Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: A Major Reset

Hello, friends. Now that I'm attempting to engage in real life again, I'm ready to start talking books. I've missed you, and I've missed reading.

January was the slowest reading month I've had in a very long time. I managed to finish only two audiobooks and start another (I'm almost done with it). I have a stack of print books and a list of ebooks from late December through to the end of January that I never got to.

I still have to sort through the book mail from the last few weeks (see below) and to organize the digital ARCs I have for this month's releases. I'll get to both during this coming week. I'm sure February will be another slow reading month, because I still have a lot of odds and ends to take care of and several long weekends of travel ahead.

What I Listened To

Here's what I listened to in January. The theme of "retellings" was totally unplanned and coincidental. All books were provided by the publisher.

• Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra (Penguin Audio; 13 hr, 46 min) is read by Shannon McManus and Karissa Vacker. I really enjoyed this retelling of the classic Little Women from the perspectives of the two older March sisters. Set in modern times and given a light tone, the story captures the essence of the original while adding new elements. McManus and Vacker did a great job conveying Meg and Jo's personalities and kept me engaged throughout. You don't have to have read Alcott's book to enjoy this one, but I think a lot of fun was seeing how Kantra worked familiar scenes into her retelling.
• The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greeley (HarperAudio; 6 hr, 17 min) is read by Susie Riddell. This audiobook is a spin off of Pride & Prejudice, following the fate of Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Lucas after she marries Mr. Collins and gains Lady Catherine de Bourgh as her patroness. Again, you don't have to be familiar with Austen's original to enjoy the story, but knowing the circumstances of Charlotte's marriage and her relationship with the Bennets will likely help you connect more strongly to the story. Riddell's expressive delivery brings the story alive.
• Wife after Wife by Olivia Hayfield (Penguin Audio; 14 hr, 57 min) is read by Steve West. This audiobook takes the story of Henry VIII and brings it into the 20th and 21 centuries. Henry Rose is a rich, handsome businessman who can't seem to hold onto his wives. Hayfield updated the names of the wives (for example, Kate and Anna are the first two) and nicely captured the scope of their lives and personalities. She even worked in details such as Henry's bad leg and his daughter Elizabeth's strong will. West's good pacing and distinct characterizations add to the enjoyment.

Book Mail

Here's the first stack. The Light in Hidden Places is a World War II story based on true events. Unreconciled is the fourth book in the Donovan series, set on a harsh planet (I love these books!). Ravenmaster is the paperback edition of a memoir of the man in charge of tending the ravens of the Tower of London. One Minute Out is a CIA thriller that's been getting a lot of buzz. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is a contemporary story about friendship, self-acceptance, and community. Mazes of Power is the first in a new "sociological science fiction" series. The Infernal Battalion is the newest entry in the Shadow Campaigns series, epic fantasy with great characters and fast action. Dressed for a Dance in the Snow is one of my most anticipated books: true stories of women who had been imprisoned in the Russian gulag. The Sweet Indifference of the World is by one of my favorite authors in translation; this one is about memory, identity, and relationships. The Decent Inn of Death is the newest entry in the John Madden mystery series, set in England after World War II.

Here's the second stack: The Deadly Omens is the final entry in the Uncommoners trilogy, a middle grade fantasy / alternate history story that's won lots of praise. Fairy Unicorn Wishes is book 3 in Sophie Kinsella's Fairy Mom and Me series geared to young middle grade readers. Survival Instincts is a thriller set in a remote cabin in New Hampshire. The Unspoken Name is a debut epic fantasy that has garnered multiple starred reviews for its world building and tight plotting. Tombstone is the true story of how the Earp brothers and their friends found themselves at the famous shootout at the O.K. Corral. The Mother-in-Law is the paperback edition of a deadly kind of family story. Pretty as a Picture is crime fiction / mystery set in the world of the film industry. The Light after the War is based on the true story of what happened to two Jewish women in the decades after they together survived the Holocaust. A Silent Death is a new thriller from Peter May; this one is set in Spain but features a Glaswegian investigator. No True Believer is an #ownvoices story about a Muslim American teen who is framed for a crime she didn't commit. Beside Myself is a family saga spanning several generations and set in multiple countries, including the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Germany.

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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 Short Book Reviews

I'm going to start this post with the obligatory question/exclamation: How can we be just days away from November? I haven't yet cleaned off my deck, I never did finish weeding the garden . . . Sigh.

I don't have a lot of chitchat this week because I'm still catching up from being away. My hope is that by Friday, life will have settled back down, just in time for me to get ready for my annual fall lace-making getaway. You'll hear more about that later.

This week's reviews are extra short because that's all the energy I have. Here's what I read and listened to over the last couple of weeks.

Virga & Bone: Essays from Dry Places by Craig Childs (Torrey House Press, Oct. 1): If you like essays about nature and our connections to it, you'll like this slim volume of a half dozen essays of observations about various places in the American Southwest. Childs writes about all kinds of desert things: temperature variations in Death Valley, the juxtaposition of bleached bones (the end of life) with the occasional rain (the beginning of life), and the layers of seashells found on the dry side of the Colorado Rockies. He talks about the people he meets and his observations on animals and insects. He also discusses the way people have changed the desert, from ancient indigenous populations all the way to the atomic bomb tests and on to twenty-first-century hunters and scientists. Childs gives you a lot to think about. (digital copy provided by the publisher)

The Sweetest Fruits by Monique Truong (Viking, Sept. 3): This is a fictionalized account of the life of the journalist, author, and teacher Lafcadio Hearn (also known as Koizumi Yakumo), as told through the eyes of the four significant women in his life. I have very mixed feelings about this book, primarily because I didn't realize until I finished it that the novel was based on a real person. Thus I was kind of in the dark and didn't connect at all to the story or to Hearn's extensive travels and relationships. Truong's writing was fine, but without the context, I felt lost. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 9 hr, 25 min), read by Cassandra Campbell, Lisa Flanagan, Adenrele Ojo, and Emily Woo Zeller, for a freelance assignment. I enjoyed all four performances. Note that the book has won wide critical acclaim, presumably by people who knew who Hearn was. (audio copy provided for a freelance assignment)

Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen (Audible Studios; 2010; 8 hr, 31 min), narrated by Katherine Kellgren. After that last book I needed something light and fun so I turned to the third installment in the Royal Spyness cozy mystery series, which takes place in England in the 1930s. Our hero is Lady Georgiana, who is 34th in line to the throne and a cousin to the royal family. As with all good cozies, Georgie never seems to be too far away from a murder or two. In this outing, it appears that someone is targeting the royal family, and Scotland Yard hopes Georgie will help them find the bad guy. Meanwhile, in Scotland, Georgie's brother and sister-in-law find themselves with unexpected American house guests, including that Simpson woman who has caught the eye of Edward, the king to be. Lots of madness and mayhem, good humor, great characters, a touch of romance, and a fun look at the royal family. Kellgren does a marvelous job with the various accents and characterizations. (personal collection)

What I Lick before Your Face: And Other Haikus by Dogs by Jamie Coleman (Atria, Oct. 8): Attention all dog lovers: Here's the perfect stocking stuffer, hostess/host gift, conversation starter, and feel-good book for you. Coleman presents life from a dog's perspective as told through haiku. I loved pretty much every single one of Coleman's poems. I was laughing and smiling my through this delightful collection. The poems cover such things as taking walks, curling up on the furniture, begging for food, drinking out of the toilet, and fetching slippers.

Your Things
You keep throwing it
I keep on bringing it back
Look. After. Your. Things.

Each poem is accompanied by a photograph of a dog that perfectly complements the sentiment. This book is so much fun to look through and read. You'll be tempted to recite all the haiku out loud to your family and friends. Put this on your gift list! (digital copy provided by the publisher)

In Oceans Deep: Courage, Innovation, and Adventure beneath the Waves by Bill Streever (Little, Brown, July 2): Streever, a lifelong diver, examines the history, science, and technology of humankind's journey to explore the depths of the ocean. Streever takes a personal approach to this book, telling the story of underwater exploration by introducing us to the people involved. We learn about the various types of submersibles, the discovery of what causes the bends and how to prevent them, the effects of being under pressure, and the different kinds of diving (with and without tanks). I never thought about why space exploration seemed to capture the attention of the government and of people's imaginations more than the exploration of the ocean bottom--even with Jacques Cousteau and the later discovery of The Titanic. Streever has thoughts about this. He not only looks at history but also discusses the future, such as the development of underwater robots. Humans are drawn to the ocean depths for a lot of reasons beyond recreation, and Streever explores many questions, including these: Could we someday have underwater colonies? How can we make it safer for underwater work (for example for building bridges)? What are the consequences of underwater drilling? What's the status of underwater robots or drones? All in all this is an interesting and entertaining book. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 9 hr, 3 min) read by Jay Snyder, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to narrators for nonfiction. He totally blurs that line between performer and author, drawing me solidly into the book. (audio copy provided by the publisher)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: What I Read Last Week

Last week was interesting to say the least. It started out with a mini-work crunch brought on because I decided to accompany my husband to Maine. He is here for work, and because I work for myself and from home, I was able to temporarily relocate my office. But first I had to work ahead, then we had to get the house ready for the house sitter, and then we had the long drive up to New England.

Despite the hassles, I’m glad I made the trip.

I didn’t have much time to read or listen last week, but I did manage to finish two short books, ditch another one, and start a couple more.

Machine by Susan Steinberg (Graywolf, Aug. 20). A short novel that can be interpreted in a number of ways. In this book, all of the characters and locations remain nameless, but the story takes place over the course of a summer at the shore (which says New Jersey to me) and is told through the eyes of a privileged teenage girl. This the summer the teenager’s perspective shifts, particularly after one of the local girls drowns during a night of partying. Besides obsessing over the circumstances of the death (was her brother involved? was it an accident? did she herself play a part?), she is awakened to her parents’ flaws, her brother’s downhill spiral, and her own place in the world. She begins to sense both the power and limitations of being female, and begins to make deeper connections between wealth, choices, actions, and consequences. That’s a lot to fit into 144 pages, but Steinberg pulls it off. There’s a poetic rhythm to the text, especially as the protagonist’s thoughts spill out and the girl is filled with a jumble of emotions. Machine isn’t for everyone, but it could make my top ten list for this year. Sophie Amoss does an amazing job performing the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone; 3 hr, 34 min); see AudioFile magazine for my audiobook review. (audiobook provided for freelance assignment)


Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben (Greystone Kids, Oct. 1). Both Mr. BFR and I loved Wohleben’s The Secret Live of Trees, and I was curious how the German forester would transform that essay collection into a book for middle grade readers. What I found was a delightful way to introduce children to the wonders of the trees and to the world of the forest. Wohlleben begins each chapter with a question, such as Do trees get thirsty? How do trees have children? Can trees talk to each other? and What makes trees sick? The answers are fun and easy to read and are illustrated with great photos, including pictures of children and animals in the great outdoors. Readers will find quizzes, experiments to try, and observational quests. We learn about the animals, fungi, and bugs that interact with trees, and we discover the benefits of trees in the wild and in the city. The book ends with a look at a forest through the seasons. Any child who is curious about nature would love Can You Hear the Trees Talking?, and it would make a great book for family activities as well as for use in a traditional or homeschool curriculum. For more about Wohleben, see Greystone Book’s interview. (digital copy provided by the publisher)

Call Upon the Water by Stella Tillyard (Atria, Sept. 17). The story of a seventeenth-century Dutch engineer and surveyor who helped with “draining and developing an expanse of marshy wetlands known as the Great Level” in England. After a complicated relationship with a woman he met in the marshes, Jan flees to the New World, where his services are again needed in New Amsterdam. I really wanted to love this book, but despite great period details and the promise of intrigue, betrayal, and maybe romance, I just didn’t connect to Jan or his situation. I tried this book in print, digital, and audio formats, but in the end, I decided to put it aside at just about halfway through. Note that other reviewers have raved about Call Upon the Water, and perhaps I should have read or listened to it during a calmer week. If you like historical fiction that offers a mix of science and drama, you should give it a try. (all three formats provided by the publisher)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Traveling the World through Books

Happy almost October. I am so ready for sweater weather and hearty dinners. Although the temperatures still say summer, the leaves are starting to change, and I feel the hints of fall.

