So sorry, we forgot to let you know we are on our annual end of summer/beginning of autumn "gone reading" break.

We look forward to sharing what we found with you at some point in mid- to late September. Meantime, all of our recommendations are available on this site; so, click away, explore a bit, and find your next great read.

See you in Autumn.

Years ago, the Book Jam began as a dare and became a podcast recorded on a simple digital recorder purchased from somewhere we can't remember at this point. We recorded in the basement of our beloved Norwich Public Library; lucky for us, we both ended up on the board there and organizing their first ever special event/fundraiser as part of this "rental agreement".

The podcasting dropped off due to crazy schedules and other jobs; we began to blog and organize live events to raise money for libraries and other literacy organizations across New England instead.

Well, what comes around goes around or something like that.  We have jumped back on the podcasting bandwagon with a new, delightfully fun podcast called Shelf Help. The Book Jam serves as the organizer and host. Our local cable media service - CATV serves as our terrific and much needed moral and technical support (particular thanks to Samantha Davidson Green, Chico Eastridge, and David Eric). Shelf Help's fabulous, smart, funny, and sincere stars are the owners of our three superb local independent bookstores - Kari Muetsch of Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, Vermont (her co-owner Kristian Preloswki is our silent partner, but we hope to coax him on air soon); Sam Kaas and Emma Nichols of the Norwich Bookstore in our hometown of Norwich, Vermont; and Allie Levy of Still North Books and Bar in Hanover, New Hampshire. Truly -- they are amazing individuals, extremely well read (even if, as listeners learn, they are not reading as much as they'd like), and always recommend a wide range of great books to read.

On Shelf Help each week, these terrific booksellers answer real questions from listeners who need help finding the perfect book - or as we would say - needing help getting out of a Book Jam. To add your questions, just contact them on the social media platform of your choice, or email [email protected].

To help you find this stupendous resource, today we highlight and link to each Shelf Help episode and list the books recommended thusfar. We are thrilled to inform you all episodes can be found at CATV, Apple podcasts, Spotify, IHeartRadio, Stitcher, buzzsprout and other sites. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoy organizing and hosting these brilliant booksellers. And, we hope you subscribe using your favorite podcasting platform.  
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So without further ado, an introduction to some of the books recently recommended on Shelf Help.

The fabulous booksellers - Kari, Sam, Emma, and Allie - introduce themselves in Episode One by picking ONE (this is more difficult than it appears) book that is representative of them. Their picks include:

• Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson, selected by Emma
• The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, selected by Allie
• Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock, selected by Kari
• Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James, selected by Sam

Episode Three honors April’s poetry month with a selection of poetry from each bookseller. We hope you will be inspired to read each recommendation.

• Path to Kindness and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope by James Crews, selected by Sam (He could not narrow it down to one this time.)
• Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath, selected by Kari
• Constellation Route by Matthew Olzman, selected by Allie
• Twenty Ninth Year by Hala Alyan, selected by Emma

Episode Four discussed gardening as a means to help us all fully embrace spring and summer and beyond.

• Wild Design: Nature's Architects by Kimberly Ridley, selected by Allie
• Planting the Natural Garden by Piet Oudolf, selected by Kari
• Vegetable Gardener's Handbook by the Old Farmer's Almanac, selected by Sam 
• Herbal Handbook by New York Botanical Garden, selected by Emma

May’s Mental Health Awareness Month provides the inspiration for Episode Five. We promise it is not depressing, but instead filled with hope, help, and healing. And one of the bookstore owners  - hi Kari - snuck in a second selection.

• First We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson, selected by Emma
• Body Work by Melissa Febos, selected by Allie
• All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews, selected by Sam 
• Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson and One Friday In April by Donald Antrim, selected by Kristian via Kari

In Episode Six, each bookseller reviews a short book for those phases when you have a limited amount of time, or when your book club just needs a very quick read. In this episode, three of the bookstore owners had a hard time limiting their selections to one book, and they somehow independently picked two different books by the same author, implying Mr. Delillo is an expert with the short novel.

• Spear by Nicola Griffith, and Cosmopolis by Don Delillo, selected by Emma
• A Spindle Splintered by Alix Harrow, and My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, selected by Kari
• The Shame by Makenna Goodman, and​ Body Artist by Don Delillo, selected by Allie
• Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson, selected by Sam 

In Episode Seven, each bookseller describes one book that is either funny and/or "provides a superb balance between fun and thought" based on an instagram question from Karen.

• Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett, and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman,  selected by Allie
• Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple, and​ Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, selected by Kari
• Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood, selected by Emma
• Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong, selected by Sam 

For Episode Eight, each bookseller channels our inner Sam (whose enthusiasm over this question caused him to mention three books) as we discuss a question left for us on Instagram: "please discuss 'Ottessa Moshfegh-ish' literary fiction. Something grotesque and damaged but beautiful."

• The Changeling by Joy Williams, Oh! by Mary Robison, and​ Fake Accounts by Laurey Oyler, selected by Sam 
• Milk Fed by Melissa Brodeur, selected by Allie (and Emma)
• So Sad Today by Melissa Brodeur, selected by Emma
• Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt, selected by Kari

Episode Nine originates with an email from Cindy, “I am a first grade teacher and want to teach a unit on graphic novels. I have some graphic novels, but it is hard to find ones that are appropriate for little ones and that the reading level is not too challenging. Help!!" To assist Cindy, each bookseller discusses one book, ok maybe two or three. As a bonus, we highlighted the Center for Cartoon Studies located within a baseball throw from where we record.

• Comic book leveled readers by assorted authors, and ​Johnny Boo by James Kochalka, selected by Kari
• Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clanton, and​ Tea Dragon Society and Dewdrop by Kay O'Neill, selected by Sam 
• Wildflowers (and all Toon Books) by Liniers, selected by Allie ​
• Sir Ladybug by Corey Tabor, selected by Emma

Episode Ten means we had a chance to help our good friend Shari Altman, from a great book resource - Literary North. She posed the question -- "I am looking for strange and beautiful novels about middle age." We note that Shari is nowhere near approaching middle age; we then debate what defines middle age. Allie, Sam, Emma, and Kari recommend a few books in response to her query, including:

• House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, and​ Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette, selected by Kari
• So Lucky by Nicola Griffith, selected by Emma
• One DOA, One on the Way by Mary Robison,  selected by Sam 
• The Swimmers by Julia Otsuka, selected by Allie 

In Episode Eleven, booksellers answer an anonymous question from instagram in which one desperate listener asks for the "best ways to get out of a reading slump". For this question, Lisa adds an idea for the first time - Hunting and Gathering, a "fun to read" gem by France's best-selling author Ana Gavalda that Lisa Cadow recommended to her years ago to get out of a reading slump. And the bookstore owners spend a bit more time than in previous episodes offering general advice. Kari suggests reading short stories is a great way to get reading again. Emma reminds listeners that they don't have to finish a book; stop reading if you don't like it and feel no guilt. She also suggests that reading from a genre out of your comfort zone or rereading a favorite book can help end a reading slump. Sam adds when he is in a slump he often looks for "something where I know I'm going to get"; in his case it would mean picking up a mystery or fast paced nonfiction about things he is interest in learning more about. Allie was last to speak and just seconded everything everyone said before her.

• Kari singles out St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves by Karen Russell, and then changes things up by also recommending a memoir, The Electric Woman by Tessa Fontaine.
• Allie believes that Sisters by Daisy Johnson will help anyone stuck in a slump.
• Sam chooses three books, The Verifiers by Jane Pek, Riverman by Ben McGrath, and The Sunset Route by Carrot Quinn
• Emma sticks with her advice to stick with what you know and recommends Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson

These and the other selections included in this show will help anyone who feels stuck trying to find the next great book to read.

