2book multi

Mystery

Whodunit: June 2019

Feature by Bruce Tierney

Starred review
Ragnar Jonasson’s second Hulda Hermannsdóttir novel, The Island, finds the 50-ish Reykjavík detective investigating the connections between two murders. One was supposedly solved 10 years past, and the second, a modern-­day killing, appears to have been an accidental fall—until ligature marks characteristic of strangling are identified on the victim’s throat. The story of the first death is simple enough. In 1987, a girl and her soon-to-be lover go off to the fjords for a romantic weekend. It begins blissfully and ends with the girl lying dead on the floor of their summer home and the boy fleeing the scene. Her father is arrested for the crime and commits suicide while in custody. Open and shut, but there are some nagging suspicions. More than one person is aware that the presiding officer, something of a climber in the police department, tampered ever so slightly with the evidence. Fast-forward 10 years to 1997, and the dead girl’s friends, including the aforementioned lover, go off to a remote island together for a reunion. One will not survive the outing, and Detective Inspector Hermannsdóttir will investigate, uncovering layer after layer of deceit. The Island was short-listed for Crime Novel of the Year Award in Iceland. Read it, and you will see why.

I read a lot of suspense novels, and Martin Walker’s Bruno Courreges (aka Bruno, Chief of Police) ranks near the top of my list of fictional characters I would like to be friends with—for his kindness and good humor, as well as his exemplary culinary skills, the fruits of which I would dearly love to sample and which are tantalizingly detailed in each installment of the series. The opening of his latest adventure, The Body in the Castle Well, finds him halfway down a cistern, peering downward into the dark toward an agitated kitten perched atop a floating entity that appears to be a body. The body turns out to be that of Claudia, a young American art student who was conducting a quiet investigation of noted art scholar and collector Monsieur de Bourdeille. The extensive fortune of well-regarded, elderly and reclusive Bourdeille may have been built on the shaky foundations of deliberate false attributions, a scandal that Claudia was on the verge of revealing. As always, Walker deftly weaves disparate storylines into the narrative, this time incorporating the wartime French Resistance, chanteuse Josephine Baker and a brief history of falconry as a pastime of noblemen. As is the case with all the Bruno novels, The Body in the Castle Well is not to be missed.

Mark Billingham’s Detective Inspector Tom Thorne is akin to Ian Rankin’s John Rebus and Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole: a deeply flawed character with a plethora of personal and professional problems, but a damned fine investigator in his own way. In Their Little Secret, Thorne delves deeper than warranted into the seemingly clear-cut suicide of Philippa Goodwin, a woman who threw herself in front of a train. The victim had ample reason, having been bilked of her life savings by an enterprising con man who preys upon middle-aged women. Although it isn’t strictly in Thorne’s purview, he cannot help but put some effort into the “why” of the suicide, and he quickly discovers that there is a lot hiding beneath the tip of that iceberg. The murder of a young man at a nearby beach yields DNA that matches the unidentified con man, but then another, seemingly unrelated killing strongly suggests that there are two murderers at work in tandem, perhaps with the unwitting help of one or more outsiders. With lots of surprises and some very crisp, staccato storytelling, it’s impossible to put down Their Little Secret.

On one level, Owen Laukkanen’s Deception Cove is the story of a man and his dog. But let’s not confuse this with a feel-good narrative, because the man, Mason Burke, is an ex-con recently released from prison for first-degree murder, and his dog, Lucy, is a frightened yet aggressive pit bull mix rescue. Deception Cove is also the story of Jess Winslow, a female ex-Marine whose demons grew too strong for her to control, resulting in her being shipped back from Afghanistan to her home in America to deal with her PTSD as best she could. Mason trained Lucy while he was in prison, and Jess received the dog as a service animal to help her deal with her condition. Little did any of them—least of all Lucy—realize how their lives would become inextricably intertwined via a drug deal gone bad, a small-town police station full to the brim with corrupt cops and a Nigerian mercenary with a very itchy trigger finger. Mason and Jess are well fleshed-out characters with backstory galore. Their interactions are at first laced with distrust, but then the two guarded individuals gel in unexpected ways, hustling them toward an exceptionally intense climax. Here’s hoping we meet them again, and soon.

Starred review
Ragnar Jonasson’s second Hulda Hermannsdóttir novel, The Island, finds the 50-ish Reykjavík detective investigating the connections between two murders. One was supposedly solved 10 years past, and the second, a modern-­day killing, appears to have been an accidental fall—until ligature…

NonfictionFictionAudioMemoir

The art of audiobooks

Feature by bookpagedev

Three authors and two audiobooks readers share a peek behind the curtain for Audiobook Month.

Lisa SeeLisa See on crafting dialogue for The Island of Sea Women

Writing is a solitary activity, and much of what I do is completely in my head. It’s for this reason that I often speak the words as I’m writing. (This, more than anything else, is a good reason that I have an office in my home, where my mutterings about the sea, women, love and tragedy are heard only by the four walls that surround me.) Once the first draft is done, I read all the following drafts aloud. I want to hear how certain phrases sound, listen to the pacing and rhythms of the plot and get a sense of the pattern of each character’s voice.

When I get to my final draft, my sister Clara comes over, and we sit at my kitchen table and act out the entire book. This is especially helpful when there are several people in a scene. The divers in The Island of Sea Women meet in a special stone structure built right on the beach, where they change clothes, warm up by the fire, eat and trade stories. In real life and in my novel, these women love to banter. Clara and I play out these scenes—sometimes improvising new lines, sometimes deepening a joke or, conversely, a sad story. My belief in getting to the truth of how my characters speak not only improves the novel but also makes for a fabulous audiobook.

Scott BrickScott Brick on becoming the new reader of the Jack Reacher series

Learning I’d been approved to narrate the Jack Reacher series after longtime narrator Dick Hill’s retirement left me lightheaded, as I’ve been a fan of Lee Child’s work for years. When Dick got in touch to give his full support, I was positively gobsmacked. I am hugely indebted to him for the massive body of work he’s left behind, and while I may be the narrator blessed to walk beside Reacher on his future adventures, Dick will always walk with us in spirit.

Child is a master choreographer of both brutality and necessity, from the ruthlessness of Reacher’s opponents to his commitment to doing only what he must to settle the scales. Having been a fight choreographer myself for stage and screen, I recognize the rhythm in Reacher’s battles, from the moment they begin until the moment when he recognizes—and exploits—a vital weakness. I was absolutely thrilled when I showed up to narrate my first Reacher novel, Past Tense, because reading those fight scenes aloud was like pulling on the most comfortable sweatshirt I’ve ever worn. Reacher proves himself to be a man of great resilience and optimism but also a man who will end any fight if necessary.

There’s another Reacher adventure coming in just a few months, and as I did last time, I will show up in the studio wearing jeans that’ve been pressed beneath a mattress and carrying only a travel toothbrush, and I will treasure each and every moment.

Stephanie LandStephanie Land on narrating her own memoir, Maid

When I sat down in a cramped studio to record the audiobook for Maid, it’d been over half a year since I’d read the book in its entirety. There were still several long months until publication, and the anticipation of what people would think of my story as a single mom on every type of government assistance program made me jumpy with nervousness. Not only was it my first book, but it also was the first piece I’d written that was longer than 20 pages. Imposter syndrome was high.

