May 2020

Alan P. recommends:

Nature Writings by John Muir

From amazon.com: In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate politi-

cal activism, John Muir became America's most eloquent spokesman for the

mystery and majesty of the wilderness. A crucial figure in the creation of our

national parks system and a far-seeing prophet of environmental awareness

who founded the Sierra Club in 1892, he was also a master of natural descrip-

tion who evoked with unique power and intimacy the untrammeled land-

scapes of the American West.

Nature Writings collects Muir's most significant and best-loved works in a sin-

gle volume, including: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913), My First

Summer in the Sierra (1911), The Mountains of California (1894)

and Stickeen (1909). Rounding out the volume is a rich selection of essays—

including "Yosemite Glaciers," "God's First Temples," "Snow-Storm on Mount

Shasta," "The American Forests," and "Save the Redwoods"—that highlight

various aspects of his career: his exploration of the Grand Canyon and of what

became Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks, his successful crusades to

preserve the wilderness, his early walking tour to Florida, and the Alaska jour-

ney of 1879.

Nature

Brigitte H. recommends:

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Twelve-year-old CeeCee is in trouble. For years she’s been the caretaker of

her psychotic mother, Camille— the crown-wearing, lipstick-smeared laugh-

ingstock of an entire town. Though it’s 1967 and they live in Ohio, Camille be-

lieves it’s 1951 and she’s just been crowned the Vidalia Onion Queen of Geor-

gia.

The day CeeCee discovers Camille in the front yard wearing a tattered prom

dress and tiara as she blows kisses to passing motorists, she knows her moth-

er has completely flipped. When tragedy strikes, Tootie Caldwell, a previously

unknown great-aunt comes to CeeCee’s rescue and whisks her away to Savan-

nah. Within hours of her arrival, CeeCee is catapulted into a perfumed world

of prosperity and Southern eccentricities—a world that appears to be run en-

tirely by women.

While Tootie is busy saving Savannah’s endangered historic homes from the

wrecking ball, CeeCee encounters a cast of unforgettable, eccentric charac-

ters. From the mysterious Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in an outdoor

tub under the watchful eyes of a voyeuristic peacock, to Oletta Jones, the all-

knowing household cook, to Violene Hobbs, the loud-mouthed widow who

entertains a local police officer in her yellow see-through peignoir, the women

of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire sum-

mer.

But CeeCee’s view of the world is challenged in ways she could have never

imagined: there are secrets to keep, injustices to face, and loyalties to uphold.

Just as she begins to find her ballast and experiences a sense of belonging, her

newfound joy collides with the long-held fear that her mother’s legacy has left

her destined for destruction.

Historical fiction

-and-

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

From goodreads.com: When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and sudden-

ly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and

misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression,

making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who

almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus me-

nagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the

equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal

trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he dis-

covers a way to reach her.

Historical fiction

Colleen W. recommends:

Maid by Stephanie Land

From amazon.com: At 28, Stephanie Land's plans of breaking free from the

roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of

attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer

fling turned into an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to

make ends meet, and with a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her

daughter the very best life possible, Stephanie worked days and took classes

online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly.

She wrote the true stories that weren't being told: the stories of overworked

and underpaid Americans. Of living on food stamps and WIC (Women, Infants,

and Children) coupons to eat. Of the government programs that provided her

housing, but that doubled as halfway houses. The aloof government employ-

ees who called her lucky for receiving assistance while she didn't feel lucky at

all. She wrote to remember the fight, to eventually cut through the deep-

rooted stigmas of the working poor.

Maid explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of

what it's like to be in service to them. "I'd become a nameless ghost," Stepha-

nie writes about her relationship with her clients, many of whom do not know

her from any other cleaner, but who she learns plenty about. As she begins to

discover more about her clients' lives-their sadness and love, too-she begins

to find hope in her own path.

Memoir

-and-

Educated by Tara Westover

From amazon.com: Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara

Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family

was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the

children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s

older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into col-

lege, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge trans-

formed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to

Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if

there was still a way home.

Memoir

Monica B. recommends:

El Deafo by Cece Bell

From booksofwonder.com: Going to school and making new friends can be

tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky

hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny,

poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her

hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic

Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid.

