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It’s the end of September which means that the Book Jam is back! We begin our new season by each reviewing the one book that stood out from the many we were lucky enough to spend time with during our "Gone Reading'" break. We hope that they help you find your own next great read. Thank you for welcoming us into your literary lives once again. It feels good to be back in this book sharing space. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (2020). At the end of this dramatic yet strangely quiet summer, it is the novel Migrations, that has continues to travel with me. It resonates as the literary soundtrack to this season of forest fires and of virus, of orange sunsets and the sense that our natural world is changing. But don’t anticipate this review to be pessimistic or depressing and put down this latest edition of the Book Jam out of despair. Migrations is actually a book that ultimately leaves the reader with a sense of wonder and hope. Set in a not too distant apocalyptic future in which animals and birds are rapidly disappearing from the landscape, the story of Franny Stone primary takes us on a journey from Newfoundland on a fishing vessel to the Antarctica following what is possibly the last migration of the Arctic Tern. But this suspenseful and page turning novel also takes us to prisons, remote cottages, and aviaries in Ireland as well as to the outback in Australia. These snapshots of memory help us explore pieces of Franny’s enigmatic past and ultimately to understand what drives this character who breaks the mold on literary heroines. This is a book about our mysterious connections with other humans and with the natural world. Coming up for air after finishing this brilliant first novel, I was struck by the sense that McConaghy writes eco-fiction with a similar passion, conviction, and intimacy that Terry Tempest Williams writes her essays and memoirs about the American West. Her book also called to mind certain bits and pieces of Peter Hoeg’s masterful and complex psychological mystery from 1992 Smilla’s Sense of Snow. Even with the echos of these other writers in the pages of Migrations, McConaghy creates a story and a character that is totally and uniquely her own. It is a rare bird. Highly, highly recommended. ~Lisa Cadow Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (2020). A few pages into Hamnet, the historical novel that had me thinking all summer about so many contemporary things (e.g., family ties, how we respond to illness, how illness can be so deadly, the role of women in society, creative genius, how the natural world can heal, the importance of live theater and great storytelling, how good intentions often aren't enough), I remembered how much I loved Ms. O'Farrell's 2013 book Instructions for a Heatwave. There is something in Ms. OFarrell's writing that is memorable and joyous; and, even though I had not thought of her novels in years, the pages of Instructions for a Heatwave came roaring back as Hamnet unfolded. (Instructions for a Heatwave tackles what happens to an Irish family in London during the 1976 heatwave when the patriarch goes missing during an errand. I recommend it.) Hamnet also reminded me of how spectacular historical fiction can be. Using Anne Hathaway (Agnes in this novel) the protagonist, Hamnet cleverly explores the events leading up to, as well as the effects of the death of Agnes/Anne and William Shakespeare's son. The story reminds you that behind every creative success lives a family that supports that person and perhaps more importantly, has needs of their own. It reminds you great loss and great love are everywhere, and how we react to each is incredibly unique and personal. I also must admit in the midst of Covid-19, I read the plague aspects with greater interest than I would have a year ago. I realize this review makes this book sound depressing; so let me reassure you, it is not. Ms. O'Farrell's mastery of the written word, of concocting terrific backstories for people in historical situations, and of showing us the humanity of all her characters is phenomenal. This is a perfect book for lovers of historical fiction, Shakespeare, and good stories, well-told. ~ Lisa Christie In time for those of us celebrating Labor Day and looking for a good book or two, we wanted to remind you that even though we have "gone reading", our previous reviews are always available on our site. Some recent reviews include:
* Books for summer campers - youth edition * Books for summer campers - adult edition * Fiction to help us process headlines about racism * Books that kids recommend for physical distancing * Or you can just scroll the site. We look forward to sharing all the books we've been reading in our next post (sometime in late September). In the meantime, enjoy the transition to autumn. As we promised when we published our list of books for younger campers in late June, in spite of everything that’s changed in 2020, some traditions continue. So without further ado, we end July with the second part of our summer tradition: The Book Jam’s annual review of perfect summertime reads for adults. (In case you missed it, click here to see our list for the younger set.) We fervently hope that these recommendations help you to find just the right fit for curling up with in tents, by the lakeshore, or under the branches of your favorite tree. After all, we can still camp (and read) - if only for now in our own backyards. If everything else about these months seems turned inside out this year, try turning the page of a great book! And with these reviews, these two Book Jammers set off for our own special annual tradition: our much awaited "Gone Readin'” time when we devour as many titles as we can in order to share reviews of them you when we return in September. Our stacks, the sun, and the rest of summer await us! So stay tuned for autumn when we will publish great book recommendations to help you all get through - and “read through” - the homestretch of 2020. Mysteries and Thrillers The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor (2020). A terrific atmospheric thriller set in Ireland (with some grounding in Long Island). You will love the main detective Maggie d'Arcy, and her colleagues and friends as they try to solve the mystery behind a series of abductions and deaths of women along the Irish coast. This mystery is personal for Maggie because it involves the disappearance of her cousin Erin 23 years prior. This book is receiving a ton of praise, and we could not be happier for our friend Sarah. So, to ensure we are not oozing with bias about how good this mystery is, we will now quote a few reviews. As New York Times best-selling author Deborah Crombie states in her review, "with its evocative Dublin setting, lyrical prose, tough but sympathetic heroine, and a killer twist in the plot, Sarah Stewart Taylor's The Mountains Wild should top everyone's must-read lists this year!" Publishers Weekly continues, “Taylor’s affection for Irish geography, history, and culture suffuses the tale, adding texture and atmosphere. Fans of Elizabeth George should take note.” And finally, Minneapolis Star Tribune sums it up, "Sarah Stewart Taylor has written a beautiful, bittersweet novel about loyalty and loss and how they can blind us to the truth." We say, just buy it and read it! ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell (2020). Ms. Campbell's latest thriller pits townies against wealthy beach home owners, and shows us how poor choices shape our lives. You know the train wreck is coming and you can't look away. And as Ms. Campbell is also a friend, we will again use some reviews from other sources. Newsweek says, "prepare for A Stranger on the Beach to chill your bones, even if you're reading it on the beach." Or, "A Stranger on the Beach rides its rising tide of terror to a finale that blanched my knuckles. An exceptionally suspenseful thriller" says A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window. And finally from Publishers Weekly, "engrossing...breezy intrigue on a hot summer day." ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Trace Elements by Donna Leon (2020). The plot almost does not matter to us at this point in Ms. Leon's Guido Brunetti series; and, in case you need a heads up, this time a water pollution scandal leads to murder. Somehow what works in these books, is time spent with beloved characters we've grown to know over the years. Although the numerous food descriptions were missing this time, so we felt less hungry than usual. And, we are not yet sure if we are disappointed about that fact or not. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie House of Beauty by Melba Escobar (2015 in Spanish, 2019 in English). This murder mystery rests among Bogota's elites and the people who serve them. Perfect for a rainy Sunday Covid isolation day, it offers great insight into the lives of different classes in Colombia and a well plotted twisty tale. This is rather remarkable as from page one you are told almost all that happened. As The Guardian said in its review, "this delicate, merciless filleting of race and gender politics is highly recommended".~ Lisa Christie The Guest List by Lucy Foley (2020). If you’re looking for a great summer or vacation read, look no further. Instead, step gingerly onto a rickety skiff and ferry out to a creepy island off the coast of Ireland where a glamorous destination wedding party has run amok. Despite the meticulous planning, the delectable menu, the engraved silver napkin rings for every guest, a howling storm kicks up and, you guessed it, there’s a murder. This mystery is told from multiple points of view In the days leading up to the ceremony including that of the bride, the best man, the wedding planner, the “plus one,” and the sister-of-the-bride. They’re all, in their own ways “unreliable narrators” - some carrying old secrets, some simmering resentments - so the reader is left wondering up until the last minute whodunnit. The Guest List is a good old fashioned page turner that’s well-crafted, and well-written. It’s also atmospheric with richly developed characters. If you happen to listen to the audio version, that’s also a win: it’s excellent with multiple narrators reading with accents to match the characters who hail from different British Isles. ~ Lisa Cadow Fiction The Distant Marvels by Chantel Acevedo (2015). Europa Press does it again - they found another beautiful written engrossing tale and put it out for all of us to read. In this novel, set in 1963, Hurricane Flora is bearing down on Cuba and seven women are among the people evacuated to the former governor's mansion for safety. They are guarded by a young soldier of Castro's regime and pass the time sharing stories. This story is at once a historical saga, an adventure, an account of struggling against oppression, and a tale of the power of forgiveness. Bonus, I learned a lot about Cuba, a location that fascinates me and about which I know every little. ~ Lisa Christie Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (2020). This gifted author reimagines Hilary Rodham Clinton's life as one in which she does not marry Bill Clinton. It has me thinking about both my assumptions about Mrs. Clinton and how the choices in my life determined who I am. Whatever you think of Mrs. Clinton, I believe this will have you thinking differently about something in your life or the news. We also highly recommend American Wife, Ms. Sittenfeld's take on another former First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush. ~ Lisa Christie Writers & Lovers by Lily King (2020). While it was a slow start for me, I eventually loved this and ended up reading and loving it in one four hour swoop during a night of Covid-19 insomnia. The plot revolves around Casey, a woman in her late 20s, struggling to complete her first novel while waiting tables at a prestigious Cambridge, Massachusetts restaurant and juggling a complicated personal life. I would guess the character is somewhat based upon Ms. King, but I have no way of knowing. I enjoyed time spent in Cambridge and in 1997 as well. As IndieNext wrote in their review - "I don’t think there’s a single unnecessary word in the whole thing. Writers & Lovers is a joy to read, a gift from a writer at the top of her game.” ~ Lisa Christie The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell Antonio (2020). Reality TV, fried Chicken, sibling rivalry, family feuds, and rural Kansas combine in this deceptively simple story of what happens when social media and small town life collide. Mae, Amanda, Barbara, Nancy, and their unique neighbors are all portrayed with love and quirks. The plot revolves around who will win a reality show's designation of best fried chicken in town and the messes those cameras can uncover (literally and figuratively as one of the characters suffers from extreme hoarding). What it really revolves around is how where we grow up shapes us, how family is lovely, horrific, and definitely complicated, and how we are all doing the best we can in this life. KJ Dell Antonio seems to have taken her years as a NYTimes columnist and best selling author observing how good and bad parenting occurs and turned it into a terrific, fun, and insightful debut novel about how families are formed and changed by the distinctive people in them. NOTE -- This was scheduled to be published in summer 2020 and has been postponed until December 2020 due to Covid-19. We include it here as pre-orders help authors. So, please consider ordering this one from your favorite indie bookstore now and be prepared for a treat when the weather turns colder. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel (2020). The final novel in Ms. Mantel's Thomas Cromwell Trilogy did not disappoint. We love this series. Time spent in Henry VIII England is nice mental travel from Covid-19 in Vermont, although the references to the plague definitely meant something different in book three than when we read the first books in this trilogy years ago. Thomas Cromwell proves to be a fascinating character and well worth three large tomes. Read all three and you may not need any other books to get through August. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Any novel by Halldor Laxness (assorted years) We highly recommend Independent People. This Nobel Prize winning author from Iceland is gifted, and his books take you to a land many of us never get to visit to see people we enjoy getting to know. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Non fiction 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head... by Dan Harris (2014). A skeptic shows us all how meditation can make us (and the people around us) happier. This seems more important than ever. Because this appears to be hard to find in paperback, we linked to the audiobook. ~ Lisa Christie I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott (2018). Collection of insightful, raw, and relatable essays about life in the USA. They are also funny, and we believe many readers will recognize bits of themselves as they read. Warning it contains many descriptions of what happens when "rule followers" get off track. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Surrender White People by D.L. Hughley (2020). The humor in this book effectively drives important points home. I think any discomfort we feel as we read Mr. Hughley's pointed critiques will just be fodder to absorb important things about life as a Black person in the USA. As Kirkus Reviews stated, "readers will frequently laugh out loud, but there’s far more to this couldn’t-be-timelier book than just jokes." ~ Lisa Christie If you would like to read more books that might help your discussions (and ideally actions) around racism, we recommend our previous list from early June - A Fiction Book List for Today. Our past diversity Audits - Our Annual Diversity Audit & New Books to Read or Books Honoring Black History Month and Our Annual Diversity Audit - may also prove helpful. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie And with this, we have "gone readin'". We hope you enjoy the end of summer; may it bring many, many great books into your life!
