Book Nook Cafe discussion
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library book suggestion lists~ 2022
I like when staff picks include older books. It makes the selection seem less chosen for sales or promotions. Thanks, Alias.
madrano wrote: "What a tempting list of books, Alias. From the mystery list, i found a couple which continue series i read but am far behind. What i will endorse is the mystery, Winter Counts--[aut..."So excited to find a book about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry . I have loved THE LITTLE PRINCE for years and have many versions of this book, including a beautiful pop-up one. I remember the day his silver bracelet was found and when his plane was found, both off the coast of Marseille.
He was quoted several times in my most recently completed book, The House of Fragile Things: A History of Jewish Art Collectors in France, 1870 - 1945, mostly about France and WWI.Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Prince
------ The Naked Don't Fear the Water: An Underground Journey With Afghan Refugees
by Matthieu Aikins
What it is: an immersive and empathetic account of Sunni refugee Omar's attempts to flee Afghanistan in 2016; joining him on the perilous journey was his friend, Canadian journalist Matthieu Aikins.
Author alert: Polk Award-winning Aikins has lived in Afghanistan since 2008; his work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and more.
Try this next: My Fourth Time, We Drowned by Sally Hayden, which chronicles the plight of asylum-seeking Eritreans held in a Libyan detention camp.
----- Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age
by Dennis Duncan
What it is: an accessible history of the index, whose contributions to the advancement of knowledge have often gone unrecognized.
Read it for: a witty and insightful narrative that will appeal to bibliophiles, fans of social history, and general readers alike.
Don't miss: photographs of historical indexes; two concluding indexes -- one AI-generated, the other compiled by Society of Indexers member Paula Clarke Bain.
------ Watergate: A New History
by Garrett M. Graff
What it's about: the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate building, a scandal that led to the downfall of the Nixon administration.
Why you should read it: Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event, this illuminating latest from journalist Garrett M. Graff is "the best and fullest account of the Watergate crisis, one unlikely to be surpassed any time soon" (Kirkus Reviews).
What's inside: a fast-paced and dramatic account drawing on court transcripts, tape recordings, and recently declassified FBI documents.
----- Born of Lakes and Plains: Mixed-Descent Peoples and the Making of the American West
by Anne F. Hyde
What it's about: how mixed-descent families created from Indigenous-European intermarriages made their mark on the American West from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Why you might like it: Historian Anne F. Hyde focuses on five families to craft this intimate and well-researched chronicle.
Reviewers say: "an essential reconsideration of Native American history" (Publishers Weekly).
------ Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies
by Laura Thompson
What it is: an engaging social history chronicling the lives of British and American heiresses from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
Read it for: a gossipy yet humanizing chronicle of how heiresses were impeded by social constraints and subjected to mistreatment.
Try this next: The Husband Hunters: American Heiresses Who Married into the British Aristocracy by Anne de Courcy.
----- Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him...
by Sarah Weinman
How it began: In 1962, New Jersey death row inmate and convicted murderer Edgar Smith struck up a correspondence with conservative intellectual William F. Buckley, who used his connections to help secure Smith a book deal and, in 1971, a release from prison.
What happened next: Smith manipulated his way to fame and acclaim, though his second act was short-lived -- in 1976, he was convicted of kidnapping a woman at knifepoint and sent back to prison.
For fans of: stranger-than-fiction true crime tales.
------ Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth
by Elizabeth Williamson
What it is: a sobering account of the aftermath of Newton, CT's Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, which left 20 students and six staff dead.
Featuring: interviews with survivors, parents, and first responders.
Is it for you? This disturbing debut also examines how misinformation campaigns, led by far-right radio host Alex Jones, compounded survivors' trauma and spurred widespread conspiracy-mongering that persists.
------- Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now
by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang
What it is: an engaging collection of essays, interviews, playlists, illustrations, and memes exploring how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have impacted politics and popular culture in the last 30 years.
Reviewers say: "as revelatory as it is entertaining" (Publishers Weekly); "an essential read" (Library Journal).
I never even considered the topic but Anne F. Hyde's Born of Lakes and Plains: Mixed-Descent Peoples and the Making of the American West sounds eye-opening. Thanks for pointing the way, Alias.
I knew that one would catch your eye, Deb. It's a topic I've never heard of before.
You are very good at keeping an eye out for topics many of us are drawn toward. And we are grateful!
------Good Rich People
by Eliza Jane Brazier
The setup: Wealthy Hollywood couple Graham and Lyla love renting their guesthouse to (and destroying the lives of) self-made people right on the cusp of career success, such as up-and-coming tech company director Demi.
The complication: "Demi" isn't who she says she is, and her hard-won street smarts might finally be a match for this sheltered old-money pair.
For fans of: David Lynch films; The Day of the Locust by Nathaniel West; the classic Richard Connell story "The Most Dangerous Game."
------ Other People's Clothes
by Calla Henkel
What it's about: In Berlin for their semester abroad, art students (and true crime enthusiasts) Zoe and Hailey jump at the chance to rent an apartment owned by a famous thriller writer. The thrill soon turns to terror, however, when they start noticing quirks in the apartment design that suggest that they're being under surveillance.
Read it for: the darkly humorous tone and complicated, less-than-healthy friendship dynamics between Zoe and Hailey.
Try these next: Wahala by Nikki May; This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel.
----- Fake
by Erica Katz
What it is: a compelling crime story about an art forger and a Russian oligarch client who leads her into a world as glamorous on the outside as it is corrupt on inside.
Starring: Emma Caan, a young painter whose skills catch the eye of a wealthy art collector up to no good; Leonard Sobetsky, a Russian magnate whose promise to introduce Emma to important people in the international art scene comes with major strings attached.
Reviewers say: Author Erica Katz's exploration of the seedy underbelly of the art world and its "more egregious manipulations and frauds makes for genuinely captivating entertainment" (Publishers Weekly).
------ The Cage
by Bonnie Kistler
The premise: Two women are working alone after hours at fashion conglomerate Claudine de Martineau -- human resources director Lucy Barton-Jones and attorney Shay Lambert. Leaving at the same time, they share an elevator down from their offices on the 30th floor.
The problem: The elevator stalls on its way down, and by the time it's operational again, one of the women will be dead.
Try this next: All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris.
------ Tripping Arcadia
by Kit Mayquist
What it's about: Determined to save her family from financial ruin, med school dropout Lena takes a job as an assistant to Dr. Prosenko, who serves the powerful Verdeau family. When she's asked to take part in the Verdeaus' sinister schemes, she plots her revenge.
Why you might like it: Kit Mayquist's intensifying debut offers lush prose, plenty of twists and turns, and an unforgettable heroine in Lena.
For fans of: books that offer a fresh spin on the gothic genre, like Emily M. Danforth's Plain Bad Heroines or Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic.
----- Chloe Cates Is Missing
by Mandy McHugh
The setup: Thirteen-year-old internet celebrity Chloe Cates has gone missing and the search for her has made headlines. Getting significantly less attention is the eerily similar case of another 13-year-old Abigail Scarborough.
The complications: Chloe is just an elaborate persona managed by Abigail's toxic stage mother Jen, and the police detective assigned to the case has a hidden, contentious connection to Jen's past that may put everything (and everyone) involved in serious danger.
----- Cherish Farrah
by Bethany C. Morrow
What it is: an intricately plotted and sometimes disturbing story of the complex relationship between two Black teenage girls living in a posh (and extremely white) community.
Read it for: the compelling mix of friendship and unhealthy competition that underlie the girls' bond with each other.
For fans of: Margo Hunt's Best Friends Forever; Oyoinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer.
===== Our American Friend
by Anna Pitoniak
What it's about: It never occurred to White House correspondent Sofie Morse that she would be chosen to write the official biography of Lara Caine, the enigmatic, Russian-born First Lady, nor that taking the job might pull her into a high-stakes game of international intrigue with potentially devastating consequences.
For fans of: Curtis Sittenfeld; the FX original series The Americans.
Reviewers say: "This lively political thriller mulls love, loyalty, and the rewards of playing the long game" (Kirkus Reviews).
------ The Latinist
by Mark Prins
What it is: a character-driven retelling of the Daphne and Apollo myth set at Oxford University, where a gifted graduate student searches for a way to salvage her career after her mentor's machinations threaten to undermine her future.
Starring: Christopher Eccels, a manipulative classics professor convinced that his obsession with a promising student is "love" and that he has her best interests at heart; Tessa Templeton, a determined doctoral candidate who stumbles across an obscure Latin text that might help her escape the professor's outsized influence.
----- No Second Chances
by Rio Youers
What it's about: Twenty-four-year-old Kentuckian Kitty Rae moved to L.A. to pursue an acting career, working as a drug courier until fame arrives. Kitty's prospects drastically improve after she happens to save the life of a washed-up (but well-connected), Hollywood star, but first she'll need to escape the wrath of her employer, a vengeful drug dealer.
About the author: British-Canadian writer Rio Youers is best known to suspense fans for Lola on Fire and Halcyon, but his bibliography also includes the graphic novel Sleeping Beauties and the supernatural novel The Forgotten Girl.
This batch of mysteries spans the world, doesn't it? Nice list, Alias, glad you shared.
----- In Pursuit of Jefferson: Traveling through Europe with the Most Perplexing Founding...
by Derek Baxter
What it's about: Following advice in Thomas Jefferson's "Hints to Americans Travelling in Europe," Virginian Derek Baxter and his family visited places in the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, England, Italy, and the United States.
What's inside: fun stories about what they did, including going to gardens and museums and exploring cheese- and wine-making; eye-opening lessons Baxter learned about Jefferson, history, and himself.
For fans of: engaging books that mix U.S. history and contemporary travel, such as Tony Horwitz's Spying on the South, Nathaniel Philbrick's Travels with George, or Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed.
----- The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir
by Karen Cheung
What it is: a lyrical memoir of a young journalist coming of age against the backdrop of a Hong Kong newly under Chinese control; an intimate look at the author's unhappy family, her schooling (including university), and her struggles with depression.
Read it for: the evocative insider's look at the city, including its stratified society, alternative music scene, and protests for democracy.
Read this next: Louisa Lim's Indelible City or Mark Clifford's Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World -- two recent books that, while less personal, offer broader looks at, respectively, the city's history and its politics.
----- Becoming Forrest: One Man's Epic Run Across America
by Rob Pope
Run, Rob, Run: British marathoner and veterinarian Rob Pope undertook a run of over 15,000 miles, following in the fictional footsteps of Forrest Gump, who crisscrossed the U.S. several times.
What happened: Sometimes accompanied by his girlfriend in an RV named Jenny, Pope recreated scenes from the award-winning movie, saw the U.S. in a variety of temperatures, raised money for charity, met all kinds of people, and pondered following one's dreams.
Reviewers say: "an enjoyable travelogue and a welcome antidote for anyone needing an affirmation of faith in humanity" (Booklist).
----- The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth
by Ben Rawlence
What's inside: an evocative travelogue, engaging nature and science writing, and a perceptive look at arctic forests in Scotland, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Siberia, and Norway, including the effect climate change is having on the trees there.
For fans of: Porter Fox's The Last Winter, Jonathan C. Slaght's Owls of the Eastern Ice, and Roger Deakin's Wildwood.
Reviewers say: "Nature lovers and travelers alike will find this a lovely paean to a rapidly changing landscape" (Publishers Weekly).
----- In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage
by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
What happened: Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, who grew up in Lima, Peru, worked in high-pressure Silicon Valley. Struggling with alcoholism and memories of childhood sexual abuse, she began climbing mountains, eventually starting a nonprofit to help girls heal through adventure and becoming the first openly gay woman to climb the Seven Summits.
For fans of: Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and other books that combine unflinching honesty with evocative travelogue.
