Stacked-Up Book Thoughts; Or What I Read in November

Can it be? This year is almost over, and most of us can't wait to say good-bye to 2020 and hello to new possibilities and a happier new year. November turned out to be a kind of bust of a reading month. The first week was taken up with election news and the last week with Thanksgiving. In between I read and listened to small batch of meh books. Well, some months are like that, I guess.

I'm still in the middle of three books: one is a book of essays, one is nonficiton, and the other is a thriller. I'll write about those at the end of December. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on November in books.

Note that I've also posted these thoughts in GoodReads. Thanks to the publishers for the review copies -- whether audio, digital, or print. If you see "AFM" at the end, visit AudioFile Magazine to see my review of the audiobook production.

First I want to mention a book I didn't finish. Early in November I started Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski (trans. David A. French, Orbit, Oct. 27). This book has all kinds of elements I usually really love: history, religious politics, Renaissance, and fantasy. It's also a book in translation, which is normally a draw for me. Unfortunately, it just didn't click, maybe owing to my pre-election mood. I might try this again.

We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper (Grand Central, Nov. 10). This is true crime about the 1969 murder of a Harvard anthropology grad student. I was interested in the book for two reasons: (1) I'm fan of true crime and (2) I have a doctorate in physical (biological) anthropology and knew about this case and was familiar with some of the people in the Harvard anthropology department.

It's clear Cooper dug deep into this case, conducted as many interviews as possible, and honored the life and work of the victim, Jane Britton. I know published reviews praised this book to the ends of the earth, and I can see why because of the quality of Cooper's investigation and because the book reveals many less-pleasant aspects of academia and graduate departments: gender inequality, socioeconomic privilege, department politics, and Harvard culture. On the other hand, Cooper's account could have used a tighter edit to eliminate filler, tangents, some of the dead-end paths, and some rambling. Still, if you like true crime, you'll like We Keep the Dead Close.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook, which was read by the author. Cooper did only an okay job as a narrator. She's clearly not a professional or a dynamic voice actor, and a few mispronunciations were annoying. My advice is to listen to a sample before trying the audiobook.

Sweet Harmony by Claire North (Orbit, Sept. 22). Set in the future, this short book explores addiction, relationships, FOMO, self-image, and an acquisitive society. In Harmony's world, people can buy biological upgrades through a phone app: no more broken-out skin and no more weight gain; it's possible to have perfect teeth, perfect hair, level moods, perfect health, and so on. The problem is, each upgrade comes with a monthly fee, quickly plunging Harmony into insurmountable debt. When she can't pay, her enhancements stop working, one by one, which not only affects her self-image but also leads to the destruction of her relationships and her being downsized at work.

North offers an interesting perspective on many contemporary issues, which might make this a good book club pick. I, however, simply just didn't like Harmony and couldn't get behind her choices. If the book had been any longer, I'm sure I would have DNF'd it. For my thoughts on the audiobook, see AFM.

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde (Viking; Spet. 29). I love Fforde and went into this book with high hopes. Warning: It took me a while to warm up to the story, and it is certainly not my favorite of his books. What I did like was the satire on all things sociopolitical in contemporary America and the UK.

The book opens about 50 years after there was a cosmic event in which several species of mammals (including rabbits, weasels, and foxes) and a few insects became anthropomorphized. While these creatures retained much of their animal characteristics, they also became kind of human: they were able to speak and read and drive cars and own homes and have jobs right along side humans. Fforde uses the interactions between people and the human-like animals to explore prejudice, integrated neighborhoods, power, equal rights, citizenship, and so on.

There were some laugh-out-loud moments and lots to think about. On the other hand, the whole thing became a bit wearying once the general gist and message were clear. My very positive review of the audiobook can be found at AFM.

The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem (Ecco; Nov. 10). Set in the future, this book explores what happens to society and the world when we suddenly lose the power to run our TVs, computers, phones, and cars. Different groups of people react differently to the new normal, some making political power grabs and others trying communal living, hiding in isolated paranoia, forming bands of militia, and so on. Without mass communication, no one knows what's happening in the world outside their own small community.

When the Arrest happened, Hollywood script doctor Sandy was visiting his sister, who runs an organic farm in Maine. When transportation and communication go down, Maine is where he had to remain, and he now does odd jobs for the town's butcher and for the farm. Where Sandy lives, all is peaceful. The residents have almost no contact with outsiders until a mega movie producer friend from Sandy's past shows up in a mysteriously powered vehicle and begins to woo the town and disrupt the delicate balance of peace.

The book was only okay for me. The drama and tension among Sandy, his sister, and his friend didn't fully resonate, and I found much of the story just kind of weird. I liked the dynamics of the town and its relationship to the more militant group that lived nearby, but I was less intrigued when the plot spun into a different orbit. On the other hand, Robert Fass did a super-duper job with the narration of the audiobook, especially in the way he created a mood and connected us to the characters' mental state.

The Orchard by David Hopen (Ecco; Nov. 17). I really wanted to love this book because I was taken by the premise: An ultra-Orthodox Jewish family from Brooklyn moves to south Florida to another Orthodox Jewish community, but one that is more connected to contemporary America.

Ari Eden is just about to start his senior year of high school. In Brooklyn, his yeshiva concentrated mostly on Jewish studies, preparing young men to be good members of their closed, religious community. The Florida yeshiva, however, covers all subjects and while religious, also prepares its students (male and female) for college and life in the world at large.

The story promises to show how Ari adjusts to his new life, mingling with Orthodox Jews who bend the law--for example, not always wearing a yarmulke and allowing casual touching between unrelated men and women. While the book is a lot about that, the events and relationships don't seem at all realistic. Ari quickly falls in with the cool kids; has a girlfriend; and discovers smoking, drinking, and drugs. Despite being well behind in some academic subjects, he seems, with minimal tutoring, to keep up with the rest of his class and is on a path to graduation and possibly college. His friends are privileged and wild, suffering few consequences for their actions. At the same time, they come off as religious and philosophical scholars.

The boys' explorations into the mysteries of God and the spiritual world don't ring true. It's hard to imagine seniors in high school behaving and thinking the way they did. The cast includes at least three high school girls and a couple of adult women, all of whom are uni-dimensional and seem to appear only for a love interest or for motherly concern. It's a shame, because the the setup offered much to be explored about the interface between strict religious traditions and contemporary society.

