the suffocating smoke from the wildfires, driven by climate change, devastating so much of the planet. However, in spite of their loss, these people and animals are the survivors. And therein lies possibility and hope."


------ A house of my own : stories from my life
Cisneros, Sandra, author.
"From the Chicago neighborhoods where she grew up and set her groundbreaking The House on Mango Street to her abode in Mexico, in a region where "my ancestors lived for centuries," the places Sandra Cisneros has lived have provided inspiration for her now-classic works of fiction and poetry. But a house of her own, where she could truly take root, has eluded her. With this collection--spanning nearly three decades, and including never-before-published work--Cisneros has come home at last."-- Provided by publisher.


------- When my brother was an Aztec
Diaz, Natalie, author.
"In When My Brother Was An Aztec, Natalie Diaz examines memory's role in human identity. Each section filters memory through specific individuals and settings. The first concentrates on a diabetic grandmother without legs and the landscape, tangible and intangible, of a Native American reservation. The second engages a brother's strife with drug-use and his unraveling of the family, the home. The third grapples with war as a character and its tattering of individuals, families, and communities. Bigotry against Native Americans is confronted throughout the collection, and the speaker's wrestling with identity is carefully woven into each poem. Faithfulness to and departure from tradition and culture are ever-present. Each poem is stitched into the reservation's landscape, while many consider Christian identity. Natalie Diaz experiments with form, from couplets to parts, lists to prose poems, and explores the terrain of poetic predecessors, yet strikes out into new territory, demonstrating her adventurous spirit."--


------ American hippo
Gailey, Sarah, author.
In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true. Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two. This was a terrible plan. Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.


------- Empire of the summer moon : Quanah Parker and the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history
Gwynne, S. C. (Samuel C.), 1953-
In the tradition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a stunningly vivid historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West, centering on Quanah, the greatest Comanche chief of them all.
The war with the Comanches lasted four decades, in effect holding up the development of the new American nation. Gwynne’s exhilarating account delivers a sweeping narrative that encompasses Spanish colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the arrival of the railroads—a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being.


------ Yinka, where is your huzband?
Blackburn, Lizzie Damilola, author.
"Meet Yinka: a 30-something, Oxford educated, British Nigerian woman with a well-paid job, good friends, and a mother whose constant refrain is "Yinka, where is your huzband?" Yinka's Nigerian aunties frequently pray for her delivery from singledom, her girlfriends think she's too traditional (she's saving herself for marriage!), her sister thinks she needs to get over her ex already, and the men in her life...well, that's a whole other story. But Yinka herself has always believed that true love will find her when the time is right. Still, when her cousin gets engaged, Yinka commences Operation Find A Date for Rachel's Wedding. Aided by a spreadsheet and her best friend, Yinka is determined to succeed. Will Yinka find herself a husband? And what if the thing she really needs to find is herself? With shades of Bridget Jones' Diary and Jane Austen herself, Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? brilliantly subverts the traditional romantic comedy with an unconventional heroine who bravely asks the questions we all have about love. Wry, acerbic, moving, this is an #OwnVoices love story that makes you smile but also makes you think--and explores what it means to find your way between two cultures, both of which are yours"--


------- Apparently there were complaints : a memoir
Gless, Sharon, author.
"A deeply personal story about Gless's complicated family and her struggles with alcoholism and fear of romantic commitment and a juicy, hilarious tell-all about Hollywood and Sharon's encounters with some of the industry's biggest stars. Gless puts it all out on the page in the same way she has lived--never with moderation"


-----We are never meeting in real life : essays
Irby, Samantha, author.
With heartfelt candor and her usual side-splitting bite, humorist, essayist, and blogger at bitchesgottaeat.com Samantha Irby captures powerful emotional truths while chronicling the disaster that has been her life. An ill-fated pilgrimage and romantic vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father's ashes, awkward sexual encounters, a Bachelorette application gone awry, and more-- sometimes you just have to laugh, even when your life is a dumpster fire.


----Devil in the grove : Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the dawn of a new America
King, Gilbert.
* Winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor. To maintain order and profits, they turned to Willis V. McCall, a violent sheriff who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve. When a white seventeen-year-old Groveland girl cried rape, McCall was fast on the trail of four young blacks who dared to envision a future for themselves beyond the citrus groves. By day's end, the Ku Klux Klan had rolled into town, burning the homes of blacks to the ground and chasing hundreds into the swamps, hell-bent on lynching the young men who came to be known as "the Groveland Boys."

And so began the chain of events that would bring Thurgood Marshall, the man known as "Mr. Civil Rights," and the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, into the deadly fray.