I had an unexpectedly busy September, which has really eaten into my blogging time. I don't seem to have the energy to write reviews or spotlights after a long day. It's a dilemma because I have a ton of great books to talk about in October. I'm hoping to up my game either here or on Instagram or Litsy. We'll see how I do.

We haven't been watching too much on television. We're about halfway done with Ken Burns's series on country music. Even if you aren't a country music fan (I'm not either), it's a fascinating documentary of America and the music industry.

Here's what I've read and listened to in the last two weeks.

Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai (Little, Brown YR, Sept. 10): This is a fun, light contemporary novel about a first-generation Punjabi American teen who dreams of being an artist. Simi, however, is pressured to follow the path of generations of women in her family and become a professional matchmaker. With help from her older brother (who's a whiz at coding) and relying on the matchmaking wisdom she's learned from her mother, aunt, and grandmother, Simi decides to take the family business into the twenty-first century. She and her best friend, Noah, devise a dating app that's geared specifically to the kids in their high school. As Simi and Noah (who's gay) help others find their soulmates, their popularity increases, until the coolest girl in the class is upset that she wasn't matched with the coolest guy. When Amanda begins her defamation plan, Simi and Noah have a whole new set of problems, some of which test their long friendship. Great themes of staying true to oneself, being honest, friendship, family, young love, and finding balance between family traditions and the modern age. Simi and Noah's relationship is believable, as are the plot lines of young love. Simi's family life and the differences between the generations also rings true. The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 7 hr, 2 min) was well read by Priya Ayyar, who smoothly transitioned between teen and adult voices and American and Indian accents. She picked up on the emotions and personalities of the characters, making it easy to root for Simi and Noah and boo the mean kids. (audio copy provided by the publisher)

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea (Harper, Sept. 3): Set in the late 17th century in Iceland, this haunting novel examines the choices a young woman makes after her father suddenly dies and her mother becomes sick. Facing a bleak future, Rosa agrees to marry Jon, a wealthy farmer and trader, who lives in a distant town near the sea. In return for leaving her beloved village and being obedient, Jon has agreed to provide for Rosa's mother, ensuring the older woman's survival. Rosa's marriage is haunted by the uncertain circumstances of Jon's first wife's death, her husband's distance and coldness, and her extreme loneliness. The story is infused with the Icelandic landscape and focuses on the edge of change or maybe the edge of changing states: Christianity and the old Norse gods, girlhood and womanhood, single and married, married and widowed, love and friendship, woman and mother, insider and outsider, life and death. Although primarily a character-driven novel, the book includes some drama as well as mystery. I really liked this and have continued to think about Rosa. The unabridged audiobook (Harper Audio;11 hr, 18 min) was read by Heiða Reed and Smari Gunn, who set the mood and pace of the story, and nicely avoided foreshadowing. I appreciated hearing the correct pronunciations of the Icelandic names and words. (print and audio copies provided by the publisher)

Fever Year: The Killer Flu of 1918 by Dan Brown (HMH Books YR, Sept. 3): A graphic nonfiction look at the spread, aftermath, and cause of the great flue pandemic of 1918. I don't know why I have a fascination with the Spanish flu -- maybe because it acted as a modern-day plague, killing many more people across the globe than the Great War. Brown (who also illustrated the comic), lays out the pandemic in three parts: In Act I the flu wasn't any more deadly than any other flu, but it spread quickly as troops returned home from war in Europe. No one really knows where it started or its origins, but it was likely from an animal source and may have first shown up in the eastern United States. In Act II, the flu came back with a vengeance, was more deadly than any other flu ever seen, and seemed to strike young adults most strongly (unlike usual flu, which is worse for the very young and very old).  Act III came later, when the Spanish flu reared its ugly head several more times in the following few years. The plot of Fever Year is a little disjointed, but the book serves as a good introduction to the pandemic. The artwork is in muted colors, befitting the event; the expressions on people's faces clearly convey emotions, and period details are evident. The book concludes with a short look at biological research into the Spanish flu and a good bibliography for readers who want to know to more. Recommended. (review copy provided by the publisher)

Death of a Gentle Lady by M. C. Beaton (Blackstone Audio; 2008; 5 hr, 31 min): This is the 23rd entry in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series set in Scottish Highlands. As you know, I just love these cozy mysteries, in which village copper Hamish Macbeth solves murders, helps his neighbors, has bad luck in love, and avoids getting promoted to the city. There's quite a bit of action in this book, and the murder mystery was well set up, with a few believable red herrings. Hamish's personal life plays a large role and includes his ongoing dealings with his personal nemesis, big-city detective Blair, as well as some complications in his love life. Lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to the next installment. The audiobook is read by Graeme Malcolm, who captures the personalities of the townsfolk and keeps the story moving. These quick listens are perfect escape books. (borrowed from the library)

The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen (Little, Brown, Sept. 24): What happens when a lonely, insecure Israeli girl mistakenly cries wolf but is slow to tell the truth? Seventeen-year-old Nofar has had it with her summer job scooping ice cream, with being outshone by her perfect younger sister, and with feeling lonely since her childhood friend graduated to the cool kid group. After an altercation with a male customer, Nofar reaches her breaking point: she storms out of the store into the back alley; when the man follows her, she screams. Witnesses assume the worse, and Nofar, in shock and humiliation, fails to correct them. The man goes to jail to await trial on charges of sexually assaulting a minor. I really wanted to like this story of Nofar's struggles to balance her newfound fame and popularity with doing what's right to save her "assailant" from serving time. I, however, could not relate to how far she let things go. There are several other liars who cross paths with Nofar, and I didn't much care for them either. I had issues with the ending as well (I can't get into detail without spoiling the book), because the lesson almost seems to say, lying pays. I was not sold. The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 8 hr, 14 min) was very well read by Ajjaz Awad. This was my first experience with her. Her performance was fine and her pronunciation of the names, Hebrew, and Yiddish seemed believable. On the other hand, her British accent seemed off in a book set in Israel. (audio copy provided by the publisher)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Reading across the Genres

Oh happy day! I'm now officially back to a human-level workload. I met all my crazy deadlines last week and now I'm looking forward to having more time to read blogs and, especially, to read books. Yay!