Episode Twelve emerged when Tom used FB to ask the longest question we've received thusfar, "So I could use some advice! I sorta fell out of reading regularly for fun. Due to the events of the world, I've focused more on reading educational topics. I used to read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. Some of my favorite novels are the Dune series (and prequels), and growing up I LOVED the Lost Years of Merlin. I got the book series The Magicians a few years ago and worked through that and really liked it. I'd like to get back into reading for pleasure again, but nothing has really gotten me super excited. Unfortunately, with the rise of streaming on TV it can be hard to get motivated to sit down and read. I'm trying to re-ignite my love of reading. Can you help?"  Of course we can help.  Discussed selections include:

• The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K.Jemisin and The Expanse Series by James SA Corey, selected by Kari
• Annihilation (or the entire Area X trilogy) by Jeff Vandermeer, selected by Allie ​​
• Wizard of Earthsea (or the series) by Ursula K. Le Guin, selected by Allie 
• A Deadly Education and His Majesty's Dragon: Book One of the Temeraire both by Naomi Novik, and The Wayfarer series, in particular The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, selected by Emma
• The Saga series, graphic novels by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples, Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham, selected by Sam 

In our final Episode Thirteen before taking a summer "gone reading" break, the booksellers tackle a question about great books for younger readers when the instagram handle courtpilling asked for "Middle Grade historical fiction set in 1700s-1800s". 

• Kari started us off with The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
• Allie wants everyone to read Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix,
• Lisa remembered two classics by Robert Lawson - Mr. Revere and I and Ben and Me. 
• Emma brought us to Philadelphia with Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson  
• Sam finished our list with Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park, which Lisa ​ seconded.

We hope you enjoy Shelf Help!

A recent newsletter by one of our favorite booksellers, Emma Nichols of the Norwich Bookstore, discussed romance novels and their ability to entertain even when our attention span is miniscule.  

We initially ignored her train of thought as we don't consider ourselves romance readers and yet...

And yet ... we recently found ourselves listening to two novels that we would best describe as "rom-coms" (think of Notting Hill, or Sweet Home Alabama, or any of Nora Ephron's movies - think When Henry Met Sally). And, Emma's note reminded us to share these two novels with you. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry (2022). This is the most Nora Ephron-like of the two books we highlight today. In this novel, Nora (Ephron tribute or coincidence?) knows she is not the typical romance heroine. She is not the one the guy falls for. She is the one the guy is initially coupled with - the brittle, career-driven, bottle blond who is left behind for a wholesome, brunette or darker blond woman by the end of the movie (think of the women in The Parent Trap). But she adores her sister Libby and she has vacation days. Thus, she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for a sisters’ trip. Libby envisions this as a small town transformation for Nora. She even makes a multi-point list of things they must do while away to appeal to Nora's uber efficient personality. However, instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a rugged doctor from the list, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie, a brooding editor, from back in New York City, who she abhors.  You can sort of guess what comes next; but Emily Henry packs in enough twists to keep things interesting and writes with a festive flair that keeps pages turning. We recommend that you just enjoy this and spend a bit of time casting it in your head for the inevitable movie (eg Reese Witherspoon or Cameron Diaz would have been Libby in their 20 something years, not sure who'd be Libby now).

Forward March by Skye Quinlan (2022). This YA novel is a bit different from the rom-coms we grew up watching in the 80s and 90s, and we loved it for that fact alone. The novel swims with important representation of sexual identity, something that seems perfect to explore in YA as readers figure out sex, gender, love, and life. Forward March even throws in contemporary politics because the plot circles around the facts that Harper's (the main character) dad is running for President as a Republican, her mom is the headmaster of her prep school, and both of their conservative bents are, to understate the situation a bit, challenging for Harper and her friends of many sexual identities. Add an online dating app fiasco, and you have this great YA novel. If you don't trust us yet, School Library Journal had this to say about Skye Quinlan's debut, "Quinlan skillfully weaves everything together brilliantly into one very natural-feeling, heartwarming, and compelling story [...] A wonderful ace rom-com bursting at the seams with representation [...]"

As stated in our last post - Mysteries That Saved My Sanity - 2022 life has taken on a challenging bent for me, challenges which are briefly outlined in that post, so I won't repeat them here. And, when due to these items, I can't quite summon the energy for the great books we review, Netflix comedy specials (hello Taylor Tomlinson, Michael Che, John Mulaney and others) have come into play.

How does this train of thought help book lovers? Please stay with me  here ... these shows made me very, very open to Kari Meutcchof's (of the Yankee Bookshop) recommendation to read anything by Jenny Lawson during Episode Five of Shelf Help. Shelf Help being our new podcast developed with and starring the fabulous owners of three indie bookstores - Yankee Bookshop, Still North Books & Bar, and the Norwich Bookstore - where we answer questions from listeners about what books they need to read next.

​So today, the Book Jam reviews one of Kari's Episode Five recommendations and one other book we somehow found along the way. Both brilliantly manage to be laugh-out-loud funny and deal frankly with important topics (e.g., BLM, depression). We hope they help you laugh and think too. ~ Lisa Christie

Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson (2021). In honor of May's National Mental Health Month, Shelf Help's Episode Five featured books highlighting mental health issues. In Episode Five, Yankee's Kari Meutcchof mentioned Broken (in the best possible way) and described it so well it stuck with me. Thus, weeks later, on a recent road trip to help my parents move into assisted living, I listened, laughed, cried, and then laughed until I cried as Lawson narrated her thoughts about life in general, and then very specifically spoke honestly and descriptively about her mental illness (i.e., anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts) in a way only my good friend Kate manages in my real life through her work with Wafflenugget. Lawson's chapter on the difficulties navigating health insurance is so astute we passed it along to professors from the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science because laughter is the best medicine, or at least gets your attention in new ways, and it might help these doctors help us. Normally, I would recommend starting with Lawson's first memoir so you know her life from the beginning; however, I believe Broken stands alone and can help us all deal with how the world feels right now. Thus, new fans can start with Broken, and existing fans discovering Broken will be thrilled to find Lawson navigating in blunt detail what her depression feels like and how her life has been upended over and over again as she survives, thrives, and embraces being broken. Both existing and new fans will be thrilled with Victor's continued support and humorous asides as Lawson navigates her difficulties head on (may we all be blessed enough to find our Victors). Broken offers laughter, hope, honesty, and very realistic relationship advice when we may all need it most. Please pick this up to read, or better yet, listen as she narrates her own thoughts so you can feel what it must be like to be in her very complicated head. (And thank you Lisa Cadow for in your day job; serving as a therapist to so many people in need of help is inspiring.) ~ Lisa Christie

Please Don't Sit On My Bed in Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson (2022). In her latest memoir, Robinson, of 2 Dope Queens, shares humorous stories and heartrending tales, some of which may inspire rage and possibly action. She tackles white guilt, white activists,  allyship, and what it’s like to be a woman who doesn’t want kids when all straight, cis women are supposed to. She, in a very different way than Jenny Lawson (as described above), discusses how taking care of one’s mental health, which she clearly labels as currently being marketed as “self-care", requires a LOT of disposable money. I hope someone with an ability to affect change is listening to these astute women. Great to read it or listen to as Robinson narrates it herself. ~ Lisa Christie

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray (2022). KJ (see above) reviewed this in one of her newsletters and graciously agreed to pass it along to me when I asked her to share. If KJ's review hadn't enticed me, the back cover's description of Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie would have. This was just perfect (although I still have about 100 pages to complete, I'm assuming they will hold up). This novel features a house party, many of Jane Austen's characters, a murdered Mr. Wickham (relax, it's in the title so I didn't spoil anything), and plenty of suspects. Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of YA author Amy Vincent; based on this I may have to pick up her other works.  

