Book Nook Cafe discussion

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Deb, I figured I needed to refresh your TBR since you were away on vacation for a month. 😉"

You are a sweetheart!

NOT!

:-)"

Alias Reader wrote: "

Recent Releases

------ The Splinter in the Sky
by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

What it's about: Aspiring tea merchant Enitan Ijebu must put her plans on hold when her sibling is kidnapped, her lover is ass..."

Immortal Longings--Chloe Gong sounds interesting. What the heck is "body jumping"? From one body into another? Curious!

Many others sound fun but this is the best sounding to me.

Thank you, Alias, for all the temptations.

Alias Reader wrote: "

Recent Releases

---------- Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea--Rita Chang-Eppig..."

This one sounds good, as i find the Chinese female pirate's story fascinating. She existed in the 18th century, commanding around 400 ships. A fictional story about her is probably the best way to look at her life, as there isn't much in history about her, and much of that limited.

Also appealing to me is the biography of Anna May Wong, The Brightest Star--Gail Tsukiyama. Turner Classic Movies has aired a number of films featuring Wong and she is captivating, imo.

Once again, Alias, i thank you for these lists. Anyone who has run dry of ideas has plenty to consider now!

*** I'm adding this to my TBR notebook.


---------The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the...
by Scott Miller

September 6, 1901: While greeting attendees of the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, President William McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz and died from his injuries eight days later.

Read it for: an evocative blend of history and dual biography that explores the personal and cultural forces that led to the pair's fatal encounter.

Try this next: Susan Wels' An Assassin in Utopia, a stranger-than-fiction true crime account of President James Garfield's 1881 assassination.
-------------------------------------------

*** I already have this one in my TBR notebook


--------- What An Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds
by Jennifer Ackerman

What it is: a "captivating survey" (Booklist) of owls, their biology and behavior, by the author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way.

Did you know... that owls can recognize one another by voice alone? And that some species decorate their nests?

Further reading: Miriam Darlington's The Wise Hours or Jonathan C. Slaght's Owls of the Eastern Ice.

------------------------------------
*** Already have a library hold on this one


---------- Better Living Through Birding: Notes From a Black Man in the Natural World
by Christian Cooper

What it is: an engaging memoir from birder and activist Christian Cooper, whose Central Park encounter with a white dog walker went viral in 2020.

Read it for: Cooper's love for the natural world; insights on how his hobby informs his experiences as a gay Black man; tips for birdwatching.

Media buzz: Cooper is the host of the National Geographic Wild series Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper.
----------------------------------

*** I already have the Sy Montgomery book mentioned in my TBR notebook, so I'll probably add this one too

--------- Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses
by David Scheel

What it is: an accessible introduction to octopuses by marine biologist David Scheel, who shares what he's learned about these extraordinary creatures from decades of studying them.

Read it for: enlightening discussions of the anatomy, physiology, and life cycle of these fascinating cephalopods, as well as vivid and detailed descriptions of their behavior in the wild.

Further reading: Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus, Danna Staaf's Monarchs of the Sea, or Katherine Harmon Courage's Octopus!

I'm about Octopus-ed out. Why is this suddenly the critter most beloved by authors? The main character in The Memory of Animals--Claire Fuller spent time writing letters to an octopus she once cared for, so readers learned much about them.

And it's the third book this year which features them. I stopped reading one because it was too scientific for my brain at that time. Movies, books, what's going on here? Regardless, it seems a good topic for writers. Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods actually covers all cephalopods and i intend to read it for my "animal" prompt.

I hope you enjoy the selections you mentioned, Alias.

History and Current Events



Recent Releases


------ Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin'...
by Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd

Sportswriters and Kansas City, MO natives Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd
debut with a lively and richly detailed account of how Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team to two Superbowl victories (their first in 50 years), becoming a two-time MVP while also bolstering the city's resurgence. Read-alike: Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty by Jeff Pearlman.



--------- Live to See the Day: Coming of Age in American Poverty
by Nikhil Goyal

Sociologist Nikhil Goyal affectingly explores the impact of poverty on three Puerto Rican boys living in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. Read-alikes: Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond; Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott.

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts
by Loren Grush

Bloomberg News reporter Loren Grush's inspiring history spotlights the first six American women astronauts: Anna Fisher, Shannon Lucid, Judy Resnik, Sally Ride, Rhea Seddon, and Kathy Sullivan. Grush's accessible reportage blends biographical sketches with engrossing accounts of the women's triumphs and trials. Read-alike: The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel by Meredith Bagby.



---------- The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race
by Farah Karim-Cooper

Shakespeare scholar Farah Karim-Cooper's thought-provoking analysis
examines how the Elizabethan playwright's representations of race continue to resonate in the 21st century. Read-alikes: Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt; Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future by James Shapiro.