Despite everything that has changed in the year 2020, some traditions continue. One such tradition is The Book Jam’s annual review of perfect summertime reads. This is the first of two such lists for “summer campers“ and features books for the younger literary set, specifically toddlers through young adults. We sincerely hope these recommendations help you to find the right fit for your favorite children and teens to curl up with in their tents, by the lake, or under the branches of their favorite tree. After all, the temperatures are still warm, the days are still long and we can still camp (and read) - if only in our own backyards for now. If everything else about these months seems turned inside out this year, try turning the page of a great book! And don’t forget to look to us in two weeks for our adult version of Books for Summer Campers. Picture Books for the Smallest Campers Be You by Peter Reynolds (2020) -- Another inspiring and lovingly illustrated book by the talented Peter Reynolds. This one directly inspires us all to just be ourselves. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare (2019) - A wordless book about exploration. In it, a young astronaut gets left behind on a school field trip to the moon. The pictures both tell a story and leave plenty of room for readers' imaginations to soar. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Saturday by Oge Mora (2020) - A story of a mother daughter outing gone awry. It may help us all better confront and deal with the cancelled plans and disappointments of COVID-19. ~ Lisa Christie My Papi Has A Motorcycle by Isable Quintero (2019) - A color-filled motorcycle ride around a small California town illustrates that “home is a feeling you take with you”. Perhaps this sentiment will comfort readers as we traverse these uncertain times. ~ Lisa Christie Great Books for Kids Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker (2020) - I don't know how to begin to describe this fantastic book. It starts so gently that I wasn't sure what to make of it. Honestly, I wasn't sure I even liked it. (I think I was in the mood for ACTION.) And then it grows. It grows into a book for every kid who feels like they just don't quite fit in. It grows into a book for every adult who loves their kid, but is perhaps unknowingly giving them subtle messages we wish they would be just a little bit different, a little bit more like us/less like us, a little bit more understandable, or as someone says in this rich book "more normal". Luckily in this book, some key and wise adults (and a teen who defies the two young protagonists' expectations of what a rich kid will be in life) know that normal is overrated and that those who stay true to themselves are "going places" as another wise adult says. I didn't cry until page 282 and then I kept crying until it ended. I really hope the real world is as spectacular as the one Ms. Pennypacker's novel provides. Now, a quick plot summary for those of you who need one: Ware spends most of his days and nights "off in his own world" of knights and castles and other thoughts such as how ceilings look. The last thing he needs is to spend his summer at Rec camp. His parents wish he could focus a bit more, or like sports, or have "meaningful social interactions". Most importantly, they need him to be safely in Rec camp while they each work double shifts to create enough money to finally purchase their home; and, his grandmother can't help after she falls and needs both hips replaced. So off to Rec camp Ware goes. Luckily for him he meets Jolene, a tough-to-read girl who is creating a secret garden in the abandoned lot next to the Rec. They spend the rest of the summer together. Ware ditches Rec camp; Jolene accuses Ware of not living in the "Real World" and slowly reveals why the garden is essential. When their sanctuary is threatened, Ware's awareness of the Knight's code of chivalry - "Though shalt do battle against unfairness whenever faced with it. Thou shalt always be the champion of Right and Good..." - comes into play (with some key assists from a camera and those wise adults). Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga (2019) - I love books by Jason Reynolds. Thus, the fact he blurbed this novel was the reason I picked it up. In this novel for kids, the main character, Jude, is introduced to us while living in Syria with her family - dad, mom, and an older brother. A few pages in, with her mother pregnant again, only Jude and her mom move to the USA so the baby can be born in a safer place. They land in the home of Jude's uncle, aunt, and cousin who is around Jude's age. The story follows what it is like for Jude to navigate her new school, being Muslim in America, and worrying about the family she left behind. The story is full of moments of sadness and warmth, told with great heart. Bonus -- the book is written in free-verse poetry meaning fewer words per page - helpful with reluctant readers. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie Look Both Ways: A tale told in ten blocks by Jason Reynolds (2020) - As we mentioned Jason Reynolds in the review above, I should note that he was one of my now high school son's favorite authors from elementary school. His latest book for kids - Look Both Ways explores ordinary walks home, their humor, and how if you pay attention, they can be pretty spectacular - even the inevitable unsuccessful and often painful detours. (We have reviewed books by Mr. Reynolds on multiple posts - most recently this very book two weeks ago; you might want to also look at this 2019 post for additional kids titles.) Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay (2020) - A blended family in need of a home moves into an atmospheric house and strange things begin to happen, mostly when books are read. Abi, the now middle child of this new family, reads and reads and reads. As she turns the pages, she finds that the books in this new home become real and leave behind traces of each scene (the scent of salt air, damp books when reading about the ocean). Her new older brother Max loses his best friend and survives his first crush. Her younger brother Louis has a visitor in his room that is all too real. Their parents are too busy working (Dad is a nurse, Mom a relief worker) to notice any of this. Read it, escape for a bit and enjoy rooting for this new family. ~ Lisa Christie Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs (2020) - My sons aged out of this reading category awhile ago. Thus, I have not kept up with Mr. Gibbs's work. After reading his latest novel, I regret that fact. And, I am choosing to see this as an excellent opportunity to catch up on some fun reading. In this outing of Mr. Gibbs's FunJungle series, sixth graders Teddy, Summer, Sage, and Xavier once again brush off their sleuthing skills to discover both who stole a T-Rex fossil from Sage's family ranch and who is smuggling reptiles into Texas to be sold as illegal pets. There is a a lot going on and Mr. Gibbs handles it all with fast paced plotting and loads of humor. ~ Lisa Christie The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate (2020) - This sequel to The One and Only Ivan follows Ivan's (a silver back gorilla) best friend Bob (a dog) as he navigates his new life as a house pet. A life he worries is making him soft. Throw in Bob's need to find his long lost sister Boss and an impending hurricane, and you have another adventure for Ivan, Bob, their friend Ruby (an elephant), and Bob's new humans in these lovingly told pages. Apparently The One and Only Ivan is also a movie scheduled for an August 2020 release; so read this sequel now before the mania commences. ~ Lisa Christie From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (2019) - Ms. Marks's debut novel combines social justice issues - the number of black men who are incarcerated - with the more mundane concerns of being a pre-teen girl in this story of a 12-year-old Zoe and her quest to get to know Marcus, the father she has never met. He is incarcerated and her mom forbids contact. But when a letter from Marcus arrives on her 12th birthday, Zoe starts corresponding with him in secret. He says he is innocent and Zoe is determined to discover the truth, while learning to bake deliciousness in her summer internship and managing teen friendships. As Kirkus Reviews stated, “This powerful debut packs both depth and sweetness, tackling a tough topic in a sensitive, compelling way. An extraordinary, timely, must-read debut about love, family, friendship, and justice.” ~ Lisa Christie The Next Great Jane by KL Going (2020) - A lovely tale about the coast of Maine and following your heart, with a bit of Jane Austen thrown in. Jane's parents divorced. Her mom moved to LA to find fame in Hollywood, leaving Jane with her oceanographer father in their small Maine town. This is fine with her as all she wants to do is write amazing novels, like her favorite novelist Jane Austen. As this novel begins, her mom and her movie producer fiance arrive for a visit and to take her back to LA. Luckily a famous visiting writer and her family just might provide all the answers Jane needs. ~ Lisa Christie A Few Classics: because every year there are new eight-year-olds who may not yet have read these. Will In Scarlet by Matthew Cody (2013) - Somehow Here in the Real World reminded me of this older FUN tale of Robin Hood and his merry men before they became famous. In this version of this timeless tale, you meet them as a gang of outlaws and watch them find their mission in life. A superb adventure for any middle grades reader and the adults who love them, or who love English legends. ~ ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie The Boggart by Susan Cooper (1993) – When Emily’s and Jess’s family inherits a Scottish castle, they travel to explore. Unbeknownst to them they also inherit a Boggart — an invisible, mischievous spirit who’s been playing tricks on residents of their castle for generations. When they accidentally trap the boggart in their belongings and take him back to Toronto, nothing will ever be the same. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Anything – and we mean ANYTHING – by E.L. Konigsburg (assorted years) – Ms. Konigsburg was truly a superb gift to young readers everywhere. Her books are fun, well-written, humorous, and help kids work through the issues they face every day. Our favorites – The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler and The View from Saturday. But please have fun discovering your own. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Frindle or Trouble-Maker or other titles by Andrew Clements – Mr. Clements is a former school principal and his love of kids – especially the ones who end up in the principal’s office – comes through in each of his books. He treats kids with humor and compassion and presents many real world dilemmas in each of his books for young readers. Pick one up and enjoy. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Books for Young Adults Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (2020) - The YA version of Mr. Kendi's National Book Award Winning and bestselling book - Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - is all you wish it to be. Very clearly and pointedly, Mr. Reynolds retells Mr. Kendi's work and in doing so tells story of racism in the world, the many forms it take, and offers ideas of how to deal with it all. A great book for any kid trying to gain some understanding and a great resource for any adult trying to help kids. As Publishers Weekly stated in their review "Reynolds (Look Both Ways) lends his signature flair to remixing Kendi's award-winning Stamped from the Beginning...Told impressively economically, loaded with historical details that connect clearly to current experiences, and bolstered with suggested reading and listening selected specifically for young readers, Kendi and Reynolds's volume is essential, meaningfully accessible reading." ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Catherine House: A Novel by Elisabeth Thomas (2020) - A gothic thriller about a three year "college" that promises if you spend three years forgetting everything you knew before you arrived when you leave you will be unstoppable. With alumnae in the highest echelons of every industry, the promise seems to be working. It is also a place where past scandal haunts everyone and things are definitely not as they seem. As one of the newest class members, Ines Murillo, trades her previous life of blurry nights of parties, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual discipline, she discovers success at Catherine House has an unspoken cost. ~ Lisa Christie If These Wings Could Fly by Kyrie McCauley (2020) - This debut novel unflinchingly illustrates terrifying aspects of domestic violence, the fabulousness of the bonds of sisters, and the refuge school provides many kids. Leighton and her sisters are the only people in Auburn, Pennsylvania unbothered by the thousands of crows that have invaded their town. Leighton's a high school senior and dreaming of the college scholarship that will take her away, and also dreading that same scholarship for taking her away from protecting her sisters from the chaos and harm of life with their abusive father. ~ Lisa Christie Again Again by e. lockhart (2020) - Adelaide Buchwald's summer finds herself living with her dad on the grounds of the prep school where he teaches and she attends (barely), while her mother is back in Baltimore helping her younger brother survive his addiction issues. Complicating matters, her first love of her life just broke up with her. She finds herself floundering, grounded only by the dogs she walks three times a day for her father's fellow teachers who are away for the summer. Told in the style of "Groundhog Day" with many outcomes for each scenario Adelaide finds herself in, this book has you rooting for everyone, and lovingly shows you the horrific aspects of teen addiction on family members. ~ Lisa Christie The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert (2020) - Somehow this book manages to squeeze in voting rights, police brutality, gun violence, abortion rights, the problems of budding musicians and their emerging bands, and the trials and tribulations of teen romance all without being preachy or condescending. The romance will bring in the readers looking for a little insight into dating life, the political activism will hopefully attract many others, and the fact all the action unfolds on voting day highlights the importance of that one simple and profound act. (PLEASE VOTE In November and before if your state has primaries coming up.) Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie Three YA books by Elizabeth Acevedo (assorted years) - Her books - Clap When You Land, With Fire On High, and Poet X are lyrical and infused with current dilemmas (e.g., racism, college applications, teen pregnancy, death, caring for aging relatives) faced by people everywhere, even while firmly grounded in NYC (and the Dominican Republic in the most recent outing). Just pick one and enjoy. ~ Lisa Christie Some Historical Fiction for Young Adults The Baker's Secret by Stephen Kiernan (2017) - WII, Normandy Occupation, D-Day and the way a young woman whose hope is absent still helps her neighbors survive. As I discussed when reviewing this for the Virtual Pages in the Pub in June, I feel today's events are particularly awful for teens, and historical fiction provides a way to make sense of them. Mr. Kiernan's (one of the June PiP presenters) work helps. ~ Lisa Christie The Wolf Hall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel (assorted years) - This fabulous trilogy follows the life of Thomas Cromwell and his service during the reign of Henry the VIII. It is well-written, appears to be impeccably researched and plunges you into England of long ago. Bonus - the three books provide hours and hours of reading entertainment and education; they could consume a student's summer. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (2009) - To offer another piece of Historical fiction, Remarkable Creatures is a historical fiction based on the life of Mary Anning, a young woman who finds some of the first fossils, and even whole dinosaurs, on the beach at Lyme Regis, England. The story is told by both Mary and another woman in the town who becomes interested in fossils and befriends Mary. When I visited Lyme Regis a few years ago, I had only heard of Mary Anning through kids books or maybe a brief lesson at school. Visiting her town made me see how important she was to natural history and I soon realized that hunting for fossils on the beach was a true talent. When I read this book, Mary Anning came to life as a young, poor girl who spent her days searching for fossils on the beach for money, not realizing the importance of her work. ~ Selected by Lauren Pidgeon in her Guest BOOK JAM post and seconded by Lisa Christie Some Classics for Young Adults: Fiction and nonfiction Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938) – This was the very first book that kept me up all night reading and for this pleasure I will forever be in its debt. Enter this gothic drama on the shores of Monte Carlo where our unnamed protagonist meets Max, the dashing, wounded, and mysterious millionaire she is swept away by and marries. The following pages whisk readers back to his English country estate “Manderley” where his deceased wife “Rebecca” haunts the characters with her perfect and horrible beauty. Can Max’s new wife ever live up to her memory? Will the lurking, skulking housekeeper Mrs. Danvers drive us all mad? How will the newlyweds and Manderley survive all the pressures pulsing in the mansion’s wings? If finding out the answers to these questions isn’t enough to entice you to curl up with this book right away, it also has one of the most famous first lines in literature. ~ Lisa Cadow Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1988) – Long ago in Colombia, the poet Florentino Ariza meets and falls forever in love with Fermina Daza. She marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino instead. Florentino does not give up easily and decides to wait as long as he has to until Fermina is free. This ends up as 51 years, 9 months and 4 days later, when suddenly, Dr. Juvenal Urbino dies, chasing a parrot up a mango tree. The tale is then told in flashbacks to the time of cholera and then again in present time. The words are perfect, the plot unforgettable, and the novel one you will not regret picking up. ~ Lisa Christie Into the Beautiful North and The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea (assorted years) – I stumbled upon an interview with Mr. Urrea on NPR as I was linking our selections to the Norwich Bookstore’s Web site and was reminded how much I love Mr. Urrea’s tales, so I added this category to this post. (The Hummingbird’s Daughter made my most meaningful reads list.) Mr. Urrea’s novels are funny, using humor to deflate explorations of horrific things (e.g., dangerous border crossings, poverty), and to explore wonderful things (e.g., love, family, friendships, movies). Into the Beautiful North was reviewed by me previously as “the book Jon Stewart would have written if he ever wrote about crossing the Mexican border into the USA”. The fact these novels depict lives of Mexicans just adds a bonus during these times of immigration conflicts and politically polarizing actions at our southern border. (Yes, this book has appeared often in BOOK JAM posts.) ~ Lisa Christie East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952) – While Grapes of Wrath (1939) is probably assigned more often by English teachers everywhere, this book reads like a soap opera told in excellent prose. I also think that one can learn all the nuances of good and evil from this tale of Mr. Steinbeck. And I can say that almost 40 years later, I still remember how I felt reading this book as a teen. ~ Lisa Christie A Hope In the Unseen by Ron Suskind (1998) – Using actual people, this book clearly illustrates the obstacles faced by bright students from tough neighborhoods. As a Wall Street Journal reporter, Mr. Suskind followed a few students in a high school in a struggling, drug-riddled neighborhood in Washington, D.C. for a few years to see what happens to students in schools that lack the resources to effectively serve them. The true story of one of these students, the heart of this book, will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned. ~ Lisa Christie Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (2004) - As most people in the planet know, this is the biography that inspired the Broadway blockbuster (if musicals can be blockbusters) which will soon be available to all with Disney Plus. In this bestseller, Mr. Chernow outlines Mr. Hamilton's life from his start as an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean, following him (and the people around him) as he became George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Continental Army, coauthored The Federalist Papers, founded the Bank of New York, led the Federalist Party, and served as the first Treasury Secretary of the United States. Read it and learn a bit more about Mr. Hamilton and the people who shaped the United States. This seems especially apt as we approach the Fourth of July. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Many, many great lists of books have been curated to help us all better understand racism and how we each need to be and do better. And, we have noticed many of them focus on non-fiction works. So rather than recreate those great lists - including this one from the Norwich Bookstore, we thought we'd share some great works of fiction that we believe can help us all learn from people whose experiences differ from our own (in our case, as two white women living in New England). We offer this in the sincere hope that the experience of reading these books creates empathy, understanding, and change (and brings some of the joy possible from reading a good book). Some Fiction for Adults Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (2019) - In this compact and powerful novel, National Book Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson deftly explores issues of race, class, identity, and sexuality. In just under 200 pages she manages to convey generations of information about Iris and Aubrey, two Black teenagers in New York whose families are brought together by an unexpected pregnancy and the birth of their daughter Melody. It is narrated in alternating chapters by Melody, Iris, and Aubrey, as well as their parents who have among them survived race riots in Tulsa, rebuilt lives, struggled with poverty, attended college, and landed in very different economic locations. What results is a moving portrait of two families whose members both young and old have disparate voices, varied dreams, and whose identities have been shaped by very different influences. This complicated past converges in the no less fraught present at the beginning of the novel on the eve of Melody’s fifteenth birthday in a brownstone in Brooklyn. These beautifully drawn characters are sure to stay with readers long after they have turned the last page. When interviewed by Trevor Noah in October 2019 on “The Daily Show,” Woodson offered that she hoped for readers of her book to “fall in love with the characters and [that] it makes them want to create some kind of change.” I share her hope. Highly recommended. ~Lisa Cadow The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019) - One of the most devastating and beautiful books I have read in a long time. I knew I would emerge from these pages troubled from the very first description of Elwood (the very first boy described in this novel) and his arrest. I was also troubled knowing the stories in this book are based on true stories of a reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years. So like Millie in the final chapters, I took breaks from learning about what happened to Elwood and Turner (in my case by reading magazine articles and children's books). Please don't let this deter you from picking this novel up and reading the tales of The Nickel Boys - boys sent to a fictional juvenile reformatory during the Jim Crow era in the South. ~ Lisa Christie The Travelers: A Novel by Regina Porter (2019) - This book has an energy I can't describe adequately. However, my inadequacy is irrelevant as what matters is that this energy and Ms. Porter's prose had me rapidly turning pages of this debut novel; I really, really wanted to know what happened to each of the many characters. And by "many characters", I mean that the cast list at the beginning of the novel, reminiscent of the copy of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead one of the characters keeps carrying around, proved extremely useful in tracking who is who. Ms. Porter deftly moves her plot and her abundance of characters between decades in a delightful, surprising, and circular motion while she portrays two main families - one black and one white - navigating the decades from the Civil Rights Movement to Obama's presidency. Ms. Porter's tale employs wit and compassion, two things I believe we can call use more of these days. But, perhaps most importantly, as The Guardian Review of this debut states, this novel reminds us that "we are all both the heroes of our own stories and the extras in other people’s". ~ Lisa Christie There There by Tommy Orange (2018, paperback 2019) - 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 August Snow and Lives Laid Away by Stephen Mack Jones (2019) - I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Jones's debut August Snow. So I was excited to see that Lives Laid Away brings August Snow, a superbly wrought ex-police officer turned “fixer” - of neighborhoods, of people and of mysteries - back. His own background as a biracial individual adds nuance to the unraveling of various mysteries. I was also thrilled that I liked this second in what I hope is a long series. (Book #3 Dead of Winter arrives in the Spring of 2021.) Detroit itself is a character in both books I've read thusfar, with its gentrification and the tensions that causes front and center. ~ Lisa Christie Some YA Fiction Dear Martin by Nic Stone (2017) – A superb YA novel about being profiled by police officers for being black, and how BLM and politics affect black youth. 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. (For shorthand, it could be considered the boy’s perspective on the situations in The Hate U Give.) ~ Lisa Christie Clap When You Land by Elisabeth Acevedo (2020) - This book, told in alternating chapters to ensure we see each of the main character's perspective, shares the stories of two girls (one in NYC and one in the Dominican Republic) who discover they share the same father when a plane he is on plunges into the ocean. As could be predicted, the half sisters are different. Yahaira is a dark skinned chess champion living with her parents in New York with a girlfriend who conveniently is also her next door neighbor. Camino is tethered to her love of the ocean, living with her aunt, and navigating the exclusive prep school her father pays for with money from his work in the USA. The book explores, secrets, differences, and love. This is the third YA book by Ms. Acevedo that I have read and LOVED, moving her into favorite author territory for me. ~ Lisa Christie Frankly In Love by David Yoon (2019) - I was surprised how this apparently simple (and familiar - hello Romeo and Juliet) story of first love that does not meet with parental approval, as well as of navigating the final year of high school made me smile and tear-up a bit. Some plot points: Frank Li and Joy Song have been friends since childhood, attending regularly scheduled dinners with a larger group of Korean-American families in Los Angeles for as long as they have a memory of any event. As they navigate senior year, they are both in love with the "wrong" (not-Korean) person. They decide to fake that they are dating each other to keep their parents happy, while still seeing their true loves. Their elaborate scheming provides the plot for this novel's terrific cast of characters. (I truly loved Frank's superb best friend.) And while Buzzfeed aptly stated, “Yoon's stellar debut expertly and authentically tackles racism, privilege, and characters who are trying to navigate their Korean-American identity”, I would argue you should read it for the fun. Give it to your favorite teen or your favorite adult in need of a smile or two (and distraction from the news). ~ Lisa Christie Before We Were Free by Julia Alverez (2002) - By now perhaps a classic, this slim novel explores revolution, dictatorship, and immigration. Set in Trujillo’s Dominican Republic, this novel is told through the eyes of Anita, a pre-teen whose uncle has disappeared without a trace, whose other relatives have mostly left for life in the USA, and whose immediate family is being closely watched by the government. The tale follows the decisions she must make to find freedom. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Here to Stay by Sara Farizhan (2018) - In this great book about high school life, the main character, Bijan Miajidi, is pulled from the obscurity of JV basketball to the varsity limelight, which he hopes will help make it easier to talk to his crush Elle. Instead, he is targeted by an internet photo doctored to make him appear as a terrorist. As he tells the story of what happens next, his narrator voice is joined by his internal narrators - ESPN commentators Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan - providing color commentary and comic relief to the often difficult events of the novel. In short, Ms. Farizhan compassionately and effectively covers coming out stories, cyberbullying, pressure to get into the right colleges, sports, and racism, without preaching, in a true page-turner. ~ Lisa Christie Counting Coup by Larry Colton (2001) - Ok this is non fiction but we snuck it in as its exploration of life for many Native Americans in the USA through the lens of a basketball playing teen, has stayed with us for almost 20 years. In this book, Mr. Colton journeys into the world of Montana’s Crow Indians and follows the struggles of a talented, moody, charismatic young woman basketball player named Sharon. This book far more than just a sports story – it exposes how Native Americans have long since been cut out of the American dream. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie A Few Titles For Younger Readers Look Both Ways: A tale told in ten blocks by Jason Reynolds (2020) - One of my now high school son's favorite authors from elementary school was/is Jason Reynolds. His latest book for kids - Look Both Ways explores ordinary walks home, their humor, and how if you pay attention, they can be pretty spectacular - even the inevitable unsuccessful and often painful detours. (We have reviewed books by Mr. Reynolds on multiple posts; you might want to also look at our 2019 post - https://www.bookjamvermont.com/kids-at-heart/ya-for-all-who-love-good-books for additional kids titles.) Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie Who Is What Was series (assorted years) - This series for early readers offers biographies and historical stories highlighting many individuals from many backgrounds and cultures. Enjoy working your way through them. (Bonus: many titles are available in Spanish.) ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper (2015) - My family discovered this book on a 2015 trip to DC with a visit to Busboys and Poets on 14th Street, showing that exploring an indie bookstore can lead to amazing things. (The audiobook version was our soundtrack for the car trip back home to Vermont.) We have since recommended it to every kid we know. Stella lives in segregated North Carolina. There are stores she can enter and stores she can not; people are kind or they are not. But the Klan hasn't been around for awhile. Then late one night she and her brother see something they are not supposed to see and her world is forever changed. I also recommend Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming for a look at being a kid with brown skin in the 1960s and 1970s. The New York Times also curated a great list of other books to help you speak with kids about race. ~ Lisa Christie For those of you trying to find a good place to explore privilege, we recommend Peggy McIntosh's short 1988 essay White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, as a good starting point for understanding white privilege. We also highly recommend Emily Bernard's 2019 book Black Is The Body, whose essays pointedly unfold the effects of racism in white spaces (like Vermont).
Again, we sincerely hope these title help you find great books to read, as well as resources to navigate racism, inequity, and difference. Last Thursday evening, during another "Pages in the Pub" we gathered and we talked and we laughed and we shared reviews of great books to read this summer. Like so many activities of late, this happened not in person, but on ZOOM. And now with today's post, we all have access to the great books our presenters recommended. The presenters - Michele Campbell, KJ Dell'Antonia, Stephen Kiernan, and Sarah Stewart Taylor - did an incredible job of telling us about the books they hope we all read this summer. One of the Book Jam Lisas - Lisa Christie - reviewed the great new books each presenter has written for us to enjoy this summer. Natasha Leskiw, provided amazing tech support and linked each presenter's selections to The Norwich Bookstore website (our indie bookstore partner), allowing audience members to purchase books as the event unfolded. Lucinda Walker, the superb Norwich Librarian, used the event chat room to link to other books we might wish to read as each book was discussed. As a bonus, through the generosity of The Norwich Bookstore and audience members, the event raised money for Upper Valley Strong, a nonprofit now providing COVID-19 related relief services. For today's post sharing their picks, the presenters confined their reviews to six words (harder than it sounds), giving all of us a GREAT list of books to give and get. We also include the bonus selections from Lucinda Walker (in parenthesis) at the end of each presenter's review. Bios for all the great people (OUR THANKS TO ALL OF THEM) who helped our Virtual Pages in the Pub are listed below the presenters' recommendations, so that you can know a little bit more about the people who gave us all such a great list of books to read. There truly is something in this list for just about every type of reader. And don't forget you can pre-order the summer releases by each of the four presenters today and have a steady stream of great books by KJ, Michele, Sarah, and Stephen delivered to you all summer long. Enjoy this list and happy reading! (NOTE: We are heartsick about the events unfolding across the nation and plan to focus on this more fully in an upcoming post. In the meantime, we hope for healing and fair treatment for all. We will also use FB to highlight some great books that address race and racism.) Cookbooks: For anyone looking for summer inspiration The Outdoor Kitchen: Live Fire Cooking from the Grill by Eric Werner and Nils Bernstein (2020). Inspiration for our new entertaining normal. ~ Selected by Sarah Stewart Taylor (A fine pairing with this book might include: Fire & Wine: 75 Smoke-Infused Recipes from the Grill with Perfect Wine Pairings by Mary Cressle & Sean Martin) Non-fiction Or Reference Book: For people who like to ponder large tomes from their front porches while watching neighbors in masks stroll by The Address Book by Deirdre Mask (2020). Mapping houses is mapping (unwitting) people. ~ Selected by KJ Dell‘Antonia (We’re spending so much time at home let Bill Bryson teach us so much more: At Home: A short history of private life.) A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols (2001). First global solo sailboat race. ~ Selected by Stephen Kiernan (Add to the adventure by reading Coyote Lost at Sea: The Story of Mike Plant, America's Daring Solo Circumnavigator by Julia Plan.) Adult Fiction: For a woman who only has time for the best fiction after hiking while remaining physically distant The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell Antonio (2020). Social media and small-town life collide. ~ Selected by Lisa Christie (A great read alike is The Grammarians: A Novel by Cathleen Schine.) There's a Word for That by Sloane Tanen (2020). Harry Potter's crazy writer mom + Hollywood. ~ Selected by KJ Dell‘Antonia (Who doesn’t love a little family dysfunction? The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney.) Adult Fiction: For anyone who only has time for the BEST fiction Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (2005). Ignore title, an old man's love story. ~ Selected by Stephen Kiernan (Also try The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright.) Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry (2019). (And bonus – Love by Roddy Doyle). Dry, funny, touching. Irish writers do it better. ~ Selected by Sarah Stewart Taylor (While not a laugh riot, it’s truly worth your time. The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.) Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (2017). Angsty writer’s doomed affair, literary setting. ~ Selected by Michele Campbell (A fresh take on Irish love is Eggshells by Caitriona Lally.) Dominicana by Angie Cruz (2020). Dominican girl’s difficult immigrant experience — lyrical. ~ Selected by Michele Campbell (Also try Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.) Thrillers to Help You Forget the News American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (2019). Cold War Spy Thriller with modern twist. ~ Selected by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Family secrets abound in Red, White, Blue: A Novel by Lea Carpenter.) The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor (2020). Terrific atmospheric thriller. Ireland. Complex Detective. ~ Selected by Lisa Christie (May also like The End of Everything by Megan Abbot.) The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (2020). Sexism, racism, friendship, selling out—AND vampires. ~ Selected by KJ Dell‘Antonia (Read the book the women in the book club are reading before the vampires show up…The Stranger Beside Me by Anne Rule.) Long, Bright River by Liz Moore (2020). Dark, lyrical: female cop, opioid crisis. ~ Selected by Michele Campbell (Could also like The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh.) A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell (2020). Betrayed spouses, lovers, families mean trouble. ~ Selected by Lisa Christie (Described as a twisted and deliciously thrilling - The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks.) Books From A Genre You Don't Usually Read The Passage Trilogy by Justin Cronin (assorted years). Global pandemic scarier than the current one. ~ Selected by Stephen Kiernan (Perhaps a bit too close to our reality right now but a classic: The Stand by Stephen King.) The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (2016). Finding family, understanding others, including aliens. ~ Selected by KJ Dell‘Antonia (A hilarious, offbeat debut space opera Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes.) Books for summer campers/ young readers in Tree-houses (ages 8-12): Or, put another way, books for those beyond tonka trucks and tea parties but not yet ready for teen topics The All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor (assorted years). Loving family's adventures in early 20th century New York. (With hope in the midst of scarlet fever and polio.) ~ Selected by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Might also like The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser.) Books For Your Favorite High Schooler: “not required” reading for teens to ponder during the long hours of summer vacation Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins (1990). Funny, sexy, subversive, greatest hitchiker ever. ~ Selected by Stephen Kiernan (May also like The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.) Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019). “The West Wing” as snarky romance. ~ Selected by KJ Dell‘Antonia (Also try Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner.) The Baker’s Secret by Stephen Kiernan (2017). Historical fiction teaches, entertains. Bread unites. (Bonus picks Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Aceveda and Stephen's new release - Universe of Two.) ~ Selected by Lisa Christie (If you like The Baker’s Secret, also try The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson.) Books That Will Always Remain On Your Shelves: No matter how many times you purge them as part of Covid-19 stay at home projects Dune by Frank Herbert (1965; timely because there is a new film adaptation in the works). Classic fantasy: young messiah, desert planet. ~ Selected by Michele Campbell (A classic in the making - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.) Our Terrific Presenters - Four authors with books out this summer Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases. A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in It's Always the Husband. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels. She has had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her. Ms. Campbell's latest novel, A Stranger on the Beach, can be pre-ordered now to ensure you have it for its July 23rd release. KJ Dell’Antonia is the author of The Chicken Sisters, her debut novel, as well as How to Be a Happier Parent. She is the co-host of the #AmWriting podcast, the creator of the #happyendingsplease series on IGTV and the former editor of the New York Times’ Motherlode blog, and is never happier than when she's getting to tell somebody about a book she loves. She lives in Lyme with her husband, 4 children, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 8 chickens, 2 mini-ponies and an ever-changing line-up of other horses. The Chicken Sisters is available July 1st, and available to pre-order now. Stephen Kiernan - Between his newspaper career and his novels, Stephen Kiernan has had more four million words in print. He’s a doting dad, an outdoor exercise addict, and a decent guitarist. His new book, Universe of Two, comes out August 2nd, and is available to pre-order now. Sarah Stewart Taylor is the author of the Sweeney St. George series and the Maggie D'arcy series. She grew up on Long Island, and was educated at Middlebury College in Vermont and Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied Irish Literature. She has worked as a journalist and writing teacher and now lives with her family on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and grow blueberries. The Mountains Wild is available via pre-orders right now, with a June 23rd release date. Our Amazing Emcee Danielle Cohen is an audiobook narrator and actor, living in Norwich, Vermont. She grew up in Manchester, England, reading anything and everything aloud, and at the age of eight dreamed of being a news reader, or later, a stand-up comedian! Neither of those ever happened, but she did pursue an acting career for many years and has performed in many productions at Northern Stage in White River Junction, VT. She loves telling a good story and being an audiobook narrator has been a natural progression. When she is not narrating audiobooks, she can be found walking or running with friends, playing board games with her husband and teenage daughters, or baking and eating cake! The Superb Librarian Providing Expertise with Additional Recommendations 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 (pandemic be damned!) She is addicted to podcasts (Ear Hustle, Jill Lepore's The Last Archive & Staying In with Emily & Kumail are current favorites), popcorn and dark-roasted coffee. Recently, she’s discovered the joys of the co-working space at her dining room and birdsong. Lucinda lives in Brownsville with her writer/librarian husband Peter and two kids, Hartley & Lily. Our Outstanding Tech Support Natasha Leskiw runs her own company, Personally Yours, doing social media and online community management for indie bestselling authors, charities, and local businesses. When not locked in her office she can usually be found wandering around the hundred-year-old house she shares with her boyfriend in Bradford Ontario, being overly caffeinated and yelling at cats. Pages in the Pub INDIE Bookstore Partner The Norwich Bookstore is full of stories: for adults and for children; some true, many fictional; tales of joy and sorrow, intrigue and inspiration. The bookstore has its own tale of connections and personalities, of visions and hard work. Since August 1, 1994 the great booksellers at The Norwich Bookstore have been helping readers find perfect books for all occasions. The Book Jam Lisas Lisa Christie, co-founder of the Book Jam, was in previous times the Founder/Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Vermont and USA, literacy programs that help children love books. She currently works as a part-time non-profit consultant, can't believe she recently finished her work as a Dartmouth graduate student, and is an all-the-time believer in the power of books. She lives in Norwich with her musician husband, two superb teenage sons, and a very large dog. She often dreams of travel; and she is trying to figure out how to turn her recent Dartmouth thesis looking at race and racism in white spaces into a play. 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. She is currently a full-time graduate student at the University of Vermont hoping to become a full-time therapist one day soon.
