Poisoned

Too soft, too kind, unfit to be queen. That’s what everyone says about Sophie, heir to the throne. Yet, she’s a threat to the queen and what else can the queen do except send her to the woods with a huntsman. When they stop to rest, the huntsmen draws his knife, and, unlike the story we know, cuts out her heart. But that isn’t the end of this story. With the help of seven dwarfs, Sophie somehow survives, only to learn that not all is as it seems. With no other choice, she sets out on a quest to find the one really behind the attack, a quest that, should she fail, means the end of her life.

Poisoned is a retelling of the classic Snow White fairy tale, and it reads like a fairy tale as well. That doesn’t mean there will be a happily ever after, that you’ll have to find out for yourself. Some of the plot points felt like they were in the story only because they were in the original tale. The dwarfs don’t stick around long, I would have loved to see more of them, but Sophie meets other characters that I can’t help but love. Most of the characters have one or two defining traits but are otherwise flat.


The Racers: How an Outcast Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Challenged Hitler's Best

The Racers is a great nonfiction story about a team that challenged Hitler's best cars and drivers. After Hitler rose to power, he wanted to make it clear that Germany was better at everything, including automobile racing. Jews weren't allowed to race for German teams, which left Rene Dreyfus without a good team to race with. Fortunately, Lucy Schell had started a team and had a brand new car for the Grand Prix, the Delahaye 145. Rene joined the team and got a chance at proving that Germany could be beaten. I think this was a great book. It was very well written and was very informative. I liked the pictures, even though most of the maps weren't in the book yet. There was one incorrectly labeled picture of an engine, but other than that everything was great. I definitely learned a lot from this book; before I read it, I hadn't even heard of Delahaye. I would recommend this book to kids in junior high and high school, especially people who like history and cars.


Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11

Ground Zero is a great story of survival and courage. It is a fictional story, but it is partly based on real events. Brandon is in the North Tower when the first plane hits, his father is trapped many floors above him. Brandon meets a man named Richard, and they begin to climb the stairs to the bottom. Then the second plane hits, and Brandon realizes that it's an attack. Reshmina lives in a small village in Afghanistan, where there is a constant fear of fighting between the Taliban and the American forces. In the aftermath of a battle, she brings home a wounded American soldier, Taz. She must hide him from the Taliban until he can be rescued. This was an amazing story, it really showed how the world is still affected by past events. It also gives an idea of just how horrible the attacks on the World Trade Center really were. I think it was really cool that there were two stories being told at the same time, and how they were connected. This book was very well written. I would recommend it to kids from sixth grade to high school.


Claris: Holiday Heist: The Chicest Mouse in Paris

Claris is back and this time she and her best friend, Monsieur the cat, are with their family on a holiday trip to New York City. While the family is settling into their apartment and getting ready for Christmas, their daughter, the Brat, insists there are not nearly enough gifts for her under the tree, and the family needs to go right out and buy a whole lot more things for her. Claris knows she has to quickly find the perfect outfit to wear. Just as they are jumping into the car, Claris notices some hungry, cold mice living near the street, but she has nothing to give them. At the store, Claris sees a theft, and she and Monsieur chase after the thief. Can they find the thief and return the goods to the rightful owner?

Megan Hess is both author and illustrator of this cute book. Claris is a regular little fashionista, and her outfits are the highlight of this book, along with the bright, glittering holiday illustrations throughout. Youngsters, especially little girls, will love searching through the illustrations for all the delightful details they will find. This is a real holiday winner.


But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera

The idea to create & set the tone for a motion picture reverberated through the young mind of Ken Kwapis. At ten, he had his first experience, both positive & negative, behind the camera. Despite breaking a camera, he gazed at the salvaged film with wide-eyed wonder and pondered the possibilities. Kwapis threw himself into learning more about directing, despite the lack of available information. Now, five decades forward, he has become an accomplished Director of both Film and Television. He details his on-set work behind the camera during The Office pilot, as well as the topsy turvy world of The Larry Sanders Show. The movies & shows that impacted him emotionally at different parts of his life are followed by the tricks of the craft in directing in subsequent chapters. Kwapis merges the technical aspects with the deeply human, whether infusing his personality into his work or how to tailor notes to actors/actresses to improve their performances.

But What I Want to do is Direct functions as Autobiography/How to/Humor all wrapped into a sublime book. The author segues each chapter in a seamless fashion, going from seeing American Graffiti to instructions on how to take a meeting. Kwapis’ book hits the right tone with the reader and belongs next to the work of Sidney Lumet & William Goldman with respect to the creative world of Show Business. A+ work.


To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Christopher Paolini may be a name familiar to YA fans as the author behind the bestselling Eragon book and Inheritance Cycle, although he hasn’t had a new book out in almost ten years because he’s been hard at work on a new epic science fiction novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. It’s taking him multiple restarts and many drafts, but the big finished product is finally here.

Kira discovers an alien relic, but then has an accident and awakens something that takes over her. She regains consciousness later to find she is encased in an alien suit that can protect her from many things. But this is not what she had in mind with the first contact. Meanwhile, another alien force is attacking humanity across the galaxy and it appears to be up to Kira to use this alien technology to help thwart this attack.

Paolini has created a complex and fascinating world here, and while the book does go on a little too long, the story is gripping and engrossing, and for his first foray into adult science fiction, this is an impressive effort. Paolini fans and science fiction fans will be both surprised and impressed.


Blazewrath Games

Lana Torres, a Puerto Rican-American, is about to embark on the biggest dream of her life: trying out for the Blazewrath Games behind her mom’s back. As she tries to leave for tryout, the Waxbryne wand shop crumbles. Lana, trying to save her cousin Todd, falls below, face-to-face with a Fire Drake dragon and a lost famous Blazewrath player named Takeshi. She has to stop him from hurting the dragon and stealing the crystal heart. After the incident, she is taken to a special Other Place to discuss her being a part of the games based on her heroics. She accepts. Will the games be everything Lana has dreamed, or will she uncover a mystery?

Worldbuilding/Plot: I wanted to love this book, but it was just too similar to other things in the genre.

When I first began the book, it was very Harry Potter-ish in the world building, I felt like we were going to visit this world’s version of Diagon Alley, only with a lot more action happening faster. It felt a bit more Olympic style in the middle, with Hunger Games vibes.

I liked that we got to explore different cultures. I was interested in Lana’s journey of finding where she belongs, being from two different countries.

But I didn’t like the book seemed very preachy on some of the author’s obvious opinions. It took me out of the story, which lost the enjoyment for me.

Overall, I enjoyed some parts, but not enough to recommend it to others.


Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein has spent years devoted to the study of the sciences, and he is obsessed with the idea of creating life. After months of labor, he does it. He creates life. Instead of feeling accomplishment, however, he is immediately repulsed by his creation and deserts him. This disgust on the part of his creator changes the creature and he sets off on a path of destruction. After the creature searches for years to find someone who won’t be offended by the sight of him, he realizes that he has only one choice. His creator needs to create a bride for him. He finds Frankenstein and tells him that if he does not do so, he will lose everyone he loves. Frankenstein has to decide: now that he knows he can, should he?

I don’t know if it’s just me, but it really seems like books aren’t written like this anymore. I’m talking about the kind that make you think and have clear themes and characters and aren’t just meant to entertain or shock you. This is a piece of history. Shelley states that “monsters are of our own making.” You can’t help wondering as you read, would the creature have turned out differently if Frankenstein had shown him love and care? Even though it is a classic and you probably already know the story, I encourage you to read this amazing novel written by a woman way ahead of her time.


As more Americans develop a heightened interest in genealogy and ancestry, Morgan Jerkins’ latest release may inspire others to go beyond the cursory DNA service. The complexity of Black identity takes center stage in Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots. This book may serve as a guide for urbanized Black Americans seeking to align their Northern family backgrounds with their long-abandoned Southern roots. It’s a heartening read for anyone who is on the path to uncovering buried stories of the past.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Jerkins travels to her family’s ancestral homes in Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana, talking to residents and gathering oral history, as she embarks on a very personal journey toward a more complete understanding of her people’s history. Jerkins invites us to witness deep introspection in interrogating the meaning of Blackness, how identity is both systemic and personal. At times, the book reads like an instructional volume dedicated to culturally competent anthropological fieldwork.

Jerkins describes her efforts to ensure that she’s entering and engaging communities with respect and reverence. She demystifies spiritual beliefs in magic, “roots,” and age-old sources of certain superstitions. There were constant reminders of how Black people nurtured collective resistance by building community and cultivating joy despite oppression, disenfranchisement, and prejudice. Most of the time, the book evokes the weight of intergenerational trauma, as Jerkins wrestles with uncomfortable truths about racial stratification in an America mired in the legacy of White supremacy.


Igniting Darkness

Igniting Darkness offers political intrigue, romance, and gorgeous writing about assassins that just so happen to be young women. It’s amazing! Robin LaFevers writes a beautiful story in her second book about Sybella and Genevieve. The first book ends with Gen following through with her plan to be with the King. She ultimately ruins everything the convent stands for and puts everyone in danger. I’ll admit, I was very ticked off with Gen and her woe-is-me attitude. Sybella, as usual, is perfection. Her character is everything I want to be and more. I felt like Genevieve could have learned a thing or two from her. If you can’t tell, I’m still not a big fan of her. The story actually lagged in a few places, and at times I had to put the book down because it got stale. Luckily, I was able to find a happy medium with how everything wrapped up and ended. Huge shout out to Beast, who is honorable and loyal as they come. Overall, if you're a fan of Grave Mercy and enjoy historical fiction, you don’t want to miss out on this gorgeous duology!