---------- Star Crossed: A True Romeo and Juliet Story in Hitler's Paris
by Heather Dune Macadam and Simon Worrall

Heather Dune Macadam and Simon Worrall's history focuses on the doomed romance between Jewish art student Annette Zelman and Catholic poet Jean Jausion in Nazi-occupied Paris. This novelistic account of love during wartime features letters, artwork, and other archival materials. Read-alike: Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis by Jeffrey H. Jackson.



--------- Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity
by Laura Meckler

Washington Post reporter and Shaker Heights native Laura Meckler’s thought-provoking debut chronicles the ongoing efforts to desegregate the Ohio city, which was initially established as an affluent, predominantly white Cleveland suburb in the early 20th century. Read-alike: A Most Tolerant Little Town: The Explosive Beginning of School Desegregation by Rachel Louise Martin.



--------- Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a...
by Peter Stark

Historian Peter Stark’s compelling latest offers fresh insights on the conflict between Shawnee chief Tecumseh and future president William Henry Harrison as the former established an Indigenous confederacy to fight westward expansion during the War of 1812. Read-alike: Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation by Peter Cozzens.



--------- The Women of NOW: How Feminists Built an Organization That Transformed America
by Katherine Turk

Historian Katherine Turk’s engaging study spotlights three lesser-known figures who were instrumental in the foundation and evolution of the National Organization for Women (NOW): union organizer Aileen Hernandez, NOW Chicago chapter president Mary Jean Collins, and artist and activist Patricia Hill Burnett. Read-alike: 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution edited by Katherine Spillar.

Romance



------The Long Game
by Elena Armas

Exiled to rural North Carolina by her father, the owner of the Miami Flames FC, privileged Adalyn Reyes must enlist the help of retired goalkeeper Cameron Caldani to turn around a struggling soccer team...of nine-year-olds. Part Ted Lasso, part Bad News Bears, The Long Game is the 1st in a new series by the author of The Spanish Love Deception.



------In Charm's Way
by Lana Harper

In this 4th Witches of Thistle Grove novel, Delilah Harlow casts a spell that accidentally summons bloodthirsty supernatural creatures, requiring her to team up with half-human monster hunter Catriona Quinn to set things right. For fans of: Ann Aguirre's Fix-It Witches series, Erin Sterling's Ex-Hex novels.



-----New Adult
by Timothy Janovsky

Struggling stand-up comic Nolan Baker makes a wish and wakes up seven years in the future, where he's rich and famous...and lonely. With the help of his ex-BFF (and forever crush), Drew Techler, Nolan sets out to mend the relationships he ruined on his way to the top in this moving 3rd Boy Meets Boy novel.



-----A Shot in the Dark
by Victoria Lee

On her first night back in New York City after a decade away, ex-Orthodox art student Elisheva Cohen has a one-night stand with a handsome trans man who turns out to be her teacher, photographer Wyatt Cole. This "profoundly emotional" (Publishers Weekly) novel of forbidden romance also tackles issues of addiction, faith, and trauma.



------My Roommate is a Vampire
by Jenna Levine

For the too-good-to-be-true monthly rent of $200, Chicago-based artist Cassie Greenberg is willing to risk getting murdered by her handsome and deeply eccentric Craigslist roommate, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam. Read-alike: Ashley Poston's The Seven Year Slip.



-----Knockout
by Sarah MacLean

Sparks flew when explosives expert Lady Imogen Loveless of the Hell's Belles vigilante group met Detective Inspector Thomas Peck of Scotland Yard. But now that Imogen's family has discovered her secret life and hired Peck as her protector? It's going to be dynamite. Knockout is the 3rd in the Hell's Belles series, after Bombshell and Heartbreaker.



-----Kissing Kosher
by Jean Meltzer

Ethan Lippmann, heir to a kosher baked goods empire, goes undercover at Best Babka in Brooklyn to steal the family-owned bakery's famous Pumpkin Spiced Babka recipe, but instead falls for general manager Avital Cohen. You might also like: Natalie Caña's A Proposal They Can't Refuse, Heidi Shertok's Unorthodox Love, or the film Hanukkah on Rye.



-----Curves for Days
by Laura Moher

A lottery win provides cashier Rose Barnes with means, motive, and opportunity for a fresh start, but surly, burly contractor Angus Drummond, whom she hires to build her dream house, is already shaping up to be her worst nightmare. Curves for Days kicks off the Big Love from Galway series.



------Codename Charming
by Lucy Parker

Petunia "Pet" De Vere, personal assistant to hapless royal Johnny Marchmont, pretends to date bodyguard Mathias Vaughn in order to shut down false rumors about an affair between Pet and her boss. This lively, grumpy-sunshine rom-com marks the 2nd installment of the Palace Insiders series, after Battle Royal.