I spent the weekend doing some baking (sandwich / toast bread and banana bread) and catching up with the household chores. I even did a little fun shopping.

We finally started the second season of Mindhunter, and it's just as good as we remembered. We often make Saturday a movie night, but this week, we ended up reading and listening to music instead. It was relaxing and just what I needed.

Here's what I listened to and read last week.

I couldn't resist listening to Elin Hilderbrand's What Happens in Paradise (Little, Brown, Oct. 8). This is the second book in Hiderbrand's Paradise series, which is set on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The story revolves mostly around the Steele family, a few months after Russell, the father/husband, was killed in a helicopter accident. Irene is still reeling from her sudden widowhood and because she had no idea her husband had a secret life in the islands: not only a much younger mistress but also a tween daughter. The only good news is that Irene's husband left her a wealthy woman . . . or did he? It turns out Russell's business may not have been on the up and up. Sons Cash and Baker have their own woes: Cash's outdoor supply store is going under and Baker's wife is leaving him for a woman. Independently, all three decide to relocate to Russell's St. John luxury villa and think about a fresh start. In Hilderbrand's signature style, the story involves family and romantic relationships with broader themes stirred into the mix. In this case, the novel deals with sleazy business dealings, tax havens, secrets, and ethics. I loved getting to know the Steele family and their friends in St. John. As always with Hilderbrand, I felt the relationships and characters were realistic, and I'm fully invested in what happens next. But ARGH, I hate waiting until next fall to find out whether the Steeles find lasting happiness.

The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 9 hr, 47 min) was read by Erin Bennett, who (as I've said before) is *the* voice of Elin Hilderbrand. I love the way Bennett picks up on Hilderbrand's style and tempo. She also creates great characterizations and never tips us off when someone is hiding secrets. Can't wait for next fall. (digital and audio copies provided by the publisher)

Renia's Diary (St. Martin's Press, Sept. 24) by Renia Spiegel and her sister, Elizabeth Bellak, is one of those rare things: a Holocaust diary that reveals the daily life of a young girl in Russian-occupied Poland. The diary starts out with typical 15-year-old thoughts about school and gossipy comments about classmates. After Poland is divided between Germany and Russia, Renia's thoughts turn to her mother, who is living in the German side -- almost daily she writes about how much she misses her mother as she tries to cope with everyday teenage issues (school, girls, boys) in an increasingly dangerous environment. Reina and her family are Jewish, but not particularly religious. She hopes God will protect her, but she never mentions going to the synagogue and only rarely acknowledges a holiday. Her diary is filled with poems she writes for various occasions and to express her deep feelings. Life gradually changes as food and goods become more scarce, the Germans come, and Jews are put under more and more restrictions. Finally, she is to be sent to the ghetto, and Jews without work permits will be likely be sent away to camps. Reina, 18 years old by then, hands her diary over to her longtime boyfriend. He hides Reina and his parents with friends and smuggles Reina's little sister into the city, where she is eventually taken to Warsaw to be reunited with her mother. Reina and the elderly couple were not so lucky. Decades after the war, the boyfriend tracks Elizabeth and her mother down in New York and returns the diary, where it remained hidden to the world until relatively recently. It's a hard read, but important. I read a digital galley and thus missed the photographs, though many are shown on the Smithsonian website. Never forget--especially in the current political climate. (digital copy provided by the publisher)

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz (Ballantine; Aug. 13) is set in a New England boarding school and addresses the #MeToo movement and sexual bullying. When new teacher Alex Witt asks her creative writing students to fill out an anonymous Q&A about themselves (what do you like, what do you hate, who are you), she learns about something called the Darkroom, which turns out to be a secret website created by the academy's male students. The site includes inappropriate photographs of female classmates and the running scores for a contest the girls don't know they're participating in: who gives the best blow jobs. Although the Darkroom and contest are not all that secret, the faculty seems to have a boys will be boys attitude. Alex is having none of it and so begins to help a couple of the girls who are determined to shut the boys down. The story is told from a variety of viewpoints and includes a couple of other plot lines. Lutz has written a timely book, and I hope it makes at least some young adults think twice about their behavior. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Random House Audio, 11 hr) read by a Abby Elliot, Lisa Flanagan, Ari Fliakos, Michael Crouch and Johnny Heller. The performances were spot-on and captured the different emotional reactions of the students and faculty. More on the audiobook at AudioFile magazine. (audio copy for a freelance assignment)

Cat Science Unleashed by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (photos by Matthew Rakola) is a National Geographic Kids book (Aug. 27) that helps kids (and adults) learn more about their furry feline friends through easy in-home experiments and activities. The book is illustrated with photographs of kids and and their pets, and I'm happy to report that the book features a diverse group of young scientists. The activities help us learn about cat health, senses, predatory behavior, and intelligence. The activities are easy, fun, and inexpensive to do. For example, kids can test their pet's hearing and purring by using a smartphone. The photos, fonts, and colors are engaging, and I can't wait to try some of these tests with my niece's cats. Fun and informative for cat lovers of all ages. Below is an example spread from the book--click to enlarge. (print copy provided by the publisher)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: An Eclectic Reading Week

Happy hot Monday. I know I haven't written a review post in two weeks, but I just haven't been reading all that much. First was July 4, then I took another long weekend (off the grid and with friends), and then had to somehow get all my work done in between.

Oh, and in the meantime, I found a tick embedded in my arm and had to take antibiotics (hope we stopped any Lyme in its tracks) and my washing machine suddenly decided it wasn't going to move past the *fill* cycle. Fortunately, I was in the other room, and the ensuing flood (in my kitchen!) wasn't too horrible.

It took us a couple of hours to clean up the mess. Then we had to research a new washer and run around town trying to find someone who could deliver our top-choice machine this week. Success, and the new washer will be here Wednesday. In the meantime, we had tons of soaking wet dirty laundry (the stuff in the washer, plus the stuff on the floor waiting to go into the washer). It's all dry now and will be washed in a few days. Oh and did I mention it was almost 100F and we don't have central A/C?

