Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: A Mixed Reading Week

Happy Earth Day! It's finally spring in Pennsylvania, and I'm staring to see early flowers everywhere. Yay (and sneeze)!

If you're looking for a way celebrate nature and learn more about the importance of conservation, I can't recommend the Netflix documentary series Our Planet more highly. We haven't seen all the episodes yet, but the filming is amazing and the message is important. I've included the trailer in this post, which gives you a hint of this don't-miss series.

Because there was so much to see on the news last week and because I'm working ahead to get ready for a lacemaking workshop coming up in a few days, I didn't get a lot of reading done. Hey, some weeks are slow.

The Last by Hanna Jameson (Atria; April 9). I still love good dystopian fiction, and The Last combines an all-too-probable end-of-the-world story with a murder mystery. I really couldn't resist. The premise is this: Jon, an academic historian from the Bay Area attends a conference in a remote hotel in Switzerland. On the last day, before he can check out, massive nuclear war is launched, wiping out entire cities and even countries. A couple dozen people (made up of guests and staff) remain at the hotel to figure out what to do next. The characters come from different walks of life and from different countries. Some are stuck in the hotel alone; others have family with them. Some are resourceful or have a survivor instinct; others want to give up or take their chances in the surrounding woods; some even commit suicide. Can the people at the hotel work together to forge a future? Are there other people alive on the planet? And who murdered the little girl whose body Jon finds? The book consists of Jon's journal, which is a daily record of what happens at the hotel after the bombs are dropped and includes interviews Jon conducts of the other survivors. In addition, Jon becomes obsessed with trying to identify the killer, and he records his investigation and his suspicions in his journal. This novel was almost too scary to read because the idea didn't seem all that farfetched. I liked the set up, the setting, and the way the characters interacted with each other. The problems and choices the survivors faced seemed realistic, and so were the descriptions of the hotel and the changes to the environment. I would have given this a big thumbs up, right up to the end. I don't need my novels to be tied up with a bow, and I don't mind a few open ends that spark my imagination, but this book ended with way too much unresolved. I couldn't find any indication that a sequel was in the works, yet the ending screams, "you'll get the answers in the next book." Made me mad. The unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 12 hr, 16 min) was brilliantly read by Anthony Starke, who nailed the characters' personalities and accents and created an atmosphere of dread and uncertainty. I've never listened to Starke before, but he's now on my recommend list! (audio and digital editions provided by the publisher)

Tiny Hot Dogs by Mary Giuliani (Running Press, April 9). Giuliani (no relation to Rudy) grew up in Montauk (Long Island) in an Italian Catholic family, dreaming of becoming a Jewish actress. Her life, however, took a different turn, and she is now known as being a caterer to the stars. This light memoir is told in short essays and is filled with recipes. There are laugh-out-loud moments from Giuliani's life as well as some fun stories about the famous people she's met. She also provides some behind-the-scenes insight to what it's like to be around the rich and famous, though contact is mostly from the kitchen and the sidelines. Giuliani's memoir is also a tribute to family and a strong marriage and includes her struggle to become pregnant and to sustain a pregnancy. Despite some inevitable sorrow, Giuliani's stories are mostly upbeat and positive. Life can be funny, and no matter how often we think we know where we'll end up, the gods usually have something else in mind. To echo the quote from Ina Garten that appears on the cover: "I love this book!" I may even get around to making one of Giuliani recipes. Note that this little memoir would make a great Mother's Day gift if the mother in your life has a good sense of humor and enjoys spending time in the kitchen. The audiobook (Hachette Audio; 4 hr, 25 min) is read by the author, and although I didn't listen to the book, I sampled a little bit of the narration. From the few minutes I heard, I thought Giuliani did a nice job. The audio comes with a PDF of the recipes. Thank you, Hachette for making sure that audiobook lovers won't miss out on the recipes. (audio, digital, and print copies provided by the publisher)

And here is the promised trailer.