Well, somehow the ability to manage calendars and Covid-19 distancing eluded us. We now find ourselves too late for timely Mother's Day gift ideas. That said, perhaps some mothers out there didn't get a good book yesterday and would like one now. So for all the mothers, and for anyone else looking for a good read, we have two ideas. And, because it is never too late to say thank you to anyone - HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY. We thank you all. Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves by Frans de Waal (2019) - Lord knows, emotions - even very heightened emotions - are one of the many challenges that mothers deal with on a daily basis. That makes this particular title perfect for any mother. Reading it provides a window of understanding into not only their origins but also into their importance for an organism’s survival. One of the most moving parts of this affecting book comes towards its end. Whether I perceived it differently given the radical disruption and social isolation we have experienced this past spring as a result of the corona virus, it is nonetheless a meaningful illustration of emotions surfacing in other species. In the final pages of Mama’s Last Hug, author de Waals tells the story of the creation of a new outdoor climbing structure for the chimpanzees living at the Yerkes primate sanctuary in Georgia. The human caretakers there had been busy building it for weeks, which meant that during that time the entire colony had needed to stay inside and be separated from one other. When it was finally ready, the humans released the chimps out of doors so that they could see their exciting new apparatus - one full of ropes and nests and and spaces to play high above the ground. They expected that in their excitement the chimps would immediately run up to the structure to explore it. But they didn’t. Instead, the first thing they did was to hug each other. They engaged in a full-fledged emotional reunion that involved long embraces, kissing, and the touching of their long-lost friends. This story from the Yerkes sanctuary shows how connected primates are to each other (and also makes me wonder how humans will react when our long quarantine is over). This book is full of many rich illustrations such as this one. For professor and researcher de Waal’s, “the question has never been whether animals have emotions, but how science could have overlooked them for so long.” He explores the essential role that emotions play in informing the behavior of living organisms from primates to fish and even crustaceans. Reading it will leave humans with new insights into the living creatures with whom we share the planet as well as respect for the nimbleness and adaptivity of our own emotional guidance systems. ~Lisa Cadow For those interested to see the encounter that gave this book its title, visit - https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/10/24/559837354/watch-the-moment-a-dying-chimpanzee-recognizes-an-old-friend Writers & Lovers by Lily King (2020) - Because the beginning of Covid distancing meant my inability to concentrate dominated my life, not because of the novel itself, Writers & Lovers provided a slow start for me. So if it does for you as well, please know that I am so glad I kept reading. Once I was hooked, I ended up reading it in one three or four hour swoop during a night of insomnia (also probably Covid distancing related). The novel revolves around Casey, a woman in her late 20s, struggling to complete her first novel while waiting tables at a prestigious Cambridge, Massachusetts restaurant and juggling a complicated personal life. (I would guess the character is somewhat based upon Ms. King, but I have no way of knowing.) I enjoyed time spent in Cambridge as well as flashing back to life in 1997. In particular, the description of her dank lodging arrangement brought back memories of many of my early apartments. I found this to be a lovely reminder of life as a young person, not a bad reminder for any Mother or anyone. As IndieNext wrote in their review - "I don’t think there’s a single unnecessary word in the whole thing. Writers & Lovers is a joy to read, a gift from a writer at the top of her game.” I completely agree. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie So belatedly ----
We asked a fellow Vermonter, friend, and local historian - Lauren Pidgeon - to review some of her favorite books to share with Book Jam readers. Bonus -- she is a High Schooler and represents a different demographic than either "slightly" older Book Jam Lisa. There is an important fact relevant to her reviews -- Lauren volunteers each week doing research at the Norwich Historical Society. She recently worked with the 1865 diary of Mary Slack, a 15-year-old schoolgirl from our hometown of Norwich. Lauren's exploration of Mary's diary was recently featured in excellent blog posts - just click here to read. It was this initial "book" review by Lauren that inspired us to ask her to review some of her favorite books from more recent centuries for us. Now, back to today's selections. We love the fact Lauren's book reviews speak to to finding books through overseas travel, relatives, and a trip to our town dump. (In Vermont Pre-Covid-19, book shacks at town dumps were excellent sources of books to treasure.) And all you teachers out there -- please note Lauren highlights a class from seven years prior at our local elementary school as part of her reviews; your work matters so much, even if you don't see or hear appreciation in the moment. Victoria’s Daughters by Jerrold Packard (1999) - When I saw this book sitting on top of the pile of books my dad had found at the dump, I was instantly drawn to it. I love history. And, I especially love Victorian history; so of course, I had to read it. It’s a non-fiction book recounting the lives of Queen Victoria and her five daughters (her four sons are occasionally mentioned). I discovered how her daughters’ marriages spread Victoria’s influence around Europe. It was also interesting to see how Victoria impacted her children’s lives because she wasn’t the most stereotypical mother. Coincidentally, last summer I had actually made a family tree of Victoria and her children because I love making family trees and it was easy and incredibly interesting to research. I used this tree while I was reading the book, but the author has also provided a family tree at the beginning of the book. ~ Selected by Lauren Horrible Histories by Terry Deary (assorted years) - The Horrible Histories series were the first history books I ever read. I had started watching the Horrible Histories TV series in England when I was 6 or 7 years old and I loved how funny and gory it was, but also how it taught me a lot. When I moved to America I wasn’t able to to watch Horrible Histories so instead I had my grandparents bring a huge box set of Horrible Histories books when they came to visit. I loved, and still do love, the way Terry Deary says he writes about “history with the nasty bits left in!” He satirizes people like Queen Victoria and Shakespeare and creates comical conversations between historical figures from all periods of history. ~ Selected by Lauren Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (2009) - Remarkable Creatures is a historical fiction based on the life of Mary Anning, a young woman who finds some of the first fossils, and even whole dinosaurs, on the beach at Lyme Regis, England. The story is told by both Mary and another woman in the town who becomes interested in fossils and befriends Mary. When I visited Lyme Regis a few years ago, I had only heard of Mary Anning through kids books or maybe a brief lesson at school. Visiting her town made me see how important she was to natural history and I soon realized that hunting for fossils on the beach was a true talent. When I read this book, Mary Anning came to life as a young, poor girl who spent her days searching for fossils on the beach for money, not realizing the importance of her work. ~ Selected by Lauren Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan (assorted years) - Studying Ancient Greece in Mr. Fenton’s 5th grade class was the highlight of all my years at the Marion Cross School. I especially loved reading the myths about the Gods. I would often imagine what it was like to be part of the big, crazy, and wonderful family of the Olympian Gods. Reading Percy Jackson for the first time let me see how cool it would be to actually be a part of the myths. I dreamed of going to Camp Half-Blood with Percy and Annabeth and taking part in their adventures. They fought titans, mythical monsters, and other Gods and made close bonds with their friends from camp. ~ Selected by Lauren For many students in New England, it’s April vacation week. This year, the things that families usually do during their spring time off may look markedly different. With say at home orders in place in most states, there won’t be the much anticipated trips to visit relatives or to take in new sites. Instead, there will most likely be many hours spent in familiar surroundings without the structure of new zoom classes and dedicated homework time. We thought families might want some additional inspiration so we asked a few students from our local elementary school - the Marion Cross School (and some of their younger siblings) - to recommend great books for reading aloud with their families or for just a good “curl up” on the couch. We hope this post finds you all well, and that many kids (and adults) will enjoy “traveling” to fun new places in their minds with these varied and well-curated titles. Witches by Roald Dahl (1983) - I think this book is probably, definitely for 7-year-olds. I liked it because the author is really good and because I like scary stuff and it's really scary. When the boss of the witches takes off all of her witch clothes and she's all slimy, it's pretty cool. My teacher read it to me at school and I liked how she read it. She made really good scary witch voices. When my dad read it, he made the same kind of voices and it was good too. There aren't a lot of pictures but there are enough. Twice as much pictures as a chapter book. ~ Selected by Arlo, preschooler who is also 5 years old Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit (assorted years) - I like these books because they are very adventurous stories. I also like these books because they are very suspenseful. The main characters are Cruz, Emmet, and Sailer. Their school is called Explorer Academy. I think kids ages eight through twelve would like it. ~ Selected by Ben, grade 4 Greetings from Somewhere: The Mystery of the Gold Coin and other books in this series by Harper Paris (assorted years) - This book series is about a set of twins named Ethan and Ella. They travel all over the world and solve mysteries. Grampa Harry gave them each a gift that helped them find clues to solve the mysteries. You will find out what his special gift is in book 1. I never wanted to put the book down because there was a new clue or discovery in each chapter. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I did. ~ Selected by Annabel, grade 4 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954) - This book is about a ring that hypnotizes people and turns them into zombie monsters. A hobbit named Frodo has to destroy the ring, but it’s very hard because there’s so much violence. It has evil monster orcs who are after Frodo. They want the ring to control Middle Earth, where everybody in the book lives. My favorite characters are hobbits Merry and Sam because they are afraid but also brave. There is a King of Horses named Shadowfax who is superfast. I recommend this book if you little kids like violence, but your parents should read it with you. ~ Selected by Malcolm, grade 1 Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland (2012) - I think Wings of Fire is an amazing story with imaginative characters & lots & lots of dragons. Each dragon has its own personality & has its own skill. My favorite dragon is Peril, in book 8 & she is a Sky Wing dragon. She was born a twin. Her twin brother didn’t have enough fire & she was born with too much fire & burning hot scale’s. My other favorite dragon is a Sand Wing dragon, named Qibli. I like to think he’s a bit like me. He’s always focusing on more than one thing. In the 5th book, when Moon reads his mind, she can tell that Qibli is focusing on at least 3 different things. Wings of Fire has 15 books in the series. You‘ve got to give book 1 a little bit of time, as it takes a while to get exciting. It’s about a Mud Wing, called Clay. He can only breathe fire when he’s warm & loves mud. ~ Selected by Harrison, grade 5 The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy (2019) - I would recommend this book for many reasons, but one of the big ones is the inclusivity displayed in the characters. The plot not only incorporates the struggles of being Indian-American in the small, almost all white town of Greenfield for the main character, Rahul Kapoor, but also the hardships of coming out. The writing is top quality, and the voices of the kids featured are very genuine. So if you need or want a diverse, realistic, middle grade book featuring queer characters, this is a good one to read. Not only is the content interesting, the plot is outstanding. While dealing with an increasing habit of checking things, which evolves to be OCD-like, Rahul has just started 7th grade, and is subject to bullying and teasing. So when his grandfather advises him to “Find something you like and become the best at it,” Rahul decides he knows how to combat social pressure and anxiety: Follow this piece of grandfatherly guidance, and begin a quest with his best friend, Chelsea, to seek out and conquer the talent that will put him at the top. Read this book to find out what he comes up with! Special note: The author of this book also played Jonathan in 30 Rock. ~ Selected by Roxy, grade 5 Don't forget you can access most public libraries (and thus these books) on line. Check out this article - https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2020/03/public-libraries-novel-response-to-a-novel-virus/609058/ - for some ideas.
