A Whole Song and Dance

A Whole Song and Dance

by Sarvenaz Tash

Hyperion, 2023. 295 pages. Young Adult

Nasrin Mahdavi, an Iranian-American college freshman is a triple threat on Broadway—but she’s living a double life. It's her first semester majoring in musical theater at NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, and Nasrin spends her days prepping for auditions, sweating through dance classes, and belting her heart out for the viral streaming show she's been cast in. But on calls with her maman and baba, she's the golden child who put her theater dreams aside to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps as a business major. At least her whole life isn't a lie—she is taking a single business course. Except she's kind of failing it. Nasrin needs to bring her grade up fast if she's going to keep her parents in the dark, so she grudgingly signs up for tutoring with the infuriatingly smug and annoyingly attractive Max. And yet . . . as the semester rushes by, the sparks of anger that first flew between them start to turn into a very different kind of spark. The kind she definitely does not have time for. Except when Nasrin's charmingly devious cousin takes an interest in Max too, Nasrin has to figure out exactly what has been an act, and what's for real. Can Nasrin decide what-and who-is truly worth fighting for, and find a way to step into the spotlight as her full self?

As a former drama kid, myself, this book sang to me. It is engaging and character driven. Tash’s writing is packed with allusions to Broadway musicals. The love story is “hating to dating” with all the fun twists and turns that attraction can take. But more than the cute love story, this is a story about having big dreams.  Nasrin’s life is a mixture of dreams of fame and the American dream. Her parents really care about her and she really cares about them; her decisions are based on projections of how she thinks they feel. Will she be able to please her parents and also please herself?  Sarah Dessen meets Abigail Hing Wen in this heartwarming romantic comedy.

If you like A Whole Song and Dance, you might also like:

When You Get the Chance

by Emma Lord

Wednesday Books, 2023. 308 pages. Young Adult

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price's dream of becoming a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super introverted dad, who raised Millie alone since she was a baby. Not her drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not her "Millie Moods" the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm. Millie needs an ally. And when an accidentally left-open browser brings Millie to her dad's embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do--find her mom. But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go lookin for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you've had all along?

The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom

by Alison L. Blitz

A bright and fun fat-positive YA novel about learning how to express yourself when what has always defined you is no longer and option. Bridget Bloom's out-of-this world voice is the perfect fit for center stage. When Bridget is admitted to Richard James Academy, a college prep boarding school with a prestigious music program--where heartthrob Duke Ericson attends--all her dreams are on track to come true: leave the hometown where she's never belonged, fall in love, and launch her Broadway career. But upon arriving at the academy, she learns that due to her low music theory scores, she's not eligible to perform or earn the sponsorship she needs to afford tuition. Worst of all, Dean of Students Octavia Lawless, the one person with the power to reverse the decision, challenges her to work on her humility . . . by not singing at all. Without her voice, Bridget will have to get out of her comfort zone and find a new way to shine. Good thing she's unstoppable! 

AG

Ventures

Ventures Basic Student's Book
por Gretchen Bitterlin
Cambridge University Press, 2018. 154 páginas. ESL

El Libro del Estudiante (Student's Book) de Ventures, tercera edición, tiene lecciones con notas culturales y consejos para hablar, leer y escribir como apoyo a los ejercicios.

El Libro de Trabajo Básico (Workbook) ayuda a reforzar las lecciones del libro del estudiante con una clave de respuestas para el autoestudio. Ambos libros tienen códigos QR para acceder al audio para el autoestudio, y en el libro del estudiante, hay códigos QR para ver videos de gramática.

Este libro se utiliza para las clases del Programa de Inglés para Adultos, Adult English Language Acquisition Program, del Distrito de la Ciudad de Provo.