--The electricity of every living thing : a woman's walk in the wild to find her way home
May, Katherine, author.
In anticipation of her 38th birthday, Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She wanted time alone, in nature, to understand why she was having so much trouble coping with everyday life; why motherhood had been so overwhelming and isolating; and why the world felt full of expectations she couldn't meet. She was also reeling from a chance encounter with a voice on the radio that sparked her realization that she might be autistic. And so began a trek along the ruggedly beautiful path by the sea that takes readers through the alternatingly frustrating, funny, and enlightening experience of re-awakening to the world around us. This sees Katherine come to terms with what it would mean to be autistic, leading her to re-evaluate her life so far--with a much kinder, more forgiving eye. We bear witness as she forms a new understanding that finally allows her to be different rather than simply awkward, arrogant, or unfeeling. The physical and psychological journeys of this inspiring book become inextricably entwined, and as Katherine finds her way across the untamable coast, we learn alongside her how to find our way back to our own true selves.

------ The redemption of wolf 302 : from renegade to Yellowstone alpha male
McIntyre, Rick, author.
"From the renowned wolf researcher and author of The Rise of Wolf 8 and The Reign of Wolf 21 comes a stunning account of an unconventional alpha male. A lover, not a fighter. That was wolf 302. A renegade with an eye for the ladies, 302 was anything but Yellowstone's perfect alpha male. For starters, he fled from danger. He begged for food from other wolves, ditched females he'd gotten pregnant, and even napped during a heated battle with a rival pack! But this is not the story of 302's failures. This is the story of his dramatic transformation. And legendary wolf writer Rick McIntyre witnessed it all from the sidelines. As McIntyre closely observed with his spotting scope, wolf 302 began to mature, and, much to McIntyre's surprise, became the leader of a new pack in his old age. But in a year when game was scarce, could the aging wolf provide for his family? Had he changed enough to live up to the legacies of the great alpha males before him? Recounted in McIntyre's captivating storytelling voice and peppered with fascinating insights into wolf behavior, The Redemption of Wolf 302 is a powerful coming-of-age tale that will strike a chord with anyone who has struggled to make a change, big or small."--



------ One last stop
McQuiston, Casey, author.
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks... "Dreamy, other worldly, smart, swoony, thoughtful, hilarious - all in all, exactly what you'd expect from Casey McQuiston!" - Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and Party for Two Cynical twenty-three-year old August doesn't believe in much. She doesn't believe in psychics, or easily forged friendships, or finding the kind of love they make movies about. And she certainly doesn't believe her ragtag band of new roommates, her night shifts at a 24-hour pancake diner, or her daily subway commute full of electrical outages are going to change that. But then, there's Jane. Beautiful, impossible Jane. All hard edges with a soft smile and swoopy hair and saving August's day when she needed it most. The person August looks forward to seeing on the train every day. The one who makes her forget about the cities she lived in that never seemed to fit, and her fear of what happens when she finally graduates, and even her cold-case obsessed mother who won't quite let her go. And when August realizes her subway crush is impossible in more ways than one-namely, displaced in time from the 1970s-she thinks maybe it's time to start believing. Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop is a sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time



----- Goodnight beautiful : a novel
Molloy, Aimee, author.
"Newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter are head over heels, and excited to say good-bye to New York and start a life together in Sam's sleepy hometown in upstate New York. Or, it turns out, a life where Annie spends most of her time alone while Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his downstairs office, tending to the egos of his (mostly female) clientele. Little does Sam know that through a vent in his ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. The pharmacist's wife, contemplating a divorce. The well-known painter whose boyfriend doesn't satisfy her in bed. Who could resist listening? Everything is fine until the French girl in the green mini Cooper shows up, and Sam decides to go to work and not come home, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie's happily ever after. Showcasing Molloy's deft ability to subvert norms and culminating in the kind of stunning twist that is becoming her trademark, Goodnight Beautiful is a thrilling tale of domestic suspense that not only questions assumptions but defies expectations"-



------ A river called Time : a novel
Newland, Courttia, author.
"The Ark was built to save the lives of the many, but rapidly became a refuge for the elite, the entrance closed without warning. Years after the Ark was cut off from the world--a world much like our own, but in which slavery has never existed--a chance of survival within the Ark's confines is granted to a select few who can prove their worth. Among their number is Markriss Denny, whose path to future excellence is marred only by a closely guarded secret: without warning, his spirit leaves his body, allowing him to see and experience a world far beyond his physical limitations. Once inside the Ark, Denny learns of another with the same power, whose existence could spell catastrophe for humanity. He is forced into a desperate race to understand his abilities, and in doing so uncovers the truth about the Ark, himself, and the people he thought he once knew."



----- I am, I am, I am : seventeen brushes with death
O'Farrell, Maggie, 1972- author.
We are never closer to life than when we brush up against the possibility of death. I Am, I Am, I Am is Maggie O'Farrell's astonishing memoir of the near-death experiences that have punctuated and defined her life. The childhood illness that left her bedridden for a year, which she was not expected to survive. A teenage yearning to escape that nearly ended in disaster. An encounter with a disturbed man on a remote path. And, most terrifying of all, an ongoing, daily struggle to protect her daughter -- for whom this book was written -- from a condition that leaves her unimaginably vulnerable to life's myriad dangers. Seventeen discrete encounters with Maggie at different ages, in different locations, reveal a whole life in a series of tense, visceral snapshots. In taut prose that vibrates with electricity and restrained emotion, O'Farrell captures the perils running just beneath the surface, and illuminates the preciousness, beauty, and mysteries of life itself.



