Book Nook Cafe discussion
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Library book recommendation lists ~~ 2023
There really isn't time for more books to be published. I have enough on my TBR, thank you very much, Alias.That written my fancy is intrigued by Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance--Mia Bay. I write this because i learned much from the other book mentioned in the write up--Gretchen Sorin's Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights. It was quite informative and had me yearning for another road trip, just to see what is still out there. Plenty of photos, too.
However, i see that Bay covers transportation only. Still full of info, i am sure.
------- The Game Is a Footnote
by Vicki Delany
Starring: Gemma Doyle, the British expat owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London, Massachusetts, who sometimes (albeit reluctantly) uses her analytical mind to solve crimes.
What happens: After several odd nighttime occurrences at Scarlet House, a local historical re-enactment museum, Gemma, her friend Jayne, and a few others camp out. When the night ends with a dead body, Gemma investigates.
Series alert: Featuring endearing characters, this is the 8th in a charming series that starts with Elementary, She Read.
-------- The Mitford Secret
by Jessica Fellowes
Christmas, 1941: With bombs landing on London, Louisa Cannon takes her six-year-old daughter to join her former employers, the Mitford family, for the holidays at their country house. But rumors and murder interrupt the festivities as Louisa, who has some experience in detective work, sets out to unearth the truth.
Series alert: This engaging tale is the 6th, and possibly final, book in a well-plotted series that begins with the 1920s-set The Mitford Murders.
Why you might like it: The Mitford Secret features real-life members of the famous Mitford family and evocatively depicts World War II-era Britain.
-------- Showstopper
by Peter Lovesey
The show must go on? The British crime show Swift has had its successes, including a six year and counting run, but it's also had a series of strange accidents and deaths. Is it jinxed as rumor says?
New problems: An actress dies of a heart attack during a robbery and a crew member disappears while on location in Bath. Peter Diamond, the city's brusque senior police detective, must figure out what's going on or his detested boss Georgina might force him into retirement.
Series alert: This is the cleverly plotted 21st Peter Diamond novel by the much-lauded Peter Lovesey. It's a fine place to start, but those who'd like to begin with the 1st novel should pick up The Last Detective.
-------- Witnesses for the Dead: Stories
by Gary Phillips and Gar Anthony Haywood, editors
What it is: a collection of 14 engaging, thought-provoking stories that examine what happens when someone witnesses a crime.
Stories include: "Spiders and Fly" by Gary Phillips, "Post-Game" by Alex Segura, "Code Name Penelope" by Cara Black, "A Family Matter" by Sarah M. Chen, and "On Gossamer Wings" by Gar Anthony Haywood.
Did you know? Witnesses for the Dead was inspired by the courage of Darnella Frazier, the teen who videoed George Floyd's murder; book royalties are being donated to the Alliance for Safe Traffic Stops.
-------- Blown by the Same Wind
by John Straley
Hello, stranger: Several people, including a famous monk, an FBI agent, and two racist fishermen, arrive in the small village of Cold Storage, Alaska, in 1968. Barkeep Ellie and other locals aren't sure what to make of them all, especially once odd break-ins and a killing occur.
Series alert: This 4th Cold Storage mystery can be read on its own, but readers who appreciate well-drawn settings, unpredictable plots, and eccentric characters will want to check out the earlier novels too.
Reviewers say: "Perfect" (Kirkus Reviews); "funny and quirky...a delight" (Booklist).
--------- City Under One Roof
by Iris Yamashita
Welcome to... Point Mettier, Alaska, formerly a secret military base and now home to 205 people, all of whom live in the same condo building.
Stranded: Anchorage detective Cara Kennedy is sent to investigate after a local teen discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on shore. When bad weather cuts off her exit, things get violent, and Cara must work with a local cop to figure out what's going on.
Author buzz: City Under One Roof is the debut novel of Iris Yamashita, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of 2006's Letters from Iwo Jima.
*** Short stories for a short month **
---------- Seasonal Work: Stories
by Laura Lippman
What it is: a collection of 12 stories, including a new novella, by the acclaimed author of numerous popular crime novels, such as those starring Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan (who makes two appearances here).
Reviewers say: "Clever, well-paced, laced with humor and insight" (Kirkus Reviews); "delightful" (Library Journal).
Keep an eye out for: Lippman's next novel, Prom Mom, which is due in July and is sure to be another bestseller.
------- Crime Hits Home: A Collection of Stories from Crime Fiction's Top Authors
by S.J. Rozan, editor
Home sweet home? In this "superior" (Publishers Weekly) gathering of 20 short stories, many of which are quite gritty, the authors explore various ideas of home, and what it's like when a crime occurs there.
Stories include: "Not Exit" by Walter Mosley, "Little House in the Big Woods" by Sara Paretsky, "Grand Garden" by Naomi Hirahara, "Calling Mr. Smith" by Ellen Hart, "Flip Top" by Gary Phillips, "What They Knew" by Gabino Iglesias, and "Playing for Keeps" by S.J. Rozan.
---------- Midnight Hour
by Abby L. Vandiver, editor; foreword by Stephen Mack Jones
What it is: a wide-ranging collection, from cozy to noir, of 20 original stories centered around the midnight hour, showcasing authors of color and edited by Abby L. Vandiver (aka Abby Collette).
Authors include: Jennifer Chow, Tracy Clark, E.A. Aymar, Raquel V. Reyes, Gigi Pandian, V.M. Burns, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden.
Reviewers say: "must reading for mystery aficionados" (Publishers Weekly); "an excellent collection" (Kirkus Reviews).
--------- Bruno's Challenge: And Other Stories of the French Countryside
by Martin Walker
What's inside: a charming set of 14 short stories starring Chief of Police Bruno Courrège of France's Dordogne region, who must settle town disputes, mediate family quarrels, and track down lawbreakers.
Is it for you? Heavy on food, atmosphere, and beloved characters, these stories also have recipes and a dash of crime.
Stories include: "The Chocolate War," "A Market Tale," "Dangerous Vacation," "Fifty Million Bubbles," "Oystercatcher," "Boeuf Neanderthal," and "Bruno and le Père Noël."
Lots of offering for mystery lovers, Alias. Thanks for the variety. Did you include the Alaska goodies for me? LOL!Blown by the Same Wind--John Straley sounds good. The "famous monk" in the write up is Thomas Merton, not what i'd expect. The drawing on the cover is nice & old-timey, which i like.
City Under One Roof--Iris Yamashita. The premise alone, that all the town lives in one condo is intriguing, right? This is the first in a new series, so there's no catching up. I'm giving this one a try, for certain.
Thanks, Alias. The short story collections was a neat idea, too.
------ Picture in the Sand
by Peter Blauner
What it's about: Hoping to convince his radicalized grandson to avoid the mistakes of his own youth, businessman Ali Hassan shares long-held secrets about his activities during a politically tumultuous period of Egyptian history.
Ready for his close-up: the story takes place against the backdrop of the production of Cecil B. DeMille’s epic The Ten Commandments while a young Ali worked on set as the director’s assistant.
Reviewers say: Picture in the Sand is “historical fiction at its absolute best -- heartfelt, anchored in real events, and extremely well told� (Publishers Weekly).
------- All the Blood We Share
by Camilla Bruce
What it is: a gritty and atmospheric tale of murder, money, and family ties in 19th-century Kansas.
Inspired by: the true story of the Bender family, who are believed to have killed a least a dozen people while operating a roadside inn from 1871-1873.
Did you know? There's no consensus on the fate of the “Bloody Benders,� who fled the area after a well-connected politician began to look for his missing brother (whose body was later found on their property).
------- The Book of Everlasting Things
by Aanchal Malhotra
Starring: Samir, a Hindu perfumer, and Firdaus, a Muslim calligrapher, whose forbidden love story sweeps readers from the early 20th century to the present day.
Read it for: a lush, atmospheric story of cultural, political and personal turmoil surrounding the 1947 Partition of India.
For fans of: Elif Shafak's The Island of Missing Trees, Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
------- The Wintering Place
by Kevin McCarthy
Sequel alert: The Wintering Place follows Irish immigrants Thomas and Michael O’Driscoll, who readers first met in Wolves of Eden.
This time: 1867 finds the brothers on the run after deserting the army, struggling to eke out an existence during a harsh winter and avoid more trouble among the other outlaws who cross their path.
Is it for you? The novel’s visceral details are compelling, evocative, and do much to underline the characters� traumatic experiences, but they may also be off-putting to some readers.
------ The Seamstress of Sardinia
by Bianca Pitzorno
What it is: a moving and engaging coming-of-age story about a determined Sardinian orphan striving to maintain her dignity and independence under circumstances that seem designed to rob her of both.
Read it for: the large cast of well-developed characters; the earnest resolve with which the novels unnamed heroine pursues her goals, interests, and dreams.
About the author: Hans Christian Anderson Award nominee Bianca Pitzorno is an Italian writer best known for her books for children and young adults, and for her translations of authors like J.R.R. Tolkien.
--------- When Franny Stands Up
by Eden Robins
What it's about: Franny Steinberg may feel out of place in the suburbs of postwar Chicago but she feels right at home in the city's comedy clubs. After an unforgettable experience at a female comedian's show, Franny decides to try stand-up for herself, discovering a new world of people and possibilities in the process.
For fans of: series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; authors such as Laura Esquivel and Anita Diamant.
--------- Defending Alice
by Richard Stratton
What it is: a dramatic and character-driven story of love, marriage, and divorce across race and class lines in Roaring Twenties New York.
Inspired by: the sensationalized 1925 Rhinelander v. Rhinelander trial, in which a white man from an old money family accused his mixed-race wife of lying about her background before their marriage.
For the record: A jury ruled in his wife's favor and the two later came to a divorce settlement. Neither ever married again.
-------- Lost in the Long March
by Michael X. Wang
What it's about: Amidst the chaos of the 1930s Communist uprising in China, a young couple makes a desperate choice to leave their baby in the relative safety of a mountain community. Years later, another war sends their child in search of them, enlisting in the occupying Japanese army in pursuit of information about his parents and their fates.
