The Eagle and the Viper: A Novel of Historical Suspense

Mystery Roundup

There’s nothing like a good murder mystery to help you while away the hours and perhaps even cause you to question the characters and motivations of those nearest and dearest to you. Whether you’re in the mood for a gentle mystery, an action-packed thriller, or a shocking example of real-life crime, the following new releases have got you covered:

The Unkindness of Ravens: A Greer Hogan Mystery by M.E. Hilliard

Greer Hogan might be a librarian with a fondness for murder mysteries, but she has no desire to become embroiled in anything death-related herself. Unfortunately for Greer, both murder and mystery seem to be taking center stage in her life. First, her husband was murdered, which prompted Greer to start afresh in the idyllic community of Raven Hill, where for a time she was happily employed in the town’s library. Things take yet another turn for the worse, however, when she finds her best friend dead in the library. There have been two other suspicious deaths in Raven Hill in recent times, although the police deem them to be accidental, but Greer is starting to think that there is something seriously amiss in the seemingly tranquil community. Could there be a serial killer on the prowl in Raven Hill? How are the recent deaths related to a murder from decades ago? And perhaps more importantly, how is any of it related to the death of Greer’s husband? The Unkindness of Ravens is an intriguing murder mystery packed with plenty of red herrings and loads of fun references to crime fiction from the golden age.

A Lonely Man by Chris Power

A chance encounter in a bookshop––two strangers reaching for the same book at the same time––should be a minor incident at most, but in Chris Power’s A Lonely Man, it changes the course of a writer’s life. Struggling to write that difficult second book, currently eighteen months overdue, Robert Prowe spends his time wallowing, avoiding writing, and occasionally attending readings at bookshops near his Berlin home. During one such event, he meets a drunk and belligerent fellow named Patrick, another Brit adrift in Berlin, who he later has to save from a beating. The two end up going for a drink and, to Robert’s surprise, Patrick ends up being good company. They actually find a lot to talk about, and that’s before Patrick mentions that he was working as the ghostwriter for a Russian oligarch who has recently been found hanged. Patrick claims that he is being followed and maintains that his own life is in danger due to his association with the oligarch. It all seems a bit unbelievable to Robert, but since he has been struggling for months to come up with a storyline for his new book, he decides to use Patrick and his story to get his own writing started. This kick-starts a thrilling game of cat and mouse in which Patrick can never be sure what is real, what is fiction, and whether the distinction really matters.

The Eagle and the Viper by Loren D. Estleman

On Christmas Eve in 1880, an attempt was made to assassinate Napoleon Bonaparte, who had recently been appointed First Consul of the French Republic. It wasn’t the first such attempt, although it did cause more devastation than more, resulting in buildings in Paris being destroyed and civilians killed. This much is historical fact, but in The Eagle and the Viper Loren D. Estleman crafts an explosive story around what might have happened if pro-royalist plotters had been inspired by the Christmas Eve assassinate attempt to launch their own conspiracy to bring down Napoleon. In Estleman’s alternative reality, the plotters are led by Georges Cadoudal, a former French military offer who fled to England following the birth of the Republic. Cadoudal hires a mysterious assassin known as the Viper, who seems to have his own deep-seated reasons for wanting to kill Napoleon. Mixing history with fiction, real people with intriguing characters, gives rise to an action-packed story of assassins and spies that whizzes along at a cracking pace as the Viper heads toward Paris and his fateful encounter with Napoleon.

All That Fall by Kris Calvin

When best friends Emma Lawson and Kate Doyle decide to give up their careers in the cut-and-thrust world of Sacramento politics in order to open a preschool, they have no idea just how dangerous their new endeavor will prove to be. Things seem to be going well when the Governor of California’s three-year-old daughter Vivian is enrolled in their preschool, but when both Vivian and Kate’s fifteen-year-old son Luke are kidnapped during a tour of the preschool, events take a turn for the deadly. Kate is shot and seriously wounded during the kidnapping, leaving Emma to puzzle out what the kidnappers are after and where they could have stashed the children. Despite the dearth of clues, Emma’s tenacity means that she makes more progress than the authorities, linking the kidnapping to long-buried secrets with serious implications for those at the highest level of Sacramento society. Kris Calvin’s All That Fall is an intriguing and suspenseful story of corruption and murder that grips readers from the outset and holds their attention throughout as Emma Lawson seeks to unravel the most complex of political scandals.

At Any Cost: A Father’s Betrayal, a Wife’s Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice by Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar

In At Any Cost, Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar relate the shocking story behind the real-life murder of Shele Danishefsky by her former husband Rod Covlin. Danishefsky had already accumulated considerable wealth through her job with Merrill Lynch by the time she married Covlin, who was eleven years younger and worked as both a stockbroker and a professional backgammon player. Although the couple initially seemed well suited, cracks soon began to appear in their relationship. In addition to frequent affairs, Covlin enjoyed gambling and the finer things in life, and he expected Danishefsky to pay for them. Despite the fact that they went on to have two children, Covlin didn’t change his ways, and the couple eventually separated. This proved to be the tipping point for Covlin, who wanted to hang on to Danishefsky’s money at any cost, even murder. As Rosenberg and Algar explain, Covlin was initially able to get away with his wife’s murder due to her death being ruled accidental, although he was finally brought to justice ten years later. The authors clearly and respectfully set out all that happened leading up to the murder and in the years before Covlin was charged, including his bizarre schemes to murder his parents. It all makes for a disturbing read.


An Unexpected Peril (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery)

Veronica Speedwell and Stoker have once again found themselves embroiled in intrigue and An Unexpected Peril. In their newest adventure, they are tasked with designing an exhibit to the late Alice Baker-Greene, who recently perished while mountain climbing. During the course of their work, they discover that she was actually murdered and set about finding the culprit. Their case ends up involving Veronica posing as a princess who has gone missing in order to broker peace, with death threats, kidnappings, and a near chance of meeting her father. Will Veronica’s and Stoker’s luck hold out or is cheating death six times too many for Fate to allow?

|I cannot get enough of Veronica and Stoker’s adventures. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves mysteries, sassy female leads, and anything related to Victorian England. You cannot help but love both Veronica and Stoker and the ridiculous situations they find themselves in. The author writes with such confidence that it isn’t until you read her notes at the end, that the places and people she writes about are figments of her imagination. As you read, you enter a whole new world full of interesting people that takes place in my favorite time period. I cannot wait for the next installment to see what kind of trouble they will get themselves into next!


HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style

Fall into the illustrious world of royal fashion with this book. Author Elizabeth Holmes takes her readers on a heartfelt and emotional journey through the decades, starting with Queen Elizabeth II and taking them to the present. Through hundreds of photographs, historical references, and style commentary, Elizabeth Holmes demonstrates the power that fashion has on the world.

Highlighting the unique style, each reader will be able to see Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex; as their individual style unfolds, relates to the time, and becomes their own personal brand. While, Her Majesty’s royal fashion statement of long coats, hats, and pearls blended with a love of color is memorable and timeless, Princess Diana’s bold style and personal message became her own legacy. Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex have been today’s fashion icons pulling an individual style that reflects who they are, as well as a representation of women and fashion today.  Whether it is subtle cues, a nod towards world events, a representation of the changing times, or relaying a personal message, one thing holds true, all of their chosen styles exemplify grace and duty to the crown.  Readers will be able to fall into the allure of decoding royal fashion while also watching how history unfolds.


Lucky G and the Melancholy Quokka: How Play Therapy Can Help Children with Depression

Amy Willinski-Lyman, illus. by Leela Green

Lucky G and the Melancholy Quokka is the story of a raven named Lucky G who helps other animals feel better when they are sad, mad, or just not feeling right. Lucky G gets a call from his friend Drew in Australia. He flies over there and finds out that Blue the Quokka is feeling very blue. He is not happy, but is sad. Lucky goes and talks to Blue to find out what is going on with him. He learns that Blue is feeling sad but doesn't know why. Lucky talks and plays with Blue to figure out the reason why. He knows that Blue has depression. By talking, playing, and getting a new friend, Lucky helps Blue's depression to go away.

I like the rhyming in this book because it made it easier for me to understand what was happening. I like the pictures in the story because they are bright and colorful. I like how Lucky G was able to help Blue, and I think it is cool that he helped him just by playing and talking. This is a good book for other kids who are feeling sad or depressed.


Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind

In 1994 a research team headed by University of California, Berkeley Professor Tim White discovered ancient fossilized bones in the Afar region of Ethiopia that were believed to be our oldest ancestor. Ardipithecus ramidus, who came to be known as Ardi, was a female who lived 4.4 million years ago. What made the find so impressive was the fact that Ardi was one million years older than the now-famous Australopithecus afarensis known as Lucy, who was discovered in 1974.

Not everyone agreed with the team's findings at first. And Pattison's brilliant account highlights the numerous conflicts resulting from jealousy, personal animosities, scientists with huge egos, changes in the institutional and academic environments, and resentments caused by the fact that outsiders were often not allowed to see the fossils in question. All of this was compounded by the team's challenges working in a politically volatile region, beset with civil war, tribal war, and bureaucratic difficulties.

If you have ever been interested in the origins of humankind, Fossil Men is a must-read. It's a brilliant multi-layered account that showcases the history, politics, and the people who make it their business to search for our elusive ancestors. It is by far the most informative and insightful book I've read this year.


Red Hands: A Novel

Fans of Christopher Golden first got to meet Ben Walker in the bestselling Ararat, and now Walker is back for his final tale in Red Hands.

