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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!
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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…

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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…

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8 new voices to discover

Feature by bookpagedev

It’s tough out there for a debut author, but these eight newcomers get nothing but love from us.

Amanda Lee Koe, author of Delayed Rays of a Star

The book: This century-spanning work charts the rise and fall of three of the most famous women of 20th-­century cinema: Marlene Dietrich, Anna Mae Wong and Leni Riefenstahl.

The author: At 25, Amanda Lee Koe became the youngest-ever winner of the Singapore Literature Prize for her story collection Ministry of Moral Panic. She is the fiction editor of Esquire Singapore and the editor of the National Museum of Singapore’s film journal, Cinémathèque Quarterly.

For fans of: Novels that place art within the context of history, like The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith. 

Read it for: Prose to get lost in, plus a heartfelt tribute to cinema history and the complicated lives of notable women.

Kira Jane Buxton, author of Hollow Kingdom

The book: A foul-mouthed, Cheetos-loving crow named S.T. goes on an adventure to save humanity from doom.

The author: Kira Jane Buxton has been previous published in the New York Times, McSweeney’s and more. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with a menagerie: three cats, a dog, two crows and plenty of hummingbirds.

For fans of: All creatures great and small, as well as funny fantasy authors like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and David Wong.

Read it for: A totally fresh take on the apocalypse, peppered with hilarious philosophical discourse and a fascinating, imaginative animal world.

Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory

The book: An intricate web unfolds in 1851 London, where an aspiring artist is stalked by a creepy taxidermist.

The author: Scotland-born Elizabeth Macneal is a potter based in East London. She won the Caledonia Novel Award for this debut.

For fans of: Victorian gothic fiction, Jessie Burton, Sarah Waters and Imogen Hermes Gowar.

Read it for: A darkly beautiful exploration of the razor’s edge between creation and destruction.

Tope Folarin, author of A Particular Kind of Black Man

The book: The son of Nigerian parents—including a mother who shows signs of mental illness—grows up in a very white Utah in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

The author: A Nigerian-American author based in Washington, D.C., Tope Folarin won the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing and was recently named to the Africa39 list of the most promising African writers under 40.

For fans of: Coming-of-age immigrant stories, Imbolo Mbue, Nicole Dennis-Benn and Zinzi Clemmons.

Read it for: Acrobatics in structure and pacing, meditations on memory, layers upon layers to unravel and a sharp perspective of the social structures in white and black communities.

Sarah Elaine Smith, author of Marilou Is Everywhere

The book: In northern Appalachia, a 14-year-old girl tries to escape a bleak life by slipping into the place left behind by an affluent teen who has gone missing.

The author: Sarah Elaine Smith holds two MFAs: fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and poetry from the Michener Center for Writers.

For fans of: Novels that delicately balance the brutal and the beautiful, like Julie Buntin’s Marlena.

Read it for: A mesmerizing blend of dream and reality, wrapped in a palpable love of language and plenty of suspense.

Natalie Daniels, author of Too Close

The book: Connie has found a new friend in fellow mom Ness. But jump forward in time, and Connie has been institutionalized for a crime, and her disturbing story sounds strangely familiar to her psychiatrist. Is Ness at the heart of this tale of madness and toxicity?

The author: Natalie Daniels is a pseudonym for London-based actor and screenwriter Clara Salaman.

For fans of: Provocative, well-written thrillers by Laura Lippman and Alison Gaylin.

Read it for: Entertaining thrills and a perceptive exploration of the way women’s relationships are portrayed in fiction.

Chanelle Benz, author of The Gone Dead

The book: A multiracial woman returns to her childhood home in Greendale, Mississippi, to reckon with weary prejudices and the truth of her father’s death.

The author: Chanelle Benz’s 2017 story collection, The Man Who Shot Out My Eye Is Dead, was long-listed for the 2018 PEN/Robert Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. Benz lives in Memphis and teaches at Rhodes College.

For fans of: Complicated family stories, wonderful casts of characters, Stephanie Powell Watts, Jesmyn Ward and Celeste Ng.

Read it for: An actor’s ear for dialogue, flawless directorial vision and the many sprawling, tension-building perspectives of the American South.