Read it for: author Michael X. Wang’s “simple, elegant prose� and “finely drawn details� (Booklist); the character-driven storyline and thought-provoking tone.
Try this next: Wuhan by John Fletcher.
--------- The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights
by Kitty Zeldis
What it is: the lyrical and richly detailed story of the complex, overlapping, volatile bonds between three strong women in 1920s Brooklyn.
Starring: Beatrice, a Russian-born Jewish dress shop proprietor newly arrived from New Orleans; Beatrice's protégé Alice, who came north with her mentor; newlywed Catherine, a regular customer of the dress shop whose increasingly close friendship with Beatrice could change things for all three of them forever.
For fans of: The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis; The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams.
--------- Her Deadly Game
by Robert Dugoni
A defense attorney is prepared to play. But is she a pawn in a master’s deadly match? A twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
------------ Homecoming
by Kate Morton
The highly anticipated new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Clockmaker’s Daughter, a sweeping novel that begins with a shocking crime, the effects of which echo across continents and generations
City walls
by Loren D. Estleman
The search for a fugitive embezzler leads Amos Walker to Cleveland, where he is hired by Emmett Yale, a leading figure in the electric car industry to investigate the murder of his stepson. Naturally, everyone has secrets to keep--but the truths lurking beneath the surface this time may make this Walker's final case.
--------- Standing in the Shadows
by Peter Robinson
The 28th twisting installment in the DCI Alan Banks mystery series that Stephen King calls “the best now on the market.�
---------- My Heart Will Find You
by Jude Deveraux
When the world is brought to a standstill in the early days of a global pandemic, Etta Wilmont finds herself suddenly stranded in Kansas City. Desperate to secure a roof over her head, Etta crosses paths with Henry Logan, a lonely older man in need of a caretaker. His invitation for Etta to stay with him seems to be the solution to both their problems—and maybe the spontaneous adventure Etta’s life has been missing.
---------- The Trackers
by Charles Frazier
From the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Mountain and Varina, a stunning new novel that paints a vivid portrait of life in the Great Depression.
--------- The fourth enemy : a Daniel Pitt novel
by Anne Perry
"Daniel Pitt prosecutes a beloved philanthropist whose good deeds may hide dark-and dangerous-secrets in this gripping mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
-------- Dark Angel : Letty Davenport Novel
by John Sandford
The second book featuring Letty Davenport, the tough-as-nails adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, this time taking on an undercover case that brings her across the country—and into the most dangerous group she has ever faced.
--------- Simply lies
by David Baldacci
"Two women-a former detective and a dangerous con artist-go head-to-head in a twisting game of cat and mouse"
--------- Where Are the Children Now?
by Mary Higgins Clark
The legacy of the “Queen of Suspense� continues with the highly anticipated follow-up to Mary Higgins Clark’s iconic novel Where Are The Children?, featuring the children of Nancy Harmon, facing peril once again as adults.
--------- Shadow of Death
by Heather Graham
When two hikers go missing within a series of daunting caves outside of Denver, Colorado, FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, have good reason to suspect foul play.
---------- City of Dreams
by Don Winslow
Hot on the heels of the “superb� (Stephen King) New York Times bestseller City on Fire comes the explosive second novel in an epic crime trilogy from #1 internationally bestselling author Don Winslow.
---------- Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie
by Sarah Graves
From the bestselling author of the Home Repair is Homicide novels comes the latest in this “sharp, smart, and witty� (Crimespree) series set in a charming, real-life Maine fishing village. chocolate-themed recipes, appealing characters, and an unpredictable mystery make the perfect mix
--------- With my little eye : a novel
by Joshilyn Jackson
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever comes the hair-raising story of a mother who moves herself and her daughter across the country to lose a dangerous stalker-only to discover that it will take more than distance to escape him"
--------- Small Mercies
by Dennis Lehane
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River—an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.
--------- Mother of the Bride Murder
by Leslie Meier
As part-time Tinker’s Cove, Maine reporter Lucy Stone says “oui� to her daughter’s surprise wedding invitation in France, she must also make a different kind of vow—to catch a killer!
---------- The Rescue
by T. Jefferson Parker
The Rescue is a gripping thriller that explores the strength of the human-animal bond and how far we will go to protect what we love by three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker
---------- The Loner
by Diana Palmer
Tanner Everett spends most of his time jet-setting around the world. But that hasn’t stopped innocent Stasie Bolton, the daughter of a neighboring rancher, from falling head-over-heels for the jet-setting playboy. So Stasie is secretly thrilled when both her father proposes linking the properties in matrimony…which means Tanner will be hers, for good.
-------------- The Private Life of Spies and the Exquisite Art of Getting Even
by Alexander McCall Smith
From the beloved author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a new short story collection: half spy stories, half tales of revenge, all highlight the kinder, funnier, and gentler side of espionage and retribution.
---------- The 23rd Midnight : The Most Gripping Womens Murder Club Novel of Them All
by James Patterson
An attention-seeking copycat is recreating murders by a famous killer from the Women’s Murder Club’s past—with devastating new twists.
---------- The Wedding Planner
by Danielle Steel
In this captivating novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel, a wildly successful, unmarried wedding planner leads her clients to happily ever after.
---------- They Come at Knight
by Yasmin Angoe
Series alert: They Come at Knight is the sequel to Her Name is Knight, the atmospheric and action-packed thriller that first introduced readers to elite assassin Nena Knight, a human trafficking survivor who last used her particular set of skills to take down a massive trafficking ring.
This time: Nena's employer (the powerful business syndicate called The Tribe) is under siege, with attacks against their affiliates escalating across the globe. Soon it starts to look like an inside job, and Nena will need to rely on both her training and her instincts to root out a mole.
Read it for: Nena's tenacity and determination to survive in the face of both immediate threats to her life and the grief and trauma from her past.
---------- All Dressed Up
by Jilly Gagnon
The setup: At a beautiful manor converted into a boutique hotel, eight guests arrive for a 1920s murder-mystery themed weekend, where they'll each take on a fictional persona for the duration and be served by a full cast of actors portraying the stately home's staff.
What goes wrong: An actress playing a key role in the mystery fails to show up for work, leaving the guests -- some of whom had reason to distrust each other before the disappearance -- to investigate what might be a very real crime.
About the author: All Dressed Up is the adult fiction debut of writer Jilly Gagnon, who is best known for her young adult novel #famous.
--------- The Other Side of Night
by Adam Hamdy
What it's about: Harriet Healty is a disgraced British police detective who begins a personal investigation after finding a note scribbled in a secondhand book that suggests a connection between her former boyfriend and the apparent murder-suicide of a brilliant physicist and her well-known novelist husband.
How it's told: from alternating perspectives, interspersed with emails, court documents, and police reports related to the case.
You might also like: Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh; The Last Hunt by Deon Meyer; The Postscript Murders by Ely Griffiths.
---------- 1989
by Val McDermid
Series alert: 1989 is the intricately plotted and well-researched sequel to 1979, which first introduced readers to Glasglow journalist Allie Burns.
This time: The U.K. is under a dark cloud thanks to Thatcherism, the recent Lockerbie plane bombing, and the ongoing AIDS crisis. Rumors of potentially successful new HIV treatments on the other side of the Iron Curtain pull Allie to East Berlin, where a deal she makes to get information lands her on the Stasi's radar.
Reviewers say: 1989 is a "riveting look backward from Scotland's Queen of Crime" (Booklist) and author Val McDermid is "writing at the top of her game" (Publishers Weekly).
-------- Luda
by Grant Morrison
Starring: aging drag queen Luci LaBang, whose act is known for its allusions to the occult and emphasis on creating illusion; magnetic up-and-coming performer Luda, whose traumatic past and ingenue vibe convince Luci to take on a new protégé.
When we meet them: after an accident takes Luci's usual costar out of commission and Luda arrives as a replacement, bringing along as much mystery and trouble as she does star power.
For fans of: witty banter and wordplay; classic Bette Davis film All About Eve.
---------- We Spread
by Iain Reid
How it starts: Surrealist painter Penny has just moved into the long-term care home Six Cedars, which boasts pleasant surroundings and a progressive methodology to enrich the final years of its elderly residents.
What goes wrong: After settling in Penny begins to suspect that something is very wrong with the facility's managers and their treatment of the other residents, but her increasingly fragile relationship with memory leaves her spiraling as she struggles to distinguish between her imagination and reality.
Read it for: the menacing tone, which the author manages to create through spare yet compelling writing; a harrowing portrait of the vulnerabilities of dementia.
---------- The Vicious Circle
by Katherine St. John
Where it's set: a massive villa called Xanadu deep in the Mexican jungle, home of a lucrative wellness center run by self-help guru Paul Bentzen before his recent death.
Starring: Sveta Bentzen, who is shocked to learn that her uncle Paul left the to her and deeply discomfited by the circle of Paul's devoted followers whom she meets after arriving in Mexico to sort out the paperwork.
Try these next: This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel; The Sanctuary by Charlotte Duckworth; The Hive by Gregg Olsen.
--------- The Family Game
by Catherine Steadman
The premise: Suspense writer Harriet Reed has just gotten engaged to Edward Holbeck, a tech entrepreneur who comes from a family as wealthy as they are notoriously eccentric.
The problem: Members of the Holbeck family have many, many secrets, and without telling Edward, have decided to turn their Christmas holiday celebrations into a high-stakes test of Harriet's loyalty and discretion.
Reviewers say: "This pitch-dark fairy tale will leave most readers spellbound" (Publishers Weekly).
---------- Sometimes People Die
by Simon Stephenson
The setting: an extremely understaffed London hospital where the narrator, an unnamed young doctor, takes the only job he can get after he was suspended for stealing opioids.
What goes wrong: an unexpected death leads to a police investigation, which prompts the narrator to start looking over patient records himself. It's quickly apparent that there are an unusually high number of patients dying, but is it murder or just institutional decay?
Read it for: the sardonic tone and credibility of the narrator's voice, which reflects author Simon Stephenson's former career as a physician.
