This month, the small but mighty SLPL team read some interesting books!
This month, Shirley J. had the highest page count, with 3430. However, Jen O. was close on her heels with 3383 pages!
Onwards to March!!
Summary from Goodreads: After artist Claire Beaudry Chase is attacked and left for dead in her home on the Connecticut coast, she doesn’t know who she can trust. But her well-connected husband, Griffin—who is running for governor—is her prime suspect.
And here's what I thought: I really liked the fact that there was more than one viewpoint and that the story moved back and forth in time. You start with something happening right now, and then move backwards, and then go back and keep moving forward again. The past days give some nice foreshadowing to what will happen, and combined with the steady pace, I found this one to be a page turner. I also liked the setting, which was important to the story and the characters (and sounded like a place I'd like to visit).
&issn=/LC.JPG&client=slplp&type=xw12)
This book covers all kinds of inventions and patents, from automatic dishwashers, COBOL, drip coffeemakers, Kevlar and much more. Some of the entries are longer than others, but it makes for really interesting reading. And, it's easy to find more information on all of these women if you want to learn even more about them --- especially if you look up what their patent drawings look like.
Summary from Goodreads: For decades, people have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Hitchhikers have vanished along it over the years, and women have been known to have their cars break down... and never be seen again. When Hailey McBride decides to run away from an unbearable living situation, she thinks that her outdoor skills will help her disappear into the Cold Creek wilderness, and she counts on people thinking that she was the victim of the killer.
And here's what I thought: I liked this story -- the pacing has a steady build, and there is a thread of tension that winds tighter and tighter as the story continues. The characters are believable and realistic, so it's easy to become caught up in their story - and even become concerned for their welfare. I liked the interplay between the storylines of both Hailey and Beth, and the backdrop of the setting and the town help underscore the feeling of danger. What's also enjoyable is that some of the other characters are unpredictable and it's hard to know who can be trusted (if anyone). Because there are multiple characters with different secrets and agendas, there are some twists and turns in the book. Definitely a book for readers who enjoy emotional suspense stories, psychological thrillers, stories tinged with horror, and books where the setting is just as instrumental as any other part of the story. There are dark, gritty and violent aspects to this story --- but if you like Chevy Stevens, it will be just as great as you expect.
Best readalike I can think of: Find Her by Lisa Gardner
Summary from Goodreads: WHEN PERFECT IMAGES
And here's what I thought: It's clear from the beginning that something is completely off about the main character, Delta Dawn. What's not quite clear is just how completely off she is and as the story continues, more and more becomes revealed. What I really liked was that although I was picking up on clues and making my own assumptions, Delta would make an offhand comment in the story that would really open something up. I thought it was interesting that the way the story is set up in the summary, you might expect one thing --- but Delta's manipulations don't always play out as expected. Kind of a disturbing main character, but I found the story to be a page-turner.
&issn=/LC.JPG&client=slplp&type=xw12)
Summary from Goodreads: This new collection (an expansion of the limited-release Bibliomancy, which won the World Fantasy Award in 2005) showcases a wildly inventive author at the height of her powers. Included in this collection are "The Least Trumps," in which a lonely women reaches out to the world through symbols, tattooing, and the Tarot, and "Pavane for a Prince of the Air," where neo-pagan rituals bring a recently departed soul to something very different than eternal rest. Written in the author's characteristic poetic prose and rich with the details of traumatic lives that are luminously transformed, Saffron and Brimstone is a worthy addition to an outstanding career.
And here's what I thought: I re-read this book usually once a year because I enjoy some of the stories so much. Each time I read them, I usually re-discover something I had forgotten about, which is fun. The first story, about an unusual young woman and moths, never fails to captivate me. And I really love The Least Trumps, as well. Hand's writing style is really descriptive and evocative and I often savor a sentence or two in a story. Her description of being tattooed is the most accurate I've read -- "It's more like carving your own skin with the slanted nib of a razor-sharp calligraphy pen or writing on flesh with a soldering iron."
Summary from Goodreads: he first time Alexis saw Austin, it was a Saturday night. Not in a bar, but in the emergency room where Alexis sutured a bullet wound in Austin's arm. Six months later, on the brink of falling in love, they travel to Vietnam on a bike tour so that Austin can show her his passion for cycling and he can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war. But as Alexis sips white wine and waits at the hotel for him to return from his solo ride, two men emerge from the tall grass and Austin vanishes into thin air. The only clue he leaves behind is a bright yellow energy gel dropped on the road.
And here's what I thought: I finally remembered I wanted to read this - and there were library copies available!
This is the second book by this author that I read this month and the two couldn't be more different, plot-wise. This story has an incredibly scary virus at the center of the story (plus a lot about rats, which is scary all by itself). I guess I would call this a medical thriller because the virus is at the center of everything and Alexis and her boyfriend are caught up in it. I really appreciated that Bohjalian includes very realistic details, along with believable characters -- this is the kind of story I can see coming to life as a movie. The settings are vivid and the story has a fast pace, with a tension that stretches from beginning to end. Good book, although I don't know if I'd be ready for a re-read anytime soon because the subject gave me the creeps.But reading this made me remember how much I liked other medical thrillers when I was a teen -- like books by Robin Cook.
