America's Bank: The Epic Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve

America's Bank: The Epic Struggle to Create the Federal Reserve
by Roger Lowenstein
New York: Penguin Press, 2015. 355 pp. Non-fiction.

Anyone who follows economic and financial news recognizes the pivotal role the Federal Reserve plays in our national economy and as a partner with other nations' central banks. This book explains the extraordinarily improbable creation of the Federal Reserve in the face of vociferous opposition to the creation of a central bank, both from within government circles and the public at large. The book is divided into two parts: the first covering the efforts of key players in banking and Congress to formulate a blueprint for a central bank, following the financial panic of 1907, that would be palatable to a country suspicious of the money power; the second part summarizes the legislative battles fought to get the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 passed. The author does a nice job illustrating both the pressures the new industrial economy was placing on a banking system no longer able to cope against a public highly suspicious of centralized power in general and financial power in particular. While the Fed has cemented its role in public affairs, it has been and remains a locus of controversy and conspiracy (see The Creature From Jekyll Island). This is a highly readable examination of a fascinating period of American history.

CHW

Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened
By Allie Brosh
Touchstone Books 2013.  369 pgs. Nonfiction.

In 2009, Allie Brosh launched a blog with a rant about her neighbors’ annoying music. By the end of the year, she had begun illustrating her entries using simplistic drawings she created in Microsoft Paint, and Hyperbole and a Half was born. Brosh’s hilarious essays and illustrations focus on her childhood, her dogs, her resistance to being an adult, and her struggles with depression. Even if you’ve never heard of Brosh, you’re likely familiar with her illustrations, particularly the “Clean all the things!” or “X all the Y!” meme. You may also have heard of the Alot, the fictional creature Brosh imagines to calm her rage whenever someone misspells “a lot.”

When I first discovered Brosh, I spent three days reading her entire blog, laughing so hard I cried. Brosh’s first book, which shares her blog's name, includes several of her most loved entries, as well as ten entirely new essays. I didn’t love the most of the new essays quite as much as my old favorites, but they still had me in tears of laughter. In particular, Brosh’s new essay “Motivation” spoke to my procrastinating soul on a profound level. A few other favorites:

• The Party (my all-time favorite)
• The God of Cake
• This is Why I’ll Never Be an Adult
• The Simple Dog
• The Parrot
• Depression Parts 1 and 2

Brosh’s book is a great introduction to her work, highlighting both her humor and her surprising emotional depth. Be aware that although the content is generally clean, Hyperbole and a Half frequently uses strong language. I’m already anxious for Brosh’s next book, Solutions and Other Problems, to hit the shelves in October 2016.

SGR

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

by Richard Lyman Bushman, with the assistance of Jed Woodworth

Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 740 pgs. Nonfiction

There has long been a need for a well-documented, thoroughly researched, balanced account of Joseph Smith. Bushman provides a dense yet readable narrative and integrates recent research and discoveries into his work (recent at the time of publication back in 2005). There’s a lot of detail here and some interesting possibilities raised such as the location where the Church was organized (traditionally Fayette, New York—Bushman suggests Mansfield). Also the date when the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored (traditionally May-June 1829; Bushman suggests a data as late as late as June or July of 1830).

By a wide margin this is the finest biography available on Joseph Smith and will likely remain so for quite some time. Perhaps following the completion of the Joseph Smith Papers Project a new biography will appear, utilizing yet further sources and synthesizing additional strands from the life of this singular man.

SML

The Desert Between the Mountains: Mormons, Miners, Padres, Mountain Men, and the Opening of the Great Basin, 1772-1869

The Desert Between the Mountains: Mormons, Miners, Padres, Mountain Men, and the Opening of the Great Basin, 1772-1869
by Michael S. Durham
Henry Holt, 1997. 336 pgs. Nonfiction

This quick survey of the history of the Great Basin begins with geography and geology, the Native American presence, and the first Spanish explorers in the region. It then moves on to various explorers and mountain men criss-crossing the region. Lastly it tells of the pioneering efforts of the Mormons in the region, the “Utah War,” the short-lived Pony Express, and concludes with the arrival of the transcontinental railroad.

