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FictionAudioLGBTQ Fiction

Audio: June 2019

Feature by Anna Zeitlin

Starred Review
The new novel from Balli Kaur Jaswal, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, is a quietly radical feminist story of three estranged sisters who travel from the U.K. and Australia to their parents’ home country, India, to fulfill their mother’s dying wish. Their mother leaves them a detailed itinerary with activities meant to teach them about being better people and better sisters. Each sister is facing her own crisis at home. One is freaking out about becoming a grandmother, as her son has barely finished high school; another is an actress who has become an unfortunate YouTube sensation; and the youngest has a very traditional husband and an overbearing mother-in-law. They learn to embrace the old ways but are also confronted with very modern issues. Great narration by Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta are fun when they need to be but also carry an emotional weight.

If you didn’t have the chance to see Tony Kushner’s Angels in America on Broadway, this is the next best thing. Originally staged on Broadway in 1993, the play is set at the height of the AIDS crisis in 1986 New York City and follows several characters whose lives are impacted by the disease as they confront mortality, loyalty, religion and Reagan-era politics. The audiobook features the full cast of the 2018 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival, and performances by Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane, Susan Brown, Denise Gough, Beth Malone, James McArdle, Lee Pace and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett are masterful, as you would expect from actors who have spent hundreds of hours in these roles. Stage directions, spoken by Bobby Cannavale and Edie Falco, help orient the action without slowing anything down. This is an important documentation of an era and a valuable story to retell for future generations.

Normal People, the second novel by Sally Rooney, makes for absolutely stunning listening. Her writing style is measured and tight, and she understands her characters as psychologically rich, full beings. The story follows Marianne and Connell, the smartest in their small Irish town’s high school class. However, he’s popular and she’s not, and she’s rich and he’s not. Their love affair begins as a secret and ebbs and flows through their time at Trinity College and after. Their story is an honest and focused portrait of two people becoming adults together and the ways life can get in the way. Aoife McMahon’s heartfelt narration is perfect. Her Irish accent adds to the sense of place and the class aspects that are so important to the novel.

Starred Review The new novel from Balli Kaur Jaswal, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, is a quietly radical feminist story of three estranged sisters who travel from the U.K. and Australia to their parents’ home…
Science Fiction & Fantasy

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: June 2019

Feature by Chris Pickens

Starred Review
Sarah Gailey’s fresh, clever Magic for Liars is a study in balance. It’s funny, it’s familiar, it’s sinister, and it’s engrossing. When a teacher is found dead at Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, private investigator Ivy Gamble is enlisted by Principal Marion Torres to investigate the possibility of murder. Ivy knows the school well, as her sister Tabitha teaches on campus. As she starts to interview students and teachers alike, the truth slowly comes into focus—there’s something wicked going on at Osthorne. Even the most casual Harry Potter fan will see similarities to Hogwarts, but Magic for Liars borrows without stealing. Teenage angst and school tensions are present, but Ivy’s adult perspective brings some needed cynicism to the whole affair. This impressive, confident debut is a total blast to read thanks to Gailey’s snappy, nimble writing.

Louis Greenberg’s Green Valley asks what’s more valuable: freedom or peace? Tucked away from the world behind a massive wall, the sense-­altering conclave of Green Valley promises an idyllic life. All inhabitants are fitted with brain-controlling hardware that coordinates a shared hallucination meant to block out the cruel realities of the outside world. When Lucie Sterling’s niece, Kira, goes missing inside Green Valley, Lucie must uncover the truth and expose the dark underbelly of this false refuge. The futuristic technology never distracts from the engaging narrative, and Greenberg centers the story on Lucie’s feelings of uncertainty and disgust even as she peels back the layers of her investigation.

I never thought I’d have much interest in 15th-­century Florence, but toss in about a million demons, and I’m hooked. Hugo Award-winning author Jo Walton does just that in Lent. Brother Girolamo is head of the church of San Marco, and not only can he confer with kings and sway city leaders, but he can also see demons. These creatures of hell gather in places of power to tip the scales in favor of Satan. When Girolamo discovers a treacherous plot at the highest levels of government, just as more and more demons flock to Florence’s walls, he must learn the dark secret of his power over hell in order to save the city. Walton’s detailed, vibrant vision of the Italian Renaissance is amazing, and Girolamo’s shifting relationship with hell is equally mesmerizing. Lent is unlike any other book I’ve read this year and is worth a look for history buffs and fantasy fans alike.