In a brutal opening chapter, the reader is taken to a Fourth of July parade, which is ripped asunder when a car speeds out of control. A disoriented man gets out and begins reaching out to people with his hands. Every person he touches undergoes some strange attack in less than a minute and then, after a few more minutes, falls to the ground dead. Somehow, his strange and deadly affliction is passed to a local woman, Maeve Sinclair. She flees the scene in terror while the survivors are left in shock as people in hazmat gear arrive who seem to know a lot more about what’s going on.

Ben Walker is brought in to find Maeve before anyone else does. It’s a race against time and survival for him, for Maeve, and for those who want to get hold of her. Golden does what he did in the previous two Walker novels, keeping readers glued to the page, both wondering and dreading what will happen next.


The Bright Book of Life: Novels to Read and Reread

Isn’t it great to find a friend who has treasured all the books that you love and shares insights with you that reflect and confirm your own? Harold Bloom, in this book, becomes such a treasured friend. The title underlines how, to Bloom, books are life itself. Bloom finds joy in all aspects of the novels within this book: the characters, the surrounding milieu, other books or writers who have opined on these novels, and his own delight in reading and reflecting upon them. My son and I fought over who would get to read this book. He would snatch it away and I would have to search to recover it. You may find similar wars within your own household; everyone will want possession of this magnificent book. Unlike other volumes of this kind, which may list the “must-reads,” this book is so much deeper and more entertaining. Through Bloom’s command and understanding of great literature, I congratulate myself on sharing his opinion of those I have read and look forward to reading others he has recommended within this book.


People Who Love to Eat Are Always the Best People: And Other Wisdom

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” Wise words from Julia Child, the name eponymous with transforming home cooking into culinary dedications of love and perfection. Witty, humorous, and sometimes intentionally controversial in her kitchen opinions, Child has long been recognized as a quotable legend, and this beautifully bound hardback booklet collects some of those priceless gems for our enjoyment. Collected by the Julia Child Foundation, these are her authentic statements, and Child’s abundant personality shines through. With scattered artwork throughout, the book collects such firm statements as, “A cookbook is only as good as its poorest recipe,” and frameable lines like “The pleasures of the table are infinite.” This book makes the perfect gift for the cuisinier in your life, professional or amateur – paired with a nice dish, a Julia Child cookbook, or a basket of ingredients, your favorite chef can’t help but agree with the sentiment in the title. It would also be an appropriate gift for a graphic artist or designer creating lettered signs, cards, and wall-hangings. It may help us, in Julia’s own words, to “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”


The Baburnama

It's always interesting to see how memoirs and autobiographies have come since the time this work was originally written by the first Mughal Emperor, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan. This translation helps bring to life this work for modern readers, though some people not used to this writing style might have trouble getting through it.

Babur ascended the throne of a small Central Asian kingdom and invaded northern India, founding the Mughal Empire, which would go onto rule the area for a long time until the British came. He began this self-portrait not long after becoming the Mughal ruler and continued to work on it until he died. The work is part poetry, which might be familiar to some readers who know classic texts from that era. It is also part battlelouge as well, as he recounts various battles and other escapades that he was involved in. The book is split into major parts, with the longest part being the work itself. Then followed by appendices and with an introduction by a scholar placing in its proper place and time.


Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism

In a Gallup poll run through September 2020, trust in the media was found to be down to a 40-60 split toward the negative. Sharyl Attkisson is a journalist and on-air personality who has chronicled the reasons for the media’s downturn. In Slanted, she examines how the “narrative” is spun so that opinion outshines facts in mainstream journalism.

Attkisson’s career has spanned forty years, her work being honored with Emmy Awards and nominations. However, the bottom line of the corporate-backed media and the conflicts of interest led to scuttling of stories or editing of investigative work resulting in a puff piece. Attkisson tells of her battles with superiors at CBS Evening News in terms of getting stories on air, such as the CDC’s reporting of cases during the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 or being nudged toward a negative spin on Steve Forbes’ tax plan if he won the 1996 presidential election.

Slanted is an unsparing account of the corruption of journalism. Attkisson relates her opinions with a refreshing honesty, her view on the trends in journalism blunt but without snark. Attkisson’s comprehensive listing of the media miscues and falsehoods during the Trump administration may make the reader look twice at their daily news. As such, Slanted serves as a exemplary history lesson.


Music is like receiving a gift on Christmas, but not knowing the full extent of its capabilities. It's great to have the music and use it for what we think it's meant for, but if we knew of its power, we'd appreciate and use it a whole lot more. The famous musician Alfred Zotti has written Music Therapy: An Introduction with Case Studies for Mental Illness Recovery to diminish our ignorance in this area and start using music in a positive, life-changing way. Zotti discusses the real-life benefits of music with Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.

Zotti writes about mental illness from personal experience; this is helpful to know when the reader wants to learn information that is tried and true. I appreciate the case studies that are included; they drive home the points that he makes in each short chapter and shows it applied to a person. The way he writes is simple to understand, and the information and facts that he presents are eye-opening. Any reader can benefit from this book!


This Time Next Year: A novel

Minnie Cooper was born on January 1, 1990, just a couple of minutes after midnight. Her mother, Connie, had hoped she’d be the first baby of the new decade and win the $10,000 prize that came along with it. The family could sure use the money. But the woman Connie helped through labor, Tara, ended up giving birth just a minute before her…she also stole the name Minnie was supposed to have, Quinn. Thus, Minnie was born under the shadow of Quinn Hamilton and his name-stealing mother.

This is a brilliantly written story about love, redemption, friendship, and self-empowerment. The story has perfectly executed flashbacks of Minnie and Quinn’s lives over the years leading to the day they finally meet, their mutual thirtieth birthday. What a warm, lovely, cast of characters…from Minnie’s best friend Leila and the quirky assortment of people they work with, to the parents of both Minnie and Quinn, you’ll love spending time in their world.

This book is an absolute delight, both because it’s a lovely story and it’s so well written. I’m so glad I read this book. Definitely, a feel-good tale to cozy up with.


Biographies & Memoirs Roundup

As the great novelist and short story writer Franz Kafka noted in The Trial, “It's sometimes quite astonishing that a single, average life is enough to encompass so much...” If the biographies and memoirs included in this list are anything to go by, it certainly seems that the average life is really very far from average.

Easy Crafts for the Insane: A Mostly Funny Memoir of Mental Illness and Making Things by Kelly Williams Brown

As its title suggests, Easy Crafts for the Insane: A Mostly Funny Memoir of Mental Illness and Making Things is a highly unusual book that combines basic crafting tutorials with moving and amusing biographical aspects in an effort to help readers tackle mental health issues. Kelly Williams Brown was riding high in life after writing a bestselling book, launching a lucrative speaking career, and having a fairy tale wedding, but she was brought crashing down to reality by a series of misfortunes, including physical injuries, family illness, and divorce. In fact, things became so bad that she had to spend time as an in-patient in a mental health facility. Her own experience of the positive impacts of crafting, which helped her get through her darkest days, inspired Williams Brown to write this highly autobiographical, undeniably practical, and very entertaining self-help book. She found that a range of crafts, none of them particularly complicated, helped to motivate her and provide a sense of accomplishment, such as embroidery, lettering, block printing, origami, and making tiny stars, thousands of tiny stars. Aside from relating events from her own life, both the good and the decidedly not good, in an effort to help and inspire those in similar situations, she also provides straightforward guidance on how to do a number of the crafts that helped her quieten her mind and cope with difficult times.

Little and Often: A Memoir by Trent Preszler

Trent Preszler had been estranged from his father for so long that he had given up any hope of reconciliation between them and reconciled himself to the lack of a relationship, which is why it came as a major shock when his father telephoned and invited him to spend Thanksgiving at the family home in South Dakota. Busy in his new role as CEO of a wine company based on Long Island, Preszler was doubtful about the wisdom of accepting the invitation, although he ultimately agreed to make the trip. That Thanksgiving turned out to be the last time he saw his father, who subsequently died of cancer, leaving Preszler a legacy in the form of an old wooden toolbox and a mass of unanswered questions. At first puzzled by the gift of the toolbox since he wasn’t renowned for his DIY or building skills, Preszler decided that he would learn how to use his father’s tools and build a wooden canoe, which he would launch to make the first anniversary of his father’s passing. Little and Often: A Memoir is a moving account of Preszler’s time spent working on the canoe and mulling over the events of the past in an attempt to better understand his father and their (lack of a) relationship. It’s a tale of self-discovery and of the complex relationships between fathers and sons, and by telling it, Preszler manages to achieve a sense of acceptance through channeling his creativity toward something that signifies hope.

I'm Gonna Say It Now: The Writings of Phil Ochs by Phil Ochs

While best known as a songwriter, Phil Ochs was also an immensely talented short story writer, poet, journalist, diarist, political commentator, critic, and travel writer. In fact, when it came to words, he was a something of a polymath.  I'm Gonna Say It Now: The Writings of Phil Ochs is a treasure trove of exquisite and insightful writing that collects Ochs’ non-musical works from his early days as a student at Staunton Military Academy and then Ohio State University, through to his heyday and political awakening as part of the folk scene of New York during the 1960s, and on to the more melancholic and polemic pieces that characterized his later years. Over the course of his lifetime, Ochs produced numerous stories, poems, essays, articles, and reviews that expertly addressed their topics while also revealing his thoughts, hope, and concerns for individuals and for society at large. A truly extensive collection, the book includes many rare pieces as well as previously unpublished works held in the Phil Ochs Papers at the Woody Guthrie Center, in addition to reproductions of journals and notebooks, which shed light on Ochs’ thought and writing processes. It also features a host of never-before-published photographs that serve to augment the impact of the text.

Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O'Connor

The delightfully named Nora Barnacle was just twenty years old when she first met famed Dubliner James Joyce, then a medical school dropout who had so far failed to launch a career as a writer, and embarked upon a complex and decidedly unconventional relationship that would see the pair of them travel among Europe’s greatest cities, enjoy the highs of celebrity, wealth, and literary success, and endure the lows of mistrust, poverty, infidelity, and mental illness. Their desire for each other was intense but while they both sought a life bigger than that on offer in their native Ireland, they were fundamentally quite different. While Joyce was happy to endure poverty so long as he had sufficient company, booze, and time to write, Nora was troubled by the instability and precarious nature of their lives, particularly the impact that those factors had on their children. Although success did come to the pair, so too did tragedy, and while they remained together until Joyce’s death, their intense relationship was not always a happy one. In  Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce, a truly impressive work of biographical fiction, Nuala O'Connor pens a powerful and incisive account of the life of Nora Joyce, who despite being remembered as “Irish literature’s greatest muse” was really a far more complex, commanding, and intriguing individual than her lasting reputation suggests.

Shooting Out the Lights: A Memoir by Kim Fairley

 Shooting Out the Lights: A Memoir recounts the early years of Kim Fairley’s marriage to Vern, a man more than thirty years her senior. Fairley considered that she lived a rather solitary life before her work at the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office caused her to meet Vern, the owner of a hardware store in her adopted hometown of Hillsboro, and she was quick to embrace married life after the two moved from being friends to being romantically involved. When Fairley finds that she is pregnant just a few months after their marriage, everything seems to be going well for the pair of them––although the specter of tragedy remains in the house following the death of Vern’s fourteen-year-old son Ben some years before he met Fairley. However, things get difficult very rapidly when Vern agrees that Stan, the young son of his recently deceased friend, can come and stay with them for a couple of weeks while his mother sorts out probate issues. As the length of Stan’s stay increases and his behavior becomes increasingly troubling, Fairley struggles to cope with the strain on her marriage, the taxing nature of pregnancy, and the secrets that lurk in her and Vern’s pasts. Kim Fairley excels at building up tension as she relates her recollections of the period in question, suggesting that events are building to a crescendo and that secrets are about to be revealed. It’s a compelling memoir peopled by real-life characters who are both very real and, often, very strange.


Blood Gun Money: Firearms Trafficking Along America's Iron River

The trial of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was high profile and filled with salacious details from his escapes to his extravagances to the murders carried out at his behest. A pivotal moment of the case against him was the revealing of various weapons possessed and utilized by his cartel. The narco republic that has ensnared the soul of Mexico is the frequent customer of the gun traffic, as drugs flow north and guns flow south. As Mexico is plagued with the internecine wars of the various cartels, the US has witnessed all too common gun violence and horrific mass shootings. Attempts to control the gun trade are met with fierce resistance, but mainly by the hardcore of gun enthusiasts. The arguments are not over, but there is hope for compromise.

Blood Gun Money cuts to the chase in its multifaceted portrayal of an enduring battle. Author Ioan Grillo (“El Narco”, “Gangster Warlords”) charts the flowing pipeline of the gun trade, from the inner cities of Baltimore to the factories in Eastern Europe. Author Grillo writes an even-handed portrayal of the often frustrating pervasiveness of the gun traffic, interviewing scores of individuals who are on both sides. Investigative Journalism has never felt so palpably poignant.


A Lady Compromised: A Rosalind Thorne Mystery

Miss Rosalind Thorne is someone other women come to for help when they have nowhere else to turn. As she traveled to the country to help her friend, Miss Louisa Winterbourne, with her upcoming nuptials, she was contacted by Miss Helen Corbyn. Helen asked for a meeting to discuss a matter she needed help with, although she did not say what the matter was. Rosalind finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery she was not prepared for. To further complicate matters, she was invited to the country by the Duke of Casselmaine, Devon Winterbourne, with whom she was previously betrothed before the Thorne family scandal thwarted those plans. Now she must try to plan a wedding, see if there is anything left of her relationship with Devon, and try to solve a murder without completely disrupting her life.

Even though this is the fourth book in a series, I did not feel lost and was able to enjoy it as a stand-alone novel. The imagery of the pomp and circumstance, gowns, and lavish homes transported me to a time long ago. The characters were well rounded and the story, with all its twists and turns, was well thought out and unpredictable. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.


Oslo, Maine: A Novel

Set in a failing lumber town, this imaginative and unexpected novel opens in the point of view of a moose! But this is no fable or talking animal fantasy: the pregnant moose is understandably wary of any humans she encounters.

The humans themselves are a fascinating bunch: a musically talented boy struggling with memory problems and his battling parents, who love to hate and hate to love each other. There is also the couple “from away” who are still regarded as newcomers despite having lived in Oslo for two decades, a childlike oaf of a man, and his adoring grandmother.

Each character closely guards secrets from the others, but in a small town, secrets—like treasure—are worth pursuing. The town itself and its rural Maine setting are almost characters themselves in the adept hands of this novelist, who draws upon her own musical background to bring the story to life.


Tropical Deception

"This time around, Pancho McMartin has taken Wayson Takei as a client, a man accused of murdering his neighbor Peter Roosevelt. As he dives into the evidence, with the invaluable assistance of his private investigator, new secretary, and medical examiner lover, Pancho quickly comes to realize this is far from an open and shut case. Tropical Deception is an exciting murder mystery that will have readers on the edge of their seats. ---Jessica Tingling, San Francisco Book Review


Still Moving

"Written as a beautiful memoir, Still Moving places us into the life of author Linda Durham, artist, world traveler, and visionary. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to working with orphans in Africa, Durham’s spirit shines through even in times of hardship. Candid, eye-opening, and written with deep emotion, Still Moving will make you laugh and cry at the same time. — Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review


Journey to Jumbalot

Journey to Jumbalot, written by Ryan Wakefield, follows the tale of a young house cat: Alby. Alby was saved from the streets by his kind friend, Professor Wizoom. When Wizoom creates a strange, multi-colored, triangular door and disappears the next day, Alby must gather his courage to enter the doorway. As he walks through, he hears a voice talking to him and telling him “you can save them all”. When Alby walks out on the other side of the doorway, he finds himself in a magical world with grass that glimmers and strange creatures with even stranger names like froguars, vipanthers and pandowls. These exotic creatures are hybrids of the animals in the natural world. While he makes his way through the magical world in search of the Professor, Alby makes many friends like Fremmy, a froguar, and Troonix, a Tricerafox. Alby finds himself in the midst of a war to protect Jumbalot from Rozer, a wolveraptor-rex who is set on getting revenge on Queen Lola, the kind and fair ruler of Jumbalot. Alby must stay strong and use his imagination and wits during his journey through Jumbalot.

On Alby’s journey he faces many foes to save his dear friend Professor Wizoom. He also makes a lot of new friends who prove to be loyal and good as they stick with him through thick and thin. Alby learns that with his friends by his side, there's nothing he can't do. He learns how to use his imagination and discovers that he is stronger than he thinks he is. Alby helps the people fight the war of Jumbalot and retrieve and return their most precious relic to its rightful place. With the lessons learned and the assistance of the brave people of this strange land, Alby helps defend the beautiful land of Jumbalot and saves Professor Wizoom. He never gives up hope even though he doubts himself sometimes. Alby realizes that nothing is impossible. Buy the book to uncover the secrets of Jumbalot with Alby and his friends.

I would recommend this story to all genders who love fantasy and who are nine years or older. This story is filled with adventure, bravery, and strength. It was made to entertain and it truly made me want to jump into the book and explore this fascinating fantasy land. Journey to Jumbalot is an exciting book that you will be sure to never forget. It definitely is a great addition to any library as it is one of those books that you will want to read over and over again. Grab a copy of this fantasy adventure and buckle in for the Journey to Jumbalot!


Ghost Letters: Poems

Ghost Letters captured the multifarious aspects of life via its rawest manifestations—beauty, death, heartbreak, human survivorship, ghostly ancestorial presences, and poverty, are interwoven by a collection of letters and poems gathered from a time capsule, recently revealed to the world.

Author Badji breathed life into the letters that told the tragic tales of distance, death, and the African diaspora. The letters held space for the motherland left behind; each entry was penned with fortitudinous reverence for Mother Africa.

The topography of Senegal was represented by realism interwoven with earthy archetypes and several Arabic verses from the Koran. Islamic hallowed beliefs and traditions are an integral part of the ethereal tapestry of the letters' poetic reflections.

   Surrealism and metaphorical references are delicately woven through each poem, correlating the demonstrable effects of French Colonialism in Senegal. This eventuated with the tragic loss of culture, adaption of the French language, and the French influence that squelched the authentic spirit of the people of Senegal. Many of the poems are terribly alive with the traumatic pain of loss that the readers could feel the pain within their own souls.

Ghost Letters provided the readers with a glimpse into the African soul and the scarring effects of diaspora. Moreover, a newfound appreciation for African culture could be fostered from this poignant book---a literary experience for mind, heart, and soul.


Here City: Poems

From the deceptively simple Relapse to the surrealist personal history of Field Notes, the thirty-seven poems of Rick Snyder’s collection, Here City, deserve and demand repeated readings. They are compelling, observant, and provocative. Focused on Southern California and the earliest years of the twenty-first century, the poet's visions and their words, their personal and cultural specificity, succeed in creating a reliable description of the time, place, and person behind their creation. On that basis, they deserve the reader's full attention and this reviewer's full marks.

At the same time, it's because of that focus that these poems largely fail to meet a crucial demand placed upon mature poets and poetry: longevity. There is little of the universal in time, place, or experience, of a consistent ability to share the visions and transform their words for a wider audience. That universal element is present at the start but lost in the distance long before the journey is finished. As a result, as with a good meal, be satisfied by Here City, but expect to be hungry again soon.