---------- A Familiar Stranger
by A.R. Torre
What it's about: Lillian Smith has a lot going on -- she just lost her job, her teenage son Jacob is growing increasingly withdrawn, and she just found proof that her emotionally distant husband Mike is having an affair. When the chance for a revenge fling arises Lillian decides to treat herself, sure that it will be a casual thing.
The problem: Somehow someone has a video of Lillian and the man she hooked up with, and it quickly spreads in their community after the footage is uploaded to social media. Then someone turns up dead, with Lillian as the prime suspect.
Reviewers say: A Familiar Stranger is "a wild ride whose perfectly timed shocks won't end till the last page" (Kirkus Reviews).
Alias Reader wrote: " . . .City wallsby Loren D. Estleman . . . .--------- Small Mercies
by Dennis Lehane"
Oh boy -- new Estleman and new Lehane this month! Thanks for the reminder!
You're welcome, James. I hope you enjoy both books.
There are many interesting concepts for novels listed, Alias. Thanks for sharing. These caught my eye tonight.Her Deadly Game--Robert Dugoni
and
Lost in the Long March--Michael X. Wang
and
Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie--Sarah Graves, although this one may be because i'm hankerin' for something sweet.
Somehow i missed this one in a previous batch of posts. Based on real US mass murderers of the 19th century, all in one family, killing people was a family affair. I don't know if this will cover all i recall about the family but they allowed people passing through, often salesmen, to stay at their home. Said visitors disappear--some after one night, others after a week or so. By the time locals deduce what's happened, the family has vanished. And repeat. Incredible story that might be fascinating as a novel. All The Blood We Share--Camilla Bruce
I'm glad there are some that appeal.
My mother and I used to read every one of Mary Higgins Clark's books. Loved them all.
How nice to have that to share with your mother, Kiki. You have me wondering if my mom read any of those.
----- The Complete Guide to Healthy Drinks: Powerhouse Ingredients, Endless...
by America's Test Kitchen
What's inside: 160 recipes for delicious, good-for-you beverages, from smoothies to a DIY sports drink, all made with healthy ingredients and minimal sweeteners. Plus an equipment list, buyer's guide, storage tips, and substitution suggestions.
Recipes include: London Fog Tea Latte, Raw Hot Chocolate, ATK V5 Juice, Old-Fashioned Mulled Cider, Mango Lassi, Milk Kefir, Sparkling Mixed Berry Kombucha, Pear and Vanilla Spritzer.
-------- Downshiftology Healthy Meal Prep: 100+ Make-Ahead Recipes and Quick-Assembly Meals
by Lisa Bryan
What it is: a debut cookbook packed with 100 simple, big-batch recipes focused on whole foods, plus details on tools, prep, and storage.
Recipes include: Mediterranean Sheet Pan Eggs, Lemony Lentil Soup, Creamy Salmon Zoodles, Honey Citrus Chicken, Key Lime Tartelettes.
Read this next: For another cookbook that eschews refined sugar and gluten, try Danielle Walker's Healthy in a Hurry. If you want more on healthy meal prep, pick up Skinnytaste Meal Prep by Gina Homolka or The Ultimate Meal-Prep Cookbook by American's Test Kitchen.
---------- Home Detox: Make Your Home a Healthier Place for Everyone Who Lives There
by Daniella Chace
What it is: "a thoroughly researched and practical guide" (Library Journal) to detoxing your home, room by room.
Why you might like it: Home Detox examines toxins found in common household items and gives tips for eliminating or reducing them, plus offers suggestions for tidying tools and recipes for homemade cleaners.
Want a taste? "Toxins are linked to thousands of common health conditions and diseases."
------- 100 Plants to Feed the Birds: Turn Your Home Garden into a Healthy Bird Habitat
by Laura Erickson
What's inside: details on planning a bird-friendly garden as well as in-depth profiles of 100 plants -- including herbaceous plants, trees, grasses, shrubs, and vines -- that will provide food and shelter for birds throughout the entire year.
Don't miss: the details on why bird habitats are needed, the beautiful color photos, planting and care advice, and a list of plants to avoid.
------ Embroidery: The Ideal Guide to Stitching, Whatever Your Level of Expertise
by Lucinda Ganderton
What's inside: This "quintessentially perfect reference" (Booklist) provides a comprehensive embroidery guide for creators of all levels, showcasing over 200 stitches, plus creative ideas on how to use them, loads of illustrations, advice on materials, and a bit of history.
Sections include: Materials, Tools, and Techniques; Gallery of Stitches; Line and Border Stitches; Openwork Stitches; Needlepoint Stitches.
------ AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home
by Bryan Mason and Jeanine Hays
What it is: an interior design book exploring Black history and the idea of home via the inspiring personal spaces of well-known Black Americans.
Featured homeowners include: Jason Reynolds, Alexander Smalls, Danielle Brooks and Dennis Gelin, and Bridgid Coulter.
Don't miss: gorgeous photos of art-filled rooms; information about the home ownership barriers Black Americans have faced.
------- Watercolour Lessons: How to Paint and Unwind in 20 Tutorials
by Emma Lefebvre
What it is: personable YouTuber Emma Lefebvre's approachable, beautifully illustrated guide to watercolors, based around 20 tutorials, that's perfect for beginners or anyone who wants to improve their skills.
Chapters include: Supply Guide, Colour Theory and Colour Mixing, Before You Begin, Botanical Painting Projects, Landscapes, Animals.
------- Home Therapy: Interior Design for Increasing Happiness, Boosting Confidence, and...
by Anita Yokota
What it is: an engaging holistic home design guide with color photos and practical tips, by therapist-turned-designer Anita Yokota, who considers your style preferences as well as your emotional well-being.
Read it if... you want a lovely, well put-together home and a more thoughtful life.
Reviewers say: "Yokota’s calming charm makes for an original approach to domestic bliss" (Publishers Weekly).
Women's History Month
----A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story
Brown, Elaine
The successor to Huey Newton as leader of the Black Panther Party in 1974 tells how, despite threats from the FBI, sexism and internal conflict destroyed the party's initiatives, in a personal account of the struggle to define Black identity.
-----Kindred
Butler, Octavia E.
Dana, a Black woman, finds herself repeatedly transported to the antebellum South, where she must make sure that Rufus, the plantation owner's son, survives to father Dana's ancestor.
---------An Extraordinary Union
Cole, Alyssa
As the Civil War rages, a courageous pair of spies plunge fearlessly into a maelstrom of ignorance, deceit, and danger, combining their unique skills to alter the course of history and break the chains of the past . . .
----- Invisible Women : Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Criado-Perez, Caroline
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives. Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women�, diving into women's lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor's office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.
------Girls That Never Die : Poems
Elhillo, Safia
In Girls That Never Die, award-winning poet Safia Elhillo reinvents the epic to explore Muslim girlhood and shame, the dangers of being a woman, and the myriad violences enacted and imagined against women's bodies. Drawing from her own life and family histories, as well as cultural myths and news stories about honor killings and genital mutilation, she interlaces the everyday traumas of growing up a girl under patriarchy with magical realist imaginings of rebellion, autonomy, and power.
---------Ain't I a Woman : Black Women and Feminism
Hooks, Bell
A classic work of feminist scholarship, Ain't I a Woman has become a must-read for all those interested in the nature of Black womanhood. Examining the impact of sexism on Black women during slavery, the devaluation of Back womanhood, Black male sexism, racism among feminists, and the Black woman's involvement with feminism, hooks attempts to move us beyond racist and sexist assumptions. The result is nothing short of groundbreaking, giving this book a critical place on every feminist scholar's bookshelf.
-------The Woman They Could Not Silence : One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried To Make Her Disappear
Moore, Kate
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Threatened by Elizabeth's intellect, independence, and outspokenness, her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her and makes a plan to put her back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum. The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, are overseen by Dr. Andrew McFarland, a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband. But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution. There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they've been committed not because they need medical treatment, but to keep them in line-conveniently labeled "crazy" so their voices are ignored. No one is willing to fight for their freedom, and disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness, they cannot possibly fight for themselves. But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose.
---------Our Voice of Fire : A Memoir of a Warrior Rising
Morin, Brandi
A wildfire of a debut memoir by internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples. Brandi Morin is known for her clear-eyed and empathetic reporting on Indigenous oppression in North America. She is also a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and uses her experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence. From her time as a foster kid and runaway who fell victim to predatory men and an oppressive system to her career as an internationally acclaimed journalist, Our Voice of Fire chronicles Morin's journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism. This compelling, honest book is full of self-compassion and the purifying fire of a pursuit for justice.
----------The Doctors Blackwell : How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women--and Women to Medicine
Nimura, Janice P.
A biography of two pioneering sisters who, together, became America's first female doctors and transformed New York's medical establishment by creating a hospital by and for women.
--------The Street
Petry, Ann
The Street follows the spirited Lutie Johnson, a newly single mother whose efforts to claim a share of the American Dream for herself and her young son meet frustration at every turn in 1940s Harlem. Opening a fresh perspective on the realities and challenges of black, female, working-class life, The Street became the first novel by an African American woman to sell more than a million copies.
---------Mighty Justice : My Life in Civil Rights
Roundtree, Dovey Johnson
In Mighty Justice, trailblazing African American civil rights attorney Dovey Johnson Roundtree recounts her inspiring life story that speaks movingly and urgently to our racially troubled times. From the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, to the segregated courtrooms of the nation's capital; from the male stronghold of the army where she broke gender and color barriers to the pulpits of churches where women had waited for years for the right to minister--in all these places, Roundtree sought justice. At a time when African American attorneys had to leave the courthouses to use the bathroom, Roundtree took on Washington's white legal establishment and prevailed, winning a 1955 landmark bus desegregation case that would help to dismantle the practice of "separate but equal" and shatter Jim Crow laws.
