Hard to believe that it's already Halloween, when it still felt almost summery last week! I have, of course, been enjoying some great reads this month, and I can't wait to share them!
Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing, by Jennifer Weiner. This funny and incredibly candid collection of essays from best-selling novelist Weiner (Good In Bed, In Her Shoes, etc.) covers everything. From weight, sex, love, motherhood, marriage(s), and writing to divorce, reality TV, Twitter fights and dog ownership, the essays cover all of it and more. I've been a fan of her writing since her debut and found this collection equally entertaining--I couldn't put it down.
Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens, by Eddie Izzard. Izzard, comedian, actor, writer, here brings his own brand of sharp and clever humor to the page in essays that cover topics like mad ancient kings, politics both historical and sexual, chickens with guns, running marathons, and a number of other, more personal bits. He has long been one of my very favorite comedians, and if you're a fan, I highly recommend this memoir.
How to Find Love in a Bookshop, by Veronica Henry. Nightingale Books has been a fixture in its little village home for decades. After proprietor Julian passes away, his daughter Emilia returns to run it in its stead. She misses her father, as do the shop regulars, and together they form something close to family. Running the shop is not altogether easy, and the urge to sell to a local developer is hard to resist. More than anything, this is a story of stories, of books and how they connect to readers, of how readers connect to one another, and the stories each of us have to tell one another. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure. This is my book club's pick for our November meeting. It is 1942 in German-occupied Paris, and gifted architect Lucien Bernard has accepted a commission that will earn him a great deal of money, and quite possibly get him killed. His benefactor asks him to create hiding places for wealthy Jews being smuggled out of the country, hiding places so ingenious that no German officer could ever find them. And Lucien does these jobs, studiously ignoring the personal aspects...until one of his jobs fails, and Lucien's work becomes very personal, indeed. Belfoure, an architect himself, brings his knowledge to every detail. This was an enthralling read, and one I can't wait to discuss with our group.
Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell. I adore Rainbow Rowell's work, YA and adult titles alike. Her YA books do not condescend to the reader; she meets them on equal ground. Here, Park is used to being a relative oddity in his 1986 Omaha neighborhood, one of two (his brother being the other) half Korean kids in their entire school. His method of coping with teasing on the bus is to ignore the others, listening to loud music on his headphones and reading comic books. Then the new girl gets on the bus, a pale girl with a ton of red hair, an immediate new target for the bullies in the back seats. There's nowhere for her to sit except next to Park, and this is how the unlikeliest of friendships grows over the course of the school year together. Bittersweet and heartbreakingly honest, this was a book I devoured over the course of two evenings, I couldn't do anything else until I knew how it ended.
The Summer That Made Us, by Robyn Carr. Two sisters had three daughters each, and they all spent summers at their family lake house. Those were the best of times. Until tragedy struck one summer, and everyone scattered, and the family was no longer close and each woman went her separate way. Until tragedy becomes the catalyst to bring them together again, decades later. It's a story of loss and of hope and rebuilding one's life after catastrophe, of learning and loving and moving on. And while it was interesting and certainly readable, it felt a bit unfinished, maybe a little rushed. There were story lines left unfinished, sub-plots left unexplored, as though there was too much in the beginning to tie up in the end. Which makes me wonder whether this might be the first in a new series? Time will tell.
The Little French Bistro, by Nina George. I enjoyed this one so much, I couldn't keep it to myself. You can read my review here.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Can't Keep it to Myself: The Little French Bistro
Nina George's second novel, The Little French Bistro (after 2015's reader favorite The Little Paris Bookshop) follows her first novel's theme: it's never too late to start over. German housewife Marianne is stuck. She's been married for all of her adult life to a man who does not love her, does not value or respect her. Frankly, she's not even sure Lothar likes her. On a trip to Paris, Marianne reaches her breaking point. She walks away from her life. Or she tries to. She's thwarted, rescued, and is given the chance to reexamine her next step. On a whim, she leaves Paris for the Breton seaside town of Kedruc, aided by fortune and the kindness of strangers.
Once in Kedruc, Marianne learns to make friends, to have a space of her own, to help others and be helped in return. She learns to live a life that makes her happy, governed by her own choices. She becomes part of the community full of vibrant, eccentric people with their own stories to tell. And yet, when her past catches up with her, she has some incredibly hard choices to make. Uplifting, inspiring, colorful and delightful, this book was a great read and I can't help but recommend it to others.