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (2022). Jess is broke and broken and needs a new chance at life. She turns to her half brother Ben who didn't really say yes to her suggestion she crash with him for a bit, but he didn't say no. She arrives at his stellar Paris apartment from England only to find him missing. His neighbors are by turn helpful and suspects. Each day brings less clarity about what happened to Ben and what Jess needs to do with her life. Enjoy the eccentric characters in this building, the time in Paris, and the unexpected aspects of the plot. As The Library Journal said in their review, "Another well-paced, suspenseful locked-room mystery with shifting points of view.”  Thank you Jen for having a trip to Paris so I had an excuse to read this and then pass it along to you to enjoy while strolling France with your son.​

The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose (2022). I just downloaded this from our beloved Norwich Public Library's Libby site as an audiobook. I can not wait to immerse myself in it as I walk the dog, clean the house, and purge a ton of unwanted baggage. While I can not yet recommend this as I have not yet read it; I trust the booksellers who do love it. I can also recommend you explore your local library's free audiobook resources if you have not yet already; I think you will be pleased with what you find. Thank you Lucinda and Lisa and ... for running such a great resource for those of us here in Norwich.

It's almost summer, and it is definitely wedding season. We know a few twenty- to thirty-something couples who are headed to at least a dozen nuptials in the next few weeks. Their itineraries have us thinking about marriage, weddings, and of course books about marriage and weddings. Or, perhaps we are thinking about all this as we know many relationships need some TLC coming out of the pandemic; and, we hope we can provide some space for kindness and care. Perhaps we are just thinking about this New York Times article about the healing aspects of parallel play for adult relationships. Perhaps we are just romantics at heart and want you all to read about weddings and marriage. No matter the reason, today we review three options (two humorous fiction books and a memoir/self help book) to help you navigate your own wedding season, or relationship issues, or need for an entertaining tale, or...  

This is How Your Marriage Ends by Matthew Fray (2022).  Mr. Fray gained  notoriety for a 2016 article - She Divorced Me Because I left the Dishes by the Sink - that he wrote placing his inability to put dishes away as the root cause of his divorce.  Of course, that wasn't what really caused the demise of his marriage - dishes by a sink are trivial on so many levels. However, Mr. Fray argues that it was the disrespect represented by his inability to meet his wife's simple request that was the issue; ultimately it repeatedly illustrated that what was important to her did not matter to him. Not having dishes in the sink was important to her; his  inability to pick up his dishes dismissed her needs. That repeated dismissal made her feel unloved and unimportant; she chose divorce to no longer feel that way. Mr. Fray turned his need to figure out what happened to his marriage into a blog, which became that famous column, which became a career as a marriage counselor. He has now turned that career into this book, using a combination of his own marriage experience and stories from his clients. I am not sure the solution to divorce is to cast blame on men for their inadequate emotional skills, and you could read this book as doing exactly that. I also know that some - hello Harvard Crimson - have criticised the author for turning women into purely emotional, irrational humans (I am not sure I agree with this critique, and I see where that critique is coming from). And yet, there was something about the deeply personal aspects of this book that touched me; especially when I chose to read his complaint that we aren't taught how to be married as applying to all humans, not just cis-gendered men. This is a weird review, as I am not sure who I would recommend this to or that I can wholeheartedly recommend it; and yet I can't stop thinking about the stories he shares and the hope he provides that humans can learn how to be better partners. Maybe I just appreciate what appears to be an honest assessment of how his behavior caused his beloved wife (and son) to leave. And somehow with the world being what it is right now, that hope and appreciation seem like reasons enough to read it. Maybe buy it to read with your partner and figure out what your "dishes by the sink" item is so you can avoid at least that one pitfall. ~ Lisa Christie

State of the Union by Nick Hornby (2019). The author of High Fidelity and other funny books, turns his humor on marriage in this pithy book about matrimony. Specifically, he explores a marriage that is falling apart and the lengths a couple will explore to fix it. As the indie reviewers wrote "Unfolding in the minutes before their weekly therapy sessions, the ten-chapter conversation that ensues is witty and moving, forcing them to look at their marriage--and, for the first time in a long time, at each other." Note: Its shorter length might make a great book club book. ~ Lisa Christie (seconded by Lisa Cadow)

We realize we should not limit our reviews of poetry to April and National Poetry Month; and yet, we don't want this opportunity to go by without reviewing some poetry. So, here we go... some poetry for National Poetry Month.

The Woman I Kept to Myself by Julia Alvarez (2010). There was a time when I gave this to every woman I knew on their 40th birthday.  Why? Because these autobiographical poems explore so many of the emotions - wonder, anger, grief, and joy - associated with living a life, in clear, loving, and need we say it, poetic language. It is just a gorgeous thought-provoking collection to help gain understanding into one's own life and the lives of others. I am so grateful it is still in print. I hope you will be too. ~ Lisa Christie

One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes (2017). In this collection, Poet Nikki Grimes responds to poems from the Harlem Renaissance by using one line from selected Renaissance poems to craft her own words. She then places the two poems side by side for comparison and response.  The older poems include some from Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. The newer ones are all from Grimes. The book also includes superb artwork accompanying each pairing.  Would be a great addition to English classrooms as well. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

We add another collection of books by women authors to finish Women's History Month. We hope the diversity of topics and genres mean you all find something you wish to read, and that we are all reminded great women authors can be found everywhere.

No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado (2022). I'll begin with the ending. I love the fact that this book does not leave you with a stereotypical happy ever after. I love that bad actions in this book have awful consequences, and at the same time not everything is bleak as a result of those bad actions. Bittersweet is a perfect ending for Maldonado's second YA novel. (Her first - Fat Chance, Charlie Vega was very positively reviewed by the Book Jam here.) I love the fact Maldonado allows her protagonist Kat, an aspiring photographer navigating high school, to be complex and even unlikeable at times. I like her; I like her friends/fellow photography bugs.  I enjoyed watching Kat figure out how to keep a friend a friend when he wants something more, and then her reactions as she discovers, well, maybe, she might, be bisexual. Who knew? She certainly did not up until a specific moment in time. I love Maldonaldo full-on tackles today's social media landscape and it's effects - positive and negative and indifferent - on teens. I love the fact the book also shows kids raised by people other than their biological parents - in Kat's case her grandparents. In short, I loved this sophomore book by a superb author I am quickly becoming a fan of. For those who need more than that, here is a quick plot synopsis -- Kat is frustrated by her lack of social media presence for her art, especially as all her friends have no trouble finding followers. Her solution - create Max, a college student with beauty, friends, and a life filled with adventure. The problem -- well too many to name here; but they all feel  realistic, and let's just say Kat's true life comes crashing down all around her.  Enjoy, and relax, I promised a superbly bittersweet ending! Note: I also think it would make a great parent-kid book club pick if for no other reason it opens dialogue about social media choices.. ~ Lisa Christie

The Chosen One: A first-generation Ivy League Odyssey by Echo Brown (2022). In novel combining her personal experiences as a first generation college student, and elements of fantasy and magical realism, Brown frankly explores a myriad of issues including grief, poverty, mental illness, racism, friendship, sex, ambition, self-worth, and ultimately a universal need for belonging. this sounds like a lot, and it is. And, in no way is this novel preachy -- perhaps the fantasy elements ensure that. Despite high academic achievement in her Cleveland high school, Echo Brown is struggling at Dartmouth College. (I noted the frequent shout outs to the warm bread loaves and honey butter at a local restaurant Molly's.) Her Dartmouth experience is not the Dartmouth of the recruiting brochures. She can't gain traction in her classes or relationships, and she is sliding into depression. Then in a series of magical reveals, she discovers she is one of the Chosen Ones and if she can accept this calling, things just might slide into place. I honestly don't know how to describe this novel; I can say it has left me thinking about many things for weeks after finishing it, making it an excellent book club selection. This novel feels honest and left me feeling hopeful because Brown is an excellent guide for navigating difficult issues well and (I hope) creating change. Note: it took a while for me to settle in to this narrative - have patience. ~ Lisa Christie

