2book

Fiction

You can go home again

Feature by Beth Bulow

In these three inspirational novels, characters return home to face their past, seek forgiveness and renew hope for the future. Sometimes going back is the only way to move forward. 

HEALING IN THE PAST AND PRESENT
In bestselling author Rachel Hauck’s latest novel, The Wedding Shop, veteran Haley Morgan returns home to Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, to heal after her deployment and the end of a destructive relationship. There, she rediscovers a local wedding shop, a place she and her best friend, Tammy, dreamed of restoring to its former glory. Haley decides to fulfill that childhood dream. Her story alternates with one set in the early 1930s, when Cora Scott, the original owner of The Wedding Shop, finds purpose as a working woman. Though Cora longs for a happy ending, she may be overlooking a love that’s right in front of her.

Haley’s trust in God is encouraging and uplifting, and Hauck gives Heart’s Bend an authentic history, providing a charming setting. Hauck switches easily between past and present, bringing two heartfelt journeys to a poignant culmination.

NEVER TOO FAR GONE
In his 12th novel, Long Way Gone, Charles Martin deftly retells the story of the prodigal son. From the remote Colorado mountains to the music-obsessed streets of Nashville, Cooper O’Connor carries his father’s words in his heart and a beloved six-string guitar in his hands. 

After reaching Nashville, Cooper realizes that stardom is not readily achieved. Once he hits rock bottom, Cooper looks back to his father’s words and up to God, both cast aside in his bid for stardom.

Whether portraying a soul-​shattering betrayal or a bittersweet reunion between lovers, Martin sustains a realistic yet hopeful atmosphere. Best of all is the heart-​wrenching relationship between Cooper and his father. 

A PROMISE OF HOME
What at first appears to be a story of childhood love is actually a tale of secrecy, sacrifice and family. Chris Fabry’s The Promise of Jesse Woods details a life-changing summer. In 1972, new to the town of Dogwood, West Virginia, pastor’s son Matt finds common ground with two other outcasts: Jesse Woods, a girl from a poor family, and Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed-race boy. Matt forms a particularly quick bond with Jesse, whom he is determined to protect, no matter the personal cost. A serious trauma severs Matt and Jesse’s friendship, and after years of silence, he must return to understand what else was lost that summer.

Matt’s strong voice is rivaled only by Jesse’s resolve, and readers will cheer her fortitude. This poignant story is worth the heartache: Complex and layered, The Promise of Jesse Woods goes beyond a youthful promise to center on a bond renewed by a desire for truth.

 

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

In these three inspirational novels, characters return home to face their past, seek forgiveness and renew hope for the future. Sometimes going back is the only way to move forward.
Children's & YAPicture Book

Participation is mandatory

Feature by Julie Hale

These picture books require audience involvement, whether it’s peeking beneath panels and flaps on a page or simply reading between the lines of a multilevel story. The interaction lends extra magic to these entertaining books. 

INTO THE REAL WORLD
Set in the days of the dinosaurs, Patrick McDonnell’s Tek: The Modern Cave Boy is a winning sendup of digital addiction. Tek—a hairy little tyke—spends all his time inside. Neither his parents nor his dino pal, Larry, can coax him from his cave. That’s because he’s lost online, connected to not one, but three individual devices! When Big Poppa, the local volcano, blows, something wonderful happens: Tek loses internet access and rediscovers the pleasures of the outside world. McDonnell presents the first section of Tek’s story in gadget format: Each page is like a tablet screen, complete with a border featuring WiFi and battery icons. But when Tek gets disconnected, the electronic elements disappear, and McDonnell’s exuberant cartoons fill the pages. Tek is a smart story that sets a great example in an era of digital distraction.

TURN FEAR INTO FUN
In Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts, Emily Gravett’s tiny hero introduces readers to the creepy creatures he fears the most, including “sharp-tempered” sharks and “un-bearable” bears. Can Little Mouse stand up to the beastly bunch? But of course. Using a paintbrush and his own smarts, he’s able to disarm his adversaries and demonstrate his own strength. Gravett’s rhymed lines turn this tale of triumph over fear into playful poetry, and her signature interactive storytelling style rewards re-readings. There are fun flaps and folds, and tell-tale signs of Little Mouse throughout (many of the pages have a chewed-through appearance, and paw prints in paint are everywhere). Gravett’s ingenious collage-like visuals will inspire scrutiny in readers of all ages (check out the origami instructions). This is a story to be savored. 

NO FROWNS ALLOWED
Bob Shea’s whimsical, wonderful The Happiest Book Ever is a story that speaks to the reader—in more ways than one. Personified on the page by a grinning face, the book itself—irrepressibly upbeat—addresses the audience directly: “Whaddya say we make this the happiest book ever?” The book then introduces a surreal assortment of friends, starting with a sullen-looking frog and a dancing cake. Grinning clouds, napping cats and parading candy pieces follow, but their jollity is lost on the frog, who remains impassive. Exasperated, the book banishes the frog from the story, but soon backtracks: “Being mean is not happy . . . I was wrong to chase Frog away.” Lesson learned! The frog returns, and the gaiety resumes, Shea-style. With his neato illustrations and a snazzy color palette, this is a tale that lives up to its title.