Once in Kedruc, Marianne learns to make friends, to have a space of her own, to help others and be helped in return. She learns to live a life that makes her happy, governed by her own choices. She becomes part of the community full of vibrant, eccentric people with their own stories to tell. And yet, when her past catches up with her, she has some incredibly hard choices to make. Uplifting, inspiring, colorful and delightful, this book was a great read and I can't help but recommend it to others.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Meg's Picks: November 2017
While my list of picks for November is not long, it is still very exciting!
Artemis, by Andy Weir. Fans of Weir's debut, The Martian, (and that includes the film adaptation starring Matt Damon) have been eagerly anticipating what Weir will do next. That wait is over in a few short weeks when Artemis is released. This is not The Martian, Volume 2. Rather this is a heist. Set on the moon. Artemis is the first and only city on the moon, and if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire, life can be tough. The occasional bit of smuggling helps cover one's debts, especially when base pay barely covers rent on the lunar surface. For Jazz Bashara, that's the way she makes ends meet. And then she sees the opportunity for a big score, the perfect crime. Although, there's no such thing, and when the job goes sideways, it's only the beginning of bigger problems for Jazz. I expect this to be brilliantly imaginative and entertaining, given advance reviews.
The Revolution of Marina M., by Janet Fitch. Fitch is not prolific, but her work (White Oleander, Paint it Black) is reliably eye-opening and thought provoking. In her first novel in a decade, Fitch brings readers a sweeping historical saga of the Russian Revolution, seen through the eyes of one young woman. The novel opens in St Petersburg on New Year's Eve, 1916 and Marina Makarova is a young woman of privilege, aching to be free of the confines of her genteel life. Her wishes are granted abruptly by the swift, violent force of history. Soon Marina will be marching for workers rights, falling in love with a young poet, and betraying everything her family has stood for. Against the stark background of a country in turmoil, Marina's coming-of-age story is marked by the private heroism of an ordinary woman in extraordinary times. My guess is that this will be a favorite of readers this winter, and a favorite of book clubs for years to come.
Heather, the Totality, by Matthew Weiner. This debut novel by the creator of the award-winning show, Mad Men, and executive producer of The Sopranos is an entry into noir thrillers that fans will not want to miss. The Breakstones have created the perfect life in Manhattan, including the perfect daughter, Heather, who is the light of their lives. Perfection only goes so far, and tensions strain the family's relationships. When construction begins on a nearby penthouse, a dangerous stranger enters the family's protective sphere, threatening to destroy everything they've created for themselves.
Artemis, by Andy Weir. Fans of Weir's debut, The Martian, (and that includes the film adaptation starring Matt Damon) have been eagerly anticipating what Weir will do next. That wait is over in a few short weeks when Artemis is released. This is not The Martian, Volume 2. Rather this is a heist. Set on the moon. Artemis is the first and only city on the moon, and if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire, life can be tough. The occasional bit of smuggling helps cover one's debts, especially when base pay barely covers rent on the lunar surface. For Jazz Bashara, that's the way she makes ends meet. And then she sees the opportunity for a big score, the perfect crime. Although, there's no such thing, and when the job goes sideways, it's only the beginning of bigger problems for Jazz. I expect this to be brilliantly imaginative and entertaining, given advance reviews.
The Revolution of Marina M., by Janet Fitch. Fitch is not prolific, but her work (White Oleander, Paint it Black) is reliably eye-opening and thought provoking. In her first novel in a decade, Fitch brings readers a sweeping historical saga of the Russian Revolution, seen through the eyes of one young woman. The novel opens in St Petersburg on New Year's Eve, 1916 and Marina Makarova is a young woman of privilege, aching to be free of the confines of her genteel life. Her wishes are granted abruptly by the swift, violent force of history. Soon Marina will be marching for workers rights, falling in love with a young poet, and betraying everything her family has stood for. Against the stark background of a country in turmoil, Marina's coming-of-age story is marked by the private heroism of an ordinary woman in extraordinary times. My guess is that this will be a favorite of readers this winter, and a favorite of book clubs for years to come.
Heather, the Totality, by Matthew Weiner. This debut novel by the creator of the award-winning show, Mad Men, and executive producer of The Sopranos is an entry into noir thrillers that fans will not want to miss. The Breakstones have created the perfect life in Manhattan, including the perfect daughter, Heather, who is the light of their lives. Perfection only goes so far, and tensions strain the family's relationships. When construction begins on a nearby penthouse, a dangerous stranger enters the family's protective sphere, threatening to destroy everything they've created for themselves.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Reading Ahead: November 2017, part 4
New novels from a variety of favorites? You got it! Read on!