Starred Review
Sarah Gailey’s fresh, clever Magic for Liars is a study in balance. It’s funny, it’s familiar, it’s sinister, and it’s engrossing. When a teacher is found dead at Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, private investigator Ivy Gamble is enlisted by Principal Marion…

Romance

Romance: June 2019

Feature by Christie Ridgway

Starred review
Love blooms amid dangerous times in Beverly Jenkins’ latest historical romance, Rebel. Valinda Lacy leaves New York City for New Orleans to teach recently freed slaves to read. Val’s new city fascinates her, but she’s due back north soon to marry her fiancé. When threatened by a handful of men, she’s rescued by the handsome Drake LeVeq. The fortuitous encounter changes the course of her life just as her school is shut down and she’s evicted by her racist landlady. Drake is truly admirable—successful, courageous and unwilling to back down in the face of oppression—and the indomitable Val sees her situation as an opportunity to take charge and pursue love for the first time. Beyond the heated passion between the pair, Rebel stands out for its portrayal of the turbulent and violent atmosphere of Reconstruction-era New Orleans.

Romantic-comedy conventions come to life in Kerry Winfrey’s breezy debut, Waiting for Tom Hanks. Annie Cassidy awaits her Mr. Right, her Tom Hanks, an amalgamation of all rom-com movie heroes. With a freelance writing gig to make ends meet, she pens a screenplay while living with her uncle in Columbus, Ohio. When she gets a chance to assist a famous director filming a romantic comedy in her neighborhood, Annie wonders if all her dreams are about to come true. The movie’s male lead, Drew Danforth, is known for his prankster ways rather than Hanksian sincerity, but sparks fly, and Annie falls for him despite obstacles aplenty along the way. There are quirky sidekick characters and enough movie references to fill a weekend marathon in this sweet (love scenes are implied, not shown) and entertaining read.

Peril awaits accomplished healer and former battlefield surgeon Katherine Wright in A Rogue by Night. Katherine has been called upon to use her skills and help her family in their age-old trade: smuggling. Though she’s determined to build a law-abiding life for her father, her brother and herself, it will take one last dangerous mission to make that happen. Harland Hayward, physician and baron, knows what it’s like to make trade-offs in the name of helping others. His own bargain has bound him to a criminal, in a pact that now stands between him and the growing love he feels for strong, smart Katherine. With the pair’s very survival at stake, the action is made even more meaningful by Kelly Bowen’s multilayered, sympathetic characters.

Starred review
Love blooms amid dangerous times in Beverly Jenkins’ latest historical romance, Rebel. Valinda Lacy leaves New York City for New Orleans to teach recently freed slaves to read. Val’s new city fascinates her, but she’s due back north soon to marry her…

DesignCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Lifestyles: June 2019

Feature by Susannah Felts

Starred review
You know those magazine spreads in which a stylish person of note shares their favorite this-and-thats about where they live, from brunch spots to boutiques? Paris by Design is a bit like those features, with all the class and elegance you expect from denizens of the City of Lights. Designer Eva Jorgensen rounds up a stellar crew of creatives to answer questions about visiting Paris, and each person lists their fave under-the-radar bars, flea markets or shops. There are itineraries for days spent in Parisian neighborhoods, such as Saint-Georges and the Right Bank, Spotify playlists made by French jewelry and home goods designers, and recipes for Parisian dishes like tomato tarts and lemon zest madeleines. I’ll be using one of the book’s cocktail recipes to mix a Suze 75 as I dream of a vacation built around the excellent recommendations that compose this book. 

In 2012, Austin Kleon burst onto the scene with Steal Like an Artist, a book that’s now in the canon of guides to creative thinking and productivity, and Show Your Work! followed in 2014. Now he returns with Keep Going, a book for anyone trying to do creative work in a world that has seemingly gotten “dumber and meaner overnight,” or for anyone who has hit a roadblock and wonders, Will it ever get any easier  ? Kleon has 10 tips for persevering, and while his directives may not all be new, they’re presented here in a most engaging fashion. Bold erasure-poem illustrations, comics and other visuals punctuate a text filled with inspirational quotes. Anyone living any sort of creative life needs this pep talk on their bookshelf.

My husband and I recently put in our modest summer garden. Then we sat down on the porch and paged through Kelly Smith Trimble’s Vegetable Gardening Wisdom, which should help us grow as stewards of the earth. Organized by season, Trimble’s book is filled with tips and interesting facts about specific veggies, along with quotes and recipes (pea-shoot salad sounds divine right now). What makes this guide such a winner is how breathtakingly lovely it is—a true work of bookish art. Each page is a different color, and there are gorgeous illustrations and smart, clean layouts. This book will make a beautiful gift for gardeners of any level of expertise. 

