July

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (July 2016)

If you read the NPR book of the year (2015), In the Dark Dark Wood, then you read Ware's first novel.  The movie rights have been purchased and the paperback is still selling like hotcakes.  This is her second book, and it is another taut psychological thriller.  Instead of a hen party outside of London, the setting for this novel is on a yacht, a luxury liner on its maiden voyage into the dark north of Scandinavia and the Northern Lights.  Lo Blackwood, a London reporter placed on the ship to write about this new cruising idea for rich folks, has just experienced a horrific break-in at her flat, suffering post-traumatic stress.  As she begins her journey, she encounters a young woman in the cabin across the hall (yep, Cabin 10), yet never sees her again on the boat filled with a scant dozen guests.  Ware sprinkles her story with some strange, twisted characters, leading us down paths of "ah-ha" moments that then twist themselves around again.  As Lo ventures further into the mystery, we are dragged with her, turning page after page to see which passenger really is a psychopath.  Great vacation read for the mystery lover!


LaRose by Louise Erdrich
If you are a fan of Erdrich, her latest novel does not disappoint; if you have never read this award-winning author, she is worth an outing.  Part German and part Ojibwa, Erdrich writes of the indigenous people of her own youth, imbuing her stories with grief, tragedy, spirituality, and hope.  Her previous book, The Roundhouse (National Book Award winner) focused on revenge, while LaRose focuses on redemption.  Two families, related by blood and close in proximity, are visited by death - in a hunting accident, one father shoots and kills the son of the other family.  In an act of contrition, he then gives his own five year old son to this family to raise as their own.  Erdrich examines closely each family member:  the mothers, who deal with grief from two different directions; the siblings who miss their brother, and the grieving sister who gains a new one; and the father whose actions started it all.  It is a powerful story that would bring provocative conversation to any book club.



Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
On the Pacific Northwest bestseller list for the last month, this is the Fargo television writer's first foray into the world of novel-writing.  It is a unique story with a taut plot line that pulled me in from the start.  Struggling artist Scott Burroughs is offered a free plane ride with an eclectic wealthy crowd, to New York City from Martha's vineyard.  However, just a few short minutes after take off, the plane dives into the sea, and Scott and the young son of the family are left broken and alone in the ocean.  The ensuing publicity of Scott's unprecedented swim over eight miles of ocean drives Scott into hiding, and we see the past and present pieces of this plot line begin to knit together.  The over-riding question is how did this plane go down?  Was it an accident?  Was it domestic terrorism?  As Hawley explores each character that was on this fated airplane, numerous theories are floated as to the cause.  Trust me, you will read late into the night to discover each person's secrets and the ultimate reason for this tragic accident.

The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly
Having read Franklin's huge hit, Crooked Letter Crooked Letter, I am a fan of this southern writer.  This time out, Franklin teams up with his wife to create a fascinating story of the infamous 1927 Mississippi delta flood that changed not only the landscape of the south, but the history of the black migration.  The flood is the backdrop for the marriage of Dixie Clay, a poor southern girl mourning the loss of her first child, and her scumbag of a husband who is the top criminal in their small southern town of Hobnob.  Add in a couple of intriguing revenue agents looking for the backwoods moonshiner supplying that part of the state with whiskey, an abandoned infant, a flapper with a drug problem, and an unlikely love story, and the ingredients for a humdinger of a story are mixed together for a solid tale of history, mystery, and disaster.






H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
This book was a departure for me.  Found in the 'Nature' section of our bookstore, it is the story of a young British woman who raises and trains a goshawk in an attempt to assuage her grief over her father's death.  Full of descriptive details of both falconry and the English countryside, it is not my normal genre.  While not what you would call a page-turner, it was a welcome respite from the thrillers, fantasy, and tragic tales that typically rest on my bookshelf.  Macdonald delves far into the past, detailing her own obsession with hawks that began as a child, leading to the time when she chooses a goshawk, the most difficult to train of the hawks.  She intersperses her tale with the stories of D.H. White, author of The Once and Future King and the other tales of Camelot.  As Macdonald learns what not to do with goshawks from White's travails with his lost hawk, we begin to see the development of the relationship between Helen and Mabel, her aptly named hawk.  It is a beautiful story, one of grief spliced into the wildness and beauty of the natural world.

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes (July 2016)
If you are an elementary teacher or parent of a middle-reader, this is a book for you.  In other writing, Rhodes has taken pivotal moments in recent U.S. history and turned them into thoughtful books for young readers; she does this in Towers Falling  for the events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 and it is powerful.  She follows a young girl whose family has hit a bad patch; dad is unable to work, young children are at home, and they currently reside in a family shelter in Brooklyn.  Deja has never been outside of Brooklyn so when her teacher assigns a history project to learn about the towers, she is completely clueless.  The story follows Deja and her two friends, Ben and Sabeen, as they gather information on how the World Trade center's destruction impacted individuals and their families.  Rhodes does a spectacular job of looking at this in a holistic, multi-generational, and multi-cultural manner; it is a thoughtful, well-written story where kids will learn and be provoked to think about international events and the impact on their lives.

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

So often in the fantasy books written for elementary to middle school, violence and fearful creatures tend to take the lead.  In Circus Mirandus, however, debut author Cassie Beasley has created a magical tale of beauty and mystery.  Young Micah is heartbroken, as he watches his beloved grandfather wasting away and his overbearing great-aunt comes to take care of him.  Micah has been told the magical tales of the Circus Mirandus by his grandfather for his whole life and he believes that if he can find this circus, they will grant his grandfather the miracle he was once promised.  As Micah and his friend Jenny discover this magical world, they meet extraordinary creatures and put together the history of not only the circus, but his grandfather's past.  It is a beautiful story of love, family, and loyalty.  If you have a child in your life who needs a little magic, I highly recommend this book.