The recording process took a couple of weeks. I learned a lot about every noise my mouth and stomach make. I strained to not slip up on words, often holding my breath. I thankfully found no typos. On the day I read the chapter in which my daughter and I experience a devastating loss, I struggled to keep my voice even.

But something beautiful happened as I read this story, my story, this episode of my life that was so vulnerable and raw and scary to put out there. I’d read a paragraph or two, or sometimes an entire chapter, and think, Wow, this is actually really good! As writers, we sit with these stories, we bear down and go through dozens of rounds of edits until the sight of the title makes us cringe. Reading it out loud with such intensity and purpose made me grow confident in my story’s power to possibly change the world a little bit.

Julia WhelanJulia Whelan on narrating Linda Holmes’ novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over

I’ve been a fan of Linda’s for about a decade and lucky enough to call her a friend for a few years. Her “Monkey See” column at NPR was reliably delightful, funny and unexpectedly wise. So when, after we came to know each other personally, she sent me the novel she’d just finished, I’ll admit to being nervous. What if her journalistic voice only worked in, well, journalism? But five pages in, I laughed. Ten pages in, I texted her a blisteringly brilliant sentence she’d written. Twenty pages in, I texted her, I HAVE TO NARRATE THIS. 

This book is about the absence of things that should be there: grief, mothers, even sexual attraction to a person who, in all other respects, might be your soul mate. We, as readers, want to bring these things back, to right what seems to be a narrative wrong. But Linda so ably shows us that sometimes—sorry, but it’s true—things are just missing. The trick in life is to figure out which absent things you actually want and then go get them. 

Like her pop-culture writing that I fell in love with all those years ago, Evvie Drake Starts Over is delightful, funny and unexpectedly wise, and I treasure the three days I had in the booth with it. I began missing Evvie and Dean as soon as I started recording the end credits. Linda was there for much of the recording process, and at the end, I walked out and looked at her and sighed. “I’m going to miss them,” I said. She nodded and replied, “I’m going to miss them, too.”

Patti Callahan HenryPatti Callahan Henry on her friendship with Joshilyn Jackson, narrator of The Favorite Daughter

When I write a book, I rarely imagine my character’s voices. I see them; I feel them; I know their pains and wants. And I do hear them, but not in any kind of audible way, more in an intuitive sense of what they would say and how they would say it. But if I had imagined Colleen Donohue’s voice, I would have chosen my friend Joshilyn Jackson’s audible narration. To have her read the audio version is simply more than serendipitous; it feels meant-to-be.

Joshilyn and I met when our first books came out a million years ago. I mean, 15 years ago. We first crossed paths when we were both speaking at a theater in Perry, Georgia. I had rarely, if ever, been on a large stage to speak, and was quite nervous. Joshilyn, on the other hand, seemed to command the stage, to hold the audience in the palm of her hand. I was in awe. When she later told me that she’d majored in theater, it comforted me a bit, but not enough to feel good about my own performance that afternoon.

Through the years, through moves and life and children and slumps and highs, we’ve walked alongside each other in this journey of both life and writing. And now, Joshilyn is alongside me in a way I never imagined: Her beautiful storytelling voice animates my character, Colleen Donohue.

I am thrilled. Colleen is spunky, witty and kind—just like Joshilyn.

 

See photo by Patricia Williams / Land photo by Nicol Biesek / Henry photo by Beth Hontzas

Three authors and two audiobooks readers share a peek behind the curtain for Audiobook Month.

NonfictionAudioMemoir

The Hold List: Laugh-out-loud audiobooks

Feature by the editors of BookPage

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
By Mindy Kaling
Actress, comedy writer and producer Kaling makes social anxiety charming in her first memoir. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? is an entertaining collection of personal essays, humorous lists (like film franchises Kaling would like to reboot) and glimpses into the twisted world of LA celebrity. Though this isn’t exactly groundbreaking territory for a celebrity memoir, it’s hard to notice while listening to Kaling read her own work in her bright, chirpy voice. As you’d expect from a writer who honed her skills on “The Office,” Kaling’s comedic timing is on point, and her chatty style and focus on pop culture make listening to the audiobook feel like dishing with a friend who happens to be the best storyteller around. Listen to this one on a long drive, and let the miles fly by. 

—Trisha, Publisher

My Life as a Goddess
By Guy Branum
Is there anything more satisfying than an incredibly articulate complaint? Those who can pick a subject and eviscerate it, not cruelly but with utter realness, deserve every opportunity to rant at will. My Life as a Goddess, comedian Branum’s candid collection of essays about his small-town Californian upbringing and his coming-out coming of age, is hilarious, and his audacious performance unfolds with the blistering pace of a stand-up comic. He offers riotous hindsight, only to soften at poignant moments of self-awareness, when this “survival guide” really does explore his fight to survive the world’s treatment of a fat young gay man. His acerbic footnotes roll out like natural asides, and he even lets a self-deprecating laugh fly from time to time. Beneath it all is a love of words that any audiobook listener will relish. 

—Cat, Deputy Editor

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
By David Sedaris
If there’s one author whose voice is inseparable from his writing, it’s David Sedaris. He rose to fame as both a performer and writer, first as a guest on NPR’s “This American Life” and then as a headliner for sold-out theaters. When you read Sedaris’ writing, it’s difficult not to hear his familiar cadence and inflection in your head, so why not skip the paper cuts and get right to the source? All of his audiobooks are exceptional—like hilarious radio productions with jazz interludes and guest appearances by the author’s sister Amy Sedaris—but Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is a fine place to start. It’s laugh-out-loud funny one minute and gut-punch poignant the next: Sedaris at his best and most beloved. 

—Christy, Associate Editor

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.
By Samantha Irby
The loose, freewheeling essays in Irby’s second collection, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life., are just as likely to stop you in your tracks with razor-­sharp observations as they are to spin out into hilarious, unexpected digressions. The first essay takes the form of Irby’s application to be a contestant on “The Bachelor” but makes several stops along the way to talk about why men are just as catty and self-­obsessed as women and to justifiably roast the Bachelor franchise for its absurd lack of diversity. As Irby reads her pieces on dating in her late 30s and entering what she describes as a mutually codependent relationship with her rescue cat, her relaxed deadpan serves as the deceptively unruffled foundation for her twists into the absurd and perfectly setup punch lines. 

—Savanna, Assistant Editor

If you’re gearing up for summer vacation, don’t even think about embarking on that 10-hour drive without downloading an excellent audiobook (or two, or five) to pass the time. Buckle up! These are our picks for great books that are even better on audiobook.
NonfictionFictionSatireMemoir

Book Clubs: June 2019

Feature by Julie Hale

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Ingrid Rojas Contreras' impressive first novel, Fruit of the Drunken Tree, takes place in 1990s Bogotá, Colombia, when Pablo Escobar held the country in a grip of terror. The novel is narrated mainly by 7-year-old Chula Santiago, who lives with her family in the comfort of a gated community thanks to the money her father makes as an oil worker. When a maid named Petrona comes to work for the Santiagos, Chula befriends her. Petrona, who is 13, grew up in a slum. Terrorists kidnapped her father and brothers, and she is trying to support the rest of her family. As the situation worsens in Bagotá, Chula's family is able to leave. Petrona, meanwhile, becomes involved with a suspicious young man nammed Gorrión. Contreras juxtaposes the two girls' worlds with authenticity and covincing detail, and her portrayal of the social divisions and dangers of Colombian life is riveting and remarkably assured. 