Zach Powers, author of First Cosmic Velocity 

The book: It’s 1964, and the space race is in full swing. The Soviet launch program seems to be a success, but it’s a ruse. Instead, the program relies on twins: The cosmonaut twin perishes, while the living twin survives on Earth, assuming the life of their deceased sibling.

The author: Zach Powers is the author of Gravity Changes, an award-winning short story collection. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, and works with the Writer’s Center in Maryland.

For fans of: Original alternate histories and juicy tales of Soviet secrets.

Read it for: The psychological burden placed on the twins who are selected to survive.

It’s tough out there for a debut author, but these eight newcomers get nothing but love from us.
Fiction

Novels of faith and purpose

Feature by Lonna Upton

It’s no small task figuring out how God fits into life’s decisions, disappointments and joys. In these four novels, with protagonists of all ages and in every stage of life, God is both elusive and ever-present as a giver and taker of life and a wellspring of hope. Questions are posed; answers are proposed. The truth lies in the heart of the reader.

In Cara Wall’s thought-provoking debut, The Dearly Beloved, the lives of four characters become interwoven as they navigate the rough terrain of maturation on their way to lifelong friendship.

Lily and Charles meet in college, as do Nan and James. Strong yet scarred by tragedy, Lily has difficulty fathoming Charles’ faith and his call to ministry. Nan, a preacher’s daughter, finds herself relentlessly wooed by James, who is unsure of his call to be a minister. When the men are assigned to the same church in New York City in 1963, the couples meet. While the men fall into a natural symbiosis (James’ social activism matches Charles’ skills in ministering to the needy and heartbroken), difficulties between the women stir up feelings of loneliness and isolation.

But the true tests come when these new ministers struggle to find answers to questions of faith for themselves, their wives and their congregants. Why do good things happen to bad people? How do we handle grief and loss as people of faith? Does God have a plan for our lives? Does that plan include doubt? How should the church handle social activism? Wall doesn’t answer these questions, but she deftly explores the possibilities, honestly and beautifully drawing readers into the hearts and souls of these four characters, in whom we may find a little bit of ourselves.

In Rachel Linden’s third novel, The Enlightenment of Bees, she offers a gentle push for readers to realize that small things can make a big difference.

Mia West, devastated and rejected by her boyfriend, makes a quick decision to do what she believes are great things in a world that is hurting. Guided by dreams of bees, she goes on a humanitarian journey from the slums of Mumbai to a refugee camp on the Hungarian border. Her desire to change the world is crushed but renewed many times as she finds her way through heartbreaking situations outside her comfort zone. Mia’s past experiences have made her believe she must compromise what she wants in her life, that in order to effect change, she must deny her own heart. Her trip, as well as a budding relationship with a team member, helps change her mind.

Linden’s own experiences as an international aid worker add credibility to every description and expression of Mia’s frustration and joy. This honey-sweet story reveals the power of staying open to possibilities.

Father-and-daughter authors Ted and Rachelle Dekker deliver a suspenseful story of light and hope in the midst of a dark and fearful world in their first joint writing adventure, The Girl Behind the Red Rope.

A religious community called the Holy Family Church, hiding in the hills of Tennessee, is shaken to its core when a few members question why their group is sequestered. Then two “sinful” outsiders threaten to tarnish the followers’ “purity” when they arrive with what may be answers. The church leader, Rose Pierce, follows her own spiritual guide, believing that he has their best interests at heart—but is the guide an angel or something darker?

Questioning Rose’s possibly misguided authority as well as their own faith, brother and sister Jaime and Grace are determined to make the right decisions for themselves and the others while following Christ’s teachings. It’s not until a child leads Grace to see the light—in every way—that the tide begins to turn against the shadows that surround the Holy Family Church.

The Dekkers skillfully bring into focus the depth of supernatural evil that lurks around this faithful group and how easy it can be to fall prey to that evil. But ultimately, love conquers all fear, all darkness and all fury.

Award-winning author William Kent Krueger explores struggles and strength of faith during the Great Depression in This Tender Land. Four young orphans—white narrator and storyteller Odie, his brother Albert, a girl named Emmy and a mute Sioux boy named Mose—guide readers through a beautiful landscape after escaping abusive caretakers and horrendous conditions in a Native American boarding school. Krueger’s painstaking research allowed him to explore the lives of the poor, who existed on little means and lots of hope in 1932, and to open a window into Christian missionary-run boarding schools, which cruelly forced assimilation until the 1960s.