----- Strange flowers
Ryan, Donal, 1977- author.
"In 1973, twenty-year-old Moll Gladney takes a morning bus from her rural home in Ireland and disappears. Bewildered and distraught, Paddy and Kit must confront an unbearable prospect: that they will never see their daughter again. Five years later, Moll returns from London. What--and who--she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever"-




----- On earth we're briefly gorgeous : a novel
Vuong, Ocean, 1988- author.
"Brilliant, heartbreaking, tender, and highly original - poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a sweeping and shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born--a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam--and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity"-



------The elephant of Belfast : a novel
Walsh, S. Kirk, author.
"The Elephant of Belfast chronicles a seven-month period of time when the Germans unexpectedly bombed Belfast, Northern Ireland, also known as the Belfast Blitz. Through the lens of the Bellevue Zoo and one of its zookeepers, twenty-year-old Hettie Quin, the novel animates how the war irrevocably impacted-and shaped the lives of Belfast's citizens in broad and intimate ways. In October 1940, Hettie meets Violet, a three-year-old Asian elephant arriving at the Belfast docks from Ceylon. Soon, she becomes Violet's dedicated zookeeper at the Bellevue Zoo. At the same time, Hettie continues to experience the grief related to the recent loss of her beloved older sister, Anna, and the abandonment of her father, Thomas, who left her mother, Rose. On April 15th , 1941, Belfast is attacked for five hours, with 674 bombs falling, and almost a thousand civilians being killed. During the bombings and its aftermath, Hettie does all that she can to save her elephant, and survive the destruction and escalating sectarian unrest of the city. Even though Hettie is still only twenty years old by the novel's end, she's aged at least a decade, her life and perspective transforming in tragic and unexpected ways. Taken altogether, The Elephant of Belfast reflects a complicated portrait of loss, grief, love, and resilience, and how the zoo and the city of Belfast suffered during these catastrophic attacks. At the narrative's heart is a changing relationship between a young woman and an elephant: At first, it seems that Hettie saves Violet, but in the end, Violet saves her"--


------- The last house on needless street
Ward, Catriona, author.
"In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. A teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, not after last time. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible. An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all"-

Toooooo Many Booooks!!!

Still, it's fun to learn what's "out there".

madrano wrote: "Toooooo Many Booooks!!!

Still, it's fun to learn what's "out there"."

It's a curated list of librarians recommendations that I found.

How people say they can't find anything interesting to read is beyond me.

LOL--isn't that the truth? I want some of their free reading time!!!

------ Unsafe Haven
by Lucy Burdette

What it's about: New York-based medical student Elizabeth Brown is headed for a subway station when a panicked teenage girl hands her a small, wrapped bundle that turns out to be a newborn baby. This is the beginning of a series of events that will leave her and later, the baby's mother, fighting together for their lives.

Is it for you? Unsafe Haven is Lucy Burdette's first foray into darker, grittier storytelling compared to the cozy mysteries she is primarily known for.



----- Queen of Urban Prophecy
by Aya de León

What it is: the incisive and dramatic story of young hip-hop star Deza Starling as she rises to fame in a cutthroat industry where no one is what they seem and it's impossible

About the author: Poet and novelist Aya de León teaches creative writing at UC Berkley. Her previous work includes the Justice Hustlers series of heist novels and the standalone A Spy in the Struggle.

Reviewers say: "Talented wordsmith De Leon infuses power and impact into her prose and her protagonist's verses" (Booklist).



------ Road of Bones
by Christopher Golden

How it started: American documentary producers Felix Teigland brought a film crew with him to Siberia to cover an urban legend about the 1200-mile-long Kolyma Highway, which is said to be built on top of the bones of gulag prisoners from the Stalin era.

How it's going: It's too cold to survive more than a few minutes outdoors and when they arrive at their final filming location, a desolate village called Akhurst, they find the place abandoned except for one traumatized, catatonic young girl and a shaman lurking at the edge of the forest.

Who it's for: readers who appreciate supernatural elements, folklore, and the menacing power of nature.



------ The Overnight Guest
by Heather Gudenkauf

The setup: True crime writer Wylie Lark has secluded herself in a remote Iowa farmhouse to work on her newest book, about two unresolved murders that took place in a nearby town.

What goes wrong: During a blizzard Wylie discovers an injured five-year-old boy in the snow and takes him in, cut off from the authorities until the storm clears. This act of kindness puts a target on her back however, and she's about to find out that the farmhouse isn't quite so isolated after all.



----- A Narrow Door
by Joanne Harris

Series alert: A Narrow Door is the third entry in the series of psychological suspense novels set at elite boarding school St. Oswald's.

This time: big changes are underway, including the arrival of the school's first female students and the first woman hired to replace an outgoing headmaster, but the discovery of human remains in a sinkhole on campus show that the school hasn't moved on from its dark past.

