Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal by Jonathan Green. The Bronx
was a rough place in
the late 80s and early
90s. Crack, gangs and
violence dominated
life in many parts of
the borough. Rising
to the top of the chaos was Sex Money
Murder, a gang that achieved unparalleled
notoriety for drug trafficking and
violence. Green chronicles their exploits
and those of the law enforcement officers
and attorneys who committed
themselves to bringing SMM down. ~
Nate George
Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day by Peter Ackroyd. Gay
culture and relationships
in London
stretch back centuries,
with eras of relative
permissiveness alternating
with periods of
brutal censure. And
our newest acronym: LGBTQIA, or
'lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer
intersex asexual,' could define gender
mashups in London one hundred or
one thousand years ago. ~
Mike Hare
Like Brothers by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass. Some people might
say that the Duplass
Brothers are a little
weird. That they're a
little too close. That
they have seemed to
fail upwards. They'd probably agree with
you.This is a super-fun, breezy memoir
by the brothers behind films such as
“Safety Not Guaranteed.” While there
is a bit of Hollywood name dropping
here and there, this is mostly a coming
of age tale, told by brothers who obviously
have a deep love for others. I read
the whole book in an afternoon and I
smiled the entire time. ~
Chris Linendoll
God Save Texas: A Journey Into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright. Gushers,
cattle, LBJ, the Alamo,
George H. W. Bush
and George W. Bush,
border patrols, Roy
Orbison, gun love,
and Sam Houston.
Wright offers a huge helping of the
Lone Star State's quirks, controversies,
arrogances, beauties, contradictions, and
most of all its celebrated and inescapable
bigness. ~
Mike Hare
First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power by Kate Andersen Brower. A look at our
13 most recent vice
presidents, their complicated
relationships
with their bosses, and
their less than stellar
political afterlives. At
the end of their terms, some left politics;
three: Humphrey, Mondale, and Gore,
ran for president and lost; and the three
who rose to the top: Nixon, Ford, and
George H.W. Bush, were either voted
out of office or left the White House
in disgrace. ~
Mike Hare
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt. Who would have
thought Shakespeare
could still be so contemporary?
A lot of
people as it turns out. In
the case of our modern
political atmosphere,
Greenblatt helps us by doing most of the
heavy lifting. The author scours through
Shakespeare's historically tyrannical
characters in a way that illustrates the
correlation between the past and our
present without ever having to actually
mention current political events. He
lays out the groundwork and allows the
readers to find their own way. ~
Alex Bell
PAPERBACK
Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean. This book digs below the surface of our current partisan divide
and illuminates the path of Nobel Prize-winning economist James McGill Buchanan and his quest to "save
capitalism from democracy." The author leads us on a six decades long journey, following this nascent movement
from clandestine meetings to gatherings at influential universities, ultimately merging
paths with billionaire Charles Koch. By shining a bright light on this movement, MacLean
makes a very clear and compelling case that protections provided by the Constitution are in
very real danger of being irrevocably lost. ~
Patricia Vunk
The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny by Michael Wallis. The first account by an historian of the tragic Donner
Party saga. In April of 1846, encouraged by their belief in Manifest Destiny, a group of pioneers led by George
Donner and James Reed left Springfield, Illinois bound for a better life in California. The unfolding horror after
the group found itself trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevadas that reached a depth of 22 feet has entered into
the realm of American legend. Mr. Wallis separates the facts from the sensational stories. His book is as much a
tribute to human endurance as it is a cautionary tale about careless folly. ~
Alden Graves
The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road by Finn Murphy. Have you ever been curious
about what the working life of a long haul van line driver might be like? The author takes us on a witty, humorous,
and informative cross country trip with him. His first exposure to trucking resulted in his decision to drop
out of college to spend the next 30 years as a high-end “bedbugger”, showing us a life few of us know about, with
funny and poignant stories of the people he moves. A delightful, informative romp! ~
Tambra Johnson Reap
FICTION
The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop. Winthrop's
eloquence softens
this grim yet tender
tale of a small town in
the Jim Crow South
awaiting the execution
of 17-year-old Willie
Jones, caught in the arms of his white
high school girlfriend and sentenced to
death for rape. Based on the true history
of Gruesome Gertie, a traveling electric
chair circulating in the South after the
Second World War, the novel illuminates