Starred review
You know those magazine spreads in which a stylish person of note shares their favorite this-and-thats about where they live, from brunch spots to boutiques? Paris by Design is a bit like those features, with all the class and elegance you expect from…

Mystery

Fierce female sleuths

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Especially ones featuring smart, savvy female detectives. Readers who want to dig in to suspenseful and compelling crime tales with inspiring (and daring!) protagonists should add these two titles to their TBR piles.

Borrowed Time, Tracy Clark’s second novel, is a follow-up to 2018’s well-received Broken Places but also stands on its own as an entertaining introduction to a new author on the mystery beat. Protagonist Cass Raines is a 34-year-old African American ex-cop-turned-PI. She’s still recovering from her previous case by lying low and delivering summonses in amusingly creative ways. She also hangs out at her favorite diner, complete with crotchety owner and no-nonsense waitress, plus a goofy 20-something delivery guy named Jung.

And that’s where the trouble begins, as Jung’s wealthy, terminally ill friend Tim Ayers has just died. The police quickly ruled it suicide, but Jung thinks it was murder and wants Cass’ help. She demurs but is reluctantly intrigued when she realizes Tim is estranged from a well-known Chicago family with enough political pull for a cover-up—and when bizarre things start happening after she asks just a few preliminary questions.

Strange goings-on escalate into dangerous ones, and Clark takes readers on a suspenseful, often wild ride as Cass pushes for truth and justice. Fans of Sue Grafton and Sarah Paretsky will delight in the snappy first-person narration and wry wit—and fans of mysteries in general will be happy to discover a writer who deftly combines clever crime-solving, stress-inducing action sequences, nail-biting suspense and lots of love for Chicago.

In fellow Chicagoan Charlie Donlea’s newest mystery, Some Choose Darkness, two highly intelligent women—both regarded as odd, both frequently underestimated—join forces across the decades in an unusual take on the serial-killer cold-case trope.

Five young women go missing in Chicago during the summer of 1979, presumed murdered by a man dubbed The Thief. Angela Mitchell battles debilitating OCD as she works to solve the case. The amateur sleuth has an unrelenting sense that she can find the truth, and she does—but alas, she goes missing before she can serve as a witness. However, thanks to her work, The Thief is jailed for her murder. Forty years later, in 2019, he is eligible for parole.

Also in 2019, we meet Rory Moore, a forensic reconstructionist, bar none, who’s taking a rest period between cold cases and focusing on restoring antique porcelain dolls. Her boss at the Chicago Police Department brings her a damaged doll that doubles as an effort to lure her back to work. It belongs to a man whose 22-year-old daughter was found dead in Grant Park in 2018.

Rory begins to restore the doll—and then learns her father has been The Thief’s lawyer all these years. This revelation kicks off a determination to solve the cold cases from 1979, including that of Angela Mitchell. Suspense builds, clues mount and danger lurks seemingly everywhere as the story nimbly toggles between then and now, revealing the indelible marks the past can leave on the present. Also worthy of note: both women’s neuroatypicality is described in often moving, always respectful detail.

As secrets are revealed and mysteries unfold, many paths are explored and seeming dead ends sprout gasp-inducing new possibilities. Wannabe detectives will enjoy feeling as if they’re investigating and risk-taking right along with Angela and Rory in Donlea’s twisty-turny mystery.

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Especially ones featuring smart, savvy female detectives. Readers who want to dig in to suspenseful and compelling crime tales with inspiring (and daring!) protagonists should add these two titles to their TBR piles.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Our world, but not: Two enthralling historical fantasies

Feature by Noah Fram

Fantasy has always been inspired by history, but in recent years what was once an accepted undercurrent has become a full-blown trend—from Susanna Clarke’s magical retelling of the Napoleonic Wars in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell to George R.R. Martin’s War of the Roses-inspired A Song of Ice and Fire series. In their new fantasy novels, W.M. Akers and Guy Gavriel Kay offer two compelling and well-crafted takes on the historical record.