Reviewers say: "This spectacular feat of storytelling will seduce the reader from page one" (Publishers Weekly).



----- True Crime Story
by Joseph Knox

What it's about: the disappearance of 19-year-old Manchester student Zoe Nolan and the complex web of secrets that starts to unravel as the police investigate.

How it's told: through conversation transcripts, person emails, official documentation, and assorted other files gathered by a metafictional version of author Joseph Knox.

For fans of: iconic show "Twin Peaks", epistolary novels, and stylistically complex stories that keep readers on their toes.



------ Notes on an Execution
by Danya Kukafka

What it is: a disturbing yet moving portrayal of the last 12 hours of death row inmate Ansel Packer's life, told through the alternating, kaleidoscopic perspectives of the women in his life.

Starring: Ansel's mother Lavender, who reflects on her trauma and the choices she made as a desperate teen mom; Hazel, the twin sister of Ansel's ex-wife, whose life was deeply marked by her brother-in-law; and Saffron, a homicide detective who briefly knew Ansel when they were both in the foster care system as children.

Reviewers say: "A contemporary masterpiece that sits alongside The Executioner's Song and Victim: The Other Side of Murder in the library of crime literature" (Library Journal).



------ Undermoney
by Jay Hartley Newman

What it's about: Disillusioned by American politics, a cabal of intelligence agents and members of the military plot to get their preferred candidate elected president with the help of some dark money, Russian operatives, and a powerful (but increasingly paranoid) billionaire.

Is it for you? The primary appeal of Undermoney comes from the high stakes scheming, double-crossing, and international intrigue, and is best for readers who don't mind unlikable protagonists behaving badly.



----- The Runaway
by Nicholas Petrie

Series alert: The Runaway is the 7th entry in the action-packed series of thrillers starring atonement-seeking combat veteran Peter Ash.

This time: Peter pulls over to help a young pregnant woman whose car has broken down, unwittingly putting himself in the path of the cunning, ruthless killer determined to track her down.

Reviewers say: "This is a lava-flow of action, and a rich reading experience as well" (Booklist).

----- Four Aunties and a Wedding
by Jesse Q. Sutanto


"The Chan family is back! Meddy Chan is getting married, and the wedding planners are perfect -- until Meddy overhears the wedding photographer talking about murdering someone at the reception. Her aunties spring into action, setting into motion a series of madcap misadventures intended to save Meddy's special day. A charming combo of close-knit family, humor, and light mystery; great for fans of Mia P. Manansala and Jade Chang."

Nanette Donohue, Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL
NoveList read-alike: Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim



----- A Brush With Love: A Novel
by Mazey Eddings

"This debut romance set at dental school includes some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments and also those that brought me to tears. Harper's anxiety is portrayed truthfully and tenderly, and Dan has some baggage too. For fans of The Happy Ever After Playlist and The Bride Test."

Rebecca Swanson, Fitchburg Public Library, Fitchburg, WI
NoveList read-alike: Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg




------ The Kaiju Preservation Society
by John Scalzi

"As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the U.S., the only job Jamie can find is delivering food, until he begins to work for a secret NGO preserving large animals. What Jamie didn't know is just how large. Scalzi has taken creatures portrayed as monsters in the movies and made us care, with plenty of his usual wit and humor. For fans of Jurassic Park, Devolution, and Jeff VanderMeer."

Dan Brooks, Wake County Public Libraries, Raleigh, NC
NoveList read-alike: Escape from Yokai Land by Charles Stross




------ The League of Gentlewomen Witches
by India Holton

"In this sequel to The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, Charlotte is one serious witch who knows via prophecy that she will one day lead the Wicken League. But when a handsome Irish pirate catches her eye, she may bring the wrath of the entire clan of witches down on her. Filled with wit and an intriguing enemy-to-lovers romance, this is recommended for fans of Jane Austen and Evie Dunmore."

Courtney Hill, Charleston County Public Library, Charleston, SC
NoveList read-alike: The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner




------ Mr. Wrong Number
by Lynn Painter

"A humorous, contemporary romcom. Olivia's life has been a series of freak accidents and misdeeds. After she accidentally sets her home on fire, she moves in with her brother and his bestie Colin. Things start looking up when a misdial turns into flirty and fun texting with Mr. Wrong Number. Guess who that turns out to be? Great for fans of Falon Ballard, Sophie Sullivan, or Sara Desai."

Laura Eckert, Clermont County Public Library, Milford, OH
NoveList read-alike: Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey




------ The Night Shift: A Novel
by Alex Finlay

"On New Year's Eve 1999, four teenage girls working at a New Jersey video store are brutally attacked. Fifteen years later an almost identical crime occurs. Is it the same killer? This second installment following FBI agent Sarah Keller is a quick read with several fun twists and turns. A fast-paced thriller for readers of Final Girls and Dark Places."