-------The Secret to a Southern Wedding
by Synithia Williams

Dr. Imani Kemp races home to Peachtree, Georgia, to stop her mother's wedding to some guy she met on a dating app and meets her match (in every sense of the word) in Cyril Dash, her future stepfather's son. Read-alike: Preslaysa Williams' Brides of Lowcountry series.

-----Jackal : a novel
Adams, Erin E., author.
RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW • A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside herwhite rust belt town. But she's not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .


-----Cave of bones : a true story of discovery, adventure, and human origins
Berger, Lee R., author.
This thrilling book takes the reader into South African caves to discover fossil remains that reframe the human family tree


----------A fever in the heartland : the Ku Klux Klan's plot to take over America, and the woman who stopped them
Egan, Timothy, author.
A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them.


-------The other Dr. Gilmer : two men, a murder, and an unlikely fight for justice
Gilmer, Benjamin, author.
NOW IN PAPERBACK WITH A NEW AFTERWORD: A "wrenching, maddening, compelling" (The New York Times Book Review) true story about a shocking crime and a mysterious illness that will forever change your notions of how we punish and how we heal


--------A song for everyone : the story of Creedence Clearwater Revival
Lingan, John, author.
The definitive biography of Creedence Clearwater Revival, exploring the band's legendary rise to fame and how their music embodied the cultural landscape of the late '60s and early '70s


------Secret harvests : a hidden story of separation and the resilience of a family farm
Masumoto, David Mas, author.
A family separated by racism against Japanese Americans and the discrimination of people with developmental disabilities--reunited seventy years later, returning to their roots on a farm and bound by family secrets


-------Finding the mother tree : discovering the wisdom of the forest
Simard, S. (Suzanne), author.
A personal and scientific work on trees, forests, and the author's profound discoveries of tree communication



---------The boys of '67 : Charlie Company's war in Vietnam
Wiest, Andrew A.
In his new book, The Boys of ’67, Andy Wiest, the award-winning author of Vietnam’s Forgotten Army and The Vietnam War 1956-1975, examines the experiences of a company from the only division in the Vietnam era to train and deploy together in similar fashion to WWII’s famous 101st Airborne Division.

Alias Reader wrote: "History and Current Events
Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh ..."

Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation--Peter Stark sounds as though it covers some barely known history. When we went to visit Tippecanoe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tippeca... ) that honored both men, we were surprised to learn about Tecumseh's brother Tenskwatawa. Fascinating story.

And as a former member of the National Organization for Women, Katherine Turk's book, The Women of NOW: How Feminists Built an Organization That Transformed America is going on my list.

Thanks for this compilation, Alias.

Alias Reader wrote: "Romance



------The Long Game
by Elena Armas

Exiled to rural North Carolina by her father, the owner of the Miami Flames FC, privileged Adalyn Reyes must enlist the help of retired goalkeeper Cam..."

While i don't generally read Romances, reading these descriptions and the variety of situations and places where they take place, is a close second. Thanks for the list.

I believe this group read Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl together years ago. While i didn't read it then, i later "caught up" and liked it. So this one, A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them appeals to me.

Cave of Bones: A True Story of Discovery, Adventure, and Human Origins--Lee Berger sounds good, too. The GR blurb mentions Berger had to lose 50 pounds before he was small enough to enter the cave. What a motivation!

And i'd be remiss if i didn't sing the praises of Suzanne Simard's good book from the list, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. She introduced me to all sorts of information about forests, undercover and such. Additionally, learning about the doctor and her life was a sweet bonus.

Good, mixed list, Alias. Thanks for posting about them with us.

madrano wrote: "I believe this group read Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl together years ago. While i didn't read..."

Yes we did read that one as a Group read.

I was motivated to post these lists in the hope that the GR # of unread posts would be correctly. Alas, it wasn't to be. :(

If anyone is sending comments to GR about the problem, please include a picture of unread posts in red that show a zillion unread. I just did a copy/past and included it at this link.

https://www.goodreads.com/about/conta...

Alias, are you saying the copy/past is what they want when they ask for a "screenshot"? I thought they wanted some kind of photo. My first computer, an Apple, used to do that, but i can't imagine how to take one now.

I'm using Windows. To copy/past

I highlight the text I want to copy
I right click on my mouse, The drop down window opens I select copy.
Then I go to where I want to Paste and put the cursor there
I right click my mouse again and select Paste

I am sure there are also keyboard commands for this.

If you google--- How to copy and paste and include if you are using apple or Windows you will get info. you can also do that for YouTube if you find a video more helpful.

Regarding screenshots. Apple Macbooks let you take a screenshot by hitting Shift+Command+3 together. You will hear a cool click and the screenshot will appear on your desktop as a PNG file that you can forward, copy, duplicate, etc. You can get a partial screen capture by clicking Shift+Command+4. Then highlighting the part you want a photo of. On you iPhone, simultaneously click the volume up control on the left edge and the only button on the right edgeat the same time.
Very useful to me. I use it almost daily. If you have a PC, just google it.