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping meaningful connection and the language of human experience by Brene Brown (2022). For me, this latest book by Brown reads more like a text book than her previous outings. And after struggling to dive deeply all at once, I am finding treating it like a textbook and reading a bit at a time has helped me think differently about all the feels I've been feeling lately (and there have been a lot). As we come out of covid pandemic restrictions and continue to deal with loss and fear and uncertainty, not to mention war, having language to describe all we are feeling can't help but assist us all.  ~ Lisa Christie

The Love Songs of WEB Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (2021).  Disclaimer -- I have not yet finished this award winning novel.  And, I am enjoying following Ailey Pearl Garfield as she unravels her experience of DuBois's discussion of the problem of race in America, untangles the truth about her ancestry, and comes to new terms with her identity. I look forward to continuing this journey. ~ Lisa Christie

Over the years, we've heard that Mae West or Eleanor Roosevelt or anonymous once said "well behaved women seldom make history". Because Lisa Cadow is who she is, she investigated and discovered Harvard History Professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich coined this phrase in 1976, while a phd student at the University of New Hampshire. We'll leave it to you to agree or disagree with Professor Ulrich. But we believe it is an apt quote to mention as we review two books for women's history month, on the eve of International Women's Day. Both books show tales of women and girls overcoming obstacles - those of their own making and those made by others.  We hope you find both selections inspiring.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle (2021). I avoided reading this for many months. So many people recommended it; I could not believe it could be as life changing as purported. I also tend to avoid books like this. I was not looking to divorce my husband. I was not looking for a new lens on my life. I was definitely not looking to read anything that would make me feel inadequate for not completely changing everything in my life. And yet, for an unknown reason, it stayed in my pile of "to be read books" month after month. It just patiently sat there with its cheerful brightly swirly cover. Finally I picked it up and started perusing page one. Before I knew it I was underlining passages and thinking about all the choices we all make in life. And, I was simultaneously struggling with the often overly neat stories and the problematic "Lean In" aspects (I could not finish Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In because it short-shifted the issues and hardships of women of color and women in poverty); many of the things (e.g., finding and cultivating inner power) discussed in Untamed work much more easily for certain subsets of the population - white, college educated, well-off women. Nonetheless, Doyle seems genuine and definitely not at all judgemental. Basically, her use of apt metaphors (e.g., the memoir starts with a story of a cheetah that unleashes the rest of the book) kept me turning the pages as she untangles the many layers of how she has been tamed by societal expectations and coped in unhelpful ways - eating disorders, alcoholism, perfectionism, to name a few. I have not yet finished this, so can not attest to the ending. However complicated one's relationship to this book, it seems like an excellent one to review during women's history month as it bluntly tackles how expectations placed on women can hinder their lives. Note - this was previously reviewed during Pages in the Pub in Woodstock.  ~ Lisa Christie

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 real-life tales of Black girl magic by Lilly Workneh (2021). This latest installment of the best selling Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series amplifies stories of Black women and girls from around the world, including tennis player Naomi Osaka, astronaut Jeanette Epps, author Toni Morrison, filmmaker Ava DuVernay; aviator Bessie Coleman, and others. We highly recommend this volume and the previous ones from this Rebel Girls series for any reader. It's never too early to show young people of all gender identities how brave women and girls change the world. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Once again it is time for our annual diversity audit. 

Why? Because we believe that we are what we read; and also because we believe that a great way to expand our horizons is to read books written by or about people who have lived radically different lives from ours. So each year, we use Black History Month to explore how diversely we ourselves have read during the previous 12 months.

So one quick number from this year's audit -- overall in 2021, we reviewed 78 books in total. And, a second stat, just over half, (51%) of the authors we reviewed were written by authors of color (up from 47% in 2020, 28% in 2019, and 36% in 2018). 

The other thing we use Black History Month to do is feature amazing books by superb Black authors. So now, some thoughts about great books, followed by numbers from this latest audit for those of you who like data and accountability.

How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (2021). This history was named a Best Book of 2021 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Economist, Smithsonian, Esquire, Entropy, The Christian Science Monitor, WBEZ's Nerdette Podcast, TeenVogue, GoodReads, SheReads, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Fathom Magazine, the New York Public Library, and the Chicago Public Library. It was also longlisted for the National Book Award, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In it, Smith, a staff writer at The Atlantic, examines how slavery has been central in shaping our nation’s collective history and ourselves. In doing so, he travels, among other places, from New Orleans, a port for much of the slave trade, to Monticello where park rangers talk about how the narrative they present to visitors  has changed over the decades, to Manhattan where the slave trade built wealth. Ultimately this book offers hope by creating a new understanding of the role that personal stories and history can play in making sense of our country and the people who live here and lead it. ~ Lisa Christie

Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi and illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky (2020). This book exists because sometimes you need a board book to start difficult conversations. With this picture book, Mr. Kendi gives excellent tips for all of us to use as we try to be antiracist humans in the world.  We are so glad they created something for infants and children and the adults who love them. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

And now the audit numbers. Although we know some of the authors we highlighted identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, we do not know the sexual orientations for all the authors we review, and thus, we do not audit by sexual orientation. We also do not have access to economic class statistics. Thus, our diversity audit focuses on identified gender and race/ethnicity.

We read and reviewed fewer books this past year than in any other year - 78 compared to 153 books in 2020, 94 books in 2019, 202 books in 2018, and 164 in 2017. We may need to fix that.  (Note: For these audits, we do not include posts by guest reviewers or events such as Pages in the Pub because these books are selected by others.)  
​
Over half (62%) of the books we reviewed were written by women (65% in 2020; 57% in 2019). Staying with stats regarding women authors we reviewed, almost a quarter (23%) of all authors we featured were white women from the USA (up from 21% in 2020 and 2019, down from 32% in 2018), and 8% of all authors we read were white women from outside the USA (down from 14% in 2020 and 20% in 2019 and same as in 2018).  Latina authors were 5% of our authors in 2021; down from 11% in 2020 and up from 2% in 2019 and 4% in 2018. Like last year, only 1% of featured authors were Asian women (down from 4% in 2019 and 6% in 2018). We featured more Black women in 2021 - 18% (up from 2020's 14%, 10% in 2019, and 12% in 2018). We also featured more Arab American women (4%) and Native American women (3%), both up from zero in previous years. 

As for the authors identifying as men, white men from the USA were 14% (down from 17% in 2020 and 23% in 2019) of the authors we featured. Fewer (4%) of the authors we featured were white men from outside of the USA (down from 13% in 2020 and 8% in 2019). We featured more Black male authors (13%) this past year, compared to 5% in 2020 and 7% in 2019. Very few authors we featured were Asian men (1%) or Latinos (3% which was up from 1% in 2020). None of the authors we featured identified as of Middle Eastern descent (down from 2% in 2019). We increased the number of Native American male authors we featured (4% compared to 2% in 2020 an 0% in 2019).

Adding men and women together, 51% of the authors we reviewed were persons of color (up from 47% in 2020, 28% in 2019, and 36% in 2018). Within the white authors there was a decrease in geographic diversity, 18% (down from 21% in 2020 and 33% in 2019, and up from 16% in 2018) of the white authors we featured were from outside the USA. The largest group of authors of color were Black (31%), up from 24% in 2020, 15% in 2019 and 13% in 2018.