Si le gusta «Ventures Basic Student's Book» le recomendamos:

Step Forward
por Jenni Currie Santamaria
Oxford University Press, 2017. 177 páginas. ESL

El Libro del Estudiante y el Libro de Trabajo Básico de Step Forward proporciona a los estudiantes el paquete completo de contenido de Step Forward. El libro del estudiante incorpora todas las habilidades que los estudiantes necesitan para seguir una carrera o un programa educativo en los EE. UU. y el libro de trabajo básico ofrece práctica adicional para cada lección del libro del estudiante y refuerza lo que los estudiantes han aprendido en clase. La serie Step Forward, la segunda edición, proporciona el lenguaje esencial, las habilidades y el contenido riguroso que los estudiantes adultos del idioma inglés necesitan para avanzar con confianza hacia sus metas laborales y académicas.

Recientemente revisado para alinearse con los estándares de preparación universitaria y profesional (College and Career Readiness Standards) y los estándares de dominio del idioma inglés (English Language Proficiency Standards), Step Forward garantiza que los estudiantes estén bien preparados para usar su inglés en el mundo real.

Este libro se utiliza para las clases del Programa de Inglés para Adultos, Adult English Language Acquisition Program, del Distrito de la Ciudad de Provo.

How to Build Community
por Linda Kita-Bradley
Grass Roots Press, 2016. 55 páginas. ESL

«Como Construir Comunidad». Este libro de lectura da ideas sobre cómo fomentar un sentido de comunidad en la vecindad. Es parte de 12 libros de Bilingual Spanish Photostory Series.

Esta serie de fotorreportajes en dos idiomas es adecuada para estudiantes  hispanohablantes que están aprendiendo a leer en inglés. Las fotografías reflejan el texto, lo que hace que las palabras sean fáciles de decodificar. La fotorreportaje se divide en dos secciones: inglés, seguido por español. Estos lectores de alto interés y poco vocabulario son adecuados para adolescentes y adultos que son lectores principiantes. Los diversos temas de esta serie atraerán a una amplia gama de adultos.

Edición bilingüe.

MEB

Etiquetas: Español, MEB, No Ficción, ESL, Bilingüe

The Golden Spoon

The Golden Spoon
by Jessa Maxwell
Atria Books, 2023. 287 pages. Mystery 

When production for the tenth season of the hit cooking competition Bake Week begins at the gothic estate of the show's host and founder, celebrity chef Betsy Martin, everything seems normal. The six contestants are eager to prove their culinary talents over the course of five days, while Betsy struggles for control of the show with her new co-host, the brash and unpredictable Archie Morris. But as the baking competition gets under way, things begin to go awry. At first it's merely sabotage--sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high--but then someone shows up dead and suddenly everyone's a suspect. 

As a Great British Bake Off fan, the premise alone of this novel was enough to keep me reading. I especially enjoyed the distinctive characters and their relationships with each other, and I came away wanting more of each of their backstories. A great pick for fans of cozy, culinary, and locked-room mysteries. 

If you like The Golden Spoon, you might also like: 

The Maid
by Nita Prose
Ballantine Books, 2022, 289 pages. Mystery 

 Molly has her daily routine. She wakes up, eats her breakfast, dresses in her uniform, and heads to work as a maid at The Regency Grand Hotel. Her life is lonely and stressful since her Gran died and her life savings were lost, and Molly struggles to make friends and interpret social cues. But making beds, vacuuming neat lines in the carpet, and returning each room to a state of perfection brings order and joy to Molly’s life. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
by Joanne Fluke
Kensington Books, 2000. 312 pages. Mystery 

Hannah Swensen's supplies are delivered daily by Ron LaSalle, whom she often passes on her way to work. On this fateful day, Rons truck is soon parked behind the store, but he fails to reappear. When Hannah finds him seated in the truck, the window open, a bullet through his chest, shes inspired to work her way through the townspeople, looking for a motive for Rons death, even as she manfully resists her widowed mothers attempts to find her a husband.

SGR

The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon

By Silvana De Mari

Miramax Books, 2006. 361 pages. Young Adult

Struggling to survive in a post apocalyptic world after his village is destroyed, Yorsh, the earth's last elf, must embark on a perilous quest to decipher a powerful prophecy and find the last dragon, who holds the key to saving the world from the Dark Age that has begun.