Jayme Oldham, Highland Park Public Library, Highland Park, IL
NoveList read-alike: The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen




------ The Suite Spot
by Trish Doller

"Single mom Rachel loses her job at an upscale Florida hotel and decides to make a fresh start halfway across the country with a new gig and a moody but handsome boss. The characters are mature, the setting is lovely, and there's just enough steam to keep things interesting. For fans of Beth O'Leary, Julie Murphy, and Sarah Morgenthaler."

Sandra Woodbury, Burlington Public Library, Burlington, MA
NoveList read-alike: Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle




------ Sundial
by Catriona Ward

"Rob is trapped in a loveless marriage and worries about her daughter Callie's increasingly disturbed behavior. Rob takes Callie to her own childhood home in hopes of helping her, but to do so she must reveal her family's dark past. Full of mind-blowing twists, this psychological horror tale is for readers of The Cabin at the End of the World and The Drowning Kind."

Blinn Sheffield, Greenwood-Leflore Public Library, Greenwood, MS
NoveList read-alike: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage




------ Under Lock & Skeleton Key: A Secret Staircase Mystery
by Gigi Pandian

"Young magician Tempest Raj returns home to her eccentric family's enchanted compound after finding herself out of work. Soon Tempest stumbles across a body and is faced with solving two mysteries: finding the killer and learning more about her own mother's disappearance. Fans of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr will enjoy this fresh take on a locked-room mystery."

Patricia Uttaro, Rochester Public Library, Rochester, NY
NoveList read-alike: Death by Dumpling by Vivienne Chien




------ What Happened to the Bennetts
by Lisa Scottoline

"A carjacking involving a seemingly perfect family from the Philadelphia suburbs launches a suspenseful tale of bad guys, good guys, good bad guys, and bad good guys. With enough red herrings to fill a smorgasbord, this book about grief, corruption, and family will appeal to fans of Iris Johansen, John Grisham, and Wanda M. Morris."

Lois Gross, Hoboken Public Library, Hoboken, NJ
NoveList read-alike: Run Away by Harlan Coben

Ok, to be fair, i barely skimmed the lists. Still, i'm proud to announce i added NO books to my TBR from the above.

PS. That is actually why i only skimmed!

deborah, the TBR tamer, she hopes

spoil sport. This won't stop me from trying, deb.

LOL--i thought that would put you to pause, Alias.

----- Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become...
by Wajahat Ali

What it's about: Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area by Pakistani Muslim parents, journalist and playwright Wajahat Ali spent his life dodging racist and xenophobic comments, becoming an "accidental activist" in the wake of 9/11.

What's inside: a witty and self-deprecating "guide" on how to be an American, featuring insights on Ali and his family's immigrant experience; tongue-in-cheek chapter titles including "Be Moderate So America Will (Maybe) Love You (Conditionally) One Day (Inshallah)."



----- Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor's Fight for Fairness
by Laura Coates

What it's about: how CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Laura Coates' time in the courtroom and her lived experience as a Black woman have informed her perspective on America's flawed criminal justice system.

Read it for: "a personal, heartfelt, eloquent, and sobering examination of the nexus of justice and humanity" (Booklist Reviews).

For fans of: attorney Brittany K. Barnett's memoir A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom.



------ Putting the Rabbit in the Hat
by Brian Cox

What it is: a candid memoir from renowned actor Brian Cox, currently garnering praise for his role in TV's Succession.

Topics include: Cox's working-class upbringing in Dundee, Scotland; his career beginnings in theater; the toll his professional life has taken on his personal one.

Don't miss: Cox's gossipy, headline-making reflections on the projects he's worked on and his relationships with co-stars and industry peers.



------ Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage
by Heather Havrilesky

What it is: a laugh-out-loud memoir exploring the joys and pressures of modern married life, "the world's most impossible endurance challenge."

About the author: "Ask Polly" advice columnist Heather Havrilesky is the author of How To Be A Person in the World.

Who it's for: Perceptive and insightful, Harvilesky's sardonic ode to (and critique of) the institution of marriage will appeal to partnered readers and singletons alike.



----- Miss Me with That: Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, and a Few Hard Truths
by Rachel Lindsay

What it is: the debut essay collection from attorney and Extra correspondent Rachel Lindsay, the Bachelor contestant who became the franchise's first Black Bachelorette in 2017.

What's inside: Lindsay's thought-provoking reflections on the Bachelor franchise's handling of race; intimate details of her privileged upbringing in Dallas and early dating mishaps; frank advice on finding love.

Want a taste? "Contrary to popular belief, the best gift I ever received was not a wedding ring. It was the permission I gave myself to be imperfect."



----- Letters to the Sons of Society: A Father's Invitation to Love, Honesty, and Freedom
by Shaka Senghor

Then: In 1991, 19-year-old Shaka Senghor was convicted of murder, spending the next 20 years in prison.

Now: After his release in 2010, Senghor devoted himself to caring for his two sons -- Jay, whose childhood he missed while he was incarcerated, and Sekou, born shortly after Senghor's release.