June Books

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (June 7, 2016)
Stunning.  Jaw-dropping. Brilliant. Those are the first words that come to mind with this debut novel of twenty-six year old Yaa Gyasi.  Homegoing has been the talk of the publishing world for months, and should garner all the awards in 2016, and yes, the praise is well-deserved.  The unique subject, plot-line, and writing style contribute to a novel that I will not soon forget.  It begins in the late 1700's, in Ghana, when two sisters who do not know the other exists, have life choices thrust upon them.  Effia marries a white British man who runs the Castle, the coastal prison where the Fante tribe members bring the slaves they purchased from the Asante tribe.  In the dungeon below, bodies piled upon bodies, lies Esi, soon to be shipped to America and a life far different than her sister's. Each chapter follows the bloodline of the two sisters, changing each generation.  We see the wars in Ghana, the colonization by the British, the tribal fighting, and the steps towards modernization.  In America, we see the utter degradation of slavery, the effects of the Fugitive Act, the outcome of the Great Migration, the beginning of the Civil Rights movement, and the struggles of the new century.  In each descendant's story, Gyasi creates complex characters, heart-wrenching situations, and deep love for family.  This book is truly a masterpiece.  

Ink and Bone by Lisa Junger (June 2016)
You know those books that call to you throughout the day, and the ones that you say "just one more chapter" laaaate into the night? Yep, this is that kind of book.  From the very first page, I found this story and its characters quite compelling.  Finley Montgomery has come back home to the Hollows, a small hill town outside of New York.  Her grandmother, Eloise, is a world renowned psychic and needs to teach Finley how to control the ghosts she has seen since childhood.  Up until now, Finley has merely inked all these faces onto her body, reminding her of the spirits that need her help. Now it is a young family from NYC, whose daughter disappeared ten months ago and is crying out to Finley for help - it is Finley's turn to work with the private detective to find some answers.  In the negative vortex of the Hollows, ancestors call out to their family everywhere and strange forces unite; this is a spine-tingling mystery that will raise the hair on the back of your neck and yes, keep you reading well past midnight.


So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
Considering what is happening currently in the international news, with the shaming of the parents of the little boy who crawled into the gorilla enclosure, this is a very topical cultural criticism book.  Jon Ronson explores the idea of shaming by society through Twitter, Facebook, 24/7 news shows, and newspapers, not only the rags but established news sources.  He gives examples of stories you will recognize, and shows how one poorly thought out comment completely ruins their lives.  Ronson also examines shaming that is used in the justice system, as well as how people who feel no remorse avoid the public shaming that destroys most people.  I found this to be a fascinating look at the practice of lightening speed condemnation and judgement, thanks to a globally connected world.  This would be a fascinating discussion for any book club.




Heat and Light by Jennifer Haigh
I am, admittedly, a huge Jennifer Haigh fan; I have read all of her books (Mrs. Kimble, Bakerton Towers, Faith, The Condition, and News from Heaven).  Critically acclaimed and winner of the Pen/Hemingway award, this author has a gift for creating and sustaining complex characters amid the minutia of their lives.  In her latest novel, Haigh goes back to the town of Bakerton, a small Pennsylvania community, dying as the coal business has disappeared and the young people have fled.  The latest 'savior' of their town is the newest energy industry, the one that drills deep, shoots millions of gallons of water into rock, and extracts gas and oil from the shale.  We know it as fracking.  Haigh looks at all sides of this issue:  the impact on the farmers, the economic plusses and minuses, the environment, and the geologists involved with both the testing and the industry itself.  It is a fascinating look at what occurs in a town that just wants to sustain its way of life.  This is not a page-turning thriller, but it is a darn good book that taught me a lot about an industry I hear about, but did not really understand.


Redemption Road by John Hart
Another one of my favorite authors (yep, read all of his books also), John Hart is a master of combining family drama, mystery, bad cops in the South, and even a little bit of love into a page-turner of a book.  This time around the main protagonists are Adrian, an ex-cop recently released from prison after serving thirteen years for murder, and Elizabeth, a veteran detective who was the only cop who believed in Adrian years ago.  Young women are once again being murdered and put on display at the old country church, and again, Adrian is the suspect.  Add in a few crooked prison guards and their warden, an old, wily country lawyer, a motherless boy who wants revenge, and a preacher estranged from his daughter and you've got a humdinger of a story.  This is a great vacation read that will leave you very satisfied.




The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the California by David Dyer
We all know how the Titanic ended up...at the bottom of the ocean.  However, did it really have to happen?  I don't mean the iceberg; it was freezing temperatures in the North Atlantic - icebergs happen.  Yet, when the ship first struck the ice, why did no one come to its rescue?  That is the question author David Dyer attempts to answer, as he looks closely at the sailors on the California, a British steamer that was just five miles away from the accident.  While this is historical fiction, Dyer does a masterful job of research, using transcripts from the actual Senate hearings, as well as the trial in England.  We meet the Second Watch on the California, as well as the captain, the reporter who seeks out the hidden story of the botched rescue, as well as the heartfelt story of an entire family of ten, wiped out by the tragedy.  It is a very different perspective from the norm; if you are a fan of Titanic stories, this would be a good one to add to your mix.