The Survivors by Jane Harper (Flatiron, Feb. 2). I'm a big fan of Jane Harper, and her newest didn't disappoint. When Kieran returns to small coastal town in Tasmania to help his mother settle his father in a nursing home and close up his childhood home, he knew things would be uncomfortable. After all, a dozen years ago during a tremendous storm, he got trapped on a rocky beach; when his brother and a friend tried to rescue him, their boat capsized and the pair drowned. Most people in the small town (and maybe even Kieran's parents) blame Kieran for those deaths, though the storm also took others, including a teenage girl whose body was never found.

On Kieran's first night home, a young woman is murdered on the beach. The investigation opens up old wounds and hurts within the community, affecting Kieran's relationship with his parents, his friends, and even his girlfriend and their infant daughter.

This is a multilayered, atmospheric mystery that masterfully interlaces the past with the present. Harper has a way of making the landscape come alive, acting almost as another character. The story is character driven, and Kieran's personal journey is as important as solving the murder. This is a don't-miss read.

Narrator Stephen Shanahan is a perfect match to Harper's prose, and he once again captures the heart the soul of her work. Recommended in either print or audio.

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Sound Recommendations: 8 Audiobook Reviews

I been a little busy with work this month, but I still managed to listen to 8 books since I last checked in with you. BTW: I have been reading in print & digital too--I'll get to those books next time.

Before I get to my mini reviews, I'd like to remind you that I list the books I've read on both Library Thing) and Goodreads, so if you're curious, you can always follow me there. I also post book content on Instagram.

Coming up later this week, I have a fun post involving a collaboration, and I'm planning a Weekend Cooking post as well. Hope you're all staying healthy and safe.

• The Heatwave by Kate Riordan (Grand Central; Aug. 18): This domestic thriller is set in the south of France and involves a deteriorating estate, family secrets, and a closed community. Although I didn't guess all the secrets and the atmosphere was tense, I was ultimately left with a meh feeling. I don't think everything has to be explained in detail, but some plot lines weren't fleshed out enough, and the ending was unsatisfying. The audiobook was nicely read by Miranda Raison (Hachette Audio; 8 hr, 46 min). Her accents and expressive delivery kept me invested in the story.
• The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi (Holt; Aug. 4): This mystery is set up as a book within a book. The frame involves a young book editor who is working with an author to bring his collection of short mystery stories back to print. Within the frame, we have the stories themselves, which were written (by the fictitious author) to teach lessons of a good mystery. The stories are retellings of Agatha Christie classics, so it was fun to figure out which story went with which Christie. Other than that, I wasn't all that drawn into the frame mystery: what are the editor and author hiding? Note, however, that this book has won tons of praise. As I wrote in my AudioFile magazine review, this is recommended for Agatha Christie aficionados (read by Emilia Fox; Macmillan Audio; 11 hr, 16 min).
• The Less Dead by Denise Mina (Mulholland; Aug. 18): This thriller involves a pregnant doctor (Margo) who, in the aftermath of her mother's death and a breakup with her boyfriend, decides to try to get in contact with her birth mother's family to learn more about her heritage. What she discovers is that her biological mother was murdered just days after giving up her baby. Now that Margo's met her aunt, she finds herself getting increasingly tangled up in their personal dramas as well as in the unsolved serial murder cases that include her own mother. There were definitely some scary moments and it was difficult to tease out the motives and secrets of the people Margo meets, but in the long run, the book was only okay for me. I didn't really connect or care enough. Katie Leung did a fine job with her narration (Hachette Audio; 8 hr, 4 min)--good accents, building tension, believable emotions--so the miss is totally on me.
• Death of a Liar by M. C. Beaton (Grand Central; 2015). This is the 30th in the series. I don't have more to say, except that I am still enjoying this very light, fun cozy series. Graeme Malcolm (Hachette Audio; 5 hr, 20 min) is always a pleasure to listen to.
  

• Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton (Grand Central; 2016): The 31st in the series. Graeme Malcolm (Hachette Audio; 5 hr, 28 min) did it again!
• 10 Things I Hate about Pinky by Sandhya Menon (Simon Pulse; July 21): This is the third book Menon has written about Indian-American California teens; the books have some overlapping characters but can all be read as stand-alones. Pinky's story is successfully based on The Taming of the Shrew (think of the movie Ten Things I Hate about You) and is generally interesting with relatable characters. Though I liked it, it was my least favorite of the three novels. Some of the story lines seemed unnecessary and others were a little drawn out; still worth the listen. Narrators Vikas Adam and Soneela Nankani (Simon & Schuster; 7 hr, 11 min) team up to read this young adult rom-com. Adam's delivery isn't as smooth as Nankani's, but I got used to it.
• Brave Enough by Jessie Diggins and Todd Smith (U of Minnesota Press; March 10): In this memoir, cross-country ski champion Diggins talks about her journey from her childhood in rural Minnesota to standing on the Olympic podium to accept a gold medal. She speaks frankly about her eating disorder and the less glamorous aspects of being an elite athlete along with the wonderful opportunities, friendships, and rewards of training with a team. Maybe not the best-written memoir of all time, but I liked getting to know Diggins. More on the audiobook read by Allyson Ryan (Tantor; 10 hr, 532 min) in AudioFile magazine.
• Death of a Ghost by M. C. Beaton (Grand Central; 2017). This is the penultimate book in the series. Sadly it wasn't my favorite of the bunch, but I still liked spending time with copper Hamish Macbeth. Only one more book to go! As always, Graeme Malcolm (Hachette Audio; 5 hr, 37 min) put in an terrific performance.

Thanks to the publishers (audiobook & print) for the review copies. And thanks to Libro.fm.

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21 Books: Catching Up with Reviews

Here's what I've read since my last check-in. All books were received for review or for a freelance assignment unless otherwise indicated. Where you see "AFM," please check out my full audiobook review on the AudioFile Magazine website. Also note that I've given fuller treatment to some of these titles over on Goodreads.

• Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan (Grim Oak Press, June 2020): This is the final installment of the Legends of the First Empire series. If you like great characters, terrific world building, and good action in your epic fantasies, then you need to read everything Sullivan has written. Better yet, listen to the audiobooks brilliantly read by Tim Gerard Reynolds. (personal collection)
• Pile of Bones by Michael J. Sullivan (Audible Studios, Jan. 2020): This short story takes place in the same universe as the Legends of the First Empire series. If you're a fan, you need to listen to this, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds. (personal collection)
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, May 2020): This is a prequel to the Hunger Games series. I enjoyed seeing something of the background to the games and to Snow. AFM

• The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (St. Martin's Press, May 2020): Set in post-World War II England, a group of very different and differently broken people come together to help preserve Jane Austen's cottage and legacy in Chawton. Deserves the buzz; you don't have to be familiar with Austen to like this book.
• Red Sky over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman (Mira, June 9): This book starts just a day before the attack on Pearl Harbor and is set on the Big Island of Hawaii. It's both a story of young woman trying to understand her late father as well as a tale of doing the right thing and protecting those in your care. It also has some romance.
• Unreconciled by W. Michael Gear (Daw, May 2020): This is the fourth in the Donovan series set on a remote planet in the distant future. I love so much about these books, including the characters and the world building. Even more, though, I like the way Gear explores several issues connected to colonization of a "new" world and the connections between the colonizers and their motherland. As always for this series, I part read and part listen. Alyssa Bresnahan does a great job with the narration.

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (Riverhead, June 2): An excellent novel that tells the story of teenage very light-skinned Black twins who run away from their small Louisiana town to NOLA. From there they lose track of each other as one disappears again, this time to marry a white man and pass into a new world of the rich and comfortable; the other marries an abusive man, whom she leaves to return to her childhood home. The story follows them and their daughters and focuses on the consequences of each woman's decisions. #OwnVoices AFM
• The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon (Forever, June 9): A fun rom-com featuring three Black women who meet when they realize they've all been two-timed by the same guy. Humor and romance mixed with feminist issues. #OwnVoices AFM
• What I'm Looking For by Karen Grey (Home Cooked Books, June 2020): Another fun rom-com, this one set in Boston in the 1980s. A female financial analyst who is trying to make it in a man's world meets a Shakespeare actor who is unsure about his ambitions. Good period details. Well-done audiobook (see Goodreads for more).

• The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson (Ecco, May 2020): A beautiful book that is partly about the natural life of the eel and partly a moving tribute to the author's father. I was surprised and fascinated by what I learned about the eel and loved hearing the stories of Svensson's father. Give this book in translation a try. AFM
• Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev (William Morrow, May 2020): An enjoyable take on Austen's classic novel featuring a chef, a soccer star, and a reality cooking show. #OwnVoices AFM
• Mirgations by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron, Aug. 2020): I wrote about this on Instagram and Goodreads. Set in the not too distant future, this book explores relationships, climate change, and the Arctic tern. One of my favorites of the year. Narrator Barrie Kreinik tapped into the emotional core of the story.

• Death of a Chimney Sweep by M.C. Beaton (Grand Central, 2012): The 26th in a fun, light mystery series featuring a village copper who solves all the cases in a small Highland town. Love the characters, the Scottish setting, and the mysteries. Narrator Graeme Malcolm is a pleasure to listen to. (personal collection)
• The Bothers York by Thomas Penn (Simon & Schuster, June 2020): My favorite way to learn history is to combine listening with reading, which is what I did here. Penn makes the complexities of the War of the Roses accessible, and I'm beginning to get a handle on this period of British history. Roy McMillan held my attention with his expression and sense of pacing, though he could have more clearly distinguished direct quotations from the narrative.
• The Wedding Thief by Mary Simses (Back Bay Books, July 2020): A rom-com on the surface with some deeper themes of family, sisters, forgiveness, and understanding. Some of the characters went a little too far in their antics for my tastes, but all in all fine summer read.

• Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing (Berkley, May 2020): Good start to a new cozy mystery series. I liked the details of the Boulder, Colorado, setting as well as the introduction to the characters and premise of the series. The mystery was well presented with good red herrings. AFM
• The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni (William Morrow, April 2020): I read this earlier in the year and forgot to write about it. A Gothic story of a young woman who inherits land and a castle in the Italian Alps from a relative she never knew she had. A dream come true? Not necessarily. Can't say more without spoiling it, but this is one of my favorites of the year.
• When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald (Gallery, Jan. 2020): This is by far my favorite book of the the year right now.  A super coming-of-age story about a young woman who has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Narrator Phoebe Strole's performance is amazing. (See Instagram and Goodreads for details.)

• Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton (Grand Central, 2012): The 27th Hamish Macbeth mystery gave me all I expect from this series. Graeme Malcolm narrated. (personal collection)
• The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton (Berkley, June 2020): Three women who need change cross paths during the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which caused much damage and many deaths in the Florida Keys. Loved the period details and was fooled by a couple of twists. AFM
• The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls by Ursula Hegi (Flatiron, Aug. 2020): I had mixed feelings about this book about three women and their children, set in the late nineteenth century in Germany along the shores of the North Sea. Maybe a little too unreal for me? AFM

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10 Books for Summer; Or I Love a Good Beach Read

Happy May Day! When I was little girl, the first day of May meant running into the backyard in the early morning to pick forget-me-nots, dandelions, and violets to give to mother before I headed off to school. These days, the beginning of May means bring on the summer books, the beach reading, the vacation book covers.

That's what today's roundup is all about. I'm sure there is much more summery fiction with beachy covers coming out this month, but here are 10 that crossed my (mostly virtual) doorstep. Most of the authors featured today are my yearly go-tos. In case you're wondering, yes, Elin Hilderbrand has a new summer novel, but that one isn't out until June.

If you're like me and it you haven't yet set up your deck or porch, or it's rainy or cool in your area, just pretend it's a sunny, warm Saturday and you have nothing to do but get lost in a good escape novel.

Notes: (1) Because of COVID-19 publication dates have changed on many titles that were scheduled for this spring. All the books featured here were originally slated for a May 2020 release. (2) Plot summaries are taken from the publishers.

The Lion's Den by Katherine St. John (Grand Central; June 30): Suspense. A struggling actress/waitress says yes to her BFF's offer to accompany her on a vacation to the Mediterranean aboard her wealthy boyfriend's yacht. Belle quickly sees that beneath the glitz and glamour, there is a dark side to life on the Lion's Den. . . . will she make it off the ship alive and with her secrets intact? First lines:

I’ve always thought myself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth, but the sight of sleek jets lined up on the tarmac ignites an unexpected giddiness in me. How liberating to be able to move about the world so easily, without the inconveniences of mass transportation. No lines at the ticketing counter, no taking off shoes and disassembling carry-on bags, no body scans, no cramped leg space or short connections, no luggage belts or lost bags.