 

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

These picture books require audience involvement, whether it’s peeking beneath panels and flaps on a page or simply reading between the lines of a multilevel story. The interaction lends extra magic to these entertaining books.
Children's & YAPicture Book

Puppy appeal: Dog stories to delight young readers

Feature by Julie Hale

Get set for a tail-wagging adventure! The picture books below are filled with the kind of frisky, rambunctious fun that can only be found in the company of a canine. As these stories demonstrate, nothing measures up to the love of a good pup.

AN UNEXPECTED STUDY BUDDY
In Lisa Papp’s Madeline Finn and the Library Dog, a reader-in-training gains confidence thanks to a canine companion. At school, Madeline Finn struggles to read out loud: “Sometimes the sentences get stuck in my mouth like peanut butter,” she admits. Madeline is discouraged but determined to earn a gold star in reading, so she pores over assigned pages at home. Then her mother takes her to meet the library dogs. Madeline gets paired with Bonnie, a gentle pooch who resembles a “big, snowy polar bear.” By reading aloud to Bonnie, Madeline gradually conquers her uncertainty with words—and scores that coveted star at school. Papp’s pencil and watercolor illustrations are filled with delightful details. Madeline herself is disheveled but adorable, with striped tights and an overflowing backpack. Books and dogs—what more could a little girl ask for?

DOG PSYCHOLOGY 101
What goes on inside the head of a snoozing pooch? This perplexing question lies at the heart of Arthur Howard’s My Dream Dog. The narrator, a young boy, knows nearly everything concerning his furry pal, Scooter, including the stuff he likes (burgers and bones) and the stuff he can’t stand (felines and fleas). “What I don’t know,” the boy admits, “is what he dreams about.” His mother thinks Scooter fantasizes about food. His brother believes Scooter dreams of the thrill of the chase. When the boy asks his grandpa about Scooter’s dreams, the wise old man offers the best answer of all. In his big-as-life watercolor illustrations, Howard presents Scooter as a quintessential mutt, scruffy and lovable, with a lolling tongue and always-alert ears. This exuberant tribute to the child-and-dog bond is also a clever exploration of what makes canines tick.

FUN ON ALL FOURS
A furry family member is the center of attention in Old Dog Baby Baby by Julie Fogliano. While crawling across the kitchen floor, a tow-headed tot encounters the senior member of the household—a grizzled gray dog who’s enjoying a snooze. Excited and curious, the tot is soon frolicking with his new playmate: “Baby peeks / baby spies / in old dog ears / and old dog eyes.” Meanwhile, mom and big sis watch over the proceedings as they flip through a family album that’s filled with photos of the dog—of course! Fogliano’s short, rhymed stanzas create a reader-friendly rhythm, while Chris Raschka’s colorful, close-up illustrations of baby and pet reflect the book’s buoyant mood. This sunny celebration of dog love will leave little readers pleading for pups of their own.

Get set for a tail-wagging adventure! The picture books below are filled with the kind of frisky, rambunctious fun that can only be found in the company of a canine. As these stories demonstrate, nothing measures up to the love of a good pup.

Romance

Love gets wicked

Feature by Lois Dyer

Cooler autumn days and the Halloween holiday mean it's the perfect time to curl up and read stories filled with warm romance and spooky mysteries. Life is short—savor the variety in these three wildly different romance novels.

TICK-TOCK LOVE
Utah author Nancy Campbell Allen delivers a unique take on a classic fairy tale with Beauty And The Clockwork Beast. In a steampunk version of Victorian England, intrepid botanist Lucy Pickett takes a much-deserved break from her research at London’s Botanical Aid Society to visit her cousin. The newly married cousin Kate is struggling to adjust to life at Blackwell Manor, the home of her husband’s older brother, Miles Blake, Lord Blackwell. When Lucy arrives, she finds her cousin suffering from a mysterious ennui and fearful of a ghost in the Manor. There have been two recent deaths in the family, both violent, and gossip implies Lord Blackwell was somehow responsible. When Lucy meets Miles, however, she finds him intriguing rather than frightening, and she’s drawn to his intelligence and caring heart, which is hidden beneath his brooding, abrupt manner.

When the evil threatening Blackwell Manor escalates, the two must join forces to unravel a complicated web of secrets, lies and hidden agendas. In the process, Lucy and Miles fall in love, but Miles has a secret, and a happy future may not be in the cards for the couple.

This wonderful novel is filled with romance, action and adventure. The story boasts a strong hero and heroine, a darkly atmospheric setting, intriguing steampunk details and the mystery of a few spooky ghosts, vampires and werewolves. Readers will eagerly await the next novel in what promises to be an excellent series.