Also, Hanover High School (NH) Football players recorded themselves reading picture books in an effort to help entertain young children for long enough that parents can throw in a load of laundry or perhaps just sit. Here is the video link - http://www.hudl.com/v/2DRrr8. As we progress through this period of self-isolation to help "flatten the curve," we notice that our ability to concentrate varies tremendously from day-to-day. It can actually be quite challenging to read an entire book. In a recent text thread with each other, we discovered that both of us have instead found ourselves flipping through large volumes of books about art collections that, until recently, have sat collecting dust on our shelves. So today, we each discuss one such book that has captured our imagination since being homebound. Because one of these is out of print (remember the comment about how much dust they had been collecting?!), we added two classic titles for kids that revolve around an art museum, each of which are still available for purchase (ideally from an indie bookstore near you). We have also included links to some virtual museum tours that we hope offer some inspiration and innovation as we all (except those of you who are medical professionals, first responders, grocers - you we THANK) stay home. French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation by the Barnes Foundation (1993) - Once upon a time, I was lucky enough to have a job that involved working in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. One of the exhibits I was privileged to work with was a collection of around 100 pieces from the Barnes Foundation. This 1993 exhibit was the first time any of the works had appeared outside the Foundation's home in Pennsylvania. Because the Foundation had previously banned color reproductions of their collection, this book was the first time any Barnes images appeared in full color in print. The book discusses the paintings (e.g., works by Manet, Renoir, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Gauguin, Modigliani, Picasso, and Matisse) I saw each day as I worked, and tells the fascinating story of the Barnes Foundation itself. Flipping through its pages has reminded me of my younger self, and of the beauty artists offer us each day. ~ Lisa Christie The Foundation is currently offering Barnes Takeout, daily virtual tours on YouTube. Uffizi: Art, History, Collections by Gloria Fossi (2004) - It almost feels as though I briefly visited Italy today. Flipping through this little gem of a book (which sat on my shelf, a souvenir from a trip taken decades ago) was like taking a walk through the resplendent halls of the Uffizi gallery in Florence. Its pages are infused with the tawny and jewel tones of the Renaissance and I was struck by how many treasures reside in this museum. From “Primavera” by Botticelli, to “Annunciation” by Leonardo daVinci, to “Medusa” by Caravaggio, there were so many mythical creatures, madonnas, and magi to visit. A tour of this particular collection of masterpieces reminded me once again how between thirteen and sixteen hundred, painting developed and leapt off of the canvas into three dimensions. Spending time with these magical works and with the artists who brought them to life also inspired me to think, as I have many times during the past month, about the remarkable human spirit and its ability to be creative during turbulent times. (Because this book is out-of-print, we can not link to a bookstore. Those who wish to try to find a copy from your favorite out-of-print source may need the ISBN - 88-09-03676-X.) This “Uffizi experience” truly felt like a balm for the April 2020 soul. And to think it all started by opening up a book, one which ended up taking me across time to far away and beautiful paintings. As I closed the book and returned it to its spot on the shelf, the image of one of my very favorite pieces “The Birth of Venus” lingered with me. In it, as is now the case for us in the northern hemisphere, it is also springtime. And, as they are for Venus in this picture, the winds are also blowing us towards a new shore. Hopefully we can receive our new season as Botticelli’s Venus does: with our hands resting on open hearts and eyes also open, soft, and full of wonder. ~ Lisa Cadow Note: After admiring the prints in this gorgeous book, I was moved to explore the art on its pages more deeply. I decided to embark on a free virtual tour of the sunlit corridors of this famous gallery — but first I needed to download the Google app “Arts and Culture” (very easy - you, too, will be able do it). Once it was installed on my iPad, I ‘walked” through the actual halls of the Uffizi, directing my steps with my finger tips. Though, sigh, there were none of the hushed, awed tones of fellow museum goers to keep me company nor the sounds of feet clicking and echoing along the marble hallways, I could almost feel my neck craning to admire the portraits lining the upper edges of the walls and the frescoes on the ceiling. All of this virtual beauty, yet with none of the lines to wait in, no tempting gift shop at the end of the tour where one might be lured into spending Euros on post cards, and no need to find a spot on a crowded bench to rest a weary traveler’s body. Below is the link for your own Italian experience. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Cadow https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en For those who wish to see more are, we found additional virtual sites for museum "strolling": The Art Institute of Chicago (especially liked the El Greco exhibition), AVA Galleries, Hopkins Center, The Tate Britian, The J Paul Getty Museum, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Louve. And now, two novels for kids (and kids at heart) with museums at their core. They both would make a great family read-aloud during these days of isolation. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konisberg (1967) - Yes, this is probably the first book we all think of when we think of books that take place in museums. And there is a reason for that -- it is FABULOUS. To quickly sum -- Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, to somewhere elegant and chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She also chooses her younger brother, Jamie, and his money to accompany her. They then get caught in the mystery of whether a statue in the museum is actually a work by Michaelangelo (bringing us back to Lisa Cadow's book from the Uffuzi). It's a great family read-aloud, and honestly there are new 4th graders each year who probably need a copy of their own. Previously recommended by us in a list of great chapter books for kids. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald (2014) – This is perfect for kids who loved From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and are looking for something similar. Again, this would be a great family read-aloud. As we said in a previous Book Jam review - In this novel, Theodora Tenpenny of Manhattan tries to solve the mystery of a painting she uncovers (literally) once her grandfather dies. It includes her eccentric mother who has spent at least fifteen years doing nothing but completing her mathematical dissertation and consuming very expensive tea. It also shows how two amazing, but lonely girls can make great friends. And, along the way it introduces young readers to the world of art and the importance of asking for help when you need it. ~ Lisa Christie and Lisa Cadow Much has changed since our previous Book Jam post. Cities have slowed, priorities have changed, our world seems to have shifted a bit on its axis. And yet, two weeks ago we planned a post for today focusing on the theme of kindness — and we still think it appropriate. Perhaps even perfect. Even if most kindness right now must happen from afar. So, below, we review the five picture books our local bookstore, the Norwich Bookstore, displayed on their wall earlier this month in their attempt to spread kind thoughts long before we were worried about Covid-19. As we all limit our social interactions and many business are closed to foot traffic, remember that you can purchase these books online or by phone from your favorite local indie bookstore (which needs your support more than ever). SO, here’s an idea: simply request that your favorite bookstore (e.g., Norwich Bookstore, Still North, Yankee Bookshop, Book Culture, Daunt Books, Parnassus Books, Powell's, Elliott Bay, Blackwell's, Island Books, Flying Pig, Galaxy Bookshop, Book Passage, Politics & Prose, any other indie bookstore) mail one (or two or all) of these titles to any family with young children. With schools closed, parents will appreciate enriching activities and distractions. If you don't know a family with young children, send these to your favorite grandma or grandpa. They could then use technology (or simply the phone if ZOOM is too much) and read these books aloud to their grandkids, allowing them to stay connected and engaged. If you don't know any grandparents or families with young children, you could request that the bookstore to send them to your local homeless shelter, elementary school, or public library to use as needed. One purchase could make a meaningful difference to someone right now as we all figure out new ways to connect. We appreciate Book Jam readers near and far considering the gift of books. Whatever you do, keep on reading. Sending beautiful words, health, and kindness your way, Lisa and Lisa, The Book Jam Be You by Peter Reynolds (2020) - This is truly a joyful reminder by one of our favorite picture book authors that we are all superbly unique, and that the best gift we can give the world is just to be ourselves. What a great lesson for the youngest among us to learn early on. We especially love Mr. Reynold's challenge to "be your own work of art." ENJOY! I Believe I Can by Grace Byers with pictures by Keturah A. Bobo (2020) - This excerpt by actress and activist Grace Byers and artist Keturah A. Bobo says it all "My presence matters in this world. I know I can do anything, if only I believe I can". This duo also created I Am Enough, reviewed by Kirkus as “a feel-good book about self-acceptance.” A World of Kindness by Ann Featherstone (2018) - This book, with drawings by twelve celebrated children's book illustrators, shows us all how to be kind; and, it reminds us that we impact the world every day with our actions and thoughts, and the importance of "please" and "thank you" can not be overstated.. The Friendship Book by Mary Lyn Ray (2019) - A charming look at how to be a better friend. Enjoy the slightly old-fashioned illustrations and the kind thoughts. It pairs well with Ms. Ray's The Thank You Book. Kindness Counts by R. A. Strong (2020) - Illustrations show children using thoughtfulness and generosity. The text emphasises empathy and compassion. Its board book form is perfect for the youngest readers among us, as it is very difficult to destroy. A recent reading of American Dirt has us thinking about who tells what stories, and about immigration/migrants throughout the world. Quick recap for those who haven't followed any press around American Dirt, the selection of Ms. Cummins and her novel as part of Oprah's Book Club created controversy and highlighted problematic aspects of how we all find the books we read. Latinx authors used American Dirt to highlight that stories similar to American Dirt have been told for years by Latinx authors to infinitely fewer levels of fanfare and significantly less money than Ms. Cummins received. They pointed out that they would also like to be able to tell tales that are not about immigration, but that the publishing industry rarely supports these endeavors. The controversy also illustrated the lack of diversity among staffs of publishing houses who decide what books are published, of media groups who decided what books receive great press coverage, and of reviewers (yes, we are looking at ourselves here) who discuss the merits of books. (Please see our annual diversity audit to view a small step we take to hold ourselves accountable for who we highlight with the Book Jam.) We know we can not solve the problem of representation. What we can do is read widely and recommend as many diverse authors as we possibly can. So today, we recommend these nine looks at the lives of immigrants/migrants/refugees written by a diverse group of authors. We hope they lead us all to take hard looks at how we treat immigrants, migrants, and refugees in the policy arena and as human beings. We hope this post places authors you may not have otherwise found into your reading choices. (NOTE: we created a similar post on our old site in April 2018.) As a bonus at the end of this post, you will see an apt poem by the lovely Grace Paley (a fellow Vermonter). Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luisselli (2017) - Once writer Valeria Luiselli started volunteering in 2014 as a translator for Latin American children facing deportation, she never looked back. Not only has she now published the compelling narrative that we review in this post but also an excellent novel on the same topic entitled Lost Children Archive. (Lisa Christie is in the beginning of the novel and liking it.) In her non-fiction manifesto or “essay”, she weaves together the stories of numerous migrant children caught in the snare of the legal system with her own quest to obtain a green card, with the forty questions she must ask each young person she interviews, and the concern echoed by her own children upon hearing about these youth when they ask “Tell me how it ends?” Of course there is no end, only harrowing tales: tales of coyotes (the people who transport refugees), “la bestia” (the lethal Mexican freight train ridden by those seeking to escape), survival, bravery, risk, separation (and sometimes reunions), politics, and violent gangs that make the reader think deeply about the topic of human migration and the meaning of borders. This, a book that should be shared with people of all ages, is, as Lusielli explains, ultimately “about the nature of childhood and community, and above all, about national identity and belonging.” Yes, this is an essay. But don’t let that word fool you into thinking that these one hundred pages are humdrum, lifeless, or stale. Luiselli’s words vibrate and jump off the page and into the heart and mind of the reader. If you are looking for a book that helps you to better understand what is happening on the American/Mexican border, in our neighborhoods, and in our court system, look no further. It is an excellent beginning. ~Lisa Cadow Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2018) – We LOVE this novel. It is short, gorgeously written, and covers important topics (e.g., immigration, war). Clever in every way. Two bonus aspects — 1) it is an excellent Book Club choice; and, 2) it is available in paperback. Now, a brief plot summary that in no way does this book justice: two young people — fierce Nadia and gentle Saeed — meet as their home country teeters on the brink and then eventually succumbs to civil war. Their struggle to find and create home, spans this terrific novel about refugees, war, randomness, friendship, kindness, family, and love. Previously reviewed by the Book Jam in our 2018 Last Minute Gifts selection. ~Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga (2019) - I love books by Jason Reynolds (and became a huge fan of him as a person after being lucky enough to meet him multiple times). Thus, the fact he blurbed this novel was the reason I picked it up when looking for a book for this post. In this novel for kids, the main character, Jude, is introduced to us while living in Syria with her family - dad, mom, and an older brother. A few pages in, with her mother pregnant again, only Jude and her mom move to the USA so the baby can be born in a safer place. They land in the home of Jude's uncle, aunt, and cousin, who is around Jude's age. The story follows what it is like for Jude to navigate her new school, being Muslim in America, and worrying about the family she left behind. The story is full of moments of sadness and warmth, told with great heart. Bonus -- the book is written in free-verse poetry meaning fewer words per page - helpful with reluctant readers. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2007) - This lovely, wordless graphic novel for children has a timeless feel about it. The brown leather-like book cover and the sepia-colored picture frames within make the book feel like an old, treasured photo album and draws readers into a man’s journey by ship away from his home and young family to a strange new land. This land, populated by tall buildings, curious mythical creatures, and unusual architecture, is one that could be set fifty years in the past or perhaps that far out in the future. Once the man arrives at the port, he must find his way, despite not understanding the language, the signs, or his map to a safe haven with a bed. Those turning the pages to follow his journey can feel his sense of isolation, disorientation, and loneliness but also his wonder at all that the new city has to offer. Over time, this brave traveler makes friends and finds a job. Eventually, his wife and daughter come to join him in this fantastical new place. It is finally having them there with him that ultimately makes him - and readers - truly feel “at home.” ~Lisa Cadow Strawberry Fields (published as Two Caravans in Europe) by Marina Lewycka (2008) – In this devastating, funny, and thought-provoking account of life as an immigrant we leave the USA for a look at immigration in Europe. (Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh provides a look for younger readers at refugees in Europe. That novel was reviewed in Books for Summer Campers.) Ms. Lewycka has created a core of memorable characters, initially united as strawberry pickers in the idyllic countryside around Kent, England, who partake on a road trip of tragic, humorous, political, and loving proportions. Do not let the fact it is a rather quick paced read belittle the importance of what these characters have to say. ~Lisa Christie Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (2009) – In this tale of a girl who tries to save her town by recruiting men from "up north", readers see first hand the horrors of crossing into the USA without proper papers. And yet, this novel is somehow also full of humor and an ever-expansive heart. As we said in a previous review, this book is as if Jon Stewart wrote a novel of gorgeous prose about Mexican migration into the USA. With this tale you learn about life in a small Mexican town after the men have left for jobs in the USA. It also contains humor, coyote crossings, and apt commentary about all the prejudices we all hold. ~Lisa Christie Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contretras (2018) - I was so moved by this story and so sad to see it end that I finished the author’s notes at the end and began again, re-reading at least the first 30 pages before I was ready to let these characters go. The novel, set in Bogota during the height of Pablo Escobar’s power, shows the horrors violence breeds through the eyes of seven-year-old Chula and her family’s maid Petrona. Loosely based upon actual events in the life of the author, this debut novel devastates and uplifts with every perfectly placed word. Previously reviewed on the Book Jam in 2019. ~Lisa Christie Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas (2018) - Mr. Vargas is possibly the most famous undocumented citizen in the USA and he uses his Pulitzer Prize winning writing abilities to create an insightful and searing look at what being undocumented actually means. What emerges is a portrait of many things I assumed would be part of an undocumented worker’s life – hard work, fear, contributing to one’s community, and hardships associated with maintaining basic dignity. What I had not previously considered is how extraordinarily difficult it is to live a life, as Mr. Vargas states, with a lie at its core. Previously reviewed by the Book Jam as part of a list of must read memoirs. ~Lisa Christie Dominicana by Angie Cruz (2019) - I am cheating a bit as I was not able to completely finish this novel before we posted today. But I am loving what I have read so far; so, I am including it here. Also, I trust this review by Jacqueline Woodson (another author whose work I appreciate) for Vanity Fair - “Through a novel with so much depth, beauty, and grace, we, like Ana, are forever changed.” ~Lisa Christie The Immigrant Story
by Grace Paley One day in my family’s life I entered the English language d’s and t’s in my teeth s’s steaming I elongated i’s lost a few r’s included them where they weren’t wanted I often stationed a preposition at the end of a sentence this was to guard against aggrieved inflection Much to my surprise strangers understood me I continued talking I was brazen I said everywhere I go there are verbs that are doing nothing it has been years since certain nouns were referred to by their right names I must ask a sad question will the laws of entropy operate in spite of strictness is there a literature that chants the disappearance of tongues “The Immigrant Story” by Grace Paley from Begin Again. © Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000. Copied from The Writer's Almanac from December 18, 2016. Every year, we use Black History Month as an excuse to audit the diversity of the authors we review. Why? Well, because we truly believe we are what we read; and also because we truly believe that the best way to expand your horizons (when you can’t actually travel or talk to new people) is to read books written by or about people who are different from you (in our case people of color, or people living outside the USA). It is our hope these audits expose the voices we are missing in our own personal reading habits, and allow us to fill those gaps during our next year of reviews. Our latest audit results are discussed below today’s new reviews of some great books for adults, young adults, children, and toddlers. Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes (2019) - Memoirs often pull at one's heartstrings, and this one definitely does. But it also is so full of hope -- possibly because as we read, we know Ms. Grimes successfully emerged from her childhood of traumas (estranged but loving father, mother with severe mental health issues, poverty, foster care) to become an award-winning poet. Perhaps my favorite moment of hope emerges at the end of this memoir, when as a young woman she has the courage to approach James Baldwin after a reading, tell him she is a writer too, and ask him to view her work. He does so; and then, he provides his phone number for her to call. I love it because it shows Mr. Baldwin as a caring person, but mostly because it shows that Ms. Grimes had the gumption to believe in herself when her circumstances could have caused the opposite response. Written with a poet's excellent word choices, this book is for everyone. (This book was briefly reviewed during our 2019 Pages in the Pub - https://www.bookjamvermont.com/book-reviews/pages-in-the-pub-strikes-again-with-books-for-holiday-giving-and-getting.) ~ Lisa Christie Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (2019) - In this compact and powerful novel, National Book Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson deftly explores issues of race, class, identity, and sexuality. In just under 200 pages she manages to convey generations of information about Iris and Aubrey, two Black teenagers in New York whose families are brought together by an unexpected pregnancy and the birth of their daughter Melody. It is narrated in alternating chapters by Melody, Iris, and Aubrey, as well as their parents who have among them survived race riots in Tulsa, rebuilt lives, struggled with poverty, attended college, and landed in very different economic locations. What results is a moving portrait of two families whose members both young and old have disparate voices, varied dreams, and whose identities have been shaped by very different influences. This complicated past converges in the no less fraught present at the beginning of the novel on the eve of Melody’s fifteenth birthday in a brownstone in Brooklyn. These beautifully drawn characters are sure to stay with readers long after they have turned the last page. When interviewed by Trevor Noah in October 2019 on “The Daily Show,” Woodson offered that she hoped for readers of her book to “fall in love with the characters and [that] it makes them want to create some kind of change.” I share her hope. Highly recommended. ~Lisa Cadow NOTE: If Book Jammers have time this month to listen to Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story”: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en 2nd NOTE: Ms Woodson also wrote a memoir for elementary school aged readers that was one of Lisa Christie's younger son's favorites from 4th grade - Brown Girl Dreaming. Ms. Woodson's story emerges as a tale about the Civil Rights movement, growing up, and finding one’s voice as a writer and a person. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie (Previously reviewed by the Book Jam in April of 2019 -https://www.bookjamvermont.com/young-adult--kids/some-great-chapter-books-for-kids-adults-to-discuss) With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo (2019) - The author of Poet X does it again by creating a great book for YA fans. With prose instead of poetry this time, Ms. Acevedo again brings us vividly into the world of teens around Harlem. This time, we see life through the eyes of Emoni Santiago, a high school senior whose dreams of being a chef are complicated by her toddler daughter's and aging abuela's respective needs. A NPR review goes into greater plot detail for those who need more information before picking this up. I for one wish the book came with a cookbook. ~ Lisa Christie Look Both Ways: A tale told in ten blocks by Jason Reynolds (2020) - Lisa Cadow's pick of one of Ms. Woodson's books for adults in this post reminded me of another of my son's favorite authors from elementary school - Jason Reynolds. So because we needed a book for kids for today's post, we sought out his latest book for kids - Look Both Ways. In it, he explores ordinary walks home, their humor, and how if you pay attention, they can be pretty spectacular - even the inevitable unsuccessful and often painful detours. (We have reviewed books by Mr. Reynolds on multiple posts, most recently in March of 2019 - https://www.bookjamvermont.com/kids-at-heart/ya-for-all-who-love-good-books.) Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie Little Legends: Exceptional men in Black history (2019) & Little Legends: Bold women in Black history both by Vashti Harrison (2017) - We heard about these books on NPR last week and had to check them out. The author, with fun illustrations and concise prose, provides a great introduction to people we should all know. We are glad these books mean our youngest readers (and the adults who read with them) will. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie So now to the results from our audit of books we read during the period of this audit (between February 2019 and this post). The fine print for this audit: we did not include guest columns, or "Pages in the Pub", "BOOK BUZZ", or the “3 Questions” series, because we don’t control those selections. We also excluded books written by groups such as Lonely Planet or series written by a variety of authors. 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 do not audit by sexual orientation. We also do not have access to economic class statistics. Thus, our diversity audit focuses on gender and race/ethnicity.