-------A Warrior of the People : How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America's First Indian Doctor
Starita, Joe
On March 14, 1889, Susan La Flesche received her medical degree becoming the first Native American doctor in U.S. history. She earned her degree thirty-one years before women could vote and thirty-five years before Indians could become citizens in their own country. By age twenty-six, this fragile but indomitable Indian woman became the doctor to her tribe. Overnight, she acquired 1,244 patients scattered across 1,350 square miles of rolling countryside with few roads. Her patients often were desperately poor and desperately sick tuberculosis, small pox, measles, influenza families scattered miles apart, whose last hope was a young woman who spoke their language and knew their customs. This is the story of an Indian woman who effectively became the chief of an entrenched patriarchal tribe, the story of a woman who crashed through thick walls of ethnic, racial and gender prejudice, then spent the rest of her life using a unique bicultural identity to improve the lot of her people physically, emotionally, politically, and spiritually.
------American Indian Stories
ٰܾ첹-̈
Bright and carefree, Zitkála-Sá grows up on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota with her mother until Quaker missionaries arrive, offering a free education to all Sioux children. The catch: the children must leave their parents behind and travel to Indiana. Curious about the world beyond the reservation, Zitkála-Sá begs her mother to let her go -- and her mother, aware of the advantage that an education offers, reluctantly agrees. But the missionary school is not the adventure that Zitkála-Sá expected: the school is a strict one, her long hair is cut, and only English is spoken. She encounters racism and ridicule. Slowly, she adapts to her environment -- excelling at her studies, winning prizes for essay-writing and oration. Vivid and poignant, this memoir is the story of an activist in the making, a woman whose extraordinary career partially inspired the events of Killers of the Flower Moon.
Thank you, Alias, for the self-help books. Home Therapy: Interior Design for Increasing Happiness, Boosting Confidence, and Creating Calm: An Interior Design Book--Anita Yokota sounds up my alley. I felt i used redecorating our living space as therapy when i was low. Just moving 10 things around lifted my spirits. Of course i don't think that is what the title is implying but, nonetheless, it's worth considering.Also appealing to me is Home Detox: Make Your Home a Healthier Place for Everyone Who Lives There--Daniella Chace is important. Quasi-toxins can aggravate as well as full-on versions. I try to be careful.
From the Women's History list i can recommend two. First, one we've mentioned here many times, Kindred--Octavia E. Butler. Yes, it's time travel but not of the outrageous sort. Instead, it's a thoughtful insight into slavery, as a woman of today enters the past and returns.Ann Petry's The Street is a classic from the '40s. What is disturbing is that the single mother faced exactly the problems we do today. The world doesn't change as much as we'd like. I was unfamiliar with Petry prior to this. She was a pharmacist before her first novel was published.
madrano wrote: "Also appealing to me is Home Detox: Make Your Home a Healthier Place for Everyone Who Lives There--Daniella Chace is important. Quasi-toxins can aggravate as well as full-on versions. I try to be careful..."
Yes ! I don't know if people realize things like carpeting gives off toxins.
madrano wrote: "From the Women's History list i can recommend two. First, one we've mentioned here many times, Kindred--Octavia E. Butler. Yes, it's time travel but not of the outrageou..."One of my friends read that with her library group. The interesting part was they selected a graphic novel edition.
It was my friends first graphic novel. I don't think she was completely sold on it. I told her I had enjoyed a non fiction graphic novel that I read, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, so I would give it another try. She is thinking maybe a classic that she already knows.
I think the other issue was the drawings were dark and the topic of the book isn't too pleasant. Maybe something lighter would appeal. We shall see.
Alias Reader wrote: "Yes ! I don't know if people realize things like carpeting gives off toxins...."A friend of mine was paneling her basement, a long-desired dream for her house. As she worked, she started feeling awful, bottom line was an allergy to the adhesive they were using. She was hospitalized, had to tear down all they had accomplished and start anew with another finish.
Toxins affect us, some folks more seriously and quickly than others. And they are everywhere.
Alias Reader wrote: "I think the other issue was the drawings were dark and the topic of the book isn't too pleasant. Maybe something lighter would appeal. We shall seet ..."True. Even John Lewis's March: Book One books seemed dark to me. Overall, i tend to see the dark drawings more than others. I hope she can find one.
Oddly, i'm not sure i would want to read a graphic version of a classic i already knew. It kinda reminds me of comic book versions of classics, too. I may be way off but they do not call to me.
Thank you, Alias. I really liked John Lewis.
Nature & Science
------ The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration
by Jake Bittle
What it is: a human-focused examination of internal migration in the United States as the effects of climate change threaten to render entire regions of the country uninhabitable.
Try these next: Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World by Gaia Vince; The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move by Sonia Shah; or Move: Where People are Going for a Better Future by Parag Khanna.
------ Koala: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future
by Danielle Clode
What it's about: an Australian zoologist looks at the 37-million-year evolutionary history, unique biology, cultural significance, and future prospects of this iconic marsupial.
Did you know... that koalas are the only non-primate species known to have fingerprints?
Reviewers say: Originally published in Australia as Koala: A Life in Trees, this book takes readers on a "vivid journey into a fascinating corner of the natural world" (Kirkus Reviews).
------ The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls
by Miriam Darlington
What it's about: British nature writer Miriam Darlington embarks on a far-ranging quest to learn about owls, one that takes on special significance when her son develops a mysterious illness.
Destinations include: England, France, Serbia, Spain, Finland, and Lapland.
For fans of: Jonathan C. Slaght’s Owls of the Eastern Ice or Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk.
------- The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance
by Dan Egan
What it is: Journalist Dan Egan (The Death and Life of the Great Lakes) examines the environmental costs of phosphorus.
Did you know... phosphorus was discovered by an alchemist boiling his own urine in search of gold? Or that the Victorian fertilizer industry depended on the skeletons of dead soldiers?
For fans of: John Emsley's The Thirteenth Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus.
------ Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones
by Hettie Judah
What it is: art critic Hettie Judah's "lively lapidary history" (Booklist) of 60 minerals that have had an outsized impact on human civilization.
Why you might like it: Judah teases out the connections between geology and culture in short, trivia-rich essays organized around six themes, including "Stones and Power" and "Stone Technology."
You might also like: Hugh Raffles' The Book of Unconformities: Speculations on Lost Time.
-------- Walking With Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet
by Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka; with a foreword from Dr. Jane Goodall
Meet: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian and a staunch advocate for her country's "One Health" approach to conservation, which emphasizes the role of public health for humans in promoting better outcomes for both people and wildlife.
Read it for: Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka's account of how she created her dream job, as well as her vivid, if often heartbreaking, descriptions of providing emergency care to endangered mountain gorillas.
------ Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists
by Leah Penniman
What it's about: Farmer and activist Leah Penniman (Farming While Black) interviews 16 notable individuals to reveal the often untold story of Black environmental activism.
The big idea: "The voices and expertise of Black, Brown, and Indigenous environmentalists, amplified by all those who have eschewed white supremacy, must be heeded if we are to halt and reverse planetary calamity."
-------- A Hacker's Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society's Rules, and How to Bend Them Back
by Bruce Schneier
What it's about: Using examples from sports, finance, law, politics, artificial intelligence, and more, cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier (Schneier on Security) explains the principles of hacking and reveals how the wealthy and powerful game systems at society's expense.
Reviewers say: This "excellent survey of exploitation" (Publishers Weekly) offers readers "hope for leveling a badly tilted playing field" (Kirkus Reviews).
------ A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing From Soil to Stars
by Erin Sharkey (editor)
What it's about: Black writers explore their relationships with the natural world in this thought-provoking essay collection.
Why you might like it: Inspired by archival objects, from photographs to family heirlooms, these essays present a "well-curated assemblage of Black voices" (Kirkus Reviews) reflecting on a broad range of themes.
You might also like: The Colors of Nature, edited by Lauret Savoy and Alison Hawthorne Deming; Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney.
------ A Spell of Good Things
by Ayobami Adébáyo
Meet: Eniolá, a teen embittered by poverty and his parents' favoritism toward his sisters; and Wúràolá, a doctor from a wealthy family who becomes engaged to the son of a local power broker.
What happens: Wealth, power, political corruption, and gender inequality in modern-day Nigeria set the protagonists on a collision course for violence and tragedy.
Try this next: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
--------- The Unfortunates
by J. K.Chukwu
What happens: Queer, Black, and supremely self-aware Sahara melts down during her sophomore year at Elite University. Why? Institutional racism, body issues, an unrequited crush, lack of family support -- oh, and the "unfortunate" fate of several Black peers (murder, suicide, disappearance).
Read it for: a zingy coming-of-age story creatively structured as imaginary thesis chapters (labelled "tracks" like a musical album) with chats, emails, and the occasional black and white illustrations thrown in.
--------- The Last Carolina Girl
by Meagan Church
What happens: Impoverished and fatherless in 1930s rural North Carolina,14-year-old Leah is whisked away to Charlotte by a well-off family. The state's recently established eugenics board deems her "feeble minded" when she is less than docile.
Is it for you? The eugenics movement -- driven by negative biases about race, gender, and class -- forced medical procedures upon thousands of vulnerable individuals until the 1970s. Due to its subject matter, this novel packs emotional wallop akin to Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, alth
------- At Sea
by Emma Fedor
What happens: A young woman's romance with a former soldier, who claims he was trained to breathe underwater, leads to marriage, a child -- and devastation when he disappears with their son.
Read it for: a genre-defying debut with mesmerizing characters, whose experiences of love, loss, and personal evolution are narrated across past and present.
For fans of: Diane Chamberlain and Sally Hepworth.
--------- Your Driver is Waiting
by Priya Guns
What it's about: Damani, gig driver for an unnamed ride-share company, spends her free time at a hangout for artists and activists. A meet-cute moment sparks a romance with a wealthy white woman (not Damani's usual type) who seems to share the same social justice values...at first.
Read it for: "rich commentary on gig work, race, and white privilege" (Publishers Weekly); a kick-ass protagonist with a "ferocious heart" who is "a lover and a fighter, start to finish" (Booklist).