Movie buzz: Film rights have already been sold, and Selena Gomez is set to star in the big-screen version of this moving memoir.
******** Cats, Big and Small ********
-------- The Puma Years
by Laura Coleman
The setup: In 2007, aimless 24-year-old Brit Laura Coleman quit her latest unfulfilling job to backpack in Bolivia, hoping the trip would focus her. Though ready to give up after two months, she impulsively decided to volunteer at an animal refuge in the Amazon jungle.
What happened: She encountered an array of fascinating people and troubled animals, including pigs, monkeys, birds, and more, but it was a puma called Wayra who stole her heart and gave her a purpose.
Reviewers say: "honest, wry, self-effacing, and always entertaining" (Booklist); an "adrenaline rush-inducing debut" (Publishers Weekly).
------- The Snow Leopard
by Peter Matthiessen
Nepal 1973: Author Peter Matthiessen and field biologist George Schaller traveled for five weeks in remote Himalayan mountains.
What happened: While both hoped to glimpse the reclusive snow leopard, for Schaller, the trip was decidedly scientific (he planned to study rare blue sheep) and for Matthiessen, who had recently lost his wife to cancer, it was more spiritual.
Why you might like it: First published in 1979, this eloquent, thought-provoking modern classic won two National Book Awards and will please fans of travelogues, nature writing, and spiritual memoirs.
------ All the Way to the Tigers
by Mary Morris
What's inside: compelling, short chapters that move back and forth between time and place describing the acclaimed author's 1950s Chicago-area childhood, her catastrophic 2008 ankle injury in New York, and a 2011 solo tiger-spotting trip to India during the middle of a cold snap.
Read it for: candid writing, interesting factoids, an evocative look at India, and a thoughtful examination of life and travel.
Did you know? Unseen tigers are always referred to as "she."
------ Nala's World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride Around the Globe
by Dean Nicholson
What's inside: the charming, heartwarming story of affable Scotsman Dean Nicholson, known on social media as 1bike1world, and his travels with the adorable cat he found on a Bosnian mountaintop.
What happened: Feeling purposeless, Nicholson left his job to bike alone around Europe and Asia, leading to his life-changing encounter with Nala, their inspiring bicycle journeys through remarkable terrain, and their visits to refugee camps, animal shelters, beaches, and more.
Locations include: Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary.
The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth—Ben Rawlence sounds quite good. Several others do, as well, but this is one i’d like to try. Thank you for the titles.
Deb, I don't know if it's the same topic, but I recall in the excellent bookThe Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert spoke about the changing tree line.
I know I've mentioned this book too many times, but this one and her Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future are not to be missed.
Alias, i think the Kolbert must cover some of the same territory. Still, both are on my list. Although i must admit that mention of Jonathan C. Slaght & his Owls of the Eastern Ice completely swayed me.
----- Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach
by Monica Aldama
What it is: an upbeat and richly detailed guide to achieving your personal and professional goals using lessons from author Monica Aldama's career as a professional cheerleading coach and star of Netflix original series Cheer.
Topics include: developing a sense of personal integrity; the power of ritual; the importance of getting out of your comfort zone.
Reviewers say: "There’s lots to cheer for in Aldama’s upbeat and practical advice" (Publishers Weekly).
----- Empower: Conquering the Disease of Fear
by Tareq Azim and Seth Davis
What it is: the unique and inspiring story of Tareq Azim, an NFL trainer and his advice on overcoming adversity and fear on the road to success.
Read it for: the author's efforts to encourage social change in Afghanistan, including his involvement with setting up the country's first women's boxing federation.
Did you know? Azim was the first Afghan American linebacker to play Division 1 football.
----- I Didn't Do the Thing Today
by Madeleine Dore
What it's about: an exploration of the pressure to constantly be productive and an argument in favor of accepting that there are "days we don't seize."
Topics include: the importance of being realistic when setting expectations for yourself; the value of regularly making space for small indulgences; learning to identify self-shaming patterns.
About the author: Writer and interviewer Madeleine Dore runs the productivity blog Extraordinary Routines and hosts the podcast Routines & Ruts.
------ Losing Our Minds: The Challenge of Defining Mental Illness
by Lucy Foulkes
What it is: a science-based look at mental illness as a construct, urging readers and practitioners to reflect on the defining lines between the difficulties that are an inescapable part of human life and actual clinical conditions.
Don't miss: the discussion of social media as a double-edged sword to both create a platform for destigmatization and a means for the spread of misinformation.
Reviewers say: Author Lucy Foulkes is "a compassionate, rational guide through modern-day mental issues that are neither easily categorized nor treated" (Kirkus Reviews).
----- Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart or Is It Just Me?
by Jen Mann
What's inside: candid and witty essays and observations about moving into a new life stage, with a focus on the particular challenges faced by women.
Read it for: the conversational tone, which hits just the right notes when discussing the intimate (and occasionally embarrassing) topics and feels like talking to an old friend.
About the author: Nonfiction writer Jen Mann's previous books include Working with People I Want to Punch in the Throat and Suburban Scourges.
----- Already Enough: A Path to Self-Acceptance
by Lisa Olivera
What it's about: how our personal narratives can shape our outlooks on life and how reshaping our stories can help us change for the better.
Why you might like it: the advice is presented in a well-organized format and compassionate, relatable tone.
Reviewers say: Already Enough is "a brave and welcoming guide that will resonate with those who may have questioned whether they deserve to be loved" (Publishers Weekly).
----- Letters to the Sons of Society: A Father's Invitation to Love, Honesty, and Freedom
by Shaka Senghor
What it is: a compelling, passionate appeal to fathers and sons to develop deeper, more enriching connections -- with each other and other men in their lives.
Read it for: the candid and evocative writing style; the fearless authenticity of the discussions of toxic masculinity and systemic racism.
About the author: Shaka Senghor is a Director's Fellow at the MIT Media Lab whose previous work includes the memoir Writing My Wrongs, about his time in prison.
------- The Sunny Nihilist: A Declaration of the Pleasure of Pointlessness
by Wendy Syfret
What it's about: how you can use a little bit of nihilism as a positive tool to free yourself from things that don't make you happy by removing "the burden of meaning" from your obligations.
Read it if: despite your best self-improvement and self-care efforts and routines you still feel overwhelmed and burnt out.
Reviewers say: Author Wendy Syfret "offers a brighter take" on a traditionally gloomy outlook, "making a case that it allows for “a chance to enjoy the moment, the present, the chaos, and luck of being alive" (Publishers Weekly).
------ Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them
by Tessa West
What it is: a funny and thought-provoking guide to working with difficult colleagues, with a deep dive into the forces that create fraught work environments.
Toxic types include: the Credit Stealer, the Gaslighter, the Bulldozer, and the Kiss Up/Kick Downer.
You might also like: Conflicted by Ian Leslie; Why Are We Yelling? by Buster Benton.
------ The Spanish Love Deception
by Elena Armas
The problem: Catalina "Lina" Martín needs a plus-one to save face at her sister's wedding in Spain because her ex, the groom's best man, just got engaged and her handsome American boyfriend is...um, imaginary.
The solution? Aaron Blackford, Lina's least favorite colleague, offers to be her real pretend boyfriend, setting the stage for comedy, drama, and romance.
For fans of: Sally Thorne's The Hating Game, Anna E. Collins' Love at First Spite.
----- A Perfect Equation
by Elizabeth Everett
Starring: mathematician Letitia Fenley and William Hughes, Viscount Greycliff, longtime enemies tasked with running Athena's Retreat, a secret club for female scientists.
What happens: Letty and Grey battle their mutual attraction while facing off against the Guardians of Domesticity, an association of gentlemen who believe a woman's place is in the home.
Series alert: A Perfect Equation is the 2nd book in the Secret Scientists of London series, after A Lady's Formula for Love.
---- Kamila Knows Best
by Farah Heron
What it is: a warmhearted retelling of Emma by the author of Accidentally Engaged.
Starring: accountant Kamila Hussain, who's too busy helping her family and friends to focus on her love life, and Rohan Nasser, Kamila's best friend, who may just be her perfect match.
You might also like: Uzma Jalaluddin's Ayesha at Last, another Austen-inspired contemporary romance set in Toronto and featuring a predominantly South Asian cast.
----- I'm So (Not) Over You
by Kosoko Jackson
What happens: Expecting an apology from Hudson Rivers, the man who broke his heart, journalist Kian Andrews is blindsided by his ex's request that they pose as a couple in front of Hudson's wealthy parents, who don't know they split up.
Why you might like it: Combining faux-mance with second chance romance, this "delightfully outrageous romantic comedy" (Library Journal) offers relatable leads, a memorable supporting cast, and an incisive look at the intersections of race and class.
------ The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes
by Eva Leigh
Introducing: Kieran Ransome, 3rd son of an earl and an unrepentant rogue; and prim and proper Celeste Kilburn, who agrees to help Kieran repair his reputation if he'll help her ruin hers by showing her the seedier side of London.
Series alert: This "risqué romp" (Kirkus Reviews) kicks off the Last Chance Scoundrels series, about a group of men who must find respectable brides or be disinherited.
*********** Women in Tech ***************
------ The Soulmate Equation
by Christina Lauren
A match made in hell: After submitting a DNA sample to the matchmaking startup GeneticAlly, statistician and single mom Jess Davis is horrified when her "diamond match" (indicating soulmate-level compatibility) is revealed to be her arrogant coffee shop nemesis "Americano" -- a.k.a. Dr. River Peña, the company's founder.
Diamonds are forever? GeneticAlly offers the financially strapped Jess $30,000 if she dates River for three months -- enough time to either validate their score by falling in love or ruin the company by proving they're totally wrong for each other.
------ Make Up Break Up
by Lily Menon
What it is: bestselling YA author Sandhya Menon's (When Dimple Met Rishi) adult debut, an enemies-to-lovers romance about rival dating app creators.
Starring: one-time lovers Annika Dev and Hudson Craft, who must work in adjacent offices while competing for funding at the upcoming Entrepreneurs Pitching Investors Competition (EPIC).
For fans of: the reluctantly reunited exes of Thien-Kim Lam's Happy Endings or Lillie Vale's The Shaadi Set-Up.
----- Loathe at First Sight
by Suzanne Park
What it's about: As a Korean American woman in the video game industry, Melody Joo is accustomed to doing her job in challenge mode. And that's before being put in charge of a high-profile project alongside white company intern Nolan MacKenzie, the boss' nephew.
Is it for you? Melody's workplace is a toxic stew of racism and misogyny; she's also on the receiving end of online harassment that makes Gamergate look tame.
You might also like: Alisha Rai's The Right Swipe, Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project.
------ The Right Swipe
by Alisha Rai
Starring: Rhiannon "Rhi" Hunter, creator of the popular Crush dating app, and former pro-football player Samson Lima, spokesman for rival dating site Matchmaker -- and the jerk who once ghosted Rhi.
What sets it apart: Nuanced explorations of sensitive issues (CTE's effects on Samson's football-playing relatives, Rhi's experiences as a woman of color in majority white, predominantly male tech spaces).
Is it for you? Though less angst-filled than the author's Forbidden Hearts series, Rhi does have some upsetting run-ins with her abusive ex.
------- The Boyfriend Project
by Farrah Rochon
What happens: After software engineer Samiah Brooks discovers that her so-called boyfriend has been three-timing her, she bonds with his other girlfriends as they vow to dedicate the next six months to focusing on themselves and their life goals.
And then... Samiah's new coworker, Daniel Collins, makes her wonder if she was a little too hasty in swearing off men. Little does she know that Daniel isn't exactly what he seems.
For fans of: the once-bitten-twice-shy Black coder heroine of Gia De Cadenet's Getting His Game Back, and the strong and supportive female friendships in Tracey Livesay's Girls Trip series.