The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she should-

n't—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in

and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some

trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become

"El Deafo, Listener for All." And more importantly, declare a place for herself

in the world and find the friend she's longed for.

Children’s

Nina W. recommends:

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks

I read this book years ago and I just loved it, so much that after reading a li-

brary copy I went out and purchased a copy to own. Very few books make

that cut!

This book is crazy and covers a lot of ground. Some disturbing stuff happens

and some really sad stuff. But it is also funny and quirky and full of great char-

acters and really takes you on a journey.

Here is a more detailed (and very no-nonsense) summary from a Goodreads

reader's review:

“Rule of the Bone is a book about a fourteen year old kid who fails out of

school, is already hooked on drugs, and is being secretly abused by his stepfa-

ther. I know this sounds dark, but Bone, the main character, is, perhaps, one

of the most "together" narrators. He knows his flaws and the world's flaws,

but this does not stop him from living the existence he chooses--to be home-

less and kind of a mallrat. Have you ever met a complete druggie loser and

have realized that he is smarter and more intelligent than most people? Well,

that is Bone.

I recommend this book for anyone who liked Holden Caulfield's crass narra-

tive, but thought that he was a privileged b*. Bone is much more enjoyable

and witty, and he stands up for himself, something Holden only thought he

was capable of.”

Fiction

Keara B. recommends:

Coal Black Mornings by Brett Anderson

It is a biography about his, I guess, growth as a musician? It chronicles his life

from childhood to adulthood and how he got interested in music, what influ-

enced his music, and how his band Suede came to be. It's very interesting be-

cause he does not lead a glamorous life and is mostly struggling (with his

gang) in the beginning to try and find a place in the music scene and find him-

self along the way. What I also found interesting about the book was learning

about the meaning and reasoning behind the songs he writes, as well as the

perspective.

I would also say people should DEFINITELY check out his music, it is great

(personally I think it is melancholic and romantic, but everyone interprets mu-

sic differently).

Albums: Suede, Dog Man Star, Coming Up, Head Music, A New Morning,

Bloodsports, Night Thoughts, The Blue Hour.

Music memoir

Judy T. recommends:

Virgin River (2019 series)

On the recommendation of a friend, we just watched 3 episodes of

"Virgin River" on Netflix. It is a series about a young woman nurse-practitioner

who is looking for a new start in a small town in northern California working

for an older GP. We really enjoyed it and will watch more.

Drama

Kayla F. recommends:

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Worth the hype. Different, odd, downright funny and completely entertaining!

From goodreads.com: When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarcti-

ca as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in,

throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying

to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a melt-

down. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she

disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces--which is exactly what Bee

does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school

memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for dec-

ades. Where'd You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertain-

ing novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of

a daughter's love for her mother.

Fiction

Sara C. recommends:

Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I am enjoying Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, since it

seemed timely, and I love the way it is written.

From amazon.com: In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall pas-

sionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-

born doctor, Florentino is devastated, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his

business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs--yet he reserves his

heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully

attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first de-

clared his love for Fermina, he will do so again.

Fiction

-and-

Heart and Souls (1993 film)

With Robert Downey Jr. It has a great cast, it is totally hokey but heartwarm-

ing and sweet and calmed my anxious nerves for a bit.

From rottentomatoes.com: Heart and Souls is an odd reincarnation comedy

about a man (Robert Downey Jr.) who has been haunted his entire life by four

souls (Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgewick, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore), who

are only visible to himself, and who all died in a bus accident on the night that

he was born. Once he becomes a man, he is forced to finish what they could

not complete, and each of the four souls inhabits his body at different times

as he attempts to take care of their business.

Comedy

Stacy C. recommends:

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

From penguinrandomhouse.com: Written with Josie Silver’s trademark

warmth and wit, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love

story about the what-ifs that arise at life’s crossroads, and what happens

when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them.

Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a

decade and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong.

On Lydia’s twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.

So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants is to hide indoors and sob until her

eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully,

happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and

her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life—

and perhaps even love—again.

But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her

old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few

months have happened.

Lydia is pulled again and again through the doorway to her past, living two

lives, impossibly, at once. But there’s an emotional toll to returning to a world

where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there’s someone in her

new life, her real life, who wants her to stay.