Summary from Goodreads: f you are a boss who wants to do great work, what can you do about it? Good Boss, Bad Boss is devoted to answering that question. Stanford Professor Robert Sutton weaves together the best psychological and management research with compelling stories and cases to reveal the mindset and moves of the best (and worst) bosses. This book was inspired by the deluge of emails, research, phone calls, and conversations that Dr. Sutton experienced after publishing his blockbuster bestseller The No Asshole Rule. He realized that most of these stories and studies swirled around a central figure in every workplace: THE BOSS. These heart-breaking, inspiring, and sometimes funny stories taught Sutton that most bosses - and their followers - wanted a lot more than just a jerk-free workplace. They aspired to become (or work for) an all-around great boss, somebody with the skill and grit to inspire superior work, commitment, and dignity among their charges.
And here's what I thought: I found some really good things in this book and wound up marking a few pages with sticky notes to come back to later. While I felt there could have been more perspectives from female leaders, the no-nonsense advice here applies to any boss, at any level. Good book and something to maybe keep handy (depending on your job).
&issn=/LC.JPG&client=slplp&type=xw12)
Summary from publisher: In a dusty corner of a basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire, a door has long been sealed shut with 39 six-inch-long carriage bolts.
And here's what I thought: I have read other books by this author that I enjoyed, and I liked this one --- although not as much as some of the others, admittedly. This is a ghost story combined with a creepy haunted-house seeming story, combined with herbal lore. The characters are interesting and I liked that sometimes, I couldn't quite tell if they were reliable narrators or not. It's clear that something is wrong with Chip, since he seems to be seeing and hearing dead people. And some of the women in the town definitely seem to be hiding something --- are they witches? Maybe just weird women? I liked some of the elements of the story, although I sometimes became a little impatient with some of the characters. And, there were some surprises here -- and I was definitely surprised by the ending and had expected something different.
Summary from Goodreads: FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective DD Warren have built a task force to follow the digital bread crumbs left behind by deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. And when a disturbing piece of evidence comes to light, they decide to bring in Flora Dane who has personal experience of being imprisoned by Ness.
And here's what I thought: I was really happy to read another book with the characters of Flora Dane and D.D. Warren. I think these two characters in particular play well off of each other and I liked seeing Kimberly Quincy again. Like other books by Gardner, this is a dark story with some twists and turns, where details become uncovered that lead to some ugly discoveries. The book has a tight pace, which I really enjoy, too.
The Last Exit by Michael Kaufman 298 pages
Summary from Goodreads: Set in Washington D.C. 20 years from now, climate change has hit hard, fires are burning, unemployment is high, and controversial longevity treatments are only available to the very rich. Enter resourceful young police detective, Jen B. Lu, and her 'partner', Chandler, a SIM implant in her brain and her instant link to the Internet and police records, and a constant voice inside her head. He's an inquisitive tough guy, with a helluva sense of humor and his own ideas about solving crimes.
And here's what I thought: I liked this spin on the near-future with AI. The story is a combination of science fiction and mystery and I thought rhe main characters of Jen and her AI, Chandler were interesting. However, the story often didn't keep my attention and I put it down a few times before finishing it. Jen isn't super-likeable, which doesn't matter too much to me -- but the pacing sometimes lagged and I think that's where I would get stuck. So, interesting book and maybe I'll try it again at some point to see if I can more fully engage with it.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Naihisi Coates 152 pages
From Goodreads: Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.
_______________________
I re-read this book for a book group discussion and found it was just as thought-provoking as the last time I had read it. There is a poetic quality to Coates' writing, and although this is a short book, there are a lot of powerful things here to think about.
Shirley J. Adult Fiction Women's Spiritual Groups, Friendships, Secrets
Shirley J. Adult Non-Fiction Bull Terriers, Cancer Victims, News Correspondent
Ovenly: Sweet and Salty
Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery by Agatha Kulaga and Erin Putinkin 272 pages
I love to bake almost as much as I love to read. So when I got my hands on the updated version of Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery, I was in hog heaven. I couldn’t wait to flip through its glossy pages and see what spoke to me. Is it bad to say that almost everything did? And I think I gained five pounds just drooling.
What I liked most about this cookbook was that it is geared toward an experienced baker, yet doesn’t forget about the novices out there. I loved the Essential Tools & Ingredients guide, Choosing a Baking Pan, Sugar definitions and conversions charts,
I haven’t tried many of the recipes, but the Hot Chocolate Cookies are wonderful! I’m eager to try the Bloody Mary Scones, The Stumptown Shorty and Spicy Bacon Caramel Corn.
One thing that I did not like about the recipes was that many of them had ingredients that are not commonly found in everyday kitchens, mine included. Therefore, Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon were the main characters of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, and this series begins with Lyra's "origin story" as an infant, when she was already being sought after for the part she is destined to play in a mysterious prophecy. Powerful forces work for against Lyra's safety, and it's difficult to know who is on the side of good. Malcolm Polstead, a boy living and working at the inn owned by his father, meets Lyra when a group of nuns become her caretakers. Malcolm has befriended the nuns, who live close to his father's inn, and he is fascinated and charmed by the infant Lyra. When a dangerous flood and sinister people threaten Lyra's safety, Malcolm escapes with Lyra and Alice, a girl close to Malcolm's age who also works at the inn, to the relative safety of the flood. The rest of the book is non-stop daring and adventure with bits of mythology and mysticism thrown in to keep the pages turning.
Pullman writes wonderful young characters who are distinct and likeable in their own ways, and Malcolm and Alice are as engaging and relatable as the characters of Will and Lyra in the previous series. We also encounter some of the adults we met in the previous series and get to know a bit more of their stories, and this book, like the others in the series, is action-packed, thought-provoking, and compelling. I can't wait to read the next one!
The Plague by Albert Camus, translated by Stuart Gilbert, 308 pages