SECRETS THAT DON'T STAY BURIED
Yasmine Galenorn heads to the Pacific Northwest in Shadow Silence, the second in the Whisper Hollow series. Spirit shaman Kerris Fellwater has returned to Whisper Hollow, a small lakeside town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington that’s steeped in magic and strange happenings. Aided by Bryan, her guardian and lover, Kerris works diligently to fulfill her destiny and send the undead to the afterlife.

Too often, however, the voraciously hungry Lady of the Lake lures Whisper Hollow residents to their watery deaths, making Kerris' job all the more difficult. But the Lady goes too far when she almost takes Kerris’ best friend, Peggin. Now Peggin is under a curse, and the restless spirits of the Unliving are determined to reclaim her. Kerris refuses to lose Peggin, and aided by Bryan, she sets out to break the curse and free her friend. But their efforts lead to them to long-buried secrets, and if the two can’t resolve the mystery, all of Whisper Hollow may be lost.

Galenorn has created an intriguing world, with legends, ghosts, a moody atmosphere and specters aplenty—read this one with the light on.

AN ENCHANTED COTTAGE
Kate Angell, Jennifer Dawson and Sharla Lovelace collaborate on a trilogy of romantic stories in The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine. All three stories are set during the magical month of October at Rose Cottage, a charming bed-and-breakfast in Maine.

In Kate Angell’s “Charmed By You,” party decorator Grace hires handsome Cade Maxwell’s moving company to help her set up the extensive Halloween decorations at her beloved godmother’s bed-and-breakfast. Grace and Cade have known each other since kindergarten, but something about getting up close and personal while stringing lights and arranging pumpkins, witches and scarecrows has the two getting hot and bothered. Local legend says that couples fall in love at the annual Rose Cottage Halloween party, but could it really be happening to them?

Jennifer Dawson gives readers a friends-to-lovers tale in “Mesmerized By You,” in which best friends Chloe and Jack plan a weekend getaway to Rose Cottage over Halloween, where the magic of the Rose Cottage Halloween party has them rethinking whether they’ve ever been “just friends.”

In “Enchanted By You" by Sharla Lovelace, attorney Sidney Jensen heads to Moonbright, Maine, for work, where she never expected to run into Sawyer Finn, the boy who broke her heart many years ago. Will Sawyer and the Rose Cottage revelers be able to convince her to give him a second chance and stay forever with him in Moonbright?

This delicious anthology has all the elements romance readers love with the added pleasure of a touch of magic. The small-town setting, the charming owner of the bed-and-breakfast and three sets of very different heroes and heroines make this collection a keeper.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington

Cooler autumn days and the Halloween holiday are the perfect time to curl up and read stories with warm romance and spooky mysteries. Life is short—savor the variety in these three wildly different n

New poetry from two influential musicians

Feature by Hilli Levin

The late outlaw Johnny Cash and Aussie rock star Nick Cave are two highly influential musicians known for examining the darker themes of life in their songwriting. In new collections of verse, each attempts to balance the scales between love and loss, beauty and ugliness.

NEW VERSE FROM THE MAN IN BLACK
With more than 90 million records sales worldwide, there are few musicians who register even half of the cultural impact of Johnny Cash. Brash and outspoken his entire life—his most iconic photograph features him flipping off the camera—Cash may surprise casual fans with some of the more tender reflections in this posthumous collection of never-before-seen poems and songs, Forever Words: The Unknown Poems. All written in plain language with flecks of Southern dialect, Cash's distinctive voice and wit shine through on each and every page.

This collection jumps back and forth through time, with poems from his teenage years in the 1940s (before his first recordings) through his last eight-line poem, "Forever," written shortly before his death in 2003. With facsimile illustrations of Cash's handwritten pages, this collection is perhaps just as personal as his memoir, Man in Black. Many of these poems and songs are surly and humorous, as with "Don't Make a Movie About Me": "Here's a hex on whoever makes it be, / so don't make a movie 'bout me." Although Walk the Line was met with critical acclaim, Cash skewered the film long before its 2005 release with a drawing that imagines it playing at the "Schmaltz Theater."

In a loving foreword, Cash's son John Carter Cash reflects on the complicated man his father was, and insists that the best way to understand his legacy is through the recordings and writings he left behind: "Now, all these years past, the words tell a full tale; with their release, he is with us again, speaking to our hearts, making us laugh, and making us cry."  

FOR MOTION DISCOMFORT
Once called "the grand lord of gothic lushness" by NME and known throughout his career as rock's "Prince of Darkness," Australian musician and singer-songwriter Nick Cave has carved out his own place in the musical canon with his popular bands the Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds. His third book, The Sick Bag Song, began on the back of a paper airline sick bag during his 2014 tour across North America. With each work bearing the title of the city it was written in, this hybrid collection of prose and poetry opens during a van ride back to Nashville while passing a tragic a road accident: "An angel will unfold its wings and speak into my ear. / You must take the first step alone."