Secrets of Cavendon, by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Fourth in her Cavendon Chronicles (following 2016's The Cavendon Luck), Bradford's latest opens in the summer of 1949 after an unprecedented stretch of calm for the aristocratic Ingham family and the Swanns, who have loyally served them for generations. However, since the end of World War II, changes have arrived at Cavendon Hall. With a new generation at the helm, the door also opens to new scandal and intrigue, forcing the two families to band together once more to protect one another.
In the Midst of Winter, by Isabel Allende. Actually scheduled for release on October 31, Allende's (The House of the Spirits, Daughter of Fortune, etc.) latest finds three very different people brought together after a minor traffic accident during a Brooklyn snowstorm sparks far more serious problems in a story that shifts from modern day Brooklyn to 1970s Chile and Brazil. Allende has been a reader favorite for years; if you haven't read her work before, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich. Erdrich (The Round House, LaRose, etc.) brings readers something a little different. Evolution is reversing itself, and science cannot seem to stop nature from running backwards: woman after woman is giving birth to babies who appear to be a primitive species of humans. For Cedar Hawk Songmaker, this is particularly troubling, as she is four months pregnant. Though she wants to share with her adoptive parents, she also feels compelled to find her own mother, Mary Potts, on the Ojibwe reservation in an effort to find out more about her own origin. Meanwhile, society begins to collapse, with martial law on the horizon and a registry of women being compiled. I'm recommending this chilling dystopian tale to readers looking for more after reading Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
Looking for something scary to read this season? Stop by the Main Library and pick up something spine-tingling--we've got a display of scary stories just across from the Circulation Desk.
Secrets of Cavendon, by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Fourth in her Cavendon Chronicles (following 2016's The Cavendon Luck), Bradford's latest opens in the summer of 1949 after an unprecedented stretch of calm for the aristocratic Ingham family and the Swanns, who have loyally served them for generations. However, since the end of World War II, changes have arrived at Cavendon Hall. With a new generation at the helm, the door also opens to new scandal and intrigue, forcing the two families to band together once more to protect one another.
In the Midst of Winter, by Isabel Allende. Actually scheduled for release on October 31, Allende's (The House of the Spirits, Daughter of Fortune, etc.) latest finds three very different people brought together after a minor traffic accident during a Brooklyn snowstorm sparks far more serious problems in a story that shifts from modern day Brooklyn to 1970s Chile and Brazil. Allende has been a reader favorite for years; if you haven't read her work before, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich. Erdrich (The Round House, LaRose, etc.) brings readers something a little different. Evolution is reversing itself, and science cannot seem to stop nature from running backwards: woman after woman is giving birth to babies who appear to be a primitive species of humans. For Cedar Hawk Songmaker, this is particularly troubling, as she is four months pregnant. Though she wants to share with her adoptive parents, she also feels compelled to find her own mother, Mary Potts, on the Ojibwe reservation in an effort to find out more about her own origin. Meanwhile, society begins to collapse, with martial law on the horizon and a registry of women being compiled. I'm recommending this chilling dystopian tale to readers looking for more after reading Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
Looking for something scary to read this season? Stop by the Main Library and pick up something spine-tingling--we've got a display of scary stories just across from the Circulation Desk.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Reading Ahead: November 2017, part 3
New books by some of our classic favorite authors are coming soon to a library shelf near you!
Past Perfect, by Danielle Steel. The Gregory family has a picture perfect life in Manhattan, until Blake is offered a dream job in San Francisco. He agrees without hesitation, or consulting his family. He buys a magnificent, irresistibly underpriced historic Pacific Heights mansion as their new home. An earthquake their first night in the house jars them, but also exposes a hidden link to the home's past, and the family who lived there more than a hundred years ago... Also available in Large Print.
Every Breath You Take, by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. Fourth in the duo's Under Suspicion series (following 2016's The Sleeping Beauty Killer) follows television producer Laurie Moran's investigation of the unsolved Met Gala murder, where a wealthy widow was pushed to her death from the museum's rooftop. The leading suspect then, and now, was the widow's much younger boyfriend and personal trainer, Ivan Gray. A tip from a NYPD connection has Laurie digging deeper into the case, uncovering a longer, and more dangerous, suspect list. This collaboration is winning both authors increasing numbers of fans.