A Brightness Long Ago is classic Kay. A beautifully rendered depiction of Renaissance Italy, the fantasy icon’s latest work is filled with compelling characters and a multifaceted tragedy that is as emotionally resonant as it is inevitable. The longstanding feud between Teobaldo Monticola and Folco Cino, mercenary lords of Remigio and Acorsi, dominates their lives and the lives of all close to them, from the brilliant, driven Adria Ripoli to the observant Danio Cerra, a scholar and diplomat who travelled with both Monticola and Cino for a time. Kay once again immerses his readers in a kaleidoscopic world of ambition, politics and romance. By the end, there are no clear antagonists, and the plot is recast as just one episode in the long, slow decline of the Rhodian Empire and the decadent and fragmented Church that sustained it. For devoted fans of Kay’s work, there are myriad connections to other novels, especially Children of Earth and Sky and The Sarantine Mosaic. But A Brightness Long Ago easily stands on its own as a masterful addition to Kay’s historical fantasy oevre.

In contrast to Kay’s elegiac style, Akers’s Westside revels in stripping its characters of their carefully constructed mythologies and revealing their seedy, petty true selves. Few of Akers’ characters are fully redeemable, and those who do possess better natures are relatively feckless. In Akers’ Prohibition-era New York City, street gangs and moonshine smugglers rule over a city slowly being devoured by a mysterious darkness. Gilda Carr is a private detective specializing in “little mysteries” whose search for a missing glove sends her down a rabbit hole of secret documents, all-consuming greed and personal rivalries that threatens the lives and souls of her friends and her home. While Kay’s characters play their parts in a world that turns beneath them, Akers’ protagonists have all the agency in their stories and must decide whether to use that power to repair their city or repair their pasts.

There is a minimalist elegance to the magic in both worlds. And neither book uses its fantastical elements to alter the historical timeline, as Clarke’s titular magicians do with abandon. But fantasy is essential to both stories nevertheless, and both A Brightness Long Ago and Westside are welcome additions to the burgeoning genre of historical fantasy.

In their new fantasy novels, W.M. Akers and Guy Gavriel Kay offer two compelling and well-crafted takes on the historical record.

RomanceWestern Romance

Save a horse, ride a cowboy

Feature by Dolly R. Sickles

Judging by the number of cowboy covers lining the bookshelves at my local library, there is no shortage of interest in that tried and true Wild West archetype. Whether you’re looking for a sweet homesteader yarn set at the turn of the twentieth century, a contemporary coming-of-age tale or a suspenseful nail-biter, there’s something for every romance reader.

Jo Goodman’s A Touch of Forever is a sweet marriage of convenience story set in 1902. Third in her Cowboys of Colorado series, this novel can still easily be read as a stand-alone. Goodman is an expert at developing compelling, interesting and likeable characters, and this entry is totally absorbing. Railway surveyor Roen Shepard is new to town working on a project for the Northern Railway. When he meets single mother Lily Salt, he is immediately taken with her quiet grace and dignity, and her sense of humor and hard work. When he poses the marriage of convenience idea to her in attempt to fend off his ex-mistress, who’s come to town with unwanted news (and advances), Lily agrees for practicality’s sake. What ensues is the slow-burn development of a friendship that gracefully develops into a romance. A Touch of Forever is gorgeously done and almost compulsively readable.

Carolyn Brown’s Cowboy Rebel follows the journey of Tag Baker and his evolution from adventurous daredevil to responsible ranch owner. Like the other protagonists in Brown’s Longhorn Canyon series, Tag is richly developed and part of a sprawling, inclusive family. His wild, risk-taking ways defined him ever since the death of his best friend. Nikki Grady is an admirable woman who’s worked hard in life to get where she is. Her nursing career is hard-won, and one she’s unwilling to risk via a romance with a reckless cowboy. But the more she gets to know Tag, the more she opens herself up to the possibility. That is, if she can ditch her drag of a mother, Wilma, whose conversations and scenes with Nikki were hard to get through at times. Fortunately, Tag and Nikki are compelling enough to re-garner the readers’ attention and remind you why this rebel gets the girl.

Luck of the Draw is a second-chance love story with B.J. Daniels’ trademark undercurrent of danger. When Garrett Sterling comes across a man dragging a struggling woman across a ravine, he intervenes. But once he gets a good look at her, he realizes it’s Joslyn Charles, the woman he thought was the love of his life. Joslyn disappeared almost two years ago with no word, and now claims to not recognize him. Her head injury is very real, which makes the possibility of amnesia plausible—it just makes filling in the blanks all the more frustrating for Garrett, particularly since they’re in the crosshairs of a killer. Daniels is a perennial favorite on the romantic suspense front, and I might go as far as to label her the cowboy whisperer. 