The narrative moves breezily and uses footnotes sparingly. If nothing else, this overview whets the appetite for further reading on such explorers as John Fremont and Jedediah Smith, tales of the fur trappers, and tragedies such as that of the Donner Party and the mountain meadows massacre.

SML

Thug Notes: A Street-Smart Guide to Classic Literature

Thug Notes: A Street-Smart Guide to Classic Literature
By Sparky Sweets, PhD
Vintage Books, 2015. 288 pages, Non-Fiction

Based on the YouTube channel Thug Notes, this book covers sixteen classics of literature in an un-classical way. Think Cliff Notes or SparkNotes with street cred. Each classic is covered in seven topics: A quick introduction of why the book is important (called So What’s the Deal?); a rundown of the cast of characters (Homies); followed by a fairly good, quick summary of the plot (What Went Down). Popular themes, images, and symbols are also covered, followed by popular quotes (Say What?) from both the book and from other famous authors (Shout-Outs) who have covered the same topics, all summarized and worded to make sense to a thug. Images throughout the book help drive the message home.

If you’re wondering how the marriage of classic literature and thug works, I’ll let this book speak for itself:

“To me, a thug is somebody who buck da system; who stand up and try to make they imprint on da world. A thug live how they wanna live, and do what they wanna do, even in da face of a world tellin’ ‘em they gotta act a certain way. Most of da novels and authors in this book you holdin’ ain’t no different. Some of da best works of lit can be thought of as expressions of rebellion or great dissatisfaction wit’ da world . . . and to me, plenty of rappers singin’ they heart out ‘bout da same thangs.”

While I personally see this book as more of a comedic book about literature than a helpful study guide, this book does give a good summary of each of the classics covered. Fans of Texts from Jane Eyre and other comedic literary pieces will probably also enjoy Thug Notes. Be forewarned,“thug” language is pervasive throughout, and includes some swearing.

MB

Frank & Ava: In Love and War

Frank & Ava: In Love and War 
By John Brady
Thomas Dunne Books, 2015. 304 pgs. Nonfiction

Teenaged southerner Ava Gardner dreamed of becoming a real-life Hollywood actress. She moved to Hollywood at age 18, and a few years and two short-lived marriages later, Ava met Frank Sinatra. Together, they embarked on a life-long torrid affair replete with passion, anger, love, drunkenness, jealousy, and one attempt at marriage. Though their relationship was volatile and often painful, they cared for each other until the end.

This book read like a salacious whirlwind through classic Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s. I was astonished at how many famous people were deeply involved (sometimes for better but usually for worse) in the lives of Gardner and Sinatra. This book is sensational reading for anyone with an interest in classic Hollywood, celebrity gossip, or watching a decades-long train wreck unfold before your very eyes. You can’t look away!

LC

Lord Fenton's Folly

Lord Fenton’s Folly 
By Josi S. Kilpack
Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2015. 336 pgs. Romance

Alice Stanbridge has been in love with her neighbor, Lord Fenton, since she was a young girl. When Lord Fenton suddenly asks Alice to marry him, she is sure all of her dreams are about to come true. However, Alice soon discovers that Lord Fenton’s reasons for marriage are more practical and disinterested than romantic. As the day of their marriage approaches, will Alice be able to marry a man who doesn’t love her?

This book was a fun read. Josi Kilpack has managed to create strong, believable characters with honest emotional arcs. The plot can be a little slow at times, but watching the main characters grow from childhood to awkward engagement to loving marriage was entertaining and worthwhile. This novel will satisfy any lover of period romance, but could also be a great introduction to the genre for new readers. Good clean fun!