Afraid of the Light: A Story About Facing Your Fears

Albert Strasser; illus. by Flavia Sorrentino

Ditter von Dapp liked his home in a cave. He couldn’t stand going in the light so he always stayed in the shade.  Then one day he loses his shoe and he can’t find it anywhere. Will he dare create some light to find it or keep search around in the dark?

The text is long. This is a book for an older audience for sure. I liked that it rhymed. The illustration style was unique, and I think it worked well for when the Ditter was in the cave and the dark. However, when he makes the change, I would have liked to see some change in the character’s appearance as well. As far as the plot, while there is a conflict, it felt like a long book for what it is. I do understand the imprint is trying to show the fundamentals of light and dark in Buddhism. I like the message of this book and going toward the light. My kids thought the pictures were unusual.

Age Recommendation: six to eight years old.


Oona

Kelly DiPucchio, illus. by Raissa Figueroa

Oona is about a little mermaid who searches for treasure and finds a crown! It is so pretty to see her underwater world and you can imagine why she wants the treasure. She can’t quite reach it, so she perseveres and tries to think of a way to reach it. After lots of tries and fails she finally figures out a way. This book is good for people who are feeling really frustrated with something and struggling to find a way to finish it. The illustrations are sweet and will make the book interesting even to young readers who may not understand the full meaning of the story. It’s the perfect read-aloud, especially when you or one of your kids is feeling really frustrated about something.


Raider (A Miranda Chase thriller)

This action thriller marks the eighth installment from Buchman in the Miranda Chase brand which is gaining more and more traction. The popularity is due in part because of the short, character-driven chapters which alternate point of view at a maddening pace. Loaded with the latest techno-wizardry, the individually flawed characters each bring something to the table.

Miranda Chase herself is an autistic genius who happens to be the top investigator at the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board.  She surrounds herself with other geniuses who each in their own right have something broken within them. In this story, a rogue hacker is bringing down aircraft by monkeying around with the GPS system. When the Vice- President's plane crash lands in Turkey, it almost starts a war.

Although heavily researched, if there is a flaw with Buchman's writing style, it shows in the sometimes exasperating group conversations with the easily distracted main character, suffocating all the suspense and breaking the rhythm of the storyline. Nevertheless, the characters themselves compel the reader to push through such frustrations. As a genre, Buchman is to be applauded for bringing something fresh and exciting to the table of mostly misunderstood people.


Last Gate of the Emperor

Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwambe Mbala is a cool story about a boy, a girl, and a robot lioness. The boy, Yared, played an augmented-reality game that caused an attack on his city. His uncle Moti disappeared and then all the stories that he heard came true. Now Yared has to find his uncle and make sense of everything that is happening, but he cannot do it alone. His pet robot lioness joins him on the quest, as does his competitor in the game, a girl named Ibis.

The plot of the story was entertaining and made plenty of sense. It always got interesting when the main characters made a daring escape. I got to know the characters very well and I liked them. They didn't seem very real but they were easy to relate to. The language of the story flowed well and it was easy to read. There were no illustrations in this book, unfortunately. Kids aged ten and older who love science fiction would enjoy this book. I think it could actually make a great series. I would absolutely recommend this book! I couldn't stop reading it!


Poems from the Wilderness

When poems are seductive, they can conceal more than they reveal. Jack Mayer’s Poems from the Wilderness is a memoir culled from twenty-five years of creativity at first straightforward:

When I was twelven

I mailed a comic book coupon,

hoping against hope

that I would be the kid

to win an electric Ford Thunderbird.

Mayer’s son returns from summer camp bringing more memories: fingernail dirt lines, grime encrusted socks, clothing stiff from sweat, and an over-used high school gym locker scent.

And then…. and then …. the lyricism of his poetry reaches out, the secular becomes spiritual as the wilderness embraces, evolving from the prosaic details of his world view, he catches

…a glimpse.

of the ineffable, the ephemeral, the everlasting,

trying to reckon which is which.’

The forests and the mountainsides provide a sanctuary, not an escape, for although reluctant to hear hikers’ tales he is too courteous to ignore them as he seeks solitude. Nature has carried him from youth to age yet he feels himself part of a greater scheme:

I am a God to the birds

flocking to my feeder in winter.

A forgiving God.

The birds are foremost until the poem’s ending,

I revel in the mystery, the prayer that a God

behind the window loves me enough

To feed my soul.

The poems explore, sometimes delight or comfort. But I was fearful all along that Poems from the Wilderness was not exaltation, but a lament.


Poems from the Wilderness


Ijeoma Oluo follows her best selling book So You Want to Talk About Race? with an equally compelling and unflinching critique of the intersections of race, gender, and power in Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America. Well-researched, thoughtful, and unapologetic, Oluo’s latest release addresses the fragility of white masculinity, which threatens communities and institutions.

Oluo directly addresses gendered and racialized power by offering historical and contemporary examples. She argues that in an individualistic and patriarchal society, women are expected to be above reproach, while men can be “mediocre.” She highlights white male entitlement and frustration over the perceived advantages of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and members of other marginalized communities, critiquing the troublesome trend of anti-intellectualism and the rise of hateful rhetoric and violence among right-wing white men.

Oluo has encapsulated the Trump era, memorializing the anti-racist acts of resistance by political newcomers Ilhan Omar and Alexandra Ocasio Cortez and sports icon Colin Kaepernick. She adopts a balanced approach in her critique, pointing out flaws among the political left. She discusses how whiteness tends to be central in social justice movements that focus on socioeconomic issues, ignoring the deleterious impacts of race.

Oluo’s analysis advances the discourse about dismantling white male supremacy, or perhaps more accurately, mediocrity. It’s an important read during this time of reckoning about equity and justice.


Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America's Cheap Goods

The little girl opened the box of Halloween decorations and gave Julie, her mother, folded paper she found inside. It was a letter, pleading for help, the ha ting English spelling interspersed with Chinese characters. Was it fake? Was it a joke in poor taste? Julie treated it seriously. In vain she begged one international aid organization after another to try locating the writer and do something about it. Years later, she learned the story.

Amelia Pang takes this introduction as the starting point for Made in China. a chilling account of prisoners and addicts committed to abusive fifteen-hour working days in Chinese labor camps. Their mandate is to produce gewgaws and holiday accessories and miscellaneous components to enable western customers to buy Chinese-made products at falsely low prices.

When Pang identifies, Sun Yi she chooses him to represent millions of similar victims. She chronicles living conditions for the political and addicted prisoners as repetitive starvation, torture, and minimal medical treatment.

Sun Yi’s crime as a member of Falun Gong was punishable in China, whether recognized as a cult or religion. His family life was threatened and his wife refused to be interviewed for the book.

Pang’s writing is controlled, she neither rants nor over-dramatizes. Her tone suggests ‘Once upon a time…..’ but readers will not view Made in China as a fairytale.


So Embarrassing: Awkward Moments and How to Get Through Them

So Embarrassing by Charise Mericle Harper is a comic book about ways to deal with embarrassing situations. A boy and a dog teach the reader how to avoid getting embarrassed in public. For example, what to do when you blush, how to not be embarrassed by your parents, and how to deal with the situation when someone tells your secret to everyone.

The boy and the dog explain everything in a funny way with plenty of jokes. I couldn't help laughing as I read the book. Because it is a graphic novel, the book is full of pictures. They are simple and make the story fun to read. My favorite part of the book was when the dog gives examples of all the things he does that he is not embarrassed about. Anyone who gets easily embarrassed will be able to find ideas to help them in this book.

I recommend this book for eight to twelve year olds. I give this book five stars because it teaches you useful things while also being hilarious.


How To Become a Planet

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, these are the planets near our star."

How to Become a Planet is an outstanding book about a girl named Pluto who has depression and anxiety and is in love with space. Pluto is supposed to "fix herself" to be able to make it to eighth grade.

Pluto makes some new friends along her journey: adults and kids. I really loved each and every character in the book, and pictured a mini-movie inside my head while reading!
How to Become a Planet also does show what makes planets, planets. There are three criteria in the book for how to be a planet, and facts in the book about space.

There aren't any illustrations, but I don't think there needs to be. The book is already so good by itself!

How to Become a Planet is for tweens and ages ten to fourteen. I hope people enjoy it because I sure did!


The Constituion Decoded: A Guide to the Document That Shapes Our Nation

Katie Kennedy, illustrated by Ben Kirchner

The Constitution Decoded: A Guide to the Document That Shapes Our Nation by Katie Kennedy is basically a book with the U.S. Constitution on the left pages and the simple translation of the meaning on the right-side pages which makes it easy to understand. The book has a Vocabulary of terms to help understand the text, lots of helpful illustrations, diagrams, and Did You Know facts. This book includes the complete Constitution, Preamble, all the Articles, and Amendments, as well as The Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation. If you are learning about the U.S. Constitution in school, you need this book! It will help you without a doubt! And if you are just curious about what the U.S. Constitution is all about, this is the book for you! I would think ten-year-olds and older would enjoy this very useful and educational book. I definitely did!


Competitive Grieving: A novel

Popular Fiction

Sometimes finding a good book to read can be hard, because there are so many books in the world! So what if you limit yourself to just new books, so those released in the last year or so? That can be tricky too. Every Tuesday is special because it’s book release day, which means a bunch of new books are released to the world. Well, let me make it a little easier for you: here’s a list of recently released popular fiction to give you something to sink your teeth into and enjoy.