Cave chronicles each of his city stops, weaving thoughts on beauty, disgust, longing and the toll of travel into a piece of road literature that holds its own next to the giants of the genre. Cave mulls over events from American history and the artists that have influenced his own work: Johnny Cash, Patti Smith, Allen Ginsberg, Gertrude Stein. There are no song lyrics here, just a journey that vacillates between jaw-dropping turns of phrase and point-blank confession: "The Sick Bag Song is full of all that I love and loathe, / And all that is inside myself."

The late outlaw Johnny Cash and Aussie rock star Nick Cave are two highly influential musicians known for examining the darker themes of life in their songwriting. In new collections of verse, each attemps to balance the scales between love and loss, beauty and ugliness.

Nonfiction

The heroes and failures of war

Feature by Deborah Hopkinson

This year marks the 75th anniversary of America’s entry into World War II. While the major events of the war have been extensively chronicled, this anniversary is a reminder that many untold stories remain. Two books focusing on the Pacific war represent a great start for digging deeper.

HOW PEARL HARBOR HAPPENED
In Countdown to Pearl Harbor, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Twomey uses his impressive research and storytelling skills to recreate the dozen days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Drawing on a range of resources, including public investigations and interviews conducted by legendary Pearl Harbor historian Gordon Prange, Twomey creates a dramatic, page-turning narrative that feels both fresh and suspenseful. Events, missteps and, most importantly, the human players leap off the page. Among others, we get to know Husband E. Kimmel, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet; Harold Stark, chief of naval operations; and Isoroku Yamamoto, bold mastermind of the Japanese attack. 

Overconfidence, poor communications and complacency at all levels played a part in the tragedy. While Kimmel kept a laser focus on training and offensive readiness, he underestimated Japan’s capacity and never mounted sufficient defensive reconnaissance. As Twomey notes in his conclusion, “Assumption fathered defeat.” Countdown to Pearl Harbor offers a new and fascinating look at one of the defining events in U.S. history.

‘BORN TO FLY TOGETHER’ 
When Tom Brokaw coined the term “the greatest generation,” he might well have been describing Medal of Honor recipients Jay Zeamer Jr. and Joe Sarnoski, the heroes of Lucky 666. The resourceful, independent Zeamer was a renegade who was transferred after falling asleep as a co-pilot on a B-26 combat mission. 

Redeployment to the Port Moresby-based 43rd Bomb Group put Zeamer right where he wanted to be—at the controls of a four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress. In early 1943, Zeamer was reunited with an Army bombardier named Joe Sarnoski. Zeamer remembered that the two were “close enough to feel that we were born to fly together.”

The unconventional pilot and bombardier set out to pull together their own handpicked men to undertake dangerous reconnaissance missions. One commander wrote that Zeamer recruited “a crew of renegades and screwoffs. . . . But they gravitated toward one another and made a hell of a team.” With Zeamer’s engineering talents, the team “Zeamerized” a broken down B-17, dubbing it Old 666. 

In June 1943, Zeamer and Sarnoski volunteered for the heartbreaking “impossible mission” that forms the core of this remarkable account of friendship and bravery. Authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin not only tell the inspiring story of these two young airmen, they also provide a cogent, absorbing analysis of the air war in the Pacific. Lucky 666 is highly recommended for WWII and aviation history buffs alike.

 

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of America’s entry into World War II. While the major events of the war have been extensively chronicled, this anniversary is a reminder that many untold stories remain. Two books focusing on the Pacific war represent a great start for digging deeper.
Fashion

Tastemakers and groundbreakers

Feature by Cat Acree

As I’m writing this, the online style community is rightfully pitching a fit over the smug comments by Vogue.com editors about “desperate” bloggers attending Milan Fashion Week. Such comments reflect the arrogance of those who fail to recognize today’s real fashion influencers. Fortunately, three of this year’s best style books know what an influencer looks like.

GO AHEAD AND COVET
When TheCoveteur.com launched in 2011, it was little more than a handful of profiles of the “unsung heroes of the [fashion] industry,” like makeup artists and stylists, individuals who guide our cultural aesthetic without our even knowing. Today, the website receives over four million visitors each month. The Coveteur: Private Spaces, Personal Style assembles 43 models, designers and style icons who have invited the Coveteur squad into their homes to photograph the contents of their (multiple) closets and the objects that fill their personal spaces. 

The book moves alphabetically, from Jessica Alba to Japanese DJ Mademoiselle Yulia, in a ravenous mural of curated excess. Each tastemaker’s section opens with a gushy essay from Coveteur cofounders Stephanie Mark and Jake Rosenberg about the experience of making these private spaces public, followed by photos that are simultaneously blown-out and wonderfully oversaturated. Some profiles are an amuse-bouche, as with designer Alice Temperley, whose mansion sits atop an ancient Tudor bear-fighting pen. Other profiles feel gluttonous, like Linda Rodin’s—creator of “cultish elixir” Rodin Olio Lusso—whose over-the-top piles of “thingamabobs” look like the Little Mermaid’s collection of souvenirs. 

In the Coveteur world, decadence is synonymous with compulsive hoarding, and “excess” is the dirty word you can’t stop saying.