LC

The Dead House

The Dead House
By Dawn Kurtagich
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2015. 432 pages. Young Adult

More than two decades ago, the so-called Johnson Incident caused Elmbridge High to burn down, claiming the lives of three students and causing another, Carly Johnson, to disappear.

The main suspect? Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly's "sister" and nocturnal alter-ego. For months, the sisters have been communicating back and forth via a shared diary--they use it to write each other notes, corroborate their stories, and plot against the psychologists who are trying to integrate them. Nobody's sure if Kaitlyn actually exists, if she's a piece of Carly that fractured away after her parents died; or worse, if a more sinister force has possessed Carly's body and mind.

So when Carly disappears--in part due to an occult ritual--Kaitlyn goes searching for her sister in the dark, haunted house that only exists in their nightmares. 

Told through a series of diary entries, notes between the sisters, psychologists' transcripts, video clips, creepy photos, and more, The Dead House definitely keeps readers guessing as to whether or not Carly and Kaitlyn are suffering from mental illness or dealing with a demonic denizen. While I found it difficult to get emotionally attached to either Carly or Kaitlyn, I think that distance played into the novel's voyeuristic, found-footage style. The book's exterior and interior design is gorgeous; and despite being a hefty 400+ pages, this book may appeal to reluctant readers due to the amazing (and very creepy) artwork. This is a great next step for fans of Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Madeleine Roux's Asylum. 

CA

Daughters Unto Devils

Daughters Unto Devils

By Amy Lukavics

Harlequin Teen, 2015. 281 pages. Young Adult

After the terrors of last winter, sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's life hasn't ever been the same. Not only did her family get snowed into their high mountain home last winter, but their pregnant mother fell deathly ill and gave birth to a blind/deaf daughter who's been nothing but a harbinger of more travails to come. Amanda's life is hard; but when she realizes she's pregnant with the postal boy's child, it becomes a nightmare.

Now winter is nigh again, and nobody's keen on another six months trapped in the cabin. The family loads up a covered wagon, intending to find an abandoned homestead on the prairie. Pa chooses a house that looks solid enough on the outside; but it's what's on the inside that counts. The family finds the home splattered with old gore. The floorboards are missing, ripped out for no apparent reason. And at night, Amanda can hear an eerie, keening baby's wail coming from inside the house.

When strange things start happening around the house, it becomes clear to Amanda that something's already possessed the land the Verners have taken as their own . . . and it isn't happy with the new neighbors.

This novel's often pitched as Little House on the Prairie meets Stephen King; and for the most part, it holds up to that praise. While slow to get started (there's a lot of information dump in the first few chapters), the images presented are certainly horrifying and stick with the reader long after the novel's done. Amanda's dedication to her family and her faith is admirable, and the deep physical/emotional claustrophobia Lukavics creates on the page is perhaps the most frightening aspect of the novel.

P.S. I'm not sure I'll ever get the image of the dead baby standing in the cornfield out of my head. Ugh.

CA

Sisters Abroad: Interviews from the Mormon Women Project

Sisters Abroad: Interviews from the MormonWomen Project

Neylan McBaine, editor

Patheos Press, 2013. 137 pgs. Nonfiction

This slim volume is a collection of interviews with 13 Mormon women from 13 different countries. Each is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were interviewed as part of the Mormon Women Project which now includes about 250 interviews with women from 22 countries. The selection published here in Sisters Abroad includes the following interviews: Galina Goncharova, Russia; Sahar Qumsiyeh, Palestine; Swarupa Katuka, India; Agnes Twagiramariya, Rwanda; Dagmar Patricia Kollmeier, Germany; Adeline & Veronique Defranchi, France; Terese Kanyanga, South Korea; Ildiko Kovacs, Hungary; Gina Traynor, Ireland; Faustina Otoo, Ghana; Rostya Gordon-Smith, Czech republic; Ines Piñate, Venezuela; and Siu Man, Hong Kong.