Enough of that. No major damage (except to our wallet), so all is fine -- more or less.

Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan (Grim Oak Press, July 9). This is the fourth book in the Legends of the First Empire series. In three related series, Sullivan has created a complex, believable world with fully realized characters and a consistent history. I absolutely adore his books, his ability to write a compelling plot with a good mix of action, character interactions, descriptive prose, and flowing dialogue. Sad things and rough things happen, but there's always a touch of humor to keep readers buoyed. In this entry, the war between the humans and elves continues. We see a glimmer of hope for resolution, but can we trust that the plan will end in success? One thing I really loved about Age of Legend is that the story revolves around one of the (up to this point) minor characters, so we get a little different perspective on the greater political, magical, and spiritual aspects of the changing world. What didn't I like? The book ended on a cliff-hanger! Argh!!! The good news is that next installment should be out before the year is over. I need to know what happens to some of my favorite characters. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Recorded Books; 14 hr, 34 min), read by the fantabulous Tim Gerard Reynolds. Reynolds is THE voice of Sullivan's books and his characterizations are not to be missed. I can't say enough about his sense of pacing, his smooth delivery of the dialogue, his comedic timing . . . Reynolds has it all. (print copy and audiobook copy from my personal library)

Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball / Amelia Fang and the Unicorns of Glitteropolis by Laura Ellen Anderson (Delacorte BYR, July 30). I love middle grade fiction, though I'm normally drawn to books written for a tween audience. The Amelia Fang books are geared to somewhat younger readers, but I loved the premise and put them on my review list. Amelia is a young vampire who has a pet pumpkin. Her best friends are Florence Spudwick (a rare breed of Yeti) and Grimaldi Reaperton (a grim reaper in training). In Barbaric Ball Amelia has to be nice to the young prince of Nocturina, but Tangine isn't very nice back. The underlying message of the story is about friendship and how we shouldn't judge others' behavior until we know their background. In Unicorns, the four friends must travel to the terrifying land of light (with its unicorns and fairies) to try to set things right for Tangine and his family. The underlying message here is trying new things, being brave, and learning that different kinds of beings are scary only because we don't know their true nature. It's not all that sappy because there really are some bad guys in Glitteropolis.

Here are some other things that make the Amelia Fang books such fun to read. First and foremost is Anderson's laugh-out-loud sense of humor. For example, in Amelia's dark world of vampires and goblins, insults are terms of endearment. In fact, Amelia's father lovingly calls his wife "Dearest belch-breath." Each book begins with a map and then black and white portraits of the main characters. Each portrait includes the character's likes and dislikes (Tangine hates an empty stomach). Throughout the chapter books, readers are treated to Anderson's expressive illustrations: We see the emotions on the character's faces, drawings of scenery, and busy action scenes. Anderson also uses different fonts to convey different types of text: noises, Florence's dialogue, notes, signs, and so on.

The Amelia Fang books star a girl vampire, but she has female and male friends of different creatures, making it easy for all kinds of readers to find plenty to love in these stories. I'm looking forward to the next books in the series. (Thanks to the publisher for finished review copies)

Burn the Ice by Kevin Alexander (Penguin Press, July 9). In this well-researched book, Alexander takes a look at the American foodie boom, especially in the early twenty-first century. He looks at the role of social media, the "spicing" of American foods, the rise of celebrity chefs, important food cities, the rediscovery of cocktails, the #metoo movement, the #blacklivesmatter movement, NOLA and Katrina, and much more. To tell this story, Alexander focuses on a handful of important restaurant chefs and their establishments: how they came to cooking, what they brought to the scene, and where they set up shop. Some of them you may have heard of--like Tom Colicchio from Gramercy Tavern and Top Chef--and others are much less well known--like Anja Mitra and his wife, Emily, who brought Indian food to the Bay Area. Some people we meet in depth, like Portland's Gabriel Rucker, and others are given short bursts of background info (Guy Fieri and Ree Drummand). I was particularly interested in the history of hot chicken and the story of Indian food in California, both of which reflect on business competition, different levels of personal ambition, and what happens when diners and chefs sense a trend. Be warned: Burn the Ice jumps around a bit and doesn't hold back on adult language. Alexander's examination of the rise and fall of the new millennium's food scene will be most appealing to those of us who are interested in food movements and the interplay between the food world, the economy, and cultural trends. My review of the audiobook edition will be available via AudioFile magazine.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 5 Books for Your Reading List

There's good news and bad news on the reading front. A long holiday weekend doesn't stop me from working, and my spare time is spent cooking, not reading. On the other hand, there is all that audiobook time when in the kitchen and cleaning the house!

We watched one book-based movie this week (To All the Boys I've Loved Before) and finished up the PBS version of The Woman in White. We thought the first one was cute and fun, and we liked the gothic atmosphere, costumes, and acting of the latter.

I can hardly believe we're into the last week of November. I got into a mild panic about the December holidays because I haven't even made my gift list yet. I know we'll pull it off, but life is currently crazy, crazy.

Here's what I read last week.

How Long 'Til Black Future Month by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit; November 27): Holy cow this book is amazing. First, take a second and absorb the cover. I'm in love. This book is a collection of Jemisin's shorter pieces, but instead of reading like short stories they all read like novellas. I'm so impressed with how complete each story is. The book begins with a message from Jemisin explaining how she came to write these pieces. The stories are related by the themes Jemisin's fans are used to seeing: feminism, otherness and wanting to belong despite being different, relationships, motherhood, the powerful versus those who seem to not have power, fertility, and dreams. Some of the pieces were expanded into her novels (fans will have no difficulty recognizing these stories), and some explore a kind of dystopian future. I also liked the mix of settings, including a futuristic New York, a Katrina-suffering New Orleans, and off-plant settlements. I listened to the unabridged audio edition (Hachette Audio; 14 hr, 10 min), which was read by an amazing cast of narrators. This was not a full-cast production; instead a single narrator read each story. I didn't find any weak links here. Shayna Small, Gail Nelson-Holgate, Robin Ray Eller, and Ron Butler presented Jemisin's style and characters brilliantly. I can't recommend this audiobook more highly. (For more, see my upcoming review with AudioFile magazine)