Cemetery Boys

Yadriel wishes to be accepted by his family for who he really is and to become a real brujo like the rest of the men. If he can do the quinces ritual himself, his family will finally see him for the boy he is. His cousin Maritza sneaks out with him in the night to perform the ritual only for them to be disrupted when they learn cousin Miguel has died – only no one can find the body and no one knows what happened. To find answers, Yadriel decides to summon his cousin's ghost himself, only the ghost that he brings back is not Miguel. Julian Diaz only wants to make sure his friends are okay and refuses to have his spirit released until Yadriel tracks them down. Time is running out, but the further Yadriel searches for answers, the closer he and Julian become.

Aiden Thomas stuns in this brilliant debut! It's clear that great care and detail went into crafting every moment of this story which brings to life amazingly vivid characters. Yadriel is reserved, used to feeling like an outcast at school and home, The characters are stunning and come to life off the page with Thomas creating each with their own unique self. The story weaves various themes throughout such as deportation, homeless and queer kids, trans issues, and wraps them all up in this beautifully created world. The romance is sweet and derived from the uplifting way Yadriel and Julian build each other up and bring different layers out of each other. Cemetery Boys is an honest and refreshing voice for all those that need it and has a story that is addicting from the first page with humor, heart, remembrance, family, acceptance, self-acceptance, and romance.


Six Angry Girls

Girls get it done! Raina and Millie are seniors at Steelton High. Raina, an amazing drama student, is happily attached to her long-time boyfriend, Brandon. Millie is planning to make it to state with her mock trial team this year, and she has dreams of becoming a lawyer like her hero, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

When Brandon suddenly dumps Raina, she quits drama on a whim and writes to an advice columnist, who suggests Raina take up knitting to get over her heartbreak. When Millie gets dumped, too, but from her now all boys’ mock trial team, Raina tells Millie to start a girls’ team instead. Raina and Millie join forces to bring together a diverse group of girls for a new and improved mock trial team. These six girls don’t just go up against the boys’ team, but against misogyny and toxic masculinity, too. With the help of their local yarn store, they take their activism beyond the mock court, one stitch at a time.

Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner is a hilarious and hard-to-put-down story about girls fighting for inclusivity using the strong feminist tradition of knitting protests. Kisner has created some smart, defiant, and very real female characters—girls you’d want to bring with you to a courthouse yarn bombing.


How to Be a Girl in the World

This is a good book for tweens. I read it with my mom so I could ask questions when I needed to. This book helped open up conversations about boundaries and friendships. I really looked forward to reading this book every day. Even my mom wanted to know how Lydia was doing!

I think the length of the book is perfect; I would have torn through it in one night because of the suspense had my mom let me! I felt more grown-up reading this book because it had big real-world issues. I loved that Lydia found her voice and was able to speak up at the end. I liked how descriptive each of the situations were; I felt like I was really there and feeling what the characters were feeling. I liked how the author described the characters in depth; I felt like they were kids in my school and their situation was really happening!

This is a great book and I highly recommend it to kids looking for bigger books with realist topics that could happen in real life!


Douglas Fir: The Story of the West's Most Remarkable Tree

There can be nothing more stately than the sight of a majestic tree with its branches carrying chlorophyll bearing blades reaching toward the sunny sky. Two retired forestry professors have collaborated to revive the story of a remarkable tree species that are indigenous to the northwest and familiar to forest hikers and commercial lumbermen. The prevalent Douglas-fir is actually a member of the pine family but acquired its name in the 1800s after the Scotch botanist David Douglas transferred seeds he collected in the northwest to London. It took more than a century for botanists to finally settle on a scientific name for this imposing tree that can compete in height with the redwoods and attain diameters of four to eight feet. This hardy tree can attain varying shapes and sizes depending on the demands of its surroundings. But most valued for its wood, the Douglas-fir, became the ‘money tree’ for the timber industry which originated in Puget Sound.

Read how the California Gold Rush and the shipping trade. spurred the Northwest sawmilling industry. The authors have assembled a remarkable narrative recalling the history and current role of the Douglas-fir as it fits in the ecosystem, its use through the ages, its survival through fires, and how modern conditions will affect the survival of these primeval forests. Historic photographs of the trees in their background further enhance the text.


Avengers Assembly: Orientation

Preeti Chhibber; illustrated by James Lancett

Three kids are being invited to join the Avengers, but first they must attend hero school, after regular school, to get to do the superhero things. Did I mention keep the whole thing a secret? Can Kamala, Miles, and Doreen keep up with the load and become the heroes they have always dreamed of being?

Plot: I honestly found the whole story confusing and slow moving. However, I did have an ARC that was missing multiple graphics, so I might have not had some information. It felt like the three main characters were getting told they were going to school for the first third of the book, and then attending said school for the majority of the last two thirds. Which is fine, but it did not seem as exciting as I think it should have for a Marvel book.

Graphics: The graphics I saw were good. I felt like it wandered between a good amount of information and then too much information. It would have been nice to not have so many panels missing.

Kid Appeal: It will sell because it is Marvel and the graphics are cool.

Age Range: 8 to 11 years


Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart

Breakup Bootcamp is an informative book about the stressful, emotional, and outright sucky thing that is the breakup of a relationship. Too many people to count have gone through breakups, often multiple times in their lives. For many people, the logical thing to do is to mope and possibly go through the twelve stages of grief. Many people are unable to get over a breakup because they might have tried everything, but nothing has worked. Amy Chan and other professionals run an event that has proved successful in healing and teaching people how to be kind to themselves moving forward. When reading this book, you feel as if you are at the event and learn how to love and know yourself again.

I really enjoyed this book! It can be used with so many people after a breakup: consulting/educating a friend, for yourself, or if you're a professional, it can be used with clients. I appreciate the helpful exercises that are provided for the reader. The overall book is easy to understand, and it is one that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of their relationship status.


Illegal

Sara and Emiliano have made it across the US/Mexico border but have gone separate ways. Sara hopes to find asylum for her cruel treatment and persecution in Mexico but discovers the guards and wardens have very little compassion, patience, or understanding. Emiliano crosses undetected and goes to live with his father in Chicago, but his accent and dark skin marks him as an outsider, making it difficult to find employment.  When they are both separately targeted again for knowing too much about the kidnapping crimes in Mexico, they must decide what that little cell phone full of incriminating evidence is worth. Is it worth a new start in a free country? Is it worth a life? There are difficult decisions ahead.

Readers should devour Disappeared first to get the full experience of how the crime syndicate can reach beyond borders and blood. This sequel is just as nail-biting and dangerous on American soil as the first was in Mexico. It’s a blunt look at racism and asylum in America as experienced by those who have lost everything doing what is right.  Eye-opening and heart-wrenching, this blatant commentary on America’s brand of assistance to refugees will bring awareness to a younger generation.


Waiting for the Night Song

DUN DUN DUN…

As the nights draw in, there’s nothing better than a chilling, thrilling read to pass the time. While the five books included in this roundup are all quite different from each other, they are united by the suspense and sense of intrigue that permeate them. As long as you don’t want to put your mind at ease, sit back, (try to) relax, and let these stories transport you to another reality, where all manner of nefarious things are possible.

The Effort by Claire Holroyde

When an eight-kilometer comet is detected near Jupiter’s orbit, those who take the time to consider its nearness to the Earth recognize the significant threat it poses to humanity. After all, a similar situation didn’t end well for the dinosaurs, did it? Foremost among those who understand the impending danger is scientist Benjamin Schwartz, who, together with girlfriend Amy Kowalski and an international band of adventurous boffins, decamps to South America to devise a way to save the planet from catastrophe. Simultaneously, the crew of a polar icebreaker struggle to capture the majesty of the Arctic before it is destroyed forever (and by causes other than the comet). Claire Holroyde’s The Effort is the gripping tale of brave sections of humanity as they attempt to find hope and solutions in the face of almost certain disaster. A thriller with a strong environmental message, it stresses the importance of international collaboration and never giving up, however hopeless things may seem.

A Dangerous Engagement: An Amory Ames Mystery by Ashley Weaver

A Dangerous Engagement, the sixth book in Ashley Weaver’s <Amory Ames series, sees feisty amateur detective Amory travel to New York to attend the wedding of her best friend, Tabitha Alden. Although she didn’t enjoy the crossing, Amory is looking forward to the wedding, but her husband Milo feels the exact opposite; prohibition-era New York holds little interest for him. Unfortunately, things turn rather more interesting rather quickly when a member of the wedding party is murdered. While the police concentrate on the likely involvement of notorious gangster Leon De Lora, Amory focuses on the possible suspects among the wedding guests, at least some of whom seem to be keeping significant secrets. Ashley Weaver does a great job of recreating the atmosphere––both the glitz and the danger––of life during prohibition, wonderfully capturing the dialogue and concerns of the time. The murder mystery itself is nicely convoluted, with the twists and turns building to a somewhat outlandish yet still highly satisfying conclusion.

Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton

A coming-of-age story founded on an intriguing mystery, Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton follows two former childhood best friends as they reconnect and attempt to deal with a secret from the past that both drove them apart and bound them together forever. Forestry researcher Cadie Kessler has spent years trying to escape from the shadows of her past, but she is forced to confront and reevaluate long-buried feelings and secrets when her former best friend, Daniela Garcia, sends an urgent message that forces her to return to her former hometown. Cadie will have to decide how far she is willing to go to honor former oaths and protect both the people and the forest that she loves. Cadie’s story is a suspenseful tale in which the sense of danger and menace builds slowly as she attempts to uncover truths that have been buried for far too long. Aside from the mystery aspect, the story covers weighty themes such as racism, community erosion, and climate change, which makes for compelling reading.

Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child introduces Nora Kelly, a curator employed at the Santa Fe Institute of Archeology, who is about to find herself embroiled in a whole lot of peril and intrigue. She’s seemingly offered the opportunity of a lifetime when historian Clive Benton invites her to lead an expedition in search of the Donner Party’s lost camp. Nora knows that any excavation concerning the infamous Donner Party will lead to traces of murder, madness, and cannibalism, but she has no idea that uncovering the long-buried horrors will trigger violence and devastation in the present day. Preston and Child craft a chilling thriller around real-world history and commonly held speculation, and it leads to an action-packed story that’s brimming with danger and double-crosses. The characters are relatable and the plot exciting, and in true Preston and Child style, there’s a big twist at the end.

The Man Who Wouldn't Die by A.B. Jewell

You’ve heard of messages from beyond the grave, but what about tweets from the afterlife? As unlikely as it may sound, Captain Don Donogue, who recently died in mysterious circumstances, appears to still be tweeting despite his notable absence from the mortal coil. Could the Silicon Valley tech bros have finally uncovered the secret to life after death, a secret that allows social media accounts to live on while bodies decay? In A.B. Jewell’s The Man Who Wouldn’t Die, old-school private detective William “Fitch” Fitzgerald is hired by Captain Don’s daughter to investigate her father’s possible murder as well as his apparent ability to communicate from the spirit realm. In delightful Raymond Chandler meets Carl Hiaasen style, Jewell unspools a hilarious hard-boiled yarn that mixes noir tropes with tech startup cliches to produce a rip-roaring, mind-bending detective story that takes readers to a whole host of peculiar places.


Every Last Secret

Every Last Secret is a book that I just couldn’t put down. The plot and characters had me hooked from the very beginning. Cat and William Winthorpe are an extremely wealthy couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Atherton, California. Enter Dr. Neena and Matthew Ryder. Neena is hired by William’s company to keep his employees focused during a difficult time. He hires her for her life coaching skills but doesn’t realize she has a personal agenda.

The cast of characters is fabulous and will create a voyeur out of you yet! Neena is conniving and ruthless, and she always seems to get her way. Cat is on to Neena and her womanly wiles though. This is not Cat’s first rodeo. This book will lead you through twists and turns and leave you wondering who did what to whom. It's a brilliant game of “Cat” and mouse that will leave you questioning each character. Well thought out and with a superb flow from start to finish, Every Last Secret is perfect for fans of domestic thrillers.


The Caretaker: A Novel

When a well-known collector named Dr. Charles Morgan dies, the management of his estate, which comprises the museum housing his eclectic, personal collection of objects, is turned over to a caretaker who has long admired Morgan’s artistic philosophy. The museum is filled with an abundance of things that range from priceless to worthless, and the public’s interest is minimal at best. Still, the caretaker treats every object with reverence and sees his role as vital. His professionalism is a mask, however, for a complicated worldview rooted in both guilt and obsession. His intense devotion to Morgan morphs into a kind of physical and spiritual possession. Those who do visit the museum are shocked by what the caretaker asks of them.

With an unnamed narrator, lecture-like descriptions, and a story as quiet as the caretaker’s footsteps in the sacred rooms, The Caretaker is a novel that requires great attention and even greater patience. Yet there are real moments of tension in this slim volume, and the caretaker’s descent into obsession is both mesmerizing and horrifying to witness. Much like the objects in Morgan’s collection, The Caretaker defies easy categorization. Those readers who commit to the journey, to the accumulation of glance and detail, will be well rewarded.


Cormorant Lake

When Evelyn returns home late at night and finds her roommate's two young girls in a dangerous situation, she finally breaks. She hastily gathers their things and buckles the little girls into the backseat of her '92 Corolla before racing out of California in the dark. The destination is Evelyn's hometown of Cormorant Lake—nearly two thousand miles away, but unfortunately not far enough to escape her demons. It's here that she reunites with her own de facto mother, Nan, who takes to the kidnapped girls like a person lost in the desert would take to water.

Cormorant Lake is a saga of de facto mothers, of women whose suitability for motherhood is measured exclusively by eagerness for the job. They scoop up these neglected, malnourished kids, take them in as their own, feed them, care for them as best they can. Evelyn is as eager as they come, helplessly in love with the girls she's spirited away but so conflicted about what she's done that she experiences brief fits of paranoid horror that seem almost paranormal. Fear of being alone with her thoughts pushes her along, and she barrels toward burnout immediately—two menial jobs, occasional catnaps between, half-eaten meals, long drives on cold, dark roads. On the rare occasion she does sleep, you'd think she'd imbibed the same mysterious liquor as Rip Van Winkle, falling into a slumber deeper than the titular lake. Before long, she views rest as something of a vice—as if she should be working to cure herself of the need.

Meanwhile, Nan is haunted by her own demons, and it’s startling how often her past mirrors Evelyn’s present. She, too, has separated mother from child. She wrestles with the decisions she's made and yearns for absolution that will never come. Author Faith Merino is careful not to linger too long on the characters' perceived iniquities, describing them with tactful prose that is empathetic and never pitying. Even Jamie, an ambitionless, cuckolding swim instructor with a pregnancy fetish—a character who would probably seem ridiculous in any other book—somehow manages to hang onto some dignity because of how Merino presents him. He and the other characters' idiosyncrasies take on an almost fable-like quality.

Flashbacks and off-the-cuff comments along the way eventually reveal that both Nan's and Evelyn's guilt is rooted in much more than simply swooping in and caring for neglected children. The book’s conclusion came as something of a surprise to me. It’s abrupt but deliberate, perhaps illustrating the unfulfilled need for closure the main characters will deal with for the rest of their lives. Faith Merino’s debut novel is engrossing, haunting, and beautifully written. Fans of any genre will find something to enjoy here.


The Great Realization

In an inspiring poem first published online, Tomas Roberts captures the essence of life before, during, and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has changed the lives of countless people worldwide. It offers a glimpse of hope during an otherwise dark time.

The poem begins with an older brother sharing what life was like pre-pandemic with his younger siblings. He tells them how chaotic and unbalanced life was, with many working more than living and failing to communicate. But when the virus hit and forced unfathomable changes upon society, people began to reach out with kindness and started to dream again. He says that "The Great Realization" is that life is better now, because in the midst of all the tragedy, humans became whole again.

This is a heartfelt tribute to all those who have felt broken and hopeless as a result of the crisis. It shines a light on the goodness and resiliency that can come out of painful and devastating circumstances. It also allows readers the opportunity to reflect on how much meaning can be lost in life when subtleties are taken for granted and days are filled with busyness.

Simple yet radiant watercolor illustrations sweep across the pages of the text in pastel and earthy hues, adding both vibrancy and eloquence. Unlike many picture books, this one is as suitable for adults as it is for young children.


The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking)

A lot of time is spent in mainstream media mentioning and talking about the Big Bang and how the universe all got started around thirteen billion years ago, but do you ever hear anything about how the universe is going to end? Or if it will end for that matter? Have no fear, all this and more is explored in The End of Everything by cosmologist Dr. Katie Mack.

The book begins with a number of chapters dedicated to the aforementioned Big Bang and how the universe got from that genesis moment to where we are today. Then Mack launches into her five possible finales for the universe: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, the Big Rip, Vacuum Decay, and the Bounce. Mack explains each possible ending with plenty of detail but also in very clear language and plenty of comparisons and metaphors to make it as understandable and digestible as possible. I can honestly say my mind was blown at one point by an apparent paradox that Mack elucidated brilliantly. Plus, once you understand Vacuum Decay, you also get to know that our universe could wink out of existence at any moment. At only two hundred and forty pages, this book is a great stocking stuffer!


What Birds Eat: How to Preserve the Natural Diet and Behavior of North American Birds

To read there are probably some twenty-six million birdwatchers in the United States is a revelation. This ‘factoid’ accompanies a host of generously illustrated information in What Birds Eat, surely the most appealing and beautiful bird book of the year. Even those not among dedicated ornithologists will enjoy pages chock a bloc with details and complimented by glorious color photos.

Although we may not pay due attention always to the birds that surround us, the book will grab attention. ‘How many know, for example, that rodents are a major source of food for owls, and see along with this information a page of nine alternative rodent species?

Author Kim Long set out to explain the behavior as well as how to preserve the nutritious natural diet of North American birds, acknowledging that hungry birds will eat store-bought birdseed rather than starve. The alphabetized pages of profiles provide both common and Latin names, places birds choose to find food, such as on the ground, in trees, or in ponds, and preferred types of diet such as omnivorous, mostly granivorous, or mostly insectivorous.

In a short review, one cannot describe every page, but notable details include types of the beak, seed samples, and an aquatic animal menu. The chapters, clearly organized and reader-friendly, recognize the challenges and solutions to ensure the birds’ good health. What a delightful book!


These Bodies

Poetry and Short Story Roundup

If you’re looking for a challenging and insightful read this summer, the following four collections of poetry and short stories, all written by inspiring and innovative women, run the gamut of emotions and experiences and so are sure to fit the bill.

Back to the Light by George Ella Lyon

Back to the Light is a collection of poems that together describe the life and development, both emotional and spiritual, of one woman. From a childhood characterized by uncertainty, fear, and repression through to the dawn of adulthood and a reconnection with both her body and the truth of her past, she grows into her dual role as a wife and a mother, before rejecting such constricting norms and seeking wisdom from great women: writers, singers, teachers, even Mother Earth. She eventually succeeds in attaining a level of self-belief and self-knowledge that helps her to perceive her place within the throng of humanity, which finally allows her to heal from old wounds. In exploring the course of the narrator’s life, George Ella Lyon crafts poems that are by turns tragic and humorous, inspirational and oppressive, puzzling and enlightening. This collection beautifully highlights the healing power of poetry and the strength that each individual carries within themselves.