------ American Mermaid
by Julia Langbein
What happens: Penny goes to Hollywood after her best-selling feminist novel -- in which a woman falls into the ocean and discovers she's a mermaid -- is slated for a splashy film adaptation.
Reeled in: Studio execs turn Penny's asexual mermaid protagonist into a super-sexy action goddess. Penny becomes increasingly unsure of where she stands (or swims) when events in the script start happening in real life.
Read it for: a witty, metafictional satire of publishing and filmmaking.
--------- The Dog of the North
by Elizabeth McKenzie
Buckle up: Penny Rush has had a rough few years. Her parents disappeared in the Australian Outback. Her marriage failed. Her gun-toting granny nearly landed in protective custody. Next thing you know, Penny's on the road with an accountant and his Pomeranian, Kweecoats.
Reviewers say: "This whirlwind tale has heart to spare" (Publishers Weekly).
For fans of: un-put-downable stories about imminently likeable, offbeat characters on madcap adventures.
------- The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
by Colleen Oakley
Road trip! A sweet little old lady and a disgraced college athlete wind up on the lam together in this surprisingly suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming story of intergenerational friendship.
Plot twist: One of them is a jewel thief who pulled off a major heist (hint: it happened in 1975).
Looking for: other amusingly mismatched road buddies? Try The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan or Lost & Found by Brooke Davis.
---------Stars in an Italian Sky
by Jill Santopolo
Genoa, 1948: Star-crossed lovers -- a tailor's daughter and a duke's son -- are caught up in political events that alter Italy's history.
New York, 2017: Lovebirds Luca and Cassandra discover long-buried secrets connecting their families and the consequences could derail their perfect wedding plans forever.
Read it for: "A romantic, sweeping story that's satisfying and heartbreaking at the same time" (Kirkus Reviews).
Fantasy and Science Fiction
--------- Antimatter Blues
by Edward Ashton
What it is: the sequel to Mickey7, in which the retired Expendable must negotiate with aliens to recover the fuel source on which the colony's survival depends.
For fans of: Andy Weir's Artemis or Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries.
Should you start here? Because Antimatter Blues' plot references events from the previous novel, you'll want to start at the beginning (or wait for director Bong Joon-ho's upcoming film adaptation of Mickey7).
--------- The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty
One last job: Retired pirate and single mother Amina al-Sirafi reluctantly agrees to search for the kidnapped granddaughter of a wealthy woman with ties to Amina's past.
Getting the band back together: Amina rounds up the remaining members of her old crew and embarks on a rescue mission -- but, of course, there's more to the job than she's been told.
Series alert: This swashbuckling novel by the author of the Daevabad trilogy is the 1st book in a planned trilogy that draws inspiration from the seafaring cultures of the 12th-century Indian Ocean.
---------- Rubicon
by J.S. Dewes
What happens: Resurrected for the 96th time and assigned to a shadowy special forces unit, Sergeant Adrienne Valero must deal with a suddenly sentient virtual intelligence (VI) as she battles enemy Mechans.
Why you might like it: This standalone novel by the author of the Divide series offers action-packed military science fiction with sympathetic characters.
For fans of: the indestructible soldiers of Kameron Hurley's The Light Brigade or John Scalzi's Old Man's War series.
-------- Dead Country
by Max Gladstone
What it is: the opening installment of the Craft Wars series, a spin-off of author Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence.
Starring: Craftswoman Tara Abernathy, who returns to the hometown that cast her out, only to discover that she must now defend it from enemies; and Tara's accidental apprentice, Dawn, a girl with powerful and uncontrolled magic.
Can you start here? Yes! Knowledge of Tara's previous exploits is not necessary to follow the events of Dead Country.
-
--------- The Foreign Exchange
by Veronica G. Henry
Starring: Vodou priestess and amateur sleuth Mambo Reina Dumond, who works as a healer in New Orleans' French Quarter when she's not solving crimes.
What happens: In this 2nd book in the Mambo Reina series (after The Quarter Storm), a client's request for help with a financial matter soon turns into a murder investigation.
For fans of: New Orleans-set contemporary fantasies such as Alex Jennings' The Ballad of Perilous Graves or Bryan Camp's Crescent City novels.
--------- The God of Endings
by Jakki Holland
Introducing: vampire Collette LeSange, an immortal artist whose quiet life as a preschool teacher in 1980s upstate New York comes crashing down when her past finally catches up to her.
Why you might like it: Collette's first-person narrative spans 150 years, covering her 1830s childhood, her World War II resistance activities, and her 20th-century brush with Satanic Panic.
For fans of: V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, or Traci L. Slatton's Immortal.
---------The Mimicking of Known Successes
by Malka Older
What it's about: Investigator Mossa's latest case involves a return to her alma mater, Jupiter's Valdegeld University, where her success will depend on convincing Pleiti, her ex-girlfriend, to assist her inquiries.
Read it for: a classic mystery feel, a detecting duo reminiscent of Holmes and Watson, and evocative world-building.
For fans of: Mary Robinette Kowal's The Spare Man or Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night.
--------- Bitter Medicine
by Mia Tsai
Starring: calligrapher Elle Mei, a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, currently hiding from the brother who wants to kill her and steal her magic; and her favorite customer, half-elf Agent Luc Villois, whose latest assignment may get Elle and her entire family killed.
Read it for: an inventive mash-up of xianxia tropes and European mythology, a fast-paced romantic adventure plot, and a diverse cast of well-drawn characters.
---------- The Lies of the Ajungo
by Moses Ose Utomi
The premise: "There is no water in the City of Lies," which leads the City to strike a costly bargain with the Ajungo Empire: in exchange for this precious resource, citizens 13 and older must forfeit their tongues.
What happens: To save his dying mother, 12-year-old Tutu ventures into the Forever Desert on an impossible quest and finds unexpected allies.
Series alert: This "mesmerizing debut novella" (Publishers Weekly) is the 1st book in the Forever Desert series.
--------- The Foxglove King
by Hannah Whitten
Introducing: Lore, a young woman who escaped from a subterranean cult and now works as a poison-runner on the streets of Dellaire while concealing her forbidden Mortem, or death magic, from the authorities.
What happens: Captured by the Presque Mort, who serve the Sainted King, Lore must spy on the king's heir, Sun Prince Bastian, with the aid of her assigned bodyguard Gabe, a disgraced monk.
Why you might like it: This opening installment of the Nightshade Kingdom series offers courtly intrigue, a sinister state religion, and a complex love triangle.
Alias Reader wrote: "Nature & Science
------ The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild.."
The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls--Miriam Darlington sounds very interesting. I am intrigued by owls, particularly as my husband's grandmother was of the Owl family. Thanks for the list. It sometimes seems there might well be a book for every animal. :-)
Alias Reader wrote: "At Sea..."
At Sea--Emma Fedor intrigues me, even though there is a magic realism at work. Maybe...
Thanks for the list, Alias. I like the range of topics.
Alias Reader wrote: "Fantasy and Science Fiction---------Antimatter Blues
by Edward Ashton
What it is: the sequel to Mickey7, in which the retired Expendable must negotiate with aliens to recover the fuel source o..."
What to say when the titles sound more tempting than the descriptions? There were many like that in this category, particularly the first, Antimatter Blues--Edward Ashton, The God of Endings--Jacqueline Holland, and The Foxglove King--Hannah F. Whitten.
Thanks for the lists, Alias.
madrano wrote: The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls--Miriam Darlington sounds very interesting. I am intrigued by owls, particularly as my husband's grandmother was of the Owl family. Thanks for the list. It sometimes seems there might well be a book for every animal. :-)"
I was interested in possible reading a book about birds. However, after reading, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World it wasn't really what I was looking for. So I decided not to continue with his trilogy. I'll find another author.
madrano wrote: What to say when the titles sound more tempting than the descriptions? There were many like that in this category,.."I'm not a sci fi or fantasy fan either.
Biography and Memoir---------A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe
by Mark Dawidziak
What it is: a nuanced biography of formative mystery author Edgar Allan Poe, whose greatest mystery of all -- his sudden death at age 40 -- continues to fascinate fans of his work.
What's inside: a suspenseful dual timeline structure, with one narrative chronicling Poe's life while the other investigates the possible causes of his death (including tuberculosis, rabies, carbon monoxide poisoning, and more).
-------------Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation
by Camonghne Felix
What it's about: After a brutal breakup, Build Yourself a Boat author Camonghne Felix used her dyscalculia -- a disorder that makes it difficult to learn math -- as a way to understand her failed relationship.
Read it for: a lyrical meditation on trauma, healing, and self-discovery.
Want a taste? "When I spiral, I take on my own momentum, my own force, fractals of my many fractals taking on new diameter."
----------A Stone Is Most Precious Where it Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival
by Gulchehra Hoja
What it's about: In 2001, Uyghur journalist Gulchehra Hoja fled her home in East Turkestan to the United States, where she began publishing stories about China's oppression of the Uyghur people. In retaliation, the Chinese government put her family in internment camps.
Read it for: a moving firsthand account of the Chinese government's ongoing persecution of the Uyghur community.
Further reading: How I Survived a Chinese "Reeducation" Camp by Gulbahar Haitiwaji; No Escape by Nury Turkel.
----------The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph
by Oksana Masters
How it began: Born with multiple health issues due to her mother's radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Oksana Masters was adopted at age seven and relocated to the United States.
What happened next: Masters endured multiple surgeries, including a double leg amputation; as a teen, she found solace in adaptive athletics and later became the United States' most decorated Winter Paralympian.
For fans of: triumphant sports stories and inspiring tales of overcoming adversity.
-----------Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient...
by Lynne Olson
Starring: French archaeologist Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, who launched campaigns in the 1950s and '60s to rescue a dozen Egyptian temples from flooding caused by the Aswan Dam reservoir.
Author alert: Historian Lynne Olson is the bestselling author of Madame Fourcade's Secret War.
Reviewers say: "a captivating account of a pathbreaking woman" (Publishers Weekly).
-----------The Education of Kendrick Perkins
by Kendrick Perkins with Seth Rogoff
What it is: the impassioned debut memoir of ESPN analyst and former NBA player Kendrick Perkins.