The Story of Arthur Truluv, by Elizabeth Berg. Berg's fans are ravenous for a new novel; it has been nearly three years since the publication of her last book, The Dream Lover. Arthur Moses's days look very much the same. He tends his roses, his cat Gordon, and takes the bus to the cemetery each day to have lunch with his beloved late wife. It is only by a single chance encounter that his life changes. Maddy Harris, eighteen, hides out in the cemetery to escape the other kids at her school. One afternoon, she joins Arthur, a gesture that surprises them both, forging an unlikely friendship. They find Arthur's neighbor, Lucille, within their orbit, and then the three are friends together. Poignant and thought-provoking, I expect this to be a reader, and book club, favorite in the months to come.
Also available in Large Print.
Past Perfect, by Danielle Steel. The Gregory family has a picture perfect life in Manhattan, until Blake is offered a dream job in San Francisco. He agrees without hesitation, or consulting his family. He buys a magnificent, irresistibly underpriced historic Pacific Heights mansion as their new home. An earthquake their first night in the house jars them, but also exposes a hidden link to the home's past, and the family who lived there more than a hundred years ago... Also available in Large Print.
Every Breath You Take, by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. Fourth in the duo's Under Suspicion series (following 2016's The Sleeping Beauty Killer) follows television producer Laurie Moran's investigation of the unsolved Met Gala murder, where a wealthy widow was pushed to her death from the museum's rooftop. The leading suspect then, and now, was the widow's much younger boyfriend and personal trainer, Ivan Gray. A tip from a NYPD connection has Laurie digging deeper into the case, uncovering a longer, and more dangerous, suspect list. This collaboration is winning both authors increasing numbers of fans.
The Story of Arthur Truluv, by Elizabeth Berg. Berg's fans are ravenous for a new novel; it has been nearly three years since the publication of her last book, The Dream Lover. Arthur Moses's days look very much the same. He tends his roses, his cat Gordon, and takes the bus to the cemetery each day to have lunch with his beloved late wife. It is only by a single chance encounter that his life changes. Maddy Harris, eighteen, hides out in the cemetery to escape the other kids at her school. One afternoon, she joins Arthur, a gesture that surprises them both, forging an unlikely friendship. They find Arthur's neighbor, Lucille, within their orbit, and then the three are friends together. Poignant and thought-provoking, I expect this to be a reader, and book club, favorite in the months to come.
Also available in Large Print.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Reading Ahead: November 2017, part 2
More continuations of long-running series are on the slate for November new releases!
Tom Clancy Power and Empire, by Marc Cameron. President Jack Ryan finds himself dealing with a newly aggressive Chinese government in this continuation of Tom Clancy's iconic series. It seems that, as pawns are moved around on a global chessboard, President Zhao is determined to limit President Ryan's options at an upcoming summit. But it is revealed that this is only the tip of the iceberg--a routine traffic stop in Texas uncovers a Chinese spy, one of a network that may change everything... Also available in Large Print.
Typhoon Fury, by Clive Cussler & Boyd Morrison. Latest in Cussler's Oregon Files series (following 2016's The Emperor's Revenge) begins with Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon on a job searching for a half-billion dollars worth of artwork when they suddenly encounter deeper waters: the commander of a Filipino insurgency is using a little-known World War II drug to turn soldiers into super warriors. Cabrillo and crew are now up against not just the rebel leader, but the African mercenary who wants the drug for his own nefarious plans. And then things start to get really dangerous.
Hardcore Twenty Four, by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum seems to be a magnet for trouble, and this time she has her hands more than full. First there's the professional grave robber who won't let Stephanie bring him in unless she agrees to care for his pet boa constrictor. Then a grisly series of incidents literally litter the streets with headless corpses. And if that isn't enough? An old flame returns to make a hash of her already complicated personal life. Can Jersey's favorite bounty hunter get herself out of multiple sticky situations? Fans can't wait to find out. Also available in Large Print.
Tom Clancy Power and Empire, by Marc Cameron. President Jack Ryan finds himself dealing with a newly aggressive Chinese government in this continuation of Tom Clancy's iconic series. It seems that, as pawns are moved around on a global chessboard, President Zhao is determined to limit President Ryan's options at an upcoming summit. But it is revealed that this is only the tip of the iceberg--a routine traffic stop in Texas uncovers a Chinese spy, one of a network that may change everything... Also available in Large Print.