Spring 4.0

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
Do you remember trying to slog through Jane Eyre?  Yes, I was one of those people who just couldn't get past the depressing life of the orphan girl and her hateful relatives...and I tried three times.  This new 'take' on the old story, however, turns Jane into a witty, smart, self-reliant, young woman who just happens to also be a serial killer.  Oh yes, this is one dark story that I thoroughly loved.  If you listen to books, I highly recommend this one; it is read in a deliciously crisp British accent that fits the Victorian language to perfection.  Faye writes this book as if it does take place back in the 19th century and narrates the story from Jane's point of view.  We see Jane's childhood and her insufferable, creepy cousin who of course gets his due.  As she makes her way through a deadly boarding school where the girls are starved as punishment, we see Jane's lies and manipulations come to full fruition.  As dead bodies start to pile up in Jane's past, she finally meets her 'Rochester' in the form of a mysterious man who lives as a Sikh in her old childhood manor.  Mystery abounds, as does some highly compelling characters and brilliant writing.  This was a truly fantastic read.

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
On the bestseller list for many weeks, I had been eyeing this book for awhile.  This debut novel by Cynthia Sweeney was outstanding, rife with excellent writing and some complex characters.  Four siblings live in New York City, all with varying degrees of disaster lurking in their lives.  Leo, the oldest, is an overblown narcissist who, after a successful career, finds himself in hot water after an incident with drugs, a car, and a willing waitress.  His remaining siblings discover that mom (who is a piece of work) has bailed Leo out of his trouble by decimating the 'nest' egg that dad left the four of them, due to be disbursed upon the youngest's birthday.  Jack needs to money to hide the second mortgage from his partner, who never trusted the 'nest' in the first place, Melody also overspends on her children in anticipation of the coming inheritance, and youngest sibling Bea lives in a world of perpetual failure after shining bright as a twenty-year old hot new writer.  Sweeney does a masterful job of moving back and forth amongst these dynamic characters, showing us sides we dislike, pieces we pity, and yes, even parts of them we admire.  I had a hard time convincing myself each night to turn off the bedside lamp; this is a compelling story of a dysfunctional family, broken dreams, and ties that perhaps go deeper than first imagined.

City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
For all you fans of the Passage trilogy, Cronin has FINALLY completed the story.  It only took six years and yes, I almost squealed with delight when I saw the advanced-reader copy sitting in the bookstore lunchroom.  For all you neophytes who never read The Passage, or its sequel The Twelve, you have missed out.  His books have been runaway hits since 2010, and they are obsessively good reads.  Here's the premise in a nutshell: scientists discover 'fountain of youth' creatures in Brazilian rainforest, government steals blood to create super-human killing machine known as virals (think bad-ass vampires), virals of course escape and decimate the world.  However, one small girl, Amy, who was an lab experiment herself, is tasked with the saving of the world.  I know - it reads like a bad disaster film, but Cronin can write, he builds this post-disaster world with great finesse, and his heroes are admirable while his enemies are vicious, as well as complex. The finale of the series shows a world reborn post-virals, but also goes back in time to Zero, the first test subject.  We see his past life and how the scientists found themselves in Brazil in the first place, as Zero plots his revenge against the people who destroyed his twelve compadres.  It's another long one (600 pages) but so worth the days of not cooking dinner, walking the dog, cleaning the house, etc. as I obsessively read every word to find out if Amy could save the world.  The finale is satisfying and oh so worth it.

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica (May 2016)
Mary Kubica (The Good Girl, Pretty Baby) has become a go-to author for me when I just need a good old-fashioned thriller.  I loved her first two books and found myself up late at night, turning page after page, constantly promising myself 'just one more chapter.'  Her latest will keep you up late as well.  Two parallel stories go on here.  First is Quinn's story; her roommate, Esther, has disappeared from their Chicago apartment, leaving Quinn mystified, scared, and seeking help from the law student she's had a crush on for years.  As Quinn (who's a bit of a disaster herself) delves into Esther's life, she discovers that there's not much to discover - Esther has left no footprint of who she is, except when Quinn finds a storage unit that begins to give her some clues.  The second narrator is young Alex, who works in a small town, taking care of his alcoholic mother as well as the town agoraphobic, who needs Alex to bring her food, books, and company.  The way in which Kubica draws these two perspectives together, tying each string with care, is actually quite fabulous.  If you're looking for a great vacation read that will keep you turning pages, look no further.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo (May 2016)
After reading the non-fiction book Becoming Nicole:  The Transformation of an American Family, this is a perfect companion book for a young adult, particularly one who wants to learn about gender identity and/or is dealing with their own feelings of confusion.  Author Meredith Russo herself is transgender, finally able to live her true identity as an adult, so she definitely imbues her fiction story with truth and honesty.  The main character is Amanda, a high school senior who had been bullied, harassed, and beaten for years at her old school. Taking the previous year off to complete her therapy and surgery, Amanda has now come to live with her father and complete high school as a young woman.  We see her struggles to make friends, navigate high school romance and flirtation, and rebuild a relationship with a father that she thought had been irrevocably damaged.  There were times when I might think the author was being a bit more positive than perhaps real life might be down South, yet I also believe that teens struggling with both sexuality and gender issues need hope, and Russo definitely gives them hope that yes, life will get better.  This would be a fabulous book to give any high schooler, boy or girl, to help them see life through another viewpoint.