The Last Dragon is easily among my favorite books of all time.  Besides having a dragon (I personally will read any book with a dragon on the cover) this story is so well-written and translated that it's nearly impossible not to fall in love with Yorsh and his companions.  They take you with them on their journey through learning to think beyond their prejudices to help the world become a better place, looking within themselves to discover how they can best turn their thoughts outwards and help others.  The book is filled with such hope even as the characters and their world is filled with despair, and the messages on its pages are timeless.  I would definitely recommend this one to all readers of all ages, even ones who don't love (or even like!) dragons.

If you like The Last Dragon, you might also like:

Dragon Slippers

By Jessica Day George

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2007. 324 pages. Young Adult

Orphaned after a fever epidemic, Creel befriends a dragon and unknowingly inherits an object that can either save or destroy her kingdom.

Dragon Rider

By Cornelia Funke

Scholastic, 2004. 523 pages. Young Adult

After learning that humans are headed toward his hidden home, Firedrake, a silver dragon, is joined by a brownie and an orphan boy in a quest to find the legendary valley known as the Rim of Heaven, encountering friendly and unfriendly creatures along the way, and struggling to evade the relentless pursuit of an old enemy.

ERB

Snow & Poison

Snow & Poison

By Melissa De La Cruz 

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2023. 273 pages. Young Adult

Nicknamed Snow White, sixteen-year-old Lady Sophie, daughter of Duke Franz of Bavaria, debuts into high society and falls for the prince of Spain, whose betrothal to a higher-ranking girl and mercurial father prove dangerous for the duchy.

I found Snow & Poison to be a quick and enjoyable read!  This is the second book in a series of fractured fairy tales by Melissa De La Cruz (I reviewed the first book in the series, Cinder & Glass, earlier this year) but is able to be read as a standalone.  I approached this book with a bit more hesitancy than I did with Cinder & Glass because Snow White is not on my list of favorite fairy tales. But, despite my initial apprehension, I was pleasantly surprised with the plot twists that this retelling took me through.  Sophie, nicknamed Snow White, was likeable and relatable with a believable character arc. I liked how the author reframed Sophie's stepmother as a more sympathetic character, and Prince Philip was quite dashing as well.  The plot and intrigue thicken every chapter and kept the pages turning.  With historical elements and a touch of magic sprinkled in, this is a book I would definitely recommend checking out!

If you like Snow & Poison, you might also like:

Rose Daughter

By Robin McKinley

Ace Books, 1998. 292 pages. Young Adult

Beauty grows to love the Beast at whose castle she is compelled to stay, and through her love he is released from the curse that had turned him from man to beast. A beautiful retelling of the fairy tale Beauty & the Beast from Newbery Award-winning author Robin McKinley. Twenty years ago, Robin McKinley dazzled readers with the power of her novel Beauty. Now this extraordinarily gifted novelist returns to the story of Beauty and the Beast with a fresh perspective, ingenuity, and mature insight. With Rose Daughter, she presents her finest and most deeply felt work--a compelling, richly imagined, and haunting exploration of the transformative power of love.

Nightbirds

By Kate J. Armstrong

Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. 462 pages. Young Adult

The Nightbirds are Simta's best kept secret. Teenage girls from the Great Houses with magic coursing through their veins, the Nightbirds have the unique ability to gift their magic to others with a kiss. Magic--especially the magic of women--is outlawed and the city's religious sects would see them burned if discovered. But protected by the Great Houses, the Nightbirds are safe well-guarded treasures. As this Season's Nightbirds, Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer spend their nights bestowing their unique brands of magic to well-paying clients. Once their Season is through, they're each meant to marry a Great House lord and become mothers to the next generation of Nightbirds before their powers fade away. But Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer have other plans. They know their lives as Nightbirds aren't just temporary, but a complete lie and yearn for something more. When they discover that there are other girls like them and that their magic is more than they were ever told, they see the carefully crafted Nightbird system for what it is: a way to keep them in their place, first as daughters and then as wives. Now they must make a choice--to stay in their gilded cage or to remake the city that put them there in the first place.