The stories here are diverse, fascinating, and inspiring and each provides a glimpse into these women’s struggles, sacrifices, dreams, and hopes.

SML

Napoleon: A Life

Napoleon: A Life
By Andrew Roberts
Viking, 2014. 926 pgs. Biography

Napoleon wrote a lot of letters.  It is estimated he produced around 33,000 missives during his life.  This new biography is the first to take advantage of the recent release of some of those letters.  Roberts uses these new insights into Napoleon's life and thoughts to produce this single volume account of his life from the cradle to the grave. 

This is not a biography for the faint of heart.  It is long and it is full of military and political details.  But it is still fairly readable and, at least as far as I could tell, a balanced depiction of a very complicated man.  Roberts presents many aspects of Napoleon's life not just focusing on his imperial aspirations but also on his personal and family life.  I'm not sure I would have ever been able to sit and read this tome, but I did enjoy listening to an audio version with the speed set to 1.5.

CZ

K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution

K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution
By Mark James Russell
Tuttle Publishing, 2014. 128 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction.

There are a wide variety of factors that have contributed to the development and growing popularity of K-pop, or Korean pop music. Russell provides a broad overview that includes historical and cultural influences, as well as describing what makes the industry unique and different from Western music. From there, Russell provides overviews of some of the current hottest artists in boy groups, girl groups, and solo acts, then briefly ventures onto the future of k-pop and what to expect when traveling to South Korea.

Russell’s enthusiasm for this topic is clear, and this book touched on all the parts I would expect. It actually felt like a cross between K-Pop: Korea's Musical Explosion, and the Stars of K-pop series, but better, much better. While most of the book is very upbeat and light hearted, I was especially happy to see the darker side of the industry mentioned, the hard work, long contracts, and sometimes dishonest producers and managers. For those interested in K-pop, this book hits all the right notes and I would highly recommend it.

ACS

Washed Away

Washed Away
By Geoff Williams
Pegasus Books. 2013. 356 pgs. Nonfiction

In March, 1913, the worst flood in the history of the United States took place.  The flooding occurred in fourteen states leaving millions homeless, hundreds dead and injured, and thousands of homes and buildings destroyed. The flooding was preceded by tornadoes that dropped bodies from the sky and then freezing rain.  This flood, which few of us have ever even heard of, was the most widespread disaster in U.S. history.  Published for the 100th anniversary of the great flood, this book vividly tells individual stories of tragedy and heroism. SH

Paris Architect

Paris Architect
By Charles Belfoure
Sourcebooks Landmark. 374 pgs. Fiction

Lucien Bernard is a talented but self-absorbed architect in Nazi occupied Paris.  A commission from a wealthy Parisian to design a factory for the Germans offers him financial security but hinges on his willingness to design a hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man. Valuing his professional success more than he fears danger, Lucien accepts the challenge and eventually designs ingenious hiding places for several Jews the Nazis are hunting. As Lucien is drawn further and further into danger he is finally forced to reevaluate his life and decide what is most important to him, his career and his mistress or resistance to the Nazis. Be prepared for a few fairly explicit sex scenes – after all the setting is wartime Paris and some of the characters are more interested in daily pleasure and survival than in moral standards. SH

Alienated

Alienated
By Melissa Landers
Disney Hyperion, 2014. 344 pgs. Young Adult

Cara Sweeney has been busy the last few years fighting her way to the top of her class and preparing to apply for college to become a journalist.  She's been trying to do all of this amidst the upheaval caused when aliens made contact two years ago.  Now Cara has been hand-picked to host the first ever alien exchange student, and it's an opportunity every journalist would kill for.  Unfortunately, when Aelyx arrives, he is cold, infuriatingly brilliant, and disdainful of anything to do with humans.  When Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, threatening notes start appearing in her locker and she must be escorted to classes by a police officer.  But the shared hardship gives Cara and Aelyx some common ground, and they begin to form a tentative friendship.