Audiobook: read by Christine Lakin

East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter (Mira; May 26): Women's friendship. Set in Montauk, four adult friends agree to a reunion where they spent their childhood summers, until a tragedy pulled them apart. Hoping for healing and understanding the women are instead forced to face the past and reveal their inner selves. Told from alternating viewpoints in the present and in the past. First lines:

It was mid-July, when the sun shined the memory of every good summer before it, and the days wandered like beach walkers, hot and indolent, catching chance breezes off the ocean. They’d stopped at the fair on a whim on their way back from Montauk, were supposed to be home hours before, but the vibrancy of live music and crowds and the feeling of a party not yet over beckoned them, so they lingered, wanting to stay inside this future memory a little longer.

Audiobook: read by Patricia Santomasso

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster (Gallery; May 5): Historical fiction. In the 1962, a working-class college student moves to Martha's Vineyard to nanny a rich couple's young children. There she sees how the other half lives and is taken in by the ease and privilege. Eventually, however, she learns that having money and traveling in high society can cover a multitude of sins and unhappiness. First lines:

Jackie Kennedy sails these waters. In fact, the First Lady might be looking at the same sunlit cliffs as Heddy, and the thought of Jackie in her big black sunglasses, placing a kiss on the president while their boat rounded Vineyard Sound, tickled the corners of Heddy’s mouth and made her peek over onto the deck of a wooden sailboat bobbing in the harbor. Heddy waved back at a man, shirtless and barefoot, holding a fishing line. He was no Jack Kennedy, but he wasn’t half bad, either.

Audiobook: read by Rebekkah Ross

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews (St. Martin's Press; May 5): Women's fiction. Conley Hawkins has newsprint in her blood, but she turned her back on her family's beach-town paper for a journalism career in Washington, DC. When she loses her job, she returns home, where she's told to take over the summer gossip column. Despite a possible romance, all is routine, until Conley starts to investigate the death of a local politician and secrets rise to the surface. First lines:

"I hate these things," Conley Hawkins said, gazing toward the newsroom's glass-encased conference room, where the rest of the staff was gathering. "Stale sheet cake, lukewarm champagne, and tepid farewells. It's such a farce. At least a third of the people in that room don't even like me. I've said goodbye to the people I care about. Can't we just leave it at that?"

Audiobook: read by Kathleen McInerney

Beach Read by Emily Henry (Berkley; May 19): Romantic comedy. What happens when a best-selling romance writer ends up renting a Michigan beach cottage next to one of her old rivals, a well-respected author of literary fiction? When they discover they are each suffering writer's block, they make a plan to help each other over the hump; what they didn't count on was the old adage that opposites attract . . . will they finish their books, fall in love, or both? First lines:

I wasn’t ready to look through the rest of the house, so I settled down at the table to write. As usual, the blank document was staring accusingly at me, refusing to fill itself with words or characters, no matter how long I stared back.

Here’s the thing about writing Happily Ever Afters: it helps if you believe in them.

Audiobook: read by Julia Whelan

Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner (Little, Brown; May 5): Women's fiction. The routines of summer in Provincetown are disrupted when a baby girl is left at the doorstep of a newcomer, who is renting a cottage while deciding on what she wants out of her retirement. The women of the small community band together, as the appearance of the infant brings out a mix of emotions from grief and longing to joy and sense of purpose. This multilayered novel focuses on mother-daughter relationships, women's friendship, new possibilities, healing, and life on the Cape. First lines:

She hadn’t been on a summer vacation in thirty years. Although, if she really thought about it, a trip didn’t count as a vacation if you weren’t coming back. Either way, there would be no more meetings, no more deadlines, no more fires to put out. Ruth was free.

Audiobook: read by Molly Parker Myers

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Atria; May 5): Women's friendships. Daphne finds it hard to say no when her ex-friend, a woman she hasn't talked to in years, asks her to be the maid-of-honor at her Cape Cod wedding. In the years since their separation, Daphne has become a well-known social media influencer, but her friend's glamorous lifestyle is still a draw. Can the women find reconciliation and understanding, even under the pressures of trying to pull off the perfect weekend wedding while the world watches? First lines [prologue]:

By the second week of September, the outer Cape was practically deserted. The tourists had packed up and gone home. The roads were empty; the glorious beaches were abandoned. It was a shame: by September, the ocean was finally warm enough for swimming, especially if it had been a hot August, and the paths that wound through the dunes and cranberry bogs and secret blueberry bushes, the ones that were pickup spots for men in summer’s high season, were deserted, and the bushes were full of ripe berries.

Audiobook: read by Danielle Macdonald

The Somerset Girls by Lori Foster (HQN; May 19): Sisters; family. Sisters Autumn and Ember couldn't be more different; one is bookish, the other is into partying. Regardless, they work well together as they try to keep their family's animal-rescue farm afloat and help take care of their ailing father. When it comes to romantic relationships, though, the sisters harbor long-buried hurts and insecurities. When a childhood crush of Autumn's returns to town, she sees possibilities--but what about Ember? Will the sisters find all they dream of by the end of the hot, humid Kentucky summer?

A refreshing shower, ice cream and the book she was reading.

As Autumn Somerset got the unhappy pigs into the back of her truck, she repeatedly recited the awards that awaited her at the end of her day.

Audiobook: read by Samantha Desz

My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy (Atria; May 12): Family relationships. Set on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts, this is the story of how a community comes together to help raise a 10-year-old girl who finds herself orphaned for the second time in her short life. Leo is balancing his unexpected fatherhood with his new marriage and other neighbors are doing their best to be supportive while dealing with their own problems, holding close to secrets, and coping with family issues. Despite personal problems, the islanders are determined to give Sky a home and security.

In the hours before dawn, she slips out of the house and runs. She knows the way by heart, even though she’s only ten, and the land swells around her like the mother’s bosom she never knew.

She follows the path that winds near the cliff, the edge nipping at her feet, threatening to swallow her whole. Spit her out on the rocky shore below.