SNEAKERHEADS
The museum exhibition “Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture” is currently touring the United States, hopping from Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum to its current placement at Kentucky’s Speed Art Museum. From an 1860 spiked running shoe to original Air Jordan 1s, the 150 iconic sneakers included in the show represent the shoe’s cultural evolution from physical fitness tool to status symbol. There is a book associated with this show, Out of the Box by Elizabeth Semmelhack, which includes interviews, essays and ad campaigns. But for a comprehensive encyclopedia to sneakers, add Mathieu Le Maux’s 1000 Sneakers: A Guide to the World’s Greatest Kicks, from Sport to Street to your collection. It’s a fully loaded catalog for sneakerheads, with side-by-side comparisons of all the sneakers that matter most, from groundbreaking designs by Nike and Adidas to luxury styles from Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin. It’s bright and bold, with need-to-know facts, quick stats and anecdotes about sneaker superstars like Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith. Did you know “Asics” is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano, meaning “a healthy soul in a healthy body”? And because it’s (arguably) impossible to determine which sneaker is the best, there’s a section dedicated to the top shoes in a variety of categories: the most expensive, the top sneakers in movies, top Kanye, even the best for babies. See which sneakers are hottest in 2016, check out the glossary in the back for any further questions, and your education is complete.

GIRLBOSSES
Does anyone else get tired of dwelling on how hard it is to be a girl? Don’t get me wrong—give me any opportunity to honor the powerhouse women who blazed the trail, who inched us closer to equality in the face of sexism, and I’ll take it. But for those who need an exit strategy for the conversation, there’s Nasty Galaxy by Sophia Amoruso, entrepreneur and founder of fashion retailer Nasty Gal. Following her bestselling #GIRLBOSS, it’s a baby-pink compendium of Amoruso’s personal brand, filled with music, movie and book recommendations, profiles of “Bad Bitches” like Betty Davis, Grace Jones and Meiko Kaji, interviews with “Girlbosses” like filmmaker Alex Prager and Man Repeller founder Leandra Medine, and absolutely zero fashion advice. Alternately philosophical and frivolous, Amoruso shares her struggles with professional networking, quotes Gertrude Stein and offers some of the most hilarious advice that I’ve ever seen in a fashion book, with varying levels of usefulness (How to Go Commando; How to Check Out of a Fancy Hotel). In the Nasty Galaxy, style inspiration is infinite: Amoruso’s flawless bedroom was styled after a pair of vintage suede shorts.

Equal parts bad behavior and modern-day class, Nasty Galaxy is a glut of cool.

 

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

As I’m writing this, the online style community is rightfully pitching a fit over the smug comments by Vogue.com editors about “desperate” bloggers attending Milan Fashion Week. Such comments reflect the arrogance of those who fail to recognize today’s real fashion influencers. Fortunately, three of this year’s best style books know what an influencer looks like.
NonfictionPop CultureArt

Just a little left of center

Feature by Lily McLemore

Looking for a gift for that oddball friend or family member? You may have a holiday hit on your hands if you wrap up one of these books.

GRAB BAG
Abbi Jacobson takes a peek into the bags, pockets and wallets of celebrities, fictional heroes and various notable people in Carry This Book. Jacobson is the co-creator and star of Comedy Central’s absurd and hilarious “Broad City,” which follows two best friends as they clumsily navigate life in New York City. But Jacobson isn’t just a comedy genius, she’s also a talented illustrator. This book takes readers on an anthropological journey, using colored-pen illustrations to depict items that Jacobson imagines might be revealed when people (both real and fictional) lay their baggage on the table. Oprah carries a notepad so she can scribble down inspiring quotes (from herself), Barbie carries her NASA astronaut card, Bernie Madoff carries a few spare $4,000 pens. Jacobson labels and annotates the detritus of her subjects with wry commentary on the secret worlds that are exposed by the things we carry around. 

DON’T MENTION IT
When you think of the Victorian era, do you picture well-mannered women in dramatic dresses, à la The Phantom of the Opera, perhaps reading some Charlotte Brontë? If you want to keep that vision intact, skip Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners. If you want to discover the truth, however, follow Therese Oneill, your guide to the intimate rituals of life as a Victorian woman, from painting your face with lead for a youthful (and highly toxic) glow to the fact that turning your gloves inside out means “I hate you” and dropping your parasol means you’re in love. Oneill doesn’t shy away from the unsavory aspects of Victorian life, such as the excrement-filled streets, the toxic water and the scarcity of proper bathrooms. Who knew toilets (or the lack of them) could be so entertaining?

WE’RE ALL MAD HERE
Get ready to discover the real you with Psycho-book: Games, Tests, Questionnaires, Histories edited by Julian Rothenstein. Within this book, you’ll find a full spectrum of psychological tests, dating from the conception of psychological testing to the present day. Each test is beautifully illustrated with examples, from the famous Rorschach inkblots to the less popular Odor Imagination Test, in which subjects were asked to tell a story after smelling various items—sour milk, for example. Feedback on the results of many of the tests is provided in the back of the book, although Psychobook warns against using personality tests as a tool for assessing mental health: The definition of what’s normal is (thankfully) very flexible. However, this book can be used as a tool to dive deep into your beliefs about yourself and others. You might want to bring some friends along for the journey—although you may discover more about them than you ever wanted to know.