Thanks, Michele !

Michele wrote: "Regarding screenshots. Apple Macbooks let you take a screenshot by hitting Shift+Command+3 together. You will hear a cool click and the screenshot will appear on your desktop as a PNG file that you..."

Thank you, Michele. I will use my iPad, i guess, to let them "see" what i am seeing.

Alias, thanks for the copy & paste info. What i didn't realize is that this is what the Goodreads letter wanted. I thought they wanted a photo (along the lines of what Michele described) of my screen, possibly to see if i have something else wrong, such as a faulty server.

I surely hope this is resolved within the next 7 days.

Deb, what I am trying to do is post in all the most current threads to alert the Powers That Be, where there is still a problem. I'm not opening up past year threads, just this year. If you should happen upon one that hasn't had post in the last few months , please don't hesitate to post there. Thanks !

By the way, I am not at all sure if this will help, but it can't hurt and it does seem like this issue is slowly clearing up.

Alias, today i awoke to see that ONLY the posts from yesterday and their threads are showing. There are still a few at the bottom (from earlier this week, only), which are in the hundreds. It was a relief to see them. I'll keep trying with the others.

I still have the problem of reading a thread, then clicking on- Unread topics- and the ones I read are still there.

However, the instance of posts showing in the hundreds unread seems to be abating.

Fingers crossed. 🤞

Keep those fingers crossed, Alias, as that has not been an issue for me today!

One of my groups is still showing unread books. Kinda of frustrating!

Julie, do you know if folks from that group have complained? It took at least three emails from me before i began to see changes.

Additionally, Alias has been restarting some of our threads, which seem to help, as well.

I hope your other groups find help soon. It's been annoying to have to do double work to read one new post!

Julie wrote: "One of my groups is still showing unread books. Kinda of frustrating!"

You need to let GR know.
Fill out the form completely and also include a screen shot of the problem or Copy/paste.

https://www.goodreads.com/about/conta...

------ Proud Sorrows
by James R. Benn

Visiting a coastal English village in 1944, U.S. Army Captain Billy Boyle investigates after the wreckage of a German bomber emerges from the North Sea with the body of a British officer inside. This is the 18th in a well-researched series that follows ex-Boston cop Billy from 1942 onwards.



------ The Raging Storm
by Ann Cleeves

DI Matthew Venn and his team are called to remote North Devon after the murder of a celebrity adventurer, who'd shown up in a seaside village a month earlier claiming to be waiting on a mysterious visitor. This well-plotted 3rd in a series can be read as a standalone. Read-alikes: Firewatching by Russ Thomas; the Ruth Galloway mysteries by Elly Griffiths.



------ Those We Thought We Knew
by David Joy

Toya Gardner, a young Black artist, plans to spend the summer in her grandmother's small North Carolina mountain town, which is overdue for a reckoning with its racist past. Then the KKK show up and violence erupts, leading to murder. Read-alikes: S.A Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed; Attica Locke's Heaven, My Home.



------ Murder and Mamon
by Mia P. Manansala

Cafe owner Lila Macapagal's godmothers usually know everything that goes on in their small Illinois town, but when a relative visiting from the Philippines is murdered in their new laundromat, they need Lila to sort out what happened. This lighthearted 4th entry in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen series, which began with Arsenic and Adobo, includes recipes.



-------- The Lady from Burma
by Allison Montclair

In their atmospheric 5th outing, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, who run a marriage agency in post-World War II London, look into the murder of a dying woman and navigate tough personal issues (like Gwen's dealings with the lunacy board). Read-alikes: Jessica Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina mysteries; Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell novels.



---- Mother-Daughter Murder Night
by Nina Simon

This "dazzling debut" (Library Journal) introduces three generations of Rubicon women: businesswoman Lana; her estranged daughter, Beth; and 15-year-old Jack. Lana moves in with Beth and Jack during her cancer treatment, and when Jack is accused of murder, the trio investigates. Read-alikes: Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club novels; Darynda Jones' Sunshine Vicram mysteries.



***********Spellbinding Reads *************



------ Murder Most Fowl
by Donna Andrews

Virginia blacksmith Meg Langslow stirs up trouble while hunting for the killer of an unlikeable documentary filmmaker, who'd purposefully shot embarrassing footage of actors in a local production of Macbeth. Plus, there are medieval Scots reenactors camping in the woods. This is the delightful 29th novel starring Meg and her family; their 34th outing, Let it Crow! Let it Crow! Let it Crow!, is due this month.



--------- Trace of Evil
by Alice Blanchard

In an upstate New York town that has a history with the occult, rookie detective Natalie Lockhart works the cold case of nine people who've disappeared over the course of 25 years and the recent murder of a fellow cop's pregnant wife. This 1st in a series will please fans of small-town mysteries with surprising endings.