ERB

My Dear Henry

My Dear Henry 
By Kalynn Bayron
Feiwel and Friends, 2023. 263 pages. Young Adult Fiction

This gothic remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde stars a queer, Black teenager named Gabriel who is searching for the reason behind his best friend Henry's disappearance and the arrival of a magnetic stranger. Henry Jekyll has been reclusive and distant for going on two years, and Gabriel cannot keep himself from looking into details of his friend's whereabouts. In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. But the secret behind Henry's apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog, and not all of them are out for blood...

This book captivated my attention from my first glance at the cover. Upon reading the inside flap, I knew I had to take it home! Readers will cheer for Gabriel from the very first page; his uphill struggle and fierce determination set him apart from other young people. The relationship between Gabriel and his first love, Henry, is written sweetly and charmingly. The clashes between Henry's father, Dr. Jekyll, and those around him are shocking and very true to the time. The mysterious Mr. Hyde will draw you in. If you like a dark, period piece with sympathetic characters, this book is for you.

If you like My Dear Henry, you might also like:

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
By Kiersten White
Delacorte Press, 2018. 292 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Elizabeth Lavenza knows her place: she's the calming influence over Victor Frankenstein's violent moods, and if she stops being useful to the Frankensteins, she'll have nowhere to go. When Victor stops writing letters from university in Ingolstadt, Elizabeth, who's terrified of becoming unnecessary, sets out to track him down. What she finally discovers is gruesome, albeit awe-inspiring, but her instinct to protect him is impossible to fight. As Victor's actions become more deranged, however, Elizabeth can't bring herself to be a willing accomplice.

The City Beautiful
By Aden Polydoros
Inkyard Press, 2021. 462 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Chicago, 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Alter Rosen is a seventeen-year-old Jewish immigrant from Romania, saving up to move his family to the U.S. When the fair comes to town, Alter starts noticing a pattern of young men disappearing from the tenements on the street where he rents a room. When one of his roommates - his secret crush, Yakov - ends up dead, Alter tries to find the killer. This novel incorporates Jewish folklore, illuminates historical events, and reminds us that beautiful queer love existed and flourished back then. 

My Contrary Mary
By Cynthia Hand
HarperTeen, 2021. 498 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and … queens? Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eoian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head -- or a tail. 


LKA

Lies We Sing to the Sea

 

Lies We Sing to the Sea
By Sarah Underwood
HarperTeen, 2023. 420 pages. Young Adult Fantasy 

Each spring, Ithaca condemns twelve maidens to the noose. This is the price vengeful Poseidon demands for the lives of Queen Penelope's twelve maids, hanged and cast into the depths centuries ago. But when that fate comes for Leto, death is not what she thought it would be. Instead, she wakes on a mysterious island and meets a girl with green eyes and the power to command the sea. A girl named Melantho, who says one more death can stop a thousand. The prince of Ithaca must die--or the tides of fate will drown them all.

A small part of an old myth retold through a feminist lens that gives voices to the previously silent participants. Instead of powerful gods and angry men the entire story is fueled by the desires and actions of the female characters. I felt particularly synchronized with the characters' emotions as together we dreaded the inevitable outcomes of the finale and wished instead to stay in the soft comforting moments forever. Overall, a cathartic, heart-wrenching experience that I do not regret at all.

 

If you like Lies We Sing to the Sea, you might also like:

 

The Sunbearer Trials
By Aiden Thomas
Feiwel and Friends, 2022. 405 pages. Young Adult Fantasy

As each new decade begins, the Sun's power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all--they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.
Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn't worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.
But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo's annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed--for fame, glory, and their own survival.

 

Circe
By Madeline Miller
Little, Brown and Company, 2018. 393 pages. Fantasy

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.

 

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
By Axie Oh 
Feiwel and Friends, 2022. 325 pages. Young Adult Fantasy

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina's homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God's bride, in the hopes that one day the "true bride" will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village--and the beloved of Mina's older brother Joon--may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong's stead. Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin--as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits--Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn't have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking...

KJ

Rust in the Root

Rust in the Root

By Justina Ireland 

Balzer + Bray, 2022. 464 pages. Young Adult 

It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. 

Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane's Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism, and there she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice. As they're sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country's oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America's past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura's and the Skylark's lives, and everything they've worked for. 