Audiobook: read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Nancy Linari, Madeleine Maby, and David Sadzin

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe (Gallery; May 19): Women's fiction. Set on Sullivan Island, this is the story of three generations of the Rutledge family, each on the brink of a new, exciting beginning. There's a second wedding in Charleston, a new house on Ocean Boulevard, and an a new career on the island. But when circumstances suddenly change after a family member falls ill, the women must pull together to try to embrace their futures in the new normal. First lines:

The lowcountry was spread out far below as she soared in the sky. Linnea Rutledge sighed and placed her fingertips on the plane’s cool window, her eyes tracing the twisting creeks and winding rivers that snaked through the seemingly impenetrable greenery of the salt marsh. From her vantage point, the rivers looked like great arteries, and all the myriad creeks were veins. Saltwater coursed through them like a bloodstream. The tides were the lowcountry’s pumping heart

Audiobook: read by Cassandra Campbell

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10 best books of 2019

December is almost over and we're heading quickly to Christmas, family time, and the new beginnings that January offers. It's also the time when I share my top ten books of the year.

This year I was surprised by the variety of books that made my list: fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and nonfiction. One book was published in 2013, but all the rest came out in 2019.

How did I pick my top ten? These are books I still remember and still think about. They are the books I connected with, I recommended to family and friends, and I've talked about in real life.

I present them here in what was supposed to be alphabetical order (but oops on the graphic). Links lead to my full reviews (all books provided by the publishers).

• Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (Knopf, May 14): Set on Kamchatka peninsula, this genre-bending novel starts with the disappearance of two young girls and fans out to focus on how a number of other women and girls are affected by the event as well as on life in the remote northern regions of Russia. Audiobook: wonderfully read by Ilyana Kadushin (Random House Audio)
• The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea (Harper, Sept. 3): Set in late-17th-century Iceland, this haunting novel—infused with a bleak landscape and focusing on the edge of change or maybe the edge of changing states—examines the choices a young woman makes after her father suddenly dies and her mother becomes sick. Audiobook: nicely read by Heiða Reed and Smari Gunn (Harper Audio).
• The Last Whalers: Three Years in the Far Pacific with a Courageous Tribe and a Vanishing Way of Life by Doug Bock Clark (Little, Brown, Jan. 8): Written by an investigative journalist, this is a fascinating look into a vanishing culture and how the members of a small Indonesian whaling community balance their age-old traditions with the life in the 21st century. Audiobook: beautifully read by Jay Snyder (Hachette Audio).
• This Much Country by Kristin Knight Pace (Grand Central, March 5): In this memoir, Pace, a photojournalist and one of the few women to complete both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod sled dog races, shares the beauty and harshness of Alaska, her incredible relationship with her dogs, and the emotional journey that has given her a life fully led. Audiobook: nicely read by the author (Hachette Audio).
• Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens (Mulholland, Nov. 12): Set in a small town in the Ozarks, this novel is about the summer a teenage boy learns just how far white men will go to protect the status quo and is everything I love in a coming-of-age story. Audiobook: wonderfully read by Kevin Stillwell (Hachette Audio).
• A Prayer for Travelers by Ruchika Tomar (Riverhead; July 9): Haunting in its truths, this nonchronologically told novel, set in the Nevada desert, is presented through the eyes of a new adult who is determined to find her friend and fellow waitress, who disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Audiobook: expertly read by Sophie Amoss (Penguin Audio)
• The River by Peter Heller (Knopf, March 5): Set on a river in Canada, this outdoorsy thriller about two college friends on a late-summer canoe trip demonstrates that Heller is a master at creating a creeping buildup of danger, holding it just out of sight so you never quite know where and when or if it will manifest.
• Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza (Flatiron, March 12). This sometimes rough but realistic novel explores a slice of contemporary life that we rarely read about—life after a heart transplant for teenage girl who tries to find a new normality after a year-long recovery from her major surgery.
• The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (Redhook; Sept. 10): This historical fantasy combines adventure, intrigue, and a strong female protagonist to create a memorable story of friendship, young and lasting love, coming of age, and betrayals. Audiobook: mind-blowingly read by January LaVoy (Hachette Audio). My top audiobook of the year.
• The Thicket by Joe R. Landsdale (Mulholland, Sept. 2013): Set in turn-of-the-20th-century rural east Texas, this engrossing coming-of-age story shines a light on the dying days of the Old West and follows a teenager determined to rescue his younger sister who has been kidnapped by bank robbers. Audiobook: perfectly performed by Will Collyer (Hachette Audio). My top novel of the year.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Weekly Reset 2

I'm kind of in denial that Christmas is next week. We still have a couple of gifts to buy and have made a shopping date to get them taken care of. I hate waiting until the last minute, but that's what this year has been like.

We haven't been watching too much television and have fallen behind in a few series we used to follow on the various streaming services. I can't believe I haven't yet watched the new version of His Dark Materials on HBO. I loved those books, so I really need to make time for the series.

We're caught up with the Dublin Murders on STARZ. I like the screenplay and the acting, but I wish the producers had stuck with only one story at a time instead of combining two of the Tana French books into a single season. Still a good show.

Reading / Read

Death of a Witch by M. C. Beaton (Grand Central, 2009): I went for total fluff this week and listened to the 24th Hamish Macbeth mystery. I love the characters and the Highland setting of this cozy mystery series. In this outing, Hamish has to solve a series of murders that start with a shifty newcomer who lures men to her remote cottage with promises of an herbal Viagra. As Hamish is trying to figure out who the killer is and the body count starts to rack up, he is also trying to sort out his love life, with three women on his radar. Meanwhile, he's determined to avoid the dreaded promotion that would change his comfortable lifestyle. Good humor mixed with a good mystery equals great entertainment. The audiobook (Blackstone, 5 hr, 37 min) was wonderfully read by Graeme Malcolm, who is the voice of the series. (personal collection)

This week's main book is Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt (Flatiron, Jan. 21, 2020), which I hope lives up to its hype. This is a story of a mother and her young son who are forced to flee their middle-class life in Acapulco for the safety of the United States after they catch the eye of a violent drug lord. A new land, new language, new economic circumstance, and a new fear drive them north, but there's no guarantee the journey will end happily. This timely book about immigrants seeking asylum in the United States has been on my list for a while, especially because it tells a story of how an educated family with resources can find themselves on the run when lawlessness takes over their home town. I can't wait to get started. (print and digital copies provided by the publisher)