This was a fun book that will appeal to fans of science fiction and young adult books (with a bit of Pride and Prejudice thrown in there, too).  While the plot may seem a bit predictable, there are a few surprising elements of complexity that keep the story moving along.  This is the first in a series.

BHG

I Am Malala

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
By Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb
Little, Brown and Company, 2012. 327 pgs. Nonfiction

Malala Yousafzai grew up in Pakistan during the years that the Taliban began to grow in power and influenced daily life in Pakistan more and more.  As the daughter of a school principal, Malala and her father spoke out in favor of education for girls, a dangerous act as the Taliban had forbidden older girls to attend school.  On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school.  Amazingly, she survived, and has now become a powerful advocate for girls' education, speaking in front of presidents, world leaders, and the United Nations.

I listened to this, and it was one of the best best audiobooks I've ever heard, which makes sense considering it won a Grammy.  Much of the book talks about Pakistan: it's history, customs, culture, and the evolving political landscape over Malala's lifetime.  It's actually quite fascinating and helps to set context for the attack on Malala in 2012.  I would recommend this to anyone, but especially to teens and young adults.  You will learn a lot about what is happening in this part of the world, as well as about this amazing young woman who stood up for what she believed in such a dangerous time and place to do so.

BHG

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad
by M.T. Anderson
Candlewick, 2015.  456 pgs.  Nonfiction

      Three percent of the world's population died in World War II, and thirteen percent of Russia's population died in the same war. Eight hundred thousand to a million of those people died in the siege of Leningrad, when Hitler decided that rather than waste troops and armaments on taking the city, he would just surround it and let the population surrender or starve.  They starved. Dmitri Shostakovich was born in Leningrad and was considered a hero of the Russian Revolution musically. It was not long into Stalin's tenure when Shostakovich and many other Russian artists realized that the Revolution had devolved into brutal totalitarianism and if they expressed their true feelings in their music, or writing, or art, they would be exiled or killed. By framing the story of Leningrad in the Second World War with Shostakovich's life, M.T. Anderson has created a powerful, heartbreaking narrative of human endurance and determination. Those most likely to die in Leningrad were those who tried to live by saving their strength; those who lived kept going to work, kept sharing and cultivating their gifts and talents, and kept creating. A staging of "The Three Musketeers" was completed with only two of the musketeers standing. One had died on stage. Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony was performed while the city was still under siege, by a skeletal orchestra whose conductor could barely lift his hands to lead them. Symphony for the City of the Dead is an extraordinary story of unbelievable suffering and determination. Written for young people, it speaks to all ages and, indeed, might best be reserved for the later grades of high school and on up. The story of Russian suffering between Hitler and Stalin has not been as well told as many of the other horrors of World War II.  This books makes a good start towards redressing that imbalance.

In the Dark Places

In the Dark Places
by Peter Robinson
HarperCollins, 2015.  326 pgs. Mystery

When an expensive tractor goes missing, no one in Inspector Banks' squad is excited about investigating a penny-ante crime in the countryside. But what begins as a mere theft blows up into something much worse when two young men from the neighborhood go missing, and a Afghanistan veteran's dog discovers a pool of human blood in an abandoned hangar. The two cases begin to converge after a gruesome discovery is made when a van goes off a cliff in a hailstorm, and Inspector Banks' team must try to find and stop a butcher (both meanings of the word) before he strikes again. Very few write police procedurals as well as Peter Robinson, and this 22nd entry in his Inspector Alan Banks series is filled with nuanced characterizations, a relentlessly swerving plot, and mayhem aplenty. You may not be a vegetarian when you begin this books, but you may convert by the end. Well done, but plenty gruesome.