----- The Invention of Power: Popes, Kings, and the Birth of the West
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
What it's about: the somewhat obscure but incredibly monumental 1122 Concordat of Worms, which set into motion a series of social and political changes that completely transformed the relationship between the medieval Catholic Church and the rising nation-states of Europe.
The power players: Popes Paschal II and Calixtus II; Holy Roman Emperor Henry V.
You might also like: The Birth of the West by Paul Collins; God's Shadow by Alan Mikhail.
----- God: An Anatomy
by Francesca Stavrakopoulou
What it is: a thought-provoking exploration of the concept of God through ancient eyes.
Read it for: the evocative, tangible portrait of God and the divine that author Francesca Stavrakopoulou manages to pull through the mists of time, putting scriptural imagery in its original cultural context.
Reviewers say: "Stavrakopoulou has drawn a masterful line from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to that of Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas" (Library Journal).
----- Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine
by Anna Della Subin
What it's about: mortal men so revered that they became divine figures, and the social forces that motivated their followers to grant them this exalted status.
Why you should read it: Author Anna Della Subin's thoroughly researched scholarly analysis is rich in detail and will provoke powerful questions in readers.
Book buzz: Accidental Gods is "a stimulating and challenging look at a fascinating historical phenomenon" (Publishers Weekly).
----- The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith...
by Paul Blaschko and Meghan Sullivan
What it is: a candid, accessible exploration of big, existential questions and the roles faith and philosophy play in determining what it means to live a "good life."
Is it for you? the engaging material in The Good Life Method deals with religion alongside the secular work of philosophers like Kant and Descartes, which may not appeal to readers looking for something with a more spiritual focus.
About the authors: Notre Dame professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko write and research religious philosophy topics and co-teach a noted undergraduate course called "God and the Good
----- To My Beloveds: Letters on Faith, Race, Loss, and Radical Hope
by Jennifer Bailey
What it's about: This candid and thoughtful collection of essays contains spiritual reflections about topics like trauma recovery, community building, and Black womanhood.
About the author: Reverend Jennifer Bailey is an African Methodist Episcopal minister, public theologian, and founder of the community organizing nonprofit the Faith Matters Network.
------ Wholehearted Faith
by Rachel Held Evans
What it is: a poignant and thoughtful collection of essays from columnist and Year of Biblical Womanhood author Rachel Held Evans, who passed away in 2019.
Reviewers say: " Evans's honest questioning of Christian teachings and a God she mostly (but doesn't always) believe in will strike a chord with believers and agnostics alike" (Library Journal).
------ Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color
by Lorraine Monteagut
What it's about: the increasing popularity of ancestral spiritual practices among young Black, Latinx, and indigenous people looking to connect with and celebrate their cultures.
Topics include: the melding of indigenous and West African faith traditions in Central and South America; the legacy of colonialism; and the power of spiritual practice as a community building tool.
------ The Making of the Bible: From the First Fragments to Sacred Scripture
by Konrad Schmid; translated by Jens Schröter
What it is: a well-researched, comprehensive account of the development of Hebrew Bible and Christian Bible.
Don't miss: the discussion of the Bible as a text object and how it fits into the history of bibliography and publishing.
About the author: Swiss theologian and professor Konrad Schmid teaches Hebrew Bible studies and ancient Judaica at the University of Zurich.
------ Filled with Fire and Light: Portraits and Legends from the Bible, Talmud, and Hasidic...
by Elie Wiesel
What it is: the thought-provoking collected wisdom of notable figures in Jewish history including rabbis, sages, kings, and prophets.
Appearances by: the prophet Elisha; Josiah, King of Judah; scholar Reish Lakish; and Rabbi Schneur Zalman.
Reviewers say: Late Nobel Prize-winning author Elie Wiesel "casts a wide net" and "astounds with these timeless lessons drawn from ancient texts" (Publishers Weekly).
What an entertaining pack of books, Alias. I appreciate the titles, particularly I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt to Embrace the Hidden Value in Daily Life--Madeleine Dore. I'm notorious for planning to do too much, then feeling low because i didn't achieve all my intentions, thus spoiling a good day. This book might address that, as well as other guilts.I already have a couple of older books (70s & 90s) on the topic on my TBR, but like the title and approach of The Making of the Bible: From the First Fragments to Sacred Scripture--Konrad Schmid. I'm always intrigued by how our mythology grows and is accepted.
"Faux-mance" is a new-to-me term, that may well make reading I'm So (Not) Over You--Kosoko Jackson. Attractive titles, Alias, thank you.
Glad you read and appreciated the book lists, deb.
Always, Alias. And seldom do i embark on reading them without a shiver, lest i find many more books for Mt. TBR!
------ Impact: How Rocks from Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong
by Greg Brennecka
Contains: everything you ever wanted to know about meteorites!
Why you might like it: Cosmochemist Greg Brennecka presents a comprehensive yet accessible look at how meteorites have (literally!) shaped our planet and changed the trajectory of life on Earth.
Further reading: Tim Gregory's Meteorite: How Stones from Outer Space Made Our World or Simone Marchi's Colliding Worlds: How Cosmic Encounters Shaped Planets and Life.
----- Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses
by Jackie Higgins
What it's about: Documentary filmmaker Jackie Higgins explores animal sensory perception and what it can tell us about human senses.
Contains: Twelve essays, each dedicated to a specific sense and an animal that exemplifies it.
Try these next: Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Senses, or Ed Yong's forthcoming An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.
----- Life Between the Tides
by Adam Nicolson; illustrated by Kate Boxer
What it is: a wide-ranging and reflective look at tidal pools that is "as poetic as it is enlightening" (Publishers Weekly).
Read it for: author Adam Nicolson's account of how he built his own tidal pool in Scotland in order to more closely observe these liminal worlds.
For fans of: Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, David George Haskell's The Forest Unseen.
----- How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring...
by Ryan North; illustrated by Carly Monardo
What it is: a science-based guide to world domination for would-be supervillains that also shows readers how to save the world.
Topics include: building your own secret base of operations, controlling the weather, cloning dinosaurs, time travel, and achieving immortality.
About the author: Eisner Award-winning comics writer Ryan North tackled another science fiction scenario in How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler.
----- A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science of Marking Time, From Stonehenge to Atomic...
by Chad Orzel
What it's about: "We are and always have been a species that builds clocks," declares physics professor Chad Orzel in this enlightening chronicle of the ways in which humans mark the passage of time.
Don't know much about chronometry? Proceeding chronologically from neolithic monuments to atomic clocks, Orzel writes for a general audience while also providing shaded sidebars with more in-depth explanations for the technically inclined.
You might also like: horologist David Rooney's About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks.
------ The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth
by Ben Rawlence
Did you know? "Covering one fifth of the globe, and containing one third of all the trees on earth, the boreal is the second largest biome, or living system, after the ocean."
The forest for the trees: Former Human Rights Watch researcher Ben Rawlence focuses on six important taiga trees as he tracks the steady northward shift of the Arctic treeline due to climate change and ponders what this means for humanity.
Reviewers say: "A title of the utmost importance at a time of tremendous peril" (Booklist).
----- A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain
by Sara Manning Peskin
What it is: a "captivating and convincing" (Library Journal) survey of the molecular causes of neurological diseases, complete with case studies and historical context.
What you'll learn: Cognitive neurologist Sara Manning Peskin discusses genetic mutations (such as that which causes Huntington's disease), "problematic proteins" (including prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), and "invaders-evaders" (everything from toxins to vitamin deficiencies).
You might also like: Oliver Sacks' An Anthropologist on Mars or Helen Thomson's Unthinkable.
----- Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
by Rodney Stotts with Kate Pipkin
What it is: a "thought-provoking, moving, and inspiring" (Library Journal) memoir by Rodney Stotts, who recounts his impoverished upbringing and unlikely path to becoming a conservationist, wildlife educator, and one of the few Black master falconers in the United States.
Media buzz: Stotts' journey is also documented in "The Falconer," an episode of the PBS documentary series America Reframed.
For fans of: Helen MacDonald's H is for Hawk or ornithologist J. Drew Lanham's The Home Place.
----- Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything
by Kelly Weill
What it is: journalist Kelly Weill's "timely and disturbing study" (Kirkus Reviews) of conspiracy theories, which explains what they are, why people believe in them, and how the “conspiratorial melting pot” of the internet has brought them increasingly into the mainstream.
Contains: incisive analyses of Y2K, 9/11 trutherism, and QAnon, as well as an immersive investigation of Flat Earth theory from its origins in 1830s England to the present day.
----- Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey
by Florence Williams
Love hurts: In the aftermath of divorce, journalist Florence Williams embarks on a journey of healing and self-discovery, resulting in a "raw and exhaustively reported exploration" (Washington Post) of the science of heartbreak.
What becomes of the brokenhearted? According to the research, an elevated risk of disease and premature death.
How can you mend a broken heart? Strategies employed by the author include therapy, connecting with a larger purpose, finding a new relationship, MDMA, and, of course, letting time heal all wounds.
Great crop of books, Alias. I like tidal pools, so Life Between the Tides--Adam Nicolson sounds right. And A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science of Marking Time, from Stonehenge to Atomic Clocks--Chad Orzel is a fascinating topic to me, probably due to my continuing disdain of Daylight Savings.But the title Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything --Kelly Weill sounds wonderful.
madrano wrote: "Great crop of books, Alias. I like tidal pools, so Life Between the Tides--Adam Nicolson sounds right. And [book:A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science of Markin..."I guessed wrong. When I was posting I thought, deb will like The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth
by Ben Rawlence
Alias, you mentioned it to me earlier this year, so it's already on my list. Rest assured, you know me well. I was just mentioning the new-to-me today books. :-)The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth--Ben Rawlence
madrano wrote: "Alias, you mentioned it to me earlier this year, so it's already on my list. Rest assured, you know me well. I was just mentioning the new-to-me today books. :-)[book:The Treeline: The Last Fores..."
:)
------Light from uncommon stars
by Ryka Aoki
To reclaim her damned soul, a gifted, but cursed violinist must take on seven students and try to entice each to trade their soul for fame while a starship captain races to stop the end of existence.
Her hidden genius : a novel
by Marie Benedict
Tells the story of Rosalind Franklin, who, despite an environment of harassment and bullying in the late 1940s and 1950s, worked in a stringent, scientific manner and became one of the first scientists to map the structure of DNA.
------ Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.
------ The Paris apartment : a novel
by Lucy Foley
Arriving in Paris to stay with her brother Ben, Jess learns that he has gone missing, and to find him, starts digging into his life, realizing even though she has come to the City of Lights to escape her past, it’s his future hanging in the balance.
------ The exiles : a novel
by Christina Baker Kline
Sent to a Tasmanian penal colony after conceiving her employer’s grandchild, a young governess befriends a talented midwife and an orphaned Aboriginal chief’s daughter while confronting the harsh realities of British colonialism and oppression in 19th-century Australia. 150,000 first printing.
------ Mexican Gothic
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A reimagining of the classic gothic suspense novel follows the experiences of a courageous socialite in 1950s Mexico who is drawn into the treacherous secrets of an isolated mansion.
----- The magic fish
by Le Nguyen Trung
Real life isn't a fairytale. But Tiâên still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tiâên, he doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through? Is there a way to tell them he's gay?
----- You brought me the ocean
by Alex Sanchez
Jake Hyde yearns for the ocean and is determined to leave his hometown in New Mexico for a college on the coast, and while his family and friends encourage him to stay, he must deal with his secrets of being gay and some strange new blue markings on his skin giving him a glow when he touches water
----- How to be perfect : a foolproof guide to making the correct moral decision in every situation you ever encounter anywhere on earth, forever
by Michael Schur
From the creator of The Good Place and the co-creator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world.