-------- Mistress of the Art of Death
by Ariana Franklin

In this richly detailed series starter set In 1171 Cambridge, Christian children are being murdered and the Jews are blamed. King Henry II brings in a "mistress of the art of death" (medical examiner) from a famed Sicilian school, who struggles with life in less-civilized England. Read-alike: S.D. Sykes' Somershill Manor mysteries.

Magic for Liars
by Sarah Gailey

Non-magical California PI Ivy Gamble takes her first murder case. But since the killing happened at the private boarding school for mages where her estranged (and magically gifted) twin works, she'll have to deal with both sister issues and a killer. For fans of: supernatural mysteries, such as T.L. Huchu's Edinburgh Nights novels.

------Honey and Spice
Babalola, Bolu

A young Black British woman with a popular student radio show that dishes out relationship advice finds her show and her reputation on the line after she publicly makes out with a man she publicly denounced.

-----Blind Faith
Beckman, Alicia

For decades, the unsolved murder of Father Michael Leary has haunted Billings, Montana, the community he served, and no one more than Lindsay Keller, who admired and confided in him as a teenager. Now Lindsay finds herself in possession of the priest's wallet, the photo of a young girl tucked inside. She's sure she knows the girl, and that it's tied to his death. But how?

------The Old Place
Finger, Bobby

Retired teacher Mary Alice Roth, while working her way back to a comfortable friendship with her neighbor, finds the careful shell she’s built around her life threatened by her sister who delivers a staggering piece of news that could send shockwaves through her small Texas town.

------All the Lonely People
Gayle, Mike

After lying about his perfect retirement life to his daughter in Australia, a Jamaican immigrant scrambles to make his actual life resemble the one he claimed to have when his daughter announces her intent to visit.

------The Circle : A Novel
Eggers, Dave
When Mae Holland is hired to work for the world's most powerful internet company, she can't believe her luck. The Circle, run out of a hip, sprawling California campus, links users' online data with their universal operating system, creating a new age of civility and transparency. But the story of one woman's ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, and democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.

-----The Lido: A Novel
Page, Libby
Kate is a twenty-six-year-old riddled with anxiety and panic attacks who works for a local paper in Brixton, London, covering forgettably small stories. When she's assigned to write about the closing of the local lido (an outdoor pool and recreation center), she meets Rosemary, an eighty-six-year-old widow who has swum at the lido daily since it opened its doors when she was a child ... When a local developer attempts to buy the lido for a posh new apartment complex, Rosemary's fond memories and sense of community are under threat. As Kate dives deeper into the lido's history--with the help of a charming photographer--she pieces together a portrait of the pool, and a portrait of a singular woman.

-------The Kiss Quotient: A Novel
Hoang, Helen
Stella Lane comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old. It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional--which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. With the looks of a K-drama star and the martial arts moves to match, the Vietnamese-Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer. And when she comes up with a lesson plan, he proves willing to help her check off all the boxes--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.


-----The War of Art
by Steven Pressfield
The War of Art has inspired people around the world to defeat "Resistance"; to recognize and knock down dream-blocking barriers and to silence the naysayers within us


----The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917--2017
by Rashid Khalidi

A landmark history of one hundred years of war waged against the Palestinians from the foremost US historian of the Middle East, told through pivotal events and family history


------Year of No Garbage
In this book Eve O. Schaub, humorist and stunt memoirist extraordinaire, tackles her most difficult challenge to date: garbage. Convincing her husband and two daughters to go along with her, Schaub attempts the seemingly impossible: living in the modern world without creating any trash at all. For an entire year. And- as it turns out- during a pandemic.



-----------The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health
Ellen J. Langer
Learn how adjusting your thoughts can change your health—from the “mother of mindfulness” and first female tenured professor of psychology at Harvard.


----The List: A Novel
Yomi Adegoke
Ola Olajide, a celebrated journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is set to marry the love of her life in one month’s time. Young, beautiful, and successful—she and her fiancé Michael are considered the “couple goals” of their social network and seem to have it all. That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message: “Oh my god, have you seen The List?”

Alias Reader wrote: "
Murder Most Fowl
by Donna Andrews

Virginia blacksmith Meg Langslow stirs up trouble while hunting for the killer of an unlikeable documentary filmmaker..."

I always like reading about new mystery series, even if i never pursue them. Therefore, i heartily thank you, Alias, for this crop.

Over the years i have very much enjoyed Donna Andrews's Meg Langslow series. First, the punful titles are loverly, as she uses phrases we know but subtituting birds for some nouns. But it's the journey toward resolving the murder mysteries which please me. Hers is an extended family, long before she married & had her own family. If you like amusing stories with your mysteries, this is a good one.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night--Nina Simon sounds promising, thanks to the three generational sleuths. I'm saving this title for next year.

Again, thanks, Alias.