I loved this book on so many levels! It was super engaging and hard to put down. The characters were multifaceted, and Laura is a driven, strong-willed protagonist. She just wants to own her own bakery, but is thrust into a job that, despite difficulty and danger, she excels at. Despite this being a relatively dark historical fantasy, elements of humor are interspersed throughout to lighten the mood from time to time, and the story and character interactions left me thinking about it long after I’d put the book down. This is definitely one of my favorite titles from the last year. Highly recommended. 

If you liked Rust in the Root, you might also like: 

This Poison Heart 

By Kalynn Bayron 

Bloomsbury YA, 2021. 373 pages. Young Adult 

Teenaged Briseis, who possesses a supernatural power over plants, even poisonous ones, inherits a dilapidated estate in rural New York and must protect herself and her family from centuries-old secrets that threaten their lives. 

Legendborn 

By Tracy Deonn 

Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2020. 501 pages. Young Adult 

Wanting to escape her previous life after the accidental death of her mother, 16-year-old Bree enrolls in a program for high school students at the local university before her witness to a magical attack reveals her undiscovered powers as well as sinister truths about her mother’s death. 

ACS

Jewish Comfort Food

Modern Jewish Comfort Food

by Shannon Sarva

Countryman Press, 2022. 215 pages. Nonfiction, Cookbook

A satisfying collection of Jewish comfort food with classic dishes and modern variations. Comfort food varies from person to person, family to family, region to region. As the author of Modern Jewish Baker and editor of The Nosher, Shannon Sarna has always wanted to tell the story of the Jewish people through food and continues to do so here in her latest book. Modern Jewish Comfort Food showcases recipes and variations that have shaped Jewish cuisine from around the world--including immigration waves from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, New York City, and beyond. Sarna shares many traditional dishes, and then provides exciting variations that will bring heartwarming comfort to the home kitchen. Her Basic Tomato & Pepper Shakshuka is cleverly interpreted into a deep-dish pizza; Classic Potato Latkes invite vegetable-focused variations such as Beet & Carrot and Summer Corn Zucchini; and a multitude of dumplings reflect the range of the Jewish diaspora. Sweets include two kinds of Israeli-Style Yeasted Rugelach, Funfetti Macaroons, and more-ready to complete the holiday dessert table. Modern Jewish Comfort Food will inspire home cooks to connect to Jewish foodways and explore the history of this diverse cuisine

Who loves comfort food? Everyone loves comfort food! If you're looking for some new recipes that are sure to make your stomach smile, this is the book for you. This book is filled beautiful pictures and easy to follow instructions on how to make Sarva's recipes yourself. You'll also enjoy the history behind the dishes as well

If you like Modern Jewish Comfort Food, you might also like...

The New Jewish Table

by Todd Gray

St. Martin's Press, 2013. 326 pages. Nonfiction, Cookbook

The New Jewish Table explores the melding of two different cooking cultures, seasonal American and Eastern-European Jewish, sharing the mouth-watering recipes that result from this flavorful union from authors, chef Todd Gray and his wife Ellen Kassoff Gray. Features more than 125 recipes including reinterpretations of traditional Jewish favorites made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

King Solomon's Table

by Joan Nathan

Alfred A. Knopf, 2017. 382 pages. Nonfiction, Cookbook

From the James Beard Award-winning, much-loved cookbook author and authority: a definitive compendium of Jewish recipes from around the globe and across the ages. Driven by a passion for discovery, the biblical King Solomon is said to have sent emissaries on land and sea to all corners of the ancient world, initiating a mass cross-pollination of culinary cultures that continues to bear fruit today. With Solomon's appetites and explorations in mind, in these pages Joan Nathan-- "the queen of American Jewish cooking" (Houston Chronicle)-- gathers together more than 170 recipes, from Israel to Italy to India and beyond. Here are classics like Yemenite Chicken Soup with Dill, Cilantro, and Parsley; Slow-Cooked Brisket with Red Wine, Vinegar, and Mustard; and Apple Kuchen as well as contemporary riffs on traditional dishes such as Smoky Shakshuka with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant; Double-Lemon Roast Chicken; and Roman Ricotta Cheese Crostata. Here, too, are an array of dishes from the world over, from Socca (Chickpea Pancakes with Fennel, Onion, and Rosemary) and Sri Lankan Breakfast Buns with Onion Confit to Spanakit (Georgian Spinach Salad with Walnuts and Cilantro) and Keftes Garaz (Syrian Meatballs with Cherries and Tamarind). Gorgeously illustrated and filled with fascinating historical details, personal histories, and delectable recipes, King Solomon's Table showcases the dazzling diversity of a culinary tradition more than three thousand years old.

