December

There, There by Tommy Orange
Let me preface this with...this book may not be for everyone. It is a string of individual stories of Cheyenne tribe members who live in Oakland, CA, but it is for those of us who want to hear unique stories of people often neglected in society, who feel the need to hear the wrenching tales of sadness, who are compelled to try to understand more. Debut author, Tommy Orange, speaks through his characters with raw honestly, and from his own knowledge of what it is to grow up Native in an urban area. His novel is inhabited by a variety of characters: the boy born with fetal alcohol syndrome, the daughter who lived on Alcatraz in childhood now raising her three grand-nephews, the woman adopted by white parents searching for her Cheyenne roots, the mother who seeks the baby she gave up in her youth as she battles alcoholism, the teenage boys caught up in drugs, the young man searching online for his biological father.All these characters circle around the axis of the Great Oakland Powwow, culminating in an ending that will stop your heart. This book will sit inside my heart for quite some time.

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
Admittedly, I spent a few months after the 2016 election with a Pigpen cloud following me for months. I wondered about the Trump transition team- how do we go from competent governance (hard to argue competence even if one doesn't agree with the policy direction) to a group of people who know absolutely nothing about government? Michael Lewis pulls back the curtain and shows us into a few specific departments (Energy, Commerce, Agriculture) and it will scare the bejesus out of you! Did you know the guy in charge of nuclear weapons safety had to begged to come back to man the desk again? How about how climate change impacts the severity of weather events but all that info has been pulled from govt. websites? I found Lewis' detailed research to be utterly fascinating - who knew that NOAA and the weather service is part of the Dept. of Commerce? The data, facts and science buried in all these obscure departments were sewn together into an absorbing story, soon to be a documentary produced by the Obama foundation. Highly recommend - just be thankful we haven't had a nuclear accident yet - fingers crossed:)

Dry by Neal Shusterman, Jarrod Shusterman
In this dystopic novel of one of my favorite writers, Southern California is in the beginning of the "Tap Out," as in, no water comes out when one turns on their faucet. As in...it is very DRY. In just a few short days, we see society completely unravel with the electrical grid off line, all internet down, grocery stores supplies depleted, martial law installed, and anarchy in the street. Shusterman plays on all of our fears of climate change and shows us what the future is like (hint: it is scary). The main characters are a motley crew of teenagers trying to just find a sip of water: the nerdy kid next door whose parents are survivalists and have booby traps for intruders, the sister who is wise beyond her years, tries to do what is right, but is also pragmatic; the little brother with the creative ideas; the 'bad girl' from the high school who saves everyone's neck more than once; and the pathological liar who will either save them or kill them all. This is a roller-coaster of a ride and a frightening look into a possible future.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
I have been counting the days (or should I say years?), waiting for a new book by the author of The Thirteenth Tale, one of my favorite gothic tales from years ago. Her much-awaited new book is finally out and it is a magical turn into a mysterious tale. It all begins at the Swan, a pub set by a river known for its storytellers. On a dark and stormy night (yes, seriously), a strange man walks into the Swan with a dead little girl in his arms. Yet, hours later the little girl awakens and thus the mystery begins. Who is she? Who does she belong to? How did she get into the river? Why are so many people claiming her? The book has maaaany characters to keep track of: Margot, the pub owner, her sickly husband, and her prescient disabled son; the photographer who saves the little girl; the nurse who wants scientific answers to the child's recovery; the grandfather who claims her and his dissolute son who abandons her; the couple whose lost child nearly destroys them; the ferryman, a legend from long ago; and the little girl herself, whose chameleon charms softens everyone's heart. Told in beautifully poetic writing, the story dragged at times for me, with too many characters waltzing in and out of the story. With some further editing, I think it would have gripped me a bit more. With that said, if you like magical realism and tales of olde, this might be the book for you.

The Fire Witness (Joona Linna Series #3) by Lars Keppler
This Swedish mystery series has been compared to the Girl with Dragon Tattoo books, as well as the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Unfortunately, I did not feel as favorably towards it as I did the other Nordic series. Yes, Keppler is dark and creepy, he writes a tense plot line, but the translation is stilted for me and most importantly, the characters are rather one-dimensional. The mystery begins with a double murder at a home for disturbed teenage girls, and then follows suspended National Crime Unit policeman Joona Linna as he searches for the answers. It is a page-turner, but I wanted to understand the motivations of the characters better, particularly the lead detective. I never got a sense of Joona and the demons that drive him, not until the very end, which by then was a little late for me. I love the Scandinavian mystery writers, but this one was a miss for me.

For Better or Worse by Margot Hunt
How was this a Book of the Month pick? Good grief, this was a completely implausible plot line (as in two attorneys choose to commit murder when their son is sexually molested - two people who know full good and well the legal consequences and the ins and outs of investigations???), shallow one-dimensional main characters that are impossible to care about, and a questionable ending. Do NOT waste your time - trust me. Doesn't even deserve a picture:(