​To sum, we improved the percentage of authors of color we reviewed: 51% of all authors reviewed in 2021 were authors of color (47% in 2020, 28% in 2019, 36% in 2018, 32% in 2017, 26% in 2016, 23% in 2015). And, once again, we vow to continue to review a diverse range of authors year after year. 

Dear Martin by Nic Stone (2017). A superb YA novel about being profiled by the police, and how current events, BLM, and politics affect Black youth today.  In this excellent debut novel, a Black student – Justyce McAllister, top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year – is handcuffed by a police officer and released without physical harm. The psychological toll of being profiled is explored as this novel delves into his life at his mostly white prep school and in his mostly Black neighborhood. To help cope, Justyce researches the writings of MLK and writes him letters asking for guidance about how to live today. While Martin obviously never answers, the letters provide a great premise for thinking about how MLK would have handled life as a black man today. The letters also provide grounding once the novel’s action turns extremely ugly. Read it and discuss. I also highly recommend the sequel Dear Justyce - which we do not think has been banned yet. (Both novels could be considered the boy’s perspective on the situations in The Hate U Give reviewed below.) ~ Lisa Christie (Previously reviewed in some-ya-titles-that-lead-to-great-discussions)

There There by Tommy Orange (2018). The writing in Tommy Orange's debut novel is forceful and builds a percussive momentum as the story progresses, perhaps not unlike the beat of a drum at a Native American Powwow. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that the author himself majored in sound engineering as an undergraduate before working in a bookstore and falling in love with reading and writing. There There explores identity and sense of place, telling the story of twelve characters, mostly urban Native Americans, all living in Oakland, California. Their lives are braided together though it is not until the end, at the Oakland Powwow, that the reader understands just how. From the outset, it is clear that things won't end well. However, the beauty of the prose, the poignant stories of the individuals it tells, and the insights and honesty it offers into the Native American experience compel one to read to the painful, shocking finish. Orange's work has received a great deal of publicity since it was published in 2018. Margaret Atwood and Pam Houston have both sung its praises. The New York Times named it one if the "10 Best books of the Year" in 2018.  It was even a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. These kinds of reviews can be off-putting to the casual reader, the hype overwhelming, the literariness of it all stopping one before the first page can even be turned. Don't let this get in the way of reading such an important and accessible book. For me it was one of those "shape shifters," a work that helped me to understand our culture and history in a different, richer (though not easier or more comfortable) way. ~ Lisa Cadow (Previously reviewed in the-book-jam-returns-with-two-great-titles-just-for-you​)

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (2007). This graphic memoir by Vermont’s own Ms. Bechdel bravely tackles how sexual identity is formed, the costs of suppression, and well, “coming of age” for lack of a better phrase. We also highly recommend the Tony Award winning Broadway play. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie (Previously reviewed in substantive-reads-for-great-discussions​)

One of the Lisas (Christie) recently doubled down on using Libby - a superb app from our local Norwich Public Library that allows access to ebooks and audiobooks (and probably much more she has not yet discovered).  As a result, her drives around New England for her son's hockey games and other events are currently narrated by a wide variety of voices. Her only complaint about this service -- the wait times for materials -- a problem she has subverted by filtering for only currently available titles.  As a result of this filter, she found herself listening to Matthew McConaughey and his recent memoir/self-help book Greenlights. Is this a book she would normally read? Probably not (although she did pick up People in the doctors office in pre-Covid times, and spending time in her car with Matthew McConaughey's fabulous Texas drawl on all speakers was very fun and diverting). Her moments with Mr. McConaughey reminded her of time spent two decades ago with Michael J. Fox and his first autobiography, Lucky Man while driving Vermont starting Everybody Wins!  That thought about Lucky Man reminded her of time spent with Andre Agassi's memoir Open, which led to memories of Caitlin Moran and Amber Ruffin. So here you go -- a post inspired by 'car dates' with famous men and women. We hope it inspires you to listen to them and others.  Enjoy!

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (2021). Listening to this memoir or advice book - it's honestly a bit of both - means you can sort of pretend you are on a date with the actor; and it feels as if very few people would have a problem with that. His Texas drawl is reassuring, familiar, and warm as he tells you about his childhood, his early career, his erotic dreams, and his married life. Thus, for the duration of this audiobook you can pretend you have a wealthy friend and maybe pick up a few creative ideas or adopt one of this many, many mantras Greenlights ​offers along the way. Is this the best book of today's selection? Perhaps not, and it still has me thinking about what he said and the time spent with his Texas accent in my ear. ~ Lisa Christie

Lucky Man by Michael J Fox (2002). This is the first celebrity memoir I ever listened to. I still remember how fun it was to drive across Vermont decades ago (yikes!) establishing Everybody Wins! in many schools with Micheal J Fox's familiar lilt in my ears.  Lucky Man, his first of four memoirs, covers his boyhood in Canada, his fame from TV's Family Ties and the Back to the Future movies, a few career flops (who knew?), his marriage to Family Ties co-star Tracy Pollan, and a frank look at his alcoholism. Throughout, his struggle with Parkinson's disease, provides context and clarity.  Honestly one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to - or at least the most memorable. ~ Lisa Christie

How to be A Woman by Caitlin Moran (2016).  We were introduced to this memoir years ago by our favorite comic - Cindy Pierce, and we thank her to this day.  In How to be A Woman, Ms. Moran offers pointed observations on life with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own trials and tribulations. Some specific topics she tackles include workplace drama, strip clubs, love, fat, abortion, and children. Her British accent is a bonus. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar (2021).  We have reviewed this before so will just repeat that previous review now,  with the recommendation you listen to this book as Ms. Ruffin's comic timing is more apparent when she narrates than on a written page. Ms. Ruffin is a comedian and writer (the first Black woman writer) on Late Night With Seth Meyers. She is funny. She also is blessed with a sister who still lives in their hometown of Omaha, Nebraska and has CRAZY things happen to her with regularity as a result of being a petite Black woman in there. Luckily, Lacey calls Amber to talk about each incident. Luckily for us, they decided writing down these conversations was a great idea. This book was also reviewed on the Book Jam by best-selling author KJ Dell-Antonia. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Open by Andre Agassi (2009). I knew little about Andre Agassi before I listened to this memoir and what I knew I did not especially like. He seemed petulant, a bad sport,  and well rude.  And by the end, I wanted to befriend him. Unlike most books about sports - this memoir is not about the love of the game conquering all.  It is about how the game shaped the man, for good and for bad and frankly is often about how much he hated tennis.  He and his ghost writer spend a lot of time, as the New Yorker reminded me, deconstructing "the mythic image that the media created during Agassi’s many peaks and downfalls. At various points in his career, he was written off as a jerk, a fame whore, or a brat. But the reality, as explained in “Open,” was different: his signature mullet was not a statement of rebellion but rather an attempt to conceal the fact that he was going bald at a very young age."  All of this paints an engaging portrait of an intriguing man. Note - I misremembered it as being read by Agassi -- he wasn't. The narrator is Erik Davies; and despite that I still thought we should include it here. ~ Lisa Christie

Every year, we start January with a few picks of great books to really dig into after the relatives have left. While Covid again changed the hustle and bustle of the holidays for many, we still hope January offers some quiet time to sit and really enjoy a very good book.  To help you do this, we once again offer a selection of three books (fiction, memoir/cooking, and kids) to read after the relatives have left. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

SIDE NOTE from Lisa Christie: I am thrilled by the book Lisa Cadow chose to review today. It totally made my day to read how much she enjoyed this gift Christmas gift from me. I share this merely to remind you that January can be bleak; we've heard calls to divorce lawyers and therapist have increased dramatically of late. So, maybe we can all remember that giving the gift of a good book can elevate your mood just as much as the recipient's; and you can support a local indie bookstore at the same time -- further spreading the joy of just one gifted book.

Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci (2021). If you've been missing gathering around the table with family and friends during the pandemic as much as I have, here is an antidote: sit down with actor, writer, and director Stanley Tucci's new memoir Taste to evoke those special feelings of camaraderie. Tucci's new book takes the reader back to a childhood spent in 1960's in Westchester surrounded by Italian relatives who bottled their own wine from oak casks in the basement and roasted goats in their backyard, through a lifetime of cooking with friends (often famous) and visiting restaurants across the globe, then all the way back to present-day London where much of his time, when he's not filming on location, is spent shopping and cooking classics like Spaghetti Carbonara for his children and wife. Tucci is an energetic, hilarious, and creative writer who tells a great story and shares wit as well as wisdom. Parts of his book are written like pages torn from a movie script full of dialogue and direction, which makes sense, given that he's spent his entire adult life acting from and even composing scripts. (Some may not realize that Tucci was not only one of the actors in the cult classic 1996 film "Big Night" about two brothers struggling to save an Italian restaurant on the Jersey Shore, but he was also a coauthor.) An unexpectedly poignant part of the memoir chronicles his recent treatment for and recovery from oral cancer, which only served to deepen his already very serious relationship with food. As he explains, "I must say that years ago I never thought that my passion and interest in food would come close to eclipsing how I felt about my chosen profession. Acting, directing, cinema, and the theater had always defined me. But after my diagnosis I discovered that eating, drinking, the kitchen, and the table now play those roles. Food not only feeds me, it enriches me. All of me. Mind, body, and soul. It is nothing more than everything.  Cook Smell. Taste Eat Drink Share. Repeat as necessary." Turning the last page of Taste I yearned for just one more bite, one more laugh, one more chapter, and a little more time in Tucci's brilliant company. I'll have to make due with the smattering of simple recipes from the book that I plan to try and the slab of Kerrygold butter that now sits on our kitchen counter after learning that it's what the Tucci family enjoys with their bread. This is the perfect read to fill yourself up with after the relatives have left. ~Lisa Cadow

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (2021). I still remember how I felt while reading Ms. Shipstead's Seating Arrangements years ago - completely entertained by what most would consider a 'beach read" and also caring about the fates of the characters inhabiting her imagined New England Island as a high society wedding unfolded.  This time, with the impressively sweeping novel Great Circle, I cared about the the fates of her two major characters -- Marian, a girl determined to be an aviator in prohibition-era Montana, and Hadley, a "Twilight-like" movie star in the process of self destructing over her romantic and social media choices. The link between the two? Hadley's selection to play Marian in a biopic picture years after Marian's plane disappears into the ocean. I also cared about the secondary characters: Jamie - Marian's twin a talented painter, Caleb, Jamie's and Marian's wild childhood friend, Hadley's eminent neighbor Sir Hugo, and Wallace, their drunken well intentioned, talented artist uncle who took Marian and Jamie in after their father was jailed for abandoning his duty as captain of a sinking ship in order to rescue them. (Their mother's death from suicide, seen in retrospect, induced by post-partum depression, plays a role throughout this tale.)  

That is a lot to tackle and it is all laid out for readers in the first 100 pages, allowing the next 400 pages to pull readers along while revealing the unique fates of each character. Even so, it's still a lot to take in, so don't worry if you are not always on task, keep going and let her re-engage you with compelling characters, plot twists, and oodles of research. When completed, readers are left with with a sweeping saga of life in the USA during the 20th century, and/or a great distraction from the quiet after the relatives have left. 

NOTE: Throughout Great Circle, I felt a longing to re-read Beryl Markham's terrific memoir West with the Night, and hope I make time to do so. If you have not yet read West with the Night -- please do so; you will not regret it. You might also wish to try Seating Arrangements ​for a shorter and completely different take of Ms. Shipstead's gifted writing. ~ Lisa Christie

Black Boy Joy by assorted authors and edited by Kwame Mbalia (2021). This collection of 17 short stories about black boys in the USA provides the perfect book to pick up if your attention span just can't handle a saga.  I truly loved my time with the boys in these pieces as they imagined traveling outer space, participated in cooking contests, and debated the best super hero ever. Because 17 authors weigh in during this collection, there is lovely variety in tone and style: some are funny, some are happy-sad, all are compelling. The shorter length of the stories makes them ideal for discussion - teachers everywhere take note. For everyone -- the boys' joy is contagious. As Booklist said in their review -- "Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness."  NOTE: I listened to this via audiobooks, and it was a superb way to spend time commuting to high school hockey games. ~ Lisa Christie

Once again, Norwich, Vermont ushered Pages in the Pub into our holiday plans, and for a second time due to the pandemic we met via Zoom. And once again, the presenters - this time presenting as pairs - Vermont librarians Lucinda Walker and Peter Money; booksellers Emma Nichols and Sam Kass; and cartoonists Emma Husinger and Tillie Walden, did an incredible job of raising a lot of money for our beloved Norwich Public Library (thanks to the generosity of the Norwich Bookstore), confining their Zoom reviews to 90 seconds and their written reviews to six words (harder than it sounds), helping many finish (or at least start) their holiday shopping, and giving all of us a GREAT list of books to give and get (and maybe start reading today). ​

Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan (2021). Deliciously easy & always yummy bakes! ~ Selected by Lucinda

Well Fed Weeknights by Melissa Joulwan (2016). Paleo-ish, easy dinners, under 30 minutes! ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H.

Gastro Obscura by Cecily Wong (2021). Fun facts, Delicious dishes, tantalizing travels.
​~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

The Creature of Habit by Jennifer E. Smith (2021). Careful creature takes chance on chaos. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon (2015): Pirates! chickens! fairy queens! walkie-talkies! friends! nemeses!). ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

Summer Snow by Robert Hass (2020). Sage, smart, tender, vital timely observations. ~ Selected by Peter 

The List of Things that Will Not Change by Becca Stead (2020). Heart-warming story + authentic voice = excellent read!. ~ Selected by Lucinda 

Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu (2021): Daring 'delinquents' undaunted by the patriarchy. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani (2021). Colorful musical adventure through time. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. 

A-Okay by Jarad Greene (2021). Acne and asexuality in middle school! ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. 

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado (2021). Smart. Wry. Ambitious. Loved. Fat. Charlie. ~ Selected by Lisa

New England's Roadside Ecology by Tom Wessels (2021). Indispensable reference for our region's hikers. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

A Little Devil In America by Hanif Abdurraqib (2021). Black art shapes our whole culture. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman (1987). In which the medieval feels ... modern. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. 

Here by Richard McGuire (2014). A brilliant time-traveling graphic novel. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H.  

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson (2015): Author famous for gothic horror also makes a mean pudding. ~ Selected by Sam &  Emma N. 

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar (2021). Racism. Education with Humor. Engaging sisters. ~ Selected by Lisa 

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margaret Verble (2021). Beautiful story of a Cherokee horse-diver. ~ Selected by Lucinda 

I Was Never The First Lady by Wendy Guerra (2021). Daughter/mother coping in dream[e]scape Cuba. ~ Selected by Peter

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld (2020). Three women, three histories, daring prose. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. 

Sarahland by Sam Cohen (2021). Hilarious, queer, short stories; very 2021. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. 