----- Watercress
by Andrea Wang
A little girl traveling through Ohio in an old car helps her family collect muddy, snail-covered watercress from a ditch in the wild before learning the story of her immigrant heritage and how foraging for fresh food helps her loved ones stay together.
Book Group Selections
----- The book of longings
by Sue Monk Kidd
A first-century intellectual fights the limitations imposed on women before an encounter with an 18-year-old Jesus leads to their marriage, his dangerous public ministry and her flight to safety in Alexandria.
------ The bell jar : a novel
by Sylvia Plath
Chronicles one young woman's emotional breakdown as she journeys from the glamorous world of Manhattan publishing to the isolation of the asylum.
----- The talisman
by Stephen King
12-year-old Jack Sawyer embarks on a fantastical quest in a menacing parallel world, where he searches for a mystical Talisman and encounters twin counterparts of the people he knows in his own universe.
----- Klara and the sun
by 1954- Ishiguro, Kazuo
Waiting to be chosen by a customer, an Artificial Friend programmed with high perception observes the activities of shoppers while exploring fundamental questions about what it means to love.
----- Carolina Built
by Kianna Alexander
What it is: a well-researched imagined biography of real-life entrepreneur and real estate magnate Josephine N. Leary.
Set in: Edenton, North Carolina, the coastal town where Josephine was born into slavery and eventually built her financial empire after the Civil War.
Reviewers say: Josephine's "inspiring story transcends one life in the years after emancipation to encompass all women who take the chance to secure their own happiness" (Booklist).
----- Don't Cry for Me
by Daniel Black
What it's about: Jacob Swinton is on his deathbed, where he begins writing a letter to his estranged gay son Isaac in which he explores the ups and downs of their relationship, family history, and the complexities of Black masculinity.
Read it for: the evocative portraits of Jim Crow Arkansas and Civil Rights era Kansas City; the "quiet intimacy" (Library Journal) and reflective tone in which the story is told.
About the author: Daniel Black is a professor at Clark Atlanta University whose previous novels include They Tell Me of a Home and Perfect Peace.
------ The Good Wife of Bath
by Karen Brooks
What it is: a dramatic and thought-provoking adaptation of the classic Chaucer story "Tale of the Wyf of Bathe", except this time the lady in question gets to speak for herself.
Why you might like it: Although classic adaptations are common, they're especially resonant when a maligned or misunderstood character gets the chance to provide readers with their unique perspective on familiar events.
For fans of: Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin; Havisham by Ronald Frame.
----- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
by André Lewis Carter
The premise: Desperate to get out of Orlando after accidentally snitching on his volatile drug-runner boss "Mr. Mike", Afro-Cuban petty criminal César Alvarez joins the Navy, despite the racial tensions plaguing the recently desegregated armed forces and the certainty that he will be sent to fight in the still-raging Vietnam War.
The problem: Thanks to his protégé's "betrayal" Mr. Mike is now facing his own legal troubles, but he's offered a chance to avoid jail time if he joins the military. Unfortunately, Mr. Mike and César are both headed to Manila and eventually, the close quarters of the USS Kitty Hawk.
----- Luckenbooth
by Jenni Fagan
Starring: the unfortunate residents of the titular Edinburgh tenement No. 10 Luckenbooth, who are unknowingly haunted by a series of dark events that began in their building in 1910.
For fans of: historical horror, large casts of characters, and stories with a strong sense of place.
About the author: Jenni Fagan is a Scottish writer who has published several collections of poetry but is best known for her offbeat, socially conscious novels including The Panopticon and The Sunlight Pilgrims.
----- Black Cloud Rising
by David Wright Faladé
What it is: the richly detailed, thought-provoking story of a Union Army brigade made up of recently emancipated Black men and their journey through Confederate-occupied Virginia in 1863.
Starring: the brigade's leader Sergeant Richard Etheridge, a mixed-race man struggling to balance his zeal to destroy slavery, his complex feelings about his slave-owning white father, and his disappointment in the deeply entrenched racism of the Union Army.
Reviewers say: Black Cloud Rising is a "triumphant examination of U.S. history and race relations at a crucial juncture, as seen through the eyes of the well-wrought, ever-questing Etheridge" (Library Journal).
----- All of You Every Single One
by Beatrice Hitchman
What it's about: the sweeping story of an unlikely chosen family that develops in a relatively permissive Vienna enclave between the first and second World Wars.
Featuring: French tailor Eve, who presents herself to society as a man; Swedish divorcée Julia, who left her famous playwright husband for Eve; their Jewish landlady and confidante Frau Berndt; wannabe theater impresario Rolf; and teenage abuse survivor Ada, who has recently started psychoanalysis with Dr. Sigmund Freud.
------ Chorus
by Rebecca Kauffman
What it is: the lyrical and character-driven story of the seven Shaw siblings, each of whom shares their perspectives on two defining moments in their lives -- one of the siblings' teenage pregnancy and their mother's mysterious early death.
Where it's set: the Shaw family farm in rural Virginia between 1903 and 1959.
Reviewers say: Chorus is "a superbly executed saga" (Publishers Weekly).
------ Circus of Wonders
by Elizabeth Macneal
What it's about: Nell has always been stared at in her small English village thanks to the mottled birthmarks that cover her body, but fate gives her the chance for attention on her own terms after her father sells her to a traveling circus and its proprietor lets her perform acrobatic stunts instead of being a sideshow attraction.
Read it for: Nell's indefatigable spirit; the sense of foreboding that builds as Nell becomes the most popular act in the circus; the thought-provoking juxtaposition between the story's Victorian setting and the modern questions raised about autonomy and media manipulation.
------ The Matchmaker
by Paul Vidich
What it is: an atmospheric and intricately plotted story about the personal fallout of international politics during the Cold War.
Starring: Anne Simpson, a translator working in West Berlin; Anne's husband Stephen, a piano tuner who goes on an unusually high number of work-related trips on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
Reviewers say: "Intrigue, murder, and vengeance make for a darkly enjoyable read" (Kirkus Reviews).
What a bouquet of books for our pleasure, Alias! I liked reading about the variety. Because i like what i know about DNA researcher Rosalind Franklin, Her Hidden Genius: A Novel appeals to me. Marie Benedict is known for outstanding historical novels, which heightens my interest.Light from Uncommon Stars--Ryka Aoki sounds absolutely fascinating. A combo of horror, perhaps, and science fiction. Who's to refuse? ;-)
Thriller & Suspense
----- The Heights
by Louise Candlish
What it is: a menacing, slow-burn psychological thriller about grief, paranoia, and the true costs of exacting revenge.
The setup: While consulting with one of her property developer clients, lighting consultant Ellen Saint sees a young man who bears a striking resemblance to Kiernan, a friend of her deceased son Lucas.
The twist: Ellen and her ex-partner Vic blame Kiernan for their son's death and hired a contract killer to take him out two years ago.
----- The Night Shift
by Alex Finlay
New Year's Eve, 1999: A killer enters a video store in Linden, New Jersey, and stabs the four teens working there. Only one of them, Ella Monroe, manages to survive the attack.
Fifteen years later: A copycat knife attack takes place at an ice cream parlor and again there is a sole survivor, a local high school student named Jessica. Ella, now working as a therapist, reluctantly agrees to counsel Jessica as they both live with the knowledge that their assailant could still be out there.
Reviewers say: The Night Shift is a "fast-paced tale that delivers one stunning surprise after another" (Library Journal).
----- The Old Woman with the Knife
by Gu Byeong-mo
What it's about: Jogak (alias "Hornclaw") is an aging assassin who is looking forward to a quiet retirement after a 45-year career. The tranquil future she's planned for is at risk, however, after she forms an unexpected connection with an emergency room doctor and his family.
Read it for: the incisive look at the precarious position of older women in Korean society; the surprising moments of absurdist humor.
About the author: Gu Byeong-mo is a bestselling South Korean writer of novels, young adult fiction, and short stories. The Old Woman with a Knife is her English-language debut.
----- The Fell
by Sarah Moss
What it is: a timely and candid tale of relatable quarantine ennui that smoothly gives way to an atmospheric survival story set in Northern England.
Starring: Kate, a 40-something divorcee whose cabin fever drives her to break quarantine to go on a forbidden hike; her teenage son Matt, who has no idea where Kate is and fears the worst; their immunocompromised neighbor Alice, who saw Kate sneaking out of the house but has her own reasons for hesitating to call the police.
Reviewers say: The Fell is "darkly humorous, arrestingly honest, and intensely lyrical" (Kirkus Reviews).
------ The Whispers
by Heidi Perks
The premise: After nearly two decades in Australia, Grace returns to her coastal hometown of Clearwater, England, and tries to reconnect with her childhood best friend Anna, who has built her own tightly knit friend group in Grace's absence.
The problem: Grace feels uncomfortable around the clique Anna belongs to, something that gets worse when Anna goes missing after a girls' night out and Grace appears to be the only one of Anna's friends worried about foul play.
For fans of: psychological suspense about small town secrets and toxic relationships.
------ Blood Sugar
by Sascha Rothchild
What it's about: Sure, she's killed before, but Miami psychotherapist Ruby Simon truly had nothing to do with the recent death of her husband Jason. Unrepentant about the "accidental" deaths she's engineered in the past, now she must find a way to prove that Jason really did die of diabetes complications.
Is it for you? Although her complex personality and motivations might make sympathizing with her surprisingly easy, Ruby has no regrets about the crimes she did commit and is not the most reliable narrator.
About the author: Blood Sugar is the debut novel of Sascha Rothchild, who is best known for writing and producing the Netflix original series GLOW.
------ The Cartographers
by Peng Shepherd
The premise: Cartographer Nell Young has a strained relationship with her father Daniel, a well-regarded scholar in their shared field, but she is understandably upset after learning her father was found dead at his desk at the New York Public Library.
The problem: Though Daniel's death appears to be from natural causes. but Nell grows suspicious after discovering a hidden cache of extremely valuable maps among her father's papers and starts connecting the dots after consulting with Daniel's dedicated acolytes and esteemed former colleagues.
For fans of: authors like Natasha Pulley and Erin Morgenstern; thrillers that take deep dives into specialized topics or obscure careers.
------ The Resting Place
by Camilla Sten
What it is: an atmospheric and intricately plotted tale of the estranged members of an unhappy Swedish family coping with the unsolved murder of their matriarch Vivianne and the creepy country estate where they all gather to sort out the details of her will.
What makes it unique: Vivianne's granddaughter Eleanor, who narrates the story, witnessed the murder, but she is unable to identify the perpetrator because she has prosopagnosia, more commonly called "face blindness."
------ The Patient's Secret
by Loreth Anne White
What it's about: Loosely based on a true story, this psychological thriller centers on three women in British Columbia whose pasts, presents, and futures overlap in ways that could have devastating, deadly consequences for all involved.
Starring: successful psychotherapist Lily Bradley; free-spirited drifter Arwen Harper; police detective Rue Duval, who is tasked with uncovering the truth after a dead body is discovered on the beach.
Reviewers say: Author Loreth Anne White keeps "the reader guessing as she peels back the layers of a seemingly perfect family to reveal the shocking truth" (Publishers Weekly).
Some beguiling choices offered, Alias. Thank you. The Old Woman with the Knife--Gu Byeong-mo, of course. First of all, the title. Second, who can ignore a Main Character with the name Hornclaw? I ask ya!The Cartographers--Peng Shepherd is a book whose cover is a wonder of Trompe-l'œil.
----- You Grow, Gurl! Plant Kween's Lush Guide to Growing Your Garden
by Christopher Griffin
What it is: a fun, encouraging guide to house plants, covering selection, watering, propagating, health benefits, and more, plus color photos.