That said, we will begin with the fact the number of books we reviewed decreased significantly. We reviewed 94 books in the 2019 audit (again the period between February 2019 and this post), compared with 202 books reviewed in 2018, and 164 in 2017. While we maintain the quality of books reviewed remained the same, the decrease in numbers has us wondering who we missed. Some significant numbers from this 2019 audit: Women authors were 57% of the authors we featured. Almost a quarter (21%) of all authors we featured were white women from the USA (compared to 32% in 2018), and 20% of all authors we read were white women from outside the USA (up from 8% in 2018). Only a few (2%) of our featured authors were Latinas (down from 4%), and 4% were Asian women (down from 6%). Exactly 10% of the authors were Black women from around the world (down from 12%). There was also slightly less diversity of ethnicity in the men we reviewed. White men from the USA were 17% (down from 23% the previous audit) of the authors we featured. Slightly over one in ten (13%) of the authors we featured were white men from outside of the USA (up from 8%). Exactly 5% (down from 7% previous audit) of the authors were black men from anywhere in the world. Very few authors (1%) we featured were Asian men or Latinos (1%), none were Middle Eastern men (down from 2% last year). We did increase the number of Native American male authors we featured (2%) this year, compared to none last year. Adding men and women together, 28% of the authors we reviewed were persons of color (down from 36% the previous audit). Within the white authors there was a significant increase in geographic diversity, a third (33%) of the white authors we featured were from outside the USA (significantly up from 16% last year). The largest group of authors of color were Black (15% of all authors reviewed). This was up slightly from 13% of all authors reviewed last audit. There were two increases in diversity of authors. One - we finally reviewed books by Native American writers. Two - we increased the diversity of the countries of origin of the white authors we reviewed; white authors from outside of the USA more than doubled over previous years (33% compared to 16%). To sum, for the first time since we began this audit, we did not improve the percentage of authors of color we reviewed: 28% of authors in 2019, 36% of authors in 2018, 32% in 2017, 26% in 2016, 23% in 2015 were persons of color. (We take some comfort in increasing the number of authors from outside the USA who we featured.) And while we remain curious if our percentages are greater than the percentages of authors of color who are actually published in the USA each year (because this affects the pool from which we can select books), we do not excuse our lack of increasing the diversity of authors we feature. Once again, we vow to review a greater diversity of authors. 2020 will be better. This week each Lisa decided to pick just ONE book we are excited to tell EVERYONE to read. Surprisingly enough we did; we actually narrowed our reading lives and each picked only one book we think you should read ASAP. ENJOY! And, Happy Martin Luther King Day. When We Were Vikings by Andrew David Macdonald (2020) - I am so looking forward to putting this book in the hands of everyone I know when it is finally published next week on January 28, 2020. To sum, this book lovingly, and with great prose and plot, reminds us that we are all legends of our own making. The heroine, Zelda, has some significant health difficulties, and she knows they stem from fetal alcohol syndrome (even if she isn't exactly certain what that means). She also has a fierce determination to live her life boldly and an obsession with Vikings (the historical ones, not the football team) helps her in this quest. This book starts with her 21st birthday party and slowly unfolds to show how she and her brother Gert navigate, as young adults, the honestly crappy hand life has dealt them: dead mother, absent father, abusive uncle, and poverty - just to name a few obstacles. When Gert, who is trying to both take care of the two of them and keep his college scholarship, makes some pretty poor choices, Zelda rises to the occasion with help from a superb librarian (love a book with a helpful librarian), a great social worker, and Gert's strong-minded on-again/off-again girlfriend - AK47. You will cheer for Zelda every step of the way and be a bit sad when you leave her orbit at the end. I find it hard to believe this is Mr. Macdonald's debut novel; both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly agree. ~ Lisa Christie Good Husbandry: Growing Food, Love, and Family on Essex Farm by Kristin Kimball (2019) - If you’re in the (farmer’s) market for a mid-winter read that inspires you to start thinking about the greener days ahead and picking up your farm share come summer, then this is the book for you. Kristin Kimball’s second memoir (which is as good if not even better than her first The Dirty Life - see a Book Jam review here from the days when we had a podcast) is a compulsively readable and an incredibly beautifully written account of her time growing a marriage, a family, and a CSA farm that feeds 250 people in New York State. When we initially met the author in 2011 with the publication of her first book, Kimball, then a city dweller and travel writer in her thirties, had unexpectedly embraced the rural life after meeting and falling in love with both farming and with Mark. Now almost a decade has passed and both she and the story have matured. She doesn’t shy away from sharing the challenges faced raising two young girls while trying to manage the increasing debt and the risky odds that come with farming. Nor does she ignore the building tension in her marriage as she and her husband adjust to parenthood and the never ending work of a diversified farm that leaves little time for their relationship. Instead, Kimball thoroughly explores these difficult topics with grace and wisdom, growing a story -and a life - full of awareness and insight. At certain points, Kimball’s prose and perspective on the natural world reminded me of the poetry of Mary Oliver. Her stewardship and environmental ethic called to mind Rachel Carson or Terry Tempest Williams. And at others, her food sense and the descriptions of heavenly meals around her farm table made me think of a rustic Ruth Reichl. But she is a brilliant voice in her own right. Don’t miss this book. Read it and Eat (local). ~Lisa Cadow Welcome to a fresh new decade. Somehow, 2020 has inspired us to look for new ideas and habits and travels. And when we are looking, we turn to books. Here a few we found that we hope will have us thinking, doing, seeing, and acting with a slightly new lens. Not because we think resolutions are a must, but more because we know viewing the world and people with a new lens (even if only every once in awhile) is a spectacular thing. Happy 2020 from the Book Jam (even though all of today's picks are selected by Lisa Cadow)! A Year of Good Eating by Nigel Slater (2015) - Oh how I would love to spend a year in British food writer Nigel Slater’s kitchen. Savoring this book over the next twelve months just may be the next best thing. Readers should be aware that Slater is not shy about incorporating meat and cheese into his dishes (especially in deep winter) but they should also know that he is artful and elegant in his approach. He makes short ribs sing with honey and cauliflower purée, and he makes lamb hearty with beer and shallots. These 250 recipes read like cozy journal entries and pull readers into Slater’s flavorful world which is full of inspired meals, a veggie garden, and an old stone house. Just reading the erudite prose would be enough, but his writing is inspirational. I already want to make the New Year’s Day Poppyseed Crisp Bread and can’t wait for July when the diary pages are full of “courgettes” - British English for zucchini - encrusted with black olives, Parmesan, rosemary, and breadcrumbs and with aubergine - British English for eggplant - and melted Mozzarella drizzled with basil infused oil. I can tell that it is going to be quite a delicious year. ~Lisa Cadow Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill (2018) - My husband and I have been having a rich and melodious time over the past week enjoying this book together each day. Author Burton-Hill, a host on BBC radio, has brilliantly curated a varied and fascinating collection of 366 classical works that take the reader on a journey to learn about the wonders of classical music. Her page-long descriptions of the pieces are informative and full of fun facts and allow readers to consider and discuss pieces as they listen (works are easily pulled up on YouTube or Spotify). New Year’s Day started off with Bach’s Mass in B Minor (did you know that Bach wrote over 3,000 pieces and had 20 children?) and tonight we will listen to Poulenc’s “Les Chemins de l’Amour (January 7, 1899 was Poulenc’s birthdate). We already feel enriched by this book and feel lucky to be sharing this musical learning experience over the year to come. After only one week, we would give this book a standing ovation. ~Lisa Cadow Afoot and Lighthearted: A Journal for Mindful Walking by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse (2019) - “Solvitur Ambulando.” Translated from the Latin, this phrase roughly means ”it is solved by walking.” As an avid perambulator, I couldn’t agree more with this premise. This lovely little book walks the reader through ways to be more present, to ease anxiety, to inspire creativity, to increase productivity, and to step away from their phones. It also includes interesting exercises and spaces for written reflection. A wonderful gift for yourself to encourage a more active and mindful year or for the friend you know who loves to take a stroll to help solve it all. Whether or not you decide to bring this book into your life, be sure to remember as you step into 2020 that “there is pleasure in the pathless woods” (Lord Byron). ~Lisa Cadow Well Hannukah is in full swing, Christmas is imminent, and you still need to buy a few gifts. You also need a few books for yourself to read either after the relatives have left, or to escape a bit in the midst of the lovely chaos the next few weeks will bring. Luckily, we have a few ideas and share them below. Erosion: Essays of Undoing by Terry Tempest Williams (2019). Reading this book of essays is like taking a long walk through the American West with your most passionate, poetic, and eloquent environmentalist friend. Williams writes with honesty and grace but also with gravity. This is not an uplifting work nor is it meant to be. She is deeply concerned about the future of her beloved Utah, democracy, disappearing birds, Bears Ears National Monument, and the management of public lands. These are serious essays about tea ceremonies in the dessert post-election 2016, the loss of loved ones and beloved places, and the degradation of important legislation. But Williams always notices the beauty around her and encourages her readers to appreciate it as well. This book is for the naturalist in your life. Its message will continue to have an impact long after the last page is turned, inspiring action, preservation and “do-ing.” ~ Lisa Cadow British Library Crime Classics by assorted authors (assorted years). I recently read somewhere (I wish I could remember where) that readership of mysteries and thrillers increases dramatically during troubled and uncertain times (see previous Terry Tempest Williams review). The article had numerous theories as to why, which I will skip and get straight to this review of great books to give and get. Luckily for those of us troubled by headlines of bad behavior by so many people, British Library Crime Classics exists. Poison Pen Press has reissued classic mysteries by a variety of British authors in lovely paperback forms. These make perfect stocking stuffers or host/hostess gifts for all the holiday parties in your future. Or, give them to anyone who likes a well plotted mystery, who needs something to be solved in a neatly and timely fashion, or to yourself for some diversions. If a British mystery isn't your (or your loved ones') cup of tea, try the American Mystery Classics Series by Penzler Press and The SOHO Crime series. ~ Lisa Christie Frankly In Love by David Yoon (2019) - This novel is one of the best YA books I have read in a long time. I was surprised how this apparently simple (and honestly familiar) story of first love that does not meet with parental approval (hello Romeo and Juliet), as well as of navigating the final year of high school made me smile and tear-up a bit. Some plot points: Frank Li and Joy Song have been friends since childhood, attending regularly scheduled dinners with a larger group of Korean-American families in Los Angeles for as long as they have a memory of any event. As they navigate senior year, they are both in love with the wrong ("not-Korean") person. They decide to fake that they are dating each other to keep their parents happy, while still seeing their true loves. Their elaborate scheming provides the plot for this novel's terrific cast of characters. (I truly loved Frank's superb best friend.) And while Buzzfeed aptly stated, “Yoon's stellar debut expertly and authentically tackles racism, privilege, and characters who are trying to navigate their Korean-American identity”, I would argue you should read it for the fun. Give it to your favorite teen or your favorite adult in need of a smile or two (and distraction from the news). ~ Lisa Christie A Cloud a Day: 365 Skies from the Cloud Appreciation Society by Gavin Pretor-Pinney (2019). Clouds are poetry in the sky. Stop! Look up! With this inspiring coffee table book, Pretor-Pinney and his British Cloud Appreciation Society encourage us to do just this. These cloud passionistas want us to understand that we “live in the sky - not beneath it, but within it.” Flipping through it’s 368-pages, the reader is exposed to the heavens : from the marvel of lenticularis clouds - “the smoothest of clouds” - to a survey of art history in which painters portray status, cumulus, and cirrus clouds with centuries of white brush strokes, to awe-inspiring photographic images taken by the society’s members and shared from all over the world. This book is sure to open eyes and minds in 2020 and to help us mere mortals to see the sky in a different way - instead of staring down at our phones, it reminds us to look up, and with wonder. I learned of this book in a recent lovely New York Times piece. If you are looking for the perfect last minute gift for just about anyone on your list, look no further. This is it. And when I last checked, they still had a few ethereal copies left at The Norwich Bookstore. ~ Lisa Cadow Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper (assorted years). Finally for the kids in your lives, a great family read aloud or chapter book for some youngster to devour alone. This series was first published in 1964 and has been going strong ever since. In it, the three Drew children, while on vacation in Cornwall, discover they are important players in the fight against evil in the world. This sequence consists of five fabulous books filled with adventure and hope. Thank you Liam for reminding us of their existence when you recommended them during BOOK BUZZ. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie May 2020 bring amazing adventures and many, many great books. For the fifth December in a row, as part of BOOK BUZZ, students and a few teachers at the Marion Cross School in our hometown of Norwich, Vermont, spent an evening recommending their favorite books for giving and getting during the holidays. (Thank you Marion Cross School PTO and teachers for your support of this program.) For those of you unable to be there in person to hear them, you are in luck. Their picks and their reviews are listed below. Enjoy! Books for your friends who don’t like to read but who would love a great story Guts by Raina Telgemeir (2019). Being sick is not always bad. ~ Selected by AJ Drama by Raina Telgemeir (2012). Drama and romance complicate stage crew. ~ Selected by Asher Superb books you would assign to your favorite adult (teacher, aunt, parent) as required reading. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger (2013). Sophie Foster Becomes an Elf. ~ Selected by Ava The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin (2015). Girl loses friend and blames jellyfish. ~ Selected by Sophie Best family read-a-louds The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris (2017). Adventures with kid magicians. Fun read! ~ Selected by Paisley Eggbert: The Slightly Cracked Egg by Tom Ross and Rex Barron (1997). Slightly cracked egg travels the world. ~ Selected by Mr Gonyaw Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco (1999). "Seeing is believing" - foster child's Christmas. ~ Selected by Ms. White Perfect books to help you ignore the fact you are waiting for your sister or brother to finish hockey practice Deep Water by Watt Key (2018). A lost at sea thrill ride. ~ Selected by Jack The Boundless by Kenneth Oppell (2014). Kids protect treasure key on train. ~ Selected by Mary Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (2017). Friends with disabilities solve a mystery. ~ Selected by Elliot GREAT Books to give to your friends for their birthdays Spy School by Stuart Gibbs (2012). Boy in spy school battles evil. ~ Selected by Will A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer (2019). Girl goes to magic school. ~ Selected by Phoebe Picture Books to read with your reading buddy (or younger sister or brother) Ish by Peter Reynolds (2019). Artist learns to appreciate his skills. ~ Selected by Mrs. French A book that will make you laugh away your troubles The Midnight Gang by David Walliams & Tony Ross. (2018). Kids make other kids’ dreams reality. ~ Selected by Ryan Sports books that are about so much more Say It Ain’t So: Book 2 in the Lenny and the Mikes series by Josh Berk (2014). Boy plays baseball. Solves two mysteries. ~ Selected by Dominick A series you won't be able to put down, or what to read when you run out of Wimpy Kid books Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper (asst. years). Three siblings discover map to grail. ~ Selected by Liam The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (asst. years). Great Apollo or Lester Popodopolis? ~ Selected by Evan BOOK BUZZ presenters STUDENTS