Typhoon Fury, by Clive Cussler & Boyd Morrison. Latest in Cussler's Oregon Files series (following 2016's The Emperor's Revenge) begins with Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon on a job searching for a half-billion dollars worth of artwork when they suddenly encounter deeper waters: the commander of a Filipino insurgency is using a little-known World War II drug to turn soldiers into super warriors. Cabrillo and crew are now up against not just the rebel leader, but the African mercenary who wants the drug for his own nefarious plans. And then things start to get really dangerous.
Hardcore Twenty Four, by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum seems to be a magnet for trouble, and this time she has her hands more than full. First there's the professional grave robber who won't let Stephanie bring him in unless she agrees to care for his pet boa constrictor. Then a grisly series of incidents literally litter the streets with headless corpses. And if that isn't enough? An old flame returns to make a hash of her already complicated personal life. Can Jersey's favorite bounty hunter get herself out of multiple sticky situations? Fans can't wait to find out. Also available in Large Print.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Reading Ahead: November 2017, part 1
Today I bring you new series entries from some of today's most popular novelists.
The Midnight Line, by Lee Child. Jack Reacher is back in a new story (the 22nd entry in Child's bestselling series, following 2016's Night School) that finds Reacher in a small Wisconsin town where he spots a West Point ring in a pawn shop window. It's a small ring, a woman's ring, and it's from 2005--a hard year to graduate from the Point, leading into Iraq, then Afghanistan. Four hard years to earn that ring. What made her have to give that up? Reacher, nothing better to do, decides to find the woman and return the ring to her. This small errand quickly becomes the first link in a long, dark chain that takes Reacher through dives in small towns across the midwest, the terrain becoming steadily more and more dangerous. Classic thrills from fan favorite Child. Also available in Large Print.
End Game, by David Baldacci. This is the fifth installment in Baldacci's Will Robie series (who was last seen in 2015's The Guilty). Will Robie and Jessica Reel are two of the most lethal people alive, the people that the government calls in when someone is needed to take out a threat to national security, with the utmost secrecy. Through every mission, their handler, code name Blue Man, has had their backs. But now Blue Man is missing, having vanished off the grid during a rare vacation. The team fears the worst, and Robie and Reel are sent to investigate. What they didn't count on was a situation so dire that they'll be lucky to make it out alive, with Blue Man or without... Also available in Large Print.
The People vs Alex Cross, by James Patterson. Alex Cross has never found himself on the wrong side of the law...until now. Now he has been charged with gunning down followers of nemesis Gary Soneji, and finds himself becoming the poster child for trigger-happy cops. Cross knows it was self-defense, but will a jury see it that way? What follows promises to be the trial of the century. Also available in Large Print. (The Alex Cross series began in 1993 with Along Came a Spider. The most recent entry was Cross the Line, 2016).
The Midnight Line, by Lee Child. Jack Reacher is back in a new story (the 22nd entry in Child's bestselling series, following 2016's Night School) that finds Reacher in a small Wisconsin town where he spots a West Point ring in a pawn shop window. It's a small ring, a woman's ring, and it's from 2005--a hard year to graduate from the Point, leading into Iraq, then Afghanistan. Four hard years to earn that ring. What made her have to give that up? Reacher, nothing better to do, decides to find the woman and return the ring to her. This small errand quickly becomes the first link in a long, dark chain that takes Reacher through dives in small towns across the midwest, the terrain becoming steadily more and more dangerous. Classic thrills from fan favorite Child. Also available in Large Print.
End Game, by David Baldacci. This is the fifth installment in Baldacci's Will Robie series (who was last seen in 2015's The Guilty). Will Robie and Jessica Reel are two of the most lethal people alive, the people that the government calls in when someone is needed to take out a threat to national security, with the utmost secrecy. Through every mission, their handler, code name Blue Man, has had their backs. But now Blue Man is missing, having vanished off the grid during a rare vacation. The team fears the worst, and Robie and Reel are sent to investigate. What they didn't count on was a situation so dire that they'll be lucky to make it out alive, with Blue Man or without... Also available in Large Print.
The People vs Alex Cross, by James Patterson. Alex Cross has never found himself on the wrong side of the law...until now. Now he has been charged with gunning down followers of nemesis Gary Soneji, and finds himself becoming the poster child for trigger-happy cops. Cross knows it was self-defense, but will a jury see it that way? What follows promises to be the trial of the century. Also available in Large Print. (The Alex Cross series began in 1993 with Along Came a Spider. The most recent entry was Cross the Line, 2016).