French Exit by Patrick deWitt

Affluent widow Frances Price comes to terms with the loss of her fortune while her son meets up with the woman he loves—and her fiancé—in deWitt's sly, sophisticated novel.

Southernmost by Silas House

In House's latest novel, small-town pastor Asher Sharp upsets his congregation when he tries to help a gay couple after a disastrous flood, an act that affects his relationship with his conservative wife and their young son and makes Asher question his own faith.

Still Livesby Maria Hummel

Kim Lord's self-portraits, inspired by female murder victims are the talk of the LA art scene. But when Kim goes missing, a young editor becomes enmeshed in the mystery of this stylish, suspenseful thriller. 

Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively
In this delightful, beautifully wrought memoir, Lively meditates on how gardening has impacted her personal evolution and her work. 

 

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Ingrid Rojas Contreras' impressive first novel, Fruit of the Drunken Tree, takes place in 1990s Bogotá, Colombia, when Pablo Escobar held the country in a grip of terror. The novel is narrated mainly by 7-year-old Chula Santiago,…

Fiction

Best historical fiction of the summer

Feature by Cat, Deputy Editor

Best casts:

In West Mills by De’Shawn Charles Winslow (Bloomsbury, 6/4)
Residents of West Mills, North Carolina, joke that their town never changes. Yet there’s never a dull moment for these stubborn, loyal characters. Read our review.

Deep River by Karl Marlantes (Atlantic Monthly, 7/2)
This sprawling tale, following a Finnish family in their journey to the Pacific Northwest, is something of a masterpiece. Read our review.

Best revelations about characters’ pasts:

The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung (Ecco, 6/18)
A genius mathematician travels to Germany to discover the tangled truth behind her parents’ relationship. Read our review.

The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith (Sarah Crichton, 6/4)
In the early 1960s, a young graduate student encourages a retired French filmmaker to recall his role in the making of an early cinematic treasure. Read our review.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins (HarperCollins, 5/21)
Former enslaved person Frannie is awaiting trial for the murder of her employer, Benham, and his wife, Marguerite. What Frannie can’t account for is how she wound up covered in their blood. Read our review.

Wunderland by Jennifer Cody Epstein (Crown, 4/23)
A mother’s secrets in pre-World War II Germany come back to haunt future generations. Read our review.

Best World War II:

The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer (Knopf, 5/7)
Mixing historical fact with imaginative fiction, Orringer explores the story of Varian Fry, a young Harvard-educated journalist and editor who worked for the American Emergency Rescue Committee during World War II. His primary goal was to prevent notable artists, writers and political exiles, many of them Jewish, from being interned in concentration camps. Read our review.

Dragonfly by Leila Meacham (Grand Central, 7/9)
Five idealistic young Americans are recruited at the height of World War II to assume secret identities in Paris and spy for the Allies. But as the group looks back on their mission, did one of them really die? Read our review.

Most fun:

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Riverhead, 6/4)
Enjoyment, bliss, satisfaction—these emotions and more form the core of this big-hearted, rollicking new novel about a gaggle of lively New York showgirls. Read our interview with Gilbert.

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams (William Morrow, 7/9)
In 1941, the island of Nassau, Bahamas, “is terrible for gossip,” recently widowed Lulu Randolph admits. As a society columnist for Metropolitan, Lulu is tasked with getting close to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, for whom Americans have “an insatiable appetite. Read our review.

Discover even more historical fiction recommendations from BookPage!

Set your Out of Office as “Currently on vacation to another place and time and absolutely will not be responding to emails,” because this season’s historical fiction books are some of the best. Read on for our 10 favorites.

FictionSatire

Book Clubs: July 2019

Feature by Julie Hale

Starred review
The story of a friendship that spans decades and continents, Frances de Pontes Peebles’ The Air You Breathe is the perfect poolside read. The novel is narrated by wealthy, elderly Dores, who recalls her childhood in the 1930s on a sugar plantation in Brazil and her strong connection with Graça. Dores works in the kitchen, while Graça, whose family owns the plantation, enjoys all the advantages money can provide. The two girls become close, develop a passion for music and move to Rio. Dores proves to be a gifted songwriter, while Graça is a singer of rare talent. Making herself over as Sofía Salvador, Graça becomes a samba queen of world renown. The novel charts the course of the two friends’ lives—years marked by competitiveness and jealousy, romantic affairs and mutual love. De Pontes Peebles moves skillfully through eras and settings, from Miami to Rio to Hollywood, capturing the essence of each. Fans of Elena Ferrante will find much to relish in this richly realized tale.

So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Berni`eres
De Bernières traces the lives of army pilot Daniel Pitt; Rosie, to whom he’s unhappily married; and his brother, Archie, who’s in love with Rosie, in this richly detailed historical novel set in the 1920s and ’30s.

A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen
New York City professor Andrei finds himself reassessing his life while attempting to get his bearings as he cares for his grandmother in Moscow.

The Reservoir Tapes by John McGregor
In this innovative novel, a reporter talks with the town’s inhabitants about the days leading up to a teenage girl’s disappearance. The process of grieving, the importance of storytelling and the bonds of community all come into play in McGregor’s poignant story.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Alex and Suzette have tested their 7-year-old, Hanna, for a range of disabilities, but in truth, Hanna enjoys causing Suzette grief by not speaking. The fraught relationship between mother and daughter takes a twisted turn in this disturbing novel.

Starred review
The story of a friendship that spans decades and continents, Frances de Pontes Peebles’ The Air You Breathe is the perfect poolside read. The novel is narrated by wealthy, elderly Dores, who recalls her childhood in the 1930s on a sugar plantation in…

FictionMysteryGothic Fiction

8 killer page-turners scarier than sunburn

Feature by G. Robert Frazier & Julie Hale

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
If your dream vacation is getting cozy in a tiny English village

Jackson Brodie returns to bookshelves after a nine-year hiatus in Big Sky. Brodie is doing the typical PI work of spying on an unfaithful husband in the village of North Yorkshire when he encounters a man about to jump to his death from a cliff. Brodie intervenes and, in doing so, becomes embroiled in a complex case of murder, betrayal and sex trafficking. Meanwhile, police detectives Reggie Chase and Ronnie Dibicki are also caught up in the dizzying plot when their routine assignment to interview witnesses in a cold case brings them into contact with some of the same individuals as those in Brodie’s case. Atkinson expertly balances plotlines and viewpoints from chapter to chapter, giving readers a panoramic understanding of the characters, their motivations and the consequences of their actions. All of it coalesces into a wild, frantic finish in which each plotline is neatly tied together.