the whispers and prayers of bewildered
souls enduring the complex racial tensions
of the era. ~
Nancy Scheemaker
Motherhood by Sheila Heti. This memoiristic
novel founds
itself on a question,
simply put but almost
impossibly answered:
should the narrator
have children? Through
probing question
both philosophical and mystical, the
narrator pursues a decision that feels as
enormous as time itself. This book is a
struggle with body and soul, with the
answers women are relentlessly given
and the questions the narrator chooses
for herself. ~
Cathy Taylor
Small Country by Gaël Faye. This
is the tragic story of
a boy's childhood cut
short by the Rwandan
Genocide.The majority
of the novel follows
the formative years of
Gabriel, a child of a
French father and Tutsi mother, as he
struggles to have a childhood amidst
growing chaos. Hate crimes, political
corruption, and familial disorder are all
featured in this debut novel. Gabriel's
ingenuous first-person viewpoint makes
all of this palatable without allowing
for the significance of the events to be
downplayed. ~
Josh Cohen-Peyton
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano. Move
over Miss Marple, Auntie Poldi is on the scene! Sassy, saucy, and
subtly erotic, she's just turned 60 and moved to Sicily with plans
to drink herself to death until her handsome young handyman goes
missing. With beautiful scenery, local lore, and food descriptions
to die for, this book will leave you yearning for
a Sicilian lover! This is the first book in the new
series. Best summer read ever! ~
Whitney Kaaz
Heads of the Colored People: Stories by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. These
extraordinary, satirical vignettes are meant to give us a glimpse into
the life experiences of middle-class African-Americans. The author
touches on violent death, suicide, fat-shaming, fetishism, and other
issues that affect us all. But while her stories are alternately harsh or
sad, she infuses each one with just enough humor to make them incredibly readable.
I cannot say enough good things about this compilation! ~
Shirley Cagle
The Word Is Murder: A Novel by Anthony Horowitz. This is a twisty,
unique, and entertaining take-off on the classic British mystery.
Uniquely told from the author's often ironic point of view, this
delightfully witty romp follows him as he unwillingly plays Watson
to Detective Hawthorne's Sherlock while the detective attempts to
solve the mystery of the murder (or was it suicide?) of a woman who
had just planned her own funeral. Because of the unusual perspective,
I felt like I was right there with them, drawn into the twist
and turns all the way to the surprising conclusion. I LOVED it,
and can't wait for Horowitz's next mystery! ~
Tambra Johnson Reap
Unworthy by Antonio Monda. Catholic priest precariously
balances spiritual devotion and lust in New York City's squalid
1970s. Father Abram Singer's voice ranges from anguished prayer to
beatitude, where the forgiveness he seeks for his frailty offers a path
to atonement. ~
Mike Hare
That Kind of Mother: A Novel by Rumaan Alam. What constitutes a family? In this story, a white family adopts the
child of their African-American nanny after she dies in childbirth.
The nanny’s adult daughter is pregnant herself. Overwhelmed with
grief and stress, she allows it to happen. The real story is the evolution
of this complicated family post-adoption. A very thoughtprovoking
novel! ~
Shirley Cagle
PAPERBACK
The Essex Serpent: A Novel by Sarah Perry. Ms. Perry is a talented
writer with a masterful understanding of the human race. The litany
of fully etched characters in this book trip forth as effortlessly as the
various British landscapes. The foggy tides and marshy breath of Essex
is the home of the much-feared serpent, which is both integral and
non-essential to the story line. The true stars of this 19th century
tale of love, religious devotion, disease, medical innovation, poverty,
violence, death and rebirth are its cast of human characters. ~
Jon Fine
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt. What do pears,
pigeons, and rancid mutton have to do with the infamous Lizzie
Borden murder case of 1892? Sarah Schmidt's novelization of the
event is an eerily compelling read for those with a taste for the
macabre. The book is populated by numerous unreliable narrators
who construct the events before and after the murders with an
exquisitely dark and chilling effect. Squeamish readers beware! ~
Nancy Scheemaker
YOUNG ADULT
For Every One by Jason Reynolds. This
book is a letter to the author’s past, present, and
future self. It is a letter to people of all ages. It is
a commencement speech for graduates of high
school or college and the perfect gift for someone
who is having a hard time due to a loss or seemed failure
in their lives. It is something you read, keep, and purchase
copies of to give to people. For ages 14 to adult. ~
Jeanette
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. When Lazlo
Strange finds the long-lost city of Weep, he also
finds his true self. As a master storyteller, he’s
about to become one of the central characters
in the real life story unfolding before him. This
novel is beautiful, one of myth and monsters,
jump into this strange world and stay a while,
you may not want to leave. ~
Becky Doherty