Pack Up the Moon
In what starts our as a kind of sad story turns into something beautiful and unique in Kristan Higgins’ //Pack Up the Moon.// Joshua and Lauren are happily married and love each other very deeply and cannot image life apart, but then Lauren is diagnosed with a terminal illness, but she has a plan after she is gone. A series of letters and instructions, one for every month of the year after her death, which he has to carry out. The stories, adventures, and experiences make him miss her all the more, but also love her in a whole new way.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Hailed as one of the best summer reads of 2021, //The Secret Keeper of Jaipur// is a story of intrigue and mystery. It is the summer of 1969 and Malik has just earned himself an internship at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their most recent project is an impressive cinema, but on opening night tragedy strikes as the brand new balcony collapses and obvious blame is assigned, but Malik has suspicions something else is going on here and decides to investigate. He grew up in this city and knows its hidden alleys and secrets well.

One Two Three
The Mitchell triplets live in the quaint and idyllic town of Bourne where nothing ever really interesting happens. Mirabel is smart and likes making things, like a cool voice app; Monday knows everything about books, even that one you didn’t know you were looking for; and Mab just wants to get good grades, head to college, and most importantly, get out of Bourne. But there is a dark history with the town, from an event that occurred seventeen years ago, and a new student has enrolled at Bourne Memorial High who happens to be the nemesis of the Mitchell family. Now things are about to become anything but boring.

Absolutist
It is the fall of 1919 and young Tristan Sadler is traveling to Norwich to deliver a collection of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, an incredible man whom he fought beside in the Great War and who he has immense respect for. In addition to the letters, Tristan must tell the story of himself and Will and the war, starting from the beginning with their meeting at Aldershot to end of their friendship in the trenches of France. A moving tale that is also filled with jealousy and betrayal.

Under the Wave at Waimea
Get lost in the warm waters of Hawaii with //Undet the Wave at Waimea// by Paul Theroux. Joe Sharkey, a renowned surfer known of course as “the Shark,” is now in his sixties and losing his popularity and sponsors, but is still respect by young surfers. In a freak accident, Joe kills a stranger and finds his life forever changed. But his girlfriend Olive, helps in learning the identity of the victim and discovering the dead man’s life, and in so doing, helps Joe get his life back together again.

Competitive Grieving
Stewart Beasley, a rising TV star, dies suddenly of an aneurysm. To Wren, Steward was her rock and her anchor, so now she must live her life without him and move on. But first she must plan the funeral to end all funerals. She is also surprisingly assigned the duty of disseminating Stewart’s possessions, and in so doing finds herself investigating his life and learning things she never knew about him. With a healthy balance of both laughter and tears, Competitive Grieving casts a new light on tragedy and grief that so many must go through.


It can be hard to come by a person who is not a fan of some kind of sports team. In Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding, Larry Olmsted is on a mission to convince his colleague of the importance of being a fan of some time of sport's team. His colleague is on the other end of the spectrum, assuming that being a fan is a waste of time. Olmsted argues for the importance of being a fan by explaining how and why sports fans are happier, how sports are entertainment, how sports alter our brain, and the superstitions that accompany the whole thing. Olmsted backs up his information with case studies, real-life events, and quotes from influential people.

Fans was educational and an enjoyment to read. I expected the book to be kind of dry, but Olmsted's writing is fresh and catchy. The results of case studies and real-life events made complete sense, it's just not something I had ever pieced together. Each chapter discusses a new way that sports are helpful and necessary, and each chapter leaves me wanting the next one right away.


Ellie's Dragon

Ellie finds a dragon at the grocery store and names him Scratch. She can see its beautiful rainbow colors, but her mother can’t. She brings it to pre-school with her and the other students can see the dragon, but the teacher can’t. Over the years, Ellie’s dragon grows, but as she gets older the dragon is becoming less and less apart of her life. What will become of Scratch now?

The text is perfect for a picture book of great length. Word usage is good. I love how the words show the different ways both the girl and dragon are growing up. I think the style of the illustrations fits the book very well. I love the way the pictures of the girl and the dragon growing up. I love the diversity showing in the illustrations. From a parent's perspective, this book almost made me cry thinking about my kids growing up. I think it’s a sweet story. I love that it has an imaginary friend as one of the main characters. Choosing a dragon was a perfect choice.

Age Range: Birth to eight years


One Life

Megan Rapinoe is recognizable worldwide as an activist, an Olympic gold medalist, and a two-time World Cup champion. Her brilliant book, One Life, tells the story of how she became this figure and why the causes she has championed are so important to her.

Rapinoe relates how she was raised to believe in equality—in her house, on the field, and in the world. When she and her twin sister Rachel wanted to play soccer, it was in part due to their elder brother Brian’s success in the sport. There was never a suggestion that he could do something they couldn’t, and his encouragement, along with their parents’ support, propelled Megan and Rachel into adulthood as athletes.

For that reason, the foundation of equality in Rapinoe’s life was set early. Later, when she came out as a lesbian, supported marriage equality, knelt during the national anthem—inspired by Colin Kaepernick—and stood up for pay equity for the women’s national soccer team players, it became clear that her activism would be lifelong.

The fabulous One Life is equal parts sports memoir, activist’s journal, and feminist’s call to action. It asks the reader, through an epigraph from Mary Oliver, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”


Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection

Sneeze is a collection of short stories by award-winning manga artist Naoki Urasawa. The stories range from a mobster take with a moral to a slapstick-styled cat-and-mouse chase. Urasawa combines fun and unique storytelling with outstanding artistry. Sneeze showcases Urasawa’s breadth as a storyteller: a departure from the sci-fi adventure and psychological suspense stories that have defined his work for decades.

The artist devotes much of the book to combining his love of music with his love of manga, at times even reaching back into his childhood for inspiration. As a child of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Urasawa brings in his love of music by honoring both Japanese and Western folk musicians, taking the reader on a musical nostalgia trip. Some stories are purely nonsensical, while others highlight the artist’s takes on Kaijiu (giant) monsters and superheroes. The graphic short stories in Sneeze move quickly, without sacrificing plot and character development. Whether man or mouse, Urasawa’s characters convey purpose and human frailty.

Sneeze is a delightful read for any manga fan, especially followers of Urasawa’s previous work. As the artist puts it, as a “short work,” Sneeze “can make even the most beautiful person look momentarily ugly.” The book is a joy because it reflects the storyteller’s joy in sharing the love for the moments that defined his childhood and ultimately shaped his life’s work.


Hot to Trot: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, 31)

Agatha Raisin doesn't want to admit that the marriage of her friend and once-lover Sir Charles Fraith is getting her down. She might be over him romantically but she can't stand the bride-to-be. An obnoxious upstart as far as she's concerned. After an unsuccessful attempt to crash the wedding, she tries again to attend a masked ball uninvited. The only trouble is, as she's leaving, albeit, after an altercation with the new wife Mary, that very same woman is found dead in the stables. Now both Agatha and Charles are suspected of murder. It will be up to Agatha to get them both out of another mess. But before she can do that, she'll have to confront her feelings about he ex-husband James who's recently returned to the village as well.

I absolutely adore this series. And I loved Hot to Trot. Agatha is her usual cranky self in this installment, but she's also lovable, vulnerable, and loyal to the core where her friends are concerned. Mrs. Beaton had a writing style that brought new meaning to the cozy novel with fun, compelling mysteries full of enticing, charming settings, and a raft of characters you couldn't help but love. Sadly, Mrs. Beaton passed away in 2019.


Champion of the Titan Games (Dragonwatch)

Champion of the Titan Games is a great adventure story about a boy trying to reclaim his lost memories. This is the fourth book in the Dragonwatch series and is very well written. In this book, Seth, one of the main characters, is working with some of his friends to try to get his memories back from the demon Humbuggle. At the same time, Kendra, who is Seth's sister, along with more of Seth's friends are looking for him and trying to find a way to stop a dragon army, led by Celebrant. Seth decides to learn more about the Titan Games, a dangerous gladiatorial competition that is run by Humbuggle. After making some new friends, Seth must decide if getting his memories back is worth what it might cost.

I really enjoyed this book, it was very interesting. It was filled with many different types of giants, dragons, and trolls. The way that the magical world is set up in this book was also really cool. I would recommend this book to kids in junior high and high school, especially if they like fantasy or adventure stories.


The Loathing

A mercenary is viewed as a soldier for hire, a man of questionable loyalty. However, this is a misconception, as many times a mercenary is often seeking a new kind of battle. Maddox Hunter is a brawny Aussie with the steely nerve that served him well in the service and now in his employ with a Private Military Contractor. He and a motley assortment of soldiers of fortune are stationed in Pakistan, waiting for the next assignment, big on danger, bigger on plausible deniability. Hunter is loyal to the mission, and to his friends. He reveals his strength and loyalty when he comes to the aid of a squirrely CIA asset named Zander Butowski. He disarms armed men intent on ending Butowski. Unfortunately, this leaves Butowski free to double deal and put others at risk, unbeknownst to Hunter. Hunter and his team are tasked with the escorting of a high-value prisoner to the airport when an ambush frees the prisoner and results in the shaming of Hunter and his crew. The only way out of the doghouse is for Hunter and his wildcard friend AJ to embed with a WHO crew in Afghanistan and recapture the target.

Their task is fraught with danger, but the adrenalin runs deep within Hunter and AJ. They thrive on risk and ask for seconds. Hunter is slightly more cautious now, as he is involved in a serious relationship with a Doctor named Stella. She works for Doctors without Borders in Liberia, where she faces danger on a near-constant basis. Hunter and AJ are embroiled in a firefight when they attempt to take their prisoner back, their quarry being very important to the local terrorist leader. AJ is caught by enemy forces and is facing his own end when Hunter guns down the terrorists and they quickly escape with their lives and the elusive prisoner. However, one of the casualties sprawled out in the firefight is the young son of the terror scion. Revenge has been vowed, and Hunter is pinpointed to suffer. Soon, the gathering clouds of the war on terror will rain a fiery hell on the soldiers and others. Who will survive?