Orbiting Jupiter

Orbiting Jupiter
by Gary D. Schmidt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. 183 pgs. Young Adult

There are several improbabilities in Gary Schmidt's latest novel for teens, but they are all swallowed up by the tender profundity of this story of a very young man who has become a father, but who has never seen his daughter and does not know where she is. Released from a juvenile detention center into the foster care of the Hurd family, Joseph takes a long time to warm up, but he does, to 12-year old Jack, Jack's patient and loving parents, and to Rosie the cow, who loves him instantly. But Joseph cannot be happy until he knows where his daughter Jupiter is, and sees her for himself. In the meantime, he is treated unkindly as school by teachers and students, but embraced by other teachers who discover his skill in mathematics, encourage his thoughtful choice of reading matter, and who give him responsibility for helping younger students. Joseph warms to his new home and family, resists the demands of his brutal father, but leaves when he gets a lead on his daughter's whereabouts. Gary Schmidt once explained that what interests him in his writing is that point when a boy decides either to become a man, or to stay a child forever. Orbiting Jupiter explores precisely that moment in two boys' lives: Joseph's and Jack's. The ending is bitter, but also sweet. Joseph's story can be read in about an hour, but it will stay with you for years to come.

Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women

The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women
By Dawn Dais
Seal Press, 2006. 249 pgs. Nonfiction.

Dawn Dais felt that running was for other people, and that, at least for her, it was not a natural ability that so many others seemed to have. Nevertheless, she embarked on a journey to run a marathon and recorded her experiences along the way. This book serves as a helpful guide for women who want to run a marathon, but aren’t runners and don’t know where to start.

Running a marathon had always been on my bucket list, but I have never, ever, been a runner. By following the training schedule in this book and using it as my main guide and resource, I reached that goal. Unlike other guides for runners, this one stands out because the author is hilarious and hilariously self-deprecating. She’s a regular woman, not an athlete, though she did have experts coaching her. It was the humor and realistic advice that kept me going, and this book is something I would absolutely recommend to any woman who wants to run a full or half marathon. Even if you want to experience it vicariously, I highly recommend this book.

ACS

Einstein's Trunk

Einstein’s Trunk
By Jim Haberkorn
Bonneville Books, 2011, 234 pages, Suspense Fiction

The Russians have learned that Einstein has left a trunk full of formulas for making a nuclear bomb that is sixty times more powerful than anything that exists today. Einstein's great-granddaughter Yohaba, a brilliant physicist in her own right, and an ex-spy, Rulon Hurt, are the only ones who can stop them from stealing it.

Part James Bond and part DaVinci Code, Haberkorn’s debut novel is a fast-paced thrill ride. Rulon Hurt is different from your average spy. His training as a secret agent is enhanced by experiences growing up in rural Idaho farming, bull riding and competing in the hammer throw on his high school track team. With a completely different background from Rulon’s, Yohaba’s sharp intellect makes the two a formidable duo.

Bonneville Books is one publisher that usually gets a “Clean Reads” label, but suspense thrillers don’t lend themselves to being violence-free. While Rulon Hurt doesn’t permit himself a license to kill, he definitely has a license to maim.

MB

My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business

My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business

By Dick Van Dyke

Crown Archetype, 2011. 287 pgs. Biography

This is a terrific little journey through Dick Van Dyke’s “Lucky Life.” He gets his start in radio. Then he joins Phil Erickson on the road doing a comedy routine. He did some television work for a few years, then landed a part in Bye Bye Birdie. This was followed by The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and somewhat later Diagnosis Murder. There were of course, a number of other films and television work, but these are certainly his most memorable work.

There are no scandals here—well they might be mentioned, but there’s no dwelling on them—and perhaps that is the secret to Van Dyke’s “Lucky Life”—a optimistic outlook that focuses on the good. This is the story of a kind, earnest, and talented man who found ways to spread his good-natured entertainment far and wide.

