Hurray
for opening windows and getting outside (if you ignore the pesky rain
and ridiculous pollen levels). Spring is really, really here.
Even
our outdoor farmers market opens this week. I'll be there every Tuesday
afternoon from tomorrow all the way through to the end of October. I'm
so ready to eat local!
Last Monday I was getting
settled back to normal life after a four-day lacemaking workshop and
just didn't have the energy to write my Monday review post. That has two
consequences: (1) this post is covering a whole lot of books and (2)
some of my thoughts are very brief.
Bakhita: The Saint of Sudan by Veronique Olmi, translated from the French by Adriana Hunter
(Other Press, April 16). This novel is based on the life story of
Mother Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped from her Sudanese village by
slavers when she was a little girl. After being sold several times and
unspeakably abused, she was eventually bought by an Italian consul, who
took her back to Italy. There Bakhita worked for a wealthy family until
she finally was freed by Italian courts. By that time, she had a calling
from God and joined a convent, where she tried to find peace and
acceptance. Her selfless good acts, despite the horrors she both
observed and suffered during her childhood, earned her sainthood in
2000, almost fifty years after her death. This is not an easy book to
read, but Bakhita's story is powerful and heartbreaking. Even with the
nuns, she was not totally at rest--her scars and the memories of how she
got them, her skin color, and her many losses weighed heavily on her.
Nonetheless, Bakhita always worked to provide comfort and protection to
those who lacked both, especially during the World Wars. Don't miss this
story of an extraordinary woman who survived slavery in Africa to
devote herself to God and the people of Italy. (Finished print copy
provided by the publisher.)
Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen
(Berkley, April 30). If you're of a certain age then you at least
recognize the name Helen Gurley Brown and are probably familiar with
idea of the Cosmo girl. In the mid-1960s, just after the British (music)
invasion and at the beginning of the sexual revolution, Brown took over
Cosmopolitan, becoming the first female editor-in-chief of a Hearst publication.
This novel covers Brown's first months at the magazine and her fight to
shift its audience from middle-class housewives to cutting-edge single
women. The story is told through the eyes of her assistant, Alice, who
moved to the city to pursue her dream of becoming a professional
photographer. I really liked both plot lines of Rosen's novel. Brown
struggled against the male hierarchy and her own insecurities, but
eventually headed one of the most-read magazines in the Hearst stable.
Alice, a native Midwesterner, is exposed to all the city has to offer:
hard work and career opportunities as well as love and betrayal. The
period details (music, restaurants, clothes) and the behind the scenes
look at Cosmo rounded out the story of Brown's eventual success and Alice's first summer in the city. Audiobook:
The unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 10 hr, 42 min) was nicely read
by Kathe Mazur, who perfectly captured Alice's trajectory from city
innocent to strong woman ready to face her future. (Finished copy,
digital galley, and audiobook provided by the publisher.)
I'll Keep You Safe by Peter May
(Quercus, March 2018). I've been on a Peter May kick this year,
listening to some of his novels for the first time and revisiting in
audio the books I had previously read in print. This mystery/thriller
starts in Paris as Niamh and Ruairidh, childhood friends and now spouses
and business partners, attend a fashion show to sell the unique wool
cloth they design and manufacture in their native Lewis island, in the
Outer Hebrides. After an argument in which Niamh accuses Ruairidh of
having an affair, he leaves their hotel room to meet up with a fashion
icon. Niamh runs after their car, only to see it explode in a burst of
flame. The rest of the novel is set in Lewis, where Niamh must face the
future without her husband and wait for the French police to identify
the car bomber. May is a master of building up the background of his
characters, carefully timing when to reveal past events as his
characters work through their present. Niamh discovers just how few
allies she has in the place she calls home, and we're left trying to
figure out which unsavory relative or friend may have reason to do away
with Ruairidh. I don't think this was May's strongest ending (to say the
least), but frankly the solution to the murder usually takes a backseat
to life in the Outer Hebrides, and that's just how I like it. Audiobook:
The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio, 11 hr, 33 min) was
alternately read by Anna Murray and Peter Forbes. Forbes performed the
chapters told in the present, and Murray took on the chapters about
Niamh's past. Although Murray did a fine job, Forbes seems tailor-made
to read May's work, and his performance was the stronger. (Audiobook
provided by the publisher.)
Heads Will Roll by Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne
(Audible Studios; 4 hr, 6 min). If you like fun, raunchy, and timely
humor in the style of old-time radio drama or Firesign Theater you must
listen to this Audible Original, written by and starring McKinnon and
Lynne. The evil queen, Mortuana, and her BFF JoJo--turned into a raven
by an old hag--work together to put down a peasant rebellion and the
idea of social democracy while also individually coming to terms with
who they are and who and what they want to be. The combo of current
political references and pop culture nods with mythology and fairy tale
tropes is just too much fun to miss. We have Sirens (played by Queer Eye's
Fab Five), celebrity chefs, actresses, servants, comedians, rebels,
gnomes, and a few squawking fowl. Original songs, sound effects, and
great acting pull everything together. The full cast also includes Meryl
Streep, Peter Dinklage, and Tim Gunn. This title is well worth one of
your Audible credits or your cash. I know I'll listen to this more than
once. (Audiobook in my personal library.)