Judging by the number of cowboy covers lining the bookshelves at my local library, there is no shortage of interest in that tried and true Wild West archetype. Whether you’re looking for a sweet homesteader yarn set at the turn of the twentieth century, a contemporary coming-of-age tale or a suspenseful nail-biter, there’s something for every romance reader.

Children's & YAPicture Book

Fairy-tale picture books: Little Red Riding Hood reboots

Feature by Jill Lorenzini

Around the world, fairy tales have been passed down for centuries. They’re used to share traditions, reflect culture, teach lessons and entertain. The old stories are timeless; newcomers simply add beauty and breadth to this beloved genre. Two new picture books, The Great Gran Plan and Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf, prove there are still clever, undiscovered ways to find your happily ever after.

The Great Gran Plan, written by Elli Woollard and brilliantly illustrated by Steven Lenton, begins when the smart pig (the bricklayer) discovers the bad wolf’s granny-guzzling to-do list and hops in his van to save Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma. However, our unlikely hero becomes bogged down by his search for supplies, gets caught in a case of mistaken identity, and may need some rescuing of his own.

The Great Gran Plan boasts fairies and poison apples, glass slippers and wishing wells. References to countless fairy tales are craftily tucked into each page, and readers will have a blast discovering the Three Bears’ “Just Right” store (where everything comes in three sizes) and “Peep’s Bo-tique” (staffed by a helpful sheep named “Baarb”). Lenton’s imaginative images will have readers inspecting every page for sneaky details in a hysterical who’s-who of fairy-tale land. Keep an eye on the cat, who ends up a little worse for wear every time the pig gets in the van. Bonus points if you spot Captain Hook.

Woollard’s narration rhymes and rolls with alliteration and assonance, building momentum and hilarity and making it an ideal read-together. Full of beloved characters and witty predicaments, The Great Gran Plan will become a delightful new bookshelf favorite.

While wolves usually play the bad guy, recent fairy tales have recast the big, bad dude as misunderstood, misrepresented or maligned. Written by Troy Wilson and illustrated by Ilaria Campana, Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf turns this familiar fairy tale on its head with an intelligent and literary twist.

Wilson and Campana’s book has all the familiar tropes: a sneaky wolf in spectacles, a missing Grandma and a strong woodsman. But Wilson’s Red is brave, bright, well read and has no desire to be eaten. Wilson’s narration is laid-back, humorous and an effortless read-aloud. Readers will laugh when the granny-impersonating wolf loses his cool with an “Oh, forget it!” and gasp when the woodsman charges in, ax ready. Campana’s illustrations are vibrant and sharp with a cartoony feel that will appeal to children.

Much less grim than the original (nobody gets eaten or attacked with the ax), Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf invites us into a timeless world that has just the right amount of spooky. It’s a classic tale with modern sensibility that gives new life to a very old story.

Two new picture books, The Great Gran Plan and Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf, prove there are still clever, undiscovered ways to find your happily ever after.
Romance

Perfect poolside reading

Feature by Amanda Diehl

Summertime is prime time for reading! Whether you’re poolside with a cool drink or soaking up the sun on a sandy beach, these romances will make great company for any reader. Whether you love British werewolves, wicked wagers or a mix of sugar and spice, we have three books that are sure to satisfy.

For fans of contemporary romance

In Zuri Day’s Sweet Heat, tensions run high as two cooks battle their attraction and each other on a televised cooking contest.

With $50,000 on the line, Marvin Carter and Naomi Carson have no desire to get friendly. Both have their own dreams of how they want to spend the prize money to advance their culinary careers, and falling in love doesn’t factor into their plans. But as the stakes become steadily higher for Marvin and Naomi, close quarters and fierce competition have a way of producing unexpected results. With meddling contestants and scenarios that require keeping cool under pressure, their romance is hard won but so worth it.

Family and food is at the center of this delicious contemporary romance. (Seriously, don’t read this romance while hungry.) Marvin and Naomi’s banter crackles with electricity. Neither one wants to show the first sign of weakness, but their flirtation comes so naturally. Naomi is a tour de force with her soul food cooking, but she knows early on that she needs to keep Marvin from being her ultimate distraction. But loyal, lovable Marvin is quite the keeper, and he creates the most amazing desserts. The competitive setting is an entertaining backdrop, keeping the main characters conflicted as their ambitions are pitted against finding love. Of course, who says you can’t have both?

Fans of cooking shows and foodie romances will devour Sweet Heat.