Spellslinger (Orbit paperback, July 2018) and Shadowblack (Orbit paperback, August 2018) by Sebastien de Castell: I loved the first book in this fantasy so much that I immediately read the second. I believe there will be six books in all and that first four are currently available. This is the story of Kellen, the son of powerful magi and a member of a politically powerful clan. The only problem is that his magic, which should manifest itself before he turns 16, is slow to ignite. The books are about what happens when Kellen learns the truth of why he can't weave a spell and what he learns when leaves his home city and family to live in the greater world as a kind of outlaw (and, in fact, there is a bounty on his head). I really liked the world building and the role magic plays in Kellen's land. We meet those with magical power and those without, we meet the powerful and the weak, we meet loners and clanspeople, and we even meet a few sentient creatures. Kellen is on the run with his "squirrel cat" partner and a woman traveler who teaches the boy how to survive on his own. There's a bit of a wild west feeling about the books, but the setting is unique. Here are some things I like about the books: Although Kellen has an interest in a couple of girls he meets, there is (so far) no love story. Kellen is clever and smart but makes lots of mistakes and is often struggling to balance his baser instincts with loyalty and doing the right thing. There's a lot of action. Kellen's squirrel cat is a smart aleck, and I love the ribbon of humor that winds it way through the stories. There are surprises but also familiar tropes. If you're looking for a new fantasy series that does not involve a love triangle and that would appeal to both teens and adults, I'd give this one a try.

I listened to the unabridged audiobooks (Hachette Audio: 10 hr, 58 min; 9 hr, 35 min) both read by Joe Jameson. Jameson has narrated a ton of audiobooks, but I think this is my first experience with him. I liked the way he delivered the humor; upped the tension in the action scenes; and created solid, believable voices for the characters. I'm so glad I decided to give this series a chance and highly recommend it. (Review copies provided by the audiobook publisher)

Click by Kayla Miller (HMH Books for Young Readers, January 2019): I didn't realize when I picked up this very cute graphic novel that it wouldn't be available until January. I don't usually like to review books so far ahead, but such is life. This is Miller's debut graphic novel, and I thought it was a lot of fun. Olive is comfortable being friends with a number of her classmates, but when their teacher announces a fifth-grade talent show, she is dismayed to find that all of her friends have teamed up to work on their acts. Although they are excited to tell Olive about their ideas, no one invites the girl to join their act. Instead of being a woe-is-me story, this is an uplifting tale of how Olive came to terms with understanding herself and her relationship with her classmates. I loved how she found her own solution and refused to let her well-meaning and understanding mother step in to make things right. The messages here are light handed but important--for example, we can have friends of different genders and skin colors, it's okay not to have a single best friend, and sometimes friends do things we don't understand but that doesn't mean the friendship is over. Plus Olive shows us that by thinking a little outside the box (with the help of her aunt), we may be able to solve our own problems in a way that highlights our own personality. The artwork is colorful, fun, and expressive, and readers young and old will easily relate to Olive. I was trilled to see that another Olive story is in the works.

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Camille Laurens (Other Press, November 20, translated from the French): A few years ago I read and featured a historical novel about Degas, the ballet dancers he sketched and painted, and his famous wax / bronze statue of the Little Dancer (The Painted Girls; guest post by Cathy M. Buchanan). When I heard of this nonfiction account of Marie van Goethem, the young dancer who modeled for the famous artist, I felt drawn to it. This nicely researched book is only 150 pages, but Laurens packs a lot of thoughtful information between the covers (including photographs of Degas and his work). She puts the life of adolescent ballerinas into the broader sociocultural world of the mid-1800s, noting that (by law) the age of sexual majority was only 13 years and that young dancers had limited opportunities both during and after their association with a ballet company. The child dancers of the Paris Opera were called rats, and this quote sums up their life:

The little rats are Cinderellas without fairy godmothers, they don't become princesses, and their carriageless coachmen remain mice as gray as the cotton ticking of their slippers. They are children who work. (p. 40)

Laurens goes on to discuss the possible relationship between the artist and his model, Degas's influences for how he rendered Marie's features, and Degas's place in the art world. All the while, she tries to find clues to what happened to Marie after she was fired from the Opera for absenteeism (likely because she was modeling for Degas). What was the girl paid? What were her options? What was her future? Laurens doesn't have answers for all her questions, but her stark picture of the young dancer's world will stick with me and has broadened my reaction to the small statue. (review copy provided by the publisher)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: A Mixed Reading Week

It was another slow reading week for me, but this time it was for a good reason. I took some time off work to visit my mother and to plan her 90th birthday celebration (coming up soon) with one of my brothers.

The long weekend was filled with fun and chores: getting my mother's patio ready for summer, running errands, doing minor house repairs, cooking, eating, and gabbing.

My brother and I organized a holiday lunch for Mother's Day, and it was wonderful to see my cousins and niece and nephew, and it's always great to catch up on everyone's life. I'm writing this on Sunday afternoon, and my mom and I are looking forward to a quiet evening and watching the first episode of the new Little Women series.

What I Read Last Week

Mars Room by Rachel Kushner (Scribner, May 1): I had mixed feelings about this much-buzzed novel about a twenty-something woman, Romy, who is sentenced to two life terms (plus six years) after being convicted of killing a stalker. The women inmates' stories and the descriptions of prison culture and the California justice system, especially for the poor and resourceless, are vivid and heartbreaking. There were no real surprises here (see: Orange Is the New Black), and Kusher pulls no punches when portraying life with no backup or safety net. I had two issues with the book. First, Kushner periodically turns away from Romy to concentrate on several men, including a prison teacher and a dirty cop. Not all of the tangents tied back to the main plot, and thus I found them distracting. Second, is the ending. I won’t spoil the novel, but the last few pages were unsatisfying and too inconclusive. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen, but it wasn’t what I was given. The Mars Room has been getting quite a bit of attention, so you may want to check it out for yourself. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 9 hr, 41 min), read by the author, for a freelance assignment. While there was nothing really wrong with Rachel Kushner's delivery, I didn't totally buy into her performance. Details will be available through AudioFile magazine.