Topics include: how Perkins turned to basketball to navigate his fraught childhood; his path to NBA stardom and his 2008 championship season as a player for the Boston Celtics; family and fatherhood.
Don't miss: Perkins' incisive commentary on the intersection of sports and social justice.
----------The Diary Keepers: World War II in the Netherlands, as Written by the People Who...
by Nina Siegal
What's inside: excerpts from more than 2,000 diaries written by everyday Dutch citizens during World War II.
Why you should read it: This evocative collection of firsthand accounts offers exhaustive research that richly contextualizes the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, featuring perspectives from victims, bystanders, collaborators, and resisters.
-----------Sink
by Joseph Earl Thomas
What it is: a compelling coming-of-age memoir that chronicles author Joseph Earl Thomas' fraught 1990s Philadelphia childhood spent navigating poverty, abuse, neglect, and homophobia and finding respite in geek culture.
What sets it apart: Thomas' lyrical and unflinching debut is written in the third person and includes a rotating cast of characters both real and fictional (including Dragon Ball Z protagonist Goku).
Awards buzz: An unpublished excerpt of Sink won the 2020 Chautauqua Janus Prize.
------------The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science
by Kate Zernike
What it's about: In 1999, 16 MIT women scientists, led by molecular biologist Nancy Hopkins, fought to make the university acknowledge its longtime discrimination against its women faculty.
Author alert: New York Times correspondent Kate Zernike is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who first broke this story in 1999 for the Boston Sunday Globe.
Reviewers say: "Zernike's profile of Nancy Hopkins provides brilliant inspiration" (Booklist Reviews).
It's a mystery !-------- Blaze Me a Sun
by Christoffer Carlsson
1986: The Swedish prime minister is assassinated, stunning the country. On the same night, a serial killer murders his first victim, and police detective Sven Jörgensson investigates for years without success.
2019: Moth, a successful novelist, moves to a small town and connects with Evy, Sven's former police partner and lover, and Vidar, Sven's son who grew up to be a cop. The more Moth learns from them, the more he becomes obsessed with the cold case.
Reviewers say: "The plot unfolds slowly but masterfully...a brainy page-turner from a rising star" (Kirkus Reviews).
----------- The Motion Picture Teller
by Colin Cotterill
Starring: two movie fans in 1996 Thailand: Supot, a letter carrier, and his best friend Ali, who runs a less-than-successful video rental store.
A VHS mystery: Amid a box of tapes Ali gets from a homeless man, the duo find a stunning movie entitled Bangkok 2010 -- but they've never heard of it nor anyone involved in its production. Determined to discover why it was never released, they dig into the film's history.
Why you might like it: The Motion Picture Teller offers quirky humor, engaging characters, an evocative setting, and fascinating movie trivia.
---------- A Half-Baked Murder
by Emily George
Introducing: pastry chef Chloe Barnes, who, after personal and professional problems in Paris, returns to her coastal California hometown.
What happens: After her cannabis-enhanced baked goods are a hit with her sick grandmother, Chloe and her quirky Aunt Dawn decide to start a cannabis bakery -- but they also need to figure out who stabbed Chloe's bullying ex-high school classmate with Dawn's knife.
Reviewers say: "This fun and fact-filled thematic entry into the cozy mystery genre has it all" (Library Journal).
----------- The Twyford Code
by Janice Hallett
New release: Out of prison in 2019 after decades inside, Steven "Smithy" Smith records his thoughts as he digs into an old mystery: 40 years ago his remedial English teacher disappeared after suggesting that Edith Twyford's classic children's books include an unsolved code.
Why you might like it: Cleverly told via computer-generated transcriptions of Smithy's iPhone voice memo diaries, The Twyford Code manages to have a Golden Age feel.
That ending: "extraordinary" (Booklist); "truly gaspworthy" (Kirkus Reviews); "a bravura final section" (New York Times).
----------- Exiles
by Jane Harper
Vacation, interrupted: In Southern Australia's wine country, Federal Agent Aaron Falk gets drawn into the case of a woman who disappeared a year earlier from a festival, leaving her sleeping infant in a parked stroller.
Series alert: This 3rd Aaron Falk novel follows acclaimed earlier entries The Dry (adapted into a 2021 film starring Eric Bana) and Force of Nature (a movie is in production and due out later this year).
Read this next: Tana French's The Searcher, starring a detective who's just moved to an Irish village and is pulled into a missing person's case, or Candice Fox's atmospheric Australia-set Crimson Lake crime novels.
---------- The Mimicking of Known Successes
by Malka Older
The setup: On a gas-wreathed train platform at a remote outpost of a human colony on Jupiter, a stranger disappears into the red fog. Was he pushed or did he jump?
What happens: Enigmatic Investigator Mossa discovers the man was a scholar at the renowned university in Valdegeld, also the home to her ex-girlfriend, Pleiti. Reunited, the two women travel a twisting path to the truth, one that involves Pleiti's research into old Earth ecosystems.
For fans of: short romantic novels and science fiction mysteries with richly detailed world building.
--------- Last Seen in Lapaz
by Kwei Quartey
Missing: In Nigeria, 18-year-old Ngozi, the daughter of a diplomat, has disappeared. Instead of starting law school, she seems to have run off with her older boyfriend to Accra, Ghana.
What happens: Hired to find Ngozi, young Ghanaian PI Emma Djan goes undercover to track her down, but things become dire when Ngozi's boyfriend is found murdered. On the home front, personable Emma spends time with her new boyfriend, Courage, a national police officer.
Is it for you? This gritty 3rd Emma Djan investigation explores human trafficking and the brutality and violence that go along with it.
----------- Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
by Benjamin Stevenson
The setup: Ernie, a self-published author of crime writing guidebooks, ponders mystery writing and promises to be a "reliable narrator."
Family reunion: Ernie describes a tense family vacation with his family, who are said to have all killed someone -- then a stranger is found dead in the snow at their Australian ski resort. With the weather preventing anyone from going anywhere, Ernie tries to solve the case.
Read this next: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill, another darkly humorous meta-mystery starring a writer.
---------- The Secret of the Lost Pearls
by Darcie Wilde
London, England, 1820: Rosalind Thorne, a penniless gentlewoman known among society ladies as a "most useful woman" due to her discretion and connections, looks into the theft of a pearl necklace and discovers dangerous secrets.
Series alert: Though this is the engaging 6th historical mystery with romantic elements starring Rosalind Thorne, newcomers will still enjoy it.
For fans of: Deanna Raybourn, Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock novels, Kate Saunders' Laetitia Rodd mysteries, and Claudia Gray's The Murder of Mr. Wickham.
---------- Decent People
by De'Shawn Charles Winslow
What's inside: This evocative follow-up to the author's literary debut, In West Mills, takes place in the same North Carolina town, but this time, the character-driven plot revolves around a terrible crime.
A triple murder: In 1976, a wealthy Black doctor and her two siblings are shot in their family home. Their half brother is a prime suspect and everyone in town is talking, so his fiancée, newly retired and home after years in New York City, digs into the case, picking at town secrets.
Reviewers say: "propulsive...a murder mystery that doubles as a savvy examination of race and class" (Los Angeles Times).
Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: What to say when the titles sound more tempting than the descriptions? There were many like that in this category,.."I'm not a sci fi or fantasy fan either."
I can enjoy sci fi but fantasy misses my pleasure zone, i guess. It's easy to see why they are popular, though.
madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: What to say when the titles sound more tempting than the descriptions? There were many like that in this category,.."I'm not a sci fi or fantasy fan either."
..."
Fantasy is a broad enough category that I need to make distinctions between the types I read and the one I don't read. I do read mythological fantasy and urban fantasy (fantasy that takes place in a contemporary urban context). I don't read what is called "epic fantasy" which takes place in a context invented by the author but is usually medieval due to what I consider a failure of imagination on the part of the majority of those who write epic fantasy.
Alias Reader wrote: "Biography and Memoir..."What a batch! As some here may recall, i read and really liked Lynne Olson's Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction because i knew so little about Egypt in the late 19th & 20th centuries.
My sister has dyscalculia, so will suggest Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation--Camonghne Felix to her.
I was unaware the Dutch, too, were asked to keep WWII journals about their times. This makes me look forward to reading The Diary Keepers: World War II in the Netherlands, as Written by the People Who Lived Through It--Nina Siegal. These reports give historians readers such insights.
Thanks for the great list, Alias.
Alias Reader wrote: "It's a mystery !.."The mystery here, to me, is why you continue to tempt us with intriguing mysteries. Not a one sounded awful, Alias!
Shomeret wrote: Fantasy is a broad enough category that I need to make distinctions between the types I read and the one I don't read. I do read mythological fantasy and urban fantasy (fantasy that takes place in a contemporary urban context). I don't read what is called "epic fantasy" which takes place in a context invented by the author but is usually medieval due to what I consider a failure of imagination on the part of the majority of I'm not familiar with the term Urban fantasy. I see Wiki puts some of Stephen King in that genre. So I guess I've read and enjoyed some Urban Fantasy.
From Wiki
Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, placing supernatural elements in an approximation of a contemporary urban setting.[1][2][3] The combination provides the writer with quixotic plot-drivers, unusual character traits, and a platform for classic fantasy tropes,[4] without demanding the creation of an entirely-imagined world.
While precursors of urban fantasy date back to the 19th century,[5] present use of the term dates back to the 1970s.[3] The genre's wide popularity began in 1980s North America, writers and publishers encouraged by the success of Stephen King[6] and Anne Rice.[7]
Thanks, Alias. I'm not a fantasy reader, either. I do love mysteries and have enjoyed Jane Harper's.
madrano wrote: My sister has dyscalculia, so will suggest Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation--Camonghne Felix to her..."
I clearly have some dyscalculia. Counting backwards, except for 2, 5 or 10 is so hard for me. I've noticed this is one thing they use to test for dementia. I always tell my family don't let them use that to test me !