Read this next: Danae Horst's Houseplants for All, Hilton Carter's Wild at Home, or Veronica Peerless' How Not to Kill Your Houseplant.
Author buzz: Christopher Griffin is the creator of the Plant Kween Instagram account celebrating plants, community, and self-care.
----- The Art of Papercraft: Unique Projects Using Origami, Cutting, Quilling, Pop-Up, and...
by Helen Hiebert; foreword by Michael G. LaFosse
What it is: Artist and teacher Helen Hiebert presents a comprehensive look at paper arts (including paper making) and 40 unique projects by a variety of artists, each using just one sheet of paper.
What's inside: detailed instructions; colorful, inspiring photos; info on paper, tools, materials, and skills (including folding and stitching).
Projects include: Origami Candy Dish; Inflatable Paper Votive; One-Sheet Tree; Pop-Up Alphabet; Floral Lantern; Plantable Paper; Storytelling Mask; Mini Tunnel Book; Swirling Flower; Exploding Cube.
----- The Wok: Recipes and Techniques
by J. Kenji López-Alt
What it is: an in-depth look at the wok that covers it all, including buying, cleaning, and using, by the award-winning author of The Food Lab.
What's inside: over 200 recipes; a pantry list; color photos; details on how to stir fry, deep fry, simmer, and braise; info on rice and noodles.
Recipes include: Mandarin Pancakes; Egg Drop Soup; Clams with Garlic, Sake, and Butter; Sesame Chicken; Beef with Broccoli; Japanese Fried Noodles; Thai-Style Omelet; Stir-Fried Eggplant with Sake and Miso; Smoky Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce; Bibimbap.
----- Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes
by Charity Morgan
What it is: the cookbook debut of a private chef to elite athletes who began eating vegan years ago alongside her NFL linebacker husband and who appeared in the documentary The Game Changers.
What's inside: more than 100 flavorful plant-based recipes; color photos; tips for incorporating vegan foods; ingredients to watch out for.
Recipes include: Eggless French Toast; Walnut Chorizo; Cream of Broccoli Chedda Soup; Caribbean Ceviche; Taco Salad in Baked Tortilla Bowls; Smoky Jambalaya; Flaky Pie Dough; Pecan Sticky Buns.
----- Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
by Matt Paxton with Jordan Michael Smith
What it is: an empathetic, step-by-step approach to decluttering and downsizing by an expert who addresses mental roadblocks and offers poignant stories from his life and the lives of people he's helped.
Don't miss: the substantial resource lists at the end of the book.
For fans of: TV's The Legacy List with Matt Paxton and Hoarders (both of which feature the author); Marie Kondo; decluttering.
------ The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected...
by Lisa Steele; photographs by Tina Rupp
What it is: an egg-cellent cookbook by Fresh Eggs Daily blogger and Maine farmer Lisa Steele, offering more than 100 tasty recipes.
What's inside: egg basics; essential ingredients and tools; an index of recipes by number of eggs needed (noting whole, white, or yolk).
Recipes include: Egg Flip; Butter Crackers; Bacon and Eggs Pizza; Toasty Holiday Strata; Scrambled-Egg Hand Pies; Broccoli Cheddar Tart; Lemon Curd; Cheesecake with Shortbread Crust; Bundt Pound Cake.
------ Knit 2 Socks in 1: Discover the Easy Magic of Turning One Long Sock into a Pair!
by Safiyyah Talley; foreword by Jeanette Sloan
What's inside: a step-by-step guide that teaches a new way to knit socks that starts with a cuff, creates a tube (with lifelines as markers), and ends in a cuff, with heels and toes added after; 21 sock styles.
Styles include: Savasana Yoga Socks; Huntsman's Cottage Socks; Flower Buds Anklets; Mosaic Rib; Frilly Booties; Glass Slippers.
Reviewers say: "knitters of all strokes will appreciate this innovative primer" (Publishers Weekly).
------ Feng Shui Modern
by Cliff Tan; illustrated by Dura Lee
What it's about: Cliff Tan, an architect and TikToker, clearly explains how to use the ancient art of Feng Shui to create a more harmonious home.
Chapters include: What is Feng Shui?; Fundamentals; How to Apply Feng Shui; Planning (which offers room-by-room help); and Styling.
Want a taste? "Before we embark on this journey, always remember that if following a particular theory makes you feel uncomfortable, then it is not in the spirit of feng shui."
I have long been fascinated with what can be created using paper, so The Art of Papercraft: Projects Techniques to Spark Creativity with Just One Sheet of Paper--Helen Hiebert goes immediately onto my TBR. I see it also includes the history of some paper arts, which will be neat, as well.A cool note about The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways is the index "What's inside: egg basics; essential ingredients and tools; an index of recipes by number of eggs needed (noting whole, white, or yolk). How often have i yearned for that last thing--i have 3 egg whites & need something to do with them. Voilà! Cheers to Lisa Steele for this bright idea.
And to you, Alias, for offering these titles.
You're welcome.I added to my TBR,
----- Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
by Matt Paxton with Jordan Michael Smith
and
----- ----- Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes
by Charity Morgan
Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes: A Cookbook--CHARITY MORGAN sounded good to me, too. When we finally settle down that is the sort of cookbook i will purchase.
* I see I posted this list in the wrong thread so moving it here to the right place. Sorry !2022 NAACP Literary Image Award Winners
FICTION
Long DivisionLong Division by Kiese Laymon
A teenager in post-Katrina Mississippi discovers the whereabouts of a missing young girl after finding a strange, authorless book that describes how a young couple time travel from 1964 to 1985 to help a friend.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin StoryThe 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
This ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began on the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery reimagines if our national narrative actually started in late August of 1619 when a ship arrived in Jamestown bearing a cargo of 20–30 enslaved people from Africa.
DEBUT AUTHOR
Just as I AmJust As I Am by Cicely Tyson
The Academy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning actor and trailblazer tells her stunning story, looking back at her life and six-decade career.
BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WillWill by Will Smith
A product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, and a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind, in this memoir, one of the most dynamic and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life.
INSTRUCTIONAL
Feeding the Soul (Because It's My Business): Finding Our Way to Joy, Love, and Freedom by Tabitha Brown
The popular actress and vegan food star shares inspirational life lessons based on her own struggles, with advice on how to choose joy, learn to walk in kindness, and find hope and clarity in our lives.
POETRY
Perfect BlackPerfect Black by Crystal Wilkinson
Crystal Wilkinson combines a deep love for her rural roots with a passion for language and storytelling in this compelling collection of poetry and prose about girlhood, racism, and political awakening, imbued with vivid imagery of growing up in Southern Appalachia.
CHILDREN
Stacey's Extraordinary WordsStacey's Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams, illustrated by Kitt Thomas
When she is chosen to compete in the local spelling bee, Stacey learns that, win or lose, her words are powerful, and sometimes perseverance is the most important word of all, in this debut picture book from the iconic voting rights advocate.
YOUTH/TEENS
Ace of SpadesAce of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, two students at Niveus Private Academy, are selected to be part of the elite school's senior class prefects and struggle against an anonymous bully who reveals all of their secrets.
* moving this post to the correct thread.
------ The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: A Collection of Chinese Science Fiction and...
by Yu Chen and Regina Wang (editors)
What it is: an "essential" (Booklist) anthology of Chinese speculative fiction by a female and nonbinary team of writers, translators, and editors.
Don't miss: the title story by Wang Nuonuo, translated by R.F. Kuang (The Poppy War), as well as essays that discuss the art of translation while providing important context for non-Chinese readers.
You might also like: the SF anthologies Invisible Planets and Broken Stars, both edited and translated by Ken Liu.
------ Last Exit
by Max Gladstone
See you at... the Crossroads, where alternate realities ("alts") intersect.
Where you'll meet: college friends Zelda, Ramon, Ish, and Sarah, who reunite ten years after they tried (and failed) to save the world.
For fans of: Stephen King's Dark Tower series, Roger Zelazny's Roadmarks.
------ Tell Me An Ending
by Jo Harkin
The premise: Tech company Nepenthe uses a proprietary "Targeted Removal Solution" to rid paying clients of traumatic memories forever (or so they claim).
Why you might like it: Shifting back and forth in time, this introspective novel employs multiple viewpoints to tell the interconnected stories of Nepenthe psychologist Noor and four of her clients.
For fans of: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
------- The Kaiju Preservation Society
by John Scalzi
What happens: Laid off in the early days of the pandemic, Jamie Gray finds a new job. In another dimension. At the Kaiju Preservation Society.
Wait, what? The Kaiju Preservation Society is an unusual animal rights organization that protects these noble and dangerous creatures from humans and vice versa.
Is it for you? Fast-paced, action-packed, and full of snarky humor, this offbeat tale by perennially popular author John Scalzi is closer in tone to Redshirts or Fuzzy Nation than to his recent Interdependency trilogy.
------ The Raven Spell
by Luanne G. Smith
Introducing: twin sisters Edwina and Mary Blackwood, outcast witches who run a curiosity shop in Victorian London.
What happens: Mary tests the sisters' close bond when Mary relieves private investigator Ian Cameron of his memories, prompting Edwina to assist him with the murder investigation he can no longer remember.
You might also like: This atmospheric 1st book in the Conspiracy of Magic series may appeal to fans of C.M. Waggoner's Unnatural Magic or Charlie N. Holmberg's Spellbreaker novels.
------ The Justice of Kings
by Richard Swan
Who they are: Sir Konrad Vonvalt, Justice of the Imperial Magistratum; his right-hand man, Dubine Bressinger; and his assistant and protégé, Helena Sedanka.
What they do: travel throughout the Sovan Empire, investigating and prosecuting crimes.
Why you might like it: Narrated by an older Helena, this series opener blends police procedural and grimdark fantasy as it follows its well-drawn characters through a world of political intrigue and skullduggery.
----- Ogres
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Haves: Ogres, a race of giants who comprise the ruling class of a feudal society.
The Have-Nots: ordinary humans, such as Torquell, the rebellious son of a village headman who runs afoul of his Ogre landlord and is exiled.
Why you might like it: Told in second person, this "twisty social satire" (Publishers Weekly) by the award-winning author of The Children of Time slowly but surely widens its focus to explore the world beyond its protagonist's tiny village.
----- The Circus Infinite
by Khan Wong
What happens: Asexual panromantic mixed-species empath Jes escapes the Institute where he's been kept as a test subject, hops a shuttle to the pleasure moon of Persephone-9, and joins the Cirque Kosmiqa, where he finds acceptance, friendship, and love.
For fans of: the uplifting tone and likable chosen families of Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Ferrett Steinmetz's The Sol Majestic.
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------ When We Were Birds
by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Starring: Yejide, a young woman able to guide souls to their afterlives, and Darwin, a Rasta grave digger whose family is tormented by his unusual job.
Love and death intertwine... in atmospheric descriptions of Trinidad and Tobago that somehow capture both the sobering realties and magical possibilities of living there.
Read it for: a lyrical, leisurely and "wonderfully crafted love story" (Library Journal).
------ Glory
by NoViolet Bulawayo
Shades of Animal Farm: Readers familiar with George Orwell's novel that embodies humanity's ills in animal forms will quickly relate to this similarly trenchant, anthropomorphic satire set in a fictional African country beset by corruption, violence, and tyranny.
What it is: an updated, thought-provoking take on the power of the people versus unjust leaders, as well as the inevitable costs -- and potential rewards -- of revolution.
What to read next: Perumalurugan's The Story of a Goat.
------ Disorientation
by Elaine Hsieh Chou
Introducing: Taiwanese American PhD student Ingrid Yang, writing her dissertation about a revered Chinese American poet while being basically ready to chew off her own leg if it means escaping the academic world.