The Muse by Jessie Burton (May 2016)

Last year, Burton's debut novel The Miniaturist was an international best-seller. (Loved it - great story about 17th century Amsterdam).  Her latest effort does not disappoint and once again turns to a unique time period, this time about the ex-pats caught in the beginning of the Spanish Civil war of the 1930's.  The first narrator is Olive, a nineteen year old girl living with her parents near Malaga, Spain.  Father is an Austrian art dealer who travels the continent buying and selling art for rich patrons.  Mom is a beautiful, self-absorbed woman with some mental issues.  Enter two young Spanish rebels and the story takes off with love, betrayal, and violence.  The second narrator is Odell, a Caribbean transplant to London, employed by a mysterious art institute that has ties to the past.  As Burton ties the stories together of these two time periods, characters, and their many secrets, we are pulled into a long-held secret of the art world.  It is a worthy second novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell (May 2016)
Perennial best-selling author, Lisa Jewell (The House We Grew Up In) has written another tense psychological thriller.  The main setting involves a private park in London, where an entire neighborhood lives its private lives, and hides its ugly secrets.  Claire is the newest resident, fleeing a husband who, in a psychotic break, burned their family home to the ground.  Their pre-teen girls, Pip and Grace, are then pulled into the small clique of neighbors that dominate the park:  Tyler, child of the neighborhood alcoholic; Adele and Leo, the 'perfect' hippie couple and their three home-schooled, quirky girls; Dylan, the mixed-race boy with a wealthy background; and Gordon, the creepy grandfather who always seems to be lurking nearby.  A mysterious death from thirty years ago comes back to haunt the park when another girl is found unconscious.  Jewell is the master at throwing out clues, hints, and numerous red herrings as you try to figure out 'who-dunnit.'  This is a tautly written thriller that will keep you turning pages.

Spring 3.0

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
The latest book by the author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, I have been waiting anxiously to get my hands on this one.  On the PNW bestseller list since hitting the stores, it was well worth the wait. If you combined Pride and Prejudice with the PBS hit show Downton Abbey  you would understand the beauty of this book.  Simonson's main character is Beatrice Nash, a young independent woman who, after the death of her professorial father who she had helped in his research and writing, now has to strike out on her own and earn a living.  Beatrice finds herself in a small, picturesque English town in Sussex, redolent with all the very classic English characters you can imagine:  the busybody untitled but well-to-do Agatha, with no children of her own but a hand in every charity in town; Agatha's nephew Hugh, the stolid, practical soon-to-be-surgeon who has certain expectations of his life; Agatha's other nephew, a romantic would-be poet; a beautiful Belgium refugee who invades Beatrice's life; the titled family of the town with all the power, but a daughter married to a German; and most importantly, the war.  Because yes, the onset of WWI changes the lives of this small town like a whirlwind, upsetting the social order and rearranging the characters' life goals.  While at times I felt it was a touch too long, Simonson is a beautiful writer.  She also puts in a few plot twists that are unexpected, some deliciously English romance, and heartbreaking tragedy that will tug at your sense of right and wrong.  This was a delightful book.

This Was Not the Plan by Cristina Alger
Alger's debut novel, The Darlings, was a favorite of mine last year and I thoroughly enjoyed this second novel.  Set in the world of New York City big law, it was a heartwarming story at times, but also riotously funny as we see a single dad come to grips with what is truly important in life.  At the onset, we meet big-time attorney Charlie Goldwyn, a young widower who spends most of his nights sleeping on his office couch while trying to do his partner's bidding while his five year old son is raised by his kooky twin sister, Zady.  At a summer office function, Charlie gets a tad inebriated and tells the entire firm what he really thinks about the law, and some of his demanding clients.  It is hilarious and spot-on, but obviously causes huge employment issues with Charlie.  As the story unfolds, we see back into Charlie's past with his wife, his dysfunctional family, his struggles with parenthood, and we watch him try to piece together a life of his own choosing.  After some creepy murder mysteries, my heart loved this one - it spoke to what I believe about life and why we live it.


The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

I do love listening to a good, dense non-fiction; it makes me feel like I've taken a good history course at college again, and let's be real - no one does it better than David McCullough.  His latest (and some say possibly his last) foray into American history covers the famous Wright brothers and the beginning of the aeronautical age.  Admittedly, all I ever knew about these boys was the name of Kitty Hawk; McCullough made their story come alive in so many ways.  We learn about the family, the support of their father and especially their sister, the years and years of trials and errors, the building of an empire, their relationship with France and the American government, and most importantly, the inner workings of both the brothers, Wilbur and Orville.  I was fascinated with the story, and a bit heartbroken at the end.  If you or someone you know is interested in flight, this book is a treasure trove of factual information, as well as just a darn good story.

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Admittedly, I first picked up this YA books because it takes place in Amsterdam, a city I have visited three times now as my daughter is a resident there.  However, I also love a good Holocaust story with a different twist, and this one is it.  The main character, Hanneke, is a Dutch girl whose sole purpose in life is to work the black-market system to keep her parents alive.  Hanneke has no intention on getting drawn into the horror of what is happening to her Jewish friends, nor the resistance movement of the young college crowd.  However, a missing Jewish girl from her hiding spot changes Hanneke's mind, and we see the various characters that played a role in saving the Dutch Jews. Hesse does a fine job of telling what could have been a 'typical' story but turning it into something unexpected.  This book has already hit the PNW bestseller list - it's a good story.