Reminiscent of Huck and Jim and their trip down the Mississippi, the bedraggled youngsters encounter remarkable characters and learn life lessons as they escape by canoe down the Gilead River in Minnesota. They meet a farmer grieving the loss of his family, a healer in a traveling revival show and a downtrodden family unable to get out of a makeshift Hooverville. These three pit stops underscore diversity of faith and beliefs, charity and hardship, and all three propel the four vagabond children to a new level of understanding how God works in their lives and in the lives of others, even in times of despair.

Four novels find God both elusive and ever-present.
Children's & YAPicture Book

The goodness of grandparents

Feature by Julie Hale

With memories to share, knowledge to pass along and the power to positively impact younger generations, grandparents are grand indeed! These books honor our cherished elder family members. 

Alison Jay’s heartfelt Looking for Yesterday pays tribute to the guidance only grandparents can provide. The boy at the center of the story longs for yesterday—a day so fabulous, he wants a repeat. But how can he go back and reexperience it? Via time machine? Supersonic rocket? Maybe a wormhole? 

The boy considers these time-travel options and turns to Granddad for help. “Yesterday was a wonderful day,” Granddad tells him, “but there are many more happy days to come.” Granddad then provides evidence, sharing anecdotes from his own life while flipping through a photo album with the boy. As it turns out, Granddad has done some remarkable things, like flying in a hot air balloon and climbing a snowy mountain. “Every day brings the chance of a new adventure,” he says.

Jay’s winsome paintings have a timeless, classic quality. Readers will fall for magical scenes of the boy soaring with his dog in a rocket and sliding down a wormhole. Emphasizing the importance of focusing on the here and now, this is a title to be treasured.

Samantha Berger’s exuberant I Love My Glam-Ma! features a diverse lineup of glamorous grandmothers who are aging more than gracefully—they’re infusing the experience with youthful enthusiasm and full-on flair. These abuelas, omas and nanas possess an energy that’s infectious (“Glam-mas don’t just come over. . . . They make a grand entrance!”) and always have treats for the grandkids (“Glam-mas don’t just carry a purse. . . . They carry a treasure chest!”). Fashionable and feisty, the ladies are equally at ease rocking out at a concert, cooking in the kitchen or building a sandcastle on the beach.

Artist Sujean Rim dresses the glam-mas to the nines in chic, patterned outfits accessorized with funky hats and glasses. Her watercolor-and-collage illustrations are a perfect match for this stylish story. While saluting women who are aging with attitude, the book also emphasizes the special bond that exists between grandmothers and grandchildren, and it ends on a tender note of love.

Wendy Meddour sensitively explores coping with grief in Grandpa’s Top Threes. Henry, an inquisitive little boy, is puzzled by Grandpa’s silence. Henry tries to get him to play trains, but Grandpa remains taciturn and tends to the garden. “Grandpa’s ears aren’t working,” Henry tells his mom. “Just give him time,” she says. Clearly, something is amiss. Henry finally draws Grandpa out by quizzing him about his favorites—his top three sandwiches, top three jellyfish and top three animals at the zoo. As the game progresses and Grandpa plays along, the reader comes to realize that his silence has been caused by the loss of someone special. 

Daniel Egnéus’ richly detailed watercolor illustrations provide a delightful backdrop for this moving tale. Henry’s love for his grandpa shines through, and his story demonstrates the power that family members possess—regardless of age or experience—to lift each other up. Providing a fresh approach to the topic of loss, this big-hearted book shows how love works across generations to unite young and old.

In Elina Ellis’ bubbly The Truth About Grandparents, the young lad who serves as narrator dispels the misconceptions that he’s heard about grandparents—they’re “slow and clumsy” and “scared of new things”—by using his own grandma and grandpa as examples. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that while his grandparents are getting on in years, they’re nowhere close to slowing down and still love to have fun. In fact, there’s no stopping these two!

Ellis depicts the couple as a spry pair who complement one another (Grandma’s curvy; Grandpa’s lean and gangly) and appreciate love and affection as much as ever. They’re still eager to experience life, whether it’s taking a yoga class or going on a roller-coaster ride. Both have a sense of curiosity and are up for an adventure with their grandson, even if it’s just dancing in the living room.