What happens: Ingrid discovers a secret that will send shockwaves through the scholarly community, every relationship in Ingrid's life, and her own personal sense of self. Thankfully, there are more laughs than you might expect in this authentic depiction of being a woman (much less a POC) cracking the code of academia.
Who it's for: fans of Danzy Senna's New People -- or for anyone who has even for a second considered a PhD in literature.
------ Vagabonds!
by Eloghosa Osunde
The background: In 2014, Nigeria enacted a law that makes being LGBTQIA a criminal offense punishable by torture and imprisonment
What it's about: Spiritual presences observe and describe the lives of characters pushed the fringes of Nigerian society. They also nudge along events -- but whether for good or ill remains unclear.
Want a taste? "I can see now that, together, vagabonds are the city’s power. We’re its charge and circuit. It cannot exist without us."
------- The Unsinkable Greta James
by Jennifer E. Smith
What it's about: After her mother dies suddenly from a blood clot, indie singer-songwriter Greta rushes home to her father and promptly has a nervous breakdown. Nursing their mutual resentments, they go on the luxury cruise her parents had previously booked for their 40th wedding anniversary.
Read it for: a moving exploration of grief and family members trying to build new relationships in its wake.
Perfect book club choice for readers who enjoyed Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes.
*********** Drama Lit *********
------ The Marriage Pass
by Briana Cole
The backstory: Shantae and Dorian go way back -- over ten years, during which Shantae remains loyal despite Dorian's frequent infidelities.
Hot stuff: Now a professionally successful (and mutually faithful) married couple, Shantae surprises Dorian on their first anniversary a unique "gift": a one-night "pass" to have a no-holds-barred, no questions asked, guilt-free night of passion with whomever he chooses. Delighted Dorian accepts of course, with no clue just how costly this gift may prove.
Prepare to fan yourself while reading this "multicultural, suspenseful romance spiked with a dramatic edge of sin, sex, and betrayal" (Booklist).
------ Blind Ambition
by Lutishia Lovely
Introducing: estranged sisters Jett (an aging superstar in Hollywood whose fame is fading) and Chantal (thirty-ish, a single mom and amateur jazz singer making ends meet in small-town Missouri).
What happens: After their mother's sudden death, Chantal resolves to kick-start a closer relationship with Jett. Jett, however, is far more invested in making a big comeback.
The twist: An unknown blackmailer threatens to expose scandalous family secrets, forcing the sisters into a reluctant alliance.
Read it for an authentic portrait of sibling rivalry that does not mince words, and a story that ultimately affirms family relationships over personal ambitions.
------ Single Black Female
by Tracy Brown
Starring: long-time friends Ivy, Coco, Deja, and Deja's younger sister Nikki who remain close despite their very different ideas of Black female identity and "success." All are too familiar with the challenges of being in love with incarcerated (or otherwise unavailable) men.
Tensions boil over: Ivy's youngest son becomes entangled in a divisive police encounter. Deja's husband is an NYPD sergeant; the situation forces all characters involved to uphold -- or walk away from -- their deeply held beliefs.
Critics call it: a "dramatic page-turner [and] excellent example of female-focused urban fiction with heart" (Booklist).
------- The Perfect Ruin
by Shanora Williams
Vengeance is mine: Twenty-something Ivy finally learns who destroyed her childhood: the ultra-rich (seemingly philanthropic) social media maven Lola Maxwell. Ivy elbows her way into Lola's jet-set and puts her plan into action.
Anything they want, they get. What Ivy wants? To destroy all that Lola holds dear. The exact reason why -- and just how far Ivy will go -- unfold slowly in this twisty blend of psychological and romantic suspense.
For fans of: the high-drama streaming series Empire (2015-2020), the sardonic social media wreckage enacted in Amelia Morris' book Wildcat, or the over-the-top romantic suspense of The Three Mrs. Greys series by Shelly Ellis.
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----- #NotYourPrincess : voices of Native American women
"Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #Not Your Princess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman. Stories of abuse, humiliation, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. Sometimes angry, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have been virtually invisible."-
----- Clean air : a novel
Blake, Sarah (Poet), author.
"In a near-future world where tree pollen has made outdoor air unbreathable, a woman's safe but tedious life is thrown into turmoil when she witnesses a murder and her young daughter starts sleep-talking about the killer"
----- Fire season : field notes from a wilderness lookout
Connors, Philip.
Phillip Connors is a major new voice in American nonfiction, and his remarkable debut, Fire Season, is destined to become a modern classic. An absorbing chronicle of the days and nights of one of the last fire lookouts in the American West, Fire Season is a marvel of a book, as rugged and soulful as Matthew Crawford's bestselling Shop Class as Soulcraft, and it immediately places Connors in the august company of Edward Abbey, Annie Dillard, Aldo Leopold, Barry Lopez, and others in the respected fraternity of hard-boiled nature writers.
--------- A perfect equation
Everett, Elizabeth, author.
"How do you solve the Perfect Equation? Add one sharp-tongued mathematician to an aloof, handsome nobleman. Divide by conflicting loyalties and multiply by a daring group of women hell-bent on conducting their scientific experiments. The solution is a romance that will break every rule. Six years ago, Letitia Fenley made a mistake, and she's lived with the consequences ever since. Readying herself to compete for the prestigious Rosewood Prize for Mathematics, she is suddenly asked to take on another responsibility-managing Athena's Retreat, a secret haven for England's women scientists. Having spent the last six years on her own, Letty doesn't want the offers of friendship from other club members and most certainly doesn't need help from the insufferably attractive Lord Greycliff. Lord William Hughes, the Viscount Greycliff cannot afford to make any mistakes. His lifelong dream of becoming the director of a powerful clandestine agency is within his grasp. Tasked with helping Letty safeguard Athena's Retreat, Grey is positive that he can control the antics of the various scientists as well as manage the tiny mathematician-despite their historic animosity and simmering tension. As Grey and Letty are forced to work together, their mutual dislike turns to admiration and eventually to something...magnetic. When faced with the possibility that Athena's Retreat will close forever, they must make a choice. Will Grey turn down a chance to change history, or can Letty get to the root of the problem and prove that love is the ultimate answer?"
------- Act your age, Eve Brown
Hibbert, Talia, author.
"Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong--so she's given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself even though she's not entirely sure how. Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner is on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car supposedly by accident. Yeah, right. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she's infiltrated his work, his kitchen and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore and it's melting Jacob's frosty exterior."
------ Ayesha at last
Jalaluddin, Uzma, author.
Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and dresses like he belongs in the seventh century. When his engagement to Hafsa is announced, Ayesha must deal with the truth about Khalid, her family... and herself.
------- Grave reservations
Priest, Cherie, author.
"Meet Leda Foley; Devoted friend, struggling travel agent, sometime psychic. When Leda, proprietor of Foley's Flights of Fancy, books Seattle PD Grady Merritt on a flight back from Orlando, she does not expect it to change her life. When Grady watches the plane he was set to travel on catch fire while he remains safely in the airport, he seeks out Leda, and despite her rather scattershot premonitions, he enlists her help in investigating a cold case he just can't crack. But Leda has her own reasons for helping: her fiancé Tod was murdered under mysterious circumstances several years ago. Her psychic abilities weren't good then, but now she's been honing them at her favorite bar's open-mic nights, where she draws a crowd klairvoyant karaoke-singing whatever song comes to mind after holding other patrons' personal effects. With a rag-tag group of bar patrons and friends, Leda and Grady set out to catch a killer-and find that the two cases that haunt them may have more in common than they think"-
------- My mess is a bit of a life : adventures in anxiety
Pritchett, Georgia, author.
"With the levity of a package of potato chips and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, Georgia Pritchett guides readers from her anxiety-ridden early childhood, where disaster was around every corner (When I was little I used to think that sheep were clouds that had fallen to earth. On cloudy days I used to worry that I would be squashed by a sheep), through the challenges of breaking into a male-dominated TV writing industry, as well as the inevitable ups and downs of raising children. Honest, brave, and joyful, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life is a necessary reflection on how to live--and sometimes even thrive--with anxiety"
------ Lost & found : a memoir
Schulz, Kathryn, author.
"Eighteen months before her beloved father died, Kathryn Schulz met Casey, the woman who would become her wife. Lost & Found weaves together their love story with the story of losing Kathryn's father in a brilliant exploration of the way families are lost and found and the way life dispenses wretchedness and suffering, beauty and grandeur all at once. Schulz writes with painful clarity about the vicissitudes of grieving her father, but she also writes about the vital and universal phenomenon of finding. The book is organized into three parts: "Lost," which explores the sometimes frustrating, sometimes comic, sometimes heartbreaking experience of losing things, grounded in Kathryn's account of her father's death; "Found," which examines the experience of discovery, grounded in her story of falling in love; and finally, "And," which contends with the way these events happen in conjunction and imply the inevitable: Life keeps going on, not only around us but beyond us and after us. Kathryn Schulz has the ability to measure the depth and breadth of human experience with unusual exactness and then to articulate the things all of us have felt but have been unable to put into language. Lost & Found is a work of philosophical interrogation as well as a story about life, death, and the discovery of one great love just as she is losing another"
----- Weather girl
Solomon, Rachel Lynn, author.
"A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk. Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station's news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits' end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer. In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses' relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell. Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?"--
---- Miss Kopp investigates
Stewart, Amy, author.
"Life after the war takes an unexpected turn for the Kopp sisters, but soon enough, they are putting their unique detective skills to use in new and daring ways"-
---- The layover
Waldon, Lacie, author.
"An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant's life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life--and love--30,000 feet above the ground"-
I remember reading these lists but didn't notice they were in the wrong thread. It just goes to prove, if it's about books, we'll read anywhere. Still, it's nice to know we can find them in one place. Thanks for the effort, Alias.AND what a relief to not need to add more to my TBR (mainly because i did so the first go 'round).
madrano wrote:AND what a relief to not need to add more to my TBR (mainly because i did so the first go 'round)..."
I'll have to remedy that.
Alias>>>>> scouring the internet for a new list to post ! LOL
------ Finding Me
by Viola Davis
What it is: a candid and hopeful memoir from revered actress Viola Davis, the first Black performer to achieve the triple crown of acting by winning an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award.
Topics include: Davis' impoverished childhood in Rhode Island spent coping with her alcoholic father's abuse; honing her craft at the prestigious Juilliard School; career triumphs and setbacks.
Try this next: For another memoir written by an iconic Black actress of stage and screen, check out Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson.
----- Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life
by Delia Ephron
How it began: Shortly after losing both her husband, Jerry, and her sister, writer Nora Ephron, to cancer, You've Got Mail screenwriter Delia Ephron found a second chance at love with Peter, a man from her past.
What happened next: After receiving her own cancer diagnosis, Delia navigated the ups and downs of treatment with a doting Peter by her side (the pair eventually married in her hospital room).
Book buzz: Ephron's intimate memoir was named a "Most Anticipated Book of 2022" by TIME and a "Best Memoir of 2022" by Marie Claire.
------ Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases
by Paul Holes with Robin Gaby Fisher
What it's about: cold case investigator Paul Holes' involvement in high-profile cases, including the capture of the Golden State Killer.
What's inside: a sobering glimpse of the psychological toll of investigative work; empathetic profiles of cold-case victims and survivors; insightful details on lesser-known crimes.
For fans of: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara.
----- Constructing a Nervous System
by Margo Jefferson
What it is: an impressionistic memoir written by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author Margo Jefferson (Negroland).
Featuring: moving tributes to Black creatives who have shaped Jefferson's sense of self, including Ella Fitzgerald, Hattie McDaniel, and Josephine Baker.
