HARDCOVER
The Resisters: A novel by Gish Jen. Girls get to pitch overhand in AutoAmerica,
where players in a familiar yet indeterminate
future compete on programmed diamonds
in an Olympiad against ChinRussian foes.
Writing a kind of Runyonesque
Brave New
World, Gish personifies games programmed
into the players and the one young girl who
would rather grow up with her family than
glory in virtual internet victory. ~
Ray Marsocci
Dear Edward: A Novel by Ann Napolitano. This is a truly beautiful coming-of-age story
about a boy who is the sole survivor of a plane
crash in which he loses his entire family. How
he is able to move on is due to the compassion
and insight shown by the people who enter
his life and give him the strength to rebuild
himself. The book goes back and forth from
the day of the crash to the present, leading
up to that fateful and shattering moment.
Although the premise is tragic, the story is
uplifting and Edward’s recovery is miraculous. ~
Jen Grisby
The Convert: A Novel by Stefan Hertmans. This is an exquisite, wondrously crafted
book. Much more than a novel,
The Convert
blends fiction and the history of actual
11th Century biographical documents of a
Norman noblewoman, who defied society,
faith, and family to marry the son of a Rabbi
for love. These documents were lost until
their rediscovery in 1969 in a deep well called
“God’s Oubliette” where certain documents
no longer in circulation are consigned. ~
Maeve Noonan
A Bitter Feast: A Novel by Olga Tokarczuk. A woman, living blissfully alone in a
mountainous, remote part of Poland, purports
that a string of sudden deaths in the area is the
deliberate work of animals getting even with
mankind for the abuses they have suffered.
She bolsters her conclusion by pointing out to
anyone who will listen that the planets were
aligned to predict the demise of the victims.
Local skepticism is palpable. The lady with
the unique perspective on crime is one of the
most endearing characters in contemporary
literature. I loved every snow-swept moment. ~
Alden Graves
Things in Jars: A Novel by Jess Kidd. Somewhat Dickensian in flavor, this is the
story of a female detective, Bridie Devine,
and her search for a missing child who may or
may not have unusual powers. Through the
author’s incredibly lyrical and vivid prose, the
reader will travel through Victorian London’s
dark underbelly, searching for the child. She
is aided, among others, by a tattooed and
lovelorn ghost named Ruby Doyle, whom I
fell in love with myself. This novel is a joy
to read and one you will long think of after you have finished. ~
Tambra Johnson Reap
PAPERBACK
Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel by Bernardine Evaristo. Evaristo finds the light in a dismal time that
seems blighted by prejudice and uncertainty.
A night at the theatre brings together 12
characters—or are they single aspects of the
same self?—representing the diversity of the
woman warrior. They also reflect in their
myriad manner the way that we live now. The
poetic prose crackles with inventiveness and
the sheer excitement of creating these indelible
portraits, connected in ways both overt and
subterranean. It’s a joy to read—treat yourself
to one of the year’s great literary experiences. ~
Charles Bottomley
NONFICTION PAPERBACKS
A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins. This true crime memoir by
American Dirt author Jeanine Cummins is truly horrifying.
Told in the third person, Cummins tells the
story of the 1991 brutal assault and murder of
her two cousins and subsequent investigation
into her brother, who survived the attack.
Cummins delves into the crime from all angles,
from the background of the assailants, the
exploitation and betrayal of the media and legal
system, to the terrifying experience that left her brother and family
traumatized forever. ~
Jen Grigsby
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land. The author is a quiet hero. As a brand new
young mother, she left her abusive partner to
become a homeless single parent. This is her
story of dedication to herself and her baby,
how she cared for her daughter, put herself
through undergraduate school, and broke
away from the shelter system. If you want to
truly understand what millions of Americans
face every day, and how easily this can happen to many more, this
book can help you. ~
Nancy Scheemaker
It Gets Me Home, This Curving Track by Ian Penman. Is there anything left to be said about Prince, Elvis Presley, Steely
Dan, or Charlie Parker? As it turns out, plenty. These collected
essays are thoughtful and heartfelt takes on
a musical Mount Rushmore that tries to
understand musicians as only a deep fan can.