The List--Yomi Adegoke sounds interesting, so i've added it to my TBR mountain...maybe ocean would be a more fitting noun?

Also, i must say Eve O. Schaub's Year of No Garbage: Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman's Trashy Journey to Zero Waste sounds very good. I've had my suspicions about plastic recycling for awhile now. While i've added it, too, i suspect i'll read it before the other.

Thank you, Alias.

You're welcome, deb.

I took a few books from my TBR notebook. The List and Year of no garbage were from my TBR notebook.

Neat!

15 TRAVEL BOOKS THAT WILL GIVE YOU SERIOUS WANDERLUST


https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-bl...

I really liked The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon--David Grann. Fascinating story and places mentioned.

The list reminds me that i never finished reading Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time--Mark Adams, despite really liking it.

Encouraging list, Alias. Thank you.

I thought to share it as you and John were taking about travel.

Good idea.

I just finished David Grann’s The Wager. I barely finished it. I never finished his book about the Lost City. Thought I would love it but I didn’t,

Michele wrote: "I just finished David Grann’s The Wager. I barely finished it. I never finished his book about the Lost City. Thought I would love it but I didn’t,"

That's unfortunate. It has a lot of positive reviews on Amazon and it's been on the Best Seller list.

I see one of the reviewers noted the author threw too many characters into the first few chapters that it became work to write them all down.

That alone will make me steer clear of this one.

I hope your next read is a good one.

Thank you. Grann is the kind of guy who drowns you in detail until you forget why you're reading the book. With The Wager, I didn't want to sail the boat myself, just read a bit about what it was like.

MSW

Michele wrote: "Thank you. Grann is the kind of guy who drowns you in detail until you forget why you're reading the book. With The Wager, I didn't want to sail the boat myself, just read a bit about what it was l..."

That is a perfect description, Michele ! When I come across such books I often say where was the editor ???

Michele wrote: "Thank you. Grann is the kind of guy who drowns you in detail until you forget why you're reading the book. With The Wager, I didn't want to sail the boat myself, just read a bit about what it was l..."

I agree with Alias, that's a good description of why you were not in love with the book.

I've liked the Grann books i've read but know what you mean about the details. Some writers do that well, from others it's less impressive and more than a little distracting.

Romance

-------- Courting Samira
by Amal Awad

In this "funny, charming" (Booklist) novel set in Sydney, Australia, 27-year-old Palestinian Muslim magazine editor Samira Abdel-Aziz resists familial pressure to marry as she finds herself in a love triangle with new acquaintance Menem and childhood friend Hakeem. Read-alikes: Uzma Jalaluddin's Much Ado About Nada; Sara Jafari's The Mismatch; Ayisha Malik's Sofia Khan is Not Obliged.



---------- The Holiday Mix-Up
by Ginny Baird

Posing as the girlfriend of regular customer (and crush) Juan Martinez, diner waitress Katie Smith must improvise when Juan falls into a coma, leaving her to deal with his family -- including his handsome but stand-offish brother, Mateo. This charming holiday romance pays homage to the classic rom com While You Were Sleeping. Read-alikes: Kerry Winfrey's Faking Christmas; Maggie Knox's The Holiday Swap.



--------- Iris Kelly Doesn't Date
by Ashley Herring Blake

Romance writer Iris Kelly and actor Stefania "Stevie" Scott's disastrous one-night stand should have marked the end of their association, but a series of unexpected events force them into a fake relationship in this 3rd book in the Bright Falls series, which begins with Delilah Green Doesn't Care. Read-alikes: Courtney Kae's Fern Falls series; Kelly and Tana Fireside's Owen Station books.



------ A Dish Best Served Hot
by Natalie Caña

The last person single dad Santiago "Saint" Vega ever expected to see again is his high school sweetheart Lola León, who broke his heart 17 years ago when she left Chicago without a backward glance. But guess who's now his daughter's preschool teacher, as well as the activist protesting his family's construction company? A Dish Best Served Hot is the 2nd Vega Family Love Stories novel, after A Proposal They Can't Refuse.



-------Friends Don't Fall in Love
by Erin Hahn

When rising country music star Lorelai Jones performs a protest song at a concert, the fallout is swift and severe: her fans desert her, the industry shuns her, and her famous fiancé bails. Fortunately, her ex's former bandmate, songwriter and producer Craig Boseman, is there to pick up the pieces. Read-alikes: Sandy James' Nashville Dreams series; Sasha Summers' Kings of Country novels; Xio Axelrod's The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes.



------10 Things That Never Happened
by Alexis Hall

A head injury gives retail manager Sam Becker a temporary reprieve from being fired by his boss, store owner Jonathan Forest. Sam then decides to fake amnesia in order to buy himself some time while he figures out his next step. Set in the same world as author Alexis Hall's bestselling Boyfriend Material but featuring different characters, 10 Things That Never Happened kicks off the Material World series.