★ Your Life Is Mine by Nathan Ripley
For fans of “My Favorite Murder,” I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and all things Manson-­related

Blanche Potter thought she had put her past behind her. She never talked about what happened when she was 7 years old. She changed her last name. She moved to a new city. She started a life of her own. But as the daughter of Chuck Varner, a deranged mass shooter, Blanche realizes the past may be buried, but it never goes away completely. Blanche learns that lesson the hard way in Nathan Ripley’s shocking new novel, Your Life Is Mine. Things are going well in her career as an up-and-coming filmmaker when she is told that her estranged mother, Crissy, has been shot and killed at her trailer home. News of Crissy’s death, brought to Blanche by a sleazy journalist who knows of her past, opens the floodgates of her memories and traumatic childhood. But as she tries to reconcile her past experiences with the recent death of her mother, someone else is gunning for her as well. The cult of Chuck Varner lives on, and it’s up to Blanche to stop it before his crazed follower can strike again. Ripley pulls no punches here, creating a tense and atmospheric story of personal identity and survival, while asking whether you can ever escape your past.

Gone Too Long by Lori Roy
If you’re looking  for a mystery that’s almost too real

Lori Roy portrays the rise of white supremacy movements to chilling effect in Gone Too Long. Set in modern-­day Simmonsville, Georgia, the story follows Imogene Coulter, the daughter of a Ku Klux Klan member, as she buries the sins of her father but unearths an even darker mystery. While sorting through her father’s KKK hideout, Imogene discovers a young boy. Along with Beth, a child abducted 10 years ago who has been raising the boy during their captivity, Imogene begins to discern the truth about her father’s role in the ordeal. But with another Klan member determined to reassert control of the situation, Imogene’s own life and the lives of her family are in peril. This darkly addictive tale is ultimately an engrossing portrait of survival and perseverance. With richly detailed prose, Roy pulls readers close into Imogene’s and Beth’s perspectives, creating empathy for both characters as their trauma and the threats against them, past and present, unfold.

Murder in Bel-Air by Cara Black
If your dream vacation is stylishly stalking through the streets of Paris

Sydney Leduc had one job: pick up her granddaughter from her play group and bring her home. But when Sydney fails to show up, her daughter Aimée is thrust into a convoluted case of murder and international intrigue in her attempt to find Sydney. Author Cara Black swiftly builds up the tension in her riveting new Aimée Leduc mystery, Murder in Bel-Air, en route to an action-packed finale. While retrieving her daughter in Sydney’s place, Aimée witnesses police investigating the death of a homeless woman at a nearby convent’s soup kitchen. She quickly learns that the last person to speak with the victim was none other than her own mother, adding to the mystery of Sydney’s whereabouts. The discovery of a bundle of cash stashed away in the convent’s laundry further complicates matters. Before long, Aimée and her unique cast of teammates are caught up in an international conspiracy involving a potential coup, a downed airplane and a dirty bomb. Hounding her every move are agents of the DGSE (France’s external intelligence agency), the CIA and a mercenary known as the Crocodile. Rich in Parisian settings and vernacular, Murder in Bel-Air is easily accessible and enjoyable to new and longtime series readers alike. 

The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell
For fans of Fingersmith and Alias Grace

Laura Purcell captures the menace and gloom of Victorian-era England in The Poison Thread. Dorothea Truelove is rich, attractive and intelligent. As an act of philanthropy, she spends time with the women incarcerated at Oakgate Prison. Dorothea’s pet fascination is phrenology—using the shape of an individual’s skull as a gauge for temperament and disposition—and she believes the technique can reveal criminal inclinations. When she meets prisoner Ruth Butterham, Dorothea is keen to test her theory. Ruth, who has been charged with murdering the owner of the dress shop where she was employed, is resolute in her claim that she can kill through the power of her stitches. The tale is narrated in turns by the two women, and Purcell skillfully contrasts their voices and stories, spinning a fascinating mystery that’s rich in disquieting detail and atmosphere.

Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong
If you’re looking for a mystery with a deeply emotional hook

Kelley Armstrong’s gripping thriller, Wherever She Goes, is narrated by librarian and troubled mother Aubrey Finch. Aubrey’s marriage to successful lawyer Paul is strained, but they’re still raising their 3-year-old daughter together. Haunted by memories of past mistakes and her parents’ deaths, Aubrey finds that the life she’s built with her family is slowly eroding away. At the park one day, Aubrey watches helplessly as a little boy is forced into an SUV. She contacts the police, but when no further information about the abduction surfaces, they question her claims—and her mental health. A practiced hacker, Aubrey begins hunting for the child via computer, putting her own safety and reputation on the line. Armstrong balances the mystery of the kidnapping and the tension of Aubrey’s inner conflicts with moving scenes of a fragile marriage as Aubrey and Paul work to save their relationship. The latest from the bestselling author of Watcher in the Woods makes for pulse-racing summer reading.

★ Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman
For fans of The Secret History and Gone Girl 

Cambria Brockman’s riveting debut, Tell Me Everything, takes place on the campus of an exclusive New England college, where six friends form a destructive connection. Introvert Malin comes out of her shell at Hawthorne College, bonding with five other students: Ruby, Max, John, Khaled and Gemma. They’re a close-knit group, but as graduation approaches, their relationships begin to unravel. Gemma drinks too much, and John is increasingly cruel to Ruby, who is now his girlfriend. Malin, meanwhile, excels academically while concealing her very dark past. The anxieties of senior year peak at semester’s end as she struggles to uphold her self-assured facade. She isn’t the only one in the circle who’s hiding something, and when a murder occurs, the six friends’ lives change forever. Narrated by Malin, whose intelligence and cunning drive the story, Tell Me Everything is an edgy exploration of loyalty and human desire. Readers in search of a true page-turner will savor this electrifying novel.

★ The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson
If you’re looking for a thriller you absolutely cannot predict

Fans of Paula Hawkins will be thrilled by Allison Dickson’s The Other Mrs. Miller. Phoebe Miller is starting to believe her best years are behind her. Heiress to a fortune left by her philandering late father, she passes the days in a haze of alcohol. Arguments with her husband, Wyatt, add to her feelings of discontent. But her life takes an unexpected turn after the Napiers move in across the street. Ron, a doctor; Vicki, his wife; and Jake, their attractive and flirtatious teenage son, appear to be a model family. Vicki is eager to be friends, but Phoebe doesn’t quite trust her. She also suspects she’s being watched by the driver of a car that keeps returning to the neighborhood. When Phoebe receives a series of frightening notes that may have some connection to her father, she begins to fear for her life. With an impossible-to-predict plot and a very unexpected murder, Dickson’s book is required reading for suspense addicts. 

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson If your dream vacation is getting cozy in a tiny English village Jackson Brodie returns to bookshelves after a nine-year hiatus in Big Sky. Brodie is doing the typical PI work of spying on an unfaithful husband in the village…
YA FictionYA

Watch your back

Feature by Alice Cary

With deadly friends, spooky lights and literary clues, four new YA thrillers get twisted.