Falling by T. J. Newman (2021). “Speed” on a plane - heart pounding! ~ Selected by Lucinda 

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry (2021). Sisters' relationship tested by IRA resurgence ~ Selected by Lucinda

​Lucinda Walker is the Director of the Norwich Public Library. In the words of Eloise, she “loves, loves, loves” her job, her colleagues and the Norwich community.  She is addicted to podcasts (Brave Little State, Ear Hustle & Mortified are current favorites), a daily walk or run and dark-roasted coffee.  Lucinda lives in Brownsville with her writer/librarian husband Peter Money (see below) and two kids, Hartley & Lily.

Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, TX. She is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, where she now teaches. As of 2022, she has published three graphic novellas with the London based Avery Hill Publishing and three with First Second Books, including her Eisner Award-winning books Spinning and Are You Listening?. She currently lives in Norwich, Vermont with her wife Emma Hunsinger (see below) and two cats Stan and Tatiana.

​Emma Nichols wanted to grow up to become either a librarian or a witch, but she's delighted to be co-owner of the Norwich Bookstore instead (close enough, right?). Her first, and only, tattoo is a quote from a story by Kelly Link, and she wishes more people would ask her for short story recommendations. If she's not at the bookstore, you'll most likely find her reading, baking bread, or tinkering with spreadsheets.

Peter Money is currently the Mary L. Blood Memorial Library librarian in Brownsville (West Windsor), Vermont, where Civil War artifacts and taxidermy --named Olivia, Newton, and John--keep him company. Married to "big city" librarian Lucinda Walker (see above), Peter is firstly a poet, novelist, and teacher who performs with the poetry band Los Lorcas. In 2019, his novel Oh When the Saints--set in Dublin--was launched in Ireland by Nuala O'Connor (the author of 2021 Best Seller Nora) and praised by Peter Orner. Peter's other books include American Drone: New & Select Poems, Che: A Novella In Three Parts, and translations of Saadi Youssef with Sinan Antoon, Nostalgia, My Enemy. In addition to Last Night In America with Los Lorcas, Peter's spoken word album Blue Square is available on Apple Music. RTE aired his streamable radio essay, "Loves: Silence and the music of JS Bach."  When not "booking," Peter may be found painting, mowing, or wide-eyed at something his grown son and daughter have done. Some version of himself is found at petermoney.com, @poetpetermoney (I), @petermoneyhere (T).

​Emma Hunsinger is a cartoonist from Connecticut. She started her career making New Yorker gags before getting her MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies. Her short comic "How To Draw a Horse" appeared in pages of the New Yorker and was nominated for an Eisner. She currently lives in the Upper Valley where she spends most of her time trying to stay warm.

​Lisa Cadow is the co-founder of the Book Jam. When not reading or experimenting in her kitchen, she is a full time student of counseling at the University of Vermont. She fervently believes that health outcomes would improve if doctors could prescribe books to patients as well as medicine. Lisa lives in Norwich with her husband, three cats, and a fun border collie and loves it when her three adult children visit.

The Sea In Winter by Christine Day (2021). In this tale of loss and growth, Maisie is supposed to be auditioning for amazing ballet programs across the USA. She's dreamed of being a prima ballerina since she wore her first toe shoes. She's also supposed to be able to talk to her father about anything and everything. Instead, a torn ACL has derailed, perhaps permanently, her ballet career, and a war took her father years before - so long ago she worries she can't really remember him. Eventually, her anxiety and dark moods hurt as much as the pain in her knee. Told with love, spirit, and hope, as well as excellent reminders about the power of good therapy - both physical and mental, this tale is an excellent one for any young reader - perhaps especially those for whom life right now is not very dreamlike or who are struggling to find their joy. I also appreciated the glimpses into Native American tribes on both coasts of the United States, as well as descriptions of nature in the Pacific Northwest. ~ Lisa Christie​

NOTE FROM ONE WEEK AFTER THIS POST WAS FIRST PUBLISHED --- We are always delighted when people enjoy our reviews. And, recently through a series of connections (i.e., our good friend Katie Kitchel was cast in a demo reel/proof of concept by one of our town's indie filmmakers - Nora Jacobson - that stars members of a Native American tribe), one of the above reviews was seen by one of the reviewed authors - Joseph Bruchac. We are beyond thrilled he was delighted to be highlighted. We love the fact our small Vermont town connected us in one step (Hi Katie) to Mr. Bruchac. And, we were extremely moved by the poem he shared with us through Katie. With Mr. Bruchac's permission, and with our gratitude, we share his poem here.

Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds and Legumes by Abra Berens (2021). This elegant guide will have you cooking creatively throughout the winter (and then right into spring and summer, too) with the jars of sustainable and long-lasting grains that line your pantry shelves. I think I heard my farro and polenta calling out to me immediately to get cooking as soon as I turned the first pages of the table of contents. On the menu tonight in our house is "Risotto with Leeks and Bacon," one of Beren's "variations on the theme" that she provides home chefs in each section of the book (side note: they are more often than not veggie-based). Reading Beren's recipes has me missing the copious amounts of eggplant and tomatoes that burst forth (sometimes too exuberantly) from the farmshare because I'm now armed with new ideas for how to make them shine brighter next summer. "Seared Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes with Fried Lentils and Tahini Dressing", next August anyone? She also highlights exceptional farms in her book - it's dedicated to "everyone who turns the soil to put food in our mouths - and offers helpful ways to turn a pot of beans or a pan of grains into five different interesting meals to last the week (e.g. "How to Build A Myriad of Fresh Bean Salads" and "A Week's Worth of Lentils without Any Boredom"). Fun new go-to sauces, spice blends, and herb relishes are also part of her generous offering to readers. After spending time with this book, it comes as no surprise that Berens was a recent James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Chef: Great Lakes. I'd write even more, but I need to head to my kitchen to make a batch of "Barley Thumbprint Cookies" (with raspberry jam, of course). ~ Lisa Cadow

À Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way by Rebekah Peppler (2021). I'm impressed. As one who considers herself a Francophile, it's hard to convince me that I might need yet another French cookbook. Well, Ms. Peppler had me from the begining with her ideas for "apéro" (the custom of drinks and light hors d'oeuvres before a meal), house wines, and snacks such as roasted lemons and green olives as well as "Eggs Mayo with Persillade" (a parsley sauce I plan to make as often as possible from this point forward). I couldn't stop turning the pages of this cookbook, so entranced was I with her take on modern-day French cooking and entertaining from a decidedly young and hip perspective. As an American expat currently living in the 18th arrondissement, this food writer's got her finger on the pulse of Paris and includes wonderful recipes for dishes like "Parsnips with Fennel and Honeycomb" (whole gorgeous chunks of honeycomb!) and a "Sucrine Wedge" salad of lardons, radishes, and blue cheese that knocked our socks off - or perhaps I should say “chaussettes”?- when we enjoyed it with a hunk of warm crusty bread for dinner the other evening. I can't wait to make the “Carrot Tarte Tatin.” Four stars and a big Ooh La La. ~ Lisa Cadow​

We had another post planned for today; then over the weekend one of the beloved dogs in our lives died. And for that Lisa (Cadow), her husband, and her family of grown children, things just sort of stopped. For those of you who have experienced the death of a pet you may understand how different your life is when they are gone.  For those who have not, you may not understand the grief someone can feel over an animal. For both of those categories, there is Love That Dog, a book that has become our go-to gift to give to people grieving pets (and for other reasons such as is a very good book). Because it is an older title (first published in 2001), it occurred to us that maybe some of our readers missed it, or forgot about it.  So today, we review Love That Dog in honor and memory of Pompy (and his amazing humans).