------Never Wager with a Wallflower
by Virginia Heath

To establish his gaming club, Galahad Sinclair must displace the Covent Garden Asylum for Orphans. But heiress Miss Venus Merriwell, the orphanage's patroness, is willing to do whatever it takes to save it. This witty Regency is the 3rd book in the Merriwell Sisters series, after Never Fall for Your Fiancé and Never Rescue a Rogue.



-------The Duke Starts a Scandal
by Sophie Jordan

What Lucian, the new Duke of Penning, needs is a suitable wife. What he wants is Susanna Lockhart, his housekeeper. This 4th in the Duke Hunt series features a sympathetic couple whose scandalous pasts threaten their future together. Read-alikes: Grace Burrowes' The Heir; Julie Ann Long's It Started with a Scandal; Meredith Duran's Fool Me Twice.



-------Better Hate Than Never
by Chloe Liese

The fraught relationship between childhood enemies Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio takes a steamy turn when free-spirited photographer Kat returns to their hometown and Christopher decides to make amends. Better Hate Than Never is the 2nd book in the Shakespeare-inspired Wilmot Sisters series, which starts with Two Wrongs Make a Right.



------Hunt on Dark Waters
by Katee Robert

After stealing from her vampire hookup and escaping through a portal to the realm of Threshold, witch Evelyn is rescued by a band of monster-hunting interdimensional pirates led by the telekinetic Captain Bowen. This "swashbuckling romantasy" (Publishers Weekly) marks the opening installment of the Crimson Sails series by the author of the bestselling Neon Gods books.

What romantic follies! Thanks for the list, some titles are fun, i will add.

Thanks for this list. I know some people who would love these books!! And I might add one or two to my pile, too.

You're welcome !

------ The Librarianist
by Patrick deWitt

Meet: Bob Comet, a 71-year-old retired librarian who has lived alone for nearly 50 years in the same Portland, Oregon, house he grew up in.

What happens: A chance meeting with a confused elderly woman leads to Bob volunteering at a senior center, which offers him a place to belong as well as a few surprises.

Why you might like it: Award-winning author Patrick deWitt (The Sisters Brothers) also revisits Bob as a recently wed (and quickly betrayed) young man in his 20s and as an 11-year-old runaway in this "quietly effective and moving character study" (Kirkus Reviews).



------- Promise
by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Coastal Maine: In their small town, the teenage Kindred sisters are growing up loved and happy in the 1950s, friends with the daughter of the only other Black family around and a poor white girl. But as the girls become teens and the civil rights movement accelerates, their relationships are tested and racism and violence become all too real.

Don't miss: the lyrical, richly detailed writing that saturates this powerful debut novel by an acclaimed poet.

Try a sample: "We mourned summertime’s ending and made predictions about autumn and ourselves."



------ Loot
by Tania James

Called to the palace: In 1794 in the Kingdom of Mysore (now part of India), talented 17-year-old toymaker Abbas is ordered to work with French clockmaker Lucien Du Leze to craft a life-sized wooden tiger that growls and makes music.

What happens: In 1799, the British defeat Mysore's ruler, prompting Lucian and his daughter to flee to France. Abbas follows a few years later, eventually ending up in England where he hunts for the looted tiger.

Reviewers say: "At once swashbuckling and searing, this is a marvelous achievement" (Publishers Weekly); "rich, sprawling, picaresque" (Booklist).


------- No One Prayed Over Their Graves
by Khaled Khalifa; translated from the Arabic by Leri Price

Syria, 1907: A flood destroys a small village outside of Aleppo, leaving almost everyone dead, but young fathers Hanna, a Christian, and Zakariya, a Muslim, were out carousing together and survived.

What happens: Tormented by the tragedy and trying to make sense of their lives, the men struggle in a novel that ebbs and flows between the past, present, and future.

Why you might like it: Examining change, love, and death, this moving novel by an acclaimed Syrian writer is lush and thought-provoking.


------ Excavations
by Kate Myers

Featuring: Elise, Kara, Zara, and Patty, four very different women with varying problems (including issues with each other).

The discovery: While working on an archeological dig in Greece where ancient sporting events occurred, they unearth a stunning find and must come together to deal with their obnoxious boss and save it.

Why you might like it: This evocative debut expertly depicts excavation details and is "fresh, funny, intelligent, and deeply satisfying" (Kirkus Reviews).


------ The Only One Left
by Riley Sager

Coastal Maine, 1983: After her last job ended badly, live-in caregiver Kit McDeere takes the only position open to her: working with elderly Lenora Hope, who everyone thinks murdered her family when she was a teen.

What happens: At the large cliffside home where the killings occurred and now-disabled Lenora still lives, Kit settles in, though with some misgivings. Then Lenora says she's going to tell her the truth.