The Loathing is a pulse-pounding action thriller that rips into the reader from its inception. Author Wilder Nash carves a niche for himself with this well-plotted novel that entertains on all levels. The characters are many, but each page provides a laugh or a thrill that proves compelling. The book excels with a combination of thrills, dark humor, heart-rending moments that will have the reader ready for more. A great read for 2021.


Every Vow You Break: A novel

Abigail Baskin is a woman with a dilemma. She is soon to be married to Bruce, a successful tech entrepreneur who became enamored with Abigail in their first meeting. He promised her security when she needed it the most. A whirlwind courtship results in their engagement. However, a chance encounter on her bachelorette party weekend results in a one night stand. She is overcome with guilt, but elects not to tell Bruce. Abigail is quickly troubled when she spots her fling in a coffee shop, but she chalks it up to randomness. Then she receives an email from the gentleman. Suddenly, the world seems smaller. She loves Bruce, and lets the other man down gently. Bruce and Abigail get married and embark on their honeymoon to an island in Maine. Yet, all is not right with the world, and Abigail is in for a rude awakening. Mistakes are easy to forget, but can they be as easily forgiven?

Every Vow You Break is the latest nail-biter from Peter Swanson(Eight Perfect Murders). The action and drama develop quickly, but the compelling nature of the book lay with its ability to shock and surprise the reader with its turns and chills. Any time one thinks they know the direction the book is headed, Swanson takes the fork in the road and the mystery deepens. An A++ work for the new year.


The Fortunate Ones: A novel

Plucked from the wrong side of the tracks, Charlie is given the chance to attend Yeatman, a boys’ school where the best families of Nashville send their sons. This is where Nashville society’s future power-brokers get their start, and though Charlie feels out of place, handsome, charming Arch Creigh takes him under his wing. Arch, along with uber-wealthy Jamie and Vanessa Haltom, give Charlie access to a side of Nashville he’d never seen before. His cozy inclusion gets complicated, however, when Mrs. Haltom hires Charlie’s mother as an assistant and installs them both in the family carriage house. New alliances form, and when an explosive secret comes to light, Charlie sees no choice but to flee. But his connection to Arch and the Haltoms isn’t so easily severed.

Arch’s fate is gloomily sealed from page one, but Tarkington builds tension and intrigue as he lays out just how the upward trajectory of society’s golden boy went so badly awry. Charlie’s helpless love for both Arch and Vanessa shapes his own life path, and although readers might want Charlie to cut and run sooner rather than later, his magnetic draw to the people who made his life different from how it might have been is ultimately understandable. It’s not only unwise to bite the hand that feeds us--but also, sometimes, impossible.


The Liar's Dictionary: A Novel

A shy, lisping lexicographer in the 19th century falls hopelessly in love. A closeted intern in the 21st century is tasked with ferreting out “mountweazels”: false words that her predecessor may have created and inserted into the dictionary. Peter Winceworth grapples with pelicans and the humiliating secret that his lisp is a feint, designed to keep others at bay. Mallory must contend with anonymous phone calls threatening that the dictionary staff (all two of them) will burn in hell for having expanded the definition of “marriage” to accommodate all gender partnerships.

The Liar’s Dictionary is a novel for lovers of language, full of puns and wordplay and words you will have never heard of, which will send you to the dictionary to discover for yourself whether the author has made them up or not. Her vocabulary dazzles, her syntax seduces, and the plot—alphabetized and alternating between the two time periods—will carry you along throughout this delightful, unexpected book. Highly recommended.


Exploring the White House: Inside America's Most Famous Home

Exploring the White House is a really interesting book about the house on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in Washington DC, called the White House!

I learned so many facts about the White House that I would have never guessed. Sometimes the author would write in 1st person and tell stories about the events she attended while she was journaling about the Obamas!

On most pages, there is a little fun fact. One fun fact I found interesting is that Nancy Reagan was always pushing the staff to make everything perfect: even if that meant taking over 24 hours to work constantly. Did you know that the White House is about 814,572 square feet? Wow!Exploring the White House is a book for all ages, and I would totally recommend it to them all.


A Deadly Edition: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery

With her upcoming wedding, Amy Webber is celebrated with a party thrown for her and Richard by their good friend Kurt. Even an art dealer named arrives to give his congratulations much to the dismay of Kurt who despises the man and the feeling is mutual. When Amy and Richard find Oscar's body, Amy is pulled into another mystery that could derail her wedding day. When Kurt is considered the likely suspect, Amy refuses to believe he's capable of murder and becomes more determined to find the real killer.

The mystery gives Amy two main reasons to make her search for the killer: to learn how her brother connects and to prove Kurt's innocence. Her wedding day is woven throughout as she continues to plan and doesn't let catching a killer keep her from trying on her wedding dress. Relationships are naturally explored through different connections such as her best friend who is her main accomplice. The relationship elements show what grounds her as a character. A Deadly Edition is another win for the series by Victoria Gilbert who delivers layered characters, a solid mystery, complex clues, and complicated relationships in an addicting read.


Grounds for Murder

Lana Lewis is excited to enter the Sunshine State Barista Championship which is all thanks to her highly skilled and highly sought-after employee. Until in a blink of an eye, he goes to work for a rival cafe. Lana soon discovers Fab's body behind her cafe and then labeled the ideal suspect with plenty of motive. Lana digs into the skeletons in Fab's closet and uncovers plenty of motive for murder from everyone he surrounded himself with.

Lana is a strong-willed person who has taken a new chapter in her life after losing her job as a reporter and divorcing her cheating husband. Owning a cafe gives her a second chance to take a new path in her life which takes her from chasing down killers to making coffee. Her previous life is seen consistently throughout the mystery in a similar way to how ghost haunts and makes its presence known when she least expects it such as the arrival of her ex. Her previous job as a reporter is part of who she is so Fab's murder creates a rejuvenation within her as she's able to get back into investigating. Grounds for Murder is a must for every cozy mystery fan to have on their shelves as it's a charming and addicting blend of humor and mystery.


D (A Tale of Two Worlds): A Novel

Dhikilo is a young girl from the small independent nation of Somaliland, located within the country of Somalia. Few people know about and Dhikilo is pretty much used to this and not fitting in much with school and life in the little town of Cawber, close to the cliffs of Dover and the Channel. But suddenly the letter D disappears from the world and only Dhikilo seems to know it’s happened. Everyone around her talks with the “D” missing, then signs and places change with the “D” removed, and finally, things using the letter “D” like dogs start to disappear.

Fortunately, a history teacher Professor Dodderfield whom she thought dead is in fact alive and knows what’s going on. Dhikilo must go on an adventure to the wintry land of Liminus where there are many strange creatures and save and return the letter “D.”

Told in a whimsical style with hints of Narnia and Dickens, D is a fun fantasy story thirty-five years in the making that takes readers on an adventure into a world controlled by the monstrous Gamp. The book is unpredictable and nonstop fun, as the reader is kept hooked to the end of this strange tale.


Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World

Simon Winchester purchased 123 rocky, acres in New York State. The dimensions and viability of the terrain were less significant than the status he acquired. He had become a landowner. As he considered this new departure, he recognized land ownership was universally important in the modern world. Contemplating further, he saw this factor had prevailed throughout history. He undertook a meticulous study seeing how the thirty-six international borders in the world were numerically a mere fraction of the boundaries and borders globally dividing tribes, nations, even countries.

Chapters reveal the uniqueness of each history from Andorra to New Zealand, the Netherlands to Texas often displacing communities, even populations. The quest for land ownership has caused internecine wars and fractured relationships, on occasion formed profitable alliances. Many of the newer national boundaries were drawn during nineteenth-century colonial land-grabs.

Land is steeped in detailed information, it isn’t a quick bedtime read. Rather, it is to be savored, digested, enjoyed over a generous allocation of time. Readers will choose their favorite chapter, each seemingly more compelling than the previous one. I halted at the Ukraine, a country still in the headlines after generations, maybe centuries, of strife and change. But how to rate this more intriguing than North America’s tragic Indian displacement, the cross-cultural destruction of sub-Saharan Africa?

Few authors share Winchester’s ability to explore land’s intrinsic value, move from one sequence to the next so the chapters can be read discretely. Even without the continuity of earlier books like Krakatoa and The Man Who Loved China, this new one is lastingly absorbing.


In the Land of the Feathered Serpent

Odel Bernini believed he had it all. He was madly in love with (and still wildly attracted to) his wife, Penelope, he relished his position as Chief Curator at a major museum, and his marine biology studies take him all over the world. But on a trip to Central America, everything changed. Now his job is no longer secure, he is plagued by dreams of a strange woman in the jungle, harbors doubts about his wife's fidelity and affection, and finds himself swooning over a fellow world traveler as mysterious as she is alluring. As Odel embarks on an emotional and spiritual journey, confronting long-held beliefs about who he is, he also finds himself wading deeper into the sociopolitical battleground of US/Latin American relations in the 1980s. He will make hard choices, confront his demons and his virtues, and stumble toward a greater understanding of himself and the world around him... if he survives.

In the Land of the Feathered Serpent is author and scientist Rick Brusca's ambitious reimagining of The Odyssey for modern times, embracing the complexity and beauty of Central America as a new Mediterranean for his own Odysseus, Odel. I won't spend too much time comparing the two, because quite honestly, while Brusca's book rests on a framework of The Odyssey, more often than not, it is its own narrative. But to ignore the homage completely would be irresponsible.

Brusca cherry-picks elements from the famous tale±—character names, symbolic analogs, etc.—as well as the overarching idea of a man changing over time as he struggles to find his way home. (This time, more metaphorically than literally.) And on this basis, In the Land of the Feathered Serpent is a success. It provides intriguing ways for Odel to encounter these famed Odyssean obstacles, steeping them in either the history of Central American or the spirituality and mythology of Mesoamerican cultures. It feels familiar, and yes, there's the occasional heavy-handed metaphor, but it is never boring.