These Bodies by Morgan Christie

Through the eleven short stories contained in These Bodies, Morgan Christie examines the complexities inherent within relationships, focusing particularly on the experiences of people of color. Each story centers on a unique character, and whether that character is a struggling father determined to better himself, a child who wants to be recognized for living as their authentic self, or any other permutation of humanity, Christie succeeds masterfully in making both them and their story seem real and relatable. She strives to highlight the stories of people whose tales generally go untold, and in doing so, she champions the relationships of flawed individuals fighting to reconcile their failings with their hopes. The stories often feature several layers of meaning, causing readers to question if everything is really as it seems and to ponder what the future might have in store for the eclectic cast of characters.

Dandelion by Gabbie Hanna

Gabbie Hanna’s Dandelion is an unusual collection of short poems, vignettes, illustrations, and snippets seemingly transmitted directly from the author’s unconscious mind onto the pages of the book. Plumbing the depths of Hanna’s psyche, the included works explore the experience of declining mental health in a world in which such matters are all too frequently overlooked, underplayed, and/or stigmatized. Veering between the absurd and the tragic, the poems trigger a roller-coaster of emotions and prompt questions as to what mental health entails and how it should be addressed, both as a concept and as an illness. As a whole, the collection serves almost as a journal chronicling Hanna’s thoughts and experiences of times of emotional turmoil and bouts of stability. The book also includes an impactful selection of personal essays by Hanna, in which she tackles issues stemming from her childhood and prior relationships.

Vulnerable AF by Tarriona Ball

Vulnerable AF records Tarriona “Tank” Ball’s recollections of the experience of mistaking infatuation for love. Perhaps inspired by the host of romance novels she read to while away the time when working in a nursing home, as a young woman Ball believed herself to be in love with a person she barely knew, and unfortunately, it was the “can’t-eat-can’t-think-can’t-sleep type of love.” To reconcile this non-epic relationship in her mind, Ball has set down her thoughts and feelings in the form of brutally honest poems and short stories that detail the highs and lows of infatuation. Her words flow beautifully, and despite their often weighty subject matter, they are brimming with humor, hope, and strength. Ball lays bare the pain associated with unrequited love and missed opportunities, and she highlights how it is possible to overcome an infatuation in a way that leaves you all the stronger for the experience.


Northwest Trees: Identifying and Understanding the Region's Native Trees

We can easily recognize animals, but too often forest hikers are confounded by the myriad variety of  encircling trees along their route.   Coming to their rescue is this concise paperback identifying and amplifying knowledge about trees of the northwest regions which includes southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, southwestern Alberta, Idaho, Montana, and the greater Yellowstone National Park of Wyoming.  Divided into two sections, the first part covers conifers with the pines, larches, firs, hemlocks, cedars and more.  The second half is devoted to broad-leaved trees such as the cottonwoods, Aspen, Alders, Oaks Maples, Dogwood as part of its content.  Each tree along with its scientific name is methodically described. clarifying where it grows, its appearance, its ecological role, and its service in human history.  Accompanying the described specimens are superbly elegant pen and ink, black and white drawings of the indicated trees, leaves, flowers and cones.  The artistry matches the outstanding details for this useful field guide that helps the viewer to identify the trees by their specific features including shapes, size, needles, cones, and seeds.  For those venturing into the northwest forest, this is the guide to accompany the venture.


Let's Brunch: 100 Recipes for the Best Meal of the Week

Brunch evokes the idea of relaxation, leisure, and plenty of food, and brunch recipes can range from simple to elaborate (as do the recipes in this book). Recipes are divided into nine sections, and there are recipes that could fit in more than one section. The first section contains fourteen recipes focusing on bread (eight of these are related to butter, olive oil, and spreads). The next set of thirteen recipes are on starters (appetizers). Some of these starters, when paired with one’s morning beverage, could be a satisfying (although not hearty) meal. There are nine recipes in a section devoted to eggs. The next section lumps soups, salads, and sandwiches together and offers thirteen recipes. Next, is the vegetables and sides section with ten recipes followed by pasta and casseroles with seven recipes. The main courses and meats section has twelve recipes. At the end is a section on desserts (with eleven recipes) and cocktails (with ten recipes).

While the selection may seem large, those who are vegetarians or strictly don’t consume alcohol, will find few recipes of interest. The narrative does encourage altering the recipes to suit one’s pallet (there are three variations on flavored butter). A table of contents of the recipes (even one at the beginning of each section) would be helpful, as would cross-referencing recipes. The book tried to cater to a wide variety of readers.


The Witches: The Graphic Novel

Roald Dahl, Illustrated by Penelope Bagieu

Witches are real all around the world. Witches have clawed and wrinkled fingers, wear wigs, and have no toes. Witches are very very dangerous and harmful to children. That is what a boy’s grandmother told him. One day, the boy and his grandmother went on a vacation together to a hotel called: “Hotel Magnificent”. Thinking the boy would be bored, the grandmother got him two mice. On that day, the boy couldn’t find a little place in the hotel to train his mice. He found a big place there, so he snuck in. The room was full of witches! he overheard everything they said. He heard that they were going to use a very harmful plan against children. Will the boy think of something to save all the children from the witches?
This is a very dramatic and fun read. I really like the cover, too. It's cool that they made one of the characters a girl because it was a boy in the original book. Otherwise, it's great to read The Witches in the graphic novel version.


The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages (The Mysterious Benedict Society (4))

It's been nine years since the last book in the series was published. The great MBS children have returned in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, and Reynie, Sticky, Katie, and Constance are all older and more mature. They have to save Mr. Benedict who is being held hostage by his evil twin brother. They have to break Mr. Benedict out of prison to give him the cure. This book in the series has some new plot twists, new puzzles to solve, and some new characters. One new addition in the story, five-year-old Tai Li, who is an interesting and quirky character. It was really great seeing where the MBS children have been up to now that they are all older. Personally, I liked the previous books in the series more, but this book was still a very fun read. There was a nice plot twist at the end of the book which I enjoyed. Fans of the Mysterious Benedict Society and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello will be delighted by this book.


Queen of the Nile (Cleopatra in Space #6)

Queen of the Nile is the sixth and final installment in the Cleopatra in Space series. Cleo is back to fulfill the prophecy with the help of her friends Akila, Brian, Anthony, Khensu, and more allies. Cleo will need to fight and defend the Nile galaxy against the evil Octavian. Will Cleo be able to succeed and fulfill the prophecy and be the savior? Like the other books in the series, this book has a ton of action and humor. I like how the story has a strong and brave young girl who saves the day. I also like how Akila is so smart. The story tells us a little bit more about Cleo's family history. I like how the story ended but sad that it ended. The illustrations are very well drawn. Since the characters are in the future and in space and with a war going on, the colors are very dark and ominous. Boys and girls will like this book with all the action and a good story with a heroine. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action-packed graphic novels.


CatStronauts: Digital Disaster (CatStronauts (6))

Waffles, Pom Pom, Blanket, and Major Meowser gets invited to the new Space Hotel to make sure it is safe. They are joined by their new Kitten pals who follow them around in case they get lost. I thought it was funny when Major Meowser's Kitten pal asks him a lot of questions on the space ship. When they arrive at the space hotel, they meet a hologram name AVA. AVA serves them all dinner, and I like how they are all eating sushi. I love sushi! AVA gets jealous of Cat-stro-bot because he can go anywhere he wants, but she also wants to help the robot to be free from the CatStronauts. The robot starts acting all weird, and AVA's gone missing. The CatStronauts have to save the robot and AVA before they take over the hotel. I like how in this story they give the CatStronauts buddies in case they get lost in the hotel. My favorite character is Waffles because he loves food, and he eats a lot of it! I recommend this book to kids who like graphic novels or kids who like stories about space or cats.


The Sound of Danger (Mac B., Kid Spy #5) (5)

Mac B. is sitting in school dreading his Math Minute test. He takes the test and waits for the teacher to tell him if he passed to the next level when he is called to the office. His mother with a British accent has called to pick him up early. Mac smiles because he knows “his mother” is the Queen of England with an assignment for him.

She is bringing him to England for his next mission. His mission involves tracking down the worlds best violins and making sure the rest do not get stolen. So, he spends all night in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University to protect the violin called The Messiah. Things don’t go quite as he plans, which lead him on an adventure to Italy to finally find out who is behind this horrendous crime.

The book was plotted out well; my only complaint is I thought the end could have been a chapter longer. I love the idea that the spy kid is the author as a child. I thought the descriptions were spot on for a book with lots of illustrations. It read like a young middle grade novel. I could see kids, especially third through fifth grade students, loving this. The illustrations fit the book very well. I love that it is similar to a graphic novel. My favorite scenes were the buildings and the grumpy queen, which I think kids would find hilarious.


The Truth About Dragons

I love the first lines in this book: “The stories about dragons are true. Yes, they are. But there’s something funny, it’s that their socks don’t always match.” I think it’s really funny. I mean, why do dragons wear socks??!!

I also enjoyed that there’s a picture where all these dragons are in a cafeteria. It’s so funny! And there are Cheez-its.

I love the girl who believes in dragons in the book because she’s a good narrator and she’s funny and fearless, like my sister (sometimes!). And sometimes my sister is the dragon. I love the pictures in the book and I wish I saw dragons everywhere like the girl does. Her classmates become dragons, but she can see that they aren’t always so fearsome. Sometimes you have to look beneath to see what’s there.

A beautiful book that’s fun to read together. I really enjoyed The Truth About Dragons by Jaime Zollars. And I really laughed about the socks!