The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

This book will keep you awake at night, with goose bumps crawling up the back of your neck.  After escaping the rumors of the scientific community in Victorian England, the Reverend Sunderly and his family move to a small island off the coast, where a dig for fossils has begun.  As Faith battles her father for recognition of her genius, he takes her into his confidence by sharing his latest specimen. This special plant, kept in a dark cave, grows exponentially when fed lie after lie, producing fruit that helps the liar to see the ‘truth’ of his or her life.  When Faith’s father mysteriously dies, throwing the family into the chaos of a suicide inquiry and an unburied body, Faith must seek out her own truth to find the murderer.  The host of supporting characters is at times sexist, cruel, demeaning, and mysterious, giving us a list of many suspects.  If you like dark, twisted, gothic tales, this one is definitely for you.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Okay, this is a "kid's" book but so many of my adult friends have read it and raved over it, I had to dive in.  A Newberry Honor book, it was well worth the one day it took me to read.  Another WWII book, this one is about Ada, a nine year old girl of the London slums, whose mother is a nightmare.  Ada has an untreated clubfoot, and has never been allowed out of her apartment.  However, when the children are shipped off to the countryside when the London Blitz begins, Ada finds new freedom and a new home.  This is a wonderfully heartwarming story, that also has scenes of great tragedy and heartbreak; excellent story for anyone ages ten through eighty.

Spring Books 2.0

The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal
A breakthrough hit in France by a debut author, this book is provocative, thoughtful, and written in a such a unique writing style that it is at first disconcerting.  Translated in an authentic manner from the author's style, the reader is faced with second-person point of view.  As in, the writer speaks directly to us, placing us in the room during highly charged, emotional moments, almost as if the 'fly on the wall.'  The book begins with 19 year old Simon Limbres as he and his friends leave his home at dawn in order to catch the perfect wave at the nearby shore in France.  Just hours later, after a horrific car accident, we are personally entangled in all the decisions that come with a child who is brain dead: the devastated parents, the responsibilities of the medical team members, Simon's friends, and the recipient of Simon's precious heart.  Over the space of just 24 hours, this author is able to ensnare our emotions like nothing I have ever experienced.  I read frantically, voraciously, feeling each character's emotions as if I was there.  Not an easy book to experience; if you're looking for redemption in the end, this one is complicated.  But it is definitely a book I will not forget easily and would be an incredible book club choice with a plethora of hotly charged topics to discuss.

Evicted:  Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Round two in unforgettable books, this was one of the more disheartening books I have read in quite some time. Brilliantly written and deeply researched, Matthew Desmond spends years with eight families in the heart of Milwaukee's poverty stricken neighborhoods, as they struggle with eviction, shady landlords, literal slum lords, drug addiction, job searches, and the type of devastating poverty that most people like to pretend does not exist in America.  Desmond, with brutal honestly, shows us a side of Milwaukee and humanity that is often difficult to understand, but he does so with compassion and truth.  He was able to tape many conversations and be a part of a world often denied to researchers; it is an impressive thesis on the state of housing in America for the disenfranchised.  Desmond pulls no punches and chooses to show his subjects in all their fallibility, not romanticizing their life choices (which at times are beyond questionable), yet also not condemning them.  It is admirable.  Desmond shows us the toll eviction takes, the unbearably high cost of housing in the slums, and the vicious cycle that is nearly impossible to break, generation after generation.  Not an uplifting book, to be sure, but one that will provide you with an education that is well worth the depression.

Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
This was the heartwarming, feel-good book I had to pick up after finishing Evicted; it did not disappoint.  August Schroeder is a high school science teacher, who is increasingly burnt out on his job, surviving each school year by dreaming of his summer road trip in his motor home.  Yet this summer begins with a devastating dilemma - pay out all of his savings to fix his broken engine and punt on the trip to Yellowstone OR take the mechanic's offer of a free repair, that of course comes with strings.  The 'strings' being his two young sons, seven year old Henry and eleven year old Seth, who need a home for the summer while dad spends a few months as the guest of the county jail.  And since this is a 'heartwarming' story, of course August takes the boys along for the tour of a lifetime, seeing Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Canyon, and ultimately the final destination of Yellowstone.  As the trip unfolds, we see the urgency of August's quest, the way nature can heal wounds, and the burgeoning relationship August forms with two small, utterly delightful young boys.  Yep, this warmed by heart, kept me turning pages, and ended with a smile. Well worth it:)

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
This book is getting a lot of buzz out in the book-blogging world, and it is well-deserved.  Guskin takes what could have been an 'ordinary' story - that of one mother whose son disappeared years ago, another mother whose son has psychological issues that cause alienation - and twists it around to help us see that perhaps there are other forces at work here.  Janie's son Noah refuses baths, sobs for his other mother to come save him, and has horrifying nightmares about drowning.  Diagnosed at age four with schizophrenia, Janie instead turns to a psychologist who rejected a promising Harvard career as a psychiatrist and instead began to research past lives of children.  A laughing stock in the medical world, this doctor is looking for an American child to validate his research.  Guskin brings up the many questions as she intersperses the fictional story with scholarly accounts of young children, mainly in Asia, who have been reunited with their previous families.  Questions such as...does religious have a place in medicine, does reincarnation exist, do young children have a special window into their past lives, and if so, how does one meld this belief with other religious beliefs?  As the two mothers try to make their way through grief, they must also attempt to find answers to these questions.  It is a fascinatingly different take on a mystery, as well as what a parent would do to heal a child.

Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
If you read The Wife, the Maid, and The Mistress (great book on a true-life 1920's era murder), this is Lawhon's second outing in the world of historical mystery.  This time around, she takes the world-famous story of the zeppelin, the Hindenburg (who hasn't seen the famous 1938 video of it burning to the ground in just 34 seconds?), and semi-fictionalizes the crossing from Berlin to New Jersey.  I say 'semi' as the author actually did extensive research on the real passenger list and uses these facts to people her story.  The names have not changed, nor their reason for being on the airship, nor their eventual fate - some lived, some died.  However, Lawhon obviously creates the relationships, the dialogue, the rivalries, the espionage, and the eventual reason for the explosion.  Told through the eyes of the "reporter," the "navigator," the "flight attendant,"  the mysterious "American," and the "cabin boy," we readers see the strings that ultimately leave to the final devastation.  It is a fascinating look at history, as well as just a darn good story.

The Nine:  Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin
With everything going on today in the world of SCOTUS, I figured this would be a good book to become a more educated person on how the United Stated Supreme Court actually works, as well as the complex humans who inhabit that world.  I was right - I infinitely know more about the workings of the court, the nomination process, and of course all the dirty little secrets, relationships, maneuvering, etc. that I ever wanted to know.  Toobin's book was published in 2008, so it does not have the Obama court choices in the book, but it does a stellar job of setting up the previous 25 years to see how the direction of the court was orchestrated.  Starting with the selection of Sanda Day O'Connor, we see her slow walk to the left, as she became disheartened by the Bush presidency as well as how politicized the court became.  Toobin outlines the selection of Ginsburg, Breyer, Kennedy, as well as the newer spots filled by Roberts and Alioto. He also goes into great detail about cases I knew little of, and I came to realize how much these cases affect our lives today as well as the current political atmosphere today.  Admittedly, I find the legal world fascinating, as well as many of the justices so this book is right in my wheelhouse.  If you're a legal junkie, like history, want to become better informed, this is a well-written, intriguing book.

Early Spring Books

Two If By Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Jacquelyn Mitchard (Deep End of the Ocean) is back with another beautifully written novel, once again focusing on the intricacies of family.  Frank Mercy, an injured and retired policeman, survives a devastating tsunami on Christmas Day on an Australian beach, but loses his wife and unborn child.  However, the next day when searching for survivors, Frank pulls a small boy from a sinking van, as the boy’s brother tells Frank that Ian is ‘important,’ before being swept away in the flood.  As Frank begins a new life, full of secrets and lies as he spirits the boy back to America with him, we begin to see how important Ian is, as well as the extraordinary gifts he has, gifts that some people will do anything to obtain.  Frank’s job as a horse trainer brings him into contact with intriguing characters, as well as showing the deep bonds of the owner and animals. This is a rich story, filled with deep love, sorrow, and ultimate redemption as Frank Mercy finds his way back to life. (March 15, 2016)



Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
I have read so many WWII books, books on the Jewish holocaust, books of war and trauma, I honestly wondered...is there a story I have not read yet on this subject?  The answer is in this book... yes, I had one more left to read, the story of Ravensbruck and the horrific experimentation done on so many young women.  Kelly uses three narrators to tell her story: Kasia, the young Polish girl, swept up in the resistance, who's mother and sister are taken with her to the prison camp; Herta, a young German doctor, desperate for money, who chooses to work at a new 'summer camp'; and Caroline Herriday, a real-life New York socialite who works tirelessly for war victim, particularly when she hears the fate of the Ravensbruck 'rabbits'.  It was an interesting point of view, to look at the German doctor's immoral acts, justified in her own mind to survive and flourish in a world of war, juxtaposed with the heroism of the girls. The story is heart-wrenching at times, moving between the horrors of painful and debilitating surgery in Poland, to the heartlessness of the German doctors, to the struggles at the French consulate to get help and aid to refugees.  Author Martha Kelly first heard the story of Carolyn Herriday when touring the famous gardens at Herriday's Connecticut home, and realized few people know the story of the 'lapins' (rabbit in French); these girls were horribly disfigured, and then ignored by history, until Carolyn came along to help them reclaim their lives, even in communist Poland.  It is an engrossing story about some remarkable and heroic women. (April 5, 2016)

Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederick Backman
When I saw this lovely new book by my favorite Swedish author, just sitting there on the ARC table (advanced reader copy), I felt my fingers tingle.  After laughing and crying and cheering for the characters in his first two books, A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You a Story, I was ready to dive back into Frederick Backman's words.  He goes back to a minor character from his Grandmother book, the crotchety old neighbor of little Elsa.  However, Britt-Marie is now separated from her skeezy husband and the book begins with her harassment of the girl at the Unemployment office.  Britt-Marie is lacking in social skills, cleans obsessively, and has not a clue how to be her own person.  However, a new 'job' at a rec center in a small dying town in Sweden changes everything for Britt-Marie.  The list of unique characters is a long one:  'Somebody,' the wheelchair-bound pizzeria owner; Banks, the blind woman with bitter memories; Sven, the lonely policeman who takes 'courses' on pottery and cooking; and most importantly, the football players: Vega, Omar, and older brother Sami, who have been abandoned by their parents; Pirate, whose father is in prison; Psycho, who is a more loyal friend than perhaps his name allows, and Max, who's father hides a secret.  This is a story of healing a woman stuck for too long in the past, who has never given herself permission to 'jump,' and who has a Grinch-sized heart.  You will laugh, cry, and cheer for Britt-Marie...guaranteed. (May 2016)