Reviewers say: "This gorgeous memoir elevates the form to new heights" (Publishers Weekly).
------ Easy Beauty
by Chloé Cooper Jones
How it begins: "I am in a bar in Brooklyn, listening to two men, my friends, discuss whether my life is worth living."
What it's about: philosophy professor Chloé Cooper Jones' experiences living with sacral agenesis, a congenital spinal condition that causes her immense physical and emotional pain.
Read it for: Jones' thought-provoking and life-affirming exploration of societal beauty standards, parenthood, and identity.
------ Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned from Talking to...
by Dylan Marron
What it is: the candid debut memoir based on author Dylan Marron's podcast of the same name.
What happened: Marron reached out to 20 of his online detractors in hopes of finding connection and common ground.
Chapters include: "Empathy Is Not Endorsement;" "Interrogation Is Not Conversation."
----- Riverman: An American Odyssey
by Ben McGrath
Who it's about: charismatic adventurer and canoer Dick Conant, who disappeared in 2014 and has been presumed dead ever since.
Read it for: an engaging mix of biography, travelogue, and mystery penned by New Yorker staff writer Ben McGrath, who had a chance encounter with Conant shortly before he disappeared.
For fans of: Into the Wild by John Krakauer.
----- Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation
by Maud Newton
What it's about: debut author Maud Newton's attempts to sort through her troublesome family history with the help of DNA testing and extensive genealogical research.
Why you should read it: Newton confronts her family's history of racism and white supremacy, mental illness, and religious fanaticism with candor and vulnerability.
Don't miss: the author communing with dead relatives at an Ancestral Lineage Healing Intensive.
----- On the Line: A Story of Class, Solidarity, and Two Women's Epic Fight to Build a Union
by Daisy Pitkin
What it's about: In 2003 Phoenix, AZ, industrial laundry facility workers Daisy Pitkin and Alma (a pseudonym) teamed up to fight their employer's dangerous labor practices and unionize.
Read it for: a moving account of a young labor organizer coming into her own and finding transformative solidarity with her colleagues.
Further reading: Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor by Kim Kelly.
----- Hello, Molly!
by Molly Shannon
What it's about: After the death of her mother, sister, and cousin in a car crash when she was four, Molly Shannon channeled her grief into a desire to make others laugh, later finding success as an actress, comedian, and Saturday Night Live cast member.
Why you might like it: Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious, Shannon's page-turning debut offers surprising insights into the inspiration behind her famous characters.
Reviewers say: "Supremely inspiring, this will leave fans astonished" (Publishers Weekly); "a cut above most celebrity memoirs" (Kirkus).
They all sound appealing but Riverman: An American Odyssey--Ben McGrath really sounds intriguing. I'm not familiar with this man/story. Of course, you managed to add to my TBR, Alias!
----- The Tsarina's Daughter
by Ellen Alpsten
Series alert: The Tsarina's Daughter is the follow-up to Ellen Alpsten's first biographical novel Tsarina, which centered on Catherine I, the second wife of Peter the Great, and her rise from commoner to Empress Regnant of Russia.
This time: The deaths of her parents and shifts in court politics leave Peter and Catherine's sheltered daughter Elizabeth (called Lizenka) penniless and out of favor in her youth, but as an adult she is presented with an opportunity for redress that's as tempting as it is dangerous.
Reviewers say: "Alpsten’s gifts at laying on evocative period detail and engendering empathy for her characters will keep the pages turning" (Publishers Weekly).
----- City of Incurable Women
by Maud Casey
Inspired by: the real stories of women confined to the Salpêtrière hospital in Belle Epoque Paris with the dehumanizing and unscientific diagnosis of "hysteria."
Read it for: the evocative, lyrical writing and vivid illustrations, which bring each woman's memorable story to life.
Is it for you? The experimental structure and visceral depictions of the horrors of 19th century psychiatry might not appeal to all readers.
----- Peach Blossom Spring
by Melissa Fu
What it is: a moving and character-driven family saga that explores questions of identity, obligation, and the sacrifices sometimes required to survive.
The setup: After traumatic upheaval during his childhood in China Renshu "Henry" Dao does everything in his power to assimilate into American culture, but he isn't prepared when his daughter Lily starts asking questions that could reopen the wounds of his buried past.
Reviewers say: The "sincere and tender prose" (Booklist) in Peach Blossom Spring makes for "an affecting tale of love, loss, estrangement, and heritage" (Publishers Weekly).
----- A Fine Madness
by Alan Judd
What it's about: the fascinating life and mysterious death of Elizabethan dramatist and alleged secret agent Christopher Marlowe.
Narrated by: Linguist and forger Thomas Phelippes, who worked in espionage under Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I's principal secretary and unofficial spymaster.
Series alert: A Fine Madness is the first in a planned series by diplomat and spy novelist Alan Judd.
------ The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.
by Lee Kravetz
What it is: a lyrical psychological novel about three lives touched by the development, publication, and study of Sylvia Plath's only novel The Bell Jar.
Starring: Agatha White, a frustrated 1950s housewife who develops a one-sided and increasingly obsessive rivalry with Plath after they join the same poetry group; psychiatrist Dr. Ruth Barnhouse, who tried to treat Plath's clinical depression; auction house curator Estee, who discovers the original manuscript of Plath's novel.
Appearances by: influential American poets Robert Lowell, Maxine Kumin, and Anne Sexton (who the character Agatha White is based on).
----- The Great Passion
by James Runcie
What it's about: Upon hearing about the death of Johann Sebastian Bach, a former student of the composer reflects on his time with his teacher, which coincided with the composition of the celebrated oratorio St. Matthew's Passion.
Book buzz: The Great Passion is "historical fiction of the highest order" (Publishers Weekly) and "rich in its descriptions of music, devotion to God, and the daily hardships of 18th-century life" (Kirkus Reviews).
About the author: Documentarian, producer, and writer James Runcie is best known for his Grantchester historical mystery series, which was adapted into the popular show of the same name.
------ Quantum Girl Theory
by Erin Kate Ryan
What it is: a suspenseful, unconventional missing person story set during the 1960s in a small Southern town with an uncanny atmosphere and plenty of secrets to hide.
Starring: itinerant hustler Mary, a "psychic" who joins the search for a missing girl hoping for the reward money but begins to take a genuine interest in the case after realizing it might be connected to two more disappearances that aren't receiving the same attention.
Who it's for: readers that appreciate parallel narratives, unreliable narrators, and thought-provoking mysteries.
----- Pollak's Arm
by Hans von Trotha; translated by Elisabeth Lauffer
How it starts: From his well-appointed apartment in Rome, Jewish Austro-Czech archaeologist and art collector Ludwig Pollak begins to share, in a leisurely fashion, a remarkable tale of his life and career with an unnamed visitor working on behalf of the Vatican.
The problem: The visitor is there to plead with Pollak to take refuge within the walls of the Vatican, where he will be safe from Nazi roundups of local Jews -- the first of which is set to begin the following day.
What makes it unique: Pollak's Arm is as much a tour of the titular character's impressive collection of art and antiquities as it is a story of the man himself, inviting readers to contemplate each richly depicted object along the way.
------ Things Past Telling
by Sheila Williams
What it's about: Inspired by a supercentenarian named in the 1870 U.S. census and ancestors of author Sheila Williams, this descriptive, dramatic novel follows the life of Maryam, an enslaved midwife.
Read it for: the sheer span of events Maryam's long life has allowed her to witness; Maryam's hard-won tenacity and resilience, which sustain her through her dehumanizing circumstances.
For fans of: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi; Conjure Women by Afia Atakora; Sadeqa Johnson's Yellow Wife.
----- Red Burning Sky
by Tom Young
Starring: stranded American airman Bill Bogdonavich, who gets involved with the local resistance in his father's home country of Yugoslavia after his plane is shot down by the Nazis; Drew Carlton, a fighter pilot desperate to make up for a recent string of failed missions in whatever way he can.
Their mission: coordinate the safe return of hundreds of Allied soldiers stuck behind enemy lines through volatile alliances between the O.S.S., royalist Serbian partisans, and communist guerillas.
Why you should read it: Red Burning Sky is a welcome addition to English-language World War II fiction set in forgotten theaters of the conflict.
Mystery
------ Jane and the Year Without a Summer
by Stephanie Barron
May 1816: Feeling poorly, Jane Austen, with her sister Cassandra in tow, goes to Cheltenham Spa to rest and take the curative waters.
What happens: Jane runs into handsome artist Raphael West (introduced in Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas), discovers that someone at her guest house is a poisoner, and also investigates a fatal stabbing.
Series alert: This evocative, well-researched 14th Jane Austen mystery follows 2016's Jane and the Waterloo Map. Those who'd like to begin with the 1st book can pick up Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor.
----- Murder at the Porte de Versailles
by Cara Black
The setup: Weeks after 9/11, a bombing at the Paris police lab where Boris Viard works leaves him unconscious...and accused of setting off the explosive.
What happens: To prove her friend Boris' innocence, fashionable PI and single mom Aimée Leduc investigates political intrigue and terrorist threats. She also faces pressure from the father of her three-year-old daughter to move to the country, where he says it's safer.
Series alert: This compelling 20th Aimée Leduc novel offers evocative descriptions of the City of Light, fascinating characters, and complex plotting.
------ Don't Know Tough
by Eli Cranor
The game plan: Just before the state high school football playoffs, the Christian head coach of a small-town Arkansas team and his family try to help troubled Billy Lowe, a star running back whose abusive home life translates to dangerous aggression on the field.
Foul (on the) play: When the cruel boyfriend of Billy's mother is found murdered, Billy is the main suspect, but what really happened?
For fans of: acclaimed rural noir debuts; crime novels with unforgettable characters and evocative settings, such as S.A. Cosby's novels and David Heska Wanbli Weiden's Winter Counts.
----- Murder on an Irish Farm
by Carlene O'Connor
Wedding bells? Not so fast -- though friends and family are gathered together, Siobhan O'Sullivan and Macdara Flannery postpone their nuptials after a skeleton is found on their new farm in County Cork.
What happens: Since both are Irish police officers, they investigate, linking the remains to the 50-year-old case of a local man who went missing on his own wedding day -- and then there's a new murder.
Series alert: This 8th Irish Village mystery is a delight for cozy readers who appreciate likeable characters and charming settings.
------ One-Shot Harry
by Gary Phillips
1963 Los Angeles: Black freelance photographer Harry Ingram takes pictures of a car crash that killed a white jazz musician, a guy Harry had served with in Korea. Despite what the LAPD says, Harry thinks it was murder and seeks justice for his friend in a city rife with racism as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Freedom Rally approaches.
Reviewers say: "a particularly satisfying, no-nonsense hero" (Booklist); "propulsive...crackles with authenticity" (Wall Street Journal).
For fans of: James Ellroy; Walter Mosley (especially his Easy Rawlins books); and Colson Whitehead's Harlem Shuffle.
------ City on Fire
by Don Winslow
What it is: the highly anticipated 1st in a new trilogy by acclaimed author Don Winslow, which offers a gritty version of Homer's Iliad set in 1986 Providence, Rhode Island, featuring rival Irish and Italian gangs.
What happens: When a beautiful woman comes between a Moretti and a Murphy, it sets off a mob war. Though he's Irish, Danny Ryan has done some work for the Italians, and pitted between the two, he loses any chance for the normal life he'd dreamed of for himself and his family.
Read this next: Jo Nesbo's Macbeth (a Shakespeare retelling set in a rundown Scottish industrial city); Mario Puzo's classic The Godfather.