Fiction

Caroline B. recommends:

The Inquisitor’s Tale : or, the Three Magical Children and

Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz

1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and

begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase

through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and

save the land from a farting dragon. On the run to escape prejudice and per-

secution and save precious and holy texts from being burned, their quest

drives them forward to a final showdown at Mont Saint-Michel, where all will

come to question if these children can perform the miracles of saints.—

summary by publisher.

I know it’s a children’s book, but I LOVED this book. A take on the Canterbury

Tales which was really compelling. I listened to the audio and the narrators

are perfect and super entertaining!

Children’s

-and-

Not My Father’s Son : a Memoir by Alan Cumming

In his unique and engaging voice, the acclaimed actor of stage and screen

shares the emotional story of his complicated relationship with his father and

the deeply buried family secrets that shaped his life and career. – summary by

publisher

Cumming manages to be moving and funny. He narrates the audio and is ter-

rific!

Memoir

Marilyn R. recommends:

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

What is a family? Biological siblings Grace, Maya and Joaquin must be willing

to share their secrets and open their hearts to learn the answer. But, sharing

one’s deepest secret can open your heart to new pain, and these three must

learn to trust each other enough to heal past hurts and figure out how to be a

family. At times raw, sad, and frustrating, the story is always real as it explores

alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, adoption, and foster care. You will cheer for

these three, because who doesn’t want a happy ending?

Young adult fiction

Amanda S. recommends:

Still Lives by Maria Hummel

From amazon.com: Kim Lord's groundbreaking new exhibition, Still Lives, fea-

tures portraits in which she depicts herself as famous murdered women, and

the works are as compelling as they are disturbing, implicating a culture that is

too accustomed to violence against women. When Lord never shows up to

her own gala, editor Maggie Richter gets drawn into her own investigation of

Lord's disappearance, fearful that the artist might have met the same fate as

the women in her paintings.

Thriller

-and-

The Bookshop (2018 film)

From rottentomatoes.com: England, 1959. Free-spirited widow Florence

Green (Emily Mortimer) risks everything to open a bookshop in a conservative

East Anglian coastal town. While bringing about a surprising cultural awaken-

ing through works by Ray Bradbury and Vladimir Nabokov, she earns the po-

lite but ruthless opposition of a local grand dame (Patricia Clarkson) and the

support and affection of a reclusive book loving widower (Bill Nighy). As Flor-

ence's obstacles amass and bear suspicious signs of a local power struggle,

she is forced to ask: is there a place for a bookshop in a town that may not

want one? Based on Penelope Fitzgerald's acclaimed novel and directed by

Isabel Coixet (Learning to Drive), The Bookshop is an elegant yet incisive ren-

dering of personal resolve, tested in the battle for the soul of a community.

Historical fiction

Betsey M. recommends:

One of Us is Lying by Karen Mcmanus

Winner of the 2020 Rhode Island Teen Book Award! From amazon.com: Pay

close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip

app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention

Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident.

On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about

all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in

his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to

protect them.

Young adult fiction

-and-

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

From amazom.com: In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleve-

land, everything is planned—from the layout of the winding roads, to the col-

ors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And

no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding princi-

ple is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren—an enigmatic artist and single mother—who arrives in this

idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the

Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richard-

son children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her

a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend

this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-

American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town—

and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives,

Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession

will come at unexpected and devastating costs.

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and

identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood—and the danger of believing

that following the rules can avert disaster.

Fiction

Sandra K. recommends:

The Last Book on the Left: Stories of Murder and Mayhem

from History's Most Notorious Serial Killers by Ben Kis-

sel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski

Some people take issue with mixing comedy and true crime, thinking that it

demeans the victims or is otherwise undignified. I don’t agree with this view.

Especially with a book like this, which from the introduction states, “Years of

researching serial killers has revealed that most of these criminals are not the

monsters of nightmares they are so often portrayed to be by ‘true crime en-

tertainment’ but are often huge dorks who couldn’t get anything right in their

lives so they turned to murder and mayhem.” The authors have no reverence

for these monsters and I just think that is a great way to learn about them. I

actually haven’t listened to any of the Last Podcast on the Left (I will absolute-

ly be starting with the five part series on Jim Jones), but as a fan of My Favor-

ite Murder, I know how empowering this take on the subject can be. Plus the

illustrations are wonderful.

True crime