Why you should read it: Senghor's compelling collection of letters to his sons offers a moving exploration of trauma, familial bonds, and Black manhood that will resonate with fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates.



------ Lorraine Hansberry: The Life Behind A Raisin in the Sun
by Charles J. Shields

What it is: a well-researched biography chronicling the life and career of playwright and social activist Lorraine Hansberry.

Featuring: correspondence and diary entries written by Hansberry; interviews with her loved ones and colleagues.

Further reading: Radical Vision: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry by Soyica Diggs Colbert.



---- Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth...
by Dana Stevens

What it is: an engaging mix of biography and cultural history that explores how silent film icon Buster Keaton came of age alongside the nascent film industry.

Read it for: a thoughtful and engaging portrait that places a giant of the silver screen within the context of his times.

Try this next: Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life by James Curtis.



------ Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals
by Laurie Zaleski

What it's about: Laurie Zaleski's mother, domestic violence survivor Annie, always dreamed of running an animal rescue. After Annie's death in 2000, Laurie decided to make that dream a reality, opening the Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing, New Jersey.

Featuring: dogs, cats, ducks, geese, skunks, alpacas, pigs, goats, horses, and more.

Reviewers say: "Lovers of the furry and feathery will revel in this feel-good story" (Publishers Weekly).

I almost escaped once more without adding to my TBR, however Lorraine Hansberry: The Life Behind A Raisin in the Sun is strongly calling. First of all, i know little about her. Second, i read Charles J. Shields treatment of Harper Lee in Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, which i thought was a fine biography. So, i've added this one to my unruly pile.

madrano wrote: "I almost escaped once more without adding to my TBR, however Lorraine Hansberry: The Life Behind A Raisin in the Sun is strongly calling. First of all, i know little about her. Seco..."

:) .... My mission is done .... for now.

This part does sound intriguing. "Featuring: correspondence and diary entries written by Hansberry; interviews with her loved ones and colleagues."

Enjoy your moment.

I agree, i liked the different angles the book appears to be used for the bio.

------ A Three Book Problem
by Vicki Delany

Starring: Gemma Doyle, a Brit in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, who co-owns a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookstore and tea room.

What happens: Hired by a wealthy Sherlockian throwing a weekend house party, Gemma plans activities and readings while her police detective boyfriend helps out her friend Jayne, who's doing the catering. When a murder occurs, the trio investigate in this 7th in a fun series.

For fans of: bookish cozy mysteries, Sherlock Holmes references, and country house settings.



------ Where There's a Will
by Sulari Gentill

The setup: In 1935, 30-something millionaire Daniel Cartwright is shot in Harvard Yard. To the outrage of his upper-class Boston family, he had made his Australian friend Rowland Sinclair the executor of his will and left everything to Otis Norcross, a man no one knows.

What happens: Gentleman artist Rowland faces pressure to declare the heir non-existent and meets a variety of people (including F. Scott Fitzgerald) as he and three friends seek information at Daniel's New York City home and other places while trying to find Otis and solve the murder.

Why you might like it: Published as A Testament of Character in some locales, this banter-filled 10th Rowland Sinclair novel "is historical mystery fiction at its finest" (Publishers Weekly).



----- Something to Hide
by Elizabeth George

What happens: After the murder of an undercover London police detective who'd been investigating the illegal practice of female genital mutilation, acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley, DS Barbara Havers, and DS Winston Nkata pursue a killer in a case rife with abuse, sexism, racism, secrets, and lies.

Series alert: This 700-page, well-researched 21st outing for Lynley "is a memorable addition to a series that has aged well" (Publishers Weekly).

Read this next: For other British-set mystery series featuring a strong sense of place and richly drawn characters with complex personal lives, try Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels or Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James books.



------ Death in Cornwall
by G.M. Malliet

A holiday: Cambridgeshire DCI Arthur St. Just and criminology scholar Portia De'Ath visit a small Cornish village to celebrate their engagement.

But make it a busman's: St. Just and De'Ath find a local aristocrat murdered in his library and agree to help solve the crime, which might be related to contentious seafront re-development plans.

Series alert: Anyone can enjoy this long-awaited 4th St. Just mystery, but those wanting to start with the detective's 1st book can pick up the Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer.



------ The Verifiers
by Jane Pek

Starring: Claudia Lin, who has a secretive new job investigating online dating matches for elite clients and whose immigrant mother wants her to marry a nice Chinese man (she doesn't know Claudia likes women).

What happens: When a client presumably dies of suicide, crime-fiction fan Claudia thinks it's murder and breaks protocol to investigate, uncovering a maelstrom of deceit while also dealing with her mom and super-successful older siblings.

Reviewers say: "cool, cerebral, and very funny...[with] an inquisitive, clever, and curious narrator" (Kirkus Reviews).



------ The Violin Conspiracy
by Brendan Slocumb

A lack of harmony: Violinist Ray McMillian's Stradivarius is stolen and a hefty ransom demanded weeks before a world-famous competition -- but who really owns the violin? Members of Ray's own family as well as the descendants of those who enslaved his ancestors also claim it.