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
What I've been reading: September 2017
It's that time again! Time to wrap up what I've been reading lately!
The Shark Club, by Ann Kidd Taylor. Maeve Donnelly's life was forever changed when, at age eleven, she was kissed by her crush, and moments later, was bitten by a blacktip shark. Eighteen years later, she's enamored with sharks, swims with them, studies them. But that boy? There's unfinished business, and a lot of painful history to overcome. They're more mature now, surely after years apart they can put their shared past to rest? It's when Maeve returns home between study sojourns that her life seems to blow up all over again--her brother's debut novel turns out to be about Maeve's lovelife debacles, her old flame works at her grandmother's hotel, and Maeve is going to have to do some serious soul-searching in order to choose the right path forward. Light and easy reading, though I'll admit I found myself surprisingly moved by the ending.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris. David Sedaris is my spirit animal. There, I've said it. This is the second of his books I've read (both audiobook format, if I'm putting it all out there), and I love his style, his insight, and his humor. The audiobook version is particularly effective--some writers are excellent at reading their own writing, and Sedaris is among them. Cringe-worthy and hilarious, Sedaris's stories of his mishaps and misadventures (like sneezing a lozenge into the lap of a sleeping seatmate on a plane, or moving to Tokyo to quit smoking) make me laugh, make me think, and in many cases, make me nod along thinking, "Oh yeah, I know that feeling." Commuters, if you need an audiobook to help you pass the time in a more enjoyable way, I definitely recommend this one.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, by Maria Semple. Told through emails, letters, texts, and from multiple points of view, this novel is equal parts family drama, mystery, and laugh-out-loud funny comedy. Just before Christmas, and a long-anticipated family trip to Antarctica, Bernadette Fox goes missing. In the leadup, she has run over a fellow mom at her daughter's school, dodged people who recognize her from a past she left behind over fifteen years ago, and handled her agoraphobia by staying in the family's shambles of a home and designated everything to a virtual assistant located in India so that she doesn't have to go into Seattle, which she loathes. In the aftermath, Bernadette's fifteen-year-old daughter Bee is left to piece together what happened to her mother, following a trail of letters and emails, and drag her Microsoft guru father along for the ride. Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. Bonus info: Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, and Billy Crudup all star in the movie adaptation, which is due out next year.
Secrets in Death, by J.D. Robb. This forty-fifth (!) entry in Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) long-running near-future cop-thriller series featuring NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas brings the murder to the homicide cop. Dallas is having drinks with an associate only to have the city's top celebrity gossip hound drop dead at her very feet. Larinda Mars made herself a household name churning the rumor mill of the rich and famous, but after her death, Dallas uncovers that where Mars's real money came from was blackmailing the rich and famous to keep the worst of the worst out of the media. The suspect list gets longer all the time as Dallas reveals more and more dirt, meaning she has to tread carefully among the elite. It's when a choice bit of information brings the case close to home that Dallas finds herself in over her head. Fast and easy reading, I can't quit this series.
Breaking Silence, by Linda Castillo. Third in Castillo's bestselling Chief Kate Burkholder series finds the former-Amish police chief faced with a terrible accident on an Amish farm: a couple and an uncle are found dead in their barn, apparently from asphyxiation caused by methane gas and poor ventilation. Four children are left orphans. It soon becomes clear that foul play was involved, however, and the chief, to bring a killer to justice, must uncover who might have wanted these simple, honest, hardworking folks dead. Is it related to a shocking rash of hate-crimes against the Amish in the area? Nail-bitingly tense plotting made this a very fast read for me, I couldn't stand to put it down, I needed to know what happened.
The Magdalen Girls, by V.S. Alexander. Teagan and Nora, young women in Dublin in 1962, find themselves held as penitents at the The Sisters of Holy Redemption, working in one of the city's Magdalen Laundries. What were once havens have turned into grim workhouses. The two girls become fast friends, arriving within days of one another, neither there for more than being ordinary girls, though some inmates are fallen women or petty criminals. They find themselves stripped of their identities, including their names, as well as their dignity. The Mother Superior, Sister Anne, metes out severe punishments in the name of love, all the while hiding a secret of her own. It is when Teagan and Nora befriend the elusive Lea that they finally begin to hatch a plan to escape. What they haven't counted on is their reception in a society that has a keen eye and a hard edge where soiled reputations are concerned. Fascinating and grim at the same time.