NS

Rizzio

Rizzio

By Denise Mina

Pegasus Crime, 2021. 118 pages. Mystery

On the evening of March 9th, 1566, David Rizzio, the private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots, was brutally murdered. Dragged from the chamber of the heavily pregnant Mary, Rizzio was stabbed fifty six times by a party of assassins. This breathtakingly tense novella dramatizes the events that led up to that night, telling the infamous story as it has never been told before. A dark tale of sex, secrets and lies, Rizzio looks at a shocking historical murder through a modern lens--and explores the lengths that men and women will go to in their search for love and power.

This fascinating slice of history is told in a crisp and compelling way. The depiction of the people and events, feels modern and relatable, with just enough detail of items, food and clothing to give it a good historical flavor as well. Denise Mina's writing is spare, sometimes brutal, and often beautiful. She portrays the confusion of events, the sadness and horror of murder very well. There is quite a bit of gore and some language, which is to be expected in this story. My only objection was the few times Mina slipped in modern commentary on certain things which I didn't feel was necessary. The events of the past, and her expert writing can speak for themselves. 

If you like Rizzio, you might also like: 

Queen of Scots: the true life of Mary Stuart 

By J.A. Guy

Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 581 pages. Biography

The eminent British historian John Guy has unearthed a wealth of evidence that upends the popular notion of Mary Queen of Scots as a femme fatale and establishes her as the intellectual and political equal of Elizabeth I. Guy draws on sources as varied as the secret communiqués of English spies and Mary's own letters (many hitherto unstudied) to depict her world and her actions with stunning immediacy. Here is a myth-shattering reappraisal of her multifaceted character and prodigious political skill. Guy dispels the persistent popular image of Mary as a romantic leading lady, achieving her ends through feminine wiles, driven by love to murder, undone by passion and poor judgment. Through his pioneering research, we come to see her as an emotionally intricate woman and an adroit diplomat, maneuvering ingeniously among a dizzying array of powerful factions -- the French, the English, duplicitous Scottish nobles, and religious zealots -- who sought to control or dethrone her. Guy's investigation of Mary's storied downfall throws sharp new light on questions that have baffled historians for centuries, and offers convincing new evidence that she was framed for the murder for which she was beheaded. Queen of Scots, the first full-scale biography of Mary in more than thirty years, offers a singularly novel, nuanced, and dramatic portrait of one of history's greatest women.

The Marriage Portrait

By Maggie O'Farrell

Alfred A. Knopf, 2022. 339 pages. Fiction

Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble?

The Way of All Flesh

By Ambrose Parry

Canongate Books 2019. 410 pages. Mystery

Edinburgh, 1847. Will Raven is a medical student, apprenticing for the brilliant and renowned Dr Simpson. Sarah Fisher is Simpson's housemaid, and has all of Raven's intelligence but none of his privileges. As bodies begin to appear across the Old Town, Raven and Sarah find themselves propelled headlong into the darkest shadows of Edinburgh's underworld. And if either of them are to make it out alive, they will have to work together to find out who's responsible for the gruesome deaths.

MGB

By Her Own Design

By Her Own Design
by Piper Huguley
William Morrow, 2022. 384 pages. Historical Fiction

1953, New York City. Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe's dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them.