Penman’s metaphors are as sharp as his wit,
and he has a detective’s eye for the telling
detail. From Parker conducting his life from
the backseat of a cab to Prince regarding
himself in a bathroom mirror, Penman mines
facets that will send anybody who loves music
back to their stack of vinyl. Hear with new
ears. ~
Charles Bottomley
NONFICTION HARDCOVERS
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg. A mind-blowing decades-old murder investigation is enhanced by
a highly intelligent and original memoir that takes a hard look
at human nature, violence, and masculinity
in America. Reviewing it through the lense
of Eisenberg was like being in the passenger
seat with a driver who knows exactly how
to maneuver West Virginia’s switchback
mountain roads in the dark because she’s
lived there as an outsider trying to fit in. The
implications of her sociocultural findings
reach far beyond the borders of Pocahontas
County and are sure to place her work on
every must-read list for years to come. ~
Nancy Scheemaker
Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress by Christopher Ryan. This is an excellent exploration of what
true quality of life really is. It dispels many
myths about hunter/gatherer societies and
the modern myth of perpetual progress.
It is time to question some assumptions
about the society we have created, often
on the back of false narratives of the past.
Civilized to Death helps clarify the realities
of the past and the stories we tell ourselves
about the present in lively and readable
ways, provoking new questions and potential answers. Highly
recommended. ~
Chris Morrow
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow. It is no exaggeration to say that few journalists
have had a larger impact on our society than
Ronan Farrow has in recent times. There may
have been others reporting on the multiple
harassment rumors swirling around Harvey
Weinstein and many others over the past
countless years, but it was Farrow’s dogged
determination and journalistic integrity that
finally tipped the scales—and the world is
still realigning itself in the aftermath. ~
Jon Fine
Long Live Latin: The Pleasures of a Useless Language by Nicola Gardini. Nicola Gardini’s lively celebration of Latin
is just the book for any lapsed or aspiring
classicist in your life! With chapters devoted
to individual Latin writers from Caesar
and Catullus to Propertius and Petronius,
Gardini rekindled my old love for Latin
(though it’s hopelessly rusty). Full of
informative and delightful digressions on
an array of topics, Gardini makes a loving
defense for the continued study of the
“useless” language which he shows quite clearly isn’t useless at all. ~
Dafydd Wood
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. Jean McConville was “disappeared” from her
modest apartment in Belfast in December of
1972. Recently widowed, she left ten children
to fend for themselves at a time when what
was euphemistically called the “Troubles”
turned Northern Ireland into a virtual war
zone. Keefe has written a meticulously
researched history of the bloody conflict
between England and ferociously dedicated
members of the IRA. This is a brilliant book
about a very dark interlude in human history when, literally, the
only way to survive was to say nothing. ~
Alden Graves
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe. George Washington emerges in this
insightful and brash biography not as a
marble-cast saint, but a well-intentioned,
flawed leader. Washington’s spotty military
career, combined with his life-long reluctance
to free his slaves, inveterate grumbling about
money, thinly masked lack of patience with
subordinates, and a fondness for pomp,
make him more human and sympathetic
than first thought. ~
Mike Hare
The Hero by Lee Child. The creator of the Jack Reacher mystery series
discusses in short length the origins of the
word and concept of "the hero" and its impact
on culture throughout the centuries. This is
a great quick read for creative writers and
book-lovers to learn more about what makes
a hero in literature. Notable protagonists such
as Achilles, Robin Hood, and James Bond are
mentioned. Only criticism—where are the
ladies?! ~
Kirstin Swartz
In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado. The author details her experience with domestic
abuse as a queer woman, specifically as a
lesbian. It is a powerful story in which she loses
herself, questions everything, and eventually
finds her “plot twist.” This was one of the
most captivating books I’ve ever experienced.
Machado’s writing is so unique and beautiful
even as it tells such a terrifying tale. I highly
recommend it. ~
Cassidy Washburn
The Eight Master Lessons of Nature: What Nature Teaches Us About Living Well in the World by Gary Ferguson. This was a very different read for me that
opened my eyes to the connections we can
make in nature despite the technological
world we live in today. The author is a
compelling storyteller, weaving his wisdom
and thorough research with elements of
history, philosophy, feminism and more.
This is a must-read book for anyone who
wishes to rediscover the magic, power, and
beauty of nature today. ~
Kirstin Swartz