For fans of paranormal romance

Paige Tyler returns to her SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team series in Wolf Instinct, a romance between a werewolf in desperate need of answers and an FBI agent who is after things that go bump in the night.

SWAT werewolf Zane Kendrick and FBI agent Alyssa Carson are immediately attracted to one another when they cross paths during an investigation. There’s just one huge complication. Zane senses that Alyssa is his mate. Too bad that she hunts supernatural beings like him, and he isn’t sure she can see him as anything but a monster. Meanwhile, Alyssa is used to working alone. Teaming up with a partner is foreign to her, especially one who clearly isn’t a typical human.

Alyssa is an admirable, resilient and smart heroine as she investigates why several missing people have turned up dead and drained of blood. As her inquiries lead her to the hunky (and British!) Zane, she reluctantly agrees to join forces. Her own reservations about Zane are put aside in the face of finding this vicious attacker. Tyler’s pacing is perfect for relaxing in the summer sun, as the action keeps things effortlessly moving. While the thriller elements add a shot of adrenaline, the real conflict comes from whether Alyssa can accept Zane as a man and not a monster.

Wolf Instinct is a great choice for readers who love tough heroines and a romance that develops in the face of danger.

For fans of historical romance

A battle of wills ignites between a woman longing for adventure and a man hiding from the world in Say No to the Duke.

Betsy Wilde has resigned herself to playing the perfect lady. She’ll marry a respectable gentleman and abide by society’s rules, but before that, she just wants one taste of being a little less than proper. Lord Jeremy Roden has exiled himself to the Wilde family estate, Lindow Castle, after being offered solace by Betsy’s brother. While Jeremy contends with the difficulties he’s facing from war and his lingering PTSD, Betsy proves to be a perfect distraction. And when he gets wind that she’s after a bit of excitement before marriage, Jeremy makes a dangerous proposal over a game of billiards. If Betsy wins the game, Jeremy will help Betsy disguise herself as a man and let her experience things most women cannot. If he wins, Betsy must share the night with him. He doesn’t expect her to call his bluff, hoping to scandalize her with his suggestion.

This is another entertaining romp of a romance from New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James, but it also explores the deep insecurities of both Betsy and Jeremy. Betsy is still paying for her unfaithful mother’s shocking behavior. She’s unable to be herself, always living in her mother’s shadow. Torn between doing what’s expected of her as the eldest daughter and pursuing her own passions, Betsy worries her own happiness isn’t worth her family’s status. Jeremy is battling his own demons, hiding his genuine and sensitive nature behind rakish behavior.

James’ wit and wordplay has never been better in this lovely romance marked with tenderness, shining moments of emotional bravery and the central notion that girls just want to have fun.

Summertime is prime time for reading! Whether you’re poolside with a cool drink or soaking up the sun on a sandy beach, these romances will make great company for any reader. Whether you love British werewolves, wicked wagers or a mix of sugar and spice, we have three books that are sure to satisfy.

NonfictionFictionAudioMemoir

Audio: July 2019

Feature by Anna Zeitlin

Starred review
Beth O’Leary’s debut novel is a cute, cozy work of British pop fiction that’s hard to put down. After a bad breakup, Tiffy moves in with Leon, a nurse who works the night shift, because he only needs his flat during the day. She can’t afford her own place in London, and he needs the extra cash for his brother’s legal fees. They share a bed at opposite hours but don’t meet for months, communicating through notes left around the apartment. Tiffy publishes craft books, and she throws a bit of quirky chaos into Leon’s orderly apartment and life. The Flatshare (9.5 hours) switches perspectives between Tiffy and Leon, with narrators Carrie Hope Fletcher and Kwaku Fortune providing their voices. Fletcher and Fortune each do their own versions of all the characters’ voices, as heard from Tiffy’s or Leon’s point of view, which takes getting used to but totally works. It’s a sweet, charming love story.

Part memoir, part pop culture criticism, Mr. Know-It-All (10 hours) is one of those books that you definitely should listen to on audiobook over reading the printed book. Director and screenwriter John Waters is a fantastic storyteller and spends much of his time these days giving talks across the country. My favorite parts of his new book are when he digs really deep into tiny niches of popular culture, breaking down the teenage death pop songs of the 1950s and ’60s and suggesting, “Aren’t all country songs novelty songs in a way?” Waters also gives great background on his guerrilla filmmaking career and reveals how he convinced studios to give him funding after so many box-office misses. He even provides details about some of his movie pitches that never got made. I’m still holding out for the mod Hairspray sequel!