Typical symptoms include:
difficulty counting backwards.
difficulty remembering 'basic' facts.
slow to perform calculations.
weak mental arithmetic skills.
a poor sense of numbers & estimation.
Difficulty in understanding place value.
Addition is often the default operation.
High levels of mathematics anxiety.
madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "It's a mystery !.."The mystery here, to me, is why you continue to tempt us with intriguing mysteries. Not a one sounded awful, Alias!"
:) I have notebooks of TBR ! I thought I would spread the fun!
Shomeret wrote: "I do read mythological fantasy and urban fantasy (fantasy that takes place in a contemporary urban context). I don't read what is called "epic fantasy" which takes place in a context invented by the author but is usually medieval due to what I consider a failure of imagination on the part of the majority of those who write epic fantasy...."I appreciate that clarification, Shomeret. Like Alias, i was unfamiliar with the "urban" fantasy genre but can see that would cover some i've read & liked.
Epic fantasy is what i was thinking of when i wrote the post. While i understand the attraction to the genre, it seems limited in a way i don't care to explore deeply. It must be a joy for authors, though, to be able to work within a timeframe, for instance, knowing/wanting/having some boundaries.
When younger, i liked multi-volumed fiction but it appears those days have passed. Of course, this isn't to say they'll return. I left science fiction behind and have returned over the years. Same with other genres, too.
Thanks for the information. Sometimes i cease searching genres and am pleasantly surprised to learn from others here aspects i didn't know, or which have been added.
Alias Reader wrote: "Counting backwards, except for 2, 5 or 10 is so hard for me. I've noticed this is one thing they use to test for dementia. I always tell my family don't let them use that to test me ! ..."I hear ya! I'm awful with names, so if that is ever a criteria, i'll fail.
My sister dropped out of high school due to her dyscalculia, which wasn't a term when she was a teen. If so, perhaps there would have been help. At least today, she has a term to use in explaining some of those symptoms she experiencing when trying math. Her worst issue with it is turning the numbers around, so that 358 become 835 or such. Many, including me, do this but it doesn't produce the anxiety she has.
Alias Reader wrote: "I have notebooks of TBR ! I thought I would spread the fun!..."You are a real Alias Appleseed, when it comes to spreading titles! And i, for one, am grateful.
~~~~~Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss: A Novel
Balasubramanyam, Rajeev
P.R. Chandrasekhar, the celebrated professor of economics at Cambridge, is at a turning point. He has sacrificed his family for his career, but his conservative brand of economics is no longer in fashion, and yet again he has lost the Nobel Prize to a rival. His wife has left him for a free spirited West Coast psychiatrist and relocated to Boulder, Colorado. His son, a capitalist guru with a cult following, mocks his father's life work; his middle daughter, the apple of his eye, has become a Marxist and refuses to speak to him; and his youngest daughter is struggling through her teenage years with the help of psychedelic drugs. And then, the final indignity: He is hit by a bicycle and forced to confront his mortality. Professor Chandra's American doctor instructs him to change his workaholic ways and "follow his bliss"--and so he does, right to the coast of California, and into the heart of his dysfunctional family. Witty, charming, and all too human, Professor Chandra's path to enlightenment will enchant and uplift readers from all walks of life.
~~~~Gray Hair Don't Care
Booth, Karen
At 47, newly divorced makeup artist Lela Bennett is dreading her next steps. Dating. Meeting people. Not letting herself go. But then she runs into Donovan James and tries something different—sleeping with her sexy crush from college. Unfortunately, in a post-orgasm stupor, Lela confesses she was in love with Donovan all those years ago. He responds by leaving while she sleeps. The next morning, her gray hairs are practically taunting her. She knows she has to get it together. Forget men. Embrace her age. Own her gray.
~~~~~The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot: A Novel
Cronin, Marianne
Determined to leave a mark on the world even though they are in the hospital and their days are dwindling, unlikely friends, seventeen-year-old Lenni and eighty-three-year-old Margot, devise a plan to create one hundred paintings showcasing the stories of the century they have lived.
~~~~~The Vibrant Years
Dev, Sonali
When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she's astounded--and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. Desperate to keep the secret, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida. The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu's daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu's son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for the segment she's been promised for years at the news station where she works. As Bindu and Aly navigate their new dynamic, Aly's daughter, Cullie, is faced with losing the business that made her a tech-world star. The only way to save it is to deliver a new idea to her investors--and of course they want the half-baked dating app she pitched them in a panic. Problem is, Cullie has never been on a real date. Naturally, enlisting her single mother and grandmother to help her with the research is the answer.
~~~~~The Museum of Rain
Eggers, Dave
Oisín Mahoney is an American Army vet in his 70s who is asked to lead a group of young grand-nieces and grand-nephews on a walk through the hills of California's Central Coast. Walking toward a setting sun, their destination is a place called The Museum of Rain, which may or may not still exist, and whose origin and meaning are elusive to all. In one of his most elegiac stories, Eggers gives us a beautiful testament to family, memory, and what we leave behind.
~~~~~This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!: A Novel
Evison, Jonathan
With her husband Bernard now in the grave, seventy-nine-year-old Harriet Chance sets sail on an ill-conceived Alaskan cruise only to discover through a series of revelations that she’s been living the past sixty years of her life under entirely false pretenses. There, amid the buffets and lounge singers, between the imagined appearance of her late husband and the very real arrival of her estranged daughter midway through the cruise, Harriet is forced to take a long look back, confronting the truth about pivotal events that changed the course of her life.
~~~~~Bingo Love
Franklin, Tee
When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a church bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.
~~~~~The Little French Bistro: A Novel
George, Nina
Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as "the end of the world." Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life's small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it's never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along.
~~~~~Shadow Life
Goto, Hiromi
Poet and novelist Hiromi Goto effortlessly blends wry, observational slice-of-life literary fiction with poetic magical realism in the tender and surprising graphic novel Shadow Life, with haunting art from debut artist Ann Xu. When Kumiko's well-meaning adult daughters place her in an assisted living home, the seventy-six-year-old widow gives it a try, but it's not where she wants to be. She goes on the lam and finds a cozy bachelor apartment, keeping the location secret even while communicating online with her eldest daughter. Kumiko revels in the small, daily pleasures: decorating as she pleases, eating what she wants, and swimming in the community pool. But something has followed her from her former residence--Death's shadow. Kumiko's sweet life is shattered when Death's shadow swoops in to collect her. With her quick mind and sense of humor, Kumiko, with the help of friends new and old, is prepared for the fight of her life. But how long can an old woman thwart fate?
~~~~~Royal Holiday
Guillory, Jasmine
Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie's work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can't refuse. She's excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn't expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain Private Secretary and his charming accent and unyielding formality. Malcolm Hudson has been the Queen's Private Secretary for years and has never given a personal, private tour...until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling. Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy fling come New Year's Day...or are they?
~~~~~Our Souls at Night
Haruf, Kent
In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf's inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in houses now empty of family, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with.
~~~~Live a Little: A Novel
Jacobson, Howard
At the age of ninety-something, Beryl Dusinbery is forgetting everything - including her own children. Her tongue, meanwhile, remains as sharp as ever. She spends her days stitching macabre messages into her needlework and tormenting her two long-suffering carers with tangled stories of her love affairs. Shimi Carmelli can do up his own buttons, get around without the aid of a walking frame, and speak without spitting. Among the widows of North London, he's whispered about as the last of the eligible bachelors. Unlike Beryl, he forgets nothing - especially not the shame of a childhood incident that has hung over him ever since. There's very little life remaining for either of them, but perhaps just enough to heal some of the hurt inflicted along the way and find new meaning in what's left. Could this be their chance to live a little?
~~~~~It's Not All Downhill from Here: A Novel
McMillan, Terry
After a sudden change of plans, a remarkable woman and her loyal group of friends try to figure out what she's going to do with the rest of her life. Loretha Curry's life is full. A little crowded sometimes, but full indeed. On the eve of her sixty-eighth birthday, she has a booming beauty supply empire, a gaggle of lifelong friends, and a husband who's still got moves that surprise. True, she's carrying a few more pounds than she should be, but she's not one of those women who thinks her best days are behind her, and she's determined to prove her mother, her twin sister, and everyone else with that outdated view of aging wrong--it's not all downhill from here. But when an unexpected loss turns her world upside down, Loretha will have to summon all her strength, resourcefulness, and determination to keep on thriving, pursue joy, heal old wounds, and chart new paths. With a little help from her friends, of course.
~~~~ Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure
Milan, Courtney
Mrs. Bertrice Martin—a widow, some seventy-three years young—has kept her youthful-ish appearance with the most powerful of home remedies: daily doses of spite, regular baths in man-tears, and refusing to give so much as a single damn about her Terrible Nephew.
~~~~~Deep Fried Trouble
Moody, Tyora
Widowed and officially retired, Eugeena Patterson throws herself into organizing the neighborhood association. This presents a great opportunity to re-connect with old friends and get to know new neighbors like recently widowed Amos Jones, that is until Eugeena stumbles upon her estranged neighbor's dead body. Eugeena's daughter is fingered as a prime suspect, but where is she? Determined to find her missing daughter, Eugeena and Amos sort through a list of neighbors with shady or unknown backgrounds. The more she searches, the more Eugeena becomes unsure about this neighborhood association idea. Someone closer than Eugeena thinks, wants to keep it that way.
~~~~~ The Lido: A Novel
Page, Libby
Kate is a twenty-six-year-old riddled with anxiety and panic attacks who works for a local paper in Brixton, London, covering forgettably small stories. When she's assigned to write about the closing of the local lido (an outdoor pool and recreation center), she meets Rosemary, an eighty-six-year-old widow who has swum at the lido daily since it opened its doors when she was a child ... When a local developer attempts to buy the lido for a posh new apartment complex, Rosemary's fond memories and sense of community are under threat. As Kate dives deeper into the lido's history--with the help of a charming photographer--she pieces together a portrait of the pool, and a portrait of a singular woman.