New to Me in Print

• Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (Picador Dec. 31 [paperback]): What happens when a modern-day family who has been living as Iron Age Britons in the bog lands allow a group of anthropology students to join the experiment?
• Beginning with Cannonballs by Jill McCroskey Coupe (She Writes, May 2020): This book follows 50 years in the lives of two girls whose deep childhood friendship is torn apart by segregation in 1950s Tennessee.
• Cook, Taste, Learn by Guy Crosby (Columbia University Press, Dec. 10): The subtitle of this book tells it all: 'How the Evolution of Science Transformed the Art of Cooking."
• The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood (Penguin, Jan., 14, 2020): A psychological thriller set  in an isolated cult community in Wales.
• Eat for the Planet Cookbook by Nil Zacharias and Gene Stone (Abrams, Jan 7): Recipes and information about switching to a plant-based diet.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 5 Current Book Reviews

Hello, December! Where the heck did this year go? We may be a few weeks away from winter, but the weather here has definitely taken a downward turn. It's been windy, a little icy, and cold.

We haven't had any major snow yet, so that's something to be grateful for. I'm also glad we took the time to get the deck ready for winter. We didn't finish with the yard work -- but there's always next year, right?

Another thing I'm happy about is that it seems as if my workload is finally under control. It's crazy how busy I was. My reading suffered horribly, but I plan to make up for lost time in December.

I'm not going to review everything I read or listened to over the last month (or however long it's been since I did a Monday post). Instead I picked five books to talk about.

I assume everyone has read Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea (Doubleday, Nov. 5). The premise of this book hit a ton of my buttons: a fantasy set in modern times involving stories and books and an alternative world with portals to our own. Unfortunately, Starless Sea didn't totally work for me. Here's the good: I loved the stories within stories, the blending (in the book's reality) of truth and fiction, and the nonchronological plot threads. I also liked the alternative world, with its caves and library and kitchen and, yes, starless sea. However, despite so many positive elements, I was left, at the end, with a vague feeling of being unsatisfied and maybe even thinking (just a little), "So what?" On the other hand, the audiobook (Random House Audio; 18 hr, 37 min) is absolutely beautifully narrated by a full cast, and it was the fabulous performances of Dominic Hoffman, Dion Graham, Bahni Turpin, Fiona Hardingham, Allan Corduner, and Jorjeana Marie that kept me going. Bravo to the narrators; I hope they win some awards. (digital and audio copies provided by the publisher)

Here's a novel you may have missed. Heddi Goodrich's Lost in the Spanish Quarter (Harper Via; Sept. 10), takes place mostly in Naples near the end of the twentieth century and is told in retrospect after our protagonist hears from her college lover after a long silence. The book is billed as fiction, though much of the main character's life mirrors the author's including her name. Heddi moves from America to Italy on a high-school exchange program and ends up staying in the country all the way through college. When living in the Spanish Quarter of Napels, finishing university, she meets Pietro, and the two fall for each other hard. The novel is a love story to the ancient city, Mount Vesuvius, and all things Italian as well as the story of a group of young people facing their futures, full of hope and opportunity, yet still very much influenced by their families and their past. Heddi and Peitro's relationship and the pain and trials of their transitioning to full adulthood are universal enough to draw you in and unique enough to keep you interested. Goodrich wrote Lost in the Spanish Quarter in Italian and translated the book to English herself. Recommended to those who like character-driven novels. Warning: you'll be planning a trip to Naples even before you finish the book. (audio copy provided for a freelance assignment)

Do you read the New York Times column "Modern Love"? If you don't, you've been missing out. Fortunately, you can read about 30 of the essays in the collection Modern Love, Revised and Updated, edited (with others) by Daniel Jones (Broadway, Oct. 1). Each of the essays reprinted here really shine. I can honestly say there were no misses for me. The stories cover all kinds of love from romantic relationships to parent-child relationships. Some are funny (as in dating mishaps), some are sad (those that ended in death), and others are almost unbearably moving. One of my favorites involved an Evangelical woman who loved her church and her god but was later surprised to realize that she loved a woman from her Bible study class even more. Another one is about a man who meets some of his many children for the first time: he was sperm donor when he was in college and one of his sons finds him through a DNA/genetics site. There are also stories of adoption, dating when you're disabled, and much more. If you're an audiobook lover (Random House Audio; 8 hr, 9 min), you don't want to miss this all-star cast performance. Each narrator did a credible job, bringing out the many emotions without going over the top. (audio copy provided for a freelance assignment)

A few weeks ago, I included Wild Life by Keena Roberts (Grand Central, Nov. 12) in a nonfiction round-up. I really enjoyed this memoir of a girl growing up divided between a remote research camp in Botswana and a Philadelphia Main Line private school. Keena's parents are well-known field primatologists who studied baboon communication and social behavior in a colony of monkeys who lived on a string of islands a long way from any kind of town. Keena's story is a fascinating look at life in one corner of Africa, with its incredible beauty, haunting sounds, and many dangers. She was curious, level-headed, smart, and self-sufficient at an incredibly young age. Despite her impressive Africa skills, Keena found it difficult and sometimes frustrating when she had to adapt to America. Even sitting in a classroom all day was hard for her. Add on the fact that she had missed out on television and other pop culture, and you can see why it wasn't always easy for her to fit in. Still, because she returned to the same school each trip home, Keena was able to make some lasting friends who helped her survive the mean girls. The audiobook (Hachette Audio; 9 hr, 42 min) is read by Chloe Cannon, who picks up on Keena's personality and her obvious love of the wild places of her childhood. (audio copy provided by the publisher)

Another book I featured in my nonfiction round-up was Gareth Russell's The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era (Atria, Nov. 19). I'm one of those people who have been fascinated with the Titanic story since I was a child. I don't really know why, but I've never gotten tired of learning more about the tragedy. Russell's take is a little different from others. Although he does give details about the actual night of the sinking, the loading of the lifeboats, and the sights and sounds of that horrible night, he places the passengers and the whole phenomenon of the luxury liner in the contemporary global context. He talks about immigration, old versus new money, various prejudices (ethnic and religion), political issues, social conventions, and other concerns of the fading Edwardian Era. He focuses on a handful of passengers to make his points of how various people were treated and/or expected to be treated in the years leading up to World War I. He also paints a much more realistic picture of the evacuation of the Titanic than sensational movie scenes have led us to believe (for example, third-class passengers were not locked below decks). This is as much a history of the mid-1910s as it is a story of the Titanic and its passengers. I tried the audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 12 hr, 35 min), but I didn't click with narrator Jenny Funnell. Her performance was fine, but a few mispronunciations and odd pauses sent me to the book. Your mileage may vary. (audio and digital copies provided by the publisher)