Ellis’ drawings combine lively lines with vivid washes of color. Her book is a great way to introduce the topic of aging to youngsters and help them better understand—and appreciate—their elders.

With memories to share, knowledge to pass along and the power to positively impact younger generations, grandparents are grand indeed! These books honor our cherished elder family members. 

Alison Jay’s heartfelt Looking for Yesterday pays tribute to the guidance only grandparents can provide. The boy at…

NonfictionFictionParentingMemoir

Book Clubs: September 2019

Feature by Julie Hale

★The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
Lydia Kiesling explores themes of immigration and family in her debut novel, The Golden State. Daphne, whose Turkish husband has been denied entry into the United States, is raising her infant daughter, Honey, alone in San Francisco. Cracking under the pressure of single parenthood and looking to escape her stress-filled life, she decamps with Honey for the California desert. Once there, Daphne drinks more than she should and meets her neighbors—Cindy, who’s a secessionist, and elderly Alice. But then her connections with the pair take a threatening turn. Told over the course of 10 days, this is an unflinching portrait of motherhood and its many challenges. Kiesling is a perceptive, compassionate writer, and she brings a remote part of California to vivid life in this accomplished debut.

Small Animals by Kim Brooks
When Brooks left her 4-year-old son in the car while running a quick errand, the police were alerted and she became embroiled in a protracted legal battle. Brooks recounts her experience in this fascinating mix of memoir and reportage on contemporary parenting.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
Suffering from memory loss after a car accident, Virgil tries to reconstruct his past in the tightknit community of Greenstone, Minnesota. Enger’s many fans will savor this bittersweet chronicle of Greenstone and the charming people who call it home.

Heartland by Sarah Smarsh
This powerful memoir recounts Smarsh’s upbringing on a Kansas farm, reflecting on the past and probing the economic and social causes of poverty in America.

Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Vargas, who is Filipino, learned of his undocumented status at the age of 16, when he tried to get a driver’s license. With a reporter’s instinct for detail, he writes about the challenges of surviving as an outsider in America.

★The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
Lydia Kiesling explores themes of immigration and family in her debut novel, The Golden State. Daphne, whose Turkish husband has been denied entry into the United States, is raising her infant daughter, Honey, alone in San Francisco. Cracking under the…

Mystery

Whodunit: September 2019

Feature by Bruce Tierney

★ When Hell Struck Twelve
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, hand-picked his nephew, Captain Billy Boyle, to serve as his eyes and ears on the ground and to handle investigations and secret missions that are both vital to the Allied effort and exceptionally dangerous. Billy has a fair bit of experience in law enforcement, having served as a police detective in Boston in the years leading up to the war. But as the situation in Europe ramped up, he did what a lot of patriotic young Americans did in those days and enlisted in the Army. When Hell Struck Twelve finds the intrepid spy/investigator in search of a murderer and, at the same time, tasked with planting the seeds of deception regarding Allied plans for the liberation of Paris. The Germans are on the run, but there is every indication that they will leave carnage in their path as they abandon the City of Light, and it is up to Billy and his team to thwart them in that endeavor—and to try to stay alive in the process. I’ve read every book in James R. Benn’s series, reviewed most of them, loved all of them, and this is the best one yet. Watch for some great cameos by Ernest Hemingway, Andy Rooney, George S. Patton and others.

This Poison Will Remain
Fred Vargas’ This Poison Will Remain is the first of her novels that I have read. Yes, I said her: Fred Vargas is a female author who has topped the fiction charts in several European countries, and if there is any justice in the literary world, she will do the same on this side of the pond. Commissaire Adamsberg has been rather peremptorily summoned back to Paris from a fishing holiday in Iceland to investigate a nasty hit-and-run. Police officers are rarely afforded the luxury of pursuing just one case at a time, however. Adamsberg quickly finds himself investigating a series of deaths caused by bites from recluse spiders, small but occasionally lethal creatures that seem to have been working overtime in the vicinity of Nimes, France. Turns out that the victims were all once residents—rather unsavory residents at that—of the same orphanage. Now octogenarians, they are dying off one by one, each succumbing to the venom of the recluse. By turns wry and quirky, and with no shortage of plot twists, This Poison Will Remain will have Vargas’ new readers scurrying to find the six books that precede it. 