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2020 by National Geographic
(May 7). I can't say enough good things about this fact-filled book for
middle grade readers who have an interest in the natural world. Using
National Geographic's signature gorgeous photos and colorful and
easy-to-read graphics, the book covers everything from animal behavior
to climate change, space exploration, history, and the sociocultural
world. Besides informative text, the almanac includes activities,
quizzes, and homework help. One of my favorite features is getting the
chance to meet some of the National Geographic explorers and researchers
(for example, archaeologist, filmmaker, pilot, ecologist). This is the
kind of book (as you would expect) that you'll read in bits rather than
cover to cover. I especially like the maps and the snapshot descriptions
of each country. Pick a copy up for a curious kid in your life; it
would make a great gift for the end of the school year. (Finished copy
provided by the publisher.)
Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast by Jennifer Ackerman
(Penguin, May 7). This collection of nature essays is actually a
reprint (with a new introduction) of a book published in the 1990s that
primarily focuses on the Delaware shore. Although the title implies that
Ackerman mainly observed birds, she also writes of other species, like
turtles, fish, and butterflies. She has both a personal perspective and a
wider ecological and sociological scope, and her thoughts are often
supported by research. Woven throughout are memories of her childhood
and parents, and visits to Cape Cod and other seaside environments. I
loved this collection and am now kicking myself for not having read her The Genius of Birds.
I plan to dig out my copy of that 2016 book later this year. The print
copy includes maps and and black and white drawings by Karin Grosz. I
alternately read the print book and listened to the audiobook (Penguin
Audio; 5 hr, 4 min). Ackerman read her own book, and though she's
clearly not a professional narrator, she was pleasant to listen to. I
recommend reading in print so you don't miss the illustrations. (Print
galley and audiobook provided by the publisher.)
Death Threat by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Ness Lee
(Arsenal Pulp Press, May 7). If you are familiar with writer / musician
Shraya, you shouldn't miss this graphic memoir that explores the
author's exposure to disturbing transgender hate mail sent by a
stranger. I really liked Lee's artwork and was, of course, horrified by
the incident Shraya addresses. However, because I am unfamiliar with
Shraya's work, I didn't connect as strongly as others might. (Finished
copy provided by the publisher.)- Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang
(Hogarth, May 14). This collection of short stories explores the life
of contemporary Chinese new adults, focusing heavily on family and
friendship. The settings are Europe, the United States, and China, and
the book as a whole is an important addition to the #ownvoices movement.
I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Random House Audio, May 14) for
a freelance assignment. Each story was read by a different narrator,
and although some performances were stronger than others, all were easy
on the ears. For more thoughts on the audiobook, see AudioFile magazine.
Click for more
Okay, I admit it. I need a total
reset, not a weekly reset. If you're a regular or semi-regular reader
of Beth Fish Reads, then you know that I'm primarily about two things. I
write about the books I've read and I write about the books coming out
in the current month that caught my attention or that I think you all
would be interested in.
I finished the fifth book in Michael J. Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. Age of Death
(Grim Oak Press, Feb. 11) continues the story of the battle between the
elves and the humans and takes place in two planes: the earthly and the
land of the dead. I've written about all three of Sullivan's series
and really can't stop praising his ability to create believable
characters and a complex universe. Some of the things I love about his
books: characters grow and change, characters make mistakes, it isn't
always clear who is good and who is evil, people can die, the rules are
consistent, and the balance of action and character study or history is
spot-on. If you like epic fantasy, you'll love these books. Did I
mention that Sullivan doesn't start publishing a series until the whole
thing is written? Yes! No more waiting years between installments.
Another thing: if you're audiobook fan, you must listen to Tim
Gerard Reynolds's performances. I truly can't say enough good things
about his characterizations, pacing, expression, and consistency across
dozens of books. Go forth and read or listen. (audio and print editions
from my personal collection)
I'm halfway through the very long but totally absorbing Greenwood by Michael Christie. (I wrote about the book earlier this month).
I started out reading the book in print but have now switched to audio,
which is read by Kimberly Farr (Penguin Audio; 18 hr, 37 min). I love
this book! Although it has dystopian elements (the story starts in 2038
after climate change has clearly taken hold), Greenwood is mostly
a family saga that stretches back to the early 20th century, complete
with secrets and complex family relationships. It's also a commentary on
environmental issues, especially forests and trees. I love the
structure of the book, which mimics the rings of a tree as you move
across the diameter: modern times, back through time, and then a return
to today. This novel should appeal to a wide range of readers,
especially because the dystopian elements are small yet absolutely
believable (and a bit scary). Farr's performance is absorbing, and she
handles the needed accents well. She hasn't created hugely divergent
voices for the characters, but the differences are enough to keep us
listeners on track. (Thanks to the publisher for the print ARC; audio
provided for a freelance assignment)