As for the narrative itself, Brusca reframes what could easily be construed as a midlife crisis—particularly Odel's encounters with various women in the novel—as something grander, a spiritual awakening. Instead, it becomes an epic personal growth where Odel's romanticism is at once embraced and stripped away from him, and he begins to see those around him as true, flawed people, not just the archetypes he'd painted them as. The reader takes this journey alongside Odel, often a step or two ahead of him, but always rooting for him. Despite his pedantic nature, his self-congratulatory nature, and his unnecessary tendency to always comment on the breasts of the women around him, Odel is an Everyman worth cheering on. You wish him to find true contentment, to solve the mysteries he has stumbled into.

When Brusca focuses on the man and his journey, the book is incredibly engrossing. Experiencing Central America as a place, a complicated melange of politics, choices, beauty, chaos, and potential, strips away the reader's false images, just Odel's illusions are similarly confronted. We, like him, learn more about our world. Those moments are powerful. And, at times, those moments are more spread out than necessary, because the book is absolutely loaded with unnecessary info and exposition. The politics of Central America and the minutiae of marine biology have their place in the story, certainly, but entire pages could be cut from the manuscript without hurting the reader's experience. That may sound harsh, but, at points, the info-dumping stops adding color to the story and starts hindering it. While it does, in a small way, reflect Odel's inability to focus on what's important—losing the forest for the trees, if you will—it does detract. The first 50 pages, in particular, suffer for it. But, in the long run, that is a quibble, the price of admittance for the ride. Odel's struggles, the labyrinthine threads of his life that tangle and knot in peculiar ways, and the path he takes to the other side is an intriguing one, rich in color and character, vibrantly realized.

In the Land of the Feathered Serpent is quite unlike anything I've ever read, because it is a curious combination of many genres. It is epic, a personal story, a midlife crisis, a coming-of-age journey, a love story, a mystery, a spiritual quest, and a historical drama. All of these elements are strings in a web that rests tenuously, yet eye-catchingly, on one of the all-time classic frameworks. This is a multi-course meal to be savored, not devoured in one sitting.


Prepped

Prepped is as unique as it is interesting. I’ve always been fascinated with those that are prepping for the apocalypse—considering it would cause too much anxiety and fear if that’s what I chose to think about. Becca is your relatively normal senior girl, trying to make her way through school to get a scholarship. That scholarship to college is everything that Becca wants because living the life she lives now, just isn't going to cut it. She wants out and she wants out fast! On top of the doomsday community she lives in, she’s also “unofficially” engaged to a fellow doomsday boy, Roy. Roy represents everything she doesn’t want. But when a tragedy happens, everything changes. Things she thought she knew and people she wrote off as a lost cause, it all comes tumbling down. Becca’s life will never be the same. I enjoyed this—from the beginning until the very end and I wanted to know what happened next. My only complaint was that at times I felt the characters were someone of a cardboard cutout of whom they were meant to be. I felt so much for Becca and everything she had to endure with her family. At the end of the day, she didn’t choose to be born to a family that preached fear. Who wants to live that way? Overall, I thought this was a great debut with a promising career for  Mangle. I look forward to reading more from her.


City Monster

The city monster used to be a forest monster, but then he moved to the city and that’s his life now. He has a ghost for a roommate and a vampire, Kim, for a neighbor, and he wants to get his life together but just… can’t. But one day he finds new purpose in helping his ghost roommate solve the mystery of his origin. Will they discover who the ghost used to be? Will their new mummy friend have a happy birthday? What exactly is up with that cat?

City Monster is the new graphic novel from Reza Farazmand, best known as the creator of the Poorly Drawn Lines web comic. This new offering lives up to everything Farazmand’s fans could have hoped for: memorable characters, a ridiculous plot, and that dry sense of humor that has made the creator’s prior works such a success. The illustrations have just the right amount of detail to tell the story and hold readers’ attention. Farazmand’s first full-length graphic novel is fantastic, definitely worth picking up and sharing with everyone you know who might enjoy a silly supernatural mystery.


Manga Classics Anne of Green Gables

L.M. Montgomery, Crystal Chan and Kuma Chan

The classic story Anne of Green Gables is here presented for the first time in a manga form. The art is beautiful and captures Anne, Gilbert, Diana, and all the other characters wonderfully. They even age and grow on the page, turning from children into adults.

The story is, of course, based on the original book, although it is an abridged version that includes only the best parts and so is missing much of the story. There is so much to miss if you haven't read the original Anne of Green Gables before, but any fan of the classic would be glad to have this Manga Classics version to add to their collection.


Manga Classics Frankenstein

The story of Frankenstein, the obsessive young man who creates a monster, is very familiar, but in its many tellings and retellings and various interpretations, details have been changed and shifted until the popular conception may be quite far from the original (Frankenstein is the man, not the creation!). This Manga Classics adaptation returns to Mary Shelley's first text and introduces a new generation of readers to the original intent of this revolutionary horror story. In connection with Shelley's exploration of profound themes of humanity, compassion, morality, hubris, and more, the author and the illustrator of this adaptation, M. Chandler and Linus Liu, have crafted a book that is much more accessible to modern audiences, while hewing carefully to the details that make the original so compelling. Thoughtful editorial choices such as making the monster's speech distinct from that of the humans, modernized speech and text, and the deliciously horrifying design of the various characters (the monster, for example, is horrific yet also sympathetic in appearance, as well as personality; while Frankenstein frequently gives in to his rage, showing his own monstrous aspects) make this a delightful adaptation where both Frankenstein and his monster are once again brought to life.


Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused

Nostalgia is a powerful feeling which brings people together. However, not everyone feels the same about the past. Memory tends to be distorted, where mediocre becomes great and uneventful becomes spectacular. Richard Linklater wrote Dazed and Confused as anti-nostalgia, but time has proven that the public clings passionately and wistfully to what he has shied away from. Linklater hailed from Huntsville, Texas where the prison loomed for some as a home or future employment. As a teenager, the nights provided an escape from the dreary routine. Linklater utilized this as a backdrop for the focus of his cinematic big break. Linklater used locals and friends for his Indie Sleeper Slacker, but now with backing from Universal, he was able to cast on a grander scale. Soon “Dazed and Confused” would bring in actors from Los Angeles, New York, and Texas to star in his adolescent roman a clef. The stage was set for a buzzworthy release with an impact still being felt nearly thirty years later.

In Alright, Alright, Alright, Author Melissa Maerz brings together countless crew & personalities to relate the fun, occasionally dangerous, frustrating filming of a beloved film. Maerz provides a well-written background to each chapter where she elicits the laughter, sadness, memories of many of her interviewees. The friendships made, the grudges held, the excessive partying all make for a fantastically endearing read.


Surrender the Dead: A Novel

Erin never wanted to come back to Wolf Point, but her father’s deteriorating health makes it necessary. There are too many painful memories. Almost twenty years have gone by since people disappeared from Wolf Point, including Erin’s mother and her friend Angela, among others. Erin’s best friend Robbie was there for her during that time, but she hasn’t seen him in the fifteen years she’s been gone. Bodies have been discovered on her father’s property and it’s not looking good for him. Erin knows he didn’t do it, but small towns have a tendency to mete out their own justice. Erin is going to have to figure this out on her own, and maybe if she’s lucky, Robbie will be there for her again. Secrets don’t stay buried and the ground will eventually Surrender the Dead.

This story is accurately described as a psychological thriller. Sometimes I had a hard time following the threads, with the multiple viewpoints and timelines, but overall it was a compelling story. The author did a great job of giving each of the victims, as well as the perpetrator, a voice. It made it a much more emotional tale that pointed out how we can all play a part in evil acts, even by simply justifying or ignoring the poor treatment of others. Family drama, mystery, and friendship are all highlighted well in this story. I recommend you check it out.


Best American Mystery Stories 2020 (The Best American Series ®)

Short stories are a special art form, often under-appreciated, but seldom disappointing. The form works particularly well for mysteries — compact, little stories with a puzzle to be solved. C. J. Box, who edited this collection, knows a thing or two about mysteries and about short stories. He has written twenty-seven mystery books as well as a collection of his own short stories and is a New York Times best-selling author. Box describes the difference between novels and short stories as, “the difference of stringing a series of dissimilar pearls on a string and calling it a necklace and being the oyster who creates a single perfect pearl.” He then goes on to describe the stories in this collection as twenty perfect pearls. The authors of these little gems will be familiar to mystery readers and include such names as Pamela Blackwood, John Sandford, and Jeffrey Deaver. Every story is worth your time, but don’t miss Home Movie and Girl with an Ax. They are terrific. This is a perfect book to keep next to your reading chair or on your bedside table, where you can pick it up and fill a short period with a glorious story.


Book Endings - A Call Numbers novel: Loss, Pain, and Revelations is centered on college and work colleagues who are actively exploring life and discovering some things about themselves, albeit dampened by explosive secrets, restrictions from parents, and emotional problems. The protagonist, who loses what he believes makes life meaningful, is left with two options: to give up or to keep trying.

 When Robin finds his grandfather on the floor because he collapsed, he fears he will be left alone in the world. Apparently, being a college student and a part-time library clerk is not enough to keep the loneliness demons away. However, a beautiful Japanese woman called Shinju Hasegawa could change things for him, but only if he stops missing his chances. Follow Robin in Book Endings - A Call Numbers novel: Loss, Pain, and Revelations as he tries to make sense of life while he navigates through shocking revelations, his chaotic relationships with his coworkers and college friends, and loss in the 1990s.