 

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Looking for a gift for that oddball friend or family member? You may have a holiday hit on your hands if you wrap up one of these books.
NonfictionMemoirMedicine

Final life lessons

Feature by Henry L. Carrigan Jr.

Several recent books, most notably Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, urge us to ask ourselves how we can live a good life, recognizing that death is a seamless part of our existence. Two compelling new accounts highlight individuals struggling with this question.

LESSONS FROM HOSPICE
In On Living, hospice chaplain Kerry Egan begins her vocation with some resistance, unsure that in her own brokenness she can provide comfort to those who are broken by life and waiting for death. Reluctant to talk about religion with her patients, she soon discovers that simply listening to their stories—of their families, of their losses and regrets, of love—heals her and them: “I don’t know if listening to other people’s stories as they die can make you wise, but I do know that it can heal your soul. I know this because those stories healed mine.”

Egan shares the story of Gloria, a mother who’s been withholding a secret from her son and wants to reveal it as a gesture of love in her final days. A patient named Reggie expresses regret about a life that’s been “empty and alone,” leaving him without a single friend or family member to offer comfort. Then there’s Cynthia, who struggles to accept her overweight body even as she’s dying; like all people who are dying, Egan observes, Cynthia faces the reality that she will “no longer be able to experience this world in this body, ever again.” The lesson for those of us not dying, of course, is that living fully means embracing our imperfect selves with joy and love while we still can.

Egan’s evocative and eloquent book reminds us that we are defined by the stories we tell, and those stories often reveal how life can be “beautiful and crushing” at the same time.

DEATH WITH DIGNITY
Deborah Ziegler’s poignant and fierce Wild and Precious Life celebrates the life of her daughter, Brittany Maynard, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2014 at the age of 29. 

When Ziegler first learned of her daughter’s condition, she ran screaming into the dark night of hopelessness, praying that God would take her and not her daughter. She refused to accept her daughter’s impending death and wanted to pursue any treatment that would extend her life.

Brittany, however, taught her mother the one truth we most often avoid in such situations: A good death is part of a life well lived. After Brittany learned the gravity of her situation, she moved from California to Oregon, where a death with dignity law allowed her to make her own choices on how and when her life would end. Her decision prompted a nationwide discussion of assisted suicide and a patient’s right to make end-of-life decisions. 

Skillfully interspersing stories of Brittany’s growing up with a touching account of her final year, Ziegler reminds us, in Brittany’s own words, of the real lesson we need to learn: “Live your lives well. Accept the sorrow with the joy, the ineffable grief with the love.”

 

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Several recent books, most notably Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, urge us to ask ourselves how we can live a good life, recognizing that death is a seamless part of our existence. Two compelling new accounts highlight individuals struggling with this question.
Romance

An inspirational trio

Feature by Lois Dyer

November is the month of Thanksgiving, and we’ve chosen three inspirational romances that are filled with the spirit of the holiday and are sure to brighten the days as they grow chillier.

A FAIRY-TALE ROMANCE
In her latest novel, The Silent Songbird, award-winning author Melanie Dickerson transports readers to medieval England. Beautiful Evangeline, the illegitimate granddaughter of a late king and the ward of her cousin King Richard, has been kept sequestered and closely guarded in a royal castle for her entire life. When Richard announces he has betrothed her to the much older Earl of Shively, a man she instinctively despises, Evangeline flees the castle. Together with her longtime companion, she joins a group of travelers led by Westley le Wyse. The men are returning to the Glynval estate, held by Westley’s father.

Evangeline is drawn to Westley’s handsome face, but even more so to his kindness. Once they arrive at Glynval, he makes certain Evangeline and her companion are employed and set to work. Over the coming days and weeks, Evangeline struggles to adjust to her new position as a peasant, yet finds her freedom—and Westley—intoxicating. But the Earl of Shively will stop at nothing to find her and force their marriage. He has plans for Evangeline that are more complicated than being his spouse, plans that threaten the very life of her cousin, King Richard.

This charming, fairy-tale romance is the author’s retelling of The Little Mermaid. The hero is strong and handsome, the heroine beautiful and brave of heart and the villain appropriately evil. Readers will cheer for Evangeline, as well as for Westley as he celebrates her many talents.  

INN WITH LOVE
Tennessee author Liz Johnson will make readers fall in love with Prince Edward Island, Canada, in her novel Where Two Hearts Meet. Caden Holt creates amazing food in her kitchen at Rose’s Red Door Inn on the Island, but she doesn’t realize how fabulous her creations are nor how much her friends value her. All that changes when reporter Adam Jacobs arrives at the inn. Traumatized by the death of his friend in Afghanistan, Adam suffers from writer's block. His editor has sent him to the Island to rest, recover and reconnect with his writing muse.