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (2001). First, do not let the fact this is a book written for children fool you; this book is for everyone. The plot begins with the "fact" that Jack hates poetry, and another "fact" that his teacher Mrs. Stretchberry keeps insisting he and his fellow classmates write poetry in many, many assignments. Despite his best efforts to avoid these assignments, there does not seem to be a way out of this "poetry thing" for Jack. Eventually, he gives in, starts writing, and discovers things such as:
​
"I guess it does
look like a poem
when you see it
typed up
like that."

He also discovers he has some important things to share and say. He then learns, to his dismay and then his delight, that poetry just might be the perfect way for him to process some things he's been denying.

Love That Dog is written in poetry form, meaning fewer words per page than in a typical chapter book. This makes it both more accessible for some reluctant readers, and inspirational for budding poets.
  
Readers also get a poetry lesson or two because Ms. Creech allows us to see Jack's class assignments calling for responses to eight well known poems from various poets (e.g., William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, Walter Dean Myers). The full poems are included in an appendix. We promise that is not as boring as it sounds.

We want to emphasize this is just a very good story - no matter its form, topic, or intentions. We think you will fall in love with Jack, Mrs. Stretchberry for insisting children can be poets, any pets in your life, and Newberry Medal Award winning author Sharon Creech. As The New York Times said in their review of this book 20-something years ago, “Sharon Creech has achieved more than one impressive feat here.” We think this book is a great reminder at any time, and perhaps especially in times of grief, that pain and joy often exist side by side. ~ Lisa Christie

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell (2019). How to Do Nothing is not exactly instructional, as the title suggests, but I guarantee it will teach you something. It is a takedown of our society’s prioritization of productivity, efficiency, and capital. It is a love letter to bird-watching, long walks, and careful attention. It is a plea for maintenance and sustainability. Ms. Odell reframed the way I saw the world and my place in it, which is why I return to these pages again and again. ~ Emma Nichols

Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks (2002). Fire Logic is the first in a fantasy quartet, and it is my favorite book—not in the series, but of all the books I’ve read. There is too much to the plot to summarize it in a satisfying way, so I won’t attempt to. But I will say it hurdles relentlessly forward, enthralling and entertaining, with villains that are drawn with as much detail as the heroes, until they become indistinguishable. It is one of those books that is both dark—concerning war, revenge, a land under siege, a society demolished—and full of hope—showing a community reimagined and rebuilt. It insists its characters question their beliefs, their driving forces, and do what’s right no matter how difficult. With themes of forgiveness, friendship, community and generosity, I believe this series is trying to teach its readers how to be. ​~ Emma Nichols

The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Freedom, and Forgiveness on the Rails in the American West by Carrot Quinn (2021). This astounding memoir was, appropriately enough, one of the books that I carried across the country with me as we traveled from Seattle to Vermont. A meditation on the sometimes-contradictory urges we all feel for freedom and for connection, The Sunset Route  lingered with me for months. Carrot Quinn grew up in a harrowing environment of neglect, with a mother whose mental illness was severe and sometimes violent, before leaving home in her teens. She spent the next several years traveling the country - hiking, exploring, and riding freight trains with a tight-knit community of travellers, all of whom were seeking their own solace. Ms. Quinn’s vivid descriptions of her travels across a seldom-seen landscape will make you want to hop a freight yourself (don’t, though; it’s very dangerous), and her explorations of what it takes to find a family, wherever you may be, might just leave you feeling hopeful. The Sunset Route will appeal to readers of Jon Krakauer and Sebastian Junger just as easily as it will to fans of Tara Westover and Cheryl Strayed. ~ Sam Kaas

Someone Should Pay For Your Pain by Franz Nicolay (2021). I first came to Franz Nicolay ​ as a fan of his music. Mr. Nicolay, who plays keys in The Hold Steady, and was previously part of dozens of bands (notably World Inferno/Friendship Society) that could probably best be described as cabaret punk, is a beguiling songwriter in his own right. This doesn’t always translate well into prose - in fact, it rarely does - but Someone Should Pay For Your Pain, Mr. Nicolay’s debut novel, is remarkable - tender, authentic, and sincere without being didactic. Rudy Pauver has seen better days - he had a promising album fifteen years ago, but since then, he’s been stuck: alone on the road, playing to increasingly indifferent crowds, and deeply hidden in the shadow of his former protege. Most of his personal relationships can best be described as “conflicted.” His current tour is already on its way from bad to worse - a gas station robbery, a cancelled show - when his niece shows up with troubles of her own, forcing Rudy to confront both his past and his future. Mr. Nicolay is one of the rare writers who accurately captures the way working musicians speak and interact, and his intricate dissections of a creative life - of the sometimes surprising conflicts between ethics and morality, love and responsibility, success and fulfillment - make this slim novel a standout. ~ Sam Kaas​

The Book Jam is back from our annual "gone reading" break.  And as has become our tradition, we are starting up again with reviews of two books we read over our break - one pick for each Lisa. As much as we have in common -- and we do - we are Lisas, moms, working women, book lovers, Vermonters, 50-somethings, married to Navy vets - and as much as we often love the same books - we are often struck by completely different books - as we were today. One of us picked a novel set in the American West in the early 1900s by best-selling novelist Jess Walter. The other Lisa chose a Graphic YA novel written and illustrated by many (John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury & Nate Powell). Both though are about dreams, change, and bravery. And, thus - we are the Book Jam; and, we are back. Happy autumn and happy reading!

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter (2020). Meet two very different brothers Gig and Rye Dolan, both living in Spokane, Washington in 1909. This book takes us on a journey with them throughout a tumultuous year of hard work, falling in love, participating in protests, serving jail sentences, and finding themselves unexpectedly involved in fighting unfair labor practices. Along the way, the reader vicariously experiences a rapidly changing city and a growing Pacific Northwest while also meeting private detectives, double agents, an opera singer, corrupt timber magnates, inspirational labor rights activists, and the people who love all of these characters. This book helped me to learn about an important era of history that made a fundamental difference in the labor law that exists today. It also reinforced my admiration for Mr. Walter as a versatile and talented writer (readers may remember him as the author of the very popular Beautiful Ruins which was published in 2009). Cold Millions is a rollicking, funny, deadly serious, smart, and important read and probably - no definitely!-  one of my favorite books of 2020/2021. Highly recommended. ~Lisa Cadow

Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch (2021). I laughed. I cringed. I really missed my time as an expat in Madrid. And, I was filled with wanderlust for anywhere in Africa, but specifically Namibia. Perhaps because winter covid safety precautions were in place (and travel was verboten) when I read this novel, it was especially nice to live in Africa for a bit while reading. I also greatly appreciated that this story cleverly hid targeted critiques of race, privilege, and power in the world as the author explores the mingling of various expats and the citizens of their hosting nations. Embassy Wife is truly a great book for those who like novels to have a bit of bite/satire, as well as those who like novels that cause you to think while being entertained. Or, as the Washington Post review of this novel says "... here’s the disclaimer the novel should have come with: Don’t take this book too seriously, and it will entertain you, seriously." ~ Lisa Christie

MYSTERY ​

Orchestrated Death by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (1991). Somehow for me, there is nothing as comforting as a well crafted British murder mystery. Being surrounded by kind DCIs is just bizarrely comforting. Which is a weird thing to say as each book of this genre begins ends and sustains a grisly act - murder. But alas knowing that the bad guys will get caught and there are good detectives in the world is reassuring and may be just what you need as summer ends and autumn begins. I enjoyed the first book in this series - an introduction to Bill Slider, a middle-aged, straight-arrow London cop who is investigating a dead body that changes his life (e.g., new lover, promotion, some music appreciation) - and look forward to reading the rest soon.  THANK YOU Sarah Taylor of Maggie D'arcy series  fame (we also recommend reading her latest mysteries - The Mountains Wild and A Distant Grave) for pointing us to this book and many others. ~ Lisa Christie