A Better Man
Once the Superintendent of Sûreté du Québec, Armand Gamache has been demoted to a position leading the homicide department. It was a demotion few believed he would accept, but he surprised the naysayers and took the job. As A Better Man opens, the spring thaw is beginning in the St. Lawrence River, and the elements are conspiring to spawn a 100-year flood, the river overflowing its banks as ice dams the flow at every bend. It’s not a propitious time to be investigating a murder, but a young woman’s body turns up in a small but volatile tributary of the St. Lawrence. Her husband is the prime suspect; no surprises there, as he is a mercurial and abusive man. But there are other possibilities, too: a pair, or perhaps a trio, of spurned lovers, as well as a high-ranking police official bent on tanking the investigation if doing so will shed a bad light on Gamache. All the while, the floodwaters rise inexorably. Louise Penny’s latest offers suspense galore, well-drawn characters we’d like to know (even the crotchety poet Ruth and her “fowl-mouthed” duck), a return to the fictional village of Three Pines—where we would all like to live—and some of the finest prose to grace the suspense genre.

The Bone Fire
S.D. Sykes’ The Bone Fire is the outlier in this column, and I mean that in a good way. Set in England in 1361, the year of the second major bubonic plague outbreak, it’s the story of a varied band of people, including noblemen, servants, a knight, a fool and a crusty Low Countries clockmaker with his sociopathic nephew/assistant in tow. This medieval cast of characters holes up in the remote island-fortress of Eden for the winter, sealing themselves off from the rest of the world until the danger of infection has passed. But mortal peril wears many masks, and one by one, people in the castle start mysteriously disappearing or dying—and not from the plague. It will fall to visiting nobleman Oswald de Lacy to solve the murders and protect his wife and young son. It’s a task for which he has some aptitude, but then the villain is no slouch either. And just about the time the reader has that “aha” moment, when they think they know the identity of the killer, that suspect dies a particularly gruesome death, and the reader gets sent back to square one. The Bone Fire is a classic and confounding locked-room mystery, with several promising suspects to choose from before the big reveal.

 

 

★ When Hell Struck Twelve
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, hand-picked his nephew, Captain Billy Boyle, to serve as his eyes and ears on the ground and to handle investigations and secret missions that are both vital to the…

NonfictionFictionMemoir

Book Clubs: October 2019

Feature by Julie Hale

★ All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
In her stirring memoir, All You Can Ever Know, Nicole Chung hopes to find the Korean birth parents who gave her up for adoption. Chung was raised by a white family in small-town Oregon, and in this beautifully crafted book she recounts her struggle to fit in as an Asian American. After graduating from college, she decides to investigate her past and possibly contact her biological parents. On the cusp of becoming a mother herself, she hears from her biological sister Cindy, who tells her the disturbing truth about their complex past. Already aware that she was a premature baby and that she has two sisters, Chung learns her birth parents claimed she had died. Chung touches on timeless themes of family and identity while crafting a fascinating narrative sure to spark lively book club discussions.

Gone So Long by Andre Dubus III
As he nears the end of his life, Daniel Ahearn hopes to be reunited with Susan, his daughter, whom he hasn’t seen since the long-ago night when—driven by jealousy—he murdered her mother. Dubus presents an electrifying portrait of a broken family in this unforgettable novel.

Everything’s Trash, but It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson
Bold, insightful and funny, Robinson’s terrific essays offer fresh perspectives on feminism, body image and the dating world. 

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Ernt Allbright; his wife, Cora; and their 13-year-old daughter, Leni, are initially enamored of their new surroundings and resilient neighbors in rural Alaska. But when Ernt becomes increasingly violent, the Allbrights find themselves in danger of losing everything.

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
The fortunes of the intellectual Knox clan decline after work opportunities dry up. Rewind to the 1870s, and science teacher Thatcher Greenwood also experiences setbacks due to his progressive ideas. Kingsolver’s compassionate rendering of everyday people struggling to gain purchase in a changing world is sure to resonate with readers.