Reminiscent of Big Little Lies, The Best Lies starts off with a bang. A police detective is interrogating 17-year-old Remy Tsai about the murder of her boyfriend, Jack, who’s been shot by her best friend, Elise. Through alternating timelines, debut author Sarah Lyu compellingly builds a gripping slow burn of a psychological thriller.

When Remy meets Elise in her suburban Atlanta town, Remy rejoices that she’s met her “soulmate” because both girls feel like “misfit toys who don’t belong anywhere.” Remy’s highly successful but constantly feuding Chinese–American parents are unable to escape their toxic marriage, while Remy’s older brother, Christian, is their golden child as well as the senior class president. Elise’s mother abandoned her years ago and later died, and her father, who’s rarely around, physically abuses her. Believing that revenge is power, Elise starts a gang called the Deadly Vipers and dreams up a series of increasingly destructive, illegal pranks to play on students, teachers and, eventually, her father. As Remy finds herself drawn to Jack, she slowly realizes that her friendship with Elise is as poisonous as her parents’ long-dead marriage. Remy begins to understand that Elise’s “secrets were unmapped mines that exploded when discovered,” and tensions rapidly escalate once she tries to extricate herself from Elise’s clawlike grip. Lyu, who suffered physical and emotional abuse as a child, has created a powerful spiderweb of toxic relationships in this intricate, page-turning thriller.

Araceli Flores Harper is the globe–trotting daughter of two journalists reporting from perilous parts of the world. When they head to Venezuela, they send Araceli to her great-aunt Ottilie’s Victorian home, where they trust she’ll be safe. But the New York town at the center of Heartwood Box has a “Stranger Things” vibe, with weird “ghost lights” shining in the woods, people disappearing (including Ottilie’s husband, 20 years ago) and ultrasecretive work carried out in a heavily guarded laboratory. Inexplicably, after discovering a decorative wooden box in a room full of junk, Araceli finds herself corresponding—and falling in love—with a World War I soldier named Oliver. Meanwhile, she befriends Logan, the boy across the street whose sheriff father physically abuses him. As friendships deepen, so do the mysteries, and several of Araceli’s new friends disappear. Author Ann Aguirre skillfully weaves a multitude of plot threads into a taut thriller of time travel, history and heroic teens. As likable, capable Araceli notes: “Never underrate the power of determined teenagers.” 

Fear Him. Those two words painted on an underpass greet Clara Morrison soon after she arrives in a fictional New England town in The Missing Season, Edgar Award finalist Gillian French’s tensely seductive novel of friendship, love and unexplained teen disappearances.

Clara has moved yet again, this time to the dying town of Pender, Maine, where her father is helping to demolish the town’s mill. As Halloween approaches, townies caution her to beware, because that’s when the legendary Mumbler rises out of the marsh to grab unsuspecting teens. The warnings make Clara uneasy, but she tries to focus on making new friends. When she cuts class with two of them, Bree and Sage, she realizes “how badly I want to be in on this, part of them, the third weird sister.” She also falls for Kincaid, a kindhearted but increasingly enigmatic skateboarder. When another girl goes missing, Clara and her new crew are led into danger as they search for her body. As Kincaid explains, “When you’re scared so much, it gets to be part of you.” Readers will find themselves quickly drawn into French’s evocative mystery.

Poor Lucinda Leavitt. She’s bored out of her mind in her numbing role of being ladylike in 1861 England in The Last Word, Samantha Hastings’ refreshing, intriguing debut historical mystery. Lucinda has just graduated from Miss Holley’s Finishing School for Young Ladies and is supposed to be attracting a suitor, but what she’d rather be doing is working in her father’s accounting firm, putting her mathematical skills to use. Her only salvation is reading each installment of a romance called She Knew She Was Right. When she eagerly sits down to read the last chapter, Lucinda is in for a shock: The author, Mrs. Smith, has died, leaving her work unfinished. Lucinda decides to investigate, and knowing that she’s unlikely to get far in her world without the help of a man, she enlists her father’s young partner, handsome David Randall, once her childhood friend. Their explorations are full of fascinating historical details and literary allusions, and interestingly, an author’s note explains that Hastings was inspired by a real-life Victorian serial, Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters, which was left unfinished.

Lucinda, a young Victorian woman with a modern sensibility well ahead of her time, has plenty of pluck and determination. Hastings’ breezy prose and crafty plotting will leave readers racing to uncover her own last installment.

With deadly friends, spooky lights and literary clues, four new YA thrillers get twisted.

Children's & YAPicture Book

Tips for Teachers: Moon landing

Feature by Emmie Stuart

Tips for Teachers is a monthly column in which experienced teacher and children’s librarian Emmie Stuart shares book recommendations and a corresponding teaching guide for fellow elementary school teachers. 

During Father’s Day lunch, my parents asked about the subject of my July column, and as soon as the words 50th anniversary of the moon landing left my mouth, I was subject to listening to their vivid recollections of the historic event. As 9-year-olds during the “Summer of ’69,” they were two of the millions of children who were gathered around their TV set on that hot summer July evening, eagerly watching and waiting. President Nixon’s words reflected the emotions of the entire country as the space race was finally won: “Hello Neil and Buzz. I’m talking to you by telephone from the Oval Room at the White House, and this certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made. I just can’t tell you how proud we all are of what you have done. For every American, this has to be the proudest day of their lives.”

Launch the new school year with the following four books, which expertly convey the importance of Apollo 11’s momentous landing.

Papa Put a Man on the MoonPapa Put a Man on the Moon by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Sarah Green

Reflecting back on her own family history, Dempsey addresses a new aspect of the moon landing. Though her entire South Carolina community is anticipating the moon landing, 11-year-old Marthanne is especially excited because her dad works in a textile factory that made one of the 14 layers of the astronauts’ spacesuits. Concluding with the family gathered around the TV to watch Walter Cronkite, the heartfelt story shows students that even seemingly simple jobs are of the utmost importance and that every American has the power to affect history.

  • Investigate Space Suits
    Ask students why astronauts need to wear special suits. What factors must be considered in their outfits? For older students, read the NASA article “Celebrating 50 Years of Spacesuits, Featuring the Early Pressure Suits.” Explaining several aspects that must be considered when designing suits, it is an excellent and complex STEM article requiring students to read and think critically. The video “How Astronauts Put on Space Suits” shows the long and complex process of getting “suited up.” If you have access to a projector, walk through NASA’s interactive Clickable Spacesuit with younger students.
     
  • Suit Up!
    Watch NASA’s “How Do You Suit Up?” video. Starting with an astronaut’s suit, the video ends by encouraging viewers to consider other ways that Americans “suit up” for their jobs. Invite each child to choose a career or profession that interests him/her. Provide books or online resources, and let them research what suiting up looks like for their chosen career. Provide blank human body templates, and give students time to use markers and colored pencils to draw and label “suit up” diagrams.