SML

Twice in a Lifetime

Twice in a Lifetime
By Dorothy Garlock
Grand Central Publishing, 2015. 372 pgs. Romance

Clara Sinclair's husband was killed in WWII. Her world shattered that day but she eventually learned to live with the pain and move forward. She has made a life for herself in Sunset, Missiouri but now she is faced with a rebellious teenage son and a mother in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. When her truck breaks down, it is the last straw and all she can do is sob. Drake McCoy is a drag racer who is just passing through town looking for his next easy win. When he sees Clara sobbing in her truck, he offers to help. He is drawn to Clara's kindness and beauty and discovers that he might not be in such a hurry to leave this town. Neither of them realize that they both have enemies closing in fast that might end their romance before it has even begun.

This is the first Dorothy Garlock book I've read. I enjoyed the description of the small town and that it examined what happened to a widow after the war was over. The beginning of the novel was fairly slow paced but the adventure toward the end kept me flying through the pages. There is some language and sexual content that may not be appropriate for every reader.

AL

The Eleventh Brother: A Novel of Joseph in Egypt

The Eleventh Brother: A Novel of Joseph in Egypt
By Rachel K. Wilcox
Deseret Book, 2015. 333 pgs. Historical Fiction

This novel adds depth to the Bible story of Joseph of Egypt, from the time he was a young boy with his brothers, to being thrown in the pit, to becoming a ruler in Egypt. Joseph overcame many trials in his life but one of his biggest struggles was learning to forgive his brothers.

It was obvious that the author has done some serious research into this story and the history of this time period. There are many flashbacks, that at times can be a little confusing. but eventually lead to a fuller understanding of the characters and their actions. 

AL

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir
By Felicia Day
Touchstone, 2015. 260 pgs. Biography

Felicia Day’s wonderful memoir starts off with a foreword by none other than Joss Whedon who describes her as “stranger than I am.” This is high praise from a man who represents a great deal of strange.

For those who are not familiar with Day, she is commonly known as “The Queen of the Nerds” since she is an active gamer and her projects usually feature connections to that world.

“You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)” is a look at her unusual childhood, her discovery of the world and people of online gaming, her successes as a writer and producer of Internet Web series, and her struggles with anxiety and finding balance in life. She is honest, engaging and really very funny. I was surprised by her frank discussion of an online gaming addiction and the stress and depression that can be caused by an overachieving personality.

I completely loved this book! I had high hopes and was not disappointed. I expected to be entertained, but was surprised when I felt inspired and also gained a bit of understanding into why online gaming is so popular and addictive, something I have never been able to grasp. I listened to an audio version, read by the author, and recommend it.

Felicia’s memoir belongs aside other recent favorites by Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling.

CZ

P.S. I Still Love You

P.S. I Still Love You
by Jenny Han
New York: Simon and Schuster BFYR, 2015. 337 pgs. Young Adult.

Continuing the story from To All the Boys I Loved Before, sweet, goofy Lara Jean discovers that loving someone doesn’t always make things perfect. First, she is humiliated when someone posts what appears to be a steamy scene of her in a hot tub. Then she is further frustrated when her new boyfriend doesn’t immediately believe her when she figures out it was his ex-girlfriend. Finally, things are made even worse when another boy from her past enters the picture.

Lara Jean has a lot to learn about love and she is definitely up for the challenge. I enjoyed this heartfelt, coming of age story especially as Lara Jean experiences so many difficulties such as rumors and peer-pressure. Through all these troubles, she sticks to what she believes.

AJ

Emmy & Oliver

Emmy & Oliver
by Robin Benway
New York: Harper Teen, 2015. 343 pgs. Young Adult

At age eight, Emmy expects she will be friends with Oliver forever, but when he is kidnapped by his father, Emmy and her friends, parents, and neighbors’ world is changed forever. When, miraculously, Oliver reappears 10 years later, they are overjoyed and expect life to pick up right where it left off. However, Oliver thought his mother abandoned him and finds it difficult to pick up the pieces of his old life. Emmy must find a way to help Oliver bridge the time gap and find a new future with her in it.