The High Season by Judy Blundell (Random House, May 22): Based on the publisher's summary, I expected The High Season to be a light beach read with some thriller elements. I was partly wrong. Set on the North Fork (the un-Hampshires) of Long Island, the novel focuses on the transforming summer of Ruthie and Jemma, a mother–daughter pair who live in a beautiful beach house, which they can afford only by renting it out to vacationers from Memorial Day to Labor Day. After a wealthy young widow moves into the house, the threads of Ruthie and Jemma’s life begin to unravel. Coincidence? This is a surprisingly complex novel about changing culture, the infiltration of the Instagramable set into a small community, the dark undercurrent of the art world, coming of age (for Jemma), and forced and welcome new beginnings (for the adults and for the town). I found quite a lot to love here, such as a cast of fully realized, believable characters facing real-life situations and a diverse range of relationship and family issues. The High Season will bring depth and thought to your summer reading list; you won't want to miss it. I haven't read any of Blundell's YA fiction, but I now plan to explore her entire back list. (Print review copy provided by the publisher.)

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A Rebel's Guide to the Bullet Journal

Do you keep a bullet journal? Do you know what a Bullet Journal is?

If you aren't familiar with the Bullet Journal concept, I encourage you to watch the introductory video by Ryder Carroll, the brains behind the entire system and the owner of the Bullet Journal & BuJo trademarks.

Basically, a Bullet Journal is an analog planner, diary, journal, and physical manifestation of your every thought. I was intrigued with the idea from the moment I learned about it several years ago, but because I've always been a total failure at keeping a journal, I was hesitant to try.

Regardless, I wanted a cool dotted journal, and I wanted to be just like all my friends who keep their lives in order via their ever-present BuJos. In 2014 and again in 2015, I started Bullet Journals: I drew out my monthly and daily pages. I memorized Ryder Carroll's symbol key, I bought a set of fun, colorful pens  . . . and I fizzled out after a couple of months in each case.

I'm stubborn. In 2016 I tried again, and this time I used my journal intermittently from May through the following February. But, again, it didn't really stick with me, and once I became busy with work, I let it slide.

I was ready to admit defeat, but I wanted to know why the Bullet Journal--which pretty much everyone else loves--wasn't clicking for me.

Aha Moment

After much thought, I realized I was trying to adapt to other people's systems instead of adapting the Bullet Journal to me. Well, duh! After that, I decided to give the whole thing one more chance.. After six months, I think I've finally tweaked my journal to fit my needs.

The first revelation was that I do not need a daily planner or elaborate to-do lists. I have a system that has worked for me for all my adult life and freelance career, so there is absolutely no reason to change. What I really needed was a tracking system and a place to write down ideas and information.

I also didn't need a new art project. If you Google "Bullet Journal," you'll find all kinds of beautifully decorated pages and gorgeous calligraphy. I love many of the journals I see on Instagram and Facebook, but, frankly, I'm just not going put that much work into a planner.

Instead, I developed a handful of very simple pages that I use month after month and that suit me fine. If I make a mistake, I use a correction pen or just go with it. I really don't care about perfect little squares and straight lines. Sorry, not sorry.

So with this in mind, I'm going to show you some of the pages I rely on every day. You'll need to click the images to see them clearly (then use your browser's back arrow to return to the post).

Bullet Journal Templates

I start every month with the spread shown above. The only decoration I use is to put washi tape on the edge of the first page of each month to serve as a handy marker. I own three colors of tape, which I won somewhere or other, and use them in rotation. When I use up the tape I already have, I'll probably pick some prettier patterns.

On the left I draw a little calendar for the month. I use that page to record anything I want to do that is not date related. For example, last month I needed to renew my passport. In September, I wrote down "Call to have the furnace cleaned." Some months, this page remains blank.

On the right is what I call my discovery page. Here I record anything new I come across during the month: I hear about a restaurant opening, a friend tells me about a great local hike, or I learn about a new kitchen gadget--I write it down on this page. Whether it's a thing, a place, a website, or a television show, I record it here so I can find it later. (And the washi tape makes the page easy to find.)

Every month I also create some pages for my reading life. I used to be terrible at keeping track of my library books. On the page at the left is where I record the books or audiobooks I have on hold, and I use the space at the right for indicating whether the book is an ebook or an audiobook. Below, I record which books I have checked out, and use the space at the right to record the date they're going to expire. (I have a similar page for physical library books.)

The middle image shows how I keep track of all the books that come into my house for the month. I record the medium (print, ebook, audiobook), the title, and the publishing date.

Finally, the right image is my reading log for the month. At the top, I keep track of various data: pages read, minutes listened, age (adult, YA, MG), genre, medium, whether the book is new or one I've had for a while, whether the author is male or female, and whether the book counts as a diverse read. At the bottom, I record the title of every book I read and then give it a rating to the right.

Although I don't make daily pages, I do make weekly pages. I start each week on Sunday, and I don't worry when a week is split between two months.

Here's where I track all kinds of things. At the top is my dinner plan for the week. Note that my little symbols are kind of messy: I don't lose sleep over it. At the right is where I record how much money we spent on food, household products, eating out, and wine for the week.

To the left of the middle section, I record any unnecessary spending (like those cool new pens, I had to have). At the right I track a variety of things that I try to do every day. For example, "Wa" stands for my daily water intake.

Below that section (not shown in the photo), I have a place to track my weight and my husband's weight and a place to record anything that strikes my fancy, like the first flower in the garden, a big snowfall, or a great quote from my current book.

Other Pages

The rest of my Bullet Journal is filled with what Ryder Carroll calls collections. These are simply lists of things you don't want to forget. Here are some of my collections:

• Movies we want to see
• Packing list for camping
• Health things
• Blog ideas
• Cleaning tips
• Music we want to listen to
• Cool sayings
• Car maintenance schedule

These lists are really the heart of my Bullet Journal. I love the fact that all those vacation ideas are now in one place and easily retrieved. Every so often I go through my discovery pages and transfer items that still look interesting to a collection page.

But What About Appointments and Work Deadlines?