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Joe Talbert has a complex life: an autistic eighteen year old brother, who needs more than Joe can give; an alcoholic mother who pops in and out of the county jail, demanding bail money from her 'college' boy; the mysterious girl next door who wants nothing to do with Joe; and the English class assignment to write a biography on an interesting person.  Thus enters Carl Iverson, a relationship that will change Joe Talbert forever.  You see, Carl is dying of pancreatic cancer, residing in a nursing home with 24 hour care.  The nurses, however, are not that kind to Carl, considering he spent the last 30 years of his life in the Minnesota state prison for raping and killing a 14 year old girl.  As Carl details his dying declaration, Joe begins to realize that this Vietnam war vet, tortured-soul of a man may be much more than a homicidal killer.  Memories of his grandfather's death wend its way through Joe's memory, forcing him to confront the redemption he so badly seeks.  This is much more than solving the mystery of a young girl's death; it is about the idea of what makes a family, how our past impacts today, and how we find hope in life we once thought was 'buried.'  This was a truly fantastic read - you won't be sorry you read it.

The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
(I think someone told mystery/thriller writers to always put "Girl" in the title, and it's a guaranteed hit - not a bad idea, considering the past couple years - but a little originality is not a bad thing).  Now...on to the book, which was quite good, regardless of the repetitive title.  Beth, a young newly-divorced mother in England, is a typical, constantly-worried, over-protective woman when it comes to parenting her eight year old daughter.  Therefore what happens?  Of course, said daughter disappears.  However, the twist comes in as the other narrating voice in the story is Carmel, the daughter herself.  As we see Beth go through the early hours, days, weeks, and then years of Carmel's disappearance, we also see Carmel's new life, as well as her rather 'unique' talent.  Kate Hamer, a debut author hailing from Wales, is deft at building suspense and laying down clues to for both the reader, as well as for Carmel's mother.  This is a solid first effort, well worth the read.



Pax by Sarah Pennypacker
If you have a middle-reader (ie. Grade 4-6), keep reading...Pax is the latest hot new hit in the world of children's literature, and it is well-deserved.  Reminiscent of Where the Red Fern Grows, the story of Pax, the stalwart young fox and his boy Peter will keep you riveted to each page.  As a war comes to Peter's homeland, Peters if forced to release his fox to the wilderness as his father deposits Peter at his grandparent's farm.  Having raised him from infancy, Peter cannot get Pax's face out of his memory, and is compelled to return to the 'scene of the crime' and rescue his beloved pet.  The story is thus told through both Pax and Peter.  We see the dangers of Pax's new life, the friends he makes, as well as the enemies, and the heart Pax shows to survive; we also see Peter's determination to do what is right for Pax, the people who both aid and deter Peter, and the rawness of his love for the little fox.  Often teary and tense, this is a beautiful magical tale of deep and abiding love, and the courage to do what is right.  Highly recommend:)

Vacation Reading

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt
Eighteen years ago, Wayne and Kelly Maines got a call from a cousin, telling them that she needed a good couple to adopt the twins she was carrying.  After years of infertility, the answer was a resounding "Yes!"  The complete reconstruction of their concept of what it is to be a family, and what it is to be a specific gender, takes place over the next years of their lives.  Author Amy Nutt does a spectacular job of staying out of the story, telling the narrative as an objective observer, and beginning each new section with physiological and psychological research into gender identity.  As the Maines' story unfolds, we see an ex-military, conservative father grapple with the ideas of what makes a boy a boy, and vice versa.  We see bullying in the school that erupts in a fight taken all the way to the state legislature.  We see friends who rally around Wyatt, who becomes Nicole, and we hear from his brother, Jonas, who says he has always known he had a sister and not a brother.  And we see their mother Kelly, who fights for the civil rights of her daughter, and teaches not only her husband, but her community, of what it means to become who one was born to be.  This is an inspirational, thoughtful book full of so much healthy learning - definitely a five star read.

The Good Goodbye  by Carla Buckley
I loved Buckley's previous novel, The Things that Keep Us Here, the far-too-real tale of a worldwide bird flu pandemic, a precursor to Station Eleven that I actually found more realistic.  The Good Goodbye is a worthy follow up.  It is a story of two families that send that daughters off to college, thinking they know everything about their lives...but do they?  Do any of us know what happens in the world of the constantly connected, tuned in, tech-savvy teens?  We see these two families at the hospital bedsides of their daughters/cousins after a terrible dormitory fire, and as Buckley takes us in and out of the past, we begin to piece together the puzzle of how their girls got to this place.  The parents are not altogether lovable, each with some unpleasant sides to them, as well as some redeeming qualities.  These are complex folks and I was constantly wondering who done what?? This is a great beach book - fast reading, gripping story, and a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end.  Solid effort by a good author.  It's getting a lot of buzz out in the publishing world - could be a nice little hit for Buckley.