Go for the MoonGo for the Moon: A Rocket, A Boy, and the First Moon Landing by Chris Gall

The weeks, days and hours leading up to the moon landing were full of anticipation for the entire country, but perhaps even more so through the eyes of a child. Author-illustrator Gall takes the first-person perspective of a young boy in his new book: “The Astronauts are ready for the mission, and so am I.” The boy’s preparations parallel those of the astronauts as he investigates the science and math behind rocketry and space travel. The articulate STEM concepts and boy’s palpable moon landing excitement combine to make an informative and sincere account of the historic event.

Plan to read this book over two or three read-aloud sessions, as there is much information on each page. And don’t miss the concluding “Fun Facts” page.

  • Physics Activity
    To help him understand how the Eagle lands on the surface of the moon (“To get there they have to steer the Eagle exactly with just the right amount of thrust to slow down the Eagle so they don’t crash”), the young boy creates his own landing experiment with a handmade lunar landing module and long piece of string. Using packing foam, string, toothpicks and glue, give students time students create their own landing modules. Attach a small hole-punched piece of paper to the top of each. Tie one end of the string to the bottom of a table or chair leg. Students will hold the other end of the string at an angle and send their lunar landing module down the string. The trick is figuring out how much force to apply. Push too hard, and the module will crash, and not enough force will cause it to “run out of fuel” before landing.
     
  • Time Travel Back to July 1969
    Give students the opportunity to feel the boy’s excitement during the months, weeks and days leading up to July 20, 1969. Remind them that live TV, radio broadcasts and newspapers were the only ways that people watched and received news. First, watch this news clip describing how the 1969 Mission Control center has been exactly restored to how it looked. If possible, put your laptop on a low desk, and invite students to gather around and sit on the floor. Watch actual footage of Walter Cronkite’s 1969 newscast. Provide a trendy and authentic 1969 snack of Tang and Easy Cheese on Ritz Crackers.

Daring DozenDaring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Alan Marks

The Apollo 11 landing on July 20, 1969, launched three and half years of Apollo moon missions. Using spare text, Slade chronologically explains the astronauts, goals and highlights of the next 11 Apollo missions. Marks’ watercolor illustrations capture the vastness of space as well as the intricacies of the spacecrafts and wonder of the astronauts. Thirteen pages of informative back matter (photographs, a timeline and an essay by Alan Bean) explain each mission in greater depth. With well-paced text, cinematic illustrations and extensive supplemental information, it’s sure to both spark and answer classroom questions.

  • Apollo Timeline
    There is nothing better than a long student-created classroom timeline. Hang a blank 12’-15’ piece of butcher paper along a wall in your classroom or hallway. On the far-left side of the timeline, create a 1958 mark, and on the far-right, create a 1972 mark. Divide students into pairs, and tell them that they are going to become the class experts on one of the Apollo missions. Take three or four days to read about the 12 Apollo missions (don’t forget the back matter for each mission). Then assign each pair a mission, and give them time to perform further research. Each pair is responsible for providing a photograph of the mission astronauts and vehicle as well as neat index cards with the basic facts of the mission. Encourage them to be creative and find neat trivia to share with the class. The photographs, index cards and artwork will be hung on the “Journeys to the Moon” class timeline by the students. Invite the school to come read the timeline and learn about the Daring Dozen!
     
  • Creative Writing
    Slade includes information about each mission as well tidbits that reveal the astronaut’s personalities and scientific interests. Alan Shephard plays golf on the moon, Charlie Duke leaves a picture of his family, and Alan Bean collected soil. Invite children to imagine their voyage to the moon. What would they study? What would they want to do? What would they leave or bring home? Give them time to take these thoughts and organize them into a journal entry or first-person POV narrative. Display students’ stories and accompanying illustrations.

The First Men Who Went to the MoonThe First Men Who Went to the Moon by Rhonda Gowler Greene, illustrated by Scott Brundage

In the tradition of “This Is the House That Jack Built,” Greene celebrates the story of the moon landing in a way that is accessible for all ages. The rhythmic verse (“This is the spacecraft, Apollo 11, that lifted off and soared through the heavens and carried the first men who went to the Moon”) is supplemented by informational facts as well as a double spread of photographs at the end. Brundage’s illustrations do much to capture the quietness and desolation of the moon. From liftoff to the celebratory parade, it is a strong and effective introductory moon landing read-aloud.

  • Moon Craters
    It was vitally important that the Eagle not land in a moon crater. Discuss the science behind craters, and then give students a thrill by letting them create their own craters. Divide students into pairs, and give each pair a disposable round aluminum baking pan, 4 cups of flour, ½ cup of baby oil and a mixing bowl. If preferred, make this mixture beforehand and distribute it to students. Students will spread the dough into the round pan, making the surface as smooth as possible. Then, using collected round objects (marbles, bouncy balls, pebbles, etc.), students will experiment by dropping these items from various heights. How does the size, weight and drop height affect the crater depth and width?
     
  • Google Moon
    Download Google Earth Pro and select “Moon” from the dropdown menu. There are several Apollo 11 guided tours and 360-degree photo spheres. With your students, search for moon landmarks such the Sea of Tranquility or Apollo Basin.
     
  • Further Up!
    Expand the unit by reading more books celebrating the historic moon landing. My favorites include Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker and Tiemdow Phumiruk, Moonshot by Brian Floca, Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh and One Giant Leap by Robert Burleigh and Mike Wimmer.

Launch the new school year with the following four books, which expertly convey the importance of Apollo 11’s momentous landing.

Romance

The 11 best romance novels of 2019 (so far)

Feature by Savanna Walker

This year, I tried to make my life easier by keeping a running list of my favorite romances. Every time a book moved me to tears or stuck in my brain for days, it went on the list. Foolishly, I thought this would make pulling this list together a painless process. It didn’t.

I’m not going to tell you how many books made it on that list, but I will tell you that my face when I realized how difficult this was going to be looked something like this. But I wiped my tears, said a prayer to the romance goddesses for wisdom and eventually narrowed it down to the stellar 11 titles below.

Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet
If you are a reprobate like me and always wished there were more romance in Star Wars than a few (very hot) kisses between Han Solo and Princess Leia, then this is the romance of your dreams. Bouchet’s first installment in her Endeavor series is a sci-fi adventure with two deeply charming, just angsty-enough leads. Bouchet keeps things admirably down-to-earth amid all the necessary world building and foreshadowing with snark aplenty, funny character details and one impossibly adorable space cat. Read our review.

 

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
Blasphemy, ahoy: I had not read Devil in Winter when I picked up Kleypas’ Devil’s Daughter. For the uninitiated, the heroine of Devil’s Daughter is the child of Devil in Winter’s Evie and Sebastian, one of the most beloved couples in modern romance. Kleypas masterfully balances some delicious fan service (which was so fun to read I immediately put Devil in Winter on my TBR list) with the clever, light-as-air main romance between practical young widow Phoebe and West Ravenel. West is a particularly appealing character—a former rake who’s steadily evolved into a compassionate, openhearted man over the course of the series. Read our review.

 

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long
Long’s glorious return to historical romance is a feminist clarion call wrapped up in an effervescent romantic comedy. The central relationship between recently impoverished widow Delilah Derring and cynical naval Captain Tristan Hardy is utterly lovely, but it’s the complicated friendship between Delilah and her late husband’s mistress, Angelique, that becomes the heart of the story. Read our review.