The combination of peaceful surroundings, wonderful local food and congenial fellow guests begins to heal Adam, but it’s the connection with Caden that truly makes a difference. Her unselfish support and warm, caring nature draws him into her orbit, and before long, Adam can’t imagine a life without her. Caden, too, finds herself falling in love for the very first time, and Adam’s support makes her stronger and more willing to step outside her shy reserve. Both of them are unaware, however, that Adam’s need to conquer his writing block and Caden’s need to help the inn succeed have put them on a collision course.

This story resonates with authentic struggles for the hero and heroine, both in their personal lives and their spiritual walk. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Prince Edward Island and enriched with intriguing secondary characters, the tale is certain to delight readers.

LOVING AN OUTSIDER
Until I Love Again is the second installment in Jerry S. Eicher’s St. Lawrence County Amish series. Young Amish woman Susanna Miller is reaching the end of her Rumspringa, the period of time between childhood and adulthood when experiencing life outside the community is allowed. Now her parents are pressuring her to settle into marriage and her place in their world. But Susanna isn’t attracted to the man they want her to marry. She prefers her friend, Joey Macalister. Joey, however, isn’t Amish and thus, any connection to him is forbidden for Susanna.

Susanna struggles with her feelings for Joey and her need to please her parents. When a long held secret about her past is revealed, however, Susanna must make a choice that breaks her heart. Can she live in two worlds? Can hard work heal her wounded soul? How will she ever balance her love for both Joey and her parents?

The insight into the world of the Amish is fascinating—Eicher grew up in an Amish community—and the heartfelt struggles of the characters ring true. Readers will be riveted with Susanna’s emotional and spiritual journey.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington

November is the month of Thanksgiving, and we’ve chosen three inspirational romances that are filled with the spirit of the holiday and are sure to brighten the days as they grow chillier.
MusicGraphic Novels & ComicsBiography

Visual biographies of two iconic artists

Feature by Hilli Levin

Peer into the lives of two world-changing artists with these inventive new graphic biographies. Each artist made history in their chosen fields, but also transcended their medium to achieve international stardom. Their larger-than-life legacies are now a part of our everyday lives.

FROM WARHOLA TO WARHOL
Nick Bertozzi (The Salon) chronicles the early years of the-one-and-only pop art icon in Becoming Andy Warhol. This blend of historical fiction and biography begins in 1962 with the opening of his Campbell Soup Can show in LA, where Warhol was still a commercial illustrator. Bertozzi’s graphic biography is illustrated in simple black, white and purple pencil by the up-and-coming Pierce Hargan. We peer inside Warhol’s life before he broke through: quiet scenes of family life, nights out at galleries where he experiences painful snubs, glimpses of his romantic relationships and his intense, ever-present drive to create are all laid out in these panels. Fans will appreciate Bertozzi’s scenes of Warhol’s creative process for his anti-film Sleep, his controversial Brillo Box exhibit and the early days of hanging around in his iconic studio, The Factory. Bertozzi does a lovely job of humanizing Warhol by highlighting his mischievous antics and off-the-wall sense of humor, his devotion to his family, his belief in the power of pop culture and his pure devotion to the fine art he was making.


From Becoming Andy Warhol, by Nick Bertozzi and illustrated by Pierce Hargan © Abrams ComicArts, 2016

LONG LIVE THE KING
Philippe Chanoinat’s Elvis is a straightforward chronicle of Elvis’ journey to superstardom that begins with his birth in Tupelo, Mississippi. The text is conversational and fairly minimal, following Elvis through his first recording sessions, landmark concerts, TV appearances, acting career and more–right up to his death in 1975. Fabrice Le Hénaff’s painted illustrations are the true focal point here. His sensational watercolors lend a dreamy, cinematic quality to the book. Mostly painted from existing photographs, Elvis is vivid and full of energy on these pages. The book ends with 15 pages of Le Hénaff’s storyboards, sketches and renderings of Elvis from different periods in his life, and they are a welcomed addition. This graphic biography may not break any new ground on the King’s life like Peter Guralnick’s Last Train to Memphis or Careless Love did, but it is a lovingly rendered book that fans will enjoy all the same.

Peer into the lives of two world-changing artists with two inventive new graphic biographies. Each made history in their chosen fields, but also transcended the medium to achieve international stardom. Their larger-than-life legacies are now a part of our everyday lives.
NonfictionFictionBiography

England’s leading lady

Feature by Tasha Alexander

Two new books, one fiction and one nonfiction, offer insight into Britain’s Queen Victoria, who reigned during a time of radical change. 

British writer Daisy Goodwin’s novel Victoria is a delicious introduction to the young monarch’s world. Meant as a companion to the PBS series of the same name, which will air in the U.S. in January, it tells the story of Victoria’s personal and political struggles after her ascension to the throne. Goodwin’s engaging style is immediately captivating, and she deftly brings fresh life to a story familiar to many. 