The Well Plated Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes You'll Want to Eat

There is fast food and there is healthy food, and they seldom have much to do with each other, until now. This wonderful cookbook will allow you to get excellent meals on the table in quick order, and the choices are both many (130 recipes) and varied.

Don’t skip the introduction. Author Erin Clarke suggests five ways to instantly be a better cook, make healthy swaps, and add fruits and veggies, and she also lists five kitchen tools you need. A good list to stock your pantry follows. Eight sections of recipes include Good Morning, Sunshine; Let’s Party; Seriously Satisfying Salads; Beyond the Bread: Sandwiches and Other Hand-Helds; Soup’s On; Second-Helping Sides; and Don’t Skip Desserts. Each recipe has a fun write-up, excellent instructions, lots of tips, and mouth-watering photos.

Don’t miss the Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese Sauce. They're spicy and delicious. And the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies will knock your socks off. There are so many interesting recipes to choose from, and they are quite original and have lots of interesting twists. This is simply one of the most beautiful, well-written, and unique cookbooks to hit the market recently.


Escape Book: Mystery Island (Volume 2)

In this book, the reader is a pirate trapped on an island with a volcano that is about to erupt at any minute! You have to navigate the dangerous island while solving puzzles. You are all alone in a cave with your trusty parrot Harry, but can you find your crew to help you escape before it’s too late?

During the mission, you have to find various objects that will help you on your way. They can be used individually or in combination with other objects to overcome challenges. You have to be careful in finding all the objects, because otherwise you cannot always move forward with the challenges.

My favorite part in the book was exploring Captain Flynn’s ship. It was a shipwrecked pirate ship, so it was very exciting to investigate! The book is full of fun puzzles and challenges that kids will enjoy. Since you can choose different options multiple times throughout the book, you can have a different experience every time you read the book. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an entertaining adventure!


The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier

Like many books by journalists and reporters, this book really does not cover any new ground, nor does it really go into any great depth. Instead it is a fairly engaging introduction for people who might be new to the world of an ocean that is fairly outside the law, but for people with even a modicum of understanding there is not much new.

Ian Urbina brings his reporter flair for the dramatic turn of phrase along with his observations as he explores the world of the outlaw ocean. He looks at how the high seas have often turned into a place of brutal working conditions, environmental destruction, survival of the fittest, and no holds bar environment. Most often his subjects revolve around environmental issues like fishing by trawlers from Asian countries, Western environmental activists tailing Japanese whaling vessels, and exploring the murder that often takes place, though rarely punished, on boats in the ocean. It is a brutal place, that is often hidden from the more wealthier part of the world. The only issue is that he really breaks no new ground and offers no major revelations.


Shadows in Death

The latest book in the In Death series is fast-paced and immediately pulls you in. A woman has been found dead in the park with a stab wound to the abdomen. It’s there that Roarke sees someone dangerous from his own past. Therein starts the hunt for a man who kills for money. And his next step is getting rid of Roarke and those Roarke cares for. Eve is as bad as they come; a woman who isn’t afraid to hit things head on. While she doesn’t need help from Roarke, he’s her equal in every way that counts. I love their relationship!  Lorcan Cobbe is a man that feels he is owed everything that is Roarke’s life. He’ll stop at absolutely nothing in order to get it. Eve and gang do everything in their power to stop this villain at all costs.

Shadows in Death is a story that kept me up until the middle of the night because I had to see what happened next and ultimately how it ended. For those of you on the fence about the series because it’s so long, have no fear. While it is a series, each book has its own conclusions. They’re very fun to read, if not addicting. The only problem is, is that I now have to wait until the next book comes out.


Timmy

In December of 1946, Naomi O’Neill leaves her husband Carl and life in a rat-infested shanty in Waycross, Georgia, and with her infant son, Timmy, and his toddler brother, Michael, heads for California. Within a short time, her husband comes west, and they reunite and begin a new life. The new life is much the same as the old one, only with better weather. Carl’s work hanging drywall is spotty, but his drinking isn’t. Life is a grind of poverty punctuated by domestic violence.

This is just the first of the many moves that crisscross America necessitated by either lack of work, marital breakdown, and/or poor choices. Upheavals that have to be endured by Timmy because, as a child, you are at the mercy of parents, and in this case, ones who have neither the character nor intelligence to do or know better.

Told in the third person, Timmy, A Memoir is described as a “fictionalized” memoir. It’s the story of Timmy, the youngest son, and begins at the beginning of his memory, about three-years-old. It chronicles a child’s early life and all the events including adventures exploring surrounding environs, pets, friends, sibling and family dynamics, and later, rites of passage like starting school, being bullied, and the first job.  Monumental as these events might be for someone of that age, they’re by no means unique or significant. Unfortunately, neither is growing up in a dysfunctional family plagued by alcoholism.

Though the author’s prose is excellent, Timmy, A Memoir is actually not a memoir, since memoirs are defined as an important event in a person’s life with a distinct beginning and end. They include all the elements of a structured story including an inciting incident that reveals the protagonist’s goal, motivation, and conflicts. Timmy contains none of these elements. There is no story arc, climax, or resolution. Rather, O’Neill has written the first part of an autobiography, the kind of work that’s usually undertaken by a famous person whose early life may shed light on their later achievements. In other words, someone interesting.

Though the reader feels sympathy for the protagonist. this sad, tawdry tale of the early and formative years of a young boy’s life hardly withstands such examination. Anecdotally, there are some interesting historical and social insights like the extent of racial prejudice in the south and how limited the opportunities are for women in the post-World War II era. Hopefully, the writing of Timmy provided O’Neill with some cathartic benefit. As for the reader, it’s a depressing and unrelenting narrative of the leaking away of hope and faith with no redeeming qualities.


Going Home

“Good poetry is not solely self-expression, since the reader doesn’t go to the poem because of an interest in the writer’s life…but to find evidence of his or her own life.”

Despite not remembering who said this, it’s why some poems impact with me while others don’t: I find evidence of my own life in them.

In Going Home, Poetry & Short Stories, this evidence is revealed for me in perhaps a quarter of the work. When it hits home, it’s with the significant impact of the right words combining to make meanings beyond themselves. When they miss, sometimes it’s because I have no context for what the poem says, the poem does not transcend the writer’s experience, or they’re not well crafted.

Examples of the latter would be “Arson/Youngstown Ohio/1983,” “An Everyday Thing,” “Ill Paralegal.” “The Swamp,” “Shale Play,” “He Said,” and “Fear.” In these, whatever Richardson was trying to achieve has fallen just short and the poems seem ill-conceived.

The contradiction in poetry, as well as fiction, is the more personal your writing the more universal the appeal. However, if the poet describes a specific event in a narrow context this dictum will have limited appeal. I found this to be the case with Richardson’s poems in the section entitled "They Bent Back the Words", which relate to her experience with special needs children. This is also the case with the poems about the Kent State Shootings, where the point of reference has been lost to time.

There’s always the exception, that being the poem "Clarence and Anita On the Way to the Seminar:"

“...every woman knows, a little fear,
a little anger, halfway wanting to please. Being desired and disrespected
at the same time”. These words are even more relevant today than they were in 1991.

Other poems transcend Richardson’s experience as an individual and are ultimately relatable in their totality, drawing a comparison to the sentiments of Archibald MacLeish, that  “a poem should not mean, but be.”  These include "Shades of Love", "Lies", "In the Photograph," and "Mail Girl." A few evoke and present unique perspectives, like the necessary forgetting of caregivers achieved in "Piercings", or the line from "Mothers": “...the weary things that women say to each other in that violet hour”.

With some, the entire poem manifests in one blunt, brutal phrase to become whole and meaningful:

“...duplexes are gone to boarded
 and secret insides, to copper strippers, mantel busters.” (from “Pay Dirt”)

“The ceiling leaks toilet water.” (from “Street Money”)

“Patience festers at the edge of the freeway. Resignation waits in long lines.” (from “Patience”)

“Our words fall into the air one by one. Something important or not is being said.” (from “Portland, June 1991”)

Perfect descriptions of things you never thought to describe.


The Nazi Menace: Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Road to War

The march to the second World War had been gaining momentum as the 1930s began. The rise of totalitarian regimes in Italy, Japan, and Italy caused unease worldwide. In 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. He wastes little time in unveiling his plans for Germany, including the expansion of living space for Germans(Lebensraum) to combat their economic woes. By 1937, Hitler had ruthlessly consolidated his power. The embarrassment of losses suffered during World War I needed to be avenged. In Great Britain, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain sees careful diplomacy as a bastion against further calamity. Winston Churchill views the German aggression as alarming and needs to be stopped yet he has been marginalized. In the United States, President Franklin Roosevelt is serving his 2nd term, humbled by a relapse of economic problems. He is hampered in getting too involved in the building conflict as Isolationism is strong in America post World War I. A course has been set for which there is no turning back, the dogs of war are reaching their howling point.

The Nazi Menace approaches the inevitable war with a simmering intensity. The outcome is long known, but the circumstances leading up to it are nonetheless hypnotic. Author Benjamin Carter Hett re-energizes long-gone figures and the action reads akin to a modern drama, fascinating on countless levels. A luminescent read.


Why Visit America: Stories

I am so happy to say that we have arrived at a golden age of literature. There are many genius writers delivering the goods in fiction. Among them, and perhaps paramount to them is Mathew Baker. This is his second collection of stories. He has also written a novel that I must seek out. If one marries Aldous Huxley with Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, and Stephen King, the result would be Baker; because he is so creative. Like King, his stories sparkle with stunning originality and a myriad of new ideas. This collection ranges from empty dead babies, secession, bullying revenge, resistance to euthanasia, self digitizing, memory washes, unnecessary men, craven materialism, branding, maternal rights, immigration, reverse living, and the power of love. At the conclusion of every story, this reader had to take a breath and a break and consider the many ramifications of his forays into uncharted territories.||If you long for suspense and humor within the stories you read, you will find them in abundance in this volume. Yes, I have used too many superlatives, but I loved the writing in these stories.