 

When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes
Burrowes’ romances are so finely drawn, so meticulously detailed that I read them at a slower pace, savoring the immaculate build and perfect little character notes. The deliciously brainy main pair of Duchess is particularly well-suited for Burrowes’ gifts as an author; she brings restrained, oft-underlooked Duncan Wentworth and his blazingly brilliant love interest Matilda to full and vivid life. Read our review.

 

The Rose by Tiffany Reisz
Reisz’s stunning erotic romance recalls the masterpieces of Anaïs Nin—blended with Greek mythology and more than a little dry British wit. An unabashed celebration of fantasy and desire wrapped in Reisz’ drop-dead gorgeous prose, The Rose is a decadent, delicious treat. Read our review.

 

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Following up last year’s best romance, The Kiss Quotient, was no easy task. But Hoang’s sophomore novel is just as insightful, just as unabashedly sexy as her outstanding first book. And the heroine of The Bride Test, Esme Tran, is as fully formed and instantly lovable as The Kiss Quotient’s Stella Lane. A single mother who emigrates from Vietnam to see if an arranged marriage will work out, good-hearted Esme is determined to improve the lives of her and her family—with or without her possible intended. Read our review.

 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The buzz started building last fall for McQuiston’s debut thanks to its undeniable premise: The son of the president of the United States falls in love with his arch nemesis, an English prince. And good lord did this book more than live up to its hype. Under all the fizzy, escapist fun of McQuiston’s alternate political reality (the president is a take-no-prisoners Democratic woman from Texas), Red, White & Royal Blue grapples with homophobia, depression and political corruption. Grounded in reality but also profoundly cathartic and romantic, this is a clear frontrunner for best romance of the year. Read our Q&A.

 

Teach Me by Olivia Dade
And now to a book that, like RW&RB, made me cry at my desk at work (a true badge of honor). Dade’s slow-burn romance follows ice queen history teacher Rose and her new co-worker, Martin, over the course of a school year, and it made me want to call and thank all the kind teachers I ever had. Rose and Martin are good, complicated, devoted people, and the way they pine for each other is rendered by Dade in all its aching beauty. Read our review.

 

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Jalaluddin’s wonderful contemporary romance stands head-and-shoulders above most adaptations of Pride and Prejudice due to its brilliant reimagining of the classic story. Setting the story in a community of Muslim immigrants to Toronto allows Jalaluddin to tap into aspects of Austen’s world that seem out of date for most modern writers—arranged marriages, rapid-fire gossip, the importance of reputation—and to update Fitzwilliam Darcy in a fascinating way. Her male lead, Khalid Mirza, is a devout Muslim whose faith and adherence to tradition lead him to misjudge the heroine but also to become the target of prejudice himself. Read our review.

 

Reverb by Anna Zabo
Zabo’s Twisted Wishes series has been a total blast, and Reverb finishes on a blissful high. The central romance between bass player Mish Sullivan and her hot, prince-among-men bodyguard David is sexy and mature, with just the right amount of angst. And Mish’s refusal to stop performing and the band’s support of her in defiance of a frightening stalker offer a fitting tribute to the power of art and found family. Read our review.

 

A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole
Cole’s ability to conquer any genre or setting she chooses is truly awe-inspiring. She leapt from the dramatic, thrilling historical Loyal League series to the deceptively escapist romantic comedies of the Reluctant Royals without a hitch, and A Prince on Paper is easily my favorite of the bunch. Prince Johan of Liechtienbourg is known as a notorious playboy, but it’s actually a meticulously constructed performance, designed to take the spotlight off his beloved half-brother, who will one day inherit the throne. But his growing feelings for shy Nya Jerami, who’s beginning to take ownership of her life after years of suffering under her manipulative father, threaten to derail the image he’s worked so hard to preserve. Even as Cole balances fun check-ins with the other characters of the series, Nya and Johan’s tender connection comes to vivid and distinct life. Read our review,

This year, I tried to make my life easier by keeping a running list of my favorite romances. Foolishly, I thought this would make pulling this list together a painless process. It didn’t.

Children's & YAPicture Book

School zone: Picture books for back to school

Feature by Julie Hale

Dust off the backpacks, and break out the notebooks—school is starting! These inspiring stories of student life will help youngsters find their back-to-class groove.

Everybody’s favorite bird returns in The Pigeon HAS to Go to School by Mo Willems. This time around, Pigeon is contending with the impending first day of school—an unwelcome prospect. As someone who already knows everything (“Go on—ask me a question,” he urges. “Any question!”), Pigeon feels he should be exempt from attending. Moreover, school commences in the a.m., and he is NOT a morning bird. Soon he’s panicking over a series of unknowns: What if the teacher dislikes pigeons or the finger paint sticks to his feathers? What will his classmates make of him? After taking stock of his fears, the contrary bird realizes that school is the right place to be. The book’s clever endsheets show him in class with a group of avian pupils. Willems’ wit shines through in his trademark line drawings, which are minimal yet fully expressive and backed by a palette of soft colors. As ever, Pigeon has attitude, smarts and plenty of style, and they’re on full display in this grade-A tale. 

The start of school is an event of regal import in The King of Kindergarten, written by Newbery Honor winner Derrick Barnes. In this delightful story, an African American boy—encouraged by supportive parents—is ready to rule at school. When the big day arrives, he washes his face “with a cloth bearing the family crest,” puts on “handpicked garments from the far-off villages of Osh and Kosh,” downs a pancake breakfast and gets on the bus—“a big yellow carriage.” As he approaches the school’s imposing entrance, he remembers his mother’s advice to hold his head high. In class, new friends and a beaming teacher greet him. Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s irresistible depictions of kindergarten life—group storytime, followed by big fun on the playground—have color, texture and a wonderful collagelike quality. With an emphasis firmly on the positive, Barnes’ story is a fun reminder to readers that they have what it takes to succeed. It’s sure to become a back-to-school classic.

Clothesline Clues to the First Day of School, co-written by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook, is the newest entry in their nifty Clothesline Clues series. Items hanging on a clothesline provide hints about the people that readers might encounter at school. The story’s text takes the form of snappy stanzas: “Book bag and new shirt, / a class roster to review. / Bow tie and jacket. / Who wants to meet you?” Based on the clothesline clues, the answer to this riddle is a teacher—a smiling figure shown in a colorful classroom. The story moves forward in this manner, depicting a wide variety of school personnel, from a crossing guard to a cafeteria cook to a custodian. It concludes on a high note with a diverse group of students at play. Andy Robert Davies’ vibrant, upbeat illustrations make this a title that parents and kids will appreciate as summer comes to an end. As this skill-building book shows, it takes a village to ensure that a school runs smoothly.