You don’t have to be a fan of the HBO series “Veep,” which A Woman First: First Woman (6 hours) is based on, to enjoy listening to it. Although a familiarity with the show will add to the experience, you just need a healthy sense of humor about American politics. In the show, Selina Meyer serves as vice president before becoming president for a term, and she is running for president again when this book is set. Julia Louis-­Dreyfus is hilarious as Selina, who reads this (clearly ghostwritten) book about her life and passes off the boring bits to her dutiful personal aide, Gary, who is played by Tony Hale. Autobiographies have become de rigueur for anyone considering a run for office, and this book does not go easy on the genre. It’s a shockingly funny takedown of political self-
importance and a biting satire of the political memoir.

Starred review Beth O’Leary’s debut novel is a cute, cozy work of British pop fiction that’s hard to put down. After a bad breakup, Tiffy moves in with Leon, a nurse who works the night shift, because he only needs his flat during the day.…
NonfictionTrue Crime

True and truly horrifying

Feature by Priscilla Kipp

Fans of true crime, hang onto your seats (and sanity) as you delve into the diabolical minds of these modern-day serial killers more intimately than ever before. No need to inject sensationalism here. These sharply written, detailed investigations keep to the facts, and that is where their worth and horror lie. Go beyond the fading headlines to deep inside prison walls, across small tables in windowless rooms and face-to-face with the men whose crimes made them monsters.

The prolific duo of John Douglas and Mark Olshaker (Law & Disorder and Mindhunter, which was adapted for Netflix) return in The Killer Across the Table. Douglas, a retired FBI agent who spent his career interviewing and profiling criminals, proves his expertise in exploring the minds and murderous behaviors of four notorious killers. The aim of these interviews, Douglas states, “is not to be a friend. The aim is not to be a foe. The aim is to target the truth.” Why did Joseph McGowan, a mild-­mannered high school teacher, brutally rape a neighbor’s child delivering Girl Scout cookies? Would he do it again? Why did Donald Harvey, the hospital aid and “Angel of Death,” kill as many as 87 patients in his care? Through painstakingly conducted interviews, ugly but useful answers emerge.

“Meticulous” is one way to describe Israel Keyes’ pathologically inspired routines for kidnapping, torturing, murdering and disposing of a still-unknown number of victims. In American Predator, Maureen Callahan is just as focused and diligent in detailing the hunt that brought these killings to an end.

In February 2012, teenager Samantha Koenig disappeared from the coffee kiosk where she was working alone one night in Anchorage, Alaska. The local police investigation got off to a shaky start: Surveillance videos from nearby businesses went unexamined, while media leaks fueled public panic. The trail eventually led police all the way to Texas. Keyes, a business owner with no criminal record, was stopped for a questionable traffic violation. A bigger horror story soon unfolded.

The why, how, where and when of Keyes’ cross-country crimes are described so well by Callahan that the feeling of “you are here” can be unsettling, if not unnerving. But there’s one bright side. Keyes’ confessions helped law enforcement and behavioral scientists understand a serial killer’s mind in order to detect, track and prevent such predators.

Two bone-chilling works of nonfiction take readers into the minds of some of the world’s most meticulous serial killers.

Fiction

Thrillers of modern womanhood

Feature by Annie Peters

In this thought-provoking trio of new novels, Helen Phillips, Jo Baker and Chandler Baker immerse their readers in the dangers and anxieties inherent to modern womanhood.

In The Need, Molly, a dedicated paleobotanist, works in a fossil quarry that yields baffling specimens, including unheard-of plant varieties and artifacts that are familiar yet utterly strange. The latter, which includes a Bible in which the text is recognizable with one unsettling difference, begin to draw tourists and conspiracy theorists to the site. At the same time, Molly is also an exhausted, nursing mother of two young children whose husband is out of the country on business. One night, Molly’s world turns upside down when she discovers a masked intruder in her home who has a startlingly intimate familiarity with Molly’s life.

Dabbling in the supernatural, Helen Phillips has created a fascinating plot through which she explores the deep, conflicting tensions surrounding modern motherhood, personal identity and the nature of our existence in the universe. Moreover, Phillips’ novel will have a powerful, visceral impact on anyone who has parented young children. The Need will keep readers rapidly turning pages as Molly navigates conflicting emotions in a chillingly surreal landscape.