Crescendo: The Violin Conspiracy flashes back to Ray's troubled early years and builds to a gripping climax as he preps for the competition and searches for the priceless violin after the official investigation stalls.

Hitting all the right notes: Offering accurate musical details, this "flawless debut" (Booklist) by a professional violinist presents a penetrating look at racism and the classical music world.
If you like: Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey: A New Era, a feature film set in 1927, arrives in theaters in April in the U.K. and in May in other places. To prepare for a visit with the well-to-do Crawleys and their household staff, read one of these historical mysteries:



Bright Young Dead
by Jessica Fellowes

1925 England: Bohemian young socialites attend Pamela Mitford's 18th birthday party at her family's country house, and one of them is murdered. Turning detective, the Mitfords' nursery maid and chaperone Louisa Cannon sorts things out with help from a police officer pal.

Series alert: Following The Mitford Murders, this is the charming 2nd novel in the richly detailed series starring the real-life Mitford sisters. The 5th book, The Mitford Vanishing, was recently released.

Did you know? Author Jessica Fellowes is the niece of Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and she's also written several nonfiction books about the popular TV drama.

A Death of No Importance
by Mariah Fredericks

1910 Manhattan: Observant lady's maid Jane Prescott takes a job with the newly wealthy Benchley family, who are a bit at sea amid the city's upper crust. But it isn't long before lovely daughter Charlotte snags already-engaged playboy Norrie Newsome, causing a stir.

What happens: After Newsome is murdered at a Christmas Eve party, Jane teams up with a handsome reporter to investigate the killing, which may involve class issues, a mine collapse, and anarchists.

Series alert: This is the atmospheric, deftly plotted 1st Jane Prescott novel; the 4th entry, Death of a Showman, comes out next month.

Penny for Your Secrets
by Anna Lee Huber

Starring: aristocratic ex-secret service agent Verity Kent and her former Army officer husband, who are still getting comfortable with each other after having been separated for years during World War I.

1919 London: The couple investigate two murders: a marquess is shot with his wife's pistol but she claims innocence, and the sister of one of Verity's wartime colleagues dies in what looks like a suicide but isn't.

Series alert: Penny for Your Secrets is the intricately plotted 3rd entry in the Verity Kent novels; a 6th book, A Certain Darkness, is due in August.

A Devious Death
by Alyssa Maxwell

The setup: In August 1919, Lady Phoebe and her sister arrive for a visit at the newly purchased estate of their cousin Regina. But another guest is quite unfriendly, and Regina's mother and brother -- bitter over the unequal distribution of an inheritance -- show up to confront her.

What happens: A murder occurs, and Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva, with help from Eva's constable boyfriend, look for a killer.

Why you might like it: This 3rd book of seven so far in the Lady and Lady's Maid mysteries offers a clever country house plot and an intriguing look at upstairs/downstairs relationships.

------- When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East
by Quan Barry

Starring: Identical twin brothers -- Tibetan novice monk Chuluun and his estranged brother, Mun -- traverse Mongolia's harsh terrain, seeking a reincarnation of the unifying spiritual leader known as the lama.

Read it for: a luminous meditation on the challenges of faith, fate, and brotherhood (in literal and metaphysical senses).

Want a taste? "After just a few hours in the July light, the skin around my wrist is already somewhat paler than the rest of me, though like the planets and the summer sun, nothing is permanent."



------ Tides
by Sara Freeman

What happens: Stricken by profound loss, a woman walks out on her life and drifts into a seaside town. With only a cell phone and a few bucks, she bums money from tourists; drinks more than she eats; sleeps on the beach. Her funds dwindle as tourist season ends, leading her to a job at a local wine shop.

Burning questions: What brought her to this nihilistic self-exile? Can anything come of her tenuous connection to Simon, the shopkeeper? (Note: do NOT mistake this for a romance!)

Read this next: Lisa Duffy's The Salt House or Did You Ever Have a Family? by Bill Clegg.



------ What the Fireflies Knew
by Kai Harris

What it's about: Ten-year-old Kenyatta (KB) and teen sister Nia must spend the summer with their estranged grandfather after tragic family losses. KB's love of reading provides solace while left largely on her own to cope with grief, family secrets, and the neighbors' not-so-subtle racism.

Why you'll love it: You'll be cheering on this novel's sympathetic, believable young protagonist from page one. Set during the mid-1980s, What the Fireflies Knew delivers a memorable, moving own voices coming-of-age story.

For fans of: Jessmyn Ward's Sing Unburied Sing.




------ None But the Righteous
by Chantal James

What happens: In the wake of post-Katrina New Orleans, 19-year-old Ham seeks his foster mother Miss Pearl, who took him in as a rebellious 11-year-old. His journey unfolds in a lush, atmospheric, and nonlinear narrative.

The twist: Tired of Ham's disruptive childhood ways, Miss Pearl gifts him with a locket containing the spirit of a Dominican priest that guides him through life -- although perhaps not always in the best ways.