Atomic Love

At the end of World War II, Thomas Weaver broke Rosalind Porter’s heart. Now, four years later, he’s back in her life, and he needs her help. As if the heartbreak weren’t enough, another man has asked for her aid: Charlie Szydlo, a Special Agent for the FBI. He suspects Weaver of passing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union and wants Rosalind to get close enough to find out the truth. As she grows closer to Weaver, however, she finds old emotions rising, along with a new affection for Szydlo. Whom will she choose to help? Where do Weaver’s loyalties truly lie?

I’ve always had a weakness for historical spy narratives, and I was fascinated by the interplay between the three protagonists. However, I found myself far less interested by the sudden jumps back in time to Rosalind’s childhood and her work on the Manhattan Project, and to Szydlo’s time as a POW. While both of these informed whom the characters have become by the time the main narrative takes place, I found myself constantly waiting to return to that narrative.

Those aside, Atomic Love is a gripping, beautifully written tale. Jennie Fields has a way with short sentences that fit together into a melody which gives the book a wistful, at times anxious air that fits perfectly with the story, something even the distractions into the past doesn’t ruin.


Timmy

Timmy is an autobiographical account told in the third person about a boy whose life in the 1950s is anything but easy. Timmy lives with his older brother Mike, mom Naomi, and dad Carl (or Curly). As the story of Timmy's life is told to the reader, we learn that they move back and forth across the country several times, Naomi leaving Carl because he is a violent drunk and then going back to him because she has no real place to go. The story takes place across the United States in Georgia, California, Florida, and Nevada to name a few places, and I often wondered how a family with such little money could afford to travel these distances. Naomi seems like an attentive mother at first, one who is looking out for the best interests of her kids, but as the story unfolds she becomes pregnant two more times, starts drinking with her new beau, and not putting the children's' priorities first, and then finally ships Tim and Mike off to their alcoholic father whom they end up calling a family friend to help because Carl is bleeding and vomiting all over the place.

This story is a rather depressing one and leaves the reader feeling the hopelessness of a young boy. There are several important topics the reader addresses as part of the storyline. One is the lack of work available to women at that time. As an interior designer, Naomi seeks work at furniture stores and departments at stores such as Montgomery Wards and Breuners. She is turned down very often and is worried about how she is going to feed the children. Another topic is bullying. Timmy is bullied at several different schools but learns to stick up for himself as a result. In one part, when Naomi is called into the school office, she tells the principal that Timmy always lets the other guy throw the first punch. Meaning that she knows her son gets into fights but knows he is a fair fighter as well and doesn't start the fight. The topic of prejudice in the South also becomes apparent when Timmy tries to go to the beach with his African American friend and they are promptly kicked out because "colored people" are not allowed on the same beaches as "white people."

Overall, Timmy was not a book that was very eventful. It was rather sad and there was really no ending to the story. Instead, the author states that there will be a sequel pertaining to what happens after the book and Timmy’s time spent in the war. I feel that this book would have been a bit more engaging had it been written in the first person.


Bright and Dangerous Objects

Solvig is a commercial saturation diver, and every few months, her job takes her to the seafloor, where she does underwater welding work on oil platforms and pipelines. Though her dives are highly dangerous, isolate her from her partner James, and require her to stay in the cramped quarters of a submarine, Solvig lives for the work. She even longs for a greater adventure: joining the Mars Project, an initiative to start a human colony on Mars. Unbeknownst to James, Solvig applies for the Mars Project and lands an interview, sending Solvig into a whirlwind as she tries to reconcile her plans to start a family with her dream of going to Mars and living there for the rest of her life.

Solvig’s voice as a narrator is lonely but unfaltering, and her efforts to make sense of her personal life and the details of her professional career are equally fascinating. While the novel is an appropriate length for the story it’s telling, there are some details that seem to beg for greater exploration and elaboration. Though more elaboration on these details may have yielded greater emotional payoff toward the novel’s end, Bright and Dangerous Objects nonetheless offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex choices ambitious women are faced with.


Biohack Your Brain: How to Boost Cognitive Health, Performance and Power

The human brain is one of the single-most important organs in our body. In Biohack Your Brain, Neuroscientist Dr. Kristin Willeumier presents ways to eat, exercise, and overall be healthier for your brain. She begins by stating her qualification as an expert in this field, then lets loose with information to keep our brains, and also our bodies, working alongside people at least twenty years younger than ourselves. The most important thing to know is that yes, it is possible to change your brain at any age. It is encouraging for the younger ones to know that based on studies, the best is still yet to come regarding brain benefits in our forties, fifties, sixties, and forward!

The way that the information is presented is done very well, she writes at her audience's level for anyone to understand. The book is formatted by chapters with added pieces of testimonies interspersed. I appreciated the science lesson in the beginning chapters as a reminder of what and where she's talking about regarding the different areas of the brain and their purposes. There is so much packed in this book that it is a great read for anyone.


T is for Thor: A Norse Mythology Alphabet

Virginia Loh-Hagan, Illustrated by Torstein Nordstrand

There are not a lot of picture books that are going to be interesting for preschoolers as well as elementary students up to middle graders. This is that rare book. Yes, it is an alphabet book and each letter has a sweet little rhyme, but it is also a mythology book, and middle graders, by and large, love mythology. Using Norse mythology is a lovely idea since students are often familiar with Greek and Roman mythology, but Norse mythology will be a nice surprise. Each letter has a rhyme that explains the character or object that will help youngsters who are learning their alphabets to remember the letters. In addition, there is a much longer text for each letter giving a good deal of information about the subject that will engage and fascinate older readers. The writing is perfectly appropriate for both age levels and fun to read. Each letter also has a spectacular piece of art to accompany it and help to tell the story. The illustrations by Torstein Nordstrand are incredibly detailed and beautiful. One can easily imagine an older sibling with a younger sibling enjoying this book together. What a nice thought.


Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen, Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen

Discover the fantastic world of the honeybee through your ABC's. It all starts with the Apis Mellifera, the honeybee, and delves into their world of nectar, royal jelly, venom, and wax. But let's look even deeper into the most crucial insect on earth and learn how these insects communicate, pollinate, and thrive.

Get ready to take flight into the fantastic world of bees in, H is for Honey Bee: A Beekeeping Alphabet. In this science and nature alphabet book, Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen takes readers deep into the fascinating world of bees. However, this isn't a simple storybook; this is an encyclopedia of bee education. Taking readers through the correct terms and facts, while also educating her readers on how to help protect this species threatened by climate change, habitat loss, and pesticides. With the wonderfully detailed illustrations by Eileen Ryan Ewen, every page of this book shows all the wonderful and miraculous benefits of bees. A perfect addition to any classroom library, or gift for any beginning beekeeper.


Lions & Cheetahs & Rhinos OH MY!: Animal Artwork by Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Lions & Cheetahs & Rhinos Oh My!: Animal Artwork by Children in Sub-Saharan Africa is filled with a plethora of interesting facts about animals who inhabit the vast plains of Sub-Saharan Africa. Children will learn about the distinctive and identifying markings of cheetahs, zebras, and giraffes. They’ll also be educated about how amazingly how tall giraffes stand, reaching the height of three basketball players standing on top of each other. Youth will be taught about family lineages as well concerning impalas and hippos. As they read, they’ll be able to see original artwork created by students in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their pictures cover every page of the text, accentuating the words that accompany them.

This is a gorgeously illustrated work of non-fiction. The students’ pictures are exquisitely crafted and add a rich quality to the text. There is a note to readers at the end of the book that delineates the authors’ outreach to marginalized youth in Africa through their How to Draw a Lion Program. The proceeds of the book will be donated to help fund the program, which is likely to grip the heartstrings of some readers. When they discover the children whose artwork is featured in it are all relatively young, they will be touched and awed by their talent. Additionally, teachers of science, social studies, and language arts will find this a valuable resource for their classrooms.


Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume

Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Tim Bowers

Indigo Blume is having a good day cleaning up the city in preparation for the Garden City Community Festival until everything suddenly changes. Indigo learns that the whole school is coming to watch her sing at the festival the next day. She panics and heads home to tell her parents. Her mom and dad believe in her, and she wants to believe in herself, too. But there will be so many people at the festival tomorrow, and Indigo does not know how to be brave. When she falls asleep that night, she dreams of Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band. She joins their band and helps them rally to save their home after it is destroyed in a storm. When Miss Dairy Parton loses her voice, Indigo must step in. Can she find her voice to help save the barn, and to perform at the Garden City Community Festival when she wakes up?

Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume is the second Acoustic Rooster book by Kwame Alexander and illustrator Tim Bowers, and based on the Kennedy Center Musical. It is a fun, lyrical picture book with a cast of silly barnyard characters, who help a young girl find her confidence.


The Lying Life of Adults

Life isn’t easy for teenage Giovanna. After overhearing her father compare her appearance to that of her reviled aunt Vittoria, Giovanna becomes obsessed with meeting her aunt so she can see Vittoria’s face for herself. Feeling guilty for what Giovanna overheard, her parents agree to the meeting. Though they themselves keep their distance, Giovanna grows close to Vittoria and her neighbors, eventually growing closer to these volatile teenagers than she is to her childhood friends Angela and Ida. Meanwhile, Giovanna’s home life implodes when her father’s affair with Angela and Ida’s mother is revealed. Faced on all sides with adults’ inexplicable, tangled relationships, Giovanna must navigate her own coming of age in a Naples that offers too much raw heartache.