For years we have kept a wall calendar in the kitchen, where we record all birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, travel, social events, and so on. We are so completely in the habit of checking the calendar each morning and recording every event on it that there's really no need to re-create it in my Bullet Journal or to add it to an on-line calendar.

We each have our own system for tracking of our work responsibilities and expenses. Because we're both self-employed, we need to keep records in a format that can be shared with our accountant. For obvious reasons, a Bullet Journal isn't a good choice for these data. We each have a small weekly planner that is used solely for our individual businesses.

Rebel or Traditional?

So there you have it: I'm a rebel BuJo-er! Only after I stepped away from the norm to make the Bullet Journal fit my needs did it become my new BFF. I'm minimal, I'm not a perfectionist, and I'm not afraid to modify the system to suit my life. I don't need no stinkin' to-do lists!

On the other hand, the original system as developed by Carroll may be perfect for you. If you discover that you love decorating your journal and making it a thing of beauty, check out Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for inspiration. Whether you go rogue or stay traditional, Bullet Journaling could be just what you need to organize your days and keep track of your ideas.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: The Mixed-Reviews Edition

Yawn! I hate the spring change to Daylight Savings Time. The fall doesn’t bother me, but it will take me all week to get used to waking up an hour early. I am happy about extra light at the end of the workday, but it’s so hard to adjust!

We’re slowing catching up on all the shows we missed during the February sports/speical events. Fortunately, neither of us is a basketball fan, so we’re spared March Madness.

Coming up this week I have a fun post over at the AudioFile Magazine blog in celebration of Pi Day. If you’re an audiobook fan, be sure to click on over on Wednesday afternoon.

What I Read Last Week

The Hunger by Alma Katsu (Putnam, March 6): I’ve always had a fascination with the Donner Party story; people do desperate things in desperate situations. In this reimagining of history, Katsu provides a paranormal/spooky element to explain the wagon train’s misfortunes. You don’t have to know anything about the facts to enjoy the story, but if you’re familiar with the names and places (such as Jim Bridger and Chimney Rock) then the novel will be just that much more fun. I really loved the way Katsu mixed the facts with a good dose of creep factor. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I was particularly impressed with the way she provided an explanation for why only some of the survivors admitted to cannibalism. The unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 10 hr, 34 min) was nicely read by Kirsten Potter. Her expressiveness added to the undercurrent of forboding and picked up on the characters’ personalities. Even better, I was grateful she didn’t give the ending away. Recommended in print or audio. (review copy)

The Spring Girls by Anna Todd (Gallery, January 2) I love modern-day retellings of beloved classics. It’s fun to see what favorite characters would be like if they could be transported a century or two into the future. Thus I was eager to read Todd’s version of Little Women. In this story the Spring sisters live on an army base near New Orleans while their father is deployed overseas. Their mother, renamed Meredith, has a hard time coping, and Meg, Jo, and Beth pitch in to help; Amy is too young to contribute much. That’s about where the similarities end. I found it very hard to connect the Spring sisters to the March girls, and it had nothing to do with the contemporary issues young women faced, such as social media, sex, and high school. Instead, this retelling just seemed to lack all the charm of the original. Amy is a spoiled brat, Beth is basically the family servant, the mom is emotionally absent, Laurie wears a man-bun and is half Italian, Meg is boy crazy, and Jo is clueless. Ugh. If I hadn’t had to listen to the audiobook for a freelance assignment I would have quit early on. The unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 11 hr, 25 min) was read by Cassandra Campbell, Joy Osmanski, Erin Mallon, and Madeliene Maby. Their performances were fine (except Laurie is given a stilted and weirdly accented voice) but couldn’t save this retelling. (more on the audiobook at AudioFile magazine)

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and read by the fabulous Bahni Turpin (Macmillan Audio; 18 hr, 9 min): I don’t know why, but I ended up bailing after about 90 minutes. I love Turpin’s performance, and I usually enjoy anything in the fantasy genre, but I just wasn’t getting swept into the story. I decided not to return the audiobook to Audible because I may give it another chance. I think part of my issue may have been one of language—the book contains quite a few non-English words and without a glossary and without seeing the words in the print, I think I simply kept getting lost; I was even having trouble remembering who the bad guys were. This book may be a good candidate for a print and audio combo read or maybe I’m simply better off reading this one with my eyes. I provided a short description of the book last week. (personal copy)

Brazen written and illustrated by Pénélope Bagieu (First Second, March 6): I loved this collection of short biographies of 29 women who bucked tradition, expectations, or the law to fulfill their potentials and/or to make a difference in the world. The audience for this fabulous graphic / comic book is adult, though I wouldn’t hesitate to share it with teens or even middle grade readers (your own boundaries for young readers may differ from mine). I was familiar with some of the women, such as Temple Grandin (a scientist who is on the autism spectrum), Nellie Bly (fearless investigative journalist), and Josephine Baker (singer / dancer and French spy), but there were many other women who were new to me, such as Annette Kellerman (polio survivor, swimmer, feminist), Wu Zwtian (a Tang dynasty empress), and Sonita Alizadeh (an Iranian rapper). The artwork is expressive, colorful, and easy to follow. You may want to read this book all in one or go (as I did) or read only a biography or two at time. Perfect for Women’s History Month and a volume you’ll want in your permanent collection. (review copy)

Book Lists

I love themed lists of books (which comes as no surprise to those of you who read my weekly round-ups). Here are three that caught my eye last week.

• Esquire magazine’s “25 Best True Crime Books Everyone Should Read”: I’ve read only a handful of the books on this list, but most of the others were already on my radar. Two of the recommendations (Helter Skelter and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark) were among the scariest books I’ve ever read—these are true stories (yikes!).
• Bustle’s “21 Sci-Fi Books to Read after You Watch Annihilation”: Although I’m not quite sure I’d call them all science fiction (Welcome to Night Vale is on the list), most of the recommended titles look good to me. I’ve read very few of them.
• Southern Living magazine’s “50 Books from the Last 50 Years That Everyone Should Read at Least Once”: There are some awesome, amazing books on this list (A Thousand Acres is one of my favorites), but there are also books that I know everyone loved but me (for example, Let the Great World Spin). Still this is a solid list, and I’d like to read many of the titles I’ve missed.

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