Want a taste? "I know that we do not belong only to ourselves, that what loves us also seizes us."



------ Very Cold People
by Sarah Manguso

Starring: Ruthie -- the child of a Jewish mother and an Italian father --comes of age in small-town Massachusetts, where long-time residents are class-conscious and deeply insular.

Will she make it? Ruthie narrates a lifetime of family dysfunction and sexual trauma. At first convinced that she is undeserving of anything more, she gradually gains a sense of autonomy and a desperate will to escape.

Read next: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.



------- Wildcat
by Amelia Morris

What it's about: Aspiring writer Leanne now faces all the usual exhausting tasks of mothering a newborn. However, the spirit of Leanne's recently deceased dad tips her off that her so-called "best friend" Regina is actually a sabotaging backstabber. Leanne is not having it: she pursues revenge via social media, and it is brutal.

Read it for: New-mama drama with offbeat wit and a sardonic edge.

Critics call it: "[A] sly and funny commentary on the institution of motherhood" (Booklist).



------ The Swimmers
by Julie Otsuka

In the deep end: Due to structural damage, a group of swimmers lose access to the pool that has been their long-time haven.

What happens: Although often told from multiple perspectives, the narrative returns repeatedly to the character Anna -- a Japanese American woman whose dementia progresses too fast for reconciliation with her adult daughter.

Critics say: "The combination of social satire with an intimate portrait of loss and grief is stylistically ambitious and deeply moving" (Kirkus Reviews).



------- Men in My Situation
by Per Petterson

Familiar face, new loss: The character Arvid Jansen, well-known in the author's native Norway, returns in a powerful stand-alone novel. Still grieving the tragic shipboard deaths of his parents and brothers, Arvid now faces the end of his 15-year marriage

A daughter's need... is all that keeps Arvid's head above water in this melancholy, moving story of a father's second act.

For fans of: Wallander (either the TV series or the novels they inspired). Although not a police procedural, Petterson's novel centers on a similarly relatable, brooding lead character with complex and often troubled family relationships.

Dare i admit that every single mystery listed sounded good? The first listed, A Three Book Problem--Vicki Delany, has a title which reminds me of the science fiction series, whose first book was Three-Body Problem Boxed Set, written by Liu Cixin. The Body is a term in physics, if i recall correctly, but, naturally, i find the idea of a three book problem one i want to solve.

It's fascinating to see how many mysteries are set in past eras. I'm sure each have fans who read as much for descriptions of those times as for the mystery. Lucky us to have so many choices!

Fortunately (for me), none of the books from the subsequent called to me as loudly. One possible exception would be the last listed, Per Petterson's Men in My Situation.

----- Echo
by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

After a terrible accident on the Maudit, a remote mountain peak in the Swiss Alps, the survivor, Nick Grevers, discovers that he is haunted by more than the trauma of the accident.



---- Gwendy's final task
by Stephen King

Years after a magical, extremely dangerous box first showed up in Gwendy Peterson’s life, it returns, again tempting her to push its destructive buttons..



---- Wingbearer 1
by Marjorie Liu

When a sinister force threatens the life-giving magic of the Great Tree, Zuli, along with her guardian owl, Frowly must get to the root of it, and so embark on an epic journey to find the truth.



----- A history of Scotland
by Neil Oliver

'The beauty of Scotland is overwhelming and I've often thought that Scotland's popular history is just like her landscape - impossibly romantic, obscured by mist and myth and always changing.' The dramatic story of Scotland - by charismatic television historian, Neil Oliver.



----- The falling in love montage
by Ciara Smyth

Challenged to break her no-relationships rule by a new friend who invites her to share in a summer of cliché rom-com reenactments that will end with no hurt feelings upon the arrival of fall, a cynical lesbian teen struggles to let go when she unexpectedly falls in love for real.



----- The secret history
by Donna Tartt

Richard Papen, a relatively impoverished student at a New England college, falls in with an exclusive clique of rich, worldly Greek scholars and soon learns the dreadful secret that keeps them together



----- Saga
by Brian K Vaughan

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to raise their child in a dangerous world



----- Sundial
by Catriona Ward

Rob is forced to make one last trip out to Sundial, her parent’s property in the wild Mojave desert where dark secrets are buried, when a frightening accident in her home reveals a disturbing discovery in her oldest daughter’s bedroom.


----- A man called Ove : a novel
by Fredrik Backman

A curmudgeon hides beneath a cranky and short-tempered exterior a terrible personal loss while clashing with new neighbors, a boisterous family whose chattiness and habits lead to unexpected friendship.


----- Educated : a memoir
by Tara Westover

Traces the author's experiences as a child born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, describing her participation in her family's paranoid stockpiling activities and her resolve to educate herself well enough to earn an acceptance into a prestigious university and the unfamiliar world beyond.


----- Pet sematary : a novel
by Stephen King

When a little boy's pet dies, and he persuades his parents to bury it in an old Indian cemetery, reputed by legend to house restless spirits, a nightmare of death and destruction begins.