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11 Picks for Nonfiction November

November brings us a lot of things, from cooler weather to pumpkin pies and turkeys. In the book-reading world, it’s also popularly known as nonfiction month. Whether you’re official participating in Nonfiction November or are just interested in what’s new, here are my choices from this month’s releases. (all copies—print, digital, and/or audio—provided by the publisher)

Science and Animals

My Penguin Year: Life among the Emperors by Lindsay McCrae (William Morrow; Nov. 12). Written by a BBC award-winning photographer and documentary filmmaker, this memoir recounts the year McCrae spent in Antarctica in the company of 4,000 emperor penguins. Illustrated by gorgeous photographs (see the cover) and drawings, this memoir gives us a rare look at these large penguins and their Antarctica home, not only describing the behavior of the birds throughout the seasons but also giving us insight in how climate change is affecting the penguins’ future. “An unforgettable narrative account that is poised to become a classic of nature writing.” Audiobook: Read by the author (HarperAudio; 7 hr, 28 min).

Beyond the Known: How Exploration Created the Modern World and Will Take Us to the Stars by Andrew Rader (Scribner; Nov. 12): Written by a mission manager at SpaceX who knows as much about history as he does about the possibilities of the future, this book looks at the various ages of discovery, including the exploration of the physical world we live in, discoveries made through scientific inquiry, and—of course—our fascination with space. “Told with an infectious zeal for traveling beyond the known, [this book] illuminates how very human it is to emerge from the cave and walk toward an infinitely expanding horizon.” Audiobook: Read by the author (Simon & Schuster Audio; 11 hr, 14 min).

Snow: A Scientific and Cultural Exploration by Giles Whittell (Atria; Nov. 19): Written by the chief leader writer of the London Times, this book is about all things snow: how it forms, why each snowflake is unique, how many snowflakes fall each second across the globe, and our relationship with it—both fun (skiing) and deadly (avalanches). Scientific snowy facts and figures are balanced with fun trivia and Whittell’s evident passion for and curiosity about the white stuff. “An eye-opening and charming book that illuminates one of the most magnificent wonders of nature.” Audiobook: no information.

Women’s Stories

The Girl in the Photograph: The True Story of a Native American Child, Lost and Found in America by Byron L. Dorgan (Thomas Dunne; Nov. 26): Written by a former U.S. senator, this is at once the story a single American Indian woman as well as a look at hundreds of years of neglect and lies from the U.S. government. American Indian youth have slipped through the safety nets—for example, 33 percent live in poverty and the teen suicide rate is more than double the national rate. When Dorgan met young Tamara in 1990 at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, he became more resolved than ever to make a difference. “Readers will fall in love with this heartbreaking story, but end the book knowing what can be done and what they can do.” Audiobook Read by Peter Berkrot (Dreamscape; 6 hr, 3 min).

Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge by Sheila Weller (Sarah Crichton; Nov. 12): Written by an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, this biography gives us insight into Fisher’s life both on and off the screen. Weller relies on firsthand accounts to tease out the truths of Fisher’s roots, her acting career, her relationship with her mother and daughter, her short marriage to Paul Simon, her successful writing career, and her tough battles with bipolar disease and drug addiction. The biography “is an affectionate and even-handed portrayal of a woman whose unsurpassed honesty is a reminder of how things should be.” AudiobookRead by Saskia Maarleveld (Macmillan Audio; 13 hr, 19 min).

Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law by Jeffrey Rosen (Henry Holt; Nov. 5): Written by a law professor and legal journalist, this book reveals almost thirty years of conversations with the long-time Supreme Court justice. Rosen reveals Ginsburg’s thoughts on constitutional law (abortion, cases she disagrees with), contemporary cultural issues, personal life philosophy, and the Supreme Court. “These frank exchanges illuminate the steely determination, self-mastery, and wit that have inspired Americans of all ages to embrace the woman known to all as ‘Notorious RBG.’ ” Audiobook: Read by Peter Ganim and Suzanne Toren (Macmillan Audio; 6 hr, 55 min).

Wild Life: Dispatches from a Childhood of Baboons and Button-Downs by Keena Roberts (Grand Central; Nov. 12): Written by a woman who grew up sometimes in Botswana and sometimes in the affluent Philadelphia suburbs, this is a memoir of Africa, private school, and trying to use African bush skills to fit in with American teen culture. Blending descriptions of life in Africa (adventure, danger, oppressive heat) with memories of negotiating mean girls and field hockey games in Philly, Roberts paints a realistic picture of both her selves and recognizes how each informed the other and led her to pursue a public health career. “By turns heartbreaking and hilarious,” this is “the story of a daring but sensitive young girl.” Audiobook: Read by the author (Hachette Audio; 9 hr, 42 min).

Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid (Atria; Nov. 12): Written by a Canadian journalist, this book looks into a series of murders of Indigenous women and girls that took place along a remote section of highway in British Columbia. McDiarmid interviewed the victims’ families and friends, providing an insider’s look at the effects of racist violence while connecting these murders to thousands of similar cases throughout Canada, This book explores “how systemic racism and indifference have created a climate in which Indigenous women . . . are overpoliced yet underprotected.” Audiobook: Read by Emily Nixon (Simon & Schuster Audio; 9 hr, 58 min).

History

The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era by Gareth Russell (Atria, Nov. 19): Written by a historian and novelist, this book places the tragedy of the Titanic into the wider context of a rapidly changing and modernizing world. “Using previously unpublished sources, deck plans, journal entries, and surviving artifacts,” Russell focuses on six very different first-class passengers—including a countess, an actress, and a business tycoon—detailing their fates and showing how their lives signaled a turning point in history, technology, commerce, and politics. The book includes many black-and-white and color photographs. Audiobook: Read by Jenny Funnell (Simon & Schuster Audio; 15 hr).