1918, Tampa. Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann's talent and offers her an amazing opportunity—the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida's society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

This intriguing story based on the life of a real person was an interesting look at history from a new perspective. Never properly acknowledged by Jacqueline Kennedy for making her iconic wedding dress, Ann Lowe also made dresses for other famous people of the social register, including the dress Olivia de Havilland wore when she won her Oscar. Although her work went largely unrecognized and uncredited, Ann's determination to live her dream and make beautiful clothes carried her through hard times. This was also an interesting look at how the world evolved and changed through the mid-1900s. This book will appeal to anyone who loves fashion, history, fiction based on true stories, and rooting for underdogs who never stop dreaming.

If You Like By Her Own Design you might also like:

The Gown
by Jennifer Robson
William Morrow, 2019. 371 pages. Historical Fiction

London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation's recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown.

The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict
Berkley, 2021. 341 pages. Historical Fiction

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. Pierpont Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and well-known advocate for equality.

MB

Take My Hand

Take My Hand
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Penguin Random House, 2022. 359 pages. Historical Fiction

"History repeats what we don't remember." Inspired by true events, this novel is about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patients. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, Civil Townsend is fresh out of nursing school and plans to help women make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her down a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, she's shocked to learn that her new patients, India and Erica, are children: eleven and thirteen years old. Civil is supposed to be giving these girls birth control shots, even though neither of the sisters has even kissed a boy. She's shocked to learn that the girls are victims of the system handling the family's welfare benefits and because the girls are poor and Black, the system has decided the girls should be on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. One day, she arrives at their door and the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.

This book kept me thinking about the characters and their situations long after I put it down. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about our country's difficult history with medical abuses, including involuntary surgical sterilizations. It's an exceptional read that led me down a path of research about the true story of the two sisters that inspired it: Mary Alice and Minni Lee Relf. I wholeheartedly recommend.

If you like Take My Hand, you might also like: 

Only the Beautiful
By Susan Meissner
New York: Berkley, 2023. 386 pages. Fiction

In Austria, during World War II, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is orphaned by an accident and she must navigate a new life with the Calvert family in California. Treated as a new member of the household staff instead of an honorary family member, she hides her grief and her synesthesia, which is an ability to see colors in words. When a pregnancy is revealed, she's sent to a home for the "unwanted:" people with mental illness and disabilities. Richly drawn characters and heartbreaking, historically accurate situations combine to make a powerful reading experience that brings the subject of eugenics into a loving home.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By Rebecca Skloot
Crown Publishers, 2010. 369 pages. Biography

First written about on our blog in 2011, this nonfiction book about a woman whose cancerous cells have been used without her permission for over seventy years in some of the biggest scientific discoveries, will both intrigue you and anger you. You will fall in love with Henrietta's family and want to see them given the recognition they deserve. The author narrates the science in an easy-to-understand way, tracks the racial politics of medicine thoughtfully, and tells the Lacks family's often painful history with grace.

LKA

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise

By Colleen Oakley

Berkley, 2023, 341 pgs. Fiction

After a freak accident ends Tanner's college soccer career, she must find a new place to live and something else to do with her life. Louise is recovering from hip surgery and her family is convinced that she can no longer live on her own. Tanner comes to live with Louise but soon discovers that there is more to the older woman than she thought as weird things start to happen and they find themselves on the run from the law. 

This isn't the normal kind of book I usually pick up, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Louise is someone I wish I could meet in real life. 

The Big Finish 

By Brooke Fossey

Berkley, 2020, 326 pgs. Fiction

A curmudgeonly senior who would avoid a nursing home forges an unexpected bond with his estranged granddaughter, an abused child who is rapidly succumbing to the alcoholism that once painfully overshadowed his own life.

The Blonde Identity

By Ally Carter

Harper, 2023, 304 pgs. Romance

Waking up in Paris with no memory of who she is, a young woman discovers she's the identical twin of a rogue spy and, to stay alive, must team up with a very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister's name.

The Grandmother Plot

By Caroline B. Cooney

Poisoned Pen Press, 2021, 273 pgs. Mystery

When an elderly woman is murdered in the nursing home where his grandmother resides, Freddy, who leads a life of little responsibility, is pressured by his sisters to find her a new place to live while dealing with a side hustle that could turn out to be deadly.

AL