AJ, 6th grade Asher, 4th grade Ava, 6th grade Dominick, 5th grade Elliot, 5th grade Evan, 6th grade Jack, 6th grade Liam, 6th grade Mary, 6th grade Paisley, 5th grade Phoebe, 4th grade Ryan, 4th grade Sophie, 5th grade Will, 4th grade TEACHERS Mrs. French, 4th grade Mr. Gonyaw, principal Ms. White, 5th and 6th grade Once again, a cold and snowy evening ushered Pages in the Pub into our hometown of Norwich, Vermont. And once again, the presenters - Lucinda Walker, Susie Stevens, Carin Pratt, and Peter Orner - 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 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). So HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of us who celebrate this holiday in November (hello Canada), and happy reading to all as the holidays begin. (Presenter bios are listed below the presenters' recommendations so that you can know a little bit more about the people who gave us all such great recommendations and six-word reviews. Lisa Cadow served as our emcee; thus her holiday recommendations will follow in a December Book Jam post.) Cookbooks: For people who like to cook up a culinary snow storm The Blue Zones Kitchen by Dan Buettner (2019). From Lands of Longevity and Happiness. ~ Selected by Susie. Meat Free Monday Cookbook by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney (2019). Help the environment: Eat Less Meat! ~ Selected by Carin. Adult Fiction: For anyone who only has time for the BEST fiction Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (2019). “Girl Devours BSU”: I’ll Explain. ~ Selected by Carin Pratt. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (2019). Children combust, (some) grownups adapt. ~ Selected by Carin Pratt. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (2019). Find yourself & love walks in! ~ Selected by Lucinda. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead: A Novel by Olga Tokarczuk (2019). Witty, deep mystery ... Polish Nobel Laureate. ~ Selected by Susie. Death is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa (2019). Heart-crushing novel of Syria's Civil War. ~ Selected by Peter. Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage by Bette Howland (2019). Personal Stories by extraordinary writer rediscovered. ~ Selected by Peter. Thrillers to Help You Forget the News The Chain by Adrian McKinty (2019). Parents saving kids in danger - unputdownable! ~ Selected by Lucinda. Picture Books for Families to Read Together During Snow Storms Wally the Wordworm by Clifton Fadiman (1984). Wally delightfully introduces language to kids. ~ Selected by Lucinda. Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare (2019). Ingenious wordless kid's book, Moon included. ~ Selected by Carin. The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper (2019). Revels Comes Full Circle. Great GIFT. ~ Selected by Lisa Ch. Books for Young Readers: Those beyond tonka trucks and tea parties but not yet ready for teen topics Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt (2019). Butler shows difference between Gentleman & Bore. ~ Selected by Lisa Ch. Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson (2019). All learn from 12th birthday trip. ~ Selected by Lisa Ch. Books for Your Favorite High Schoolers Here to Stay by Sara Farizan (2019). Internal sports narrators make absurd navigatable. ~ Selected by Lisa Ch. Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes (2019). Trauma. Hope. Gumption. James Baldwin. Poetry. ~ Selected by Lisa Ch. Memoirs: For people who enjoy living vicariously through other people’s memories The Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith (2019). Patti Smith’s evocative and dreamy reflections. ~ Selected by Lucinda. Keep it Moving: Lessons for the rest of your life by Twyla Tharp (2019). Aging well through vibrancy, purpose, and movement. ~ Selected by Susie. To Float In The Space Between by Terrance Hayes (2018). Unique, personal homage to poet Ethridge Knight. ~ Selected by Peter. Never a Lovely So Real by Colin Asher (2019). Biography of unsung, uncompromising Chicago novelist. ~ Selected by Peter. Non-fiction or reference books: For people who like to think and chat while sitting by the woodstove Say Nothing: a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (2019). Terror is palatable on every page. ~ Selected by Lucinda. Madame Fourcade's Secret War by Lynne Olsen (2019). Resistance fighter risks life & limb. Exciting! ~ Selected by Carin. Coffee table books, Poetry, and Literary Gifts: For your favorite hosts and co-workers Here: Poems for the Planet by Elizabeth Coleman (2019) . Poems to inspire activism, hope, and connectedness. ~ Selected by Susie. Nostalgia for a World Where We Can Live by Monica Berlin (2018). From the heartland, intimate, lyrical poems. ~ Selected by Peter. In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules by Karen Karbo (2018). Women who challenge the tyranny of “nice”. ~ Selected by Susie. Our Presenters 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 (Ear Hustle, the Cultural Gabfest & Dolly Parton’s America are current favorites), popcorn and dark-roasted coffee. A new empty-nester, she’s rediscovered the joy of singing with thanks to the Juneberry Community Chorus. Lucinda lives in Brownsville with her writer/librarian husband Peter and two kids, Hartley & Lily. Susie Stevens is a psychologist, specializing in social support research. She is also an avid reader and helps keep the Norwich Bookstore in business as a result of her love of books. She lives in Norwich, Vermont with her husband and High School aged son and one stubborn dog. When not taking her son to the hockey rink or soccer field, or walking the dog, she likes to drink coffee, buy books and talk with friends. Carin Pratt, a native of Massachusetts, Carin moved to the Upper Valley (specifically Strafford) eight years ago after spending 30 years in DC working as a television producer, finishing as executive producer of Face the Nation. She’s never looked back. She reads a lot, and works part-time at the Norwich Bookstore in order to afford her addiction to books. She has a husband and two adult sons. Peter Orner is the author of six books, most recently Maggie Brown & Others, a 2019 New York Times Editor's Choice. Orner is a professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. Born in Chicago and educated at the University of Michigan, he recently taught at the University of Namibia on a Fulbright. He lives in Norwich with the novelist Katie Crouch and daughter Phoebe who will be presenting during the December 3rd BOOK BUZZ at Marion Cross. (And Roscoe who is three and eats books.) BOOK JAM Lisas 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. Lisa Christie, co-founder of the Book Jam, was in previous times the Founder/Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Vermont and USA, literacy programs that help children love books. She currently works as a part-time non-profit consultant, part-time Dartmouth graduate student, and all-the-time believer in the power of books. She lives in Norwich with her musician husband, two superb teenage sons, and a very large dog. She often dreams of travel. HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND HAPPY HOLIDAY READING!
Good news -- once again, we asked our our favorite booksellers at The Norwich Bookstore to review their favorite books from their reading thus far this autumn. Great news -- this list is by no means the extent of their recommendations. So, if you like what you see here, view their staff reviews here, or better yet visit them in person. And, THANK YOU Norwich Bookstore staff for always providing great books for us to read and to give. Tell Me Who We Were: Stories by Kate McQuade (2019). McQuade’s connected stories, centering around the lives of girls who once attended boarding school together, kept me intrigued and curious. As each story started, I made a game of guessing which girl was the focus and who the narrator might be. We see them as women, girls, teens, elderly, mothers, daughters, friends, lovers, and wives. The incident with their teacher is a point of connection and here are the spokes spinning out from the hub. Nothing in nature is permanent, neither are books. These images are ethereal, try and wrap your arms around them and they billow like smoke. The glimpses are haunting and gauzy, and some are based in myths and fairytales. In these pages you will stumble across crows, trees, taxidermy, secrets, lies, and the freedom of summer. Reading one is like letting the peach juice run down your chin. ~ Selected by Beth. Good Husbandry by Kristin Kimball (2019). I loved The Dirty Life, Kimball's first book about starting a farm on 500 acres in Essex, NY. In Good Husbandry --great title -- she continues the story. Problems erupt: runaway horses, an injured husband, the intense vagaries of modern weather. Children, as they are wont to do, complicate the work balance and her relationship with her husband. But Kimball's love of the farm and what she and her husband are trying to do triumph. And boy do they work hard. A well-written and often moving tale of what it's like to be a young farmer these days. ~ Selected by Carin White Bird by R.J. Palacio (2019). This well-written graphic novel, by the author of Wonder, is a wonderful way to introduce middle grade and older readers to the many acts of bravery and heroism that took place before and during World War II. A young Jewish girl is hidden by a family in Nazi-occupied France by a couple and their son. This is done at large risk to the family and the reader discovers both great bravery as well as kindness. The art is simple, and skillfully helps tell the story. This quote from the book sums it up for me: "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything." ~ Selected by Penny The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (2019). January lives in a big house on the shores of Lake Champlain with her guardian, a collector of antiquities, while her father is away for months at a time seeking treasures to add to the guardian’s collection. January is left mostly to her own devices and discovers a room where mysterious presents appear as if by magic. The discovery of a book containing stories of other worlds leads January on adventures that are both exciting and dangerous. The Libro.fm audio version of this book (available for download from the bookstore!) had me enthralled and making opportunities to listen so I could find out what happened next. ~ Selected by Jennifer Talking to Strangers; What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell (2019). I think Malcolm Gladwell is the original ‘Outlier’ given his unusual, timely perspectives on topics generally under the radar. Or do his books deeply explore the obvious? In any case, Talking to Strangers is as absorbing and full of ‘AHA! Moments’ as his previous works. I’m from the generation who grew up with the enforced “never talk to strangers” mantra, so I was fascinated by the theories he proposes. Gladwell analyses through history and current events how we all fail to detect a lie, miss cues and ignore our intuition about strangers when we do interact with them. Bernie Madoff, Adolf Hitler, the CIA, and more recently, the unfortunate and fatal Susan Bland traffic stop in Waller Country, TX are among the featured examples here. We cannot assume the best about people we do not know but that is a trait of our modern society. And we cannot abandon trust, either. “There are clues to making sense of a stranger. But attending to them requires care and attention.” Absolutely engaging. ~ Selected by Sara How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (2019). Whether you are 4, 44, or 94, this picture book/graphic delight (and my pick for serious 2020 Caldecott consideration!) has it ALL. Begin with its fuchsia end papers directing you to the book on the shelf. Pull that book off the shelf on the calligraphy collaged title page that introduces us to the book’s graphic style. Feast your eyes on the rainbow compilation of text and color that follows it Don’t miss the almost too pale apple shape poem that is the colophon and then join the satisfied reader under her book umbrella and the rain of letters on the dedication page. Now slide into this adventure, savor each turn of the page, and as Kwame Alexander exhorts, “ SLEEP. DREAM. HOPE (You never reach)---------THE END. I loved it! ~ Selected by Susan The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry (2019). There is a deceptive power in silliness, when wielded by someone truly clever, to convey ideas and emotions with a light hand. This novel is very silly, and very clever, and mostly, a love letter both to English literature and to those that know and love it as well as the author. Because this rollicking adventure is clever, and silly, it would be very easy to overlook its deft sensitivity, its greater themes of influence and interpretation- not just in the give and take between reader and writer, but in the influence we have upon each other. A delightful gift for lovers of Dickens, and fans of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series. ~ Selected by Brenna Running With Sherman by Christopher McDougall (2019). This is a story of Sherman - a once-neglected donkey - with people, community, caring, and connections at its core. McDougall (Born to Run) adopts Sherman and explores ways to help him heal - beyond the obvious physical support. A colorful cast of two- and four-legged characters is involved with side explorations of mental and physical fitness and health issues. Burro racing in Colorado anyone? ~ Selected by Liza Once again our services were purchased for an evening. (That is not as sexy as it sounds.) To explain, our donation to the annual Norwich Women's Club Gala Auction means that once a year we get to visit a local book club, share a great meal, and talk about what books we have read. We focus on books that we believe would make good picks for their book club to read during the upcoming year. We always have a blast; and, we hope we are helpful to the book club who "wins" us each year. As a result, each year, Book Jam readers get to see what we recommended during that annual visit. Today is that day. We hope our picks and reviews help grow your "to be read" lists as well. Happy reading! NEWER FICTION Normal People by Sally Rooney (2019). One of the best books from 2019. Ms. Rooney is hailed as one of the best voices of her generation. This book shows why. Full of psychological insight, Normal People is the most artful and literary of all of the titles I will review for this, our 2019 Adult Summer Campers post. This subtle work threads readers into the lives of two young Irish teens, Connell and Marianne. They meet while in high school where he is a popular athlete and she is a brainy outcast. They share a connection that they keep secret even as their paths cross again as students at Trinity College in Dublin. It is tender. It is disturbing. It is real. To quote one reviewer, this book explores “what it means to be in love today.” Another describes it as being about “the transformative power of relationships.” This isn’t an easy read but is ultimately a beautiful and impactful one. Sally Rooney is an author to watch - and to admire. ~ Lisa Cadow (Note: We previously reviewed Ms. Rooney's Conversations with Friends in our "Honoring the Irish on St. Patrick's Day" post.) Searching for Sylvie Lee by Kwan (2019). Hardcover Searching for Sylvia Lee by Kwon (2019) - While the blurbs describe this as a mystery/thriller, I'd say this is a book about secrets and how they infect families - even if keeping them is well-intentioned. I loved this book - so far it is my recommendation for summer 2019. ~ Lisa Cadow (and Lisa Christie) The Overstory by Richard Powers (2019). As the IndieNEXT list states, "I can’t stop thinking about this book! A sprawling, literary eco-epic, The Overstory is the kind of novel that changes people. It’s a riveting call to arms and a bitter indictment of our wasteful culture. More than that, it’s an incredibly human story with a huge cast of richly imagined characters that you’ll never forget. With writing that is dense but accessible, Powers is a master at intersecting science, art, and spirituality without sacrificing plot. I pity the next customer who comes into our store looking for ‘a book about trees’ because Powers has given me a lot to talk about.”. I agree. ~ Lisa Cadow Akin by Emma Donoghue (2019) -- I LOVED the relationship between the great uncle and nephew in this novel. Noah, the great uncle - a retired chemistry professor, still speaks to his dead wife - an award-winning chemist, in his head whenever his life gets stirred. And the delivery by a social worker of his unknown great nephew, 11-year-old Michael, a boy whose father is dead from an overdose and mother is in jail for dealing, stirs things up. As the novel begins, Noah is days away from both his 80th birthday and a return to his birthplace - Nice, something he had avoided for 75 years for a variety of reasons unveiled as the book progresses. Rather than change his plans, he brings Michael along. With Michael's help, Noah discovers and unravels the mystery behind his mother's life in Nice during WWI. And while they bicker about food and sleep and screen time and walking too much, they learn to appreciate each other and that sometimes people have to make tough choices for the ones they love. ~ Lisa Christie The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins (2019) - A tale of one slave's journey from Jamaica to London where she waits her fate after being accused of killing her masters. Frannie lives a life of twists and turns and her story unfolds as a "confession" to her lawyer so he has something, anything he can use to help her. A haunting tale that I found myself underlining as I read and thought about white privilege today. Her tale will stay with me for awhile. ~ Lisa Christie The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019) - One of the most devastating and beautiful books I have read in a long time. I knew I was in trouble when I started silently crying at the unfairness of the arrest of Elwood, the first boy described in this novel. I knew I was in trouble knowing the stories in this book are based on true stories of a reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years. So like Millie in the final chapters, I took breaks from learning about what happened to Elwood and Turner (in my case by reading magazine articles and children's books). Please don't let this deter you from picking this novel up and reading the tales of the Nickel Boys - boys sent to a fictional juvenile reformatory in the Jim Crow South. ~ Lisa Christie The Travelers by Regina Porter (2019) - One of the best books I have read this year. A clever, character-filled saga of two families and the people intertwined in their lives. Their stories leap backwards and forwards over 50 years pulling you along with them to Vietnam, Berlin, New York, New Hampshire, and The American South. Ms. Porter's characters, humor, and prose will stick with me for a long time. (I also thank her for the cast of characters listed in the opening pages; I referred to it more often than I'd like to admit.) This is just gorgeously written and full of characters you enjoy spending time with and getting to know. ENJOY! ~ Lisa Christie Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera (2019) - Three women in the Deep South just prior to the Great Depression are connected in unexpected ways. In the opening pages, Gertrude, makes a dramatic choice to save her four daughters from starvation and her abusive husband. We then meet Retta, a first-generation freed slave, employed by the Coles the prominent family who owned her ancestors. As the story continues, things aren't as clear cut as they seem when Cole family matriarch Annie discovers the terrible reason her family has been ripped apart. All three must learn to trust their instincts as they navigate harsh circumstances. A pitch-perfect story of redemption and hope and a reminder that facing unthinkable truths sets you free. Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Olen Butler attests, "Call Your Daughter Home is an exhilarating and important book." ~ Lisa Christie Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (2019). As our friend Carin Pratt stated in her review, "It's no surprise that Where the Crawdads Sing is infused with the flora and fauna of the North Carolina coastland where it's set, as Owens is a wildlife scientist renowned for her nonfiction books about Africa. The story of the "marsh girl" abandoned by her family and left to eke out a living from the marsh that surrounds her, is told in lyrical, evocative prose. It is a coming of age story, a love story, a murder mystery and a study of the effect of isolation on a young soul, all in one! A pretty remarkable (fiction) debut." ~ Lisa Cadow (and Lisa Christie) Ask Again Yes by Kate (2019) - This is an amazing saga of two families living side by side in Queens. Combined with the news, it was a bit intense -- I had to put it down and read a kids book and that enabled me to finish it in one fell swoop. If you are in the mood for a well-written saga about life and choices and love and friendship and all the things (addiction, mental health, poor choices) that can enhance or interfere with those things - this book is for you. ~ Lisa Cadow PAPERBACK FICTION Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (2017). As a woman of a certain age facing a life with teenaged sons and trying to figure out what marriage after 20 years looks like, I realize I have forgotten how fraught and exciting and lonely life as a college student can be. This intense novel by Ireland's Sally Rooney reminded me in a delightful way. Frances a striving poet and her performance artist partner / lover Bobbi are befriended by An older couple. Complications ensue, including the perhaps predictable affairs and strivings for more for everyone. I read it in one long sitting. Enjoy! ~ Lisa Christie There There by Tommy Orange (2018, paperback 2019) - 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 News of the World by Paulette Giles (2016). Our friend Sara at the Norwich Bookstore first brought this to our attention. As she stated, "This is a marvelous story based on the real-life of a former war veteran, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, who made his living reading world news to the inhabitants of small towns and wilderness outposts throughout North Texas. “When they read his handbills, men abandoned saloons, they ran through the rain from their firelit homes, they left their cattle circled and bedded beside the flooding Red to hear the news of the distant world”. I was rapt with the thought of those readings. As if this wasn’t adventure enough, Kidd agrees to return a feral 10 year old girl to her relatives 400 miles across the state, braving weather, highwaymen, Indians and the rough terrain that is Texas. ‘Cho-henna” witnessed the brutal murder of her family 4 years earlier and then was whisked away, absorbed into the Kiowa tribe. This is a complex, layered story of post-war history and the human heart. There are moments of breathtaking suspense and heartbreak, and a happy and credible ending!" We thank her. ~ Lisa Cadow Outline by Rachel Cusk - Greece and play and work and fun! This was chosen as one of fifteen remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write in the 21st century by the book critics of The New York Times. For those in need of some plot info, Outline is a novel in ten conversations. It follows a novelist teaching a course in creative writing during a hot summer in Athens. She leads her students in storytelling exercises. She meets other visiting writers for dinner. She goes swimming with her neighbor from the plane. The people she encounters speak about their fantasies, anxieties, theories, and longings. Through these disclosures, a portrait of the narrator is drawn. ~ Lisa Cadow (Seconded by Lisa Christie) Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017). IndieNEXT among others named this as a best book of 2017. "Min Jin Lee has given us a treasure. Pachinko is one of those rare novels that changes your perception of history. The characters are complex and fascinating, and the setting is so beautifully drawn that I felt I was right there with them in Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Lee illuminates the history of Koreans during and after World War II, but, more than that, she brings us a haunting yet beautiful story of family, devotion, lies, politics, and, of course, the game of pachinko.”~ Lisa Cadow Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (2018). Our friend Carin Pratt once again brought a great book to our attention with this recommendation. "Pat Barker writes about the cost of war better than just about anybody. (Her WW1 Regeneration Trilogy is a classic.) In Silence of the Girls, she retells the story of the Trojan War, mostly from the point of view of Briseis, a queen who becomes Achille's slave and concubine after he kills most of her family and obliterates her town. All the Iliad characters are here and wonderfully wrought -- Achilles, driven mad by bloodlust and desire for revenge, sorrowful Priam who just wants his beloved son's body, Achilles' loyal childhood friend Patroclus. But this story really belongs to the women -- the "spoils" of war, and how they deal with their changes in fortune. This is a powerful, visceral, anti-war novel." ~ Lisa Cadow "FUN" FICTION Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (2019) - I feel as if Jane Austen and Ms. Brodesser-Akner would have enjoyed sharing a cup of tea and observations about society; and that we all would have benefitted from the novels emerging from their discussions. Ms. Brodesser-Akner takes a topic I really, really did not want to read about - divorce and middle-aged dating - and writes so well I ended up completing every page. Her writing is bracing; her plot is relatable; and her humor is lovely. ~ Lisa Christie State of the Union by Nick Hornsby (2019) - Told over conversations before couples therapy, this short novel looks at how a marriage falls apart and what people will do to fix it. ~ Lisa Cadow (and Lisa Christie) The Gifted School by Bruce Holinsger (2019) - This is one of those books that might be easy to read and feel better about your life - "I would never do that". "Aren't these people insane?"Or to be cynical about -- "wow what a coincidence that this novel is released as the college admissions scandal unfolds in the courts. How opportunistic". Or to dismiss as a "beach read". And while it is hard to hang your hat on any of the characters and want them to succeed or relate to their extreme circumstances, Mr. Holsinger somehow still makes them relatable and I kept reading. I picked this up as it seemed timely and I was looking for a relatively easy to digest quick read -- basically a "beach read". This novel (Mr. Holsinger's - a University of Virginia professor - first) about what happens when a public school system in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado creates a school for "gifted children". Basically it is the current college admission scandal for K-12 students. The story unfolds through the eyes of four families in an elite town and one family from a town far enough away to be affordable and allow them to clean the houses of families in the elite town. As you can guess before you even open to page one, people behave badly, long-standing friendships are severed, and secrets are revealed. For me, all that may be beside the point, because what I received in this "beach read" is a book that has me thinking about how while I would like to think I would not go to the extremes of the characters in this book to help my children, I drive a barely three year old car with 62,000 miles on it due to hockey, soccer, baseball, and football carpools and games. I have gone to a teacher / principal once or twice to advocate on my sons' behalf. So I probably shouldn't throw too many stones before acknowledging my own glass house. Is it the best book I have ever read? NO. Does it have me reflecting on my life and the life of those in this lovely area I call home? Yes. That is a pretty good review for a "beach book". Plus, it will give your book club plenty to talk about. ~ Lisa Christie HISTORICAL FICTION Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2017) – A fascinating look at Lincoln after his beloved son Willie dies and the USA is burning down all around him due to the Civil War. Told in a completely uniquely gorgeous style and premise – actual historical documents describing this time and the souls of the dead interred with Willie give voice and color to the narrative. Challenging to read; fascinating to think about. (Winner of the Man Booker Prize, and an IndieNext pick.) ~ Lisa Christie The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) – I am late to the party over this National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize winning novel. But, this tale of Cora and her life as a slave will capture your imagination and give you many reason to pause and think about race relations today. Please pick it up if you have not already. (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.) ~ Lisa Christie Brooklyn by Com Toibin (2015) As The New York Times said in its review of Toibin's novel, "Colm Toibin, born, like Eilis (the main character in Brooklyn), in Enniscorthy, (Ireland) is an expert, patient fisherman of submerged emotions. His characters and plots vary widely... In Brooklyn, Colm Toibin quietly, modestly shows how place can assert itself, enfolding the visitor, staking its claim." All of this makes a great novel for rich book club discussions. ~ Lisa Cadow NONFICTION We Need to Talk by Celeste Headlee (2017) – Honestly, I can’t review this book more accurately than indie bookstore reviewers did, so I am totally copying their review here. I will say, I think this book – once I actually incorporate some of its advice – may change my life. So from the indie bookstores’ review, “today most of us communicate from behind electronic screens, and studies show that Americans feel less connected and more divided than ever before. The blame for some of this disconnect can be attributed to our political landscape, but the erosion of our conversational skills as a society lies with us as individuals. And the only way forward, says Headlee, is to start talking to each other. In We Need to Talk, she outlines the strategies that have made her a better conversationalist—and offers simple tools that can improve anyone’s communication.” I add this book here to help us all have great conversations during and through the 2020 elections, and because I think we all could use some help having better conversations. ~ Lisa Christie An Odyssey by Daniel Mendelsohn (2017). This was a New York Times/PBS NewsHour Book Club Pick, but we did not know that when we picked it for this post. I loved it for its look at Homer's Odyssey and for its exploration of the relationship between a father and son when the father decides to take his son's undergraduate Odyssey seminar at Bard College. ~ Lisa Cadow Who Killed My Father by Edouard Louis (2019). This slim volume packs a punch as the author rips into France's neglect of the working class (as seen during strikes earlier this year). He does this by chronicaling his visit to his childhood home to visit his ailing father. Tough, but full of compassion and things to think and talk about. ~ Lisa Cadow MEMOIR Black is the Body by Emily Bernard (2019) - A collection of very personal essays about being Black in the predominantly white spaces of Vermont. Insightful, vulnerable, and helpful. While Professor Bernard does not claim to speak for every person of color in a white space, her reflections could be considered a must-read for anyone wishing to gain greater understanding of what living in such a white space is like for people of color. ~ Lisa Christie Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb (2019) -- I loved every page of this rather long memoir of life as a therapist and someone in therapy. Ms. Gottlieb's honesty about her own mental health needs -- recovery from the apparently unexpected abandonment by her fiance - intertwined with tales of her clients really allows you to look at your own mental health and what can be done to help (even if you think you are fine). ~ Lisa Cadow (Seconded by Lisa Christie) Motherhood by Shelia Heti (2019 paperback) - Canadian author Sheila Heti is all at once a philosopher, a poet, a radical self-inquisitor, and a cultural explorer. Her introspective writing style pulls readers into her active mind, taking them on an intellectual and emotional journey to deeply examine every facet of an issue alongside her, which in this case is the loaded subject of motherhood. To be or not to be? The nameless narrator in this, her second autobiographical novel, is a woman in her late 30's. She has found a supportive mate named Miles and we meet her as she is struggling to decide whether being a mother is right for her. Reading this book is like being on a reproductive roller coaster ride strapped into the unsteady seat next to Heti: her momentary leanings, ambivalence, and vertigo induced by the idea of parenting shifting from one page to the next. Reading this, I felt torn and simultaneously exposed, pushed to re-examine with a fresh lens my own (good for me) choice to have children (twenty plus years ago), my own ongoing confusion about this role and society's expectations, my complacency being on the other side of this decision making, and my assumptions about the younger women around me. To say that Heti is a talented writer would be like saying like Georgia O'Keeffe was a talented artist. There is a quality to her genius that allows her, like O'Keeffe, to gracefully explore internal as well as external landscapes, raw femininity, gender, power, and the many colors of emotion. The question Heti poses in this work is not new, and is, in fact, more important than her ultimate answer to it, which consistently eludes her. As she reflects, "Whether I want kids is a secret I keep from myself - it is the greatest secret I keep from myself." This book is recommended for all of us surrounded by people making reproductive decisions, for those pondering the magnitude of motherhood, or simply for those with mothers and sisters on Mother's Day- and on every day of the year. A New York Times Notable Book of 2018. ~Lisa Cadow Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2016) – Funny, sad, and amazingly moving memoir about growing up a biracial child in South Africa during and just after Apartheid. Mr. Noah is insightful and honest as he dissects his life and his choices and the choices that were made for him. Each chapter begins with an overview of life in South Africa that relates to the subsequent story from his own life. (Named on the best books of the year by NPR, New York Times, Esquire, Booklist.) ~ Lisa Christie and Lisa Cadow Educated by Tara Westover (2018). Educated, is one of the most affecting – if not the most affecting – memoirs of 2018 . In many ways this story is about author Tara Westover’s educational journey from her family’s rural homestead in Idaho where she received no formal tutelage, worked in the junkyard on their property, while only barely passing the GRE to matriculate to Brigham and Young. It concludes when she earns her PhD from Cambridge University in England. It is an astounding and moving narrative which often leaves the reader shaking her head in bewilderment. But when the last page is turned, this book is even more importantly about something that lies beyond formal learning and the ivory tower. It is about standing up for one’s self, making sense of reality, and finally harnessing the strength to say “This is my truth.”Many readers have observed that this book reminds them of Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls‘ affecting and best-selling memoir. This makes sense as they are both books about surviving and succeeding professionally unusual childhoods. And yet Westover’s experience deserves to stand alone. It’s that good. It offers a window into the Mormon experience, life in the West, and also addresses the the difficult subject of domestic abuse. Highly recommended and an excellent choice for book groups. ~Lisa Cadow MYSTERIES August Snow and Lives Laid Away by Stephen Mack Jones (2019) - I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Jones's debut August Snow. So I was excited to see this new mystery brings August Snow, a superbly wrought ex-police officer turned “fixer” - of neighborhoods, of people and of mysteries - back. I was even more thrilled that I liked this second in what I hope is a long series. Detroit itself is a character in both, with its gentrification front and center. ~ Lisa Christie |
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