______ If you like: Sara Paretsky_______
Acclaimed author Sara Paretsky writes intricately plotted stories with a social conscience featuring tough Chicago detective V.I. Warshawski, who's a former lawyer and the daughter of a cop. The 1st book in the series is 1982's Indemnity Only, and the 21st entry, Overboard, comes out in May. While you're waiting to see what V.I.'s up against this time, try some of these novels:
------- 1979
by Val McDermid
1979 Glasgow: In a year filled with extreme winter weather and labor strikes, young journalist Allie Burns deals with sexism and teams up with co-worker Danny Sullivan to find stories, including ones about an international tax fraud case and a domestic terrorist group.
The problems: Danny wants to protect his brother, who's involved in the tax ring; the duo's nosing around creates dangerous enemies.
Why Sara Paretsky fans might like it: Though 1979 is something of a slow-burn story, it has a charismatic female lead and an atmospheric urban setting.
------ Ice and Stone
by Marcia Muller
What happens: San Francisco PI Sharon McCone, who discovered as an adult that her birth parents were Shoshone, goes undercover in Northern California, in order to determine who killed two Indigenous women and to look into the disappearances of other women.
Series alert: This is the 34th and most recent entry in the Sharon McCone mysteries; the 1st book is 1977's Edwin of the Iron Shoes.
Why Sara Paretsky fans might like it: Like V.I., Sharon McCone is a courageous female detective concerned with social causes who's surrounded by well-developed characters.
------ The Missing American
by Kwei Quartey
Introducing: Ghanaian Emma Djan, who finds work at a private detective agency after her dream of becoming a homicide detective like her deceased dad ends when a police superior sexually assaults her.
What happens: An American widower goes to Accra, Ghana, to meet a woman he met online and realizes he's been scammed. After he disappears, his son hires Emma to find him in a case that includes a fetish priest, a helpful reporter, and a political assassination.
Why Sara Paretsky fans might like it: This series starter offers an atmospheric story starring a compelling female detective navigating the mean streets of her city.
------ The Art of Violence
by S.J. Rozan
The premise: Talented artist Sam Tabor, who medicates mental health problems with alcohol, wants PI Bill Smith to prove he's guilty of killing two women, even though he can't recall doing so. Wondering if troubled Sam really did commit the murders, Bill and his partner Lydia Chin delve into the cutthroat art world to try to paint a picture of what happened.
Reviewers say: "Rozan brilliantly inverts a whodunit trope" (Publishers Weekly) in this 13th in an award-winning series.
Why Sara Paretsky fans might like it: Like Paretsky's novels, S.J. Rozan's books have a well-drawn urban setting, intricate plotting, clever prose, and complex characters.
Recent Releases
------ Chef's Kiss
by T.J. Alexander
What it is: a slow-burning enemies-to-lovers workplace romantic comedy with big Bon Appetit Test Kitchen energy.
What happens: As venerable culinary publisher The Discerning Chef pivots to video, recipe developer Simone Larkspur navigates a fraught working relationship with test kitchen manager Ray Lyton, which gets more complicated when Ray comes out as nonbinary.
For fans of: Anita Kelly's Love & Other Disasters.
----- Never a Duke
by Grace Burrowes
The problem: Fearing the worst, Lady Rosalind Kinwood enlists banker Ned Wentworth to locate her missing lady's maid.
The other problem: Born in the slums and a survivor of Newgate prison, Ned is the perfect person to search London's seamy underbelly for a missing person, but his past stands in the way of a future with Rosalind.
Series alert: Never a Duke is the 7th book in the Rogues to Riches series, which begins with My One and Only Duke.
------ By the Book
by Jasmine Guillory
What it is: a charming Beauty and the Beast retelling by the author of the Wedding Date series.
Starring: Isabelle "Izzy" Marlowe, the only Black editorial assistant at Tale as Old as Time publishing; author Beau Towers, who owes her a manuscript, which Izzy is going to retrieve no matter what.
Series alert: By the Book marks the 2nd standalone installment of the fairy tale-inspired Meant to Be series, which begins with Julie Murphy's If the Shoe Fits.
------ Book Lovers
by Emily Henry
Introducing: New York literary agent Nora Stephens, who's practically a Hallmark movie villain after being "dumped in a full lifestyle-swap three times" by men who leave her for small-town bakers and florists.
What happens: Nora agrees to a girls' trip with her pregnant sister to quaint Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, where she can't escape grumpy editor Charlie Lastra, who brutally rejected her client's last book.
About the author: Emily Henry is the bestselling author of Beach Read and The People We Meet on Vacation.
----- Never Been Kissed
by Timothy Janovsky
Re: Wren Roland, a 22-year-old hopeless romantic who's holding out for that "perfect-kiss-before-the-credits."
cc: After a few drinks, Wren impulsively emails all his high school crushes, including Derick Haverford, who will be working alongside him this summer at the local drive-in theater.
You might also like: Annabeth Albert's True Colors series or Kris Ripper's Love Study novels.
----- Part of Your World
by Abby Jimenez
What it's about: After Minneapolis ER doctor Alexis Montgomery's car gets stuck in a ditch in rural Wakan, Minnesota, she enjoys a one-night stand with her rescuer, carpenter Daniel Grant, who's ten years younger and unlike anyone she's ever met.
Why you might like it: Opposites attract in this heartwarming small-town romance that stars a heroine figuring out the life she wants and a rugged yet gentle hero who fosters baby goats.
------ The Romantic Agenda
by Claire Kann
What happens: When her best friend (and secret crush) Malcolm announces that he's found love -- with someone other than her -- Joy decides it's time to finally confess her feelings.
And so... During a weekend getaway with Malcolm, his new girlfriend Summer, and Summer's ex-boyfriend, Fox, Joy agrees to Fox's plan to fake a relationship with him in order to make Malcolm jealous.
What sets it apart: Black asexual main characters and a sensitive depiction of the ups and downs of their platonic relationship.
------ No Rings Attached
by Rachel Lacey
Starring: Lia Harris, who lied about having a girlfriend and now needs to find a plus-one in time for her brother's London wedding; and Grace Poston, who has sworn off relationships but agrees to pose as Lia's date.
Read it for: a balance of witty banter, angsty pining, and family drama.
Series alert: This 2nd book in the Ms. Right series, after Between the Lines, shifts the focus to Rosie's best friend Lia.
------ Funny You Should Ask
by Elissa Sussman
Then: MFA grad Chani Horowitz's career took off after her assignment -- a magazine profile of Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker -- turned into a wild weekend during which, she insists, NOTHING HAPPENED.
Now: A decade later, recently divorced Chani gets an offer to recreate her famous interview with Gabe, whose star has dimmed after a messy divorce and a stint in rehab.
For fans of: Edith Zimmerman's 2011 GQ profile of actor Chris Evans; Katie Heaney's Public Relations.
------ Just the Two of Us
by Jo Wilde
Love in the time of quarantine: Married for 35 years, Julie and Michael Marshall are on the verge of splitting up when a pandemic lockdown forces them to reassess -- and perhaps rekindle -- their relationship.
Why you might like it: This second chance romance shifts between past and present as it illuminates the couple's long and complex history.
Reviewers say: Mature leads and the "slow but constant burn of [their] redeveloping chemistry" (Publishers Weekly) makes this stand-alone novel "a refreshing change of pace" (Library Journal).
From the above Romance list, I did put a hold on Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I follow The Garsow Twins on YouTube. They mostly talk about makeup. However, in their recent video they were raving about this book. Their go to reads are Rom coms. Romance is not usually my go to read, but I think I need one for the 100 book challenge. So I am going to give it a try. Unfortunately, I am 1, 049 on the library wait list. LOL
They have 149 copies.
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Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Peter Høeg (other topics)David Laskin (other topics)
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---- Love & Saffron
by Kim Fay
What it is: a heartwarming story an unlikely yet enduring friendship that begins in 1962 when 59-year-old food writer Imogen Fortier receives a fan letter from 27-year-old Joan Bergstrom and Imogen decides, on a whim, to reply.
Read it for: the thoughtful, likeable characters; the unique, intergenerational perspective each woman brings to contemporary events such as the Kennedy assassination and Cuban Missile Crisis.
Reviewers say: "Fay’s emotionally generous novel demonstrates how people’s worlds can expand when they open themselves to new possibilities" (Booklist).
----- Shadows of Pecan Hollow
by Caroline Frost
What it's about: This blend of thriller and coming-of-age story set in 1970s Texas and follows journey of teenage foster kid Kit Walker as she's pulled into and works to escape from a life of crime.
Why you might like it: the dialect-filled writing style; the grit and strength Kit brings to rebuilding her life as an adult.
Is it for you? Although the complex, flawed characters in Shadows are compelling to watch, the novel explores many difficult topics such as domestic abuse, grooming, and intergenerational trauma.
----- The Christie Affair
by Nina de Gramont
What it is: an atmospheric and intricately plotted attempt to answer the many questions that linger about the 11-day disappearance of author Agatha Christie during December of 1926.
Try these next: A View of the Empire at Sunset by Caryl Phillips; The Arrangement by Ashley Warlick.
Book buzz: " This is an enjoyable reimagining of a scandal whose exact nature remains a puzzle a century later" (Publishers Weekly).
------ The Berlin Exchange
by Joseph Kanon
The premise: American physicist Martin Keller has been in prison for spying for the KGB for more than a decade when in 1963, he is suddenly released into East Berlin as part of a prisoner exchange.
The problem: Martin wants out of the Eastern Bloc for many reasons, including the chance to pursue more advanced treatment for the cancer killing his former wife Sabine and the certain knowledge he will be pressured back into espionage work by both sides of the Cold War.
For fans of: espionage thrillers with a strong sense of place and well-developed characters, especially spies who come in from the cold.
------ The Torqued Man
by Peter Mann
Picture it: 1945 in Berlin, only a few months after the end of the war. In the search for evidence of war crimes and Nazi collaboration two remarkable, contradictory manuscripts are discovered that each detail Irishman Frank Pike's wartime activities and create a compelling portrait of a complex and flawed (but always fascinating) man.
Is it for you? Though the novel takes its subject matter seriously, the parallel narratives contain surprising moments of dark humor that may not strike the right tone with all readers.
Reviewers say: "A wily spy novel with a human touch" (Kirkus Reviews).
------- When We Lost Our Heads
by Heather O'Neill
What it is: a descriptive look at a complex, toxic friendship between two socialites in that begins in 1870s Montreal and ends in murder.
Don't miss: the compelling, gender-nonconforming character George, a midwife whose relatively brief involvement with the protagonists proves to be crucial to the dark events to come.
For fans of: the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures; the Chantal Thomas novel Farewell, My Queen and its 2012 movie adaptation.
------- The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
by Allison Pataki
What it's about: the remarkable life of American heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, which contained privilege and heartbreak in equal measure.
Reviewers say: "Fans of memoirs and novels about the Gilded Age should enjoy this well-researched book and its fascinating subject" (Library Journal).
Did you know? Post was the original builder and owner of the mansion-turned-resort Mar-a-Lago.
------ The Last Rose of Shanghai
by Weina Dai Randel
What it is: a moving and atmospheric tale of survival and forbidden love in 1940 Shanghai, during the Japanese occupation of the city.
Read it for: the sweeping, dramatic storyline and rich historical detail.
About the author: Weina Dai Randel's previous novels include The Moon in the Palace and Empress of Bright Moon, a duology about China's only empress regnant Wu Zeitan.
------ Black Cake
by Charmaine Wilkerson
What it's about: Estranged siblings Byron and Benny reunite in an attempt to piece together the puzzling inheritance left by their recently deceased mother Eleanor -- a lengthy audio recording and a traditional Caribbean fruit cake left behind in her freezer.
Why you might like it: the lush, engaging, character-driven story Eleanor reveals about a massive secret she left behind in the 1960s.
Reviewers say: "Readers will adore this highly accomplished effort from a talented new writer" (Publishers Weekly).