★ All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
In her stirring memoir, All You Can Ever Know, Nicole Chung hopes to find the Korean birth parents who gave her up for adoption. Chung was raised by a white family in small-town Oregon, and in this beautifully…

Mystery

Whodunit: October 2019

Feature by Bruce Tierney

★ Heaven, My Home
Attica Locke’s atmospheric thriller Heaven, My Home takes place in the northeastern Texas town of Jefferson, a once-prosperous trading center fallen on hard times (“the city square was like a courtesan who’d found Jesus”). Texas Ranger Darren Matthews investigates the disappearance of a 9-year-old boy who didn’t return from a solo boating adventure on nearby Caddo Lake. The missing boy is the son of Aryan Brotherhood leader Bill King, a convicted and incarcerated murderer. Jefferson was one of the first settlements composed primarily of freed slaves, in addition to a band of Native Americans who successfully dodged the wholesale relocation of tribes to Oklahoma during the U.S. westward expansion. The town is now home to their descendants. Add those aforementioned white supremacists into the mix, and the town becomes a veritable powder keg awaiting a spark—such as a black land­owner whose animosity toward his bigoted tenants is well documented, and who is the last person to have seen the missing boy. Few suspense novelists display a better grip of political and racial divides than Attica Locke, and she spins a hell of a good story as well, introducing characters and locales you will want to visit again and again.

Bomber’s Moon
Although Archer Mayor’s latest novel, Bomber’s Moon, is considered part of the Joe Gunther series, Gunther himself plays a comparatively minor role. The serious investigative work is left to two of the Vermont-based cop’s well-regarded acquaintances: private investigator Sally Kravitz and photographer/reporter Rachel Reiling. The crime is most unusual. A thief has been breaking into the homes of people who are away but stealing nothing. Instead, he adds spyware to his victims’ communication devices and then waits to see how he can profit from it. But he is not the first person to pursue such an endeavor in this small Vermont town. Kravitz’s own father followed a similar path back in the day (and perhaps still does). He is well aware of this new interloper into the “family trade” and displays more than a little admiration for his successor’s skills—until the new guy gets murdered. The leads, scant though they are, seem to center on a high-priced private school, and before things resolve, there will be significant financial improprieties, more than a bit of class warfare and an increasing body count. The nicely paced Bomber’s Moon is replete with well-developed characters and relationships, with the unusual bonus of oddly likable villains.

Land of Wolves
Many of you will be familiar with Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire via television rather than books, but as is often the case, the books have nuance and detail that are difficult to replicate on screen. In Craig Johnson’s latest Longmire novel, Land of Wolves, the stalwart lawman is back in Wyoming after a south-of-the-border hunting expedition. In the nearby Bighorn Mountains, a wolf has apparently killed a sheep, which doesn’t seem especially unusual in the Wild West. However, tensions ratchet up considerably when the shepherd is found hanged, his dangling feet savaged by a wild animal, most likely the aforementioned wolf. Johnson uses this as a jumping-off point for broad-ranging discussions about wolves, the history of sheep ranching, the use of open rangelands and other social and ecological issues of the contemporary West. But there is no hint of a textbook in Johnson’s voice. Instead, it’s rather like hearing a modern Old West story told by a favorite uncle, one who fills in the little details that bring immediacy and life to a suspenseful narrative.

What Rose Forgot
Nevada Barr, bestselling author of the Anna Pigeon series, pens a superlative standalone chiller with What Rose Forgot. Right from the outset, it appears that Rose has forgotten quite a lot. First, she awakens in a forest, clueless about how she got there. The next time she wakes up, she is in a home for elderly dementia patients, still somewhat clueless although with the nagging suspicion that she does not belong there. So she secretly stops taking her meds. This is not immediately life-changing in and of itself, but it does serve to solidify Rose’s belief that she does not belong in a dementia ward. After making good on her escape, Rose joins forces with her late husband’s 13-year-old granddaughter, who possesses remarkable skills that help cover her step-grandma’s tracks. The longer Rose stays off the medications, the more she becomes convinced that someone (or ones) are out to get her. But is Rose just paranoid? What if she’s not? What Rose Forgot capitalizes on the resourcefulness of a pair of quite clever women and an equally clever pair of teens, all dedicated to stymieing some particularly unpleasant members of the opposing team. When a mystery features a 68-year-old protagonist, one could be forgiven for assuming that said mystery will fall into the cozy subgenre. What Rose Forgot is anything but.

★ Heaven, My Home
Attica Locke’s atmospheric thriller Heaven, My Home takes place in the northeastern Texas town of Jefferson, a once-prosperous trading center fallen on hard times (“the city square was like a courtesan who’d found Jesus”). Texas Ranger Darren Matthews investigates the disappearance…

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