Ferrante, true to form, is unflinching in her depiction of female adolescence, and the title alone is a clear indication of what Giovanna will discover as she journeys to adulthood. Mistakes, grudges, betrayals, heartbreak, infidelity, cruelty--all of these things have been in Giovanna’s life, but only when she casts off her childhood can she see them clearly. Giovanna senses that female friendship are critically important, but even those are mercurial and, sometimes, full of shame. Lying Life is a clear-eyed, evocative reminder that the terrain of adulthood is as fraught as the darkest corners of Naples.


Little Penguin Rescue (Little Animal Rescue)

Callie is planning on enjoying the snowy day by having a snowball fight with her neighbors. When she goes to get some items to help her gather snow faster, she is transported from her home to the South Pole. She finds herself in a research station; no one is there, but she finds a radio and gear. Callie decides to go outside and explore after hearing the penguins. She learns they are Adelie penguins. Callie discovers one of the penguins is injured. She decides to help the chick survive, but ice, freezing temperatures, and other dangers are threatening. Will Callie and the penguins be able to survive the harsh Antarctica summer?

I thought the word choice was good for a chapter book. I liked the information about penguins and Antarctica that were intertwined in the story. I liked the subject matter, which was very age appropriate. The illustrations were beautiful pencil drawings. I felt they added a lot to the story. I had to reread the teleportation part a couple of times because I was not sure what had happened. I wish there was a little more clue that she was teleporting in the beginning and end. It seems like magic happens for no reason. A couple of things seemed not very believable.
I wish that there might have been a different danger because they just seem like they were stuck on the ice for half of the story. I would recommend this book for children who can read basic chapter books, around ages 6-9.


Little Lion Rescue (Little Animal Rescue)

Little Lion Rescue is a not very good “animal rescue” book. It tells the story of a young girl who is magically transported to Africa and helps a young lion in need. Even though it has a good plot, there are many others in this genre, and this one is not well written. Its descriptions of life on the African plains are fairly good, but the words don’t connect well. If you do want to read it, I think that kids in kindergarten to second grade would enjoy it. And, if you like the Magic Tree House series it might be enjoyable. I think that if you like adventure stories you might like it as it is basically an adventure with an animal rescue twist. If you like “animal rescue” books, then you may also like this one. I think that libraries might want a copy, but it is the sort of book you probably will read only once. This is a book that is for young kids who want a little lion of their own!


The Weekend: A Novel

The Weekend is a poignant tribute to the lives of four older women who have been friends for a lifetime. Jude, Wendy, and Adele reunite at their friend Sylvie's beach house after Sylvie has passed away. Memories are shared around the table as the three women reflect back on their lives. Wendy, widowed by her husband Lance, has Finn, a dog that Sylvie gave to her as a gift. Finn is now old and throughout the book has accident after accident, upsetting Jude at every turn as she just wants things to be perfect for the selling of Sylvie's house. Adele, a retired actress, still acts as if she is young and carefree, not realizing that people may be laughing at her rather than with her.

This book is wonderfully written from all three women's points of view. The descriptions of scenery as well as the expressions of the characters really bring the story to life. The Weekend easily evokes feelings of sadness, happiness accompanied by tears, laughter, and sorrow. Although the plot itself is not complicated, it is a satisfyingly peaceful read.


Ordinary Hazards: A Novel

Ordinary Hazards is a beautiful read that tells us the story of a woman named Emma. The book mainly takes place at the local bar where she and her ex-husband Lucas would hang out with his (and now her) friends. There's Jimmy, Cal, two Petes, and Martin. The book has an underlying feeling of pain that Emma is trying so desperately to drown with alcohol, and yet, at the beginning of the book, we don't know why. It is not until the story unfolds that we realize that an absolute horrible tragedy has struck this woman and that the numbness that she desires is not so unwarranted. The reader wants to know why the perfect couple of "Lucas and Emma" has split up because they seem to belong together so very much.

The book was a bit slow to start because it needed to develop the characters and their imperfections and quirks. However, as the story is revealed it quickens the pace and the reader is left wanting to know more. There were parts of the book that flashed from present to future and were a bit confusing, and the chapters were quite long. The book in its entirety is wonderful and heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time.


The Lantern Men (Ruth Galloway Mysteries Book 12)

In Elly Griffiths’ The Lantern Men we join Ruth Galloway two years after the events of The Stone Circle, having made some drastic changes in her life. She has accepted a lecturer position at Cambridge University, rented out her beloved cottage on Saltmarsh, and she and her daughter Kate, now nine, are now living with American historian Frank Barker. Her hopes for a normal life are short-lived however when she receives a phone call from Nelson who asks her to step back into her former forensic archaeologist position. He informs her that the convicted killer, Ivor March, is willing to give them the location of two other bodies but only if Ruth is the one in charge of the exhumation. Why does March insist on her involvement when it will only lead to more convictions? And why is Ruth so willing to rush back into the chaotic life she seemed to want to escape from?

Griffiths does not disappoint with the 12th book in this series. Whether she is bringing back an old favorite such as Clough or introducing a new detective like Tony Zhang, Griffiths gives us believable yet fallible characters who draw us in and settings like the Saltmarsh which have us rushing to book tickets to the UK. Don’t read this book as a stand-alone novel or you will be missing out on a considerable amount of necessary character backstory. That said, why on earth wouldn’t you want to read the rest of the series?


Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio is a graphic novel account of the events that unfolded at Kent State in May 1970. I found it interesting, emotional, and informative. To say that it is moving would be an understatement. To say that it is painstakingly researched and referenced would also be an understatement. I wish I could give all my American history students a copy of this book.

Backderf introduces readers to the four students who were killed, and we get to know them a little bit. We also read accounts of their last conversations with, for example, their parents. We learn about the summer plans that they had, one student’s attempt to rescue a dog, and their thoughts on the Vietnam draft and SDS. The power of the book lies in replacing the names in history books with real lives, personalities, and relationships, not only with those who died, but with their friends, too.

The book analyzes what is known about why the guard killed the students and seriously injured nine others, but it does not fill holes with rumors.  Backderf uses conversations that he has had, in addition to all the primary and secondary sources available. He explains the infiltration of the FBI and other agencies on campus, as well as the culture and shortcomings of the Ohio National Guard, local politicians, and campus administration. The story of what happened that day is complicated, but it is served well in this book.


Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy

Senator Joe McCarthy held the United States spellbound with allegations of Communists run rampant in the United States Government. That spell lasted four years until McCarthy would be censured and began his ignominious retreat which would be blunted by his early death in 1957. His rise and fall were viewed as excessive Cold War paranoia. Demagogue by Larry Tye seeks to clarify the record about past distortions. Joe McCarthy hailed from Grand Chute, Wisconsin, the son of hardworking Irish farmers. Joe possessed a friendly disposition, yet was also hyperactive which led him to take risks without thinking of the consequences. His success in life was on par with setbacks, but his hard work was unmistakable. His war service, which his detractors would use to mock him, was actually exemplary. Embellishment would be his downfall, particularly as he became the grand inquisitor of the Communist Witch hunts which would ruin incalculable lives.

Demagogue is the most recent biography of the controversial Senator from Wisconsin. From the outset, Tye offers up some new information in regards to past allegations hurled about McCarthy in the wake of his efforts to root out Communists. The research done is thorough and well-chronicled, the subject rendered much more complex and tragic. The fine work offered by Tye provides parallels to our current world where one can wield the bully pulpit to incredible harm. A masterful biography.


How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You

Think of all the phone conversations you’ve had with strangers and the pictures you’ve drawn of the talker’s appearance just from the sound of the voice and how they speak. Psychologist Katherine Kinzler from the University of Chicago claims that it is what we say and how it is said that determines our social status in the minds of the listener. From studies with infants and young children, psycholinguists have found that it is not physical appearance or color differences that provoke favor or disfavor, rather it is the speaking voice that affects emotion. The more similar and familiar, the more comfortable; we tend to shun strange foreign or accented tongues. Those speaking with strange or foreign accents do not rate high on approval scales. Many studies indicate that those who are bilingual show greater empathy for foreigners than monolingual speakers.  While learning a second language in youth was formerly discouraged, it has been shown that young children can easily acquire multilingual capability during the early years when the language center is malleable and developing. This is an interesting look at how language and speaking dexterity develop and is filled with many illustrative anecdotes. While it is an easy and quick read, the only complaint is an excessive repetition of the same material.


Diana and the Island of No Return (Wonder Woman Adventures)

Princess Diana is awaiting the arrival of her best friend Princess Sakina. They are to attend the Chara Festival. Diana and Sakina plan on talking about their big dreams and having a week of fun and learning. Diana wants to train to be a warrior and Sakina wants to be an apprentice at the library.

When Diana finds a boy has stowed away on a ship, chaos begins to ensue from her keeping secrets to misinformation to the boy making everyone on the island fall asleep. Diana must figure out how to rescue her people even if it means traveling to an island she can’t leave.

I loved the beginning with the description of the festival, and I love the battle of the demon and waking everyone at the end. I did not love the middle. I felt less time could have been taken for the characters getting to the island, characters getting through traps, and having a harder time getting the ingredients they need to defeat the demon. It needed a bit more tension.

The style seemed appropriate for the adventure type of book and good for a middle-grade book.

 Diana's voice seemed to fit a middle school age well. I felt like the character’s voices weren’t super strong with any character. I know that is hard with it being an already known character. I recommend this book for children ages ten and older.