In Christina Geist’s Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School!, Buddy and his sister, Lady, are having breakfast as usual when their routine takes a decided detour: Mom and Dad announce that they’re planning to come with them to school. Yikes! Their mom sports a fresh backpack, and their pop shows off his new high tops. Even the grandparents are ready to go. But the kids soon burst their bubble: “Sorry, grown-ups! You can’t go to school!” The adults are disappointed, because they’ll miss out on the day’s neat activities—spelling games, science experiments, recess. The story’s upshot: “only kids and teachers” are lucky enough to experience life in the classroom. Tim Bowers’ depictions of the parents dressed and ready for school are downright hilarious, and he brings Buddy and Lady’s mixed-up morning to vivid life. A great intro to what makes school cool, this exuberant story is sure to get kids excited about the year to come.

There’ll be chills, thrills and lots of laughs when little readers get a load of Even Monsters Go to School. Written by Lisa Wheeler, this madcap tale focuses on a four-fingered boy-monster with blue fur and golden horns who is definitely not in a school-going mood. During breakfast (a ghoulish-looking goulash in which an eyeball floats), his equally blue, equally furry father provides encouragement by telling him about fearsome fellow creatures who face a similar fate: green-faced Frankenstein, tiny Troll, mighty Bigfoot, scaly Dragon. All of them, his father says, go to school. For each creature, Wheeler has dreamed up a hilarious school-based scenario, which she recounts through ingenious rhymes: “When Bigfoot wakes, he combs his hair . . . and steps out in the morning air. Yellow bus is waiting there. Even Bigfoot goes to school.” Chris Van Dusen’s bright, vibrant illustrations feature likable monsters. This appealing tale will help transform reluctant school-goers into eager students.

Celebrate the classroom experience!
NonfictionFictionSatireLiterature

Book Clubs: August 2019

Feature by Julie Hale

★The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
A 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers is a poignant novel of the AIDS epidemic that follows a Chicago-based group of friends who are contending with the rise of the disease in the 1980s. Yale Tishman is planning a major art show, but his success is overshadowed by the deaths that are sweeping through the gay community. As he weathers the loss of colleagues and companions, his closest confidante is Fiona, the sister of his late friend Nico. Thirty years later, Fiona is searching for her daughter, Claire, in Paris. Her relationship with Claire is a fraught one, and Fiona struggles to make sense of it while continuing to process the heartbreak of the epidemic. Makkai skillfully connects the plotlines of the past and present, exploring the fears and misconceptions connected to the epidemic and demonstrating their impact on her characters. Filled with larger-than-life personalities, Makkai’s wise and compassionate novel bears witness to an important era.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Ayoola has a habit of dispatching her boyfriends, and she relies on her sister, Korede, to help her tidy up after each murder. Braithwaite’s multilayered, darkly funny novel explores the power of desire and female agency.

Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
Tokarczuk, one of Poland’s most beloved writers, tackles identity, travel and the nature of home in these breathtaking short essays and stories.

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy by Anne Boyd Rioux
Rioux provides insights into the life of Louisa May Alcott and the writing of Little Women, examining the novel’s enduring appeal and its contemporary significance.

The Shakespeare Requirement by Julie Schumacher
Schumacher’s satirical take on academia—its complexities and insular nature—feels spot on, and she offers an appealing protagonist in Jason Fitger, a long-suffering English professor.

★The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
A 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers is a poignant novel of the AIDS epidemic that follows a Chicago-based group of friends who are contending with the rise of the disease in the 1980s. Yale…

NonfictionFictionWorld Fiction

The Hold List: Crowd pleasers

Feature by the editors of BookPage

Each month, the editors of BookPage share special reading lists—our personal favorites, old and new. Do you have a book you can recommend to anyone, anytime, anywhere? To avid readers, to reluctant readers, to strangers whose tastes are unfamiliar to you? This month, we’re sharing our go-to recs—the books we pass out like free candy.

City of Thieves by David Benioff
Now that David Benioff has tasted screenwriting success, my guess is he won’t return to writing novels. I may be the only person disappointed by this, given the many fans of his TV work (you might have heard of “Game of Thrones”?). Nevertheless, I’ve done my part to recruit more mourners of Benioff’s brief literary career by doling out copies of City of Thieves. Set during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, this slim little page-turner balances the dark historical backdrop with humor and brio that never veers into flippancy. It’s been a hit with everyone I’ve recommended it to, including my brother, who hadn’t read a book in years before I loaned him my copy. (For the record, he’s now a member of a book club.) —Trisha, Publisher

Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan
Of all the essay collections I’ve read and cherished, this is the one I recommend the most—for its humor, catharsis, revelation, style and sanded-to-a-point precision. John Jeremiah Sullivan is one of the deepest probing, widest ranging, sharpest shooting essayists of our time, and Pulphead is a smorgasbord of his interests—from Axl Rose to “One Tree Hill” to Christian rock festivals to weed. He even has an essay about American cave art, which I usually skip because its contemplative rhythms lull me right to sleep—but I met someone just last week who said it was their favorite of the whole lot. It just goes to show you: There’s truly something for everyone in this collection. —Christy, Associate Editor

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere tells the story of the residents of suburban Shaker Heights, Ohio, and the intersections among them, but such a brief synopsis can hardly do justice to the intricacies of the novel. I became captivated by the wide array of characters I encountered, from cruel perfectionist Mrs. Richardson to her hell-raising, fire-starting daughter. With every complication, twist and heartbreak, I became just a bit more rabid, and by the time I was done with the book, I found myself questioning the very meaning of family, identity, love, art and morality. Those questions are universal, so I have no doubt that any reader will find something to love in Little Fires Everywhere, just as I did. —Olivia, Editorial Intern

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Amelia Peabody is a forthright British spinster who recently inherited a sizable fortune. Desperate to escape her grasping relatives, she runs off to Egypt to fulfill her dream of seeing the pyramids. Never one for senseless propriety, she marches right onto a dig site—and directly into a fascinating mystery involving a mummy. Radcliffe Emerson, the archaeologist in charge of the excavation, is none too pleased to have his workplace invaded by an inexperienced woman, and his and Amelia’s barbed banter lends the proceedings a hilarious screwball energy and more than a little sex appeal. Elizabeth Peters’ first mystery in this long-running series is a total romp, with an old Hollywood breeziness and a spiky feminist energy. —Savanna, Assistant Editor

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
I almost didn’t choose Exit West as my pick for this month, because I’m starting to feel like a broken record. But I can’t help it. There isn’t a single reader to whom I wouldn’t recommend this book. An unnamed Arabic country teeters on the brink of civil war, and new lovers Saeed and Nadia decide to flee. But in the novel’s version of a global refugee crisis, people flee their countries via magical doorways that deposit them elsewhere. From their home, Saeed and Nadia are transported to Greece, London and eventually California. It’s a slim read with a rich imagination, and at its heart is a love story, as through the lovers’ journey we witness the way a relationship could be shaped by a mad dash for survival. The audiobook is phenomenal, too. The author reads, and his voice is gorgeous. —Cat, Deputy Editor

Each month, the editors of BookPage share special reading lists—our personal favorites, old and new. Do you have a book you can recommend to anyone, anytime, anywhere? To avid readers, to reluctant readers, to strangers whose tastes are unfamiliar to you? This month, we’re sharing our…

Sign Up

Stay on top of new releases: Sign up for our newsletter to receive reading recommendations in your favorite genres.

Sign up now

Trending Features

All Features