This is a sweet YA novel set in the popular contemporary, realistic genre. Examining the effects of loss, the author does a good job writing about the bonds of relationships for both friends and family.

AJ

Born With Teeth

Born With Teeth
By Kate Mulgrew
New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2015. 306 pp. Biography

Starting with her upbringing as part of a large Irish-American in Iowa and ending with her reunion with the daughter she had been separated from as a young woman, the author relates her story with verve and not a little dramatic flair. This is rather apropos, given that she began her television career on the soap opera, Ryan's Hope. Readers will most likely know her from her portrayal of Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager and her current work in the Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. While she does relate in some detail the challenges and accomplishments of her work, whether on stage or screen, she focuses her attention on her personal life, family, romantic relationships etc. Her struggles with her decision to put up her first child for adoption, her failed marriage, and her rough and tumble childhood are described with real feeling but stopping short of being maudlin. This is to be recommended for anyone who enjoys a good celebrity biography that provides grace and humor in equal measure.

CHW

Born of Persuasion

 

Born of Persuasion (Price of Privilege #1)
By Jessica Dotta
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2013, 435 pages, Historical/Inspirational Fiction 

In 1838, at the young age of 17, Julia Elliston finds herself an orphan. She has a mysterious guardian she has never met who has arranged for her to serve as a lady’s companion in far-off Scotland. Julia has just two months to come up with a plan of her own, and that means she has two months to get married. Two options present themselves. Should Julia cast her lot with her childhood sweetheart, Edward; or with the mysterious and alluring Mr. Macy?

When I see a cover like this I automatically make some assumptions: the story is historical fiction, possibly inspirational fiction, and there might be some light romance. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I picked up this novel and discovered it was a gothic tale!

Julia Elliston can’t trust anyone. Everyone she knows has an ulterior motive. Mr. Macy especially feels like he was pulled directly from a Bronte novel with his dark looks and mysterious, brooding past. I was actually fairly convinced he was a vampire (in the Bram Stoker definition of the word) for most of the novel, and now that I’ve finished I’m not 100% certain that he isn’t. Dotta’s writing is definitely reminiscent of the time period, and that usually works to her advantage in building the suspense, although it sometimes drew me out of the story too.

This is a great read for anyone interested in the Brontes or other gothic writers of the time period. Be forewarned: This is actually the first book in a trilogy, and I’ve got book two checked out!

MB

The Little Paris Bookshop

The Little Paris Bookshop
Crown, 2015. 400 pgs. Fiction.

Jean Perdu is lost. Twenty years ago, the love of his life left him without warning, and ever since, Jean has avoided relationships of any kind. He runs The Literary Apothecary, a barge bookshop on the Seine where he recommends books based on the emotions of his customers. He can’t seem to face or heal his own pain, however. After a new neighbor convinces him to finally read the letter left by his love, Jean sets sail down the river. Joined by an insecure but bestselling author, a lovelorn Italian chef, and two cats, Jean finds peace as he journeys from Paris to Provence.

This international bestseller was a pleasant read that occasionally surprised me with its poignancy. A few passages really resonated with me, including one where two characters discuss sensory memories and grief. The cast of characters was charmingly quirky, and I was pleased with the way everything wrapped up, even if some readers might feel that all the loose ends are too neatly tied up. I will warn that the story is slow and meandering; many readers will love it, while others might find it silly or boring. For me, the writing and the story weren’t perfect, but they were enjoyable. It was a good escapist read.

I listened to the audio version recorded by Ray Sawyer and overall felt like it was a decent audio pick. The author includes a lot of asides and flashbacks, so in audio format I sometimes had trouble figuring out what was going on. I was also initially confused whenever Manon talked about her mother, since Manon and Maman sound quite similar when spoken aloud. I enjoyed Sawyer’s reading, however. He reads narrative in his own British accent, but does a nice job using accents and distinctive voices to identify each character.

SGR