All historical fiction takes liberties, but Goodwin stays true to the basic facts while imaginatively filling in gaps in the record. Her queen is strong-willed and impetuous: a classic teenager, but one with a great deal more power than her counterparts. She frees herself from the control of her mother and Sir John Conroy, bonds with her first Prime Minister and navigates the difficult world between adolescence and adulthood. Goodwin makes us care about Victoria the girl, even when she behaves badly, because she breathes humanity into her. 

One notable aspect of Goodwin’s account is her depiction of Victoria falling in love with Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. Readers who wonder if Goodwin is taking liberties here can turn to Julia Baird’s impressive biography Victoria: The Queen for answers—Baird confirms that the Queen had quite a crush on her Prime Minister. While many biographies can be a slog to read, Baird’s is a delight. She uses her sources well while employing a narrative style that is a joy to read; all history should be this well-written.  

Victoria was a complex woman, and Baird presents the queen in all her contradictions. We cringe at her notorious tantrums and cheer when she manages to outmaneuver more experienced ministers. Baird reminds us that some commonly accepted truths about Victoria don’t hold up under scrutiny. For example, Baird argues against the idea that after Albert’s death, Victoria all but abandoned her responsibilities. While her devotion to mourning and excessive displays of grief are well-known, Victoria did not completely remove herself from the business of running the Empire.

Much of the difficulty in painting a full picture of the Queen comes from the destruction of many of her letters and diaries, done on Victoria’s orders. Later, the male editors of her correspondence excluded much they deemed unfeminine or inappropriate. Baird does a thorough job of synthesizing the primary sources that do exist, and even manages to dig up new information on the queen’s controversial relationship with her Highland servant, John Brown. A woman of her time, Victoria did not fight for women’s rights and was opposed to women’s suffrage. She was often more interested in intervening in individual situations than pushing for sweeping reforms, yet Baird skillfully avoids judging Victoria by modern standards.

Goodwin and Baird have given us two books that complement each other beautifully, offering readers the chance to learn more about one of Britain’s most famous queens. 

Novelist Tasha Alexander is the author of the bestselling Lady Emily series, set in the Victorian era.

 

This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Two new books, one fiction and one nonfiction, offer insight into Britain’s Queen Victoria, who reigned during a time of radical change.
YA NonfictionYA FictionYA

Gifts they’ll actually like

Feature by Heather Seggel

From fairy-tale archetypes turned into art to the mysteries of the universe and our own emotional landscapes, these books are full of thought-provoking entertainment for teen readers.

Charlie McDonnell’s Fun Science: A Guide to Life, the Universe and Why Science Is So Awesome uses accessible, illustrated examples and plenty of humor to explore why science is the best tool we have for understanding the world around us. The 26-year-old English YouTube sensation starts way out in the cosmos and explains his way down to a single cell, with stops along the way to look at evolution, the atmosphere and the human body. Did I mention how funny it is? From cartoonish illustrations to “editor’s note” blurbs talking back to McDonnell, it’s easy to be carried along by the jokes only to realize several pages in that you’re learning a ton. A science lover will like this, but a lot of readers will become science lovers after starting here.

INCREDULATION
You most likely know Eden Sher from the ABC comedy “The Middle”; the word “adorkable” may have been coined to describe her character, Sue Heck. Sher has more feelings than she can express without bursting at any given time, so she and illustrator Julia Wertz created The Emotionary: A Dictionary of Words That Don’t Exist for Feelings That Do to make sense of that overload. Words like losstracize (“to reject the support of others in times of grief”) are illustrated with short cartoons that exemplify the unique ways we manage to shoot ourselves in the feet when we’re feeling too much. Are you irredependent (irrationally independent and unable to ask for help)? That tends to end poorly; cartoon Eden won’t accept a hand with a dangerously heavy box and is ultimately squashed so completely her guts fly out like streamers. Her friend deadpans that she’s unlikely to get her deposit back when it’s time to move. It’s simultaneously sweet and laugh-out-loud (in painful recognition) funny. 

ARTFUL TALES
The Singing Bones collects photos of small sculptures by Shaun Tan and displays them next to excerpts from the Grimm’s fairy tales on which they’re based. Don’t pick it up thinking you’ll be able to put it down when the phone rings, or it’s time for bed, or the house is on fire. These pieces are simple, almost primitive, and perfectly play with the fairy-tale archetypes. “The Companionship of the Cat and Mouse” depicts a large cat with an enormous saucer for a mouth, on which the tiny mouse has been perched, unbeknownst to him, for the entire story. Neil Gaiman contributes a foreword, and there’s an essay by Jack Zipes providing some background on the Brothers Grimm, both of which are helpful. But dive into the artwork and you’ll find creepy, cool, deceptively simple works sure to fire the imagination. It’s perfect for artists, writers and dreamers.

 

This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

From fairy-tale archetypes turned into art to the mysteries of the universe and our own emotional landscapes, these books are full of thought-provoking entertainment for teen readers.

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