~~~~~Better Off Read
Page, Nora
Septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins won't be shushed when an upstart young mayor threatens to permanently shelve her tiny town's storm-damaged library. She takes to her bookmobile, Words on Wheels, to collect allies and rally library support throughout Catalpa Springs, Georgia. However, Cleo soon rolls into trouble. A major benefactor known for his eccentric DIY projects requests all available books on getting away with murder. He's no Georgia peach, and Cleo wonders if she should worry about his plans. She knows she should when she discovers him bludgeoned and evidence points to her best friend, Mary-Rose Garland. Sure of Mary-Rose's innocence, Cleo applies her librarian's sleuthing skills to the case, assisted by friends, family, and the dapper antiquarian bookseller everyone keeps calling her boyfriend. Evidence stacks up, but a killer is overdue to strike again. With lives and her library on the line, Cleo must shift into high gear to close the book on murder.
~~~~~Flirting with Fifty
Porter, Jane
Paige Newsom is finally at a place in her life where she's comfortable. She loves her job as a college professor in Southern California, lives close enough to her mother to visit her regularly, and has three daughters who are flourishing in their own careers. Paige has no plans to upend her life again after her divorce eight years ago, but she's about to embark on a new adventure: co-teaching a course that includes a three-week international field study. Paige can think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn't go, one being a dazzling Australian biologist who will be teaching alongside her. Professor Jack King is charismatic, a world traveler, and more like Indiana Jones than Indiana Jones, all of which unsettles Paige, who prides herself on being immune to any man's charms. She isn't looking for love, and it turns out, neither is he. But as the two co-professors lead the rigorous program together, first on campus, then in beautiful Tanzania, their biggest challenge will be working closely together while resisting the undeniable chemistry they feel when they're with each other.
~~~~~Killers of a Certain Age
Raybourn, Deanna
Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon. They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills. When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death. Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman-and a killer-of a certain age.
~~~~~~~~Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
Rooney, Kathleen
A love letter to city life in all its guts and grandeur, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk... paints a portrait of a remarkable woman across the canvas of a changing America: from the Jazz Age to the onset of the AIDS epidemic; the Great Depression to the birth of hip-hop. Lillian figures she might as well take her time. For now, after all, the night is still young.
~~~~~~~~~Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel
Simonson, Helen
The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?
~~~~~~The Lager Queen of Minnesota
Stradal, J. Ryan
Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.
~~~~~~~~~An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good
Tursten, Helene
Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and... no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home. Ever since her darling father's untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair. It's a solitary existence, and she likes it that way. Over the course of her adventures--or misadventures--this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect?
~~~~~This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism
Applewhite, Ashton
Author, activist, and TED speaker Ashton Applewhite has written a rousing manifesto calling for an end to discrimination and prejudice on the basis of age. In our youth obsessed culture, we're bombarded by media images and messages about the despairs and declines of our later years. Beauty and pharmaceutical companies work overtime to convince people to purchase products that will retain their youthful appearance and vitality. Wrinkles are embarrassing. Gray hair should be colored and bald heads covered with implants. Older minds and bodies are too frail to keep up with the pace of the modern working world and olders should just step aside for the new generation. Ashton Applewhite once held these beliefs too until she realized where this prejudice comes from and the damage it does.
~~~~~Not Dead Yet: Rebooting Your Life After 50
Ballinger, Barbara
Not Dead Yet is the mantra of the current boomer population of 73 million who still think of themselves as young. This cohort is facing challenges as they age but are not content to throw in the towel on a full and rewarding life. The authors help readers face what's comes their way as they age with humor, optimism, energy, and honesty.
~~~~~Age Later: Healthspan, Lifespan, and the New Science of Longevity
Barzilai, Nir
How do some people avoid the slowing down, deteriorating, and weakening that plagues many of their peers decades earlier? Are they just lucky? Or do they know something the rest of us don't? Is it possible to grow older without getting sicker? What if you could look and feel fifty through your eighties and nineties? Founder of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and one of the leading pioneers of longevity research, Dr. Nir Barzilai's life's work is tackling the challenges of aging to delay and prevent the onset of all age-related diseases including "the big four": diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. One of Dr. Barzilai's most fascinating studies features volunteers that include 750 SuperAgers-individuals who maintain active lives well into their nineties and even beyond-and, more importantly, who reached that ripe old age never having experienced cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or cognitive decline.
~~~~~From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
Brooks, Arthur C.
The roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic's happiness columnist Arthur Brooks. Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs. What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success? At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life. Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.
I liked reading the first list, as many featured old folks such as myself. I was surprised to read about Live a Little�Howard Jacobson, about 90 year olds. Terrific. Dare i say the forgetful crank sounds like my mother-in-law?Great list, Alias, covering each elderly decade.
Alias Reader wrote: "~~~~ Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure
Milan, Courtney
Mrs. Bertrice Martin—a widow, some seventy-three years young—has kept her youthful-ish appearance with the most powerful of home remedies..."
I’ve read a couple of these�Major Pettigrew's Last Stand�Helen Simonson andAn Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good�Helene Tursten and feel safe in saying they ate pleasant books, in their fashion.
From the list I've read and enjoyed very much. ~~~~~Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss: A Novel (audio)
~~~~~~~~Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk (audio)
~~~~~~~~~Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel
I guess we are endorsing the list, in our fashion. 😊
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------ Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
by Travis Baldree
Welcome to: Viv's Cafe, the first -- and only -- coffee shop in Thune, a city entirely unfamiliar with the concept of coffee.
Where you'll meet: orc barbarian Viv, who has retired from the mercenary life to realize her dream of opening a cafe, and Viv's new employees, Cal, Tandri, and Thimble, who soon become friends.
Why you might like it: Originally self-published, this gentle fantasy debut by audiobook narrator Travis Baldree offers a heartwarming story of found family that may appeal to fans of TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea.
------ The World We Make
by N.K. Jemisin
What it is: the highly anticipated sequel to The City We Became and the conclusion to the Great Cities duology.
What happens: New York City's human avatars -- Brooklyn, Manny, Bronca, Venezia, Padmini, and Neek -- face off against a mayoral candidate who promises to "Make New York Great Again."
For fans of: Neil Gaiman's American Gods, Daniel José Older's Bone Street Rumba series, or Bryan Campbell's Crescent City novels.
------- A Restless Truth
by Freya Marske
Introducing: Maud Blyth, a passenger aboard the RMS Lyric who's distraught at the murder of her traveling companion and distracted by dazzling illusionist Violet Debenham.
Why you might like it: This 2nd novel in the Last Binding series (after A Marvellous Light) offers an Agatha Christie-esque shipboard murder mystery with magic and romance.
For fans of: C.L. Polk's Kingston trilogy; Celia Lake's Mysterious Charm series.
------- Ocean's Echo
by Everina Maxwell
Starring: scapegrace Tennalhin "Tennal" Halkana, a telepathic "reader" whose innate ability to navigate chaotic space is almost as strong as his gift for causing trouble.
What happens: Conscripted into the miliary for his misdeeds, Tennal is assigned to Lieutenant Surit Yeni, an "architect" who has orders to sync his mind with Tennal's. They opt to fake their mind-meld, but will their decision jeopardize their lives during a dangerous retrieval mission?
Why you might like it: At the heart of this standalone space adventure by the author of Winter's Orbit is a slow-burning romance.
--------- Even Though I Knew the End
by C.L. Polk
What happens: Ten years after selling her soul to save her brother's life, augur Helen Brandt unexpectedly gets a chance to reclaim it, provided she can track down a serial killer known as the White City Vampire.
Why you might like it: John Constantine meets Philip Marlowe in this atmospheric lesbian noir detective story set in 1930s Chicago.
About the author: Canadian fantasy writer C.L. Polk is the author of the World Fantasy Award-winning Witchmark and its sequels.
-------- Tread of Angels
by Rebecca Roanhorse
Welcome to: Goetia, Colorado, a mining town ruled by the Archangel-descended Elect, who exploit the Fallen to mine a mysterious element known as divinity.
Where you'll meet: cardsharp Celeste, half-Fallen yet raised among the Elect, who takes on the role of advocatus diaboli (devil's advocate) to defend her sister Mariel against a murder charge.
Why you might like it: This standalone weird western by the author of the Between Earth and Sky series immerses readers in a steampunk-infused world of angels and demons.
-------- The Lost Metal
by Brandon Sanderson
The good: Lawman-turned-senator Waxillium "Wax" Ladrian has spent his career trying to root out corruption in Elendel's government that threatens the world of Scadriel itself.
The bad: The shadowy organization known as the Set has been abducting people who possess the power of Allomancy and using their abilities for their own nefarious purposes.
The ugly: This long-awaited novel concludes the Era Two sub-series of the sprawling Mistborn series, which began with Alloy of Law. Alas, fans will have to wait until 2025 for Era Three to kick off.
----- Heart of the Sun Warrior
by Sue Lynn Tan
What it is: the conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom duology, and the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
What happens: Xingyin, daughter of goddess Chang'e and mortal archer Houyi, seeks the aid of the Goddess of the Sun to prevent a usurper from claiming the Celestial Throne.
Read it for: an inventive take on Chinese mythology, immersive world-building, an action-packed quest, and a love triangle.
--------- Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction
by Sheree Renee Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight (editors)
What it is: a wide-ranging anthology of 32 original fantasy and science fiction short stories by new and established writers from across the African continent and the African diaspora.
Reviewers say: "an impressive survey of contemporary Black SFF that should be a must-read for all genre fans" (Publishers Weekly).
Further reading: the anthologies AfroSF (edited by Ivor Hartmann); Black From the Future (edited by Stephanie Andrea Allen and Lauren Cherelle); and So Long Been Dreaming (edited by Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan).
--------- Into the Riverlands
by Nghi Vo
What happens: When cleric Chih and talking bird Almost Brilliant journey deep into the riverlands to record stories, they acquire some traveling companions who are not what they appear.
Series alert: This standalone novella marks the 3rd installment of the Singing Hills Cycle, after Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain.
For fans of: wuxia-inspired fantasies such as Zen Cho's The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water or S.L. Huang's Burning Roses.