The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History by Kassia St. Clair (Liveright; Nov. 12): Written by a journalist, this book looks at the history of fabric from the very earliest fibers made by cave dwellers to the fabrics that protect astronauts and clothe today's elite athletes. St. Clair takes a deep historical look at fabric, connecting it to early human migrations out of temperate climates as well as later trade routes (The Silk Road), which connected East and West. The book offers “insights into the economic and social dimensions of clothmaking” and dispels “the enduring, often demeaning, association of textiles as ‘merely women’s work.’ ” Audiobook: Read by Helen Johns (John Murray; 11 hr, 26 min).

Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey through the Twentieth Century by Sarah Abrevaya Stein (Farrar Straus & Giroux; Nov. 19): Written by an award-winning historian, this is the story of a large Sephardic family and how they were affected and scattered by the fall of the Ottoman Empire and later almost wiped out by the Holocaust. Basing her research on the family’s abundant correspondence and papers, including various documents and photographs, Stein recounts the joys and sorrows of a family struggling to keep their connections intact while surviving political unrest and forced immigration. Through these papers, Stein tells “not only [the family’s] history, but the history of Sephardic Jews in the twentieth century.” Audiobook: no information.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: A Quartet of Book Reviews

Welcome to another Monday. Hope your weekend was relaxing and full of books, family, friends, and more.

We had a fairly quiet week for a change. I swear I was worried we were becoming one of those households in which there's constant drama. I'm very grateful for mostly smooth sailing.

We haven't been watching too much television lately, but we decided to give season 1, episode 1 of Derry Girls a try. Sadly, neither of us was really taken with it. It wasn't bad, it just didn't make us want to watch more.

Other than that, I've been catching up on the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. They take place in the 1920s in Australia and are really a lot of fun. Perfect escape viewing, if you haven't seen them yet.

A Highland Christmas by M. C. Beaton (Blackstone Audio, 2 hr, 7 min). As you know, I love the Hamish Macbeth mystery series set in the Scottish Highlands and starring a village copper who, despite having a reputation for being lazy and unambitious, always manages to solve the murder before the city police detectives can. This short Christmas story is numbered 1.5, but should really be listened to much later in the series. Nevertheless, it's a fun and (as a friend of mine said) sweet story of how Hamish solves two local crimes (a lost cat, stolen Christmas decorations) and at the same time gives several townspeople a new lease on life. If you're a Hamish fan, don't miss this Christmas story. The audiobook was read by Graeme Malcolm who does a terrific job with this series. It took me a while to get used to him (Davina Porter used to narrate the series), but I'm now a full-fledged fan. (borrowed from the library)

Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank (William Morrow, May). I have a list of favorite summer authors, and Frank is on that list. I've always liked her sense of humor, the Lowcountry setting of her beach reads, and the smart women characters she creates. Although I liked this year's book, I can't say it's one of my favorites. Thirty-year-old Holly Kensen lives with her drama queen mother on Sullivan's Island, where she's a part-time beekeeper and part-time cake decorator while waiting for a teaching job to open up at the local elementary school. She is also always available to help out her handsome widowed neighbor and his two adorable sons, even though Archie doesn't seem to see her in the way she sees him. Meanwhile, her older sister, Leslie, is having marriage troubles and decides to move back home. Lots of drama ensues, and we hope that all works out for the three Kensen women.

I had a few issues with Queen Bee. First, Archie's two little boys didn't seem believable to me. It wasn't just a case of too much "out of the mouths of babes" type dialogue; they didn't act like any little boys I've been around. Second, there was a bit of a woo-woo factor to the story, and although I'm not against some conversing with nature, I wasn't really buying it here. Finally, one of the plot lines involves cross-dressing, and although Frank generally presented this in a sympathetic and realistic manner, she sometimes missed the mark. On the other hand, I liked all the honeybee facts. (audiobook review will be available through AudioFile magazine)

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (Grand Central, Aug. 6). Let's get one thing out of the way at the beginning. I really, really liked this novel, but it absolutely won't be for everyone. The story is told primarily from the viewpoint of S.T., a domesticated crow living in the Seattle area with Big Jim, a redneck human who has taught S.T. all about the MoFos (humans). Dennis, a seemingly doofus bloodhound, rounds out the household. One day Big Jim suddenly gets sick, and after his condition continues to deteriorate, S.T. tries to find a cure, only to discover that all the MoFos are suffering from a virus that turns them into zombie-like creatures. Seeing no hope for Big Jim, S.T. and Dennis venture out into the city, where all the domesticated and wild creatures, including released zoo animals, find they are once again in charge of planet Earth. S.T. tells us about the wisdom of the trees and the two layers of natural communication. He also gets caught up in the factions of domesticated animals, feral animals, city animals, and truly wild animals (including predators and insects), who must come up with new ways to live in the post-human world. Okay, admittedly weird sounding. But I loved S.T.'s outlook and the descriptions of the different animals from other animals' perspectives. I was caught up in the friendships and laughed at the humor. The story also includes fun Seattle, pop culture, and food references. The cause of the human downfall was a little heavy-handed, but yay S.T. for figuring it out and using it to the animals' benefit.

I did a combo read and listen of Hollow Kingdom. The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 10 hr, 11 min) was read by Robert Petkoff, who did a brilliant job creating voices for the animals and keeping me fully invested in the story. Petkoff enlivened the action scenes and infused his performance with just the right level of emotions. (digital and audio editions provided by the publisher)

Cape by Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Patrick Spaziante (Aladdin, Aug. 6). This middle grade story is mostly told in text with a few sections of panels--comic book style. The book follows three young girls living in Philadelphia during World War II. All of them love solving puzzles and meet after they've answered an ad calling for problem solvers to help with the war effort. In this alternate world, superheroes are real, but have disappeared from the city since Pearl Harbor. The trio quickly bond, especially after they've been tapped to help with a secret mission. To their wonder, it turns out that they too have superhero powers, which they can use to help save Philadelphia from Nazi spies. Cape is a little different from your usual superhero story. Running themes are friendship, family, sacrifice for your country, bullying, kindness, and fighting prejudice. Some of the characters are based on real people, and some of the plot lines are based on real events, most prominently the women who built the first computer (the ENIAC Six). Yes, you have to take a leap of faith here, but Hannigan does a great job introducing young readers to some of the less-well-known aspects of life in the States during World War II. Cape is the promising start of a new series. (digital copy provided by the publisher)

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