The  Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison

A debut novel by new writer Jon Harrison, I am sad that this book has stayed on the periphery of the publishing world.  It is a fantastic read:  well-written with a complex story line that is both familiar yet new; richly drawn characters that you both want to cheer for and choke at times; and a fresh, honest voice that looks deeply into family relationships and how we deal with the 'ordinary' tragedies of life.  Teacher/administrator Neil Kazanzakis had it all - his childhood sweetheart as his wife, a job coaching cross country and teaching at a small port town on Lake Michigan, and a close relationship with his fourteen year old son.  Fast forward four years and his wife is in a permanent vegetative state, Neil is being accused of physically abusing a student, and his secret affair with a nurse is about to be put on public display.  Yup, it sounds like a big soap opera...but it does not read that way.  As we watch the student's story unfold, we slowly see the trap set for Neil by YouTube and public perception.  We feel his son's pain as he visits his mother weekly, and we watch Neil's relationships unravel one by one, as he desperately tries to hang on to his life.  To paraphrase one reviewer on this book, "I would not change a thing about this story."  I felt the same way.  The story was masterfully told; I hope that others discover this jewel of a book.

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer
Belinda Bauer is a very popular British writer with a string of thriller/mysteries set in England.  After reading just one book, I am a fan.  The plot begins in a small town outside London, in a mechanic's garage where Anna Buck sits daily, cleaning the footsteps frozen in the cement of the garage...the last known trace of her five-year-old son who went missing four months ago.  In the depths of crippling depression, Anna decides to consult a psychic, coincidentally the same psychic who failed miserably to help Detective Marvel find Edie, a missing freckled-faced twelve year old girl.  As the stories begin to tangle themselves together, not only do the characters begin to question the presence of the 'shut eye,' the ability to see beyond what is known, but so do we the readers. Questions revolve around everyone:  Is Anna insane or can she see into the beyond? Does Detective Marvel have the ability to solve the case, or is he just a misogynistic ass? Can Anna's husband see past her problems and find his boy?  This mystery will keep you guessing until the end, guaranteed.


Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

This was one of those books that 'everyone' was reading, so of course who wants to be a lemming and follow that crowd?  Perhaps they were right, however - it's a darn good read!  The best part of the book is the main character, Ani FaNelli - geez, just look at that name again - it's priceless.  And so is Ani (aka TiFFani) - she is what I would call a 'piece of work.' Currently engaged to a wealthy scion of New York society, employed as a 'sex' writer at a brainless fashion magazine, and permanently committed to starving herself to death to fit into a size two, Ani is a character you can easily hate.  However, she's also wickedly funny, brutally honest in her self-reflection, and has a few interesting ghosts in her past.  In fact, she has a whole closet-full in her past.  As Ani prepares for both her wedding, and a big television interview, we start to see glimpses of her past: a previous English teacher now back in her life, a nosy reporter who wants all the dirt on what really happened at the nationally -famous 'incident' at her preppy college-prep high school, and the loyalty of her quirky best friend.  As author Knolls unravels Ani's past, we start to question our earlier perceptions of Ani...hmmm, is she really a wicked bitch or a survivor?  This is a roller coaster ride of a book - read it before the movie comes out:)

Descent by Tim Johnston
Having been on the PNW bestseller list for a number of weeks, I figured it was my 'job' to read and review it. I would suggest not listening to it.  That is what I did, and it read 'slower' I think because of that.  Johnston's writing is beautiful, with incredible description of the Colorado mountains, and I would have enjoyed actually seeing the writing.  It is a strong story of a family who becomes unraveled and how they their way back to a new reality.  Told from a variety of perspectives, we see the Courtland family as they first arrive at their motel in the Colorado mountain resort, and the phone call the parents get when their son is found badly injured at the side of the road. No sign lis eft of their 18 year old daughter, off for a training run with her brother on his bike.  As the next two years play out, we see the father, Grant, as he refuses to leave the Colorado town, the roots he puts down as he continuously searches for his daughter, and both the friends and enemies he makes.  We see his son, Sean who quits school and lives on the road, trying to run away from the guilt of surviving that fateful day.  The mother, Angela, flits in and out of a mental hospital back home in Wisconsin, attempting to regain her teaching career, yet failing each month.  And then we hear from Caitlin, the daughter trapped on a mountain side with a monster.  As Johnston plays this story out, he chooses not to follow the cookie cutter pattern of plot development, and gives us unexpected twists and turns, with a good dose of reality as well.  This is a thought-provoking story, that delves into the psychology of a survivor, the criminal mind, and the make-up of what makes a family.

Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
If you are adamantly opposed to fantasy, stop reading.  However, if you have an open mind to trying new genres or you do like a bit of fantastical adventure, you might want to continue on.  I have come to a personal epiphany about 'fantasy,' that in the past I would say I didn't like.  However, I grew up on the Oz books, and then dove deeply into Harry Potter with my two daughters.  It occurred to me that yes, I must obviously like a little magic and fantasy.  When an author takes a place I recognize, in the case of Shadow and Bone Russia and its neighbors, and then throws in some magical heroes and villains, I am hooked.  In this case, Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows - one of my 2015 favs), has created a fantastic female hero in Alina, the poor, not particularly attractive orphaned peasant girl, who has no idea she is a Grisha.  What is a Grisha, you may ask?  It is a person born with distinct magical abilities:  Heartrenders can stop your heart (problematic if they're your enemy);  Fabricators can make anything, and I mean anything; Inferni can create fire, Tidekeepers have that whole water thing down, and the ones that can summon the wind can keep a flying boat afloat.  Alina's little gift...she can summon the Sun - not bad.  The Darkling, the resident bad guy, of course wants her power and goes to fairly treacherous lengths to align with her.  However, Alina makes some powerful friends, and her loyal childhood friend, Mal, will never leave her.  Bardugo is just a fantastic storyteller, seriously.  She spins a book, or three, that are impossible to put down - exciting, at times terrifying, funny, romantic, and yes...fantastical.  Try it - you may be surprised:)