The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For

In recent years, Alison Bechdel has become perhaps most widely known for authoring the graphic memoir Fun Home, which was adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2015. Before the success of Fun Home, though, Bechdel established her career with Dykes to Watch Out For, a comic strip following the trials and tribulations of a community of lesbian women. The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For collects strips from 1987 to 2008 into a single volume, allowing readers to follow along with Bechdel’s cast of characters as they deal with their love lives, career choices, and politics over the years.

Bechdel’s comic is funny and incisive but also warm, her characters sometimes humorously over the top but always deeply relatable. Although we are now decades removed from some of the specific political events Bechdel’s characters were grappling with, the political concerns that The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For explores remain relevant today. Every part of the collection feels true to life and resonant, capturing life as it was at the time of the comics’ publication while also taking on new meaning in the present context. Witty and well-drawn, The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For is essential reading.


The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World

A group of individuals gathering in lodges or clubs with mysterious rituals arouse suspicion in Europe. A remnant of the Inquisition remains in Europe, which views groups such as the Freemasons as heretics. A member of the group, John Coustos, allegedly reveals all to his interrogators after threats of torture. The alleged members of the Freemasons compose a hodgepodge of elite and powerful, mixed with members of lower levels of society. The Freemasons emerged in Scotland mainly as craft guilds. The membership and the inherent secrecy evolved as Freemasonry traveled to London. The prevalence of Freemasonry varied with the winds of change in politics, from key positions to convenient scapegoats. The Founding Fathers of the United States, including Ben Franklin and George Washington, were enthusiastic members and proponents. The group faced scrutiny for its doublespeak and hypocrisy on inclusiveness and viewed with skepticism as certain Freemasons surfaced around infamous events, such as Licio Gelli and P2 in Italy. Freemasonry has dwindled in membership but is still around and important to its diehard members.

The Craft is a thorough and probing view of the storied and perplexing Freemasons. Author John Dickie does an admirable job of tracking the evolution of Freemasonry throughout six centuries. Those seeking confirmation of Freemasons’ involvement in cabals may be disappointed, as Dickie remains agnostic on their role in conspiracies. However, this is not a deterrent to an overall excellent book.


In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action

"The future is ours to take. We just need to loot it." That's one hell of a provocative statement, and it’s found in the book's introduction. But it fits. This is a book about provocation, how certain provocative acts are viewed positively while others (rioting and looting) are condemned.

In Defense of Looting incisively explores the history of revolution, breaking down the myths that not only reinforce white supremacy, but also whitewash civil rights struggles and revolutionary acts, removing valuable tools from the arsenals of those who need them most.

I knew this book would challenge my beliefs and presuppositions, but I had no idea how effectively it would do so. I could name any number of examples, but I'll limit myself to one that left me dumbstruck: many books about slavery don't teach us anything new and instead are simply profiting from Black deaths by focusing on the more prurient details.

In Defense of Looting is not merely playing devil's advocate or being provocative for the sake of being provocative, it is full-force challenging everyone to take a hard look at a hard subject, to stare slavery and injustice square in the eyes and not blink. I blinked. You probably will too. But keep looking. Here's a good place to start.


What They Don’t Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them

It’s hard enough to navigate life, let alone being an adolescent in today’s world. Jonathan Cristall, Esq. has taken some touchy subjects and distilled them into an easy-to-read guide for teens and those who love them.

Information is broken into one of three sections: dealing with police and street safety, sexual violence and misconduct, and staying safer online.

The information in this book is laid out in clear, easy-to-read, conversational language. The author provides some guidance as to what teens' options might be in the situations. The very end of the chapter offers a brief quiz to make sure readers are comprehending the information. For this reason, the book is a great tool to work through alongside a teenager to talk through the information and real-world situations.

The content is pretty heavy and some of it can be bleak, such as gun violence and how to react if you suspect someone might perpetrate a gun crime, so this would be good to go through with the teen in your life to offer guidance and support. There are multiple information-packed appendices in the back of the book, including tips for parents on how to approach the information in the book with their teens.

This is a very valuable guide to tough topics that are relevant in the lives of young people. Highly recommended.


Space 2069: After Apollo: Back to the Moon, to Mars, and Beyond

We have dreamed about living beyond the Earth's grasp for more than a century, tantalized by space missions and ever-improving photography that tells us more about the wonders of our solar system. But for all that talk, all that pondering, we still haven't even been back to the Moon, let alone deeper into the solar system.

Space 2069 explores one possible path to take us to those lofty goals. Part fictional recounting of a potential future, part history of modern efforts to explore the Moon, Mars, and more, this book marries the hard truths about space travel with the romantic notions that drive us to keep trying.

There are plenty of books out there about space missions, about proposed, postponed, and cancelled projects, and about the many promised great leaps forward in space technology and human achievement to come, but this is the first book in a long time to really make you believe all that is possible. It's a roadmap, a cautionary tale, and a love letter all in one.

Books like Space 2069 are just what we need to kickstart a renewed interest in exploration beyond our atmosphere.


Toot Fairy

Toot Fairy is an adorably illustrated story about Irma, who is starting Tooth school in order to become a Tooth Fairy. We soon learn that little Irma has a bit of a flatulence problem due to sensitivity to lactose intolerance. Like so many kids in "regular" school, she also wants to fit in with everyone else. When her classmates are having lunch together and offer her a glass of milk, even though she knows what will ensue, she decides to drink it anyway. Her tummy rumbles and gurgles, and she lets out an unmistakable toot. Her teacher scolds her for disrupting the class and not being able to be a good Tooth Fairy. Irma put all of her concentration into not farting that her school exams suffered. While her classmates celebrated their graduation, Irma sulked in the hallway. Then came a tooth assignment that only she can fulfill.

I read this to my five-year-old granddaughter, whose father is lactose-intolerant. We first started a conversation about what that means, which led to a discussion about genetics and inheriting certain things from our parents. Toot Fairy is a unique book on a subject I've not seen written about in a picture book. In an era where we preach inclusion to our children, it's nice to not only see a book on a topic such as this but also to see a child wearing rainbow-colored socks. It's a great message about how there is a place for all of us, no matter what our challenges might be. The illustrations are beautifully created and the story has a rhyming flow to it that captivated my granddaughter. My only complaint was that perhaps some of the words chosen will be above the intended audiences' heads. I found myself stopping at those words so I could explain what they meant, which only interrupted the flow of the story.


Anxious People: A Novel

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Fredrik Backman has a way of taking the most neurotic characters and making his reader feel sympathy for them. In Anxious People, he tells us that it is a story about idiots. Or maybe it’s a story about two policemen. But really, it is a story about a group of people brought together by accident at an apartment showing. There is a bank robber, a real-estate agent, a couple of “Stockholmers,” an elderly lady, an older couple, and a snooty bank worker. Everyone is stuck in an apartment trying to figure out what it is the bank robber wants, even though the bank robber doesn’t even know. The two policemen on the case interview the “hostages” afterward and are quite funny themselves. They are a father-son team who clearly love one another very much.

The characters are odd, a bit crazy, and although I wouldn’t call them any more idiotic than any other people out there, they all seem to be at extremely different stages of their lives. I especially loved Anna-Lena and Roger, the older couple who were there to try and flip the apartment. They had lots of different little schemes to make the other prospective buyers not want the place so that they could purchase it for less, renovate it, and sell it for profit.

This book brings in themes of suicide, human nature, kindness, and feelings just beautifully. It is a must-read for anyone who wants a good laugh that will also make them cry.


Other Poems of Longing

Is it not intrusive to critique poetry? Even when feelings are not revealed, unashamed like a dying blossom from the Rose of Sharon, there is an element of unease. Juan-Paolo Perre is a poet of stature. Other Poems of Longing, his new selection, will gratify all who embraced //Carmina: The Nomad Odes//. A musician, author, an actor, still he is tempted to reach into poetry, the medium of catharsis and angst.
The poems invite no profound torment, more like a bitter sweet emotion. Surely the best, if not the most evocative, are those he composed in Rome where the universality of the of the sun’s variation reaches furthest.

The sun is less angry now

The wind blows like balm

Daylight is growing far less unreasonable….

And, more graphically,

At plain day there is this sun

But today, too, a haze

A thick, white sock.

Around the sky covering

Its wounded foot.

A handful of the poems strive to baffle: short, unmatching lines with the words like scarves we knitted as children, each row gain one-lose one stitch. The concluding False Alarm leaves a less endearing taste than Infrastructures, ‘in the form of eulogy,’ on the preceding page:

Today I was having the most halcyon

Of days when suddenly unwilled,

I thought of you.


Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder: A Memoir

This memoir tells how a red-winged blackbird infected a talented multilingual professor who has a passion for bird-watching. Julia Zarankin was a Russian child immigrant raised amidst a musically talented family in Toronto and Vancouver. She was endowed with scholastic linguistic talent and was employed as a professor of comparative literature, yet she felt a void in her personal and professional life and ultimately found a soothing relationship with birds. With intrepid courage, she joined birders on their weekly outings and was never shy to admit her embarrassing mistakes in identification. Like any new student, she clumsily ventured into the routine of joining birding excursions, checking aviary references, reveling in correct sightings, and learning by laughing at her bumbling erroneous spottings. Each chapter of these reminisces of bird-watching adventures enchants the reader with its witty, gracefully charming descriptions of how an avocation invoking one with the mysterious migrations, habits, and uniqueness of the avian species can turn into such a satisfying passion. While her own life story remains somewhat elusive, her ardor for the birds and their influence of her own nature are delightfully drawn for the reader.  Bird watchers will adore this painting of their craft, while other readers might be tempted to raise their eyes and perk their ears to better see and hear the birds.