Read this next: For other suspenseful novels with twisty plots and mysterious mansions, try Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key, Jess Kidd's Mr. Flood's Last Resort, or Simone St. James' The Book of Cold Cases.


------ Watch Us Dance
by Leila Slimani; translated by Sam Taylor

What it is: a compelling look at a biracial French Moroccan family against the turbulent backdrop of late 1960s and early 1970s Morocco.

What happens: Middle-aged married couple Amine and Mathilde are wealthy but unhappy, and then the installation of an inground pool divides them further. Meanwhile, their adult daughter Aicha studies, hoping to be a doctor, while their son Selim hangs out with hippies.

Series alert: Though Watch Us Dance is the atmospheric 2nd in a trilogy following In the Country of Others, it can still be enjoyed on its own.


------- Holding Pattern
by Jenny Xie

Home again: After her fiancé ends things, Kathleen takes a leave of absence from her doctoral program and goes home to California.

What happens: While her formerly depressed mother is now fit, sober, stylish, and planning her wedding to a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, Kathleen wonders what her own future holds while working as a cuddle provider for a new therapy startup.

Read this next: Kristen Mei Chase's A Thousand Miles to Graceland, another funny, heartwarming novel starring a mother and daughter.


------Everyone Here Is Lying: A Novel
by Shari Lapena
"William's lies are piling up. An extramarital affair just ended; returning home, he finds his young daughter there instead of at school. Soon after, she goes missing. If he confesses having seen her, he’s caught in his deception. Will the truth come out before it’s too late? For Gillian Flynn fans."

Selena Swink, Lake Public Library
NoveList read-alike: Something She's Not Telling Us by Darcy Bell


--------Dead of Winter
by Darcy Coates
"Ten strangers are trapped in a cabin during a blizzard. None will be lucky enough to die of hypothermia, though, since a murderer is methodically decapitating the stranded travelers. Short chapters and constant cliffhangers keep the action moving propulsively in this gore-filled thriller."

Sarah Walker, Indianapolis Public Library
NoveList read-alike: They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzel Hall


-------The Block Party
by Jamie Day
"What would happen if the women of Desperate Housewives held a block party which resulted in a murder? The answer would be something like this thriller, a quick read with the gossipy twists and turns of a residential neighborhood featuring its fair share of betrayals and suspects."

Mary Robinson, Vernon Area Public Library District
NoveList read-alike: Cul-De-Sac by Joy Fielding


-------A Lady's Guide to Scandal: A Novel
by Sophie Irwin
"At 28, Eliza Balfour is a widow and the dowager Lady Somerset, but plans to enjoy her wealth and title. How Eliza relates to the people around her and how she changes are wonderfully nuanced and satisfying. Irwin's story forges its own path with liveliness and an attention to a wider scope of high society. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance, like Evie Dunmore."

Allison Smith, Minuteman Library Network
NoveList read-alike: To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters


-------The Woman in the Castello
by Kelsey James
"1960’s Italy: a horror film being filmed in a crumbling, possibly haunted, castle owned by the estranged aunt of the leading starlet. What could be better? As the lines between reality and the movie plot begin to blur in this tautly written novel, family secrets begin to emerge that if revealed, might lead to unforeseen, and possibly deadly, consequences for everyone."

Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library
NoveList read-alike: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins


--------How Can I Help You
by Laura Sims
"Margo moved to Carlyle two years ago to get a fresh start as a librarian, her days filled with helping patrons. But then a new employee is hired, and Margo feels unsettled by the curious Patricia. When a patron is discovered dead in the library bathroom, Margo's carefully crafted mundane life starts to unravel and may pull Patricia into a tangle of terrifying secrets."

Priscilla Garvin, Cecil County Public Library
NoveList read-alike: Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton


--------Thief Liar Lady: A Novel
by D.L. Soria
"A reimagined Cinderella tale with the political intrigue and violence of Game of Thrones. Lady Aislinn is a revolutionary hiding behind the cover of the meek beautiful girl the prince fell in love with at the ball. Her plan might work except for the bandit that is now on the loose, the captive prince who gets under her skin, and her conniving stepmother."

Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library
NoveList read-alike: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Alias Reader wrote: "


------ The Librarianist
by Patrick deWitt

Meet: Bob Comet, a 71-year-old retired librarian who has lived alone for nearly 50 years in the same Portland, Oregon, house he grew up in...."

First of all, Great Graphic. Silly Question--love it!

The first book listed is one i read this year. I liked it and the small turns it took. As in many such books, one must be open to coincidences which seem a tad unlikely. The Librarianist--Patrick deWitt.

Excavations--Kate Myers sounds like a book i'd like, featuring archaeology & all. The cover has me wondering, though. It's looks too non-serious, imo.


Thanks for the list, Alias.

Your welcome, deb. As soon as I saw that graphic I knew I had to post it. ;)

Yes! You know your people!