The Shark Club, by Ann Kidd Taylor. Maeve Donnelly's life was forever changed when, at age eleven, she was kissed by her crush, and moments later, was bitten by a blacktip shark. Eighteen years later, she's enamored with sharks, swims with them, studies them. But that boy? There's unfinished business, and a lot of painful history to overcome. They're more mature now, surely after years apart they can put their shared past to rest? It's when Maeve returns home between study sojourns that her life seems to blow up all over again--her brother's debut novel turns out to be about Maeve's lovelife debacles, her old flame works at her grandmother's hotel, and Maeve is going to have to do some serious soul-searching in order to choose the right path forward. Light and easy reading, though I'll admit I found myself surprisingly moved by the ending.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris. David Sedaris is my spirit animal. There, I've said it. This is the second of his books I've read (both audiobook format, if I'm putting it all out there), and I love his style, his insight, and his humor. The audiobook version is particularly effective--some writers are excellent at reading their own writing, and Sedaris is among them. Cringe-worthy and hilarious, Sedaris's stories of his mishaps and misadventures (like sneezing a lozenge into the lap of a sleeping seatmate on a plane, or moving to Tokyo to quit smoking) make me laugh, make me think, and in many cases, make me nod along thinking, "Oh yeah, I know that feeling." Commuters, if you need an audiobook to help you pass the time in a more enjoyable way, I definitely recommend this one.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, by Maria Semple. Told through emails, letters, texts, and from multiple points of view, this novel is equal parts family drama, mystery, and laugh-out-loud funny comedy. Just before Christmas, and a long-anticipated family trip to Antarctica, Bernadette Fox goes missing. In the leadup, she has run over a fellow mom at her daughter's school, dodged people who recognize her from a past she left behind over fifteen years ago, and handled her agoraphobia by staying in the family's shambles of a home and designated everything to a virtual assistant located in India so that she doesn't have to go into Seattle, which she loathes. In the aftermath, Bernadette's fifteen-year-old daughter Bee is left to piece together what happened to her mother, following a trail of letters and emails, and drag her Microsoft guru father along for the ride. Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. Bonus info: Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, and Billy Crudup all star in the movie adaptation, which is due out next year.
Secrets in Death, by J.D. Robb. This forty-fifth (!) entry in Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) long-running near-future cop-thriller series featuring NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas brings the murder to the homicide cop. Dallas is having drinks with an associate only to have the city's top celebrity gossip hound drop dead at her very feet. Larinda Mars made herself a household name churning the rumor mill of the rich and famous, but after her death, Dallas uncovers that where Mars's real money came from was blackmailing the rich and famous to keep the worst of the worst out of the media. The suspect list gets longer all the time as Dallas reveals more and more dirt, meaning she has to tread carefully among the elite. It's when a choice bit of information brings the case close to home that Dallas finds herself in over her head. Fast and easy reading, I can't quit this series.
Breaking Silence, by Linda Castillo. Third in Castillo's bestselling Chief Kate Burkholder series finds the former-Amish police chief faced with a terrible accident on an Amish farm: a couple and an uncle are found dead in their barn, apparently from asphyxiation caused by methane gas and poor ventilation. Four children are left orphans. It soon becomes clear that foul play was involved, however, and the chief, to bring a killer to justice, must uncover who might have wanted these simple, honest, hardworking folks dead. Is it related to a shocking rash of hate-crimes against the Amish in the area? Nail-bitingly tense plotting made this a very fast read for me, I couldn't stand to put it down, I needed to know what happened.
The Magdalen Girls, by V.S. Alexander. Teagan and Nora, young women in Dublin in 1962, find themselves held as penitents at the The Sisters of Holy Redemption, working in one of the city's Magdalen Laundries. What were once havens have turned into grim workhouses. The two girls become fast friends, arriving within days of one another, neither there for more than being ordinary girls, though some inmates are fallen women or petty criminals. They find themselves stripped of their identities, including their names, as well as their dignity. The Mother Superior, Sister Anne, metes out severe punishments in the name of love, all the while hiding a secret of her own. It is when Teagan and Nora befriend the elusive Lea that they finally begin to hatch a plan to escape. What they haven't counted on is their reception in a society that has a keen eye and a hard edge where soiled reputations are concerned. Fascinating and grim at the same time.
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