  Boom bap fans would love this book as it contains several references to Hip-hop names like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest. Apart from the '90s music references, some movies and games from the period are mentioned, bringing back good memories of an influential time in entertainment history as the story develops. The characters appear completely genuine and are easy to like: Robin is sweet at times but embarrassed about it in public, Shinju is proud of her Japanese heritage, and the other characters are equally distinctive and entertaining. The book has a calm pace, and it is packed with many surprises and interesting conversations you would want to join in. I connected with the characters in different ways. For example, the protagonist's need for someone reminds me of the times I've felt the same way. I liked how lifelike and relatable the story was.

 One aspect of the book I didn't like was the great number of characters. The story starts with several shifts between the different characters, and only a few pages are dedicated to each character. Before I could fully assimilate a character's information and get to know them well, I was introduced to another one. Consequently, the plot felt somewhat complex.

Syntell Smith's book is recommended to readers who seek an endearing and compelling narrative; a story that explores some social and psychological issues with some hard-to-forget characters. The elaborate narrative is filled with different themes, including jealousy, disagreement, fraud, racism, pain, sexual assault (nothing explicit), culture, pregnancy, romance, vengeance, violence, and more. Prepare for a wild, bumpy ride as it's hard to tell where the story will take you.


Wreck This Picture Book

According to this book, books really don’t have any reason for being unless they are interacting with someone. Books aren’t meant to simply sit on the shelf and be tidy, even though some adults have made up a whole lot of rules about books and how they must be treated. The book speaks directly to the reader and has many suggestions about good ways to interact with it. Of course, there is reading. That is the first way, but there are lots and lots of other ways. The book can be flung through the air or touched with different body parts or have the pages flipped to make sounds, or the reader can smell the book or add smells to the book or fold the pages or roll them up or even dress it up. The ideas of what should be done to a book are all over the place and many are somewhat destructive, which is perhaps fine if it is one’s own personal book, but librarians and a lot of parents certainly won’t be fond of these ideas. The art is creative and a lot of fun to look at though, which should keep littles ones entertained.


Smoking Meat Made Easy: Recipes and Techniques to Master Barbecue

There is not much better to eat than moist, tender meat, fish, or poultry that has been smoked until it’s ready to fall off the bone. This terrific book will give you all the information you need to successfully smoke anything you want to perfection. There is a good discussion of the different types of smokers, with the pros and cons for each; a list of the different kinds of woods to use, what flavors they add, and which food it’s best for; what other equipment one will need; what dry and wet ingredients one should keep in the pantry; and a table with estimated times, cooking and done temperatures, and more. This is followed by chapters of recipes for Pork; Beef and Lamb; Poultry; Fish and Seafood; and Sides, Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades. Each recipe has an introductory paragraph along with Prep Time, including the time to marinate or brine the meat, smoking time, and recommended wood. Some of these are accompanied by mouth-watering photos of the finished products. Don’t miss the Candied Barbecue Smoked Bacon or the Applewood Smoked Chicken. Yum! This is sure to become a favorite with its 70 tasty recipes.


I would have given Dutch Oven Dinners: A Cookbook for Flavorful Meals Made in Your Favorite Pot five stars if they had included a section on desserts with all of the savory contributions it seems a shame to not include some sweet dishes as well...if for nothing else to further show the versatility of the dutch oven.

The book is really well laid out covering a variety of topics from thirty-minute dinners to eight ingredient showstoppers to side dishes. The pictures of the dishes included in the book are mouth-watering...it is literally the reason I made the author's butter chicken as my first dish in my dutch oven. The steps in Dutch Oven Dinners: A Cookbook for Flavorful Meals Made in Your Favorite Pot are easy to follow and include well-written explanations of each step and there are even substitution suggestions or suggestions of items to serve with the dish...which is very helpful.

Overall I have really enjoyed this cookbook and I can see that it will easily become a go-to for family meals every week.


The Complete Guide to Pickling: Pickle and Ferment Everything Your Garden or Market Has to Offer

Take the mystery out of pickling with this friendly and accessible guide. Pickling preserves food while creating unique, delicious flavors. Many pickles can be made and eaten quickly using a vinegar brine, such as spring asparagus pickles; others take a little longer and can be canned for longer storage, like kosher dills or cocktail onions. There is a section on sweet and fruity pickles – try pickling blackberries! – and an extensive section on condiments such as chutneys and mustards. Salt fermenting is another delicious technique, and there are recipes to try your hand at sauerkraut, kimchi, and several different vegetables.

The recipes are very clearly written and easy to follow even if you have little experience. Many of the recipes come from the author's world travels, so make sure you have all the ingredients you need before beginning. Although more photos would be lovely, the few included offer a tantalizing hint of the deliciousness to come. There is no table of contents, but each chapter has an initial list of recipes, while the index is extensive and will help you find recipes easily.

Whatever your pickling experience, you will find something to love in this book.


Avocado Obsession: 50+ Creative Recipes to Take Your Love of Avocados to the Next Level

Avocados have been growing in popularity in recent years, between dietary trends and simple growing awareness for how darn yummy they are. Avocado Obsession, a new cookbook by recipe developer and photographer Lauren Paige Richeson, is a great place to start for readers who love these creamy green fruits but aren’t sure what to do with them outside guacamole and avocado toast. Readers can dig into breakfast recipes like Creamy Banana-and-Avocado Overnight Oats, salads like Creamy Avocado Coleslaw, main courses like The Best Avo-Bean Burgers, and desserts like Avocado, Date, and Nut Truffles. Many of the recipes in this cookbook are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, and the wide variety of options means there’s something for everyone. In addition, readers will learn how to pick the perfect ripe avocado at the store, how to cut them open, and how to store any that goes unused at first. There are no photographs, but the illustrations splashed across every page are vibrant and fun. This is a delightful cookbook that is sure to appeal to a wide range of home chefs, no matter what cooking style they embrace or what kind of diet they generally consume.


Miss Benson's Beetle: A Novel

Margery Benson and Enid Pretty make one of the oddest friendships that could come from 1950s England. Margery is a teacher with a passion for entomology, weary of her work and of the children who mock her for her size. Enid has bleached-blonde hair, bright pink clothes, and horrendous spelling, along with a brilliant sense of fun. Together, the two of them set off to New Caledonia in search of a golden beetle.

The book starts out as a high-flying, humorous adventure, darting from high point to high point. Theft! An obsessive man! Enid’s mysterious past! The tone keeps up its consistently eager pace as Margery and Enid travel to the other side of the world, but the stakes grow ever higher as the pair grow ever closer to their quarry.

Miss Benson’s Beetle was a delightfully fun read. Where the characters lacked depth (or their depth seemed tacked on), they made up for it in vivacity. I had a great time reading it, and anyone who wants to see a friendship blossom out of the most unlikely circumstances will too.


World Wild Vet: Encounters in the Animal Kingdom

Captivated  by snakes and lizards as a youth, and as the world further opens up to him, veterinarian Evan Antin finds a love for all  the animals he encounters.  Searching out wildlife isolated within remote habitats, he travels throughout the world filming and describing the animals he encounters.  His spellbinding descriptions and enthusiastic affection for the fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals he interacts with make a compelling read.  Travel with him through Australia, the jungles of central and South America, Southeast Asia and gasp as he communicates with giant snakes, colorful vipers, massive crocodiles.  Follow through to the Tahiti where he swims with humpback whales and collects their shed skin fragments for genetic studies or dives with sharks in the Bahamas.  Tag along as he works with Asian elephants, African rhinos, and giraffes in efforts to protect and preserve these endangered species. Join in his efforts to inform the world of the threatened species and the need for preservation and conservation. Once started, the reader becomes entranced by this attractive and engaging animal lover who shares his respect for the dignity of all animals with the public through his appealing educational videos that try to familiarize this audience with the living creatures that share our planet.  Inclusion of the animal photos together with drawings would further have enhanced this animated tale.


Inventing Equality: Reconstructing the Constitution in the Aftermath of the Civil War

This book is at times an anachronistic mess, that I hope is not the future of historical academic writing. Because if it is, then I truly worry about historical writing. The idea of equality is a modern concept, yet Michael Bellesiles looks at the creation of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the United States Constitution, often called the Civil War amendments, in a larger equitable context. Besides the talk of equality, which would have been foreign to the ears of Americans living in the 1800s, is his use of terms that ring more true in a college campus than society back then. Bellesiles takes to task the role of women, or more specifically the lack of any role they truly had. He also faults oftentimes the Radical Republicans for not going far enough. Yet in his search to be modern-day politically correct, he often ignores the fact that many people who wanted to end slavery did not necessarily want them to live equally in America. Many of them supported sending them to Africa, or somewhere else. This book sadly hides an interesting story with modern-day lingo and ideas that had no place in the 1800s.


Among the Beasts & Briars

Cerys knows her place as the gardener’s daughter. However, being Princess Arwen’s best friend and hiding a secret ability to build forests with just a drop of her blood is difficult, even if no one knows about her special talent. There has been peace among the kingdoms for generations due to a deal between their king and the Lady of the Woods, but it seems something is stirring, as evidenced by the loss of Arwen’s brother to the woods years before. When the coronation of the princess is interrupted by those from the woods, leaving many transformed into monsters, Cerys must flee into the forest to find the Lady of the Woods and a way to save Aloriya. With just a fox and a bear for company, Cerys places all her hope in a quest she never expected to face.

The stunning cover of this book is an author’s dream, offering readers the chance to escape into a creative fairy-tale world. Slyly hidden references to other fairy tales, clever world building, and witty banter amongst the characters help to lighten the dark and somber mood of the quest while keeping the focus on its impossibility. This is an excellent fantasy to warm a winter’s evening.