Jo Baker tackles a very different threat: sexual assault. In The Body Lies, a stranger attacks the unnamed narrator near her London home. Three years later, to escape the memory, the narrator seeks a university job in the isolated countryside north of London. Once there, she meets her creative writing students, including a troubled young man named Nicholas Palmer who insists he is writing experimental “art” in which he only writes “the truth.” While struggling with an impossible workload, a young son and a strained marriage, the narrator becomes increasingly concerned for and disconcerted by Nicholas, as she becomes a character in his distorted version of the truth. All the while, a sense of danger and mystery pervades the novel in the form of a frozen corpse left in the countryside.

Baker (Longbourn) boldly and refreshingly insists on changing the narrative surrounding sexual assault. The Body Lies is not another story of a silent, naked, dead girl. Rather, Baker brilliantly weaves in Nicholas’ concept of truth and shows how it plays out in his writing, so the narrator’s ability to voice her own truth creates a powerful contrast. Indeed, this novel is the story of a survivor, not a victim.

In Whisper Network, Chandler Baker takes on sexual harassment in corporate America. Sloane, Ardie and Grace are in-house lawyers working for a Dallas-based athleisure apparel company. When the CEO suddenly dies, it becomes clear that Ames Garrett will most likely fill the role. Ames, however, has a well-earned reputation, whispered among female employees, for sexually harassing and assaulting women in the workplace for over a decade. Moreover, he shows no signs of stopping, if his actions toward the newest employee are any indicator. Sloane, Ardie and Grace must decide whether to bring Ames’ actions to light before his promotion. Unforeseeable consequences of their choice soon threaten all three women.

Baker has written a bitingly funny yet insightful novel detailing the pitfalls of being a woman in corporate America today. Throughout this well-crafted novel, Baker tells the story primarily through dialogue but also employs deposition and police interview transcripts. This structure creates a delicious sense of suspense that will keep the reader guessing. It’s the perfect choice for book clubs seeking an entertaining book that will stimulate thought-provoking discussion.

In this thought-provoking trio of new novels, Helen Phillips, Jo Baker and Chandler Baker immerse their readers in the dangers and anxieties inherent to modern womanhood.  
Fiction

Murder on the clock

Feature by Kathryn Justice Leache

Three summer thrillers obliterate the boundaries of what can rightfully be chalked up to “all in a day’s work.”

Captain Catherine Wells, commander of the spacecraft Sagittarius, perished on the wrong side of a wormhole in deep space. Or so NASA believed. Vessel, Lisa A. Nichols’ debut thriller, opens nine years after the mission launched. Houston has just received a signal from the Sagittarius and makes contact with Catherine, who has few memories of her years in space and even fewer answers about what led her to this point. Soon she’s back helping to oversee the launch of Sagittarius II, which will attempt the same fateful voyage on which Catherine lost her crew. NASA prodigy Cal Morganson is desperate to keep the upcoming mission safe and is sure Catherine is hiding something. He’s right—but will exposing her secrets be enough? Vessel is a deliciously creepy dive through the wormhole. 

 

Layne Fargo’s addictive Temper centers on the artists of the Chicago theater scene for a wildly different take on a job gone very wrong. Following struggling actress Kira Rascher and repressed director Joanna Cuyler, Temper begins at the audition for a play of the same name, an intense marital drama with a cast of only two. Malcolm Mercer, a towering figure in the community and Joanna’s creative partner, plays the lead in all of their productions. Being cast opposite Malcolm—a genius method actor or a gaslighting sociopath, depending on whom you ask—spikes Kira’s deep artistic ambitions like nothing before. Joanna has worked with Malcolm for years, quietly swallowing her own ambition and agency in order to remain in his orbit. The novel’s violently sensuous suspense careens toward a chilling conclusion you’ll never see coming.

 

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager is a nightmarish thriller set against the backdrop of a Manhattan fairy tale. Jules Larsen has no living family, recently lost her job and just discovered her live-in boyfriend is cheating on her. So she swallows her better judgment and accepts an offer to apartment-sit in the legendary Bartholomew building. Within a day of starting, she begins to notice that many aspects of her new digs are off. She can’t have visitors, and she must spend every night in the apartment. She isn’t allowed to speak to the other residents. Most disturbingly, the other apartment sitters are as alone in the world as she is. The more she starts digging into the Bartholomew’s history, the harder it is to dismiss the rumors that the building is cursed by some very disturbing magic. Readers who enjoy a touch of horror mixed with their suspense will love Lock Every Door.

Three summer thrillers obliterate the boundaries of what can